Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-01
GERMANS FEAR
LINE WILL BE CUT
Desperate Onslaughts Due
to British Menace of Com
, munications, Says Baker
SECRETARY REVIEWS WAR
Mobilization of National Guard
and Assembling of National
Army Proceeding Smoothly
WASHINGTON. oct.

WASHINGTON, oct. j.
Desperate onslaughts Of Germany's picked
storm battalions are due to her fear Of the
British menace against the Teuton line of
communications leading up to the Ostend
and zeebrugge naval bases, Secretary of
War Bakers second weekly war summary
said today. Further, the Menin road battle
shows that the fighting stamina OF the Ger
mans is deteroratlng. Baker declared.
THE SECRETARY'S STATEMENT
His statement says:
The Ypres salient continues the center
of military interest along the western front.
The battle OF Menin road, which promises
to be one of the great battles of the war,
Is following its normal course.
'LaSt week we recorded the gains Of
the British in this sector. This week we
must note the desperate attempt made by
the Germans to retake the lost positions
Beginning last Sunday, the constantly
increasing violence of the counter-attack
reached elimination on the 27th inst,
when seven powerful onsaughts by the
picked storm battallons of the enemy en-
deavored vainly to regain the lost objec-
tives. The village of Zonnebeke, the center
OF the conflict, is now firmly held by the
British.
1T is evident that the efforts of the
enemy in this sector are not actuated
merely by the desire to regain lost terrain.
OF little more than tactical value, nor
must their persistent attack be considered
merely the normal reaction Of a modern
| field engagement, in which counterattack
| invariably follows upon attack, but rather.
J 1t is to be noted, that the enemy realized
| fully the immense strategic importance of
the British thrust along the Menin road
| This new British advance in the Ypres
| salient now definitely threatens the enemy's
| line of communications to the Belgian coast.
| The Ostend-Lille Railway, which in a large
| measure feeds the German naval bases at
| Ostend and Zeebrugge, the latter the home
| port of the German high seas submarine
fotillas now comes within the range of the
fire of the British guns.
BRITISH PROVE SUPERIORITY.
THE superiority Of the British over their
| enemies was conclusively proved during the
engagements of the last week.
| THE battle of Menin road Furthermore,
| shows that the fighting stamina of the Ger
mans is deteriorating, not that the enemy
did not display great skill and dogged de-
| termination in his repeated counter attacks.
| /"During the recent operations in this sec
| tor the British captured 484S prisoners, in
| cluding 1913 officers.
| along the French front, particularly in
| the Aisle sector of Braye-Cerny-Hurtebis
artillery duels of intense violence are re-
i ported.
Along the whole French front German
| storm contingents harassed the French line,
| though their attacks were everywhere re-
pulsed. The operations of maximum i'm
portance we're north of Verdun, where the
enemy made use of liquid fire in an effort to
record some distinct success.
wAsTAGE OF MANPowER
"The outstanding feature of the recent
| engagement was the wastage of manpower
| of the enemy.
80 great has the wastage OF enemy