New-York tribune., 1917-07-22

&C Of "the contemplate little British
- OF that British army it is doubt
a e more than 10 per cent remain in the
-. and almost so per cent are dead.
u. rlsce has been taken by the new Brit
srmv whose numbers are reckoned in
I~,d,eds of thousands, not in hundreds,
H. the time has perhaps come when one
Law proftably review the history of the
1l;orsments of this new British army in
Is. year in which it has actually been
h. work.
| IN the first day of July, 1916, the new
I0ritish army made its attack on the battle
Is.n of the Somme. 1t was in the main
I,rssn army, facing veteran force. 1t
H.. commanded by officers who were only
IT, rsre instances soldiers by profession,
La was made up almost exclusively of
,.r who had never carried musket be-
4 ore the outbreak of the Great War. 1t
-. creation of the war and the express
| sion Of a democracy.
| IN the first of July, 1916, no man, what
,vs, his faith. could say with knowledge
Ivbs. this British army would accomplish
H. the face Of a veteran German force,
I,,eanized by a military system of many
l,ars standing. The first day of the Battle
H. the SOmme was one of the greatest ex-
,sriments in military history.
| The result Of that first day redounded to
| he credit. the courage, the devotion and
| he spirit Of sacrifice of the new British
lsmy Progress unprecedented in West
an warfare was made, although far
rsster success attended the French than
Ibe British armies on this day.
Still Lacking in Training
The British army did not pierce the
German lines. Over half the front they
we're, in fact, held up, repulsed with bloody
losses. driven back to their trenches. From
IGOmnscourt to Thiepval the German line
LED and was to hold for many weeks to
Isme. Eastward of Thiepval, as far as
| lie French line near the Somme, material
IrrOress was made. The first line was
tzken, thousands of prisoners and many
irsns were brought in, and the new British
lrmy madeNts first considerable step for
lard. have been told by British officers
hat the casualty list of that day OF the
,43htish was $4,000. At all events, the
xes were terrific. There was lacking
lat skill, that coordination between artil-
Isy and infantry, only to be expected IN
seasoned army. Precisely the faults that
sre to be anticipated were disclosed. The
Isritish army did better than anybody who
-sS it thought it would do, but it showed
Iself still lacking in training.
From the first Of July to November the
lev British army fought forward. In that
lsrod Of time it advanced four or flve
I,iles on a wide front. 1t took $4,000
snnan prisoners; it battered in the Ger
Fan lines and created new salients which
I-periled the whole German front. One
light examine progressively the casualty
axes Of the various attacks and discover
Iasreby how the British army learned its
5 On the first of July one brigade of four
a'usand men attacked without sufficient
Iranery preparation. 1t lost nineteen
Inndred men killed, eighteen hundred men
Pounded and brought back three hundred
zen. In the closing days of the Somme
lro'her brigade attacked, suffered four
zen hundred casualties, buried nine hun
I'a Germans and brought back eighteen
I'andred prisoners.
lns Battle Of the Somme was the train
school Of the British army. When it
sssn the British army was great only In
'aoers, in spirit and in mechanical re-
"9'css. When it was over there was
4 l<1cnstrated a material and moral su-
SnorIty. The German army had been
@sntirely a on the defensive. There were
bnger counter attacks. The German
Ssaiery, unaided by aeroplanes, because
British had captured control Of the air,
:" INTO the blue. The prisoners who
ae captured complained bitterly Of lack
artillery support and Of the failure OF
f aeroplanes. In four short months
new British army wrested the moral
<noaney on the battlefield from the Ger
an The British carried all the posi-
!" mat they attacked up 10 the moment
20 he close Of the fighting season ter
mated operations.
Effect Of the somms
1ae Consequences Of the progress were
'ssiec few months later, when the
,,nsns, In advance Of the campaign OF
Withdrew over a wide front, evacuat-
- nearly thousand square miles Of
- territory. They left because they
80 49, ho' continue 70 hold the positions in
-" mey stood. They could not con-
- % hold those positions because Brit
progress had imperiled them.
H.. ~ fDry Of the Battle Of the Somme is
~ry Of q new army, green army. It
= Hory Of a military education
HZA 4