The Robesonian., 1917-09-20
GUNS ARE ALWAYS ACTIVE

=
Grim Business of War Continues
Perpetually When Headquarters
Reports Nothing of importance
1t Only Means a Period of "Com-
parative" Quiet
With the British Armies in France
and Belgium, Sept. 17-(By the AS
sociated Press) s)-There must always
be periods of Comparative" quiet,
when big, spectacular offensives are
lacking on the great fighting fronts.
The recent days have constituted
one OF these periods along the Brit
lsh lines in the Westrn theatre and
to the outside world, reading the
eommander-in-cE1ef laconic, 'there
is nothing C imt 81 lance to report"
o "a brlet account Of seemingly in
consequential raids, it may appear
that hostilities virtually have ceas-
ed.
Guns Are Active
But tlis conclusion is far from
right, for the grim business Of war
continues perpetrally. Hourly the
big British guns hurl their thousands
Of tons Of metal, carrying death and
destruction into the German defen-
ses; day and night great squadrons
OF aviators guide their machines ov-
er the G~~-aan lines and dump their
cargoes Of high explosives on i'm
portant positions, and continually
small bodies Of British infantry are
reaching out into the German trench
es and s1atching back prisoners, af-
ter playing havoc with bombs among
the dugo-ts and mortar emplace-
ments.
Of course, there is retaliation by
the enemy, but the advantage rests
with the Entente Allies in this con-
slant hammer-ng process. 1t is the
steady dropping of water which is
wearing away the stone.
German Wall Must Crumble
The terrible toll of death being ex-
acted from the enemy rarl is by the ar
tIllery and the continual drainage Of
their war supplies by the destruction
caused by shells and bombs are hav-
ing their effect. The German wall
Of defense is still strong, but it is
weaker than it was and sooner or
later must crumble, if the allied
methods of wearing down are con-
tinued. 1t needs no military expert
to figure this out. Every Tommy
along the line is aware of it.
/ Persons far removed from the line,
| perhaps, do not consider military op-
erations from an abstract viewpoint
often enough. That is, they conceive
progress only when some city has
fallen or an advance has been made
owe ra great stretch Of territory and
thousands of prisoners have been
taken. Certainly these big operations
appeal t2 the imagination but, in
viewing them one should not overlook
the inestimable value Of the grind
ing, killing process, which never
ceases.
Grinding Process Kept Up
This process has been continued
by the British steadily since the re
cent big offencive. The artillerf ha
: kept up an almost unceasing thun
der along the whole front and al
raids and thrusts by the infantr
have been working great destruc
ton in the enemy territory.
Last nights infantry raids al
examples of the work being dom
much of which is never published
the outside world. English and Sco1
tish regiments about midnight cor
Quoted three successful raids. Eas
of Gavrelle several prisoners wei
taken and large number of the e1
emy killed, and two saps. destroye'
A similar success was achieved sout
of Arras, several dugouts being d.
molished and number Of trenc
mortar emplacements wrecked, bt
sides other damage done.
The British air service still mal1
tains supremacy and the big raidin
machines have been doing vast dan
age. One of the spectacular air inc
dents occurred yesterday when
British plane dispersed 1000 enem
infantry by turning it's machine gu1
on the men along one Of the higl
ways.