Mar. 13.
The British success at Neuve Chapelle crowns a plan that has been maturing for at least a month past.. From the meagre information supplied by official quarters it has been impossible, except in a very—general to say what were the strategic plans of the Allies along the western front running southward from Dixmude in an irregular line to the west of La Bassée and Arras. Towards the end of last month it became clear that the British were slowly but surely creeping forward in the region of La Bass¢e. But, notwithstanding some activity at other points, there was no. me dication of the opening of the contemplated great forward movement, on the contrary there was reason to believe that the troops were "marking time' until the spring, when the British reinforcements would all have taken up their positions. On March 2 we were told that the Canadians had captured a trench with great dash, and Sir John French reported that ground had steadily been gained near La Basso, while the British artillery had increased its ascendancy over the Germans. Interest was then shifted farther south, where the Germans lost their advanced lines near Arras. For approximately a week nothing was heard of the work of the British except north of Arras, in the region of Notre Dame de Lorette, where the Germans brought large forces into action only to suffer a severe reverse. German counter-attacks were heavy for a couple of days, but they were repulsed and a lull followed. Suddenly comes the news that Sir John French has struck a crushing blow on the German forces farther north and the victory is officially announced as an important success.
At this distance, with very inadequate information to go upon, it would be rash to assert posi tively that Sir John French has brought off a notable feint. But that, apparently, is the case. Tt will be remembered that in November the German infantry made a desperate effort to pierce the allied line in the region of the Ta Bassée Canal, and that the Prussian Guard was shattered on the British lines in Flanders on November 11. Subsequently the enemy violently bombarded Ypres Original from
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.