Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-16
GERMANS FIGHT
4: LIKE MEN WITH
= BACKS TO WALL
'Coutnued from First PaEc.D

= Ing. Two letters in particular. both
! written by Eavarans. in regiments on
. posite Arrds. are wonderfully impress
= sive. One of them indicates clearly
the dishearteninE effect the entry OF
: The United states into tho war has
had II Is dated April g. and reads:
& 1--WE now have very bad position
= vt Arras. where NC have been under
a continuous huri icanc of fire for six
days. The English times fire gas
shells which are not exactly pleasant
j. When everything imaginable is turned
against one. one cannot stand 1t; then
(; II is all over. The sights around one
! are simply cruel II is enough to drive
) one mad.
ADMITS TT Is NO LONGER
4 RIGHTEOUS CAUSE
1T is no longer Il righteous cause;
OF that | am convinced. Eut one al
ways begins TO hope again, and think
that il must come to an end But II is
not possible. The world is still in TOO
mad a state. Ne ar the tools and
allow ourselves TO be belabored.
Now America comes in to make Il,
last longer. Everybody wants - chip
in. l believe IL will never end: peace
will never return 10 the land
was the day before the British attack
began tells how unwclcomc to the
Germans have been the weapons of
their own invention when turned
against them. II says:
For the last four days the English
have been firing gas shells all over
the country ia order TO harm the Ger
mans much as possible. This resi-
ment-the Eighth Bavarian--has al
ready had considerable losses i'll killed
and Easscd The sad point is that
the English.SaS IL Utmost odorlesS. and
can only I've s,>en by the prtcticcd eye
while escaping from the she'll The
gas steals slowly over the ground in
blush haze and Kills any one who
docs no, draw his mask quick as
lightning over his face before taking
Il breath.
The night before las, was in the
front line Wha, a sight. The last
time we we're IN the front-linc
trenches wc were easily accessible.
Now all communications and all para
pets have been shot 10 pieces, II is a
Grucsomc sight there. The prospect;
look terrible Our people say that
things were not bad as Nerdun as
here"
No IDEA THAT blow
WAS COMING 80 SWIFTLY
Another captured document shows
hat the Germans fully appreciated the
meaning oil tn. extensive l5ritlSh pre- pa =
ratious ahou, Arras. but mad no de,
that the blow Mas coming SO swiftly
or With such force. The presence OF
the Canadians within the Zone OF prob :
able attach had a particularly disquic, .
ing effect. for the doCImcn; IN one part
says The Canadians arc known TO be
good troops and well suited 10 as-
ssulting purposes There are no de-
serters TO lac found among the Ca
nadians"
II further declares tina, t" succeed
in their plans the British would have
10 take Nimy ridge leaving the in
ference that the Germans thought this
task an impossible ono, German Of
icers taken during the baitlc We're
incredu!cus when told that tho British,
had not only held Niny ridge hu:
have pressed far beyond They eaid
that the plans ard that the orders 20
all reserves were to counterattacx a;
once if the British threw the Gcrmana
off the crest
However, when tho Canadians ably
assisted by an English division. Wen,
after Nimy ridge this time /, was Win
the determination to place that long
disputed vantage ground once for all
within the allied lines