Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-18
SAYS OBJECT is TO CRUSH ARMY
AND DRIVE 1T. INTO NORTH
SEA.
BERLIN OBJECTIVE OF
BRITISH AND FRENCH
Towns Become UntenabIe Before Fire
of Heavy Guns Of Allied Armies
German Officers Realize Fate Of
Nation is at Stake in Present Con.
fict on French Frontier.

With the Germans, Half a Mile OPP
posite the British Front at Connie
court, Aug. IA, via London, Aug. IL
1t is now emphatically demonstrated
that the purpose of the British Of
fensive on the Somme is vastly more
comprehensive than the world realizes.
1t intends more than the winning of
land in France. That is merely pre-
lminary. Having crossed the Somme,
the British purpose is to turn the bat
tie front to the north and drive the
Germans straight north to the channel
, Briefly it was to be a rush through
Belgium, with the French protecting
the British rear
Try to Roll Up Germans.
The tremendous effort cannot be
better summoned up than in words OF
a high staff officer of the German
forces now in the thick of these opera
tons.
THE intention of the English" he
said, "is to break through and destroy
our lines and blast out elbow room for
more extensive operations than the
present situation allows and then to
sea.
Meanwhile, the purpose of the
French is to break through to the
south of Hardecourt. where the British
and French lines meet, and SO be In
position to more or less quietly protect
the British rear.
Berlin British Objective.
"Why do we in the army headquar-
ters have this idea? Because the Brit
ish base lines are to the northwest
of the present line of operations.
ITO say the British and French OBJ
iectives are Bapaume, on the north,
and Peronne. on the south. is hum.
bug in view of the enormous masses OIL
troops and artillery which they nave
brought to bear.
Their objective is Berlin, and no
point here where we are in positions
is of supreme strategic value.
Object Is, xiii Germans"
"In preparation for their surge TO
the north, their business is to Kill as
MANY of us Germans as possible, and
that is their right as good soldiers.
THE reason that, in seven weeks,
this enormous project has developed
over a region FIVE miles in depth at the
most and less than half of that at
other points on a twenty mile front is
that the German infantry has held.
Sums Up Situation.
These are the views of an officer
who, in the course Of his long CONVEX
sation, began: First l speak as an
advocate of the enemy" and who.
ana rter Of an hour later, said: NOW
| sneaksas an advocate of the Ger
mans"
He balanced his propositions as
problems in military science. 1t IS not
his business to fool himself and ne
spoke from the maps. His summing
ND was appealing in it's simplicity. y
was this:
This is the kind Of fighting that
means to kill, to blast, to destroy, and
to do execution on man and land.
Part of City on Fire.
have lust edged my way through
the burning town of Rancourt, which
lies under the French battery fire.
Parts of it now are in flames and other
parts are reduced to ashes.
A curious contrast is presented at
the town of Bucquay. There is not
one house escaped the shell fire and
the Churcn was nlt, Dut iiSlue 'iie
church not a single paper flower and
not one image on the altar was dis
| turbed.
All of the French inhabitants Of the
| place have vanished. A white cat,
which sat on the ridgepole of roof
| less cottage complained bitterly, but
| refused to depart.
Make History at Bapaume.
| ~Bapaume, once a pretty town of g.
| 900 inhabitants, with handsome
church containing good pictures, good
carving, and good windows. has be-
come untenable for a living creature
but again the Germans are making his
tory there.
| Bapaume was the scene of the great
battle of Jan. 3, 1871, when the Ger
mans fell back behind the Somme, and
tablets affixed to the outside of the
churches in surrounding villages conf
memorate, side by side, the Frencf
| and Germans fallen in this fight.