Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-10-08
ALLIES PROVE
POWER TO WIN
IN THE WEST
U-Boat Bases in Peril Because
of Smashing Victory in
Belgium

cendancy for the allies In the supreme
! test of battle strength now taking
place on the bloody fields of Flanders
is claimed by Secretary OF War Baker
in the weekly review of war opera
! tions issued by the War Department.
! While it may be premature to
| assert that the British war machine
! has forced q decision over the Ger
mans. Mr., Baker says, the victories of
the past fortnight. threatening the
| German submarine bases on the Bell
| gian coast. are conclusive indications
/ of allied superiority. With favorable
| weather, he thinks, these victories
will be repeated and extended.
The review. which is for the week
ended last night. makes no reference
| to the American forces in France or
! to the great preparations for war
going forward at home.
| The attention of the world" IL
| says. lis focused on the titanic strug-
| gle now going on in Flanders. The
| battle raging there is proving an en-
gaGement of wholly unprecedented
scope and pJtentialities.
! British Hit Harder. Faster
"At the beginning of the week. ow-
ing to bad weather. the Germans were
! able>to launch counterattacks against
. lHe POSITIONS recently Bdlntu pN lle
| British. Notwithstanding the fact
that the Germans made use of smoke
screens, liquid fire and brought into
! action en- imposing array of artillery
! in their attack against the advanced
British lines between the Tower Ham
| let's and Polygon Wood, as well as
along the Menin road, their efforts
proved futile.
1T is significant, on the other hand.
that, while the British were sustain
ing the shock of German assaults sue
cessfully, they were able to bring up
sufficient fresh troops in order to
launch another offensive action on
an even larger scale than the pre-
ceding one. in the face of the enemy's
onslaught
Slowly, but therefore the more ir-
resistibly, the allied drive at the
heart of the German line in the west
is sweeping onward.
The wisdom of the British in
maintaining great density of front
| would appear justified by the results
achieved during the past week. 1t
must be borne in mind it is due to
the depth of the British line as much
as to any other one factor that, while
the enemy is still reeling under one
blow, the allies are ready to deliver
another and still a third
Near TO Decisive Victory
1T has been Characteristic of the
campaign in Flanders hitherto that
neither belligerent has attained what
we call a decisive success.
The Germans have massed their
greatest war strength along this bat
tlefront. To attack them at their
strongest point of resistance is sound
strategy.
The defeats inflicted upon them
during the past fortnight are conclu-
sive indications of allied superiority
In the light of past experience, it
may be premature to assert that the
British have succeeded in forcing a
decision, but it may be stated with
emphasis that in no engagement
hitherto has such vigor. energy and
concerted speed of action been dis
played.
The full success of these opera
tions means that the Belgian coast,
with its numerous submarine bases,
VIII become unteuable to the enemy.
Zeebrugge, Ostend and the system of
canals leading out of Brugge are
threatened.
The supreme test of the battle
strength of the contending beIliger-
ents is taking place. Allied ascend
ancy would appear decisive.
The two immediate contributing
factors of this success are: air con-
troll and she'll supply.
The former made il possible for
the allies to locate enemy concentra-
tions, the latter to break them before
they could develop into serious off,
fensive actions. at the same time per-
mitting their own concentration of
men and guns to be carried out with
clockwork regularity. unhampered by
enemy interference.
The British are thus able to report
that, since July 81 last. they have
not lost single gun, while they have
captured 332 field and heavy guns and
taken SLABS prisoners. During the
lighting of the past two days they
have added 4.446 prisoners, including
ia officers, to this imposing total.
Germans Realize Danger
The enemy realizes the danger he
is facing. We may expect him to
counterattack in force. He NAV even
regain secondary detectives tempo
rarily, but the British war machine
is moving forward. and if time per-
mits and the comlftt season remains
open, with the weather continuing
favorable for. reconnaissance and
careful aircraft observation, the al
lied victories of the past two weeks
will in all probability be repeated and
extended.
THE enemy pressure along the
eastern front has been relieved by
the strong allied offensive in Flan-
ders. No engagements of more than
local Importance are reported in the
east.
The German advance in the north
cast has apparently weakened, and
the Russians have been able to reor-
gazine their positions in the Riga
sector"
The review sketches briefly the
weeks news from other fronts, with
the comment that reports from the
Russian front mora