The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-11-24

I saw the same determined sap
ping and mining preparations di-
rected against those positions that
will go on ceaselessly, possibly for
months, before the little man in
the little house many miles behind
the lines, standing before a huge
map, the anlighted stump Of
cigar in his mouth, tugging at his
short mustache with one hand,
makes an impatient gesture with
the other that will signify to the
silent staff surrounding him that
the third and probably final gen.
eral offensive in Artois has begun.
This same little man Foch, who
commands that group Of armies, is,
like Joffre, q great believer in the
value of human life. 1t may take
longer to drive the Germans ost Of
France with the Joffre-Foch meth
DDS, but there will be fewer French
widows and orphans at the end OF It.
At one time in the last offensive
one French division went forward so
fast that it actually ap-
preached the Vimy Heights in a few
hours after the signal was given. It
was withdrawn because the strong
positions at either end still resisted.
There may never be another 'front.'
al attack here because it would be
too costly, but when the French take
the Givenchy positions to the north
they Will then command the entire
Vimy line and be able to rake the
German trenches from end to end
with their fire. And if they take
those Givenchy positions, as have
seen them plan and execute the same
operation at Ab,ain and Neuville and
at . half dozen other positions, they
will take the still resisting fortiica-
ton with a minimum Of loss and a
maximum Of prisoners; for they will
cut it off as they have done the 9TH
ers, and it will surrender. The
greatest necessity in modern wars is
an unlimited supply Of high exDlo-
sive shells.
General Foch said to me that the
consumption of shells in tho last Of
fensive was considerable" Al
though the last advance looks in
fnitesimal on paper, know that
General Foch did what he was sent
out to do.
An unlimited supply of high e1plo-
siye shells means months Of labor
and preparation. The army Of Artois
now occupies positions from which
the next consumption will probably
be fantastic when the final attack Is
sounded. A high officer, speaking on
the subject, said to me: 1--WE have
shown what we can do. We can go
through them any time wo desire to
do So"
At this point I perhaps have indi-
Gated reasons for the FIRST. two as
sertions which begin this story. The
third assertion, that I believe the war
viii end with decisive French vic
tory, base also upon my experience
as the only correspondent who can
claim to be q veteran observer OF the
battle ground Of Artois.
It was q German idea that Arteis
was an impregnable wall. This pla.
teau clso holds tho key to Calais
Houlogne, and the Channel ports
Has it ever been assumed that al
the Germans wanted was to hold It:
They have not even held it. They
are now at the extreme edge, holding
on with the Last remnants Of then
power.
Their methods Of warfare, which
at all times have shown wastage o,
giant efforts, where no military ain
was achieved, such as shelling un'
fortified towns, have become more
wild than over. Arras is an exam
pie. Their campaign of frightful
ness that has not frightened has con
tinued against Arras for over a year
and was still in operation three days
ago, when I was last there. The
French trenches, which are mile
outside the town, GRO scarcely ever
shelled, but civilians are killed daily
in Arras.
Before tho war Arras. had a popu'
lation Of twenty-seven thousand. Now
it's inhabitants number twelve hun
dred, but it is still possible to pur'
chase anything from rubber boots tt
champagne. In one ruined store
saw jewelry and in another kodak:
on sale. Ono ruined building had 6
sign post in front informing patrons
that tho business had been removed
to another address, ruin that was
not quite so great = ruin.
Then we got. into our automobiles
and hurried out of town, along :
road in plain sight OF tho German
guns. I thought Of what that high
officer had said: eve can go through
them ::ny time We desire to do so'';
and I believed him. I got out my
military map and looked ct that
present objective. the crcst Of Vimy
from which the French limo was now
only a few hundred yards distant.
"They will command that as sure
as fatc," I thought. "Just IS they
have donc before they will do again
and then comes the plain ot
Douai."
I thought Of the quaint English OF
the officer who said: when the Ger.
mans get into the plain Of Doual
they must keep on going away"
looked at the plain Of Doual on my
map-the plain that contains Lens
Doual, and Lille and sweeps away
across the frontier Of Belgium.
said to the officer:
when the big French guns that
carry so far are sweeping that plain
from Vimy crest it means the end OF
the Germans in northern France"
He smiled and nodded while / Of
fered silent prayer tat on that day
I might be permitted by the military
authorities to make my fourth visit
to Artois, to stand on Vimy crest
end see-see the decisive victory OF
the French arms that will help bring
this war to close.
NOTE SURPRISES BERLIN