Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-12-03
Copyright, 1916, by The Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)

BltlIISh ARMIES IN II NAM T.
During the past week, as guest OF
the British general staff, | have mo-
tored something like thousand miles.
backwards and forwards, along the
front in Flanders the Artols and PC
lrdy. From far in the north where
the remnant Of King Alberts army
gallantly withholds a corner OF EEL
gium from the invader, to where the
French troops of General Foch strug-
gle side by side with Sir Henry Raw
inson's Tommies on the Somme. l
have visited by day and night head
quarters and trenches IN many sec
tors, and stuhed the positions and
movements of allied and German
troops along the whole line upon the
wonderful maps prepared Tor the
guidance of the army chiefs.
In this story | shall attempt, while
keeping one eye on the censor, to out
line the general position on the BRIT
sh front as IL appears to the soldlefs
themselves at the beginning of the
third winter in the trenches, WIN
especial reference to the great sue
ton action" on the Somme-a battle
which like a whirlpool, for more than
three months has been sucking INTO
itself Pritish, French and German dl-
Visions from every sector on the west
ern front, battering and breaking
them IN its vortex, vomiting tneh
forth again 10 seek what rest they
NAV find it "quiet' backwaters along
the rest OF the lines from Switzerland
to the sea.
4 Continuous Struggle.
The Somme campaign differs In
kind as well as size from the Garner
allied offensives Of this war II Is
pitched battle between great por-
ton of the French, British and Ger
man troops on the whole western
front n general action almost certain
tn continue, with such lulls as the
weather may prescribe. untii the emo
of the war-tho it will not necessarily
continue on the Somme. The entlre
position is misunderstood by lhose
who confine their attention TO the
man, observe that belt of land rev
miles deep has been won on a front OF
% miles at frightful cost, and picture
to themselves millions of men more or
less inactive in the other four nun
dreG and seventy odd miles OF
trenches.
Travel to other sectors far removed
from the noise of the guns on the
Somme opened my eyes to the true
state OF affairs In corps, divisional
and brigade headquarters near Y pres
or Ncuve Chapellc or Loos, vast maps
of the Sommc salient occupy whoie
chateau wall. Ask the cause or tms
interest in faroff battlefield ana you
will be told. 1--WE left there week pe
fore last for little rest up mere; we
don't know when we're going Dack so
we want to keep in touch with things
You will be shown with pride the req
lines and block dots representing tne
trenches and buildings captured IN 'nr
recent push bv your hosts Thch, IL
Won psl[ what German troops are op
posed to them here, you are answered.
"Ncchlenburgers We met them down
there at closer quart crs 1hun TINS; they
left tho Somme four days before we
did We think they'll go back soon
for the Poches give their men httlo
rest" And so 1t goes, up ana down
the lines
The Forces Engaged.
Definite figures can he given. by .
guest of the British army only ahou'
its enemy. but they are such as u
make the nature of the somme cam
naign lumincusly clear. since inc
syrca. allied attack BEGAN July ]. the
Germans have had altoecther 129 di-
visions Of infantry upon the wcs'
front At present only H. u remain
and perhaps Rumania knows IN,
Whereabouts of the others some on
these divisions, in the course of a re.
arrar6emont now being carried ou'
tIuuout the German army nave oeeI
reduced from the normal complement
of four regiments to three: which
means that their total strength, IN
stead of 10000, Is now $1,000 mon
only 10000 of whom fight III the
trenches Germany at the Deginnlns !
of this winter has about l,2nu'ouy
bayone.s opposed TO the French aho
British armies. A.
I'm TO the commencement CT the
violent rains last month, over e'gntN
German divisions had passed thru th'
furnace of the Somme and been WIN,
cr6vn to rest and refill their depleted
ranks, either in the rear or In qule'
sector. depending upon how hadlN
they had been cut up. or the ~ y
divlsoins which at that time had MOI
faced tho supreme ordeal of this war
british Officers say 1t is possible tna'
two or three have been kept entirely
frceb TO be able to deal with any sud
den emergency. but tho rest nave beer
,al,inc rart in the other and now SUB
ordinate battle at Nerlun. Where y
considerable concentration or Germai
and French troops still exists anc
vhero The rirnting never dies down
,r,ventv German divisions, UP to las
month. had gone back to the Somm'
front for the second time: six division!
had appeared for the third.
u, ring this time 1t is reasonable T.
assume that the French and Britsi
have brought more troops To th'
comme than the Germans, since they
hive teen attacking thruout. carryini
out scores OF ;nfa ntry assaults, while
their opponents have been. continu
ouslv upon the defensive and have at
teuntcd but few serious counterat
tacks.
The whirlpool of War.
The whole western front Is there
fore n reservoir Of mon for the Somn'
and Verdun, but especially for th'
Somme: and the metaphor of th'
whirlpool applies 10 guns as well a.
to men. From everywhere else. ever
from before Vcrdun, the Somme &C