Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-11-04
MORE INF ANTRY
IN CRYING NEED,
SAYS REP |NCTON
British Expert Cautions
Against SIaCkening Of Man
Power Against Germany
When She Seems Beaten,
by Lieut.. Col. Repingt0n.
Copyright 1918, by the Press publish
ing IN

ing Co.
The New York World.)
Especial Gable Dispatch to the World
and Albuquerque Journal)
London, Nov 81 wish, if | can,
TO convince our war cabinet that
the maintenance of all our existing in
fantry divisions in France at their
full strength, throughout the coming
year, is their primary duty toward
the army | have no particular crit
icism to make of the present proper
ton of the various arms of the serv-
ice in relation to approaching opera
tons on the Belgian plain. We require
strong artillery, plenty of bridging
plants, troops for the proper provision
of tanks and a superior air force.
But even in this theater the infan-
try still remains the arm of decision.
If we have to fight our way through
Belgium, in an inclosed country,
through numerous villages, mining
cities and other localities, constant
strain will be upon our infantry,
which, as ever, must suffer the heav-
lest losses.
The character of the ground will
change after we cross the Mouse. The
French and Americans are already
sensible Of this change, and they will
become still more impressed with 1t
as they advance. The front of the
Ardennes facing south is naturally
strong and favorable for defensive
warfare. The French have before
them now from our right to the
American left, even on the left bank
of the Mouse, chain of wooded
heights, and on the south the upper
streams of the. Disc and the Serre.
Along these heights we find in
succession, from right to left, the for
ests of Mazarin, Signy, st. Mihiel.
Nouvion and Treion, all of them good
for defense, and essentially infantry
ground. Similar heights confront the
Americans. 1t is the ante-room OF
the Ardennes region
Assuming that our armies and the
Belgians remain on the left of the
allied line, in the general advance
from the Mouse eastward, we shall
have as our front the Belgian Ar
dimes first and then a country of not
very dissimilar character, until we
reach the Rhine. Luxembourg, with
iEiffel and Hunsruck on the north
and south of the lower Moselle, will
be in our path. All of these districts
and beyond the Rhine are pre-emi-
nently infantry ground
The main fighting must be done by
the infantry and machine guns and
trench mortars. 1t is not good country
for tanks or masses of guns. Nothing
but good infantry, well supported by
ample reserves, will see us through
it.
| am not in the least suggesting that
the enemy can pretend to hold us up
in the tangled ground. Our home,
Dominion, French and American
troops are all, to my mind, superior
to the enemy in woods fighting, and
believe we shall chase him from this
lair in due time.
But it is special ground and highly
defensible, and in much of it the enc
my will be at home. 1t will be only
when our armies go north of Aix-la-
Chapelle and Cologne that we shall
reach ground more favorable for mass
movement and for our superior artil-
lery.
For the campaign of 1919, whether
in Belgium, in the Ardennes region
or to the eastward, our infantry will
come first, second and third n order
of Importance.