The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-17
Military Dictatorship
TO Defy Riechstag Is
Planned BY Michaelis

= 5f.t
reaching us of concern BY the Ger.
man high command at the Allied
typhocn' IRE which is compelling the
enemy to amend his tactical disposi.
tons In an effort to meet the shock
OF shell rained on his lines.
The successes attained by the
French forces operating north Of the
British sector. more particularly in
The neighborhood OF the Houtholst
wood, have given the Allied advance
tn Flanders the needed elbow room.
breadth OF front is an essential
condition for operations which are to
have far reaching results. for con-
fined to a narrow base, a really i'm
portant encircling movement can have
mo sustained value II along its entire
length It can be thanked by artillery
ifirs
The zone Of operations in the
Yprqs salient, formerly too marrow for
the proper disposition Of large mass
es OF troopa. has now, by the French
co-operation and their recent success
xul advance. SO extended the line that
lighting In what was the Ypres sa-
hent has changed in character It liz
no longer to be considered as . sa-
lent. but an ever extending wedge
progressively driven into the German
lines.
The operations Of the French dur
ing the last week are in fact compile
r4entary to the engagements that re-
Asulted1in the capture OF Messines by
Me British last June.
9urfng hthe engagements Of the
week the french everywhere main
tanned tine positions won In the face
Of repeated onalnughts.
tsAs was to be expected at this sea-
son, bad weather has somewhat re-
tarded the Allied advance. Opera
tons we're hampered owing to the fact
that, the well drained ground of the
Passchaendaele ridge once passed
over, the advancing columns are con-
fronted with the waterlogged soggy
Flanders plain, which stretches on to
Reuters and beyond.
The infantry was rather impeded
by the fact that Allied artillery prep
nrar1on has 90 plowed UP the ground
that the terrain has been turned into
q sea Of mud, making the going almost
Impossible. Torrentia1 rains and low
lying clouds rendered air craft OBJ
servatfon difiicult and under ordinary
circumstances would have caused q
suspension of offensive operations. But
the Indictment weather has not pre-
vented the extension and consolida-
ton Of Allied gains during the week.
The Germans, fearing lest the AL
lied advance in Flanders would be
followed by similar effort along
other sectors of the front, particu-
larly north of Verdun, endeavored to
thwart Allied plans by launching at
tacks preceded by the usual intensive
artillery preparation In this sector.
The enemy was able to gain a
temporary foothold in certain adj
vanced French lines. Latest advices
show that he was driven out after
some. hot fighting.
1T must be remembered that If a
commander in the field is willing to
pay the price both in lives OF his men
as well as in an overwhelming ex-
penditure OF munitions he is fnvaria-
lily able to score a local success This
the Germans gained in their assaults
ON the French positions, along the
right bank Of the Meuse. in the region
north OF hin s44.
1.-THE enernyss success was, however,
more short lived than was to be an
ticipsted when its cost is taken into
consideration. For not only did the
French regain the positions momen-
tarily lost, but they are now holding
their positions against exceedingly
heavy enemy pressure. at the same
time successfully carrying ON their
offensive engagements in Flanders,
as well an raiding the enemys lines
at other points"
The review touches briefly on the
situation on other fronts No men
ton Is. made of American forces or