l the bustle
and excitement, the usually conflicting reports agreed that there was
nothing particular to report. Each sector appeared to be conducting a
local campaign on its own account.

The Switzerland correspondent of the since defunct London "Standard"
quoted, on November 30, 1915, from a remarkable article by Dr. Heinz
Pothoff, a former member of the Reichstag:

"Can any one doubt that the German General Staff will hesitate to
employ extreme measures if Germany is ever on the verge of real
starvation? If necessary, we must expel all the inhabitants from the
territories which our armies have occupied, and drive them into the
enemy's lines; if necessary, we must kill the hundreds of thousands of
prisoners who are now consuming our supplies. That would be frightful,
but would be inevitable if there were no other way of holding out."

On the last day of November a bill was introduced in the French
Chamber of Deputies by General Gallieni calling to the colors for
training the 400,000 youths of the class of 1917, who in the ordinary
course of events would not have been called out for another two years.
The war minister explained that it was not the intention of the
Government to send the new class, composed of boys of 18 and 19, to
the front at once, but to provide for their instruction and training
during the winter for active service in the spring, when, "in concert
with our allies, our reenforcements and our armaments will permit us
to make the decisive effort." The bill was passed.

A British squadron bombarded the German fortifications on the Belgian
coast, from Zeebrugge to Ostend, for two hours on November 30, 1915.
The weather suddenly changed on the entire western front. Rain, mist,
and thaw imposed a check on the operations, which simmered down to
artillery bombardments at isolated points. For the next three months
the combatants settled down to the exciting monotony of a winter
campaign, making themselves as comfortable as possible, strengthening
their positions, keeping a sharp eye on the enemy opposite, and
generally preparing for the spring drive. Great offensive and
concerted movements can only be carried out after long and deliberate
preparations. The Allies had shot their bolt, with only partial
success, and considerable time would have to elapse before another
advance on a big scale could be undertaken. Hence the winter campaign
developed into a series of desultory skirmishes and battles, as either