Illustration by Sue Linney

"I AM making this statement as an act of willful defiance of military authority, because I believe that the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.

I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers. I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defense and liberation, has now become a war of aggression and conquest. I believe that the purposes for which I and my fellow-soldiers entered upon this war should have been so clearly stated as to have made it impossible to change them, and that, had this been done, the objects which actuated us would now be attainable by negotiation.,

I have seen and endured the sufferings of the troops, and I can no longer be a party to prolong these sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust.

I am not protesting against the conduct of the war, but against the political errors and insincerities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.

On behalf of those who are suffering now I make this protest against the deception which is being practiced on them; also I believe that I may help to destroy the callous complacence with which the majority of those at home regard the continuance of agonies which they do not share, and which they have not sufficient imagination to realize."

Siegfried L. Sassoon...July 1917

Many thanks to Marilyn M. of New York for the above text!

NOTES

Robert Graves pulled strings with the British military to prevent Siegfried from being

court-martialled. They were friends at the time and stayed friends for some time

afterward. Things went wrong between them when Graves published

"Goodbye to All That." In that work Graves quoted from a poem of Siegfried's

which had yet to be published. Graves also neglected to get Siegfried's permission first.

Eventually Sassoon and Graves managed to patch up thier friendship though it was

never quite as strong as it had once been.

Nichols and Sassoon were great admirers of each others works.

They met for the first time at the Cafe Royal along with Robbie Ross.

Nichols also wrote the introduction to Sassoon's New York publication of

"Counter-Attack" and was known to read Siegfried's

poems wherever

he went in America during a British Propaganda mission to

the United States.

Many many thanks to Michele Fry of Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

for her excellent information. Michele is a well-spring of knowledge

on Siegfried Sassoon.

All reproductions here are oils or water colors from war

correspondents or artist/soldiers of the period.

I felt that these reproductions would help the viewer get a

feeling for this time in our collective histories.

Chatillion-sur-Morin, Belgium, September 1914
Artist Unknown

SITE NOTES
January 1, 2000......Refreshed links to Wilfred Owen and Robert Graves
February 9, 2000.....Refreshed links to John Masefield
February 11, 2000...Added new paintings for poems 'Attack' and 'Counter Attack.'
February 13, 2000...Added formal military portrait of Siegfried Sassoon.
February 15, 2000...Added page notes to Start Page.
February 21, 2000...Added opening paragraph.
February 25, 2000...Modified opening paragraph.
June 23, 2000..........Added pen & ink drawing.
June 30, 2000..........Added captions to some paintings.
June 30, 2000..........Added new paintings.

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