South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-04
ALLIES IN STRONG
POSITION FOR HARD
DRIVE IN SPRING
Winter Campaign to "Wear
Down" Germans Achieves its
Aim-ArtiIIery of Kaiser is
Losing Effectiveness.

the EnBllSn was 10 nave the captain
OF the Emden called by the English
"a good sport" and it is rumored ION
good authority that the kaiser is con-
templating appealing TO the neutral
powers TO insist upon England refrain
ing further from calling anything the
German army or navy may DO as
'sportsmanlike."
The Germans themselves condemn
the games of football and other sports
in which the English soldiers indulge
behind the firing lines in order to
stretch their trench cramped legs. But
a correspondent who has been up and
down the lines between the Belgian
coast and Nerdun several times since
the beginning of the war writes that
II is this which explains in a great
measure how one is able TO assert
today that. Notwithstanding the alb
sence Of any spectacular forward move
on the part of the allies, their position
all up the western front has improved,
has continued TO show steady improve
ment and is now most promising.
Ever since the emperors birthday op-
eraions, which proved SO disastrous TO
the Germans, the allies, he says, have
lost no time in consolidating and de-
NelOping the ADVANTAGES gained at that
time when the attacking masses were
hurled back upon LaBassee and Pc
rome in disorder and with terrible
losses.
The war as it stands at present can
be compared very closely to q vast
wrestling match. The adVersaries are
in grips all the time; there is no sep
arating for breathing spells. but
long. grim tussle in which the allies
are wearing the foe down. Their grip
does not slacken, but grows tighter
the Germans are countered and
checked. while the allies continue to
bear down on them with a constant
wearing pressure that is slowly but
surely telling it's tale.
Allies Have Escaped Rcverses.
The Germans promise a fresh effort
for the spring. but one thing is per
fectly certain. on this western front
the allies have not suffered one single
reverse of any consequence the whole
winter; but not even the Germans
can deny that the allies have inflicted
some singing blows upon them in re-
polling their attacks. A glance at the
outline Of the battle front is illuminat-
ing. Whereas il took the form of al
most a right angle, with the apex at
Noyons, now it has become a very OBJ
fuse angle indeed, with what point
there is somewhere about scissors.
Up in this direction the only advanced
German positions are at LaBaSSee and
Lens The recent successes of the
allies at the former have been already
reported, but while they have con-
tinued to make progress directly along
that town they have also advanced
along the road from Bethune to Lens
by means of hard vigorous fighting,
although there has been no Outstand-
ing battle to record. They are like
wise swinging round Lens to the south
and are established at SOuchez and
Govenchyen-G obelle.
Arras is Freed.
Arras, too. is freed from the Ger
man occupation, and the allies have
cleared the ground north and east of
the city driving the enemy farther
away. Especially is this valuable to
the north. where. at Ecurie. they have
neighborhood and are threatening
Lens now from that direction also.
ROcIncourt and AthieS are likewise
ours. Further, in the artillery duelS
that necessarily rage all along this
front the guns of the allies are OBJ
tanning the mastery to an increasing
extent; indeed. the German fire is
greatly reduced in efficacy, more es-
pecially in respect of the heavy ar
tillery.
This has been accounted for by ar
tillery officers. The life of heavy guns
is limited and they soon lose their pre-
cisioD. Whereas at the commence
menu of the war the Germans sur
prised the allies by their great park Of
heavy artillery. this has begun to suf-
fer from wear and tear. and as the re-
sources of the allies permit them TO
turn out guns Of heavy calibre much
more rapidly than the Germans they
are not only overtakirg them in this
arm but very soon Will be ahead of
them.
Gain Slow But Sure.
In this open country, too, where
the IDS are now pretty good again,
the & les are making most effective
use OF side car machine guns. The
gunner sits in the sidecar his machine
gun in front of him and protected by
armor plate. Squadrons of these can
fly about from place 10 place. working
havoc or any concentration Of the
enemy Their speed. their swift.
deadly. striking pOwer-in a word.
their whole tactics-can be compared
TO the work of fOtillas of torpedo boat
destroyers.
When the allies shall have worked
a little farther east. which at the pres
ent rate Of progress will not be long.
they will come in contact with the
mann NTtIlldll inc VI ufAfAiCt hii AAAA-
western front The backbone of this
they unfortunately found practically
ready made FOR them in the eXCava-
ton work. already nearing completion
for the big junction canal-the Grand
Canal du Nord-which is TO link up
the Disc with the Scheldt canal lead
ing into Belgium and the river Sensee
canal which taps the mining and
manufacturing districts OF the north
Of France.
The channel for this canal had been
dug. although not yet ready for water,
when the war started and II provided
the Germans with a fine line OF deep
defences. helped, too. by the subsid
iary works. the earthbanks and the
debris connected with lock and bridge
construction. The trench OF this big
waterway begins near NOyon and runs
behind Rove. Nesle. Peronne. etc. in
its line north Most of this Is dry,
hut by Peronne a section of tho canal
de Ia Sonme broadened and deepen
cd is 10 be linked in East of Arras
ia strikes the broad marshes OF the
river Sensee rear ArjeuN. sOush OF
Douai. So swampy is the country
Horo rbof the roads are run on cause