Arizona republican., 1919-04-11
SIR DOUGLAS HA|G
 |NCRAPH|C RESUME 0F BR|TA|N's WORK
Reviews Growth And Ex- pansion of British Forces Supplies New Facts Credit To Army.
Republican A. p. Leased WireJ

LONDON, April 10.-CBritish Wire less)-Ffeld Marshal Sir Douglas Haig in his final dispatch now made public, presents an important review of the war and. describes in detail the expansion and achievements of the British with many remarkable facts and figures. He treats the operations on the western front as a single con- tinuous campaign, in which can be recognized the same general features and necessary stages, that, between forces of approximately equal strength,
 have marked all the conclusive battles of history.
 t'The high water mark of our fight ing strength in infantry" says the
 British commander, was only reached after two and half years of conflict, by which heavy casualties had already been incurred. It was not until mid- summer, 1916, that the artillery situa- | tion became even approximately ade- quate to the conduct of major opera ] tions.
 During the Somme battle artillery ! ammunition had to be watched with ] the greatest care. During 1917 am 1 intuition was plentiful. but the gun I situation caused anxiety. 1t was only
 in 1918 that artillery operations could 1 be conducted with any limiting con sideration beyond that of transport.
 'The margin with which the Ger
 man on-rush of 1914 was stemmed
 was so narrow and the subsequent
 struggle was so severe that the word
 miraculous is entirely hardly too
 strong a term to describe the recovery
 and ultimate victory of the allies. 1 "The breakdown of Russia in 1917
 probably prolonged the war by a. year
 and the military situation in Italy in the autumn of 1917 necessitated the
 transfer of five British divisions to Italy at a time when their presence in
 France might have had far-reaching effects"
 Sir Douglas records the interesting
 fact that more than half the British
 casualties in the fighting in 1918 oc-
 cured during the five months from
 on the defensive.
 Hun Collapse Logical Outcome | "The rapid collapse of Germans
 military power in the latter half of
 1918" he says, was the logical out come of the fighting of the previous
 two. years. It would not have taken
 place but for that period of ceaseless
 attrition which used up the German , reserves. It is in the great battles ol l 1916 and 1917 that all have to seek fol
 the secret of our victory in 191S.'' l The value of cavalry in modern wal is emphasized by Sir Douglas and 1T
 discussing the value of mechanica contrivances such as tanks. be ob serves that, immense as their influ ence might have been, they could no 3 by themselves decide a campaign Their true role is to assist infantry men, by whose rifles and bayonet only can decisive victory be won. : On the first day of the Somme bat 2 tie in 1916, nearly 13,000 tons of ar tillery ammunition were fired by tn
 British on the western front. On tw Q days, September 20 and 21, 1917, 200 tons were expended and in the thre days of the crucial battle Septembe ] | 27. 28 and 29, 1918, nearly 65, 900 ton t were fired by the British artillery. l Sir Douglas says that the feature 2 of the war, which to the historic
 navy well appear noteworthy, is tn = creation of the new British arm, e which was successfully built up in tn very midst of war.
 . "The total of more than 327, 900 Ger u man prisoners captured by us on tn = western front" said Sir Douglas, "i n g. striking contrast to the force of si |! divisions, comprising some S0.0C 1t fighting men, with which we entere = the war;
 d With respect to the use of cavalr n Sir Douglas Haig contends that in tt : light of full experience of the war, tt = decision to preserve the cavalry corr e has been completely justified. o Tt has been proved" he adds, 'ths IT cavalry, whether used for shock el IT feet under suitable conditions or ( l. mobile infantry, have still an indi. $ pensable part to play in modern wal $ fare. Moreover, it cannot safely r. assured that in all future wars Il 10 Hanks of the opposing forces will re is on neutral states or impossible ot le StacleS''