The Sentinel=record., 1915-05-06
EXPLANATION OFFERED SEEMS TO CONFIRM REPORT REACHED
 IN LONDON.
ALSO ARE USING GASES
Some of the Terrors of Warfare Are Reoited in Dispatch From London Based on Reports Submitted From the Field Agents on the Scenes.

London May 5.-S:25 p. m.-In support of charges that the Germans had poisoned a well in the southwest African cam1pign, LaNis Harcourt, secretary of state for the colonies. tonight -issged communication in whlicI he says that when neIa. Agis Botha, commander of the Union of South Africa forces, occupied Swakopmund he discovered that six wells had been poisoned by an arsenl- cal cattle wash.
 As remoHstr.uce Genera Botha sent a communication to Colonel FIanclle, commander of the German forces This elicited response, ac- cording to the statement of Mir. Har' court. that the German troops had been given orders that If they pos sibly can prevent it, not to allow any water supplies to fall into the hands of the enemy in a form which allows it to be used for man or beast.'
 The communication says that de spite General Bothas protest the practice continued.
 The British official eye witness 70 in a long account of the engagement Of the last few days in the Ypres records that the Germans have continued the use of asphyXiat- ing gases, but with less succ ss than on the first occasion.
 Despite the use of gas by the Ger mans, the narrative says the French have made continual advances east of the Ypres canal south of Pihem, the result of which was to remove the wedge occupied by the Germans and in the Frencl line between the canal and the Ypres-Langemarch road, d gain of more than 1000 yards. Dur ing these advances a large number Of German prisoners were taken.
 While the French continued their advance in this section it is asserted the Germans attacked the British south of Neuye Chapelie and at Hill 6O, in both cases using gases.
 Tn the latter attacks, however, owing 10 a change in the wind, the fumes were blown back toward the Germans, who are believed 10 have suffered, as no attempt 10 advance was made by them. Similar tactics are said to have been adopted by the Germans in their attack north of Ypres last Sunday.
 About o'clock in the eyenin, the eye witness says. "a dense cloud of suffocating vapors were launched from their trenches along the whole front held by the French right and by our left from the Yprcs- Langemarck road to a considerable distance east of St. Julien.
 The fumes did not carry much be- yond our front trenches but these were to a great extent rendered un- tenable and retirement from them was ordered
 No sooner had this started than the enemy opened a violent bomDard- ment with asphyNating shells and shrapnel on our trenches, and on our infantry as they were withdrawing. Meanwhile our guns had not been idle. From a distance. perlaps ewing to some pecuharity of the light the gas on this occasion looked like great reddish cloud and the moment 1t was seen our batteries poured concentrated fire on the German trenches.
 Curious situations then arose be- tween us and the enemy. the poison belt the upper part shreddins into thin wreaths of yapoI as it was shaken by the wind, and the lower and denser part sinking into all in- equaities on the ground and rolling slowly down the trenches Shells would render it for moment but it settled down again as th.ckly as before
 Nevertheless, the German infantry faced it, and they faced a hail of shrapnel as well
 There is no reason why we should not expect similar tactics in the ru- ture They do not mean the allies have lost the initiative in the western taeater nor that they are likely 10 lose it. They do mean. however, that the enemy's defensive is an active one that his confidence is still un- shaken and that he stil. is able Co strike in some strength where ns