The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-06-01
BRITISH HAVE
BEEN Of GREAT
AID TO FRENC
COMMANDER os ENGLISH FOR
CES REPORTS MANY SHARP
LOCAL ENGAGEMENTS - PAYS
TRIBUTE TO FRENCH:

London, May 31.-General Sir
Douglas Haig, commander of the
British forces in France and Belgium,
in dispatch covering the operations
of the British army in that territory
from Dec, l9 last, when he took
over the command, until May 49,.
pays high tribute to the French de-
fense of Verdun and reviews in de-
tail the actions in which the British
have taken part.
During this period" he says, "the
only offensive effort made by the
enemy on a great scale was directed
against our French allies near Yer
dun. The fighting in that area has
been prolonged and severe. The re-
suits have been worthy of the tradi-
tions Of the French army and of
great service to the cause of the
! allies.
Germans Making Useless Sacrifices.
"The efforts made by the enemy
have caused him heavy losses both
in men and in prestige and he has
made these sacrifices without gaining
any advantage to counterbalance
them.
During this struggle my troops
have been in readiness to cooperate
as they might be needed, but the
only assistance asked for by our allies
was of an indirect nature, namely,
the relief Of the French troops on
portion of their defensive front.
"This relief l was glad to be able
to afford. It's execution on a consid-
cradle front everywhere in close |
touch with the enemy was a some
what delicate operation, but it was
carried out with complete success,
thanks to the cordial cooperation
and good will of all ranks concerned
and to the lack of enterprise shown
by the enemy during the relief
While no action comparable with
that at Verdun has been fought on
the British front, General Haig says
the British struggle has been con-
tinuous and there have been many
sharp local actions. Their mainten-
anCe and repair of the trenches alone
speaks Of tie continual activity of
the artillery, infantry, airmen. sap
pers and miners, and adds:
ever present threats cause a more
constant strain than any other form
of warfare"
Describes Daring French Attacks.
There w-Ie sixty local actions dur
ing the period under review some
of which, says General Haig, although
individually insignificant in a war on
such an immense scale, would have
been considered worthy of sepa
rate dispatch under different condi
tions.
The British commander makes spe- I
cial mention of raids or cutting out"
parties which have been made at least
three times against the enemy lines.
"They consist" he says, "of brief
attack with some special object on
a section of the opposing trenches
and are usually carried out at night
by a small body of men. The char
acter of these operations, the prepara
ton of the road through our own and
the enemy's wire, the crossing of
open ground the unseen penetration
Of the enemy's trenches hand-to-hand
fighting in the darkness and the
uncertainty as to the strength of the
opposing force give peculiar scope
10 gallantry, dash and quckness of
decision of the troops engaged and
much skill and daring are displayed 8
n these operations.
The initiative in these minor op-
erations has been taken and on the
whole has been held by us, but the
Germans recently have attempted
some bold and well conceived raids
against our lines, many of which =,
nave been driven back, although some
succeeded in penetrating" :,
Health OF Army Good. b
General Haig mentions the arrival b
If the Anzacs and South Africans
md additional Canadian forces in 3
france and says that this made pos +