Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-11

III ana tneN are looking FORWARD TO tnlS
help during the late autumn and in the
spring of 1918, and thus so confidently
on.
A Slow Advance
It would seem that a victory must be
gained by g series of powerful blows
such as that delivered at Arras on
Eastern Monday ana al Messines last
Thursday. There is little hope that
modern warfare can ever get wholly
into the open. and no one is deludcd by
such thoughts for the simple reason
that retreating army can dig faster
than its opponents can advance This is
true certainly of armies Of nearly equal
numerical strength and where such
vast bodies of rpen and guns have to
he moved forward as in the battles
of present day magnitude.
Germany de her great sween into
France when her opponents had little
which to stop her. Those conditions
are changed now and each battle is
fought to gain certain definite posi-
lions. When these are taken It re-
mains matter for military counsel as
TO whether the fighting shall proceed
on that front or whether new blows
shall he struck elsewhere. Minor and
subsidiary operations. of course. may
be in pending at several points at the
same time. .>t
Last Thursdays battle may be TAX
en- as typical of the new theory of
warfare. 1t was complete in itself
complete in action, complete in sue
cess. General Plumer's army, which
planned and conducted it, has been
congratulated by Field Marshal Haig
and takes a particular pride in a trib-
ute from a very highly placed French
officer, who. after studying the plans
and witnessing the action, said:
This Is model of what a modern
attack should be-"
The correspondent saw all the bat
tie maps and heard a detailed EXPOSE
ton by the army staff the day before
the battle of just what would be at
tempted and what it was hoped to ac-
complish. Several new ideas were en-
bodied both as to fighting and as to
inner control of the operation. Not a
single hitch occurred and it can be
stated that the ultimate British plans
We're attained at a minimum cost. Not
the least of these plans was 10 infict
great loss upon the enemy. If the
usual computations as to casualties
held good in this battle the taking of
more than 1000 prisoners meant a to-
tai of killed and wounded four or FIVE
times greater-3O,0 900 or more.
One of the most gratifying features
of this latest victory was the secret
of the vast mining operations. which
had been in progress for nearly two
years. some vast stores of explosives
having been in a firing position for full
ly u months.
ANY further counter attacks the Ger
mans may attempt VIII prove costly for
them, for the British in wiping out the
Wytschaete salient have shortened Their
line by at least one-third in this sector
and have therefore a still greater con-
centration Of possible artillery fire upon
the new straight line than upon the wide
sweeping curve of the old position
Many interesting letters have been cap
tured in the recent fighting The follow
ing is taken from an unposted letter
written by a man of the Fourth German
Grenadier Regiment from the trenches
attacked on Thursday:
Since April % I am in the trenches
near Ypres, where an offensive is now
taking place. The drum fire has shot ev-
erything to little bits; there is almost
nothing more Of the trenches to see. Up
to now I have escaped with my life, but
we have had terrible losses. Half of my
company are dead or wounded. 1t Is a
terrible life: it will soon be unbearable
He is best of who gets a bullet and need
no longer knock about.
The Englishman blows UP everything
to bits he can see He bombards every
thing. He bombards every district up to
Is kilometres behind the front. He ha.
also blown our kitchen to pieces; so we
don't get any warm food, only dry
STUFF,