Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-10-28


The terrific battles in the Ypres re-
gion which commenced July 81 and
have continued since, with pauses
compelled by the rain, are no longer
being fought to decide the fate of the
Belgian coast. The decision, so far
as the campaign is a struggle for ter
ritory, has already been given, and
against Germany The Germans know
this, and the measures they are now
taking prove that they know 1t.
Fights and Prays for Rain.
Hundreds of thousands of the best
troops the Fatherland has left are be-
Ing poured into the Flanders furnace
with prodigality shown but once be-
fore in this war, during the battle for
Calais in the same region in 1914, in
order to make possible retirement
that shall not end in disaster to the
German sixth and fourth armies
At all costs Hindenburg is de-
termined to hang on until the rainy
season. that normality begins early in
November and compels the British to
suspend field operations for the
winter His safety depends upon
holding the low elevation called the
Passchcendaele ridge, never more
than $50 feet above the surrounding
plains, that runs from south of the
fpres-M -Menin road some IL miles to
the north to the forest of Houthulst
In the two great British attacks de-
livered during the past ten days, the
southern part of this ridge has been
partially carried, and the ground won
has held against dozens of furious
assaults: the significance of the
Menin road positions, Inverness Copse.
the Glencorse and Polygon woods, lies
in their location on the southern bas-
ton of this all-important Passchen-
daele ridge. Zonnebeke, too, taken
recently is on the ridge, only sixty feet
from the summit, and Zonnebeke is
two miles north of the Menin road.
Germans Recognize Defeat.
The Germans in Flanders know they
are beaten. They know that not very
many more attacks such as those
they have sustained in the past two
months will be necessary to enlarge
the salient now being driven into
their lines until the rupture is eff
fected that would spell disaster, the
break-thru accomplished that was so
narrowly averted between BapaumeI
and Peronne last autumn.
To avoid fatal break in their
lines, they are being compelled to fol-
low their tactics of last September on
the Somme. They must hold on un-
til bad weather stops the enemy, and
before the mud dries in the spring and
the British can resume their hammer
blows on the weak spot in the line
produced this autumn.
They were successful in avoiding a
jor disaster on the Somme, which
must have overwhelmed them had
they stood their ground this spring
before Bapaume and Peronne. Hin
denburg's retirement to the st.
Is.x@ fAt H. la
weather but is ungrudgingly admitted
to have been a mastery performance.
The same situation exists IN Flanders
today that faced the enemy on the
Somme just a year ago; hence mill
tary opinion is entirely agreed that
another German retreat, for similar
reasons. Is inevitable; and hence the
dogmatic assertions, at the beginning
of this story, that the Germans will go
back There is plenty of other con-
crete evidence OF their intentions, that
l have been asked not to discuss: but
consideration of the strategical stu
alton Is enough to drive home the
point.
Passchendaclc Ridge Vital.
The bearing OF the Passchendaele
ridge upon the German plans for re-
treat is this. 1t overlooks all the plain.
to the coast and to Brussels, and con-
sequently If it is securely held along
it's whole length by the British, guns
can be placed behind it which will
hold the German lines of communica- |
ton at their mercy. Secondly, sue
cessful retreat of an inferior army be-
fore an enemy superior in numbers am
equipment must depend upon the ele-
ment of surprise. This was present, |
to the extent of delaying the pursuit
O.,
last winter; but with British eyes look
ing down from the Paschendaele ridge |
not even weather misty enough to pre-
vent aeroplane observation could be |
depended upon to conceal the move t
ment rearwards OF great armies.
If Hindenburg permitted his men 10
be driven from the ridge this autumn
further attacks upon his positions IN
the plain would inevitably gain more
ground with greater ease than those
delivered up to this time, because the
British gun positions would be shell
tered by the high ground, and even big
guns would be brought up close to
the line of fire, while the German
artillery would have to be kept well
to the rear, being under direct obser-
vation from the high ground north and
south of the village in observation,
since the Germans hold most OF the
accordingly the cannon of both sides
are compelled to operate under diff
ficulties
Enough has been said to explain the
desperate resistance of the Germans
to the attacks on the PasschendaeIe
positions, their reckless squandering OF
their best men In great oounter-attacks
which are blasted away before the men
reach the British lines, their incredible
expenditure of shell, and their willing
ness to lose scores IL not hundreds of
cannon a week under British counter
battery fire rather than diminish the
constant storm of projectiles that they
hope will enable them to hold the
ridge until winter.
Losses Heavy.
Referring to this fighting, General
Maurice, director Of military oper
ations of the imperial general staff.
said, Men who have been at the front
since 1915 have written me, since our
attacks of the last week, that never
since the great first battle of Ypres
have the Germans suffered such
losses"
If Hindenburg is forced off the
ridge, and the retreat from the coast
begins this autumn with the British