nd been swept back
again and had gone through the fearful ordeal of the retreat of July
and August. Why shouldn't France and Britain do something to release
the pressure on the Russians? For not the least of the advantages
the Central Powers had had was single-headed direction. They
represented one united force, working out a consistent and simple
plan of campaign. But Russia, England, and France had to cooperate
in council.

With Russia so hard pressed and with the danger of her yielding to
the Germans so deeply impressed on London and Paris there was
nothing for the French staff to do but to respond by some sort of
action in loyalty to her allies as a matter of military necessity if
not of military wisdom. The attacks in Artois had fully demonstrated
the arduousness and cost of any such undertaking, particularly until
there was an unlimited supply of shells to draw on. A gain of two or
three miles' depth on a front meant no positive advance for either
side, but rather a waste of life. Indeed, any considerable attack on
that western trench line which did not actually break the line must
be considered a failure. And against their will, no doubt, the
French and British undertook another offensive on September 25,
1915.

On many sections of the western front the nature of the ground makes
an attack absolutely unfeasible. The place chosen by the French was
the Champagne region, in the neighborhood of the great army review
ground of Chalons. It is a rolling, sterile country, dotted with
sparse roads. There is a thin loam over a subsoil of chalk--excellent
for the defensive, but also permitting the rapid movement of artillery
troops in dry weather.

So far as can be learned the Germans had already given up their
offensive in Russia before the French began theirs. At least they
were well advised that the French offensive was under way, and they
needed to know it only a week beforehand, in order to transfer
reserves from their eastern front, which they brought to the number
of 300,000, concentrating them mostly in the Champagne region, where
they were to be needed. Coincident with the Champagne attack, the
British, who are for command purposes a part of the French army,
launched one in the region of Loos.

In northern France the country was extremely difficult, and as
unsuited for offense as the rest of the ground occupied by the
British. Aside from their object in assisting the Russians, the
French hoped to break the l