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Show oo liLSlMiin il WrW 1 Lit I Captured Officers Express Chagrin Over Defeat and Show Great Surprise. BRITISH1 HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE, April 19, via London, 7:50 p. m. (From a staff correspondent of tho Associated Press.) A German officer of-ficer captured Tuesday frankly stated that the Germans rogard the loss of Vimy ridge as tho greatest defeat they have suffered since tho war began This officer knows the ridge thoroughly, thorough-ly, having been stationed on it all last summer, and said he could not understand under-stand how any troops could fail to hold it. In his opinion, the garrison must havo been demoralized by the British attack. The lattor statement Is thought to be truo for other captured Germans havo testified to demoralization in thoir ranks after several days of the British intensive artillery fire. The Germans contlnuo highly nervous all along tho front, tho slightest Increase in the British firo calling up distress signals. The German Infantry arc getting better bet-ter artillery support since the battle of Arras, as a result of the bitterly worded reports made regarding tho lack of this Bupport previously. The feeling Is so intense botween tho German Ger-man infantrymen and artillerymen that the British havo found It necessary neces-sary to separato tho prisoners belonging belong-ing to tho two services to prevent fighting Inside the cages. Tho newly called up troops thrown Into the wostorn line admit that tho artillory fire bewildered thom. This also Is truo of tho German troops recently re-cently transferred from tho eastorn to tho wOstorn fronts. Prinoners from tho latter forces say that fhey had no idea what war actually was until re-oently, re-oently, and all becamo much depressed when they saw the trenches they were jH supposed to occupy all smashed and H torn by the British shellfire. IH Prisoners taken in the last three H days tell of tho spread of discontent jH in "the German army because of re- IH duced rations since April 15. Each H man formerly received a half loaf of jH bread daily. Now he has only one- H third of a loaf. This reduction com- H Ing after the Somme retreat, the de- JM feat at Arras and the beginning of IB the great French offensive, has caused H much grumbling among the troops. H |