re on
the British lines at that point.

The objective of the French attack seems to have been the town of Lens,
which is the centre of the coal district of France. Loos, which is
about three miles north of Lens, has been one of the centres of
fighting. This indicates how close the French are to their objective.
Lens is an important railroad centre, and is the point of junction of
many roads which radiate in all directions. As yet the French advance is
not sufficient to denote anything, but another step in the "nibbling"
process by means of which the French have kept the Germans occupied for
some months.

In the German angle, from Etain to St. Mihiel to Pont-a-Mousson, the
French achieved what will probably prove to be the greatest local
success of the past week. That is, the complete occupation of the Le
Pretre woods. Sooner or later the continual French encroachments on the
German area of occupation must cause the straightening out of this line
and the retirement of the Germans to the supporting forts of Metz. The
object of all the French moves against this angle has been the town of
Thiancourt, on the German supply line from Metz. The capture of the last
German line of trenches in the Pretre Forest brings the French within
six miles of this town. When the French reach the northern edge of this
forest, and they must be very close to it now, it will be a simple
matter to drop shells into Thiancourt and seriously endanger every train
that comes in.

On the rest of the western front there have been a number of isolated
actions, notably in the Champagne district, in the Argonne Forest and
north of Flirey, between St. Mihiel and Pont-a-Mousson. They have been
of no particular advantage however, and seem to have had no definite
purpose beyond making additions to the casualty lists.

Considering the results of the week's operations in the west, therefore,
it is safe to say that the advantage lies with the Allies. That part of
the line which has been thrown on the defensive has more than held its
own, while the French offense has resulted in a considerable advance
over a wide front. If we may draw any comparison at all from this, it
must be that the German line is not nearly so impenetrable as the
British, and that when the Allies think the attempt will justify the
losses that will be inevitably sustained, the German line can be broken
even though the rupture may be quickly healed.

IN THE EASTERN THEATRE.

In the ea