like　the　flattened　rockers　of　a　rocking…horse；　slugs　between　20
  and　40　feet　long。　　They　are　like　flat…sided　slugs；　slugs　of
  spirit；　who　raise　an　enquiring　snout；　like　the　snout　of　a
  dogfish；　into　the　air。　　They　crawl　upon　their　bellies　in　a　way
  that　would　be　tedious　to　describe　to　the　general　reader　and
  unnecessary　to　describe　to　the　enquiring　specialists。　　They　go
  over　the　ground　with　the　sliding　speed　of　active　snails。　　Behind
  them　trail　two　wheels；　supporting　a　flimsy　tail；　wheels　that
  strike　one　as　incongruous　as　if　a　monster　began　kangaroo　and
  ended　doll's　perambulator。　　（These　wheels　annoy　me。）　They　are　not
  steely　monsters；　they　are　painted　with　drab　and　unassuming
  colours　that　are　fashionable　in　modern　warfare；　so　that　the
  armour　seems　rather　like　the　integument　of　a　rhinoceros。　　At　the
  sides　of　the　head　project　armoured　checks；　and　from　above　these
  stick　out　guns　that　look　like　stalked　eyes。　　That　is　the　general
  appearance　of　the　contemporary　tank。
  It　slides　on　the　ground；　the　silly　little　wheels　that　so　detract
  from　the　genial　bestiality　of　its　appearance　dandle　and　bump
  behind　it。　　It　swings　about　its　axis。　　It　comes　to　an　obstacle；　a
  low　wall　let　us　say；　or　a　heap　of　bricks；　and　sets　to　work　to
  climb　it　with　its　snout。　　It　rears　over　the　obstacle；　it　raises
  its　straining　belly；　it　overhangs　more　and　more；　and　at　last
  topples　forward；　it　sways　upon　the　heap　and　then　goes　plunging
  downwards；　sticking　out　the　weak　counterpoise　of　its　wheeled
  tail。　　If　it　comes　to　a　house　or　a　tree　or　a　wall　or　such…like
  obstruction　it　rams　against　it　so　as　to　bring　all　its　weight　to
  bear　upon　itit　weighs　/some/　tonsand　then　climbs　over
  the　debris。　　I　saw　it；　and　incredulous　soldiers　of　experience
  watched　it　at　the　same　time；　cross　trenches　and　wallow　amazingly
  through　muddy　exaggerations　of　small　holes。　　Then　I　repeated　the
  tour　inside。
  Again　the　Tank　is　like　a　slug。　　The　slug；　as　every　biological
  student　knows；　is　unexpectedly　complicated　inside。　　The　Tank　is
  as　crowded　with　inward　parts　as　a　battleship。　　It　is　filled　with
  engines；　guns　and　ammunition；　and　in　the　interstices　men。
  〃You　will　smash　your　hat；〃　said　Colonel　Stern。　　〃No；　keep　it　on；
  or　else　you　will　smash　your　head。〃
  Only　Mr。　C。　R。　W。　Nevinson　could　do　justice　to　the　interior　of　a
  Tank。　　You　see　a　hand　gripping　something；　you　see　the　eyes　and
  forehead　of　an　engineer's　face；　you　perceive　that　an　overall
  bluishness　beyond　the　engine　is　the　back　of　another　man。　　〃Don't
  hold　that；〃　says　someone；　〃it　is　too　hot。　　Hold　on　to　that。〃　　The
  engines　roar；　so　loudly　that　I　doubt　whether　one　could　hear　guns
  without；　the　floor　begins　to　slope　and　slopes　until　one　seems　to
  be　at　forty…five　degrees　or　thereabouts；　then　the　whole　concern
  swings　up　and　sways　and　slants　the　other　way。　　You　have　crossed　a
  bank。　　You　heel　sideways。　　Through　the　door　which　has　been　left
  open　you　see　the　little　group　of　engineers；　staff　officers　and
  naval　men　receding　and　falling　away　behind　you。　　You　straighten
  up　and　go　up　hill。　　You　halt　and　begin　to　rotate。　　Through　the
