The weekly soliphone., 1915-11-26
(By John l.. Balderston) )

known that the battle or Lens was the bloodiest in British history In the confused fighting around Ypres at the end of October and the be- ginning of November last year more than 10000 British soldiers Der 25 and October 8, 60,000 of Gen. Frenchs soldiers were shot down. Already the names of more than 5O,000 killed and wounded have been issued, of whom 10000 are dead, and how many more lists are to come nobody knows. Hun dreds of casualties incurred last summer are still announced almost daily.
 | England is aghast, not so much at the loss she has suffered as at the terrible blunders by men in high command, which nullified the results won by the valor of thou sands of victims. Rumors have flown thick ever since the battle assigning responsibility for what In the absence of official data-for Marshal French's report of the ac- tion is remarkable for what it omits-it is impossible to tell how much thick ever since the battle, assigning reports.
 100000 MEN IN ATTACK.
 One terrible fact stands out which cannot be denied or explained away l-the great attack on the German line between Cambrin and Grenay, at daybreak on the morning of September 25, was made by five divisions, or 100000 men. They broke the German line clean through, and all day long they fought against constantly arriving German reserves. Whole brigades : were annihilated; men of the new armies who had never before taken part in charge, died rather than retreat over the ground they had so gallantly won. On that day, about 35,000 fell, more than the Union loss at Gettysburg, out of an army no larger than that which fought under Gen. Meade.
 And with four divisions of in- fantry, a cavalry corps and cav airy division waiting from early i'll the morning not far from the fir ing line to re-enforce their com rades, not one body of troops was moved forward throughout tho day to the support of the struggling hundred thousand. The men in re- serve included the guards division, the best troops in the British army. BAD STAFF WORK"
 Gen. Sir Douglas Haig. com mander of the First British army, is one of the men upon whom ru- nor saddles blame, but it is quite possible that the real explanation is bad staff work" that phrase which explains in great part the failure of every British offensive in this war, Orders may have been given and never received.
 The main attack, early on Sep tember 25, was delivered by the devoted 100000 along a front of about five miles. Gen. Haig's force consisted of the first and fourth corps, the former under command of Gen. Hubert Cough. the latter under Sir Henry Rawlinson. The first corps attacked in the northern part of the line, the fourth to the south.
 | Only two divisions of the first corps took part in the main at tack, the other division being en- gagged in a feint at Givenchy, north of the La Bassee canal But Gen. Coughs seventh division stormed Ellie, and fought it's way into the village of Haisnes on the Less La Bassee road.
 NO SUPPORT GIVEN THEM. Meanwhile the ninth division took the Hohenzollern redOubt and fosse S, the slag heap across the tVermelles-La Bassee railway, and carried a strong line of German trenches. No support was given these devoted two divisions and 10000 brave men found themselves alone against an army, for brigade after brigade of German reserves was hurried up from La Bassee and Douvrin. The two divisions were driven back, early in the afternoon, but not until most of their officers had fallen and both generals in command killed-Maj. Gen. Sir Thompson Capper of the seventh division and. Maj. Gen. G. H. The