Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-04
British Forces, Stretched Out
in Long, Thin Line, Hold
KalSer's 0verwhe lining.
Numbers.
REINF0RCEMENTS CAME
AT CRITICAL MOMENT
Men in Trenches Exhausted
but Continue to RepeI AS
SauIts of German Army
Bent on Breaking Line.

tsv sossIso JovssAl srsciAl LEASED WISH
London. Dec. . ts y. m.)--colonol
u. ID. Swinton. OF the intelligence de-
partment of the general stan of tho
British cxpedltlonary force In France
and Belgium. In a narrative dated
November 26. gives general review
of the development OF the situation
OF the force for six weeks preceding
that date.
There has recently been lull in
the active operations. he says. No
progress has been made by either
side and yet there has come about an
important modification comprising a
readjustment in the scope OF the part
played by the British army as a
whole He explains the movement
i from the river Aisne TO the Belgian
frontier to prolong the left flank Of
the French army and says that In at
tempting this the British force was
compelled to assume responsibility for
very extended section of the front.
He points out. as did General French.
commander-in-chi OF the British
forces. that the British held one
twelfth of the line so that the greater
share of the common task of oppos-
| the French while the Beleians play
ed an almost vital part.
German Offensive Movement.
With the fall OF Antwerp. the Ger
mans made every effort 10 push for
ward a besieging force toward the
west and hastened to bring up a new
army corps which had been hastily
raised and trained. their object being
to drive the allies out OF Belgium and
break through To Dunkirlk and Ca
1as Altogether. they had quarter
Of million fresh men. Eventually
1.-THE Germans had north Of la Bassec
about fonrteen corps and eight cav
Ialry divisions. that is. a force of three
quarters of a million men with which
TO attempt to drive the allies into the
seas. In addition. there was immense
ly powerful armament and heavy
siege artillery which also has been
brought up from around Antwerp.
Allies Outnumbcred.
The official eye witness tells of tho
blows delivered by the Germans al
Nieuport. Dixmudc and Ypres, where
"at first the allies were greatly out
numbered" For n whole month the
British army around Ypres succeeded
in holding It's ground against repeat
ed onslaughts made by vastly SUI
perior forces. The writer goes into
details of the German attacks and
describes how they were frustrated
by the allies. The British force. says
Colonel Swinton which consisted all
along of the same units. had TO
withstand an almost continuous bonn
bardment and to meet one desperate
assault after another, each carried
out by fresh units from the large
numbers which the Germans were
deyoting to the operations.
Exhausted With Fighting.
Finally the French came TO their
assistance and never was help more
welcome for by then our small local !
reserves had again and again been
thrown into the fight in the execution
of counter-attacks and our men were
exhausted by the ineessant fighting
The British front now has been
shortened and. in addi-
ton, has been reinforced, while q lulli
in the activity has enabled the COM
manders to readjust their forces.
their positions and bring
np reserves There has. therefore.
"been great general Improvement
hi the conditions under which we are
on tho fight" OF the fight
Ing which preceded this reorganiza-
lin. the writer says IL was due solely
to the resource. initiative and endur-
ance of the reeimental officers and
men that successes had laid with the
British He continues.
Confused and Desperate.
"As the struggle swayed backwards
and forwards through wood and ham
let, the fighting assumed a most con-
fused and desperate character. The
units became inextricably mixed and
IN many cases in order TO strengthen
some threatened point or to I'LL gap n
N the line. the officers had to collect
md throw into the fight what men
hey could regardless OF the units 10
which they belonged. Our casualties
have been severe, but we nave been
lighting battle and q battle implies
casualties and heavy rs they have
neen. II must be remembered that
hey have not been sumereu IN VAIN
Allies simply Held On.
"The duty of the French, Belgians
md British in the western theater OF
,nerafions has been TO act as con-
aiming force in other words to hold on
n and TO keep occupied as many OF
he enemy as possible while the RUS
dams we're attacking in the east. In
his we have succeeded In playing our
oart and by our resistance have con-
rlbuted materially towards the sue
,ess of the campaign. Moreover, our
osses have not impaired our fighting
Efficiency The troops have required ,
,nly a slight respite in order to be
,ble to continue the action with MS
much determination as ever. They are
fit and we'll fed and have !
uffered merely from the fatigue j
which is inseperable from protract !
d struggle such as they have been !
through. The severest handling by
he enemy has mover had more than /
temporary effect on their spirits !
which have soon recovered, owing TO y
nc years of discipline and training >