Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-08-17
BRITISH DRIVE
WILL CONTINUE
Winter May Cause Cessation
in Great Offensive says
Writer at Front
GERMAN SPIRIT IS LACKING
British Laugh and Joke in
Trenches as Fire Tears
German Defense

Frederick Palmer, who is with the
British army in France, states in the
following article that the British drive
will continue until winter. Mr.. Pal
lner is representing the press of the
United States and is considered the
foremost authority on the conditions
in Europe.
"Anyones who might think from
reading the brief official reports that
the British offensive were over, if he
went out to the field would conclude,
Judging from the unceasing enormous
volumn of gun fire, that the terrific
tattle was in progress. No one the
correspondents meet at the front
think the offensive is over or that any
thing but winter will stop it. Though
no village or considerable frontage of
trenches was stormed in the last few
Gays, every day found some strong
point taken and some new spur trench
thrown out of operation which fol-
lowed and preceded each big blow.
For six weeks now the British have
maintained torrent of shell fire
which German prisoners who have
been at Verdun say surpasses any
thing they endured there, while at
the different munition depots the piles
of shells seem as plentiful as on the
day before the grand offensive be-
gan.
at has been a week all to the gun
rer's taste. They have had such an
advantage Of position over the Germ
ans as they never had before, thanks
70 the possession of Pozieree ridge,
which is crowned by windmill at
its highest point, its wooden struc-
ture long since blown to splinters by
shell fire and its stone base cracked
into bits, it is incalulable and incon-
ceivable the amount of shell fire spent
on this ridge. It's irregular line is
ever changing as one shell carter
filled and another formed The British
Keep domination by tactics and meth
ods of fortification not permitted to
be mentioned here.
The Australians could describe the
latest German counter attack, which
was Friday night, as comic, if the re-
suit had not been tragic for the two
battalions which made it. Apparent
ly the Germans were mostly recruits.
When assembling for the attack they
were caught by the British howitzer
fire. When they crossed an open
space, they were caught by both the
British guns and the machine gun
fire. Some 40 survivors who got to
the trenches held up their hands. The
Australians called upon them to come
in.
Wherever the Germans are quart
, cred they suffer night and day a nerve
racking bombardment. The artillery
I commander has but to say "Put 20
rounds of eight-inch shells in Cour-
sellette." or 1--WE might as well stop
that digging party in Martinpuich, :"
, and away go the MESSENGERS roaring
like railroad trains through the air
with their tons of explosives.
"We don't make many changes in
the map this way" said a gunner,
'but as a matter of bookkeeping in
causalties, the balance is all in our
favor. 1t softens things up for our
infantry before they attack. 1t is a
demoralizing and continuous night
mare and explains why the Germans
can put no more spirit into their
counter attacks
After three days of cooler wealth
er, another heat wave has come. For
four weeks there has been no rain
except a slight shower. The ground
is parched by drought and the leaves
are beginning to fall from the trees
IN some places. One result of the
shell fire over a great depth of the
German front is to prevent the Germ
ans bringing water as well as food up.
The thirsty men at the front are pen
ned up in trenches in the burning hot
earth in this fierce August weather