  open　door；　the　green　field；　with　its　red　walls；　rows　of　worksheds
  and　forests　of　chimneys　in　the　background；　begins　a　steady
  processional　movement。　　The　group　of　engineers　and　officers　and
  naval　men　appears　at　the　other　side　of　the　door　and　farther　off。
  Then　comes　a　sprint　down　hill。　　You　descend　and　stretch　your
  legs。
  About　the　field　other　Tanks　are　doing　their　stunts。　　One　is
  struggling　in　an　apoplectic　way　in　the　mud　pit　with　a　cheek　half
  buried。　　It　noses　its　way　out　and　on　with　an　air　of　animal
  relief。
  They　are　like　jokes　by　Heath　Robinson。　　One　forgets　that　these
  things　have　already　saved　the　lives　of　many　hundreds　of　our
  soldiers　and　smashed　and　defeated　thousands　of　Germans。
  Said　one　soldier　to　me：　〃In　the　old　attacks　you　used　to　see　the
  British　dead　lying　outside　the　machine…gun　emplacements　like
  birds　outside　a　butt　with　a　good　shot　inside。　　/Now/；　these
  things　walk　through。〃
  3
  I　saw　other　things　that　day　at　X。　　The　Tank　is　only　a　beginning
  in　a　new　phase　of　warfare。　　Of　these　other　things　I　may　only
  write　in　the　most　general　terms。
  But　though　Tanks　and　their　collaterals　are　being　made　upon　a　very
  considerable　scale　in　X；　already　I　realised　as　I　walked　through
  gigantic　forges　as　high　and　marvellous　as　cathedrals；　and　from
  workshed　to　workshed　where　gun　carriages；　ammunition　carts　and　a
  hundred　such　things　were　flowing　into　existence　with　the　swelling
  abundance　of　a　river　that　flows　out　of　a　gorge；　that　as　the
  demand　for　the　new　developments　grows　clear　and　strong；　the
  resources　of　Britain　are　capable　still　of　a　tremendous　response。
  /If　only　we　do　not　rob　these　great　factories　and　works　of　their
  men。/
  Upon　this　question　certain　things　need　to　be　said　very　plainly。
  The　decisive　factor　in　the　sort　of　war　we　are　now　waging　is
  production　and　right　use　of　mechanical　material；　victory　in　this
  war　depends　now　upon　three　things：　the　aeroplane；　the　gun；　and
  the　Tank　developments。　　Theseand　not　crowds　of　menare　the
  prime　necessity　for　a　successful　offensive。　　Every　man　we　draw
  from　munition　making　to　the　ranks　brings　our　western　condition
  nearer　to　the　military　condition　of　Russia。　　In　these　things　we
  may　be　easily　misled　by　military　〃experts〃　We　have　to　remember
  that　the　military　〃expert〃　is　a　man　who　learnt　his　business
  before　1914；　and　that　the　business　of　war　has　been　absolutely
  revolutionised　since　1914；　the　military　expert　is　a　man　trained
  to　think　of　war　as　essentially　an　affair　of　cavalry；　infantry　in
  formation；　and　field　guns；　whereas　cavalry　is　entirely　obsolete；
  infantry　no　longer　fights　in　formation；　and　the　methods　of
  gunnery　have　been　entirely　changed。　　The　military　man　I　observe
  still　runs　about　the　world　in　spurs；　he　travels　in　trains　in
  spurs；　he　walks　in　spurs；　he　thinks　in　terms　of　spurs。　　He　has
  still　to　discover　that　it　is　about　as　ridiculous　as　if　he　were　to
  carry　a　crossbow。　　I　take　it　these　spurs　are　only　the　outward　and
  visible　sign　of　an　inward　obsolescence。　　The　disposition　of　the
  military　〃expert〃　is　still　to　think　too　little　of　machinery　and
