The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-08

campaign in Flanders hitherto that
neither belligerent has attained what
we may call a decisive success
THE Germans have massed their
greatest war strength along this bat
tie front,
ITO attack them at their strongest
point of resistance is sound strategy.
The defeats inflicted upon them dur
Ing the past fortnight are conclusive
indications of allied superiority.
In the Hight of past experience. it
may be premature to assert that the
British have succeeded in forcing de-
cision. but II may be stated with EN-
phasis that in no engagement hitherto
has such vigor, energy, concerted and
speed OF attrition been displayed
Zeebrugge Ia Threatened.
The full success OF these operations
means that the Belgian coast with its
numerous submarine bases. will be-
come untenable to the enemy.
'Zeebrusge, Ostend, and the system
Of canals leading out of. Bruges are
threatened =
The supreme se-.- Of the battle
strength of the contending beiliegrents
| is taking place. Allied ascendancy
would appear decisive.
The two immediate contributing
factors OF this success are: AIR con-
troll and shell supply.
THE former made IL possible for
the allies to locate enemy concentra-
! tions. the latter to break them up be-
! fore they could develop into serious
| offensive action, at the same time
| permitting their own concentration nt
| men and guns to be carried out with
| cloekwork regularity unha mpered by
| enemy interference
| The British are thus able to re-
port thar since July at, last. thay
have not lost single gun, while they
have captured 332 field and heavy
guns and taken 81 ABS prisoners.
| During the lighting of the past two
days they have added 4.44s prisoners.
including ia officers, to this imposing
total
THE enemy realizes the danger he
is facing.
War Machine Moves Forward.
I'VE may expect him to counter
attack In forces He may even re-
! gain certain secondary detectives
temporarily. but the British machine
is moving forward and IL time per
| mits and the combat season rema in;
| open, with the weather continuing
( favorable for reconnaissance and care
| ful aircraft observations, the allied
victories of the past two weeks will
lin all proba bility be repeated and ex-
tended.
Along the other sectors of the
western front, artillery duels have
been frequent, more particularly on
the east bank of the Mouse north Of
| Verdun, as we'll as along the Aisne
front In the region of Pantheon and
Hurtebise.
I ~Tne Germans also showed a Ger
| tain activity along the Verdun sector
4 nm ~ frty1n - n TIN vicinity nS hill 24A
East of Rheims they were appar-
emily massing troops for an attack.
These preparations. however. were
broken up by allied artillery Gre and
the attack failed to materiaiize.
! THE enemy pressure along the
eastern front has been received by
the strong allied offensive in Elan
ders. No ENGAGEMENTS of more than
! local Importance are reported in the
east.
! THE German advance In the north
east has apparently weakened, and
| the Russians have been able to re-
organize their positions in the Riga
sector.
italians Hold Their Ground.
I'm the Italian war zone. unsuc-
cessful attacks by the Austrians on
the italian positions in the Monte San
| Gabrielle sector are reported. The
= .
sector in every case failed
an another powerful drive. the
Italians captured the high ground
south Of PodlAca, taking / .40S prison
ers, including forty-nine officers.
Intermittent artillery activity is
reported from the other sectors of the
front.
News from the Russian front is
more encouraging. Heavy fighting Is
reported as taking place there.
"An enemy attack was checked by
Russian artillery IRE. A Bulgarian
advance was also driven back
From Mesopotamia. news reached
us that the British have scored a de-
cfded success After an encounter
with the Turkish forces lasting
twenty-four hours, they occupied the
town OF Ramadi. an important juno
ton OF roads s;ixty-five miles west OF
/ Bagiad, taxing considerable num-
Der OF prisoners.
The activity in the air during the
past week has been marked. Import
ant raids by the allies were conduct
ed against strategic detectives on the
Flemish coaAs, along enemy lines OF
| communication and supply dumps,
"A we'll co-ordinated aerial attack
by the British naval aircraft was
carried out against the lock gates at
/ Zeebrugge and the Aerodrorne in the
vicinity Of Bruges. The allies are.
furthermore extending their raids to