The Washington times., 1915-09-27
TnR DRIVE IN THE WEST

Germans have suffered severe losses
in the frst onset Of the Anglo
French drive in the west. In Cham
pagne the French took . real bite in
stead Of a nibble; they drove the
Germans out Of their advanced line
Of trenches, and nearly three miles
back, over q front Of fifteen miles.
In connection with this movement
Berlin states that the French took
large quantities Of war material,
and the French advices say that
fully 10000 German prisoners were
captured.
French reports tell Of the capture
of the town of Souchez and the IA
nous cemetery there, at the point
Of the bayonet; the Germans insist
that they evacuated these positions
voluntarily. The British forces un-
dertook two great movements, sue
ceeding in the one in the La Basse
region, but failing in their effort to
take the important Ypres salient
from the Germans.
Tho Champagne battle is de-
scribed as only less important than
the fight Of year ago at the Marne.
Doubtless this is overstated; but the
highly important fact seems estab-
lished, that the allies are prepared
with material for the long continued
effort that alone can possibly break
through the German front and
sweep the invaders back to the
Rhine. The program seems to be to
press the attacks especially along
the western end Of the line, with the
intent to smash through there and
then try to roll up the other parts
of the German line.
The time is at hand when Ger
many must return to its old tactics
of kiting military checks; that is,
rushing forces back from east to
west to check the new advance.
Whether she can spare the forces
from the east, whether the proposed
drive against Serbia will be aban-
doned, whether the stores Of Ger
man munitions, which have been
used with most lavish prodigality
all through the summer will bear
the drafts-these are questions on
the answer to which the develop
ments Of future operations must in
large part depend. Doubtless the
Germans are greatly outnumbered
right now on the western front.
They are confronted by the best
equipped and munitioned army that
has ever faced them from the first
day Of the war. For many months
the French and British munitions
factories have been turning out high
explosive shells, whose purpose is
literally to blast the Germans out
Of their trenches. It was discov-
cred early in trench warfare that
shrapnel, as against trenches prop
erly constructed, was just about as
useful as q hail storm. The men in
the trenches went on playing
pinochle till the storm had blown
over. The only thing that performs
as against modern trenches is the
high explosive shell, which makes a
trench look like a section of a New
York subway after a blast of dyna-
mite has gone off in the wrong way.
Long ago, realizing this condition,
the French and British set about or
ganizing to give their artillery
about 10 per cent Of this type of
shells; and nobody knows how many
of them are now stored back of their
lines for the very use that has just
been inaugurated. But the perform
ances Of the last few days have
proved that no error was INDUCED
when the specifications for this sort
of ammunition was forwarded.
Artillery can make trench unin-
habitable; it cannot physically oc-
cupy it. That is the task for the
infantry, at bayonet point; and the
accounts describe the French bay
onet charges, following the hail OF
artillery, as fearfully effective. Sc
they were at the Marne, and so they
have been everywhere. The French
army is today accounted by the ex-
merits as the best. unit for unit. in