LYING-COMMUNIQUES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3141, 20 July 1917, Page 5

LYING-COMMUNIQUES

. SOW TflE GERMAN PUBLIC IS DELUDED OVER THE. BATTLE OF ARRAS (Published by .authority of tho British Press Bureau and forwarded by tho Koyal Oolonial Institute.)

"IChe German, Western front is so strong that it will atop every attack." In these worda Rindenburg, according to the tierman. wireless, dismissed the question of any possible danger to the German annus itt the Weet this summer. He was speaking to a Spanish journalist, just before .the Battle of Arras began. Since that time the German -wireless has been labouring hard to save Hindcn.burg's boast from looking foolish, The wireless certainly admitted, on' ;April 10, that the first day of tho battle had not been an .absolute triumph for .German arms.' 'l'ho British, it was confessed, "forced their way into parts of our position": and "two of our divisions suffered considerable losses." But this admission was ingeniously coupled with an exultant account of some little German raid near Ypres, in brder, -to givo tho innocent reader tho impression that this short-lived excursion and the Battlo of Arras were events of about equal importance. ' One cannot help suspecting that the 'ingenious author of the wireless was re-, primanded by the High Command for making even, thii qualified admission. ■For he has been engaged, ever since, in ■representing tho continued defeat of the German armies, from tho Loos salient to St. Quentui, as a series of'successes for German strategy. Of the storming loif the Virny Ridge—tho most striking defeat of German troops,-of all arms, during the last two years—he has -maao no mention whatever.' Tho fall of Liovin was disguised in this way: "On tho battlefield of Arras, in consequence of our shifting our lines, north of the Scarpe, there was but little fighting, in which, however, tho enemy lost heavily." By some Blip he admitted ok April 12 tho important loss of Honcliy on the previous day. But he was inot often so careless. Tho losses of Oite, St. Pierre, i'ampoax, Neuville, Yitasso, 'Hermies, Boursies, Gouzeaucourt, Lo Payct, and Gricourt were all suppressed. To fill up a daily communique with something not likely-to dismay-Germans at home, there is used 'the old plan of picking the ono moment in a long engagement when German troops gain a slight advantage, and reporting that moment as if m it werA the whole engagement. Tku£ when German troops malee a coun'ter-attaek on a lost position,, such as Lagnicourt,-gain momentary possession of a little ground and a few guns and are then, driven back with considerable 1 slaughter, the incident is recorded as if it had terminated at the moment before the final German .defeat. It is as if in a football inatch one-side scored six goals and the-other scored three, and the defeated 6ido said afterwards: "Glorious victory for us!. We got-three goals," as a complete aocount of tho match. Naturally, tho British official records of losses and gains, are not to the liking •of the German higher command. Accordingly the German wireless tries to break the force of them by representing our gains of ground as freo gifts made by the German oommands for good tactical or strategical reasons. North of the Scarpo, in particular, it speaks of the point we have gained on tho "east-of. tho Vimv Ridpo as "villages and ground •which the Germans had evacuated voluntarily several days ago, unnotioed by tho enemy, and without loss on the German ride." Even tho most guileless German civilian will probablv wonder whether it is really a part of'Hindenburg's strategy to "evacuate voluntarily" 200 guns ami 11,000 prisoners. .