BONAR LAW ON THE SITUATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 972, 12 May 1917, Page 5

BONAR LAW ON THE SITUATION.

GERMANYS' IMAGINARY VICTORIES.

BRITISH ARTILLERY AND AIRMEN SUPERIORITY.

London, Thursday.

In ,the course of a speech in the House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law referred to the operations on the Western front. He said it was inevitable that progress should be slow. One of the most encouraging features of the battle, however, was the almost hysterical German communiques about imaignary victories in order to keep up the courage of the people. The enemy felt the necessity of preventing an allied advance, and had shown extreme violence in his countei'-attacks. One of these resulted in the British losing the position won at Fresnoy. Regrettable as that was, it was only an incident in the kind of fighting now going on. When the nation considered the original artillery superiority of the enemy, and how absolutely destitute Britain waß of munitions, it might be proud of its present distinct superiority over the enemy in these respects. That superiority was also shown by the airmen, who were the ey6S of the long-range guns. Continuing, Mr Bonar Law said the rapidity of the attack had forestalled the enemy, who had to fight in the open with heavy losses before trenches which they had not bad time to prepare. Since April Ist the British bad taken 20,000 prisoners, 257 guns and 227 trench mortars. In the first 24 dayß of the Somme offensive the British advanced three miles and a-half on a front of six miles. In this offensive they had advanced from two to five mile on a front of 20 miles. There were twice as many German divisions against the British as during the Somme battle, and half had to be withdrawn. The British casualties during the present offensive were 50 to 75 per cent, less than on the Somme. The success was largely due to dißtinct artillery superiority. If we wished to realise how much had been done on the Western front let us picture our feelings if in the same period as the battle of Arras the British had lost 20,000 prisoners and the number of guns the Germans had lost.