Arizona republican., 1917-09-24
GERMAN TROOPS
 ARE UNABLE ID
 D|SLODGE BRITISH
TRepublican A. p. Leased Wire]

BRITISH FRONT IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM, Sept. 23.-(By the Associated Press. )-That phase of the battle of Flanders that occurred last Thursday and which has been charac- terized as the battle of Menin road, was today largely a matter of history. Hard local fighting was still in prog ress at a point west of Gheluvelt, known as Tower Hamlets. but not withstanding the determined efforts of the Germans to regain the ground they lost here. they were unable to dislOdSe the British troops.
 The enemy still clung to few de- sirable posts on an elevation near Tower Hamlets but their possession ah sin no way affected the general sit uation. as they were not vital points. Elsewhere along the front of the Brit ish offensive there has been no change in the situation. An intense artillery duel continued, but the enemy had abandoned, at least temporarily, by those futile and costly counter attacks which marked the first days fighting The German military code and the past has taken little count of losses Tn men if results could be achieved. In the present instance the German coun- ter attacks have not only been costly
  has in a majority of cases torn the ad- vancing columns to bits and driven | the survivors back in hasty retreat. Prisoners say that their casualties during the last few days of the British bombardment prior to the attack were very heavy, and especially on the night | of September IS. During that night ration parties were so badly smashed l that they were unable to reach the l front line troops with food.
 The battle of Menin road has fur 1 nished further evidence of that de- | terioratlon in the fighting qualities which has been going on in the Ger man lines for some time It must not I be assumed from this statement that | the Germans are in demOraliZed state. During the last few days they 1 have fought with great determination and skillfuily but they are not so good as they were
 l It is significant, perhaps. that the 1 counter attacks delivered by the en- 1 emy on the first day were lacking in l the intensity of previous counter at l tacks. although the Germans had known that the offensive was pend l ing and had time to prepare for event ualities.
 In this connection a change has been 1 IOteu III the dltltuue OI captured ter | man officers. Apparently they nc l longer have faith in the future and have abandoned hope Of success in the ! western theater The thing they are most interested in now is peace On the other hand, the morale of tho l British troops has never been at SC high pitch as at present Every where along the line one finds tht same feeling. The men are imbuet with the idea that they have proved themselves stronger than their ad
 versaries and they are filled with tn, determination to see the afafir througl to the finish
 The arrival of the American troop
 in France has done much to mak, even stronger this confidence. Every
 where the old-timers at the front ar,
 talking about their new allies from tn
 United States and it is agreed that tn
 Americans will make a magnificen
 addition to the figthing power of tn ! allies in the west and that the nev combination will be invincible It is reported that the British bat talions that captured Shrewsbury for
 Continued on Page Two)