Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-01-09
General Haig Reports Steady
Progress During Year Pass
ed, Although Plans Had to
Be Radically Changed.
BRITISH SOLDIERS
SUPERIOR TO GERMANS
Men Obliged to Wade Through
Mud Waist Deep to Attack,
but Won Over All, Says
Field Marshal.

rsv MORNING Joosa.L SPECIAL LEASED w,.s,


London, Jan. S.-"The additional
strength which the enemy can obtain
from events in Russia and Italy al
ready has been largely discounted, and
the ultimate destruction of tho
enemys field forces has been brought
anpreciably nearer" is the confident
summing up by Field Marshal Haig.
the British commander-in-c chief in
France and Belgium, of last years
work by the British army on the west
ern front. The statement is contain
cd in an official report of General
Haig's spring and summer campaigns,
in today's Official Gazette.
The report covers the period from
the opening of the Arras offensive.
ADril ., to the conclusion of the
Flanders offensive in November. Sub
sequent events of the year, including
the Cambrai battle. will occupy a sep
arate report, which is to be published
shortly.
General Haig closes today's report
with brief tribute to the Americans.
Tribute to Americans.
During the year" says General
Haig, the United States has entered
tiic wal anu ldhtil up lHeIf part WIFI
all the well known energy and ability
of that great nation. Already thou
sands of American soldiers are in
France. Warm as is the welcome they
received from the French people, no.
where will they find a more genuine
or friendlier greeting than among
the ranks of the other great English
speaking armies"
At the outset of his report General
Haig explains how the general allied
plan of campaign for the year was set
tied at a conference at French head
quarters in November, 1916.
The plan" the report says, "com-
prised a series of offensives on all
fronts so timed as to assist each other
by depriving the enemy of the power
of weakening any of his fronts to re-
inforce another"
This plan had to be modified on a
wholesale scale from the very start
owing to variety of unexpected de-
velopments.
Steady British Successes.
Notwithstanding these difficulties,
the whole store of the years work is
a steady continuation of British sue
cesses and German setbacks, which
give General Haig ground for his OPP
timistic conclusion.
THE Flanders offensive was main
tained for three and a half months
under most adverse conditions" says
Field Marshal Haig. The weather en-
tailed almost superhuman eXertion3
on the part of the troops of all arms
The enemy did his utmost to held Ills
ground, and in endeavoring to dc so
used IN no less than sevH lty"eight ci-
visions of which eighteen were en-
gagged g second or third Tina after
being withdrawn to rest and .'efit
Despite the magnitude Of his cf-
forts, it was the immense natural ar
ficulties, accentuated manifold By ab-
normally wet weather rather than the
enemy's resistance, whicl liIn'te q
progress and prevented the complete
capture OF the ridge. What was ac-
tually accomplished under such ad-
verse conditions Is the most :onclu-
slve proof that, given a normally fine
August the capture of the whole
ridge in a few weeks was well within
the power of our men.
Waded Through Mud.
"They advanced every time with
absolute confidence in their rowor 30
overcome the enemy, even though
sometimes they had to struggle
through mud waist deep to reach him.
As long as they could reach him they
overcame him, but physio al exhaustion
placed narrow limits on the depth to
which each advance could be pushed
and compelled long pauses between
advances The full fruits of each
ouccess consequently were not always
cbtainable.
Time after time, the practically
beaten enemy was enabled to re-
organize and relieve his men and bring
up reinforcements behind the sea of
mud which constituted his main pro-
lection. Notwithstanding the many
difficulties much was achieved.
"Our captures in Flanders since the
end of July amount to twenty-four
thousand prisoners seventy-four guns
and nine hundred and forty-one ma