Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-10-10
Retake Ground Held by Ger
mans Since 1914 in Sensa-
tional Attack Across Cork
Islands.
Spectacular and Successful
Advance Further Weak
ems Hold of the Teutonic
Enemy Upon Submarine
Bases.
BY HENRY WOOD.

Omitted Press Staff CorrespondentD
With the French Armies in Flanders.
Oct. 10.-Charging over flooded fields
"bridged" by great chunks or cork held
together by barbed wires, fighting
amid "a roar of wind, rain and gunfire,
the men of France reclaimed Belgian
ground held by the Germans since 1914.
FRANCE WORKED A MODERN
MIRACLE TO MAKE HER SOL
DIERS LITERALLY WALK ON THE
SEA IN ACHIEVING THE GREAT
VICTORY IN THIS BATTLE OF THE
1NCNDATION.
ISLANDS OF CORK.
Feverishly working in deluge of
rain, French engineers carpeted the
great barrier of water, which was No
Mans Land in Flanders, with great
islands of cork. They built miles of
trestles and countless bridges, 1t was
over this mo mans water" that the
French swept on to victory.
Today the desperation of the Ger
man counter attacks told of the enc
my's realization of what the French
and British victories mean.
GERMAN DESPERATION.
The Teuton command threw fresh
divisions into the Flanders maelstrom
with unparalleled prodigality.
That the Germans should sacrifice
80 many thousands of her troops, when
her high command is now faced with
steadily waning man power, is proof
of the immense importance in which
the enemy holds the Franco British
success.
The Germans know they cannot re-
treat without abandoning the Flanders
coast
THAT MEANS ABANDONMENT
OF THE GREAT SUBMARINE
BASES AND CURTAILMENT Or
THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.
Every yard they are compelled to
yield in Flanders makes relinquish-
ment of these bases that much nearer
Moreover the British victory took
from the enemy the dominating heights
and observatories controlling all the
Flanders plains.
The French contribution was resto-
ration to the allies of land heretofore
securely held by the Germans behind
the inundated section flooded by Bel
GUM in 1914
start of the war, Belgium invoked ma
lures waters to flood the plains and
stop the enemy But they also have
since constituted the greatest obstacle
to the liberation in Flanders
ATTACK LONG PLANNED.
Tuesday mornings attack had been
long planned. The French, however
had not prepared to fight nature as
they were forced to fight.
At the moment of the attack it seem
ed as though nature herself had Joined
against the French.
Torrential rains sent down a deIuge
Of water which linked the whole semi
Inundated wilderness, shell holes
streams, valleys, canals. marshes and
rivers into a veritable sea. Whether
the French soldiers waiting all night
for the advance order or the Germans
awaiting the attack suffered the mos,
from the torrents, having no shelter
either above or below the ground, II
Is impossible to imagine.
II was certain, however, that the
French artillery superiority wiped out
any equality which nature condescend-
edy,o give the Germans.
: ] saw this battle of the elements
fire. earth. water and air-Monday
night.
At one spot the most dense artillery
concentration of the war caused the
entire Flanders plains as far as the eye
could reach to vomit up endlessly and
uninterruptedly sheet of fire and
sparks and flames.
Giant explosions of shells seemingly
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