Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-06
Allied Offensive in Flanders
IS War in the Supreme Degree
Following Appalling Artillery Preparation Brit
ish and French Advance With Firmness and
Determination Which Will Not Be Denied.

few big siX-inch guns in action away
on seven or eight miles through the mist
came near being the end of Mr.. Will
liams and myself. We had frequently
been under fire together. but this was the
first occasion on which we had the
doubtful privilege of being blown over
by the same she'll We were standing
amid the ruins of a village, consulting
a map, when the shell came. Our
automobile was traversed by several
fragments. Williams received a slight
scratch in the arm and was thrown
INTO ditch. My steel helmet fell off
and shower of dirt and plaster rained
upon my hair and down my neck. Other
wise no damage was done.
we were greatly provoked that, de-
spite having come SO near being killed,
we should be seeing 50 little of the bat
tie. But with all these technical diff
culties | succeeded, from one source or
another. in patching together idea
Of what had happened. The story of
the English attack i had best leave
with my collea CUES with the British
armies. Concerning the French army
will tell what l can.
In 1915 Gen. Petain asserted: you
cannot fight with human breasts against
artillery. From that formula he has
never wavered. In this first great Of
fensive since taking command of the
French armies he seems to have tried
to realize his theory. The preparatory
commandment began days ago. At the
same time the allies. by massing a
large number of aeroplanes obtained
complete command of the air While
some of the cannon poured shells on
the German defenses, others attacked
the German batteries.
M1sts which drifted continually over
the loWlands hampered the delicate
work which is essential for the close
cooperation of gunners and airmen.
but nevertheless many batteries We're
destroyed. A number of American
~ FAT-- i.,iYa Il
the offensive.
Death in Front Trenches.
BY Sunday night the bombardmert
was so terrific that to remain in the
German first-line defenses seemed GER
tam death. This wet soil makes not
only dugouts, but even deep trenches
lmpracticable, so that wall OF earth
sacks is often the only protection. The
Germans We're literally blown to bits by
the hundreds. The village of Blk
schoote was raZed by five shots from a
huge French gun. When the infantry
finally advanced they found the ground
stfeWH with dead. In one spot eleven
German officers lay slain by the same
explosion 1t was more than human
beings could we'll endure Such Ger
mans as were left alive fled during
Sunday night
The French promptly crossed the
canal. which. If defended, might have
heen serious obstacle. When the
German units tried to return TO their
old positions Monday night they were
met by hot machine gun fire from
me m, French patrols. That night the
French attacking troops were brought
across the canal They lay in the up
turned mud and water inside the old
German lines until am. At that
moment the artillery began moving
the barrage toward the enamy's second
positions. and less than 100 yards be-
hind this barrage the infantry strug-
gled forward
Advance Slow as Plowmen.
Do not imagine spirited charge
Under such conditions it is all man
can do to walk. They advanced slower
than plowmen, lifting one foot after
the other from the mud. splashing
through deep shellholes, slipping and
getting drenched and crawling on
first and second positions the Germans
had previously removed such batteries
as they could. In their places they
had left small groups Of defenders
with machine guns. Whenever they
met such an obstacle thu French would
promptly lie down. If possible they
would signal the emplacement to the
artillery by rockets. otherwise they
would set about reducing it by their
own means. and once more the whole
line would advance.
BY am. the infantry had attained the
objectives. At noon the enemy counter
butt was repulsed with gre
nades, machine guns and rifles. In the
afternoon the French went beyond the
objectives, having penetrated the
enemy's positions to a depth of from
two to three kilometers Q.2 to is
miles). Their losses thus far have been
very slight.
Those who have been spreading ru-
mors in America that France has been
bIed white and that the French morale
is weakening would do well to mediate
upon this first days work of the new
offensive. All this night a soaking rain
has drenched the battlefield. cold
wind blows from the sea and clouds
continue to drift in dark and heavy. /
think of the men across the Ypres canal
who lie unsheltered in the chill water
and once more 1 am. obliged to correct
my definition of human valor.