The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-04-05

vastating missiles fell between day
break and noon
With equal fury the French artil
lery replied to the German fire. Anc
then at intervals came infantry al
tacks and counter attacks, the mel
engaged in them melting before the
shrapnel, machine guns and rifles like
snow under a sufMmer sun. The Ger
man hosts advanced over the shading
earth wave on wave, like a great
gray carpet unrolling;" as one broke
and melted under the murderous fire
of the great French guns another
swept over it, and then another, until
by sheer weight OF human flesh the
defensive line was pressed back.
There were scores of assaults and
counter attacks desperate enough to
make any battle memorable. Shat
tered forts and ruined villages were
taken and retaken again and again.
| Prisoners could only babble of the
terrors which they had endured In
the furious bayonet charges, OF
masked men struggling amid the
fumes of poisonous gases, OF hordes
of creatures armed with machines
shootings jets of flaming oil.
Visualized even feebly in the mea-
ger dispatches the spectacle is one
that almost dazes the mind by its
mystery. What inspired this fright
full and inconclusive combat? The
German staff declares calmly that it
is satisfied with the results and the
prospects. But upon what strange
system of estimating values do they
count it worth while to sacrifice
100000 men to advance half dozen
miles?
The military expert, if he does not
make it all clear to the lay mind,
clears away some misconceptions.
The one thing sure about great
movement of this kind, he says, is
that the advantage to be gained and
the price to be paid are worked out
in advance with mathematical exact
itude. For a certain desired end a
certain number of of lives would be
too much to give This being settled
the rest is matter of preparation
and action according to scientific
rules.
Thus the German staff, writes an
editor of the Army and Navy Jour
bal, would estimate that the win
ming of a hin south of Ypres might
be worth 1000 men; an improved
position on the Somme cheap at p
600; a farm stronghold not too dear
at 5000; Verdun a bargain at 3OO,-
600"
This writer, Major Dayton, ex-
plains that the French line extended |
in a semi-circle around the northeast |
9 Al. on
rather, the fortified region, protected |
the Fench right flank when the left |
and center rolled back the German |
advance in September, 1914. 1t safe |
guarded the intrenchments extending
far to the west and the north, and |
also those reaching to the southeast. |
1t provided cover for vast munition !
and reinforcement depots and kept |
communications open between the |
capital and the distant flank.
Thus it's capture, aside from the |
moral effect, would threaten to sever |
the French line at a vital point and
drive a wedge between the southern |
French armies and the British. If it
cost 800, 900 men to these great re-
turns might be added the elimination
Of at least half as many French sol
1iers. And, in addition, the straight
ening of the German line by the
crushing in of the advanced French
semi-circle would reduce it by 10 or
20 miles, which would mean the re-
lease for other sections of 10000 |
German troops.
The issue, however is still in
doubt, just as the remote conse
luences of the battle when ended re-
main in uncertainty.