New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-03

tillcry fighting activity in the Wyt
schaete bend increased as it did on
the preceding day"
Questions Soon To BE Answered
Whether the Kaiser's messages Of
cheer to the Austrians and to the
Empress are intended to hearten the
former or to pave the way TO new
peace gesture, are political questions
10 be answered in the early future,
but If the preliminaries of other Of
fensives are any criterion, the present
activity would seem to indicate that
the Kaiser's rejoicing is premature.
The raids on the Belgian coast
strongholds serve double purpose.
They hamper the German naval air
cap the military plans OF the enemy.
They would seem to be intimately con-
nected with the heavy cannonade in
the Wytschaete bend. The two big
dents in the German lines represented
By the territory in front of Ypres and
Wytschaete and by the British gains
before Arras lie roughly north and
south of Lille. the great French indus
trial centre. II may be General Hays
purpose to pinch the Germans out OF
the intervening country and free the
city.
4 drive from Ypres would also tend
to isolate the German armies westward
10 the Channel and force them back
ward along the coast out of Ostend, and
possibly Zeebrugge, one of the most
troublesome of the submarine bases.
Simultaneous smashes against the Wo-
tan line before Douai and the linden
burc line before Ypres, if successful
enough, would force Hindenburg's ar
mics out of most of Northern France
and Western Belgium.
Object for Last Two Months
I'm a general way, that has been the
object of the British strategy for the
last two months.
But the German resistance in Nav
proved much firmer than was expected
after the splendid sweep forward over
Vimv Ridge. Though the British
gained ground during May, their sue
cesses were only tactical and their sac
rifices must have been almost as great
as those of the Germans. if casualty
lists mean anything. They only claim
to have taken SAP prisoners, while
their own missing amount to 7,24S.
To-day the Germans announce that
in May they took on both fronts 237
officers. including a general, and H.
500 men of other ranks, with three
guns. 211 machine guns. 434 quick
leaders and eighteen mine throwers.
As though in answer to this state
ment. Paris tonight declares that,
since April 1, the Allies on the West
front have captured more than $1,000
Germans, a thousand of whom were
officers, while their booty includes 446
heavy and field cannon and q machine
gun for every captive officer. But 1t
has been estimated that, with acces-
sions from the Russian front, the Ger
mans still have from 2,047,500 to 81
/ 100000 troops in France. between
65O.OOO and 100000 of them being
| reserves.
Portuguese Soldiers Taken
An interesting item IN the German
bulletin to-day revealed that Portu'
guese prisoners had been taken on thu
/ Arras battlefield. 1t was known that
Portugal had sent a contingent TO th'
Allied front last January. and INTENDED
TO dispatch additional units, but 1t was
not known that any of these he'd act
ually taken part in the fighting.
General Haig reports that the hostile
guns are active before Arras. concen
trating on the villages of Nimy an'
Bullecourt. whence British attacking
forces might be expected to debouch
while an enemy raid was repulsed neal