Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-06-15

NIIIOff anu Idhc lPpoIIl'ii0 a. ~
wear the enemy out. His cam.
paign Of 1916 had three objects,
the relief Of Verdun, the diver
sion Of the threatened attack on
Russia, and attrition Of the Ger
man strength, This year two
Of these objects are not present,
and only the third remains.
Therefore Haig struck heavily
along the Arras line, and when
he ended that enterprise ne
struck his next blow, this time
at Ypres. Bearing in mind that
his object is attrition, and that
when one gains his object he has
won a victory, it would be even
a greater gain for him 70 iniilct
heavy losses on the enemy than
TO straighten out the Ypres sal
lent. He took over 7 ZOO prison
ers, and, according 10 the usuaI
way Of figuring, this would
mean 80. 900 killed and wounded,
Haig himself lost 10000. From
every point Of view, therefore,
the Ypres attack vas a victory.
Hays policy this year, 50 far
as developed, is that Of striking
steady, heavy, alternating blows;
hammering. He hammers first al
one point and then at another
The points at which he strikes
them are not accidentally deter
mined; that is, he does not first
strike a blow at one point, and
then look around for another On
the contrary, the Ypres attack
was in preparation long before
the blow On the Arras line was
struck. There is no present
Of breaking through
the German line. What is intend
ed is to thin il out and depress
it's morale by a long succession
Of such blows as this, until il
shall have weakened enough 10
make it possible to break it. That
time may be far in the future.
This plan is as well known 70
Germany as il is TO Hang himself,
and therefore the rejoicings Of
Hindenburg and the Kaiser over
imaginary British defeats, when
ever Haig comes to the end Of
one Of his blows, are thoroughly
nsincere. When Haig finished
his blow at Arras and struck
no more, but went ahead with
his preparations for his blow at
Ypres, the Kaiser made the air
ring with shouts Of pretended
Joy over this defeat. " Probably
ne will repeat the performance
As soon as activity, which is
already slowing down at Ypres
eases there; and 50 with Hays
next blow. But Haig entirely un.
disturbed, methodically goes a.
ong getting his next blow
aunched; and this is likely TO be
he history Of the campaign
throughout the rest Of the
'ear. How long will it take the
Ierman people TO discover the
lollowness of the Kaiser's re-
oicing it is impossible to say;
)ut Of course the Kaiser himself
not in the least deceived.
The use Of the word British"
instead Of the word Allies" is
warranted by the fact that the
,ulk of the offensive work is
alling entirely on the British.
he French, apparently, intend
0 conserve their men. This was
oifre's policy, while Nivelle's
tack seems to have been more
ggressive. Nivelle' sattack seems
0 have been more expensive in
len than the policy of attrition,
| the enemy warrants, and since
hen the French have been stand
lg more on the defensive. With
.ussia still out Of the war, Ru-
lania waiting on Russia, the
urden of the offensive has fall
n upon the British in the west
nd the Italians in the south,
nth such aid to the British as it
lay be expedient for the French
, render from time to time. -
lew York Times.