Bisbee daily review., 1917-11-22
BRITISH DRIVE
DEEPLY STIRS
OFFICIALS HERE
CBy Review Leased wire)

WASHINGTON, Nov. Zl.-Olnclal
Washington was deeply stirred :odav
as press bulletins began TO unfold tie
scope OF the smashing British victory
on the westera front.
While army officers were cautious
in commenting on the significance of
the drive in the absence of official
reports. it was evident that officials
regarded this as the greatest blow
dealt the Germans since the war start
ed. They were especially inspired by
the dash and power displayed by Field
Marshal Haig's great war machine.'
Germans Short Ammunition
There were hints in some quarters
of previous information indicating that
a shortage of ammunition contributed
to the German defeat. According TO
this view, the German western line
has been stripped of ammunition re-
serve and men from the strategic re-
serves to build up the machine which
rolled back the Italian line.
The German high command, it was
said in this connection, had counted
absolutely upon winter and French
and British forces transferred to sup
port the shaken Italian lines as max
ing impossible any major moves on
the French front at this time.
The daring displayed by the British
in launching their assault without ar
tillery preparation was commented on
by the officers. 1t is the first time
an assault upon thoroughly organized
trench lines has ever been made eX-
cept after the guns have blasted i
way through for the infantry. The
use OF the tanks to clear away barbed
wire entanglements and other strong
points also was a novel procedure.
The success of the movement prob.
ably depends wholly upon the COM
plete surprise which was possibly only
by moving forward without the usual
artillery fire.
Officers here have discussed fire.
quently the possibility of restoring
the element of surprise attack in
trench operations. Some have held
that without destruction of the bar
bed wire ENHANCEMENT with high eS-
plosive shells the infantry would have
halted on it's first rush. The use of
the tanks solved this problem for the
British.
Relieve Italian Pressure
There was much speculation tonight
as to the immediate motive for the
attack. Officers were in agreement
that it was designed to relieve pres
sure on the Italian front and probably
also to prevent the carrying out OF
any plans the Germans might have
had for an attack on the Saloniki
front They were inclined to believe
that these results had been accom- /
plished
Further details as to the number of
prisoners and the amount OF war ma !
terial captured were eagerly awaited. I
These figures will furnish a means of .
guaging accurately the damage in
flicted on the enemy and also will |
make it clear whether complete sur
prise was accomplished. The number
of prisoners and the amount of war
material captured are certain to be
very large. unless the Germans had
already withdrawn a greater part oi 1
their equipment and men and there
is no hint up to this time in German
war office statements that a retire
ment had been planned.
Some officers here were hopeful
that the drive would have the imme
date effect of compelling the German
high command to abandon the Italian
or so reduce its force there
that the combined Italian, British and
French armies could drive the Teu-
tons back into the mountains.