The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-01
GERMANY shaken
BUT POWERFUL
STILL IS REPORT
FIGHTING STAMINA OF ENEMY DE-
TERIORATINGs BEFORE SUPE-
RIORITY OF THE BRITISH
LOSSES Are SEVERE
Teutons Realize Fully the Immense
Strategic Importance Of the Success
full British Thrust Along Menin
Road-Desperate Counter Attacks.

/ Washington. Oct. 1.-Shaken, but
powerful still is the estimate Of Ger
Imany's defensive strength in the west
ern front, given in this weeks official
lcommuniaue issued by the war depart.
ment.
The superiority OF the British over
their enemies. the cOmmunique says.
mas conclusively been proved by the
last weeks fighting; while 1t has DEM
onstrated that the fighting stamina Of
the Germans is deteriorating.
| OF the activities Of the American
force in Europe. the communique says
absolutely nothing. OF the force at
home, it reports mobilization Of the ma
tional guard and the national army
proceeding satisfactorily.
On the West Front.
The analysis Of the situation on the
west front follows:
The battle Of Menin road Npres sal
lent which promises to be one Of the
great battles Of the war, Is following
its normal course. Last week, we rec
orded the gains of the British In this
sector. This week, we must record the
desperate attempts made by the Ger
mans to retake the lost positions.
Beginning Sunday last, the constant
ly increasing violence of the counter
attacks reached a elimination on the
9th instant. when seven powerful on
slaughts by the picked storm battaliOns
of the enemy endeavored vainly to re-
gain the lost objective. The village
of Zonnebeke. the center Of the con-
flict, is now firmly held by the British.
Enemy Loses Strategic Positions.
1T is evident that the efforts Of the
enemy in this sector are not actuated
merely by the desire to regain lost ter
rain of little more than tactical value,
nor must their persistent attacks be
considered merely the normal reaction
counter attack invariably follows upon
attack but rather it is to be noted that
the enemy realizes fully the immense
strategic Importance of the British
Thrust along the Menin road.
This new British advance in the
Ypres salient now definitely threatens
| the enemy's line of communications to
| the Belgian coast. The Ostend.Lille
railway, which in large measure feeds
the German naval bases at Ostend and
Zeebrugge. the latter the home port Of
! the German high seas submarine TO
tillas. now comes within the range OF
the fire of the British guns.
British Best Fighters.
"The superiority of the British over
their enemies was conclusively proved
during the engagement Of the past week.
The battle of Menin road, furthermore,
shows that the fighting stamina Of the
Germans is deteriorating, not that the
enemy did not display great skill and
dogged determination in his repeated
counter-attacks."
| OF the fighting on the French front.
the communicate says:
| "The outstanding feature Of the re-
cent engagements, is the wastage Of the
manpower of the enemy. II we COM
pare the combat front of Verdun In
1915. held by twelve German divisions,
with the combat front along the Aisne in
1917, held by IA divisions. both Of prac-
tically the same length, 1t is found that
during the same period of time. from
May to September 1916 and 1917. re-
spectively, the enemy engaged along
the verdun front % new divisions last
year; along the Aisne. 35 new divisions
this year.
$50 great has the wastage of enemy
forces become. owing to the improved
mechanical means Of the entente allies
and the perfection of their methods of
combat, that the Germans are obliged
to maintain a reserve as a minimum
guarantee for the safety Of their battle
line In the west of at least forty divis-
ions. The western front thus remains
the principal battle front of the war.
1t still is strongly held by the enemy.
and his defensive strength, while shaken
remains powerful"
The situation on the other fronts is
dismissed with a brief review Of recent
official dispatches.
American Forces.
The only mention Of American forces
is as follows:
"The mobilization of the national
guard in their camps is proceeding rap
idly and the formation Of reorganixed
divisions is taking place. This reorgan-
ization is necessitated by the conditions
|of the present war and requires large
regiments and certain machine guns
and other units not typical heretofore.
Some misunderstanding Of the reoreani-
zation has arisen. but its purpose and
military necessity are being explained
and the division commanders are doinK
their utmost to preserve the local anso-
Citations and historic memories Of these
stafa forces. 49,
Il '.fhe assembling Of the natiopel army
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