THE OFFENSIVE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 112, 11 May 1917, Page 7

THE OFFENSIVE

MR. BONAR LAW'S REVIEW

ENEMY FORESTALLED BY THE ATTACK

LONDON, 9th May

Reviewing'the present 'Western operations, Mr. Bonar Law, in the House of Commons,'said :' "The rapidity of the attack forstajled the enemy, who had to fight in the open with heavy losses before their trenches, which they had not had time to prepare. Since Ist April we had taken .20,000 prisoners, 257 guns, and 227 trench mortars. While in the first twenty-four days on the Somme we advanced three and a-half miles on a six-mile i front, we have now advanced from two to five miles on a twenty-mile front. There ( are twice as many German divisions against us as were opposedsto Us/ on the Somme, and half of these have had to be withdrawn. Our casualties (in the present offensive are from 50 to 75 per cent, less than on the Somme. Our success has largely been due to our distinct artillery superiority. If we wish to realise how much has been clone on the Western front, let us (picture our feelings if, in the same period as during the Battle of Arras, we .had lost twenty thou-. sand prisoners and the number of guns that the-Germans had lost."

"It was inevitable that our progress should be slow. One of the most encouraging features of the battle, however, was the almost" hysterical German communiques a&out imaginary victories, issued in order to keep up the courage of the people. The desire of the enemy, indeed the feeling of necessity on his part, to .prevent our advance was shown by the extreme violence of his counter-attacks, ■ 'one of which last night .had resulted in our losing a 1 position we had taken,'but, regrettable as that was, it was only an incident in the kind of fighting that was now going on. "Wh-en we consider what the enemy's original artillery superiority was, and how absolutely destitute w*e were of munition?, we have a right to be proud of our present distinct superiority over the enemy'in these respects. That superiority, is also shown by our airmen, who are the eyes of our long-range guns."- . ,