  to　demand　too　much　of　the　men。　　Behind　our　front　at　the　time　of
  my　visit　there　were；　for　example；　many　thousands　of　cavalry；　men
  tending　horses；　men　engaged　in　transporting　bulky　fodder　for
  horses　and　the　like。　　These　men　were　doing　about　as　much　in　this
  war　as　if　they　had　been　at　Timbuctoo。　　Every　man　who　is　taken
  from　munition　making　at　X　to　spur…worshipping　in　khaki；　is　a　dead
  loss　to　the　military　efficiency　of　the　country。　　Every　man　that
  is　needed　or　is　likely　to　be　needed　for　the　actual　operations　of
  modern　warfare　can　be　got　by　combing　out　the　cavalry；　the　brewing
  and　distilling　industries；　the　theatres　and　music　halls；　and　the
  like　unproductive　occupations。　　The　under…staffing　of　munition
  works；　the　diminution　of　their　efficiency　by　the　use　of　aged　and
  female　labour；　is　the　straight　course　to　failure　in　this　war。
  In　X；　in　the　forges　and　machine　shops；　I　saw　already　too　large　a
  proportion　of　boys　and　grey　heads。
  War　is　a　thing　that　changes　very　rapidly；　and　we　have　in　the
  Tanks　only　the　first　of　a　great　series　of　offensive　developments。
  They　are　bound　to　be　improved；　at　a　great　pace。　　The　method　of
  using　them　will　change　very　rapidly。　　Any　added　invention　will
  necessitate　the　scrapping　of　old　types　and　the　production　of　the
  new　patterns　in　quantity。　　It　is　of　supreme　necessity　to　the
  Allies　if　they　are　to　win　this　war　outright　that　the　lead　in
  inventions　and　enterprise　which　the　British　have　won　over　the
  Germans　in　this　matter　should　be　retained。　　It　is　our　game　now　to
  press　the　advantage　for　all　it　is　worth。　　We　have　to　keep　ahead
  to　win。　　We　cannot　do　so　unless　we　have　unstinted　men　and
  unstinted　material　to　produce　each　new　development　as　its　use　is
  realised。
  Given　that　much；　the　Tank　will　enormously　enhance　the　advantage
  of　the　new　offensive　method　on　the　French　front；　the　method　that
  is　of　gun　demolition　after　aerial　photography；　followed　by　an
  advance；　it　is　a　huge　addition　to　our　prospect　of　decisive
  victory。　　What　does　it　do？　　It　solves　two　problems。　　The　existing
  Tank　affords　a　means　of　advancing　against　machine…gun　fire　and　of
  destroying　wire　and　machine　guns　without　much　risk　of　loss；　so
  soon　as　the　big　guns　have　done　their　duty　by　the　enemy　guns。　　And
  also　behind　the　Tank　itself；　it　is　useless　to　conceal；　lies　the
  possibility　of　bringing　up　big　guns　and　big　gun　ammunition；
  across　nearly　any　sort　of　country；　as　fast　as　the　advance　can
  press　forward。　　Hitherto　every　advance　has　paid　a　heavy　toll　to
  the　machine　gun；　and　every　advance　has　had　to　halt　after　a　couple
  of　miles　or　so　while　the　big　guns　（taking　five　or　six　days　for
  the　job）　toiled　up　to　the　new　positions。
  4
  It　is　impossible　to　restrain　a　note　of　sharp　urgency　from　what
  one　has　to　say　about　these　developments。　　The　Tanks　remove　the
  last　technical　difficulties　in　our　way　to　decisive　victory　and　a
  permanent　peace；　they　also　afford　a　reason　for　straining　every
  nerve　to　bring　about　a　decision　and　peace　soon。　　At　the　risk　of
  seeming　an　imaginative　alarmist　I　would　like　to　point　out　the
  reasons　these　things　disclose　for　hurrying　this　w