ENEMY ON DOWN GRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1917, Page 5

ENEMY ON DOWN GRADE.

j RESERVES INADEQUATE. | LACK OF MEN AND GUNS > BRITISH ADVANCE ON ANCR& A wo Important developments hava taken place in the wai zonoa this week< one on the western front and the other on the east, the London correspondent ot the New York Herald wrote on Novembe> IS. Results have been favorable to the allies in both eases. These events are the victory of the British on tha Ancrc and that of the Franco-Serbs on the Tserna The ease with which each was achieved is a striking proof that the war has passed its culmination and that the Central Powers are on the down grade. On both fronts lack of men and lack of guns were displayed. Military observers in London look for a cow timmncp of the war for at least a year longer, but all agree that the power of Prussian militarism is surely deolilW ing, however slowly. No longer do we hear of Prussian vl« tories anywhere except in small actions on the Transylvanian frontier, which' arc cancelled by Russo-Roumanian euci cesses,'and tho counter-attacks of thtf Kaiser's armies are visibly lessening in vigor. Such was the case during th« .brilliant dash of the British on Monday, between Thiepval and Heluiterne, west of Bapaume. The attack was begun early in the morning. By four o'clock in tiie afternoon the British north of the Ancre had captured Beaumont-Harael and those south of the brook had reached its hanks, cutting off the Prussians whot were still in their dug-outs and trade® ground holes at St. Pierre Divion.

IMPREGNABLE POSITIONS. These positions were among tW strongest points in the elaborate Prus* sian system of fortifications in the west. Two years had been devoted to perfect* ing their defences, and the Prussiano called them impregnable. Yet their capture was effected in a few hours with a comparatively small loss of men, far exceeded by .the number of prisoners taken. The only interpretation of this is t,'iat the Prussians are unable to defend more than a few miles of their line at a time. Pressure last week was caused bv the French in the south around Ablaiucourt, and the Prussians evidently had sent reinforcements from the north to strengthen the trenches in that vicinity, thus dangerously weakenin™ those around the Ancre. Yet their reserves are so ralueed that this is the only moans they have of repelling attacks. Tiio alternative is the shorten* ing of their line by a general retreat. >

IMPORTANT RAILWAY. The troops sent from the Ancre to tlio Chaulnes-Ablaincourt region must have gone by rail from Miraiimout to Bapaume, to the junction near Velu, then to Equanconrt and to Roisel, on the Cologne, and along that lircok to Peronne and the scene of action. This roundabout road is 13 miles from tho nearest point of the lines of the allies, who Jiold both ends of the route, the British at Beaucourt. and (lie French near Chaulne*. Until they get this railroad, which roughly parallels their front, the ad* vanee of the Allies will bo necessarily slow. Chaulnes in the south, Peronne ill "the centre and Bapaume in the north! are the I'hief points on this railroad' route and Ihe immediate objectives of the Allies. The French are gradually, priekcting Chaulnes. Peronne cannot 1» . taken by direct assault from across tha Uiver Soir.me, so the French are gradually flunking it on the north from Bom cliavcsm;. Now the British are ap* proacliing Bapaume by way of the rail* way already mentioned and the Ancrji brook. . • i * This stream flows south-west tlirougK Albert, where is descen3s to a lowep level by a pretty little waterfall and; empties into th Somme near Corbie. It rises about three miles east of Bap* aume, near Warlenconrt From Alberts north the railroad follows the stream as far as Miranmont, then to tho junction at Aehietle-flrand, where tho line folks, one branch running to Arras. The BriV tish are now extending their Unea eath from Beaneourt Jong the north bunk of ' the Ancre toward Mir&umont, at th«[, same time beginning the envelopment - / tsevre, close to their linei, about a mftt *4 and; a-half to the norjVwsk-f v ,