GERMANY'S "DRY ROT."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14285, 30 April 1917, Page 6

GERMANY'S "DRY ROT."

LOW MILITARY MORALE,

LO'Nt)ON, April 14. A .correspondent .ai, tho Western front says : "The British liave proved more than a match 'in open fightinc* for their machine-like . adversary. They! have shown a ynar.ked superiority m field tactics, outpost work, machine gun stalking,, and hand-to-hajid fighting. It seams that a dry rot has set m among the^ .Germans.' The prisoners, are be° Itaving liko an undisciplined rabble, disregarding, their own officers and noncoms. Tliis is most significant of the ominous change m the mentality of the German Army,' The German officers freely, complain' tha*. the.cihpf eauso of tho disaster" is. the difficulty 'm -controlling the men.

"A further factor iii our 'victory is the wonderful efficiency, the incrediblo intensity, and the marvellous accuracy of tbe British artillery. The German gunners on Ahe whole have done poorly. The prisoners complain; that their batteries have fired on their own patrols. This is probably due m some measure to the fact that the Germans frequently wear British kit colected on the field. The shortage of clothing is becoming almost as marked as is the shortage of food."