The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-10-13

Yesterday morning Private Peate
who lectured at the Orpheum last
evening, stood in The Forum Office
watching the news come over The
Associated Press wire of the latest
attack by General Haig's men in
| Flanders.
There is no doubt about it" he
said, They have the second artillery
army working now. What wouldn't
we have given for it on the Somme? p
But we never thought it could be
done. II seemed an impossibility, but
Haig has done it,"
In response to a request he ex-
planned what he meant by the second
artillery, army.
The line of artillery is really
about five lines Of guns" he said.
THE smaller calibre are in front, and
then the larger and the next larger,
and so on. There are about Ave lines
altogether, and l have seen the guns
so close in one line that they stood
wheel to wheel. At the Somme after
the infantry had gone forward it had
to stop until the Ave or six lines of
artillery were brought up.
But now the English have two
complete sets Of artillery. While one
set OF fiye or six lines of guns of
various calibres is being used, the
other set is moving forward. Then
1t opens fire and the first set is
brought up. That explains why the
British have been able to renew their
attacks in the course Of a day or
two. whereas formerly a week, ten
days or two weeks elapsed between
attacks"
OF Vital Importance.
Private Peate's surmise, il It ia
correct, is of tremendous significance.
The Forum has not seen, in any of
the articles on the war or any Of the
dispatches, any report OF such a sec
ond artillery unit. Its Importance
can be most readily seen. 1t means
continuous pounding instead OF
intermittent pounding, for the Ger
man lines. In the past the Germans
have. had a few days to recuperate
after each British attack. In the
future, 1t may be that there will be
no letup, but that 1t will be one con-
tinuous artillery battle with the bar
rage lifted only long enough for the
troops to go forward.
The Importance of the British at
lacks in Flanders is fully realized by
the German high command. Every
effort Is being made to gain back the
lost ground, for every mile that the
British advance now makes more
certain the abandonment OF the en-
tire Belgian coast. The German
troops between the scene Of the
present advance and the coast are
in imminent danger Of being cut of,
and military experts both in this
country and in England, are predict
ing that one more such gain as that
recorded last week will force an
Immediate retirement.
The British Prestige.
But even the capture of the coast
bases would not equal in Importance
the prestige the British armies have
gained by General Haig's victories.
The British are pressing forward
eagerly with victory in sight. The
Germans are fighting desperately and
hopelessly, against the most terrific
artillery fire the world has ever
known. There is no relief, no escape.
The mutiny in the fleet was most
significant The sailors have not
been forced to face such conditions
as the army is now facing. If they
are ripe for mutlny the army muet
be in a similar condition, IL 1t has
spirit enough left The dispatches
state that the Germans prefer to SUR
render IL they get an opportunity.
II Is still too early to predict any
definite and decisive victory III
Flanders, but there can be no ques-
tion that General EIaig ID dealing
sledge hammer blows that must be-