The sun., 1916-08-17

edge Of their own army's exploits. they
have preferred to leave the facts to
speak for themselves.
Not until now have the military au-
thor.'ies begun to allow small parties
Of Ave or six foreign correspondents to
visit the Somme front. These visits are
carefully supervised by French officers
and can lsst only three days. including
the time necessary to reach and return
from the scene OF action.
The correspondent Of THE Sun was q
member Of ono Of these parties his
week and returned convinced the more
thoroughly OF what he was quite certain
was the case before leaving. that any
impression that the French offensive on
the Somme Is In the slightest degree in
tice to France.
II all question Of assigning the credit
for conceivinG the plan OF campaign and
the methods to execute II be laid aside
for tie moment and results alone be con-
sidered. zach ally la cleared about the
same amount of territory. 1t Is trre
that the French attacked along a front
OF about seven and a half miles. while
the British artillery preparation ex-
tended twelve n n half miles. Prac.
tically. however. the British advanc was
along a front Of eight and th~ree-quarter
miles.
ANY attempt at n comparative estimate
Of The number OF British and French
troors engaged would OF course be GEN.
sored. but they may be taken to lie pro-
portionate to the needs for the respective
fronts attacked.
Great Change in Year.
Tho cora.,ondop, ~ ,rur s,.S had mot
visited a similar section Of tho fighting
front. or rather o. the rear Of the front
for We were not allowed to reach the
actual fighting zone-for n year and the
change he found In the general atinos-
phere was remarkable. A year ago any
visitor who was ultrasensitive. though I've
was welcomed with the charm that seems
TO be inherent with French officers, was
likely to feel himself an intruder anon
people so fully occupied. so busy every
minute. that II seemed al imposition to
expect them to devote any OF their time
to rim. II was almost as II he were
buttonho,ing a man whose house was
afre to ask him his plans for the day.
While to-day the vlslto. still gazes
upon an intricate mass Of machinery
which appears to work automatically,
which ignores his presence. reduces mn
TO !ns!gnihcance. still all the atmosphere
OF improvisation which marked the nrst
yea. OF the war has disappeared ana mas
been replaced by a sentiment OF perfect
organisation.
Our party spent three days touring in
an automobile the triangle with Amiens
as the apex that was the front or the
original French attack. rs the base and
sides OF the triangle are almost twenty
| miles long. we could see what the prepa-
, rat!ons for u modern battle mean.
Fine Double Roads.
Where one road ran before the attack
two run now. They have been doubled.
ono being reserved for motor trucks.
automobiles Of all kinds and tie new
| parallel one for horse drawn wagons and
cavalry. Both roads are unde constant
repair and are not allowed 70 remain inc
least bit worn.
We were continually humping across
new railroad tracks, some of them broad
| gauge but mostly narrow gauge IL Inc
80 or more miles Of track laid sspe-
c,ally in tn. Champagne for the offensive
last September was found not to be
enough, certainly the mistake has not
been repeated w. the Somme::, There are
at least thrice that many miles. .'"-s2ns
a thousand miles of track In thu sonme
Tow.
telegraph wires with solid. permanent
posts are stretched everywhere. Tcle-
phone wires with temporary supports
we're twenty times as frequent Inc
ground itself seemed to be enmeshed with
them. so that We had to be careful when
walking across the battlefield not &c
break them.
Munition "Store" In Field.
We visited a munition station in the
open country back Of the trenches. whicf
has been installed expressly for tht
Somme offensive. Here there was y
great area covered with an apparent!
!nexhaust!ble supply Of shells or every
size, from little 10 millimeter shells &c
the monster 400 millimeter shell wh!ci
costs $500.
This station supplies every need OF thu
French army. 1t makes barbed wire
wooden "ba,les" for timberinS mines oi
roofing dugouts, the lack OF which wal
felt SO severely early In the war TIT
officer in charge talked OF the station'a'
he would OF a great department store
saying I'VE haven't sold many big she'll
to-day. Our stock was completely cleared
out twice in t~wenty-four hours, usually !
Is cleaned out once in thirty-six hours
Early In May the station first begai
ito work, sending munitions to the from
OF UdTTOW Kauai
other similar stations behind this front
how many ] am not permitted to say, bu
to zee them all. visiting one a day. would
take over a week. IT speaks volumn'
for the French strength In the air tha
the German aviators have not succeeded
IN getting past the defending Frencl
aeroplanes and bombing one OF them.
Trains Of Forty Motor Tractors.
Along the roads conveys Of motor trac
tors carrying supplies OF all kinds
changed rapidly. There was no impro
vised procession OF auto buses or odd
and ends OF delivery wagons requisi
toned In dire need from business nrmI
In Paris and elsewhere. such as on
saw a year ago. Instead there were uni
form trains OF forty motor lorries, man!
of them manufactured In America.
The spirit OF organization was show
here, too. Not only is each lorry Of
convoy Of the same make. but eacl
bears its number and keeps Its ap
pointed place In the line OF the convoy
Each convoy had It's own badge painte'
on each lorry In II for example. a whit
cat. q red devil. q steel helmet. paints'
on the bright blue sides OF the lorry.
This means OF Identification was no
limited to the motor trucks. a We foun'