E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Stephen Blundell,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
()

[v]

PREFACE

For some reason, which may be either arrogance or apathy, theBritish are very slow to state their case to the world. At presentthe reasons for our actions and the methods which we have usedare set forth in many Blue-books, tracts, and leaflets, but have never,so far as I know, been collected into one small volume. In view ofthe persistent slanders to which our politicians and our soldiershave been equally exposed, it becomes a duty which we owe to ournational honour to lay the facts before the world. I wish someonemore competent, and with some official authority, had undertakenthe task, which I have tried to do as best I might from anindependent standpoint.

There was never a war in history in which the right wasabsolutely on one side, or in which no incidents of the campaignwere open to criticism. I do not pretend that it was so here.But I do not think that any unprejudiced man can read the factswithout acknowledging that the British Government has doneits best to avoid war, and the British Army to wage it withhumanity.

To my publisher and to myself this work has been its ownreward. In this way we hope to put the price within the reachof all, and yet leave a profit for the vendor. Our further ambitionis, however, to translate it into all European tongues, and to send[vi]a free copy to every deputy and every newspaper on the Continentand in America. For this work money will be needed—aconsiderable sum. We propose to make an appeal to the publicfor these funds. Any sums which are sent to me or to mypublisher will be devoted to this work. There cannot be toomuch, for the more we get the more we shall do.

I may add that I have not burdened my pages with continualreferences. My quotations are reliable and can always, if necessary,be substantiated.

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