The Washington times., 1916-07-15
BLASTING THE WAY THROUGH

The British, we have been assured
from the very beginning of the war,
were resolved to flight to the last
Frenchman." It has become fash
ionable-though in the last few
weeks less appropriate-to allude to
the British as unable or unwilling to
do any real fighting. The fine old
theory that the British always get
somebody else to do their fighting
for them has been worked very hard
indeed.
The developments of the fight on
the Somme fror. certainly do indi-
cate that the British have purpose to
win the war without fighting to the
last Englishman. They are not 60
ing to sacrifice any lives that can be
saved. They intend to make ma
chinery do everything possible be-
fore human life is cast into the bal
ance.
So they took long time manu-
featuring artillery and ammunition
for it, before they started their drive.
Having carefully inculcated the i'm
preston that they regarded the
western line as practically impreg-
nable, as hopelessly destilocked, they
made ready to blast through it. Their
plan was not to sacrifice soldiers
with the recklessness that the crown
prince has done at Verdun, but to
make iron and steel and guncotton
do the business; to let the army in
the workshops win their victory.
To that end they brought up and
emplaced an array Of artillery such
as, by common consent-particu-
larry by German reports-has not
been put into action at any time in
the war. Their thousands of huge
guns, once turned loose, completely
dominated whatever section received
their attention. The hail of shells,
big and little, searched out every
shelter, turned the attacked sector
into a perfect hell, and prepared the
way for the infantry advance.
Thus conducted, the British drive
has GAINED ground on the whole
faster than any other of the war in
anything like comparable conditions
The first phase of it tore a great gar
in the German forward positions
Then artillery was advanced, a new
and still greater bombardment turn
ed loose, and then once more the in.
fantry-in tremendous superiority Of
numbers, the German authorities
say-was hurled forward. Three
towns and a wood of great strategic
Importance were taken yesterday
The gains of territory along the
Somme front, in a few days of this
quarrying sort of warfare, hav,
Melted more gains of territory to the
British than has the whole Verdur
campaign to the French.
Seemingly, the thing that almos
everybody had agreed was impossi
BILE, is going to be done. The Ger
mans cannot stand under the assault
and are not standing. Their grea
superiority in artillery, which swep
everything before them at the be
ginning Of the war, has broken down
Now they are as manifestly inferio
as were their enemies in the latte
half of 1914. They cannot turn GU
the supplies as fast as they ar
needed to keep up with the game
They have not the numbers Of mel
to match their enemies, who's
forces seem absolutely unlimited
there is always a fresh division o
these cowardly British to be rushe
in against the worn and decimate
German legions. It is a fearful
awakening at Berlin, this, whicl
brings to clear vision the fact tina
the British not only can but ar
anxious to fight.
We do not yet know the Who'll
story. But there is reason to be
lieve that the German general stat
has been fooled again, on a hug
, scale. England grumbled and groar
ed and tore its hair in despair owe
its inability to raise a paltry millio
soldiers; and then it uncovered fou
millions Of them! England couldn
I get its industrial machinery work
ing right, and confided the fact t
the whole world. Then it turned u
with more ammunition, guns, SUI
q niles. than ever the Germans ha