Since our troops were withdrawn from Bourlon Wood on Wed-
nesday week, the Cambrai front has seen no serious infantry fighting, though we improved our line north of La Vacquerie on Friday week. Both sides are busily engaged in digging themselves in. The German surprise attack of November 30th, into which, Mr. Boner Law has stated, Sir Douglas Haig is making special inquiry for the War Cabinet, has left us in possession of aboqt half the salient which General Byng drove through the Hindenburg lines on November 20th. According to Mr. Boner Law, the British public founded exaggerated hopes on that success, which was " simply an operation that stood more or less by itaelf." Meanwhile the Hinden- burg lines in this sector are well behind our troops and not in front of them, the Germans have had to concentrate at Cambrai masses of men whom they probably needed elsewhere, and the British Army has Sir Julian Byng's initial success and another "soldiers' battle," like Albuem, to add to its long roll of fame.
