The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-06-11
Germans Are Under Dog
In Northern France Due
To Messines Ridge Loss

by the British, so the Germans now
call their principal line OF defense north
Of Queant the Wotan line, formerly
known as the Droucourt Queant switch
lines.
North OF Drocourt this line runs to
Monugny, thence west 10 Nnnay and
connects with the trench systems there
All these lines, however lack the ma
tural advantages which the Germans
possessed when IN command OF thc
ridges
All Yield 10 Artillery.
The enemy ha; endeavored to offset
thu, with artificial strength IN the ellh
oratc use OF steel and concrete for dug
outs, machine gun cmpaccmentS and
supports for the covered CommunlCa-
ton trenches The victory ot Mes
Slnes ridge, however, shows that con
crete and steel strong points must yield
10 the concentration OF artillery fire
which the allies now are able to bring
! to bear upon any given point
The only question remaining for the
British is the speed with which the
German lines can be broken. This IS
where they say the United States can
help with IT'S tremendous weight of men
and finance and they are looking ior-
ward 10 the late autumn and the spring
OF 1918 and thus go confidently on.
Powerful Blows Necessary
II would seem that victory must
he gained By a series OF powerful blows
such as that delivered at ArraS on
Easter Monday and at McSSincS last
/ Thursday There IS little hope that
modern warfare can ever get wholly
into the open and no one is dcluded hy
such thoughts. ior the simple reason
that rctrea,lug army can dig faster
than MS opponents can advance THIS
IS true certainly of armies OF nearly
equal numerical strength and whc-e
such vast bodies OF men and guns have
10 be moved forward as IN battles oi
present day magnitude
Germany made her grca, sweep into
France when her opponents had l,,l,
with which to stop her Those con.
dl,lonS are changed now and each bat
tie IS Tough, tn gam certain deiinit,
positions When these are taken !.
remains a matter iUr military counsr
as TO whether the fighting shall pro
Cecd on that front or whether new
blows shall be struck elsewhere Mno
and subsidiary operations, Of course
may be IN progress a, several point
al the same time
Model OF Modern Attack
Last hurSday', battle may be take,
as typical OF the new theory ot war
iate. Il was complete m ltSelt-com
plcte IN action, complete m success
General Pummcr'S army which planne,
and conducted It has been congratulat
ed by Field Marshal Haig and takes
particular pride M y tribute from
very high French Official. who aitr
,,ud,ing the plans and witnessing ,h
action. said
This Is model OF what a modcr'
attack should be
The correspondent saw all the ha,
ne maps and heard a detailed eNposl
ton by the army staff the day heior
the battle OF lust what would be a,
tempted and what :, was hoped to az
compliSh
10000 Killed OF Wounded.
Several new idea, were embodied
both as 10 fighting and as 20 innc
control OF the operation Not S,ngl
hitch occurred and It tan he state
that the ultimate British plans wet
attained At minimum cost Not m
least Of these plan, was TO inilict gtea
los, upon the enemy II the u,ul
computations a. 10 casualties hnl
good In this battle. the taking ui NOR
than 1000 prisoners meant total q
killed ~ wounded four " five time
gteA,et 5000 or more.
One ot the most gratifying feature
" this last victory was the ,,cre, a
the vast mining operations which ha
been IN progress for nearly two year
en- vast stores ~ explosives have bee
in firing position iot fully w,ly
!. months
Nr, further counter attacks the Ger
man, ma, attempt will prove costly io
them for the British IN wiping uu
/ lhs N,aeisrhetc ,alien, have short
,ucl their line hy at least one third i
, thi, ,so,ut and have. therefore. sti
greater concentration oi possible AZ
ulIrrN fire upon 'he straight line tha
! upon The wide weeping curve, II N
. old position
Bss, Oii who Gets Bullet
: MANY interesting letter, have bee
, captured boo the recent fighting IN
b following b, taken irrm an unpu,te
letter written b, a man " the Tuutt