The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-30
ALLIES PREPARE
WINTER CAMPAIGN
HEAVY Clothing and Endless supplies
Rushed TO Men Along the
Battle Lines.
PREPARING FOR SPRING
Great War Machine Then win BE
Ready to Deliver the Most Power
full Military Attack of All Time,


Paris. Sept. % Preparations for
the fourth winter campaign on 1hG
western front are already in nun
rrrrr44tt En- is oyer
With hv the end Of September ana
while both the English and french
may be expected 70 make fe" Dig
drives. il is not anticiuated tEat the
beginning OF winter. for military pnF
poses, will see any radical alteration
in the war map OF France ana Ian>
ders
Millions 81 sweaters. socks. paper
s,,its. rubber Wellington boots. head
-rsnS nurl~rs. gloves and mittens
are beginning to flow out from factory
ard home to the French poilus and
British Tommtes hundreds OF thou
sands Of whom are facing their fourth
winter period III the trenches. Inc
comfort Of the fghting man Is 50
carefully studied now, after three
wears experience. that nothing viii De
overlooked 10 make the coming harsh
trial hearable.
Armies In New Quarters.
Practically all the way from Nieu-
port TO verdun the armies are In quar-
tiers totally different from those they
cccuuied last winter, with the excep-
ton Of one or two stretcf1es-as around
La Bassee and the -ArEonne-the
French and British are stationed IN
captured German lines Throughout
the spring and summer the men have
shown little inclination 10 dig feeling
that In view Of the possibility OF a
further move forward just enough
shelter was good enough for the time
being Turning over earth has never
appealed to sne infantry in this war
but necessity is likely u force them
to do lot OF II this month and next
In order to nrovsde the mselVes with
snug and we'll drained trenches for
the autumn aud winter
Until next spring the western line
fs not likely 10 vary ia any great ex-
tent unless the totally unexpected
happens. High winds morning and
evening rnists. snow furries and rain
will limit the usefulness Of the aero
plane and diminish the enormous help
Il gives nowadas in every big often
sive The machines are. capable Of
performing wonders in any weather
short Of hurricane, and there VIII
be plenty of aerial activity especially
bonn hing raids. right through the
worst months. but poor visibility viii
make cooperation with the gun bat
teries diricTrrf the more so as the
Germans latest type OF Archibald, -
or anti aircraft gun, enforces respect
and counpels pilots TO ffy high.
In these circumstances big sweep-
Ing moves are not looked for, but
rather a repetition on 81 more inten
sive scale o. last winters tactics
Short, sharp blows al selected points
during fine spells a continual batter
ing OF the wide fronts by concentrated
gun FIRE frightening out 10 close
up rest stations. hundreds OF aero
planes swarmng out to attack en-
campments, aviation sheds, munitions
dumps and lines Of communication
these will be the regular order OF the
day throughout the winter The en-
envy will be kept on the jump all the
time. great gaps Will be torn in his
1windlinE reserves and every possible
step taken first TO prevent his ever
rFatn assuming the initiative upon the
western front. and secondly, 10 weak
VT him irreparahly for the final knock
put blow in 1918.
Americans Share.
The part the American contlnEsnts
rwiii PLAY ln the winters activity is
the closest Of all military secrets at
this time There Is nothing that Hin
kenburg Is burning to know SO much
Us just what Pershlng's plans are. and
there is nothing that Pershing is moro
bent upon doing than keeping the
sightest hint from Hindenburg
But while no light can he shed at
This stage upon the plans Of the Amer
Scan commander in chief. I am able
u give this assurance that prudence
IS his motto, that he WITH never con-
sent to play 20 the gallery as even
the best generals are sometimes tenn PIT
ed to do. II is Ha!g great merit
mat ne oldee his time and only strikes
when he is able 70 strike In real earn
est Fershing resembles The British
leader in this respect and Europe has
had enough war experience to know
that these are the men who get the
seal results al the least possible cost
On lives, and that though they have
little to~show on the war map, they
ERE steadily, persistentiE relentlessly
wearing down the toughest foe that
ever took the field
What car he said. however. without
T.F4ng ana inforn9atlon To the @nenrv
ss that here in France Americans VIII
cooperate throughout the winter in
the gigantic task Of preparing for the
meath blow The details cannot he
discussed, but the ground has been
cleared for q colossal amount Of work,
embracing ali branches that go to
make for the efficient operation Of a
modern war machine, and q hie share