PATIENCE IS THE WATCHWORD.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 7 December 1916, Page 2

PATIENCE IS THE WATCHWORD.

ON THE WEST FKOKT, '' The Allies are gaining more and more each day," says Lieutenant Stephen Lausanne, former editor of the Paris Matin, an officer in the 31st

French Infantry, who has just arrived at New York on a Foreign Office mission to the United States. "As they beconme acquainted with the war, they progress," he went on. "This applies to the British as well as the French, and is demonstrated by the decrease in the jiumber of killed and wounded in each big engagement. On September 22, when Combles was captured, the French loss i» men killed and wounded was 5200 for the two days' fighting, while in the Champagne, a year previous, it was over 50,000. "The winning of the war to-day depends on the number of guns and ammunition supply, and, as time goes on, the Allies will attack on a larger scale. The British losses have been much less now that they have big artillery to clear the ground before the infantry advances." Lieutenant Lausanne went on to say th;it the symbol of the British troops in France is patience. They are always quietly trying out some now invention that will help to bring victory to the Allies. They were brave at the commencement of the war, he said; now they are skilled soldiers. The first British tank that appeared on the Sommc front got out of the control of its driver, and was destroyed with its crew by the British artillery, according to Lieutenant Lausanne. The tank was destroyed, M. Lausanne said, to prevent it falling into the hands of the Germans. "The men apparently lost control of . it," he said, "and were steering

straight for the German lines. To prevent the new war engine from falling ' into the hands of the enemy it was shelled to pieces by the British gunners. '•'The "sight of the tank coming towards them inspired terror in the minds of the Germans, who thought it was some giant animal brought from India, and they did not know what to do. '■'When the British infantry destroyed th ' machine it caused wonder, among the enemy, and their officers, according to prisoners captured later, could not make it out at all, and were

very-much worried. "I heard there arc about one hundred on the Sommc front. Each tank carries two machine guns and one Lewis gun. The crew of five men inside cannot be hurt by machine gun fire, as it will not penetrate the armour. '' Lieutenant Lausanne is on a mission for the National Committee of I'Effort do la France et des Allies, which has been formed to develop friendship between France and her Allies, and with her friends. In the latter class Lieut. Lausanne says the United States stands first.