The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-04
Desperate Fighting

Desperate Fighting
 "As the struggle swayed backward and forward through wood and hamlet, the nghting assumed confused and desper- ate character. The units became mex tricably mixed and in many cases to strengthen some threatened point or to
 fill gap in the line officers had to col feet and throw into the fight what men they could regardless of the units to which they belonged Our casualties have been severe but we have been fighting a battle and battle implies casualties and heavy as they have been it must be remembered that they have not been suffered in vain.
 The duty of the French, Belgians and British in the western theatre has been to act as a containing force, in other words to hold on to and to keep oc- cupied as many of the enemy as pos sible while the Russians were attack ing in the east. In this we have played our part and have contributed material ly toward the success of the campaign. Moreover, our losses have not impaired our fighting efficiecy. The troops are physically fit, well fed and have suffered merely from fatigue. The seyerest hand ling by the enemy never has had more than temporary effect on their spirits.
 The value of years of discipline and training Is as noticeable on the side of the enemy as on our own. The phe- ncmenal losses suffered by the Germans new formations have. been remarked and they were in part due to their lack of training Moreover, though at the first onset these formations advanced to the attack as bravely as their active corps they have not shown the same recuper- ative powers. The xXVII corps, for in- stance. a new formation of L,en with from only seven to 12 weeks training h at fts ar~ CT with the British infantry around Bee, claire. a month ago. On the other hand the guard corps. in spite of having suf fered severely in Belgium. of having | l,een thrown headlong across the Ois,
 river at Guise, and of having lost large numbers on the plain of Compiegne ant on the banks of tho Aisne river, ad vanced against Ypres on the 11th of No vember as bravely as they did on the 2oti of August
 Undergo Great Sacrifices | The allies. continues Colonel Swinton have undergone great sacrifices to de fend against tremendous odds a lin, | that could be maintained only by mak ing these sacrifices, but the fact tha 1 the situation has been relieved As no req son for assuming that the enemy hal abandoned his intentions of pressini through to the sea/ The writer point tack with great courage, and while the. have not gained the Straits of Dover they have consolidated their position oi the western frontier and retain all bu
 a small portion of Belgium.
 ''As well as they have fought, how ever" continues the narrative, "it i doubtful if their achievements are com
 n.ensurate with their lossos. which re gently have been largely due to 8 lacl ] of training and a comprehensive lacl l of discipline of the Ill proved units the, | put in the field.''
 Colonel Swinton concluded with tn
 statement that as the war will be on | of exhaustion. after the regular armie of the belligerents have done their work success will depend on the raw materia l of the countries concerned.