Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-14


does not share in the responsibility for
the continuation Of the war
PREPARATIONS BEGAN
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO
preparation on the west front for
the coming battle began actively
about the time that the SomInc battle
hickered out, In November. The Ger
mans had seen what III" french and
the English could do. They also had
seer what they could not do. The
lessons. written in the bloody and
mutila'ed letters and figures called
human units which make up the
casualty lists" had been learned.
iiindcnburG personally. for the first
time. visited the west front. and in
sr"ctcd tho lines and the ground. Soon
thereafter tho mon representing the
finest military engineering in the army.
rc-cnforced hy the hest engineers in
civil NE IN" men who build 'ie big
canals am! the harhors. began survey
Ing and laying out d series OF new
lines Of positions behind the front.
Tn" S%chippci .irmc. as the army Of
"shoEclcrs" or Higsers IL known, mum
hcrs around 1000. 900. The: arc armed
S"i'I! with spade, shovel. pick or AK.
Arnund i'cronnc and farther north, on
the Somm' liac. ! have seen these
silent roiuwns come out of the gray
mist - Gay Was breaking. after a
nights work on The firing line. Tnc
great pat Of this army Of military
g%ophers now is. and has been for some
time. on the west front.
SEM i3.Ooo MINERS
TO WESTERN LINES
In the hrst week in December 49,
900 EXPERT miners. men with pick and
Griii. were sent TO the western lines.
They were followed by long rains OF
steam disSers. huge e~xcavators as
Used III building CANALS and hurbors.
BORING machines and compressed air
diGsers from the subway construc-
ton concerns.
The big iron and steel works in the
fthine region were called upon 10 send
their beet engines FOR digging and ex-
caratinS. Everything was heading
Westward. From the vast amount of
this kind OF machinery being hipped,
II was evident that work Of an un.
usual character was under way. |
asked 4 high official what these signs
might'be taken TO Indicate.
w are building a wall" which the
English and French cannot get over.
nor under. nor through" he replied
graphically.
let them come" remarked linden.
burg with about az near TO a smile a.
he ever gets. when ] spoke of the
coming battle" in the west and touch
ed upon these signs OF activity of the
Germans to repel the new onslaught.
We will be waiting for them" h.
added.
AS already stated, the old lines and
positions on the Somme were often
where the allies could lombard the
nrst' second, and even the third. Ger
mar positions simultaneously. That is
one lesson the Germans learned. In
the new scheme the topography of the
country from A strategical standpoint
is taken full advantage of. The mat
ter OF falling back a mile or two never
ala bother HindcnburR or L]uden dorff.
H. by such a maneuver. they gained a
military advantage in position.
TIME WHEN HINDENBURG
SHOWED HIS GENIUS
German staff officers have told me
again and again tina H%indenburg
never showed his genius and his great
ness more than when. in the face Of
his victorious advancing army. he sud
denly. in the fall OF 1914. ordered his
entire line to retreat, and fell back
from lvangorod to behind Lodz. al
most to the border OF Silesia, because
the Russians Unexpectedly crumpled
up the Austrians on his right wing,
thereby exposing his front to a quick
turning movement.
Many of the officers. not moving
what had happened, cursed and swore
that the old field marshal suddenly
had gone insane when the order for
general retreat came. Falling back TO
Lodz. Hinderburg got a new foot
mold, and swept forward again most
successfully.
The new lines in To-, west behind
the German front arc so ar apart that
eVea the long-range guns. Of which
the English, especially, have so many
on the Somme, cannot reach the Sec
ond line from In front Of the first. The
exact distance l will not mention. The
light or field artillery may be my
where from one to five miles in front
or the German trenches. The medium
and heavy remains considerably far.
ther away. ] have been with the Ger
man batteries Of long-ranse naval
guns behind the Somme front when
they were hIng at a range OF $4,000,
and ever $4,000. yards (about to
three niles; but these guns for every
shell fired cost $500 to $500, and are
not used for drumming" trenches. hut
to break up" ammunition depots and
supply centers far to the rear of the
French and English lines.
Every one Of the new positions"
the Germans are building at exposed
points consists a of a "series'' OF
first, second, third and even more
trenches. marking the Sub" positions
OF that particular line" OF position"
At one point I saw no less than seven
trenches laid out for that particular
position"
Aside from these main trenches Of