Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-30

made considerable gains of ground
without taking many prisoners or cap
turing guns, we may be certain that
we have driven in the enemy's out.
posts, but have not yet attacked his
main position.
May Go to Old Hlndenburg Line
He may attempt to stand perma-
nently along the Tortille. which flows
into the Somme to the south of that
town, while further east he has the
famous Hindenburg line to which he
retired in the spring of 1912. This
line, 1t will be remembered. runs from
just east of Croiselles to Queant, and
turns thence southwark passing west
Of st. Quentin toward Laon. Probably
his ambition is to leave us in the dew
astated area of the old Somme and
Ancre battlefields about the time when
the weather breaks. II he is then COM
fortably established in the Hindenburg
defense, while we are left without
shelter opposite to- him, he will feel
that he has made the best CT a bad
business.
The enemy's strongest defensive
card consists in his power to fail back
to an ever.shortening front. When he
gets back to the Hindenburg line he
will save some forty divisions, which
will be great matter to him. If he
found 1t necessary to shorten his front
before August 8. he must now be in
far greater need to do So for his losses
in the interval have been very heavy.
He will not make any very consider
able saving short of the Hindenburg
line. so that it is at least probable
that his present intention is to with.
draw that far. But it is equally prob.
pl,1 hoe hn n,,ts, &~ Il hi ell
~ as possible, and that he is being
hustled back far quicker then he
likes. We are already near to the
! northern portion of the Hindenburg
| line at Croiselles. and it is certain that
he will fight hard between Croiselles
| and Bapaume in order to prevent us
getting any nearer until his center
! and left have been further withdrawn
| F'och's policy of giving the enemy no
rest is giving the very best results.
| For the last six weeks. he has succeed.
| ed in deranging all the enemy's plans,
and there is every reason to hope he
will continue to do so during the re.
mainder of the campaigning season.
But we must be patient and moderate
| in our expectations, for 1t is very un.
/ likely that the enemy will go back
faster than he is made to. Our superb
ority is far from overwhelming as yet
Our Sacrifices Light
The public is very naturally skepti'
cal of the oft-repeated statement that
our casualties have been very light
and the enemy's very heavy. I have
seen actual figures of our losses in
the last weeks fighting and there can
| be no question that never before in
the war have we gained anything ap
preaching the amount of ground we
| have recently won nor captured SO
many prisoners and guns at so light a
sacrifice. We have learned much and
in nothing have we improved more
than in our methods of tackling the
deadly machine gun upon which the
enemy is now relying so much to hold
US up. We have now devices in plenty
for that purpose, but the best devices
of all are the spirit and skill Of our
troops.
A few days ago a certain Canadian
company took part In an attack. Aftei
hard and trying experience in over
coming the German machine guns, II
secured it's objective. and a platoon
was withdrawn a short distance into
support The officers lay down fol
a well-earned sleep. but n. c. O.'s and
men of this platoon started a discus
sion on the events of the dey, apd
a hot argument arose as to the bes,
method of defeating the machine guns
Weary as they were. the subject was
one of such vital interest that they
decided to turn out and rehearse q
scheme, which they agreed after the
discussion was probably the best. This
they carried through without theil
officers, and having satisfied them
selves as to how the job should be
done, they put their method into prac
tice at dawn the next morning with
complete success. That Is the stor!
as heard 1t on the very ground wher'
the incident occurred. With sucl
troops victory Is certain.