The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-05

should be put into the line here and
there. We also asked for his help
| in the execution of our plans for the
supply of war material (This request
resulted in forcing Belgians to do war
work.
FOUND HIS TASK ENORMOUS
on my way next afternoon discussed
| this matter with Herr Duisburg and
Herr Krupp Won Bohlen u. Haibach,
whom I had asked to join the train
| They considered it quite possible, in
view of our stocks of raw material
to increase our output of war material
| il only the labor problem could be
| solved
Early on the eth. we were back
a gain in Pless 7 was now at home in
nv position and understood my sphere
| of work.
| It was an enormous field Of labor
| that suddenly opened itself before me
and many things were expected of me
with which had hitherto had moth
| ing to do. Not only had to probe
deeply into the inner workings of the
war direction, and get a grasp of both
| great and small matters that affected
| the home life of the people, but ] had
70 familiarize myself with great world
questions that raised all sorts of prob
! lens.
! our old offices-in one OF the
Knight Houses of the princes cas-
! tle-were now too small for us. Fresh
| ones were taken in the administrative
buildings of the principallty of Pless,
| we ourselves occupied the house OF
/ Herr Nasse. the estate agent of the
| Prince of Pless Regular work now be-
| gan.
| AS was to be expected, the entente's
| offensive was continued throughout
| September and October and even later,
! with unremitting vigor. September
was an especially critical month. 1t
| was not made easy for us to embark
| on an operation in Pennsylvania against
| Rumania-
| The battle of the Somme. which had
| started on July l with an attempt to
| break through on a large scale. had
been continued throughout July with
! the same strength With the imme-
| date object of wearing down our re-
| sistance the entente had continued to
| launch big attacks in great strength
| on all parts of the battle front, After
| Rumania's declaration of war, these at
| tacks were renewed with fresh vigor,
| and the entente returned to their plan
| of a regular break-through.
| The battles that were then fought
are among the most fiercely contest
| ed all previous offensves as regards
| the number of men and the amount
of material employed
North of the Somme the attack was
resumed as early as September Q and
lasted until the 7th The enemy pene-
trated into our positions more and
more deeply. On September 5, south Of
the Somme. the French also attacked
on wide front and gained ground at
several points.
On the Northern bank fighting be-
gan again on the 9th, and lasted until
the nth. We were thrown back still
further. Ginchy and Bouchavesnes fell
into the enemy's hands. The 18th was
a day of heavy fighting on the south
ern bank; we lost Berry and Denicourt.
South of the Somme the fighting was
somewhat less fierce, though the hos
tile artillery fire was kept up.
North of the Sommc fighting ceased;
but the 25th saw the beginning OF the
heaviest of the many heavy engagements
that made up the battle of the Somme.
Great were our losses, The enemy tuok
Rancourt Mcrval, Geudecourt and the
holly contested Combies, On the 26th the
Thiepval salient Cell Further enemy at
| lacks on the 18th misc arried.
The fghting had made the most ex-
| traordinary demands both on commanders
and troops The relief arrangements in
| augurat ted at Cambria and the new sys-
| tenn of reserves projected for the west
| front no longer sufficed.
! Divisions and other formations had to
be thrown in the Somme front In
fuuicler succession and had to stay in the
line longer. The tire for hecuperatio ton
| and training on quiet sectors became
| shorter and shorter. The troops were
| getting exhausted. Everything was cut
as fine as possible.
| The strain on our nerves in Pless was
! terrible: over and over again we mad to
| find and adopt new ezrtdients. II needed
the iron nerves of Generals Won Gallwitz.
Fritz Won Below, Won Kuhl, Colonies Won
I-ossberg and Bronsart Won Scheilendorf
| (the three latters chiefs of stan), to keep
| them from losing their heads, to syste-
matieally put in the reserves as they
| came up, and, in spite of our failures. to
| eventually succeed in saving the situa-
ton. Above all, it needed troops like the
Germans.
| In October the attacks continued in I'M
diminished force especially on the north
ern part of the front The enemy brought
4 up even more men AMI material We sus
| tanned losses, yet an effective stiffenng o.
our defense began to be perceptihle fSei
| ting in of the rainy season at this time
| badly hampered the allies because Of the
deep mud.
| area on the northeastern front of Yer
| dun. The French Were pushing forward
and we remained on the defensive The
troops were very exhausted But there
was no change in the general situation
| there.
| On the Italian front. between Septem-
Der IA and II, the seventh IsonZo often
sive of the Italian armies and the
eighth, from October 2 to IS had oeen
beaten off by Austria Hungary. A further
attack was to be expected
How the Ruma1ians missed their
chance to smash Austria in 1916 is re-
vealed by Ludenior~ tomorrow. The
Rumanians have always charged that
Russian treacherv vas responsible lot
their defeat. but it is 81 own they wasted
precious weeks which they might nave
used to roll up the exposed Austrian
flank, and finally allowed one of Their
armies to he surprised and thoroughly
beaten by a smaller force of Germans.
Russian stupidity is also given as rea-
son for the failure 20 take advantage OF
the weakness of the Hungarian frontier