The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-02-16
BY ELLIS AsHMEAD-BARTLETT
british War Correspondent

last the armies on the western front
sank deep into the mud. Except for
the second French offensive at Nerdun
IN December and the successful ad-
vance of the British north of the Ancre
.here has been very little movement
since then. All the combatants are
preparing for the coming spring.
Could we have put back the clock
for three months l am convinced that
front is concerned, would have been
over before Christmas. But we had
not the powers Of Joshua ut Ajalon,
and therefore the final issue has been
delayed. 1t was the mud and wet
which alone prevented the allies from
pressing home their successes. In ev-
cry engagement mOre positions are
Won n more prisoners are taken. but
the present state Of ground renders op-
erations 1T all times difficult and very
often impossible. Those who have not
been on the Somme or before Nerdun
can have no conception Of what the
mud IS like.
1t may hc argued that there has
been mud in every war, and the great
Napoleon after his experiences in Pc
land described it as the fifth ele-
ment." But no general who exc led
nm army either ''B. c." or "A. D." "
had to face the problem such as eX-
lists now. 1t is a new factor which
has not been experienced before. The
terrible mud of the Solnme and Yer
dun is created by modern she'll fire.
In normal times the roads might be
muddy and the fields heavy, but this
would not stop an army. 1t is the on
eentration Of modern shell fire on re-
strictea areas which brings about
these abnormal conditions.
Torn by Artillery Fire.
Modern artillery fire leaves not q
yard of a io-acre field untouched. The
shell holes overlap one another, for
each cannot find al Independent bed.
They make craters six to twelve feet
deep, according to the caliber of the
shell. The terrific explosions scatter
the surface soil and bring the under
stratus TO the top.
All this ground on which the armies
are now fighting will. according to the
agricultural commission that visited
the front, be utterly useless for cen
has been SO utterly destroyed that no
crops Of grass will grow there until
time and nature eventually provide a
fresh deposit.
As soon as the rain falls these era
tiers become filled with thick mud and
water to a depth varying from four to
eight feet. 1t is over ground in this
state that all infantry attacks have
now to be made at this season Of the
year.
The artillery smaShes the enemy's
trenches to mud and pulp. Your in
fantry are then launched to the at
tack. Then they reach their objective.
What do they find? Simply the bat
tered outline of what was once Il line
Of trenches and hundreds Of these Ell
ant holes filled with mud and slime.
They must lie out in the open or on
LIN II ~ lIit'fN - ~ IF'NNA1 W
the merciless fire from the enemy's
guns. which have the exact range I'M
til some kind Of q fresh trench has
been dug amidst the ruins Of the old.
Consequently in all these latter at
tacks it has cost very few men to take
q position in comparison with what it
costs to hold 1t afterwards. Many
hundreds Of men have been drowned
I'm these latter advances. For in
stance. it cost the French under 1000
men to retake the positions Of Douan-
mont and VauX and the quarries of
Hardenmont, but they suffered twice
rs many casualties from shell fire,
deaths by drowning and frostbite be-
fore the positions We're firmly consoli-
dated. Think Of the fate OF some of
the unfortunate infantry. They adj
vance to the attack carrying a dead
weight Of over 60 pounds.
Sinks to His Death.
There IS 4 natural inclination to
dive for cover when the Smelling be-
comes heavy. A man drops into the
nearest hole. He finds himself in five
or six feet OF mud. lie cannot eXtri-
cate himself. and slowly sinks TO his
death us If he were in quicksand.
1t is almost impossible to attempt
10 describe the battle Of the Somme;
the task is hopeless; It's dimensions
have become too mOEStrous, its same
ness is as wearying as "a tWice-told
tale vexlng the dull ear Of Il droWsy
man. and its manifold horrors will
not bear constant rcitcration. It Is
divided into various subdivisions of
scientifically organized slaughter. 1t
is almost impossible to see or to de-
scribe what happens on the many sub
divisions Of this huge battlefront.
But day after day, night after night.
hour after hour. the grim work of
gradual attrition goes on.
The whole extent of the front Is
swept by two vast semicircleS Of ar
tillery fire. You cannot lose your
way to this international holocaust, for
yo1 are guided by a cloud of smoke
by day and a pillar Of fire by night"
Nr,V So. 49, frn,t INA 0ir y;hr1fnS