Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-27
DEATH OF SGERMANY'S HOPES
SEEN IN NEW BRITISH ARMY
Troops of King Georges Young and Impetuous,
but Trained Like Veterans, Come to Rescue
of France, Bled White
By HENRI BAZIN


little bit added to what you've got makes
Just little bit more" have taken by force
OF arms fully a fourth additional. Beyond
that general statement I must not say.
DEVASTATION WROUGHT BY SHELLS
One sector that the Boche relinquished
was most exceptionally fortified months
and months ago. At two occasions during
November and January. It had been un-
conquerable. 1t rests upon front Of three
kiometers deep. a vast and practca lily
demolished fortfcation, not single square
yard of muddy ground about IL being free
from the pot mark of shell. Its trenches
no longer existed. the shelters were crunb-
ling holes. the barbed wire a mass of
tangled nothing. There was not a living
thing about, not even trench rat. But
there were lot of dead ones and dead
horses. and some nnburied dead men.
! saw where three herman 240 batteries
had worked. The guns themselves were
still there, intact save for sp<ing and
missing essential parts. Beside them were
quantity Of perfectly good unexploded
shells that presently will go upon a death
journey in the opposite direction.
The prisoners T saw. three lots Of them
coming in under Tommy escort were not
the second and third rate men / had seen
on other sections of the front. They were
from twenty-five to thirty years old giants
in stature. and seemingly well fed One
would say they were the very flower Of
what is left Of the BoChe army. and in the
shell-torn hell they had evacuated only the
best type of soldier could stand the gaff
Many of them spoke either French or Eng
lish.
There are certain things I can't include
in this story because the censor wouid not
permit. Also. ! would not y he did per-
nit. for 7 don't want to be guilty of
Stoneism. But ] can say thpt evidence was
abundant that the German retreat had
been carried out with mathematical yet
hurried precision. No one who had look ed
upon tho muddle and tangle of the grave
yard labyrinth ] saw could conclude other
wise. The hurry was due to the instant
English advance. the enemy being driven
down the hill to the valley in front Of
Bapaume that for weeks and weeks before
day and night and night and day. had
been hammered by powerful artillery. so
much that communication trenches hardly
existed and fighting trenches must have
been unnhabitable.
| saw dead who h1d been killed by
trench fire. Some lay in the trenches
themselves, others were thrown over its
edge, front and back. and left there, half
covered by mud as hurried trench repairs
had been made. Four had been seemingly
drowned in shell crater fun of water.
Before evacuation their patrols must
death; and the order to leave must have
come so quickly at one point that the vii
lagos of lie Barque and I.igny-Thilloy had
seemingly been evacuated in mistake i'm the
darkness.
! entered Serre and Gommecourt that
had not been so abandoned. For the Boche
had been driven there and hand to hand
lighting had been the order of the night
Beyond | looked forward to hills green
even in the early day of March. and the
dotted villages upon them--vilages to be
entirely destroyed, because war is hell
As | SAID at the outset of this story, |
take off my hat to the Kings men. No
man who has seen its youth its vigor
its splendid morale. its stupendous amount
of artillery of all caibers. its acres and
acres Of unexplOded shell, and the sodierly
quality or its officers. can do otherwise
They hold the Boche on their section of
the front, an increasing section. too; and
the Boche knows it. They have men in
France and more coming