Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-02-17
It.f'rom a star correspondent Of the
Associated Press.l

y.f'rom stan correspondent Of the
Associated Pressl
British Headquarters In France,
Feb. I6, via London. Feb. 17.-The
cold which held the western front
frost-bound for nearly a month is
gradually moderating and it is easy
to sense all along the battle line an
unmistakable quickening which tells
OF the approach OF spring and fore
shadows the coming to grips Of the
greatest armies yet assembled In the
world war.
Already these armies are reaching
out ct each ether. testing various parts
of the lines and preparing for the
titanic struggle which Is expected to
make this the decisive year Of the con-
flict
In anticipation Of eventualities tho
Germans have removed the civilian
population Of cities and towns in
proximity to their line. but no such
precaution has been felt necessary be-
hind the allied front.
Artillery Prelude 10 Begun.
Never silent, the British guns are
beginning to roar and roar more stead
lily. Tonight they are booming with
particular violence in the sector Of
the Somme. From distance tho bonn
,ardment might be mistaken for the
rumblings of q passing storm
New groups Of divisions have been
recently identified along the German
lines bearing out reports Of great troop
movements now going on In Germany.
British officers, however. say that this
concentration is not as formidable ~
it appears at first sight. They sAy
many Of the so-called nsw divisions
are mere rearrangement of ald
divisions. These statements are b4oed
on Incidents carefully selected durinE
recent trench raids In a raid under
taken this week an apparently new
Bavarian division was located. An
other movement Of Germans has been
combing out Of divisions in which men
under % were taken from the line and
sent back to Germany to form new
units OF corps d'elite.
Rely on Corps d'Elits.
British officers believe that 1t Is on
this corps deiite that Won HindeffhurS
Is placing his greatest reliance.
The gaps in the companies have not
been filled and the diminution in num-
bers has been covered in some In
stances by reducing infantry regiments
from four battalions to three One
infantry company was recently en-
countered with a rifle strength of
seventy-two out of regulation
complement Of IT'S.
Landsturm regiments have recently
had formerly been employed in pa
trolling the Dutch frontier and protect
ing lines OF communication. Accord
ing to prisoners the picked men of the
landsturmers are In the trenches, and
those untitled for the hardships OF the
firing line are on duty at the depots in
the rear.
Utilizing the lanfsturm battalions In
this way permits of the organization
OF young men divisions and it Is these
latter, British officers say, whose
movements are now reported. Many
boys OF II and is have also been found
in the German trenches by the British
raiders.
German Strength Not Underestimated.
The British staff Is keenly interested
in a report that prior 70 the declara
.;on Of unrestricted warfare by Ger
many. Won Hindenburg stated to the
imperial chancellor:
Everywhere our front is invulner-
able; the supply Of reserves ample
and the troops in good shape and
spirits and absolutely reliable"
The British point OF view is tina. the
last three words OF this statement
onstituted an admission that doubts
were entertained in Germany as to the
reliability Of the troops. There is no
disposition. however to underesti-
mate the stubborn resistance the Ger
mans can make.
The evacuation of Grandcourt by the
Germans and other successes won by
the British are taken to mean that the
Germans are prepared to give way at
some points to fall back on carefully
prepared lines of defense. lines that
have not been hammered by bombs
and shells after the manner of so many