22 MAY 1915, Page 2

If we take the French, English, and Belgian gains together,

the improvement in the position of the Allies will be seen to be very considerable, so considerable indeed that there has been a great revival of rumours as to a German retirement to their second line of defences. Probably these rumours are premature, and the Germans out of pride will prefer for some time yet to bring up fresh troops rather than shorten their line, and so economize in men. We need hardly say that from many points of view the maintenance of the long wasteful German line is an advantage to us. There is a good deal to be said for encouraging the Germane to knock their heads against our trenches. The more they do that the more they will bring on their inevitable bankruptcy in human material.