The Mena weekly star., 1917-11-01
GERMAN MORALE l. IS EDB|NC RAPIDLY
MutinouS Outbreaks Extending to Army on Western Front-ENecut- cd OfTlcer's Body Found-Many
 DesertiOns-Iialians Lose.

With the British Armies in France and Belgium, Oct. 25.-The consoli- dation of the positions won by the allies in Mondays attack was being completed today. Active artillery fire marked the night in the region to the east and north of Ypres. The British big guns have never ceased to pour devastating fire into the German positions along the Elan der's front and the enemy has re- sponded vigorously. Last night the Germans directed heavy fire against the sector between the fpres-Roulers railway and also con- eentrated on Abraham Heights.
 Shortly before dark last evening the enemy launched a counter at tack against the British to the south of Houtholst forest. near the june ton with the French, but this was repulsed with machine gun and rifle fire.
 The assertion in the German off, cial statement that the British on Monday also attacked on both sides of the Gheluvelt and were repulsed IS erroneous, as no such attack was made
 Verify Execution of Officer.
 The report that British troops had found German officer who had been executed by his own soldiers the body having the hands bound behind the back, has been con- firmed The incident occurred al a redoubt south of poelcapelle during the recent fighting. There were fl German soldiers and young officers holding this place. When the Brit lsh stormed this redouht the Ger man soldiers surrendered and the British found the dead officer with five bullet wounds in his body. The reason for his execution was that the men desired to surrender, and he refused to give up his stronghold without struggle.
 This affair is another link tend ing to substantiate statements made by prisoners that the German .ofli- cers commanding certain bodies of troops in Flanders are losing con- trol over their men. There is no doubt that there has been a very considerable deterioration in the morale of many of the German troops in this region.
 But the German fighting machine is recognized as still being a power full one.
 German Deserti0ns.
 One on-commissioned officer be- longing to the tenth Bavirian divis- ion asserted that assertions in the rear were frequent and cited the case of l3 men who had deserted, declaring that they were going home.
 Four of these men were brought back to their company as prisoners but the officers did not know wheth- CT any of them had been punished, itf dhAth tldb tlliH was ilbi du "A eeptional case.
 X captured officer of the Guard reserve division said that the morale in Germany was bad and that the civilians were raising an outcry as to why the war is being prolonged Turnout the country, he said. there was talk of an end to the Hohen- zollerns and the establishment of a republic. The morale in his own division he characterized as bad
 He further said that the authori- ties had called up the 1920 class in Brunswick. Germany was suffer ing from serious shortage of horses and there was a great scar city of canvas. as a result of which the manufacture of tents had Vir- tually ceased
 Another officer prisoner had charge of the guard in a prison camp. There were British. French and Russian prisoners there. The food was not good. he said, and a number of deaths had occurred from hunger and typhus,'