The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-17

overcome their resistance and at night
fall part of the ground was retaken
by US.
"On our right during the night of
November SO a German trench was
cartured otherwise the situation did
not alter Night attacks have been
of regular occurrence at different
points and are made apparently more
with a view to annoying our troops
than with any other object Some
times, of course, the advance has been
OF more serious nature
I'm such cases the Germans have 80
far, invariably lost heavily and when
they have gained our first line of
trenches they have almost always been
driven out again. The demonstration
would appear to be proportionateiy
more costly and even more useless
than the heavier attacks.
The Germans frequently cheer
themselves on with music or singing.
"On the whole there is evidence TO
snow that the Germans are beginning
to be affected by their heavy losses
From prisoners 1t is gathered that the
young men of the new corps cannot
Withstand the fatigues and privations
OF campaigning and that the middle
aged men lack ardor From the same
source also 1t Is learned that recruits
have received only eight or nine weeks
| training instead of the II weeks pre-
soribed for them; that they have had
virtually no instructions in musketry
ard that they have not practiced en-
trenching.
"on the other hand, too much cam
rot be made of these sidelights on
the present condition of the enemy
They are still fighting with a stub
! ornness and recllessness. which
vi atever Its utility, is remarkable
| when exhibited by forces of which
| In. rxt-f{
! atty ely unframed men.
THE following two incidents will
illustrate their courage. During the
| fighting near Ypres a company of in
| fartry advancing against us when en-
| fiiaded by one OF our machine guns
with the result that they were all
killed except six men who crawled
away wounded. The corpses lay in a
regular row.
after nightfall another company
/ advanced and dug themselves In the
line upon which the bodies of their
| comrades were lying.
, again. on the 4th of November
| some of the enemy's cavalry at dusk
charged French trench. Every horse
was killed but the riders. not hit,
| charged on foot, the last survivors be-
ing slain on the very parapet of the
| trench
| ut must be admitted that the Prus-
sian war machine, acting on nation
previously Injured to the sternest dis
clpline, has obtained remarkable re-
suits. The Germans up to the present
have been able. to make good their
losses, to continue to deliver repeated
hlcws with fresh men when required
and to concentrate large forces in diff
terent directions
1T is true that a considerable pro-
portion of the masses recently thrown
| into the field agains tthe British has
consisted of hastily trained and i'm
mature men but the fact remains that
these i'll assorted levies have not hes
itated to advance against highly trained
troops. Boys of 16 and II have faced
cur guns, have marched steadily III
to the muzzles of our rifles and have
met death in droves without flinching.
Such Is the effect of century of
ma tional discipline. That the men sub
jocted to 1t are the victims of an al-
tCcratic military caste does not alter
the fact They have accepted that this
system be necessary to the attainment
of national ideals.
However discordant are the ele-
nents which make up the German en-
rire by force of the Prussian war ma
chine they have one and all been weld
ed together to fight for national exis-
tence and by their action it is evident
that for them Deutcherland Uber Allies
is no empty cry