Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-10-10
(By william Philip simms)

Omitted Press staff correspondent
With the British Armies in Flanders,
Oct. 1O.-Desperate German counter-at-
tacks were reported today over the mud
covered fields across which the British
have registered another successful ad-
vance.
The raggedness of the German artil-
lery fire in support of these counter-at-
tacks has told its own story. 1t was
obvious that the German were mora oc-
cupied in hauling their guns back than
in firing.
The German effort to regain lost
ground was particularly astride the
Ypres-Roulers railway.
Positions held by the British today
are hardly more than vast bogs. The
hurricane of wind and rain which ac
companied this latest battle in Flan'
ders began Sunday night. 1t continued
until 10 O'Clock Monday night. The
Flemish plains and even the low ridges
were vast scheme Of bogs. The British
command hesitated to carry out plans
and attempt an attack under such con-
ditions as imposed by the weather. But
officers and men alike were anxious to
attack. They were willing to take the
handicap and were absolutely confident
of victory. The whole attack was there
upon carried cut exactly on the minute
planned. The men advanced from their
she'll hole positions under cover or
pitch black night and slid and wallowed
through the slime and mud to their ex-
pectod victory.
Through all the gale, night and day,
the British airmen battled i'll the air
like taunted eagles.
Blotte out By Mud.
4 tnerciful ali-enveloping mud today
blotted out, for the most part, the hor-
rors Of a boggy battlefield originally
carpeted with German dead.
In five battles in the Flemish bogs
since July 81, the Germans have been
driven back an average Of mile foI
each battle. From information obtained
prior to the attack, coupled with what
nv own eyes saw and my ears heard,
am in a position to say that the OBJ
icctives in every one of these five bat
Ties were completely won according tol
schedule. Il
The most desperate battle tactics OF
Grown Prince Rupprecht have been a
,ompIete failure in stemming the British
assault. Not cnly are the Germans stead
ily retiring from the most important po-
siti)ns in Flanders, but their casualtles
on the most conservative estimate aP'
pfoximate rs per cent greater than thosc
Of the attacking British.
Every shell hole today held shattered
dead Inside concrete bloekhouses one
invariably found dozens of corpses-
many of them killed by conclusions
When the shells themselves failed to
penetrate. The Wanted German pill
boxes,, were often completely blown
ont Of the wet earth, their crews seat
tered and ploughed into the Shiny, slip
perry ground.
TIE whole battlefield over which the
pritish achieved their victory was Pill
ed with Uttered heaps of rifles, human
bodies, impediments-all sorts OF ma
terialZall slowly oozing through the
mud today.
wcrc captured by Field Marshal halg Is
to the German habit OF hur-
riedly yanking their guns to the rear Ine
it is certain that a British ad-
vance has started. The Germans clean
their front lines Of field pieces the
instant battle starts, sending horses
galloping to the rear with them. fhey
1se only high velocity guns and some OF
the bigger howitzers during these brll' %
ish attacks and these big guns are Kept
wen to the rear. They continue hammer
ing ineessantly. -, c..ns
The war is not over and the Germans
can take lot of beating yet-but the
five advances scored with eompieIV
carrying out of all plans for eaeh' snow
which Way the wind is blowing.
British Advance Again
,.-.., - o-....h rp,iae In Flanders, q