Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-28

pondent calls 1t flying tank, and it
is recorded that hundreds Of rounds
were fred against it's steel jacket
without particular damage.
However, it Is reasonable to corr
clude that If Germany had any con
siderable number of these machines
they would be substituted for the I'M
armored ones which are being brought
down in great numbers by British and
French aviators along the battle lines
in Picardy and Flanders. During the
period which has seen 30 little infan-
try lighting the activity of the air
forces has been unremitting and the
allies have maintained a marked ad.
vantage over the Germans.
Perhaps the heavily armored fight.
ing machine is in the experimental
stage. Possibly the difficulties which
may be delaying quantity production
will be overcome, and in that event 1t
will be necessary for the allies and
America to meet this new feature in
aerial warfare with improvements in
their own aircraft.
They can do this, Just as they have
countered the submarine, the gas and
flame attacks, the massing of infan.
try divisions In assaulting waves and
all the other innovations which Ger.
many, undeterred by international law
or considerations Of humanity, has
seen At to introduce in the present
conflict.
The inherent disadvantage against
which Germany is laboring and which
she cannot overcome lies in the diff.
ference between the spirit Of the op-
posing armies. The kaiser's troops
are driven forward by the mailed fist
and by fear. The soldiers who oppose
them are impelled and inspired by the
knowledge that they are fighting for
a righteous cause which, in the end,
must prevail.
1t Is the testimony Of veterans that
individual German soldiers, lacking
the compelling presence of officers,
make a sorry offensive fight. In direct
contrast to this is the fact that the
Americans in training are receiving
constant and impressive warnings
against exceeding the orders under
which they shall attack. American
soldiers who have come back from
France say more OF their comrades
have been lost because of their impul-
sive daring than through any other
cause. Commanded to go over the
top and to the second German trench,
for instance, they have chased the re-
treating boche to his third line, only
to be caught in their own barrage or
surprised by an overwhelming force of
the enemy held In reserve
The Canadians lost many men from
their first hundred thousand volun-
teers in much the same manner. To
greater or less extent this has been
true Of the Australians, the English
and the French, but they have learned
the lesson and are teaching it to the
Americans by perfection Of the sys.
tenn of communication between units.
And despite the losses that are suf'
fered by the allies by reason of over
eagerness, that circumstance in itself
augurs the ultimate victory Of the
allied armies because IL measures the
spirit which actuates the soldiers en-
listed to crush Prussianism.
When the opposing forces shall be
brought to numerical equality by the
additions which America Is making 50
rapidly the fighting spirit and the
morale Of Germany's antagonists will
break the deadlock on the western
front. Germany has held the advan.
tage by force Of overwhelming num-
bers. Her instruments Of frightful
ness have failed to break the spirit
of the opposing armies. That spirit
will increase as more men are added
to the allied side, and in proportion
the morale Of the kaiser's armies will
fall.