The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1915-07-15


s,een . week OF most severe but inde-
sssave fighting. Small gains have
lneep smad3 first by the French and
thsn by the Germans, but with no
result. 1t Is game of exhaustion in
which th5 side with the greater re-
serve POWER must eventually win.
Just as during most of the fighting
in this section, the action has crys-
talized around Souchez, the small
salient that Is left In the French line
as q result of their successfully push
ing back the German line to the
north and south in the operations of
a month or SO ago. Due to the maze
Of trenches around the old sugar re-
finery, progress has been literally
foot by foot. Most of the fighting
during the past week has been ini-
tiated by the Germans-heavy coun-
ter-attacks in an effort to regain that
which they had lost in the previous
lighting. A few yards of trenches
have changed hands, but no more.
In the Argonne the Germans have
been steadily increasing the pressure
on the east slopes of the hills, in an
effort to reach the main railroad sup
plying Verdun-the Chalons-Ve, iun
road. AS explained last week, how
ever, there is no section of the bat
tie front where France can in an
emergency throw more men in a very
short time than on the line from the
Argonne to Etain.
The result has been that the Ger
man efforts have been practically
fruitleSs. The German effort to in
vest Verdun has caused the fighting
to spread to the western leg of the
wedge" from Etain to st. Mihiel.
Here the French advances Of the
early spring, particularly the advance
which led to the capture of the
heights of Les Esparges, nave stood
them in good stead.
These advances enabled France not
only to seize positions which we're
points OF vantage and of observation,
but also gave her excellent artillery
positions with broad fields of fire.
The German efforts along this line
have, therefore, been also without re-
suits.
At st Mihiel itself, the point OF
the wedge, the Germans record some
gains, but 1t is extremely unlikely
that any serious attempt will be
made to push this point north to the
Argonne line. 1t has been pointed
out that the apex Of a salient is the
most ineffective point on which to
base an attack.
AS the point goes forward the
sides lengthen out, and when these
sides face an enemy who Is active,
well in hand, and plentifully sup
piled, the danger of sudden attack
breaking in behind the point and
seizing its lifelines is too great to be
invited. The Germans know the
French strength at ALLY, Flirey, and
in the lie Pretre forest and will be
too wise to make the attempt.
South Of Point-a- Mousson there
have been desultory artillery ex-
changes with more or less sustained
action in the Argonne.
1t has been reported that Germany
is about to transfer a large body OF
reinforcing troops to the western
front, and it is pointed out at length
by some of the European papers that
all indications lead to the belief that
an attack will be made in the Vosges.
1t is possible that this may be a
movement cooperating with the at
tack on Verdun.
The success Of such a movement
would mean the turning OF the
French line. would uncover Nancy
and would uncover or isolate Verdun.
But the obstacle of the Vosges is a
very serious and difficult barrier and
Belfort, against which the attack
would necessarily fall, is among the
strongest fortresses in France. 1t is
questionable whether the advantages
of turning the French line will coun-
terbalance the difficulty OF the task.
In the Dardanelles there has been
no advance reported that is OF mo-
ment, and the battle Of the strait
seems no nearer a decision than 1t
was last week. That the Allies are
advancing Is certain. but their ad-
vances are very similar to those in
tho western theatre-few yards at a
time over narrow front. Even these
are accompanied by great loss
1t begins to appear, with no inten-
tion Of detracting from the strong de-
fensive effort Of the Turks, as If the
British seriously underestimated the
task before them when the Darda-
nelles movement was planned. This
seems to be almost national charac-
tertistic.
Thirty thousand men was the esti-
mate of the war office Of all that was
needed for the Boer war. Nearly ten
times that number were in the field
when the war ended A hundred
thousand was Great Britain's quota
in the expeditionary force that land
ed in France last August 1t was
considered enough
Nearly a million are oil the British
line now and new armies are in train
ing And is spite Of the advances the
Allies are now making with their
present forces on the Gallipoli penin-
sula, to reach Constantinople strong
reinforcements will be necessary and
will beyond doubt be sent.
On the Italian frontiers there Is
little to note beyond the fact that
there is fighting. The Austrians have
at various points assumed the ofren-
sive and the italians are finding their
advance n more difficult undertaking
than it was during the first weeks OF
the war.
Reports from Rome and Vienna
during the week have been meagre
and not particularly Illuminating. In
fnnf nnthin0 no oil