Advance continues

Trenches by the mile

Fierce German resistance

Russian successes

THERE will be disappointment for those who imagine that the forward move of the Allies in France and Belgium immediately to partake of the character of a an avalanche.

Avalanches do not go uphill and uphill is the nature of the task before the Allies.

If the Germans decide to retire to the positions they have prepared further back, to contract their lines, in fact and thus hold their front in greater force, the immediate result would be a great gain of territory by the French, British and Belgians with, however, the prospect of a determined and sanguinary resistance before the enemy could be pushed back on to the Rhine.

This would be by far the best tactics the Germans could employ but it would be a confession of failure and its political effect would be so considerable that it is doubtful whether it will be adopted.

On the other hand if, as is not unlikely, they have decided to contest every inch of ground, hitting back whenever feasible or absolutely necessary, they are likely to keep the struggle going for many weeks, but with the possibility ever before them that when the step can no longer be delayed, retirement will develop into retreat and retreat into rout.

It may even mean more than that but as yet it is too soon to anticipate.

As to the position at the present moment, it is clear that the Allies are maintaining a vigorous pressure and nothing has happened to alter the conviction that the initiative now almost wholly lies with the Allies.

The advantages gained may appear small to the student of the map.

Success however does not come from holding one line or another, but from the destruction of an enemy’s fitting strength.

Every German soldier killed is a point in our favour, every German gun destroyed counts against the enemy.

It is our weight of numbers that will eventually tell.

That the Germans are offering a stubborn resistance to our present forward movement is apparent from yesterday’s official summaries.

All along the line the German positions were being nibbled at and progress of a satisfactory nature is recorded generally.

There are sections of the field where the fierceness of the attack is being met with a desperate defence and no appreciable progress is the result.

At Mametz it would appear that the attack began with the Germans and against it the Allies were unable to make any sensible progress.

Sharp fighting has been taking place on the right bank of the Meuse where ground won was first lost and then recaptured.

In the region around Richebourg the communique admits that the British succeeded in obtaining a firm foothold in their old positions.

Elsewhere when the allies attacks were not being beaten off things were generally quiet.