Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-08-04


who notes the figures in the casualty
lists issued every twenty-four hours,
and sees fresh conveys of wounded ar
irving daily at the big London Railway
stations, it seems that England is pay
ing terrible and CHASTITY price for
whatever she is gaining by the big
push"
On that point the opinion of the
fighting men themselves are of inter
est, especially of leaders who are hab-
ituated to somewhat larger purview
than is possible in the ranks Chance
afforded London reporter an oppor-
tunity to obtain the views of two such
on the question of casualties. 1t was
when a hospital ship laden with
wounded reached the landing stage at
Southampton, and he was permitted to
go aboard.
What do you think of the British
casualities?" he asked the wounded
Second-in-C Command of a Battalion
which played its part at Fricourt,
Montauban and Bazentin. He was sit
ting with another officer, the Adjutant
of Battalion which fought it's way
through La Boiselle to Contamination.
Both were walking cases." one with
two machine-gun bullets in shoulder
and arm, the other with bomb splinters
iE his left side. One had the expert
ence of Loos for a standard of compar-
ison; the other, the Adjutant, has been
at the front since the early days of
1915.
well, there's a good many of them,
of course. Seeing the whole lot in a
narrow funnel, as you do here, it must
seem tremendous. There are a good
many, of course. You can't move hand
or foot on the western front, without
casualties. But I'm bound to say it
wasn't the number, but the fewness of
them that impressed me out there. l
mean, of course, for the fire we've had
to face. What do you think?"
He turned to the Adjutant.
Il think the proportion of casualit-
les is pretty much the same as it's
been in all offensive on this front; but
the balance will prove totally differ
cit. This war is just buying and sell
ing; fifty thousand pounds is a lump
Of money to spend; but in business,
people don't worry about the laying
out of fifty thousand, if they see a good
and safe return for it. It's always a
good investment, if you can buy sixty
or seventy, or hundred thousand for
il, isn't it?''
The Major Of the other battalion
nodded, and said: Perhaps you've
heard of those documents, or some of
them, found on different prisoners,
sent by German companies in the line
to their different headquarters in rear;
begging for reinforcements Company
reduced to nine men and one officer;
Battalion reduced to twenty men and
three officers and that sort of thing.
That's worth paying for, you know,
and what's more, it can't possibly be
got without paying. The whole thing
is very different from Loos; I know
that. We're getting an infinitely bet
ter run for our money.
I'VE are gaining in ground; but
that's small thing to the enormous
gain in man-power and morale. You
take it from me, our New Armies can
stand lot of this; a deuced sight
more of than Germany possibly could
stand. Our chaps are in better heart
today than they've ever been since
1914.
In the early days it was case of
pitting flesh and blood against metal.
The Germans had the Overwhelming
advantage of us at every turn, and
in every mortal way; except in the
spirit of his men. He never could beat
us at that. But in numbers, in prep
aration, and above all in guns and