Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-09-24
Morale of Germans Lower
Than Former Standard; Cap
tured Officers No Longer
Talk of Victory.
BRITISH ENCOUNTER
NEW FRlGHTFULNESS
Teuton Losses Reported Ex-
ceedingIy Heavy Whole of
Advancing Ranks Torn to
Pieces by Haig's Artillery,

In MORNING JOURNAL ssEcIaL LEASED WIRE,
British Front in France and Bel
gium, Sept. 23 (by the Associated
Press) - That phase of the bat
tie of Flanders that occurred last
Thursday, and which has been char
acterized as the battle of Menin road,
was today largely matter of history.
Hard local fighting was still in prog
ress at a point west of Gheluvelt,
known as Tower Hamlets, but not
withstanding the determined efforts
of the Germans to regain the ground
they lost here, they were unable to
dislodge the British troops. s.....,,s. .....
The enemy still ciings to a few de-
sirable posts on an elevation near
Tower Hamlets, but their possession
has in no way affected the general sit
uation as they were not vital points.
Elsewhere along the front of the Brit
ish offensive there has been no change
in the situation. An intense artillery
duel continued, but the enemy had
abandoned, at least temporarily, those
futile and costly counter-attacks
Which marked the first days fighting.
German Losses Heavy.
The German military code in the
past has taken little count of losses
in men, If results could be achieved.
In the present instance the German
counter-attacks have not only been
costly, but useless. for the British ar
t:llery has in majority of cases torn
the advancing columns to bits and
driven the survivors back in hasty re-
treat. How great the German losses
to estimate, but it can be stated defi-
nitely that they were exceedingly Sc
we're.
Prisoners say that their casualties
the last few days of the British
bcmbardment prior TO the attack were
very heavy. and especially on the night
of September Is. During that night
ration parties were SO badly smashed
that they were unable to reach the
front line troops with food.
Fighting Qualities Detcrioratc.
The battle of Menin road has fur
nished further evidence of that de-
terioration in the fighting qualities
which has been going on in the Ger
man lines for some time. 1t must not
be assumed from this statement that
the Germans are in a demoralized
state. During the last few days they
have fought with great determination.
and successfully, but they are not so
good as they were.
1t is significant perhaps that the
counter-attacks delivered by the ene-
my on the first day were lacking in
the intensity of previous counter-at-
tacks, although the Germans had
and had time to prepare for eventu-
alities.
In this connection a change has
been noted in the attitude of captured
German officers Apparently they no
longer have faith in the future and
have abandoned hope of success in
the western theater. The thing they
are most interested in now is peace.
British Morale High.
On the other hand, the morale of
the British troops has never been at
so high a pitch as at present. Every
where along the line one finds the
same feeling. The men are imbued
with the idea that they have proved
themselves stronger than their ad-
versaries and they are filled with the
determination to see the affair
through to the finish.
The arrival Of the American troops
in France has done much to make
even stronger this confidence. Every
where the old-timers at the front are
talking about their new allies from
the United States and it is agreed that
the Americans will make a magnifi-
cent addition to the fighting power Of
the allies in the west and that the new
combination will be invincible.
New s'Frightfulness."
1t is reported that the British bat
talions that captured Shrewsbury for
est and Bulgar wood to the east Of the