south of Ypres, and insured definitely by a powerful defensive
organization of the position the inviolability of our front.

[The compiler of the report here adds a footnote saying that the bodies
of more than 40,000 Germans were found on the battlefield during these
three weeks of battle. The report next proceeds to summarize the
character and results of the operations since the Battle of
Flanders--that is, during the period Nov. 30-Feb. 1.]

Since the former date the French supreme command had not thought it
advisable to embark upon important offensive operations. It has confined
itself to local attacks, the main object of which was to hold in front
of us as large a number of German corps as possible, and thus to hinder
the withdrawal of the troops which to our knowledge the German General
Staff was anxious to dispatch to Russia.


FEW SENT TO THE EAST.

As a matter of fact, the numbers transported to the eastern front have
been very moderate. Of the fifty-two army corps which faced us on the
western front, Germany has only been able to take four and one-half
corps for the eastern front. On the other hand, climatic conditions--the
rain, mud, and mist--were such as to diminish the effectiveness of
offensive operations and to add to the costliness of any undertaken,
which was another reason for postponing them. Still another reason lies
in the fact that from now on the allied forces can count upon a steadily
expanding growth, equally in point of numbers and units as of material,
while the German forces have attained the maximum of their power, and
can only diminish now both in numbers and in value. These conditions