The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-18
BRITAIN IS READY FOR
LOSS OF MILLION MEN
IN GREATEST ASSAULT

| with q loss of $500 in killed an(
wounded when they stormed Douau
mont Canadian losses were less thar
German in the taking of Courcelette
and the British less than German il
| the taking of Thiepval, Martinpuicl
and the Bazentin Villages.
"Thus, with drive after drive, under
cover of waves Of artillery fire, the
offensive will be kept up for another
year, perhaps two, perhaps three
or until Germany yields. Command
| ers say that the amount of ground
| taken is less important than the mora
effect of this continuous pounding OF
| the Germans.
when the tanks made their ap-
pearance at the front the soldiers
laughed at them, but their success
was Immediately demonstrated
know of one tank which reached the
third line of German trenches in 6
charge and was there stalled for lack
of gasoline The Germans surround
ed it and tried in every way to get al
the men inside, but failed. Finally
they were driven off by the British
! gasoline was brought up, and the
tank went on it's destructive way
Another tank was similarly stall
ed, and when a German Colone
crawled underneath to- see if he
couldn't get inside, a trapdoor in the
bottom was opened suddenly and he
was dragged inside prisoner anG
eventually taken into the British lines
France In Good Shape.
THE idea of an exhausted France
puzzles me. Where did it originate +?
From all ]. can see, France has the
largest trained force, fully equipped
for first-line fighting, that she has
had since the war began n. Paris ap-
pears more nearly normal and bust
ness is better than at any time since
the war began.
1.-THE Roumanian campaign will
play a decisive part in the duration
Of the war At the start the Rou-
manians ran away with the bait. They
would not listen to the advice of the
allies commanders. They wanted
Transylvania and started through the
passes to take it, closing their eyes to
Bulgaria. Indeed, they thought they
had assurances that Bulgaria would
not join in; but nobody ought to know
better than they that assurances are
poor collateral in the Balkans
THE Germans gathered all the
Turks and Bulgars possible on the one
hand, and on the other all available
Germans, Austrians and Hungarians,
and with the best generals and every
gun that they could concentrate, at
tempted another drive such as they
had made against Belgium, Serbia and
Poland Experienced commanders on
the western front, when they saw
what thel Rollnianians were doing,
were pretty pessimistfc They knew
the size Of the Roumanian army, its
inexperience and how it had exposed
itself over a broad front before the
Russians could come to it's aid. After
the fall Of Constanza, many thought
that Roun ania might suffer Serbia's
fate as the result of her daring.
Take Advice In Retceat.
However, once they were in retreat
the Roumanians were ready to take
advice, and welcomed the hundred
French staff officers who are in Rou-
mania pitHng their skill and IN mex
perienced army against German staff
skill and an experienced army. The
rest depends upon Russia's ability to
arm her numbers and transport them.
Pessimists thought that Roumania
might be beaten by Oct. Is. When
she was not, they thought she might
Roumania still holding, the conclu-
sion was that the German army had
lost 1t old power of offensive