Evening star., 1918-02-26
showers OF METAL.
FALL IN THE WEST
Artillery Throwing Unheard-of
Quantities Of SheIIs-Many
important Raids.
BRITISH DRIVE OFF FOE

FRENCH GRAND HEADQUARTERS.
Monday. February IS. Trench raids
along the French front have increased
in intensity during the past month to
such an extent that they have become.
in some instances. battles in which
thousands Of men have been engaged
and hundreds OF prisoners taken. The
artillery is throwing unheard of guam
titles OF shells.
The objects of the raids vary widely.
Sometimes a raid il undertaken in
order to identify enemy units, and at
other times to improve the lines or
capture observation points. Again =
raid may be made to destroy the en-
tacking.
This was the case in Saturdays raid
at Aspach. Alsace, where the Germans
were in strongly fortified lines. which
they had held since December, 1914. The
enemy positions were bombsrded be-
yond recognition and placed in such
condition as to hinder German opera
fions. The correspondent watched the
showers of metal tearing away the wire
entanglements, fiattening the gun en-
placements and setting FIRE to the enemy
ammunition dumps. The operation was
a complete surprise to the Germans and
most of them retired TO rear positions,
while French infantry completed the
work Of the gunners. Only a few pris-
oners were taken. but most valuable
information regarding the enemy's dis
position of troops was obtained before
the French returned to their own lines.
Other Successful Raids.
Other successful raids in Lorraine,
the Argonne and northwest OF Rheims
have demonstrated tho nature OF tho
German defense system. Nearly every.
where the enemy front lines are held
lightly and the main bodies Of troops
are kept so far In the rear that occa-
sionally the French have reached the
third and even the fourth line with
slight resistance. This is the. reason
for the generally small number of
prisoners but in Lorraine the Germans
were caught mapping last week and
the haul of captured was large. being
more than 400.
In addition to these big raids there
have been innumerable smaller ONES
which have not been mentioned In the
official statements. These have been
carried out by mere squads who usual
iy bring back q number Of prisoners.
Raiding, in fact. has become quite .
modern military art and is encouraged
by the commanders. 1t has been found
to maintain the offensive spirit Of the
French troops. who seem to reyel IN the
itiative and at the same time worry
the Germans.
Germans Driven on.
LONDON. February ga hostile
attempt during the night to raid one OF
our saps south of the AfraS~CAmbrai
road was driven on by riae frs." says
today's war ONCE report Elsewhere
there was nothing Of special interest
to report.
There is every indication that the Ger
man war ONCE has given word to the
pare the public for the fresh sacrifices
the German people will be forced to
make when the offensive starts In the
west, the Central News correspondent NJ
Amsterdam re reports: sIn Both tns m,,itsrS rs
joining in this verbal battery work.
"A most monstrous. terrible thing Is
awaiting this continent" the yessische
Zeitung says. Never in history VIII the
memory of this February be effaced."
In the Tagesblatt the military expert
of that newspaper, Lieut.. Gen. Baron
Armand Won Ardenne. says that from
the meeting of the German and Aus
trian emperors with their military ad-
yisers at headquarters IL may be con-
cluded that the pause in the fighting
will soon end.
German ohiciaI Report.
BERLIN. February 2s (via London).-
Following is the official report OF yes
terQay from the t8u lfOut.
There have been a great many artii-
lery and trench mortar duels. Recon-
noitering engagements occurred at
many points on the front. East of Ar
mentieres we took prisoners and ma
chine guns"
French Are Ready for Blow.
OTTAWA, Ontario, February ga
dispatch from French headquarters.
dated February 25. to Reuters Limited
Agency here says that as the season
advances and the shadow Of the ex-
pected German offensive looms larger.
it is comforting to know that the
French are ready in every sector on
long line to meet the blow wherever it
falls. Behind the French front. ~ be-
hind the British front. the dispatch
says, the winter has been the time OF
silent and methodical preparation. In
numerabl miles of trenches have been
dug. communicating roads have been
improved. fresh and monstrous growths
of wire spring up on every road and
field.
ARTILLERY and munitions are ready
in quantities. the dispatch continues.
"the Germans have never before en-
countered such preparation, but an even
surer and stronger defense is the un-
conquerable spirit OF the French army.
They are ready as they have always
been and better prepared than ever be-