The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-10-26
Copyright, 1916, by the Associated
Press.

Press.
British Front in France, (via Lon
dom, Oct. 24.-More thar three and
one-half months of battle on the
Somme front with the heaviest con-
centration of artillery, infantry and
every type Of war material, n the
most skillful and desperate fighting the
marked development Of British fight
ing efficiency and Of meal for reduc-
ing the losses Of the attackers. In the
way of concrete achievements the
British ave taken 10000 prisoners, or
a little less than 1900, for each of the
population Of about 800 souls. They
have taken 125 guns, 100 trench NOR
tars, and trench guns and 429 machine
guns. They have not lost a gun.
German Losses Now Higher.
The British nave driven back the
Germans On a front Of II miles, to a
depth of our to eight miles. Former
citizens of captured villages are re-
questihg that they be allowed to re-
turn to them and build new homes on
the ruins of their old ones. The Of
fenslve has consisted of intervals Of
preparation and siege work after each
big general attack, to prepare What is
called a jumping Off place for another
general attack. Through July, owing
to the heavy cost of taking the first
line trenches, the British casualties
were heavier than the German; through
August when over a large part of the
front, the Germans were out of their
second as we'll as their first line Sys-
tenn of d~efenses, and the battle became
one of digging n fighting in the open
for both sides casualties We're about
even. Yet from all information, the
correspondent can gain the German
losses were not less than 25 and pos
lis " ~ 80, o~,,+ 1s~l ~. {Ir,, +l~ TN-i{
ish during September, when the British
game most ground.
Tanks Effective Weapon.
h is due, according to the British
officers, to the superior power of the
British shell fire, the numbers of Brit
ish aeroplanes, the increased skill of
the British soldiers and the use of the
tanks. The British staff did not place
much reliance on those new contrl-
vances. They are only n of the in
ventions aiding the offensive against
modern Notifications that will be used
e spring, when the British are fully
prepared. Calculations as to the value
of the tanks are hard to make, but
taking the average opinion of experts
at the front, these weird motor cars
have saved a loss of 20, 900 men in the
reduction Of strong points and machine
gun positions.
The offensive at every step proved
that no army can have too many guns
which will kill and demoralize an en-
envy with projectiies fired from a dis
tance from anywhere from 1000 to TO-
900 yards. The great value has also
been proved Of portable machine guns.
Men posted in shell Craters with these
weapons have a formidable power,
whether their side is acting on the de-
fensive or offensive.
Not on ground gained or prisoners
or gins taken does nnjnjOn of tho front
lay emphasis after nearly four months
of ceaseless fighting, every day bring
ing it's lesson. Officers are always
using the word morale" which means
the spirit and team play an army puts
into its work. The British, after nearly
two years Of stalling, AVE been fight
ing week after week on soil taken from
their foe. Thus the British morale has
become the morale Of attack. This
offensive has been the school Of war
with death as tutor. By fighting the
British new army learned to fight as
Grants army learned to fight at Shiloh
and McClellan's on the peninsula.
Before the grand offensive the Brit
1sh staff n commanders, those few
professionals who were trained to di-
rect the regular army realized fully
their immense responsibility in send
ing an army trained in theory against
the experienced organization.
we have met the German staff, said
a British commander to the CORES
pondent recently land assure you none
Of us are suffering from stage fright
these days. We thank the German
staff for what they taught us in the
days Of our unpreparedness and of late
they have been learning a few things
from u.s."
Young Officers Command.
Actual battle conditions have re-
vealed, Is no theoretical tests could,
which officers are fit to lead. The
route to promotion is to become sue
cessful in action. Generals in the
30s and 40s now direct the fighting in
the fields and battalion commanders
who are not yet 80 have ceased to BIZ
uncommon.
The taking of Thiepval was the most
sentiinentally important of the capture
of any village. because 1t was part of
that redoubtable first line where the
British failed to break through on
July l. But The hardest fighting was at
such places as Guillemont, Delviile and
Hfghwoods and at Pozieres and Mou-
quet farm where the struggle lasted
Tor weeks to gain the coveted ridge
which Is now entirely in Britieh poses