Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-04
GERMAN LEADERS
MAKE BLUNDERS
British Headquarters Report Asserts
Effort of Enemy Without
Any Cohesion.
NO GROUND is LOST BY ALLIES
All Counter Attacks HepuIsed, In
Certain Instances with Very
severe Losses 20 the
Enemy.

bureau issued tonight a statement from
the headquarters OF the British expedi-
tionary force, under date of September p.
concerning the movements of the British
force and the French armies in immediate
touch with IT, The statement follows:
The general situation, as viewed on the
map, remains practically the same as that
described in the last letter and the task
of the army has not changed. 1t is TO
maintain itself until there is general
resumption OF the offensive.
mo ground has been lost Some has
been gained. and every counter attack has
been repulsed-in certain instances with
very severe losses to the enemy.
Signs of Inferior Leadership.
Nevertheless the question of position
is only part of the battle and there has
been considerable improvement in the sit
uation in another important respect. Re
cent offensive efforts Of the enemy have
been made without cohesion, his assaults
being delivered by comparatively small
bodies, acting without cooperation OF
those on either side. Some of them, in
deed, evidence clear signs of inferior
leadership. this bearing out statements
made by prisoners as to great losses in
officers suffered by the enemy
Further, the hostile artillery fire has
decreased in volume and deteriorated
both in control and direction. The first Is
probably due to the transfer of metal Ia
other quarters but the two latter facts
may be the direct result OF the activity OF
our air craft and their interference with
the enemy's air reconnaissance and OBJ
servatlon OF his fire.
German Observation Methods.
The Germans recently have been rely
ing, to some extent, on observations from
captive balloons sent up at some distance
in the rear of their first line, which
method, whatever its cause, is a poor sub
.-stitute for the direct overhead reconnais-
sance obtainable from aeroplanes.
'As a consequence the damage beinG
done to us is wholly disproportionate &c
the amount Of ammunition expended by
the enemy For the last few days it has
amounted to pitting certain areas with
large craters, and in rendering some vii
lagos unhealthy as the soldiers put 1t. A
concrete example of what was on one oc-
casion achieved against our infantry
trenches is given later.
Passage of AerOpIane.
"Of recent events an actual narrative
will be carried on from the 18th to 29th
inclusive. During the whole OF this period
the weather has remained fine though Il
has not been so bright as it was On Fri
day, the 10Th, comparative quiet ranged In
our sphere of action. The only incident
worthy of special mention was the pass.
age of German aeroplane over the in.
terror of our lines. 1t was flying HIGH but
drew a general fusillade from below, with
the result that the pilot was killed out
right and the observer was wounded.
The latter, however was able to con
tlnue the flight for some miles, but was
then compelled to descend. his petroleum
tank having been struck He was cap
tured by the French.
Germans RepuIsed.
That night a general attack was made
6 against the greater part of the allies
position and IL was renewed in the early
morning of the 26th. The Germans were
everywhere repulsed with loss. Indeed
opposite one portion, of our lines, WHERE
they were caught en- mass by our ma
chine guns and howitzers firing at differ
ent ranges, 1t is estimated that they lef
1000 killed or wounded
THE mental attitude of our troops MAY
be gagged from the fact that the officia
report next morning from one CORPS O
which one division had borne the brun
OF the fighting, ran thus laconlcally:
The next was quiet, except for a GER
tain amount of Smelling both from tn
enemy and ourselves
Attack on Right.
cat $40 a. m. an attack was made on on
right. At a. m. there was a general at
tack on the right of the - division blu
no really heavy firing Futher ineffec
tual efforts to drive us back were mad
on Saturday at a. m. and in the after
noon and the artillery fire continued al
day.
The Germans came on in TT formation
several lines shoulder to shoulder follows
almost Immediately by a column in sun
port. After few minutes the men ha.
closed up into a mob which afforded an
excellent target for our fire
"On Sunday, the 9th. while the Germal
heavy guns were in action, their bras
bands could be heard playing hymn tunes
presumably at a divine service Tn
enemy made an important advance o.
part Of our line at p. m. and removes
1t in strength at one point with, however
no better success than on the previou
night. Shipping continued all day alon
the whole front
Might Attack Made.
"On Monday, the 18th, there was nothin
more severe than bombardment and in
termitent sniping and this inactivit
continued during Tuesday the 18th, ex
: oept for night attack against our ex
IRENE riGht.
An Incident that occurred Sunday IN
nth serves to illustrate the type +
fighting that has for the last two wee,,
been going on intermittently in variou
parts of our line. II also brings out m
extreme difficulty of ascertaining what
actually happening during an actor
apart from what seems to be happen, n
and points " the value Of good entrenct
ments
AT certain point in our front our ad
vance trenches are on the north of IN
Aisne, not far from a village on a hill
SIDE and also within a short distance G
German works. being on a slope of a spu
formed by subsidiary valley runnin
north and main valley Of the river.
was calm, sunny afternoon, but haz,
from our point OF vantage south OF N
river 1t was difficult to locate on the fs
bank the well concealed trenches.
From far and near the hollow boo,