In the western theatre of the war there is comparatively
little to recount. Both armies appear to be resting after the engagements at Neuve Chapelle and St. Eloi. The detailed accounts of those operations which are now reaching this country show not only that our success was very dearly pur- chased, but that it would be a great mistake to regard the affair as a victory in the true sense. We gained something from the geographical point of view, and a good deal from the point of view of military prestige, eapecially in the matter of artillery, but the future neither of the war nor even of the local campaign has been materially affected by our advance. But though we must acknowledge the strength of the criticisms made, and though we are inclined to think that on the whole the results were too dearly purchased, we moat not forget that thet'e were results, and that even if the Germans profess to be perfectly satisfied with their part of the business, there is no doubt that they received a hard knock and that the moral effect on their troops has been all we could desire. In these affairs there is no better teat than the taking of prisoners, and we took very nearly two thousand and lost, as we understand, practically none. When all is Bald and done, that is an achievement of no small importance.
