The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-11-05
--LATEST OFFENSIVE
COSTLY TO GERMANS
Among the $4,000 Prisoners Taken Were
200 Officers-Review by French
Commission

WASHINGTON. Nov. 1.-The Brit
ish and French forces in Flanders have
kept engaged about half the total Ger
man forces on the western front with
out any success being recorded for the
German arms, according to a review of
the situation made public here Satur-
day by the French high commission
The statement deals with operations
beginning early in June, when British
forces opened the battle Of Flanders
In a summary it says: We can con
clude that the strength and the con
tInuity of the Anglp-French offensiyes.
which have, until this day, prevented
Germany from undertaking offensive
operations on large scale on the Rus
sian front, win perhaps restrict the
help which Germany, could give the
Austrian army on the italian front,
up TO such time as the Situation can be
retrieved on this front. :
There is clear proof, the statement
says, that the Germans were forced TO
employ successivclv 20 divisions to hold
the allies in check in the battle of
Flanders, or about one half their total
forces on the western front. ana that
they suffered enormous losses.
German troops from the eastern front
TO support the western line began to
arrive in September when the 10th re
serve division was transferred from
Riga to Ypres. It is believed other di
visions were similarly transferred. and
that the reduction on the eastern front
prevented the Germans from CARRYING
out their plans on that line during the
last week of fine weather.
The statement SAYS the exact
strength OF the German troops sent in
TO Italy to make possible the present
Austro-German offensive is not known.
but II points out that the new French
offensive on the Aisne has cost the
enemy in two days the loss of several
villages and important heights, besides
| 1000 prisoners. of whom 200 are OF
| iicers, and 100 cannon. without count
ing the large war material
/ The French commission believes that
the effect of this French operation
will render it still more imperative
/ for Germany to transfer more troons
to the French front. 1t is unquGstion-
able, SAYS the statement, that tn,
state OF the Russian army, much more
than the bad season, through the slack
'hlll ; dHu even luc stopping OF all ac
tive operations, allowed Germany t.
take away troops from its eastern front
to seek elsewhere the success so neccs
sary both to the German people anl
Ito discontinued and tired Austrians.
" hat IS exactly the strength OF
the forces which Germany has nune
/ against Italy for the first time since tn,
two countries have been at war we dc
not rs yet know, and all discussion OF
tins subject would be useless in view
OF the fact that such forces have been
sufficient to assure them the rapid ad
vance which must absolutely b,
checked. =
After pointing out that operations OF
the western front by the allies served
to limit to some extent the offensiy,
measures contemplated by Germany
both III Russia and Italy, the Statement
concludes: 'Such is, Irrespective of til,
) exact losses inflicted on the enemy ant
OF the tactical advantages secured b,
the allies, the true import of their sue
ceSSeS on the western front -