The Washington times., 1915-07-01

Not since the beginning Of the war
has there been such a feeling Of pes
slmism in London as during the last
three or four weeks. At the bottom Of
1t all is the sudden realization Of the
truth that the shortage of munitions
OF war for the Allies is a fact.
The French. with their great ingenuity
and quickness of perception, graspcd
this fact sooner than did the British.
They organized all their Industrial re-
sources for the supply of munitions and
brought back from active service, every
skilled worker who could be Of use. But
even with this. they are still unable
to use their wonderful guns to the full
extent. AS for the British. they ha We
been attempting to eke out Russia q
scanty supplies when they cannot fur
nlsh enough for their own troops on the
west. -.
Men just back from the front who
know what they are talking about and
VINO. within the last ten days have been
tror one end of the British line to tho
other. tell you that the British are just
holding their trenches and biting under
high explosive shcll-fire which their
own guns are unable to return. They
say that the Germans are no longer
throwing away the lives of their infan-
try oy sending them along to follow up
chCii llTt, Out are content
with the wastage Of lives they infiict
on the British with their continuous
artillery bombardments.
Gains Not Followed Up.
Even whom, once In a way. the pr,t-
ism gums are able to make a good ex-
penditure Of shells and the Infantry
can advance and occupy the German
trenches which have been demolished.
me result is not very great. for the
GERMANS have the range of their
evacuated position to an absolutely
nicely and can resume upon IL their
terrthc hombardment while the Brit
ish have no longer the munitions in
high explosive shells with which To-
follow up their Sains.
Ihus with the Germans no longer
on the whole sending their Infantry
TO the sure slaughter they always
meet with when they come to hand TO
band ightins with the British and
no longer playing the game OF the
allies. which Is to infiict such
butchers bill upon the Germans that
at last they viii he unable to face It.
1t is not only shells the British need
machine guns to a battalion IL the
not often attained. in the
British army. The Germans have
twelve. Then again. even supposing
OI T1S anu nlRn
explosive shells to clear the way for
an advance. to make that advance
effective q great weight Of
men is necessary. AS Is we'll known.
the British have the men. but they
are not equipped.
Still Without Rifles.
To this day one meets friends from
various camps who tell Of tens and tens
OF thousands OF men. we'll trained In
the pink OF condition. dying to exchange
the monotony OF the camp for the ac-
tuality Of war. but not yet have they
had rifles with which to do the abso-
lutely essential musketry drill and prac-
tice at the ranges. They have done
with the Morris tube. but that
OF course. Is quite Insufficient.
50. too. one hears from gunners who
say they have splendid men who would
be ready to do great things tomorrow,
but at one time their camp has a suf-
fcient supply of guns and horses, but
absolus.iy no harness. Then when the
harness comes within twenty-four hours
the horses are taken away and rushed
to the front. They never seem able to
have guns, ammunition, horses and har-
ness all at the same time.
1t is well known In London that tho
recent Russian rebuffs have been caused
entirely by shortage of mu-
nitions. So vital Is the importance Of the