flank in order to escape the
costly expedient of a frontal attack against heavily fortified
positions.

To state that the methods of attack must approximate more closely to
those of siege warfare the greater the resemblance of the defenses to
those of a fortress is a platitude, but it is one which will bear
repetition if it in any way assists to make the present situation clear.

There is no doubt that the position on the Aisne was not hastily
selected by the German Staff after the retreat had begun. From the
choice of ground, and the care with which the fields of fire had been
arranged to cover all possible avenues of approach, and from the amount
of work already carried out, it is clear that the contingency of having
to act on the defensive was not overlooked when the details of the
strategically offensive campaign were arranged.

V.

*Technique of This Warfare.*

[Made Public Oct. 9.]

Wednesday, Sept. 30, merely marked another day's progress in the gradual
development of the situation, and was distinguished by no activity
beyond slight attacks by the enemy. There was also artillery fire at
intervals. One of our airmen succeeded in dropping nine bombs, some of
which fell on the enemy's rolling stock collected on the railway near
Laon. Some of the enemy's front trenches were found empty at night; but
nothing much can be deduced from this fact, for they are frequently
evacuated in this way, no doubt to prevent the men in the back lines
firing on their comrades in front of them.

Thursday, Oct. 1, was a most perfect Autumn day, and the most peaceful
that there has been since the two forces engaged on the Aisne. There was
only desultory gunfire as targets offered. During the night the enemy
made a few new trenches. A French aviator dropped one bomb on a railway
station and three bombs on troops massed near it.

The weather on Friday, the 2d, was very misty in the early hours, and it
continued hazy until the late afternoon, becoming thicker again at
night. The Germans were driven out of a mill which they had occupied as
an advanced post, their guns and machine guns which supported it being
knocked out one by one by well-directed artillery fire from a flank.
During the night they made the usual two attacks on the customary spot
in our lines, and as on previous occasions were repulsed. Two of their
trenches were captured and filled in. Our loss was six men wounded.

Up to Sept, 21 the air mileage made by