The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-06

Paris December ~ Thy maiD-
The actual beginning Of the fourth
winter OF the war finds the French
and British troops occupying better
positions everywhere along the 4a0-
n.le front hetweou The North sea and
Switzerland han they have ever held
before.
Almost without exception t h c
heights and ridges in The successive
sectors between Newport and thu
NusEes arc nov occupied by British
ov French troops and the Germans
have been thrust down off the reverse
slopes in the valleys mad open ooup-
try beyond.
Secure. dry and warm in their new
positions, the Allied forces have turn
e. the tables on their opponents. and
the troops of Crown Prince Rupprecht
Of Grown Prince Wilhelm and Of
Prince Albrecht ere slushing about jn
inundated trenches. aeas Of mud, and
uHdcr direct observation Of French
and British artllIeryruen.
Duung tho first three winters of tho
war il was the British and French sol
disrs who suffered in droves from
trench feet" occasloned by standing
hours on end in trenches where water
lay knee high Dugouts were general
~ useless unless pumps were agiia BILE
TO keep them drained out And be
cause tho advanced allied positions
were below the German trenches and
therefore in plain view, ii was al
ways difncult TO bring up supplies,
food. shells and relief Of men. and to
remove the wounded.
The british and French campaigns
~ 1917 have changed all that. The
Successive blows struck by HaiF. Nlvelie
and Petain have wrested from the
enemy almost All Of his commanding
POSITIONS. and forced him down into
Inc low country behind each crest he
has lost.
Starting at the North sea. and CON
tinulng To the beginning OF the Yprcs
sector, the only change noted is along
I've beach IA the region of the dunes,
where the Germans, in surprise at
tack last suIn mer. rushed the advanced
British positions and threw back the
English troops 10 the south bank OF
the User canal.
But ~ the Ypres sector there has
been great transformation, The
French army under General Anthoine
and the British under General Horne
have carried all OF the heights on
which Crown Prince Ruppreeht for
merly hemmed in the salient. and have
forced back the enemy to the low
lying country which opens onto the
great Flanders plains toward Roulers.
Successive ridges OF hills bar the sight
OF Ypres to the German observers. and
the advanced post at Passchendaels
keeps the British aware OF all that
goes on in the German lines.
South OF Ypres, the Messnes-
Wytschaete salient. storned last spring
by General Plumers army has hurled
the enemy back on the plains of Cour-
trail.
Then from Arnentieres TO Lebassce
"a distance Of less than twenty miles
is the only sector on the Brush
front which has not been advanced
during the last year. This section of
the front protects Lille for the Ger
mans and they have guarded every
inch OF ii Jealously, maintaining an
almost cea.seless bumbq rdmept to pre-
vent the British from organizing tor
Il drive there. 1t is said that the Ger
mans have frustrated two proposed
British attacks there, nipping them In
the bud by n tremendous concenJra-
ton Of gunlire
South of LaBassee liz Lens The
Canadians have placed this big French
mining town In pocket. by their
operations to the north. which in-
clrded the storming Of HuHuch and.
Kin 60 to the north and Ninly ridge
ia the south. overlooking Lens The
British are In "A position TO occupy that
city whenever they see fl
From Arras to Saint Quentin. where
the British portion Of the line ends.
the Germans are back on the linden
burg line except for the short section
west Of Cambria which General BynE's
troops OF the second army have man
aged to hold against the repeated
counter attacks launched by the
enemy.
Near Saint Quentin the French Dor
ton OF the line begins, ana General
Petain hold the heights of La Fere
and high positions to Just south Of
Anizy Le Chateau. The battle Of