Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-30

cessful action Of our troops in the west.
| Il cannot speak too highly Of the
services rendered by the Royal Arti1-
lery throughout the battle. In spite Of
support Of his attacks. guns of great
| range and shell power. our men have
| succeeded throughout in preventing the
enemy from establishing anything in
] the nature of superiority in artillery.
The skill, courage and energy displayed
by the commanders of the Royal Artil-
lery have been very marked. The Roy
al Engineers have been indefatigable
in their efforts to assist the infantry in
field. fertilization and trench work.
German Loss Three to One.
81 deeply regret the heavy casualties
which we have suffered, but the nature
of the fighting has been very desperate
and we have been assailed by vastly
superior numbers. I have every reason
to know that throughout the course of
the battle we have placed at least three
times as many of the enemy hors de
combat, in dead. wounded and pris-
oners.
Throughout these operations Gen.
Foch has strained his resources to the
utmost to afford me all the support he
could An expression of my warm graf
itude is also due to Gen. Dubail, com
handing the Sth French Army Corps
on my left. and to Gen. de Maud 'Huy,
commanding the 10th Army Corps on
my right"
Discussing details of the engagement
from Ypres to Armentieres, Gen.
French explains that he was impressed
early in October with the necessity of
giving the greatest possible support
to the northern flank of the allies in
the effort to outf1ank the enemy and
compel him to evacuate his positions.
He says that the situation on the Aisne
warranted the withdrawal of British
as the enemy had been weakened by
continual attacks and the fortifcations
of the allies We're much improved.
Gen. French made known his view to
Gen. Joffre, who agreed with it. The
French general staff arranged for the
withdrawal of the British. which began
October o, and was completed October
10. when the LIST Army Corps, under
Gen. Sir Douglas Haig. detrained at
st. Omer.
Gen. French's Plan.
The general plan, as arranged by
Gen. French and Gen. Foch. command
ing the French troops to the north of
Noyon, was that the English should
pivot on the French at Bethune. at
lacking the Germans on their flank,
and forcing their way north. In the
event that the British forced the Ger
mans out of their position. making pos
d
the French and British were to march
east, with Lille as the dividing line
between the two armies, the English
right being directed on Lille.
feature of Gen. French's report really
began October IL. when Maj. Gen.
Cough of the I'd British Cavalry Bril-
gade first clashed with German cavalry
in the woods along the Bethune-Aire
canal.
The English cavalry moved toward
Hazebrouck, clearing the way for two
army corps which advanced rapidly in
a northeasterly direction. For several
days the progress of the British was
only slightly interrupted, except at La
Bassee. a high position, which Gen.
French mentions as having stubborn
ly resisted.
Gen. French says the I'd Corps under
overpowering forces of Germans. but.
nevertheless advanced until October
Is, when the enemy's opposition forced
reinforcement of the I'd Corps. Six
days later the Lahore division of the
Indian army was sent to support the
I'd Corps.
October Is Sir Henry Rawlinson, who
had covered the retreat of the Bel
gian army from Antwerp with two d.
visions of English cavalry and two
divisions of French infantry, was sta
toned on the line east of Ypres under
orders to operate over wide front and
to keep possession of all the ground
held by the allies until the LIST Army
Corps could reach Ypres.
Opposed by Superior Forces.
Gen. Rawlinson was opposed by su-
perior forces and, was unable to pre-
vent the Germans from getting large
reinforcements. With four army corps
holding a much longer territory than
their size justified, Gen. French says he
faced a stubborn situation. The enemy
was massed from the Lys and there
was imperative need for a strengthen
ed line.
However, Gen. French decided to send