The list of defects is a very long one. General
von Arnim says that the Staffs of the Higher Command "proved inadequate in actual fighting." There is need of more machine guns, and the General considers the heavy German machine guns less handy than the lighter British guns. As a result of studying the British attacks he offers several suggestions for imparting to the German troops "the highest possible degree of self-reliance." He condemns the narrow German trenches with steep sides, in which men are frequently buried, and recommends shallower trenches of the British typo. As this remarkable document was written in July, we may be sure that the General's impressions have become very much deeper and gloomier by October. The memorandum is the work of a man who knows that the initiative has finally passed from his side. All his suggestions are for improving the power of defence. We value the document the more-for the ability and coolness with which it is written.
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