Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-01

ny. The positions which already ex-
listed were to be strengthened as
much as available labor permitted.
Further, we had a second reserve
position reconnoitred, running to the
west of the Antwerp -Brussels-Namur
line. Nand then upstream along the
Meuse; this was called the Antwerp
Meuse line.
The fortresses in Alsace-Lorraine
We're put into a state of defense.
Lastly, orders were given that all mill
tary material not required for imme-
date use should be removed from the
region west and south of the Her
mann Hunding Brunnhilde line,
whilst preparations We're to be made
for the thorough demolition of rail-
ways and roads and for putting the
coal mines out of working order. Viii
lagos We're not to be interferred with
unless for urgent tactical reasons.
ct was under this order that the
Germans demolished the Lens coal re-
gion, doing damages that will not be
repaired in less than five years, posi-
bly, 10 years. They were carrying out
this program in other parts of France
and Belgium until President Wilson,
in the first of his armistice notes, gave
blunt warning that no armistice would
be granted to an army guilty of such
conduct)
Taking the Loot Home.
Large scale evacuation to Germany
was undertaken. Our railway com
munications were not favorable for
this In the north they were hemmed
in towards Liege by the strip of Dutch
territory running south to Maastricht;
the line we built near Wise had not
proved sufficient to overcome this diff
ficulty. Further south important rail
ways converged on the Charleville-
Montmedy line. and presented a par
ticularly favorable target for enemy
air-raids.
Supplies from Germany had already
been cut down to absolute essentials.
The withdrawal of the front line
to the Siegfried position made Avesnes
no longer a suitable position for G.
H.Q,, and we accordingly returned to
Spa, which we had left in March so
full of hope and confidence.
The enemy's strength was heavily
taxed as well as ours, as they attacked
again and again on various sectors
with the same divisions Their losses,
too, must have been heavy, but they
were On the Intensive, anu we Ildu W
submit to their raining blows on us
just as in 1917. Our experiences of
those battles were repeated, our
troops fighting better in attack than
on the defensive.
Our relative strength in divisions
was more favorable at the beginning
of September than it had been in the
previous year. but some of our divi-
sions were very weak; We had. whilst
retaining the machine gun companies,
to reduce our battalions from four to
three companies. The material ordi-
narily needed by four companies was
excessive in relation to the actual
strength; for example, we did not
need four field cookers to battalion,
two or three being amply sufficient.
More Americans Coming.
With the breaking up of number
of our divisions and the arrival of
further Americans in the fighting line,
the balance of numbers was bound to
be still more unfavorable to us. .
Sinking at the front became more
prevalent, especially among men re-
from home leave. Over-stay- !
ing of leave increased and the fighting |
line was more thinly manned. The |
of war was at last prepared |
to call up exempted men in greater !
numbers for the army, with what sue |
cess remained to be seen. What would !
be the morale of these men?
From the divisions in the east we
had long ago extracted every man
who could be employed in the fighting
divisions of the west. Our position
in the east at this time was more sat
sfactory, The Soviet government had
paid the first, quickly followed by the
second, instalment of the Russian in
iemnity; relations had been estab-
ished with the Don Cossacks. We
were thus able to dispose of a few
divisions of poor fighting quality, con-
sisting of older classes not up to the
standard of the western front.
Should the peace endeavors of the
government prove unsuccessful, and
he war continue over the winter and
nto the following summer. export
rom the Ukraine became vital mat
er both for ourselves and for Austria
L was as important as ever to main
ain the blockade against Boishevism,