Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-23

l-opyrisht 1916 by Associated Prose
British Front in France, via London
oct. 23.-1More than three and one-ha,s
''ion'hs OF battle on the Somme, with
the heaviest concentration of artillery.
infantry and every type Of war mn
terlal and the most skillful and des-
pefate hshting the world has ever
known, has resulted in marked de-
Veiopment of British military eff.
clehcy. In the way of concrete achieye.
ment the British have taken 3oO0o
prisoners, or u little less than 2,10O for
each of the villages captured Thev
nave taken l05 guns, many NOR
tars and trench guns and 429 machine
guns. They have not lost gun The
British have driven back the Germans
or front of eleven miles, to a depth
OF four to eight miles.
Former citizens of captured villages
are requesting they be allowed to re-
turn and build new homes.
The offensive has consisted of in
tervals of siege work preparatory To
big attack.
Thru July, owing to the heavy cost
OF taxing the first line trenches, the
British casualties probably were
heavier thar Germans
Ihru An when the Germans
were out o. cond as well as the
Erst line 81 of defense. and the
battle became one OF digging and
fighting in the open for both sides,
casualties were about even.
Yet, from all information the corre-
spondent can gain, the German losses
were not less than 25 and possibly 50
per cent higher than the British losses
during September, when the British
gained most ground.
British Shell Fire Superior,
This Is due, according to the British
officers, to the superior power Of the
British shell fire. the number OF British
aeroplanes, the increased skill OF the
British soldiers and the use of tanks"
The British staff did not place much
reliance on these new contrivances,
They are only one OF the inventions
aiding offensives against modern forth
hcat1ons which will be used next
spring, when the British are fully pre-
pared. Calculations as to the value OF
the tanks are hard to make, but taxi
ing the average opinion OF experts at
the front these weird motor cars have
saved a loss of 10000 men in the re-
1uction Of strong points and machine
gun positions
Death Tutor in School of War.
The British. after nearly two years
of stalling, have been fighting week
after week on soil taken from their
foe. Thus the British morale has be-
come the morale of attack. This Of
fensive has been the school OF war,
With death as tutor. BY fighting, the
British army learned to fight as
Grants army learned to fight at
Shiloh and MoClellans on the PENN
sula.
Before the grand offensive the
British staff and commanders, those
few professionals who were trained to
direct the regular army. realized fully
their immense responsibility in send
ing an army trained in theory against
the superior German Organization.
Learn From Germans.
I'VE have met the German staff"
said commander recently, "and as
sure you none Of us are suffering from
stage fright these days We thank the
German staff for what they taught us,
h
few things from us. Actual battle
conditions have revealed as no theoreti-
cal tests could which officers are fit to
lead. The route to promotion has be-
come success in action. Generals from
&C to 40 direct the fighting In the field
and battalion commanders who have
rot yet become 80 have ceased to be
uncommon"
The capture Of Thlepval was one OF
the greatest achievements. The hard
est fighting was at such places as
Guillemont, Delville and Highwoods
and at Pozieres and at Moquette farm.
where the struggle lasted for weeks
to gain the coveted ridge which is now
entirely IN British possession But
the British officers think only OF the
experience gained for the future.
wounded British soldier said recently:
"Maybe the time will come when
only one British soldier and one Ger
man will remain. and if SO the
Pritisher will be on top"
This is what the British officer
Yoeopt morale.