a southwesterly
direction, so that the deadly fumes got in their work along nearly
five miles of the front. It is asserted that the cloud was 40 feet
in height, and that the Germans continued to renew the supply of
gas for four and a half hours. It had little effect wherever the
British used their respirators, for they managed to stay in their
positions without undue inconvenience. Those who suffered the most
from the gas cloud were the infantry of the Fourth Division on
the left. The cloud which had followed the asphyxiating shells
was in turn followed by a severe bombardment from three sides--the
east, northeast, and north. The principal attacks were made in the
neighborhood of Shelltrap, the British front along the Roulers
railroad, and along the Menin road in the vicinity of Bellewaarde Lake.
In those places the British were pushed back at least temporarily;
but counterattacks were delivered before nightfall, and the greater
part of the lost ground regained. Thus, to the disappointment of
the Germans, their extra effort, with all the means of warfare
at their disposal, had resulted only in reducing the salient at
an enormous cost in lives on both sides, but the gain had been
for the most part temporary.

Before leaving the consideration of the second battle of Ypres
it may be well to estimate what has been gained and lost by both
sides. In the attempt to wear down their opponents one side had
inflicted as much of a blow as the other, to all intents and purposes,
for there had been an almost prodigal waste of human life and
ammunition. The distinct advantage that Germany had gained was
in pushing back and almost flattening out the prow of the British
salient, and they had demonstrated the superiority of their artillery.
Britain, on the other hand, had lost no strategical advantage by
the change of her line. The knowledge that Germany had a superior
artillery acted as a stimulant in making the British provide a
better equipment of big guns. But the British had demonstrated
the great superiority of their infantry over that of Germany. In
fact there was comfort to be derived by the friends of each side
as a result of the second battle of Ypres. The fighting had to
stop, as far as being a general engagement was concerned. There
were other parts of the front in western Europe which were becoming
by far too active for either the Germans or the British to neglect
them. Hence it is necessary to leave Ypres and the brave m