In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 303, 21 December 1914, Page 3

In the West

GERMANS SACRIFICED.

CHRISTMAS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO THE FATHERLAND.

Times and Sydney sun Services. (Received 8.0 a.m.) London, December 19. Amsterdam reports thousands or Germans were sacrificed in Handers during the last few days. The Germans declare they want to make acknowledgments to the FatbWrland for Christmas gifts, hence the frantic efforts to onpture Ypres before Christmas.

QENERAL.

United P&kbs -Association

The Sigh Ciwitmifsiwiei 1 , teptifis: Raids reports progress in Belgium, all counterattacks of the enemy failing. In the region of Arras, a vigorous offensive was made. The French captured several trenches in neighborhood of La Bassoe. At Slangy they carried the front over a distance of a kilometre, capturing nearly all the trenches of the enemy’s.first line. At Tracy-le-Val, on the Aisno, and in the champagne districts, our heavy artillery had a distinct -advantage ovei the enemy. In the Argonno district the German's blew up one trench north of Four-de-Paris, and also at St. Hubert. Infantry attacks ware re pulsed. London, December 19.

An officer writes that he does not believe there is a man living who. when first interviewing an 11-inch shell, isn’t pink with funk, but after the first ten he gets quite used to them, He adds: “There isn’t put here that insensate hatred one hears about iVe are; out to kill, but when the battle’s over the splendid universal sol-dier-spirit comes over all. I saw the most uncouth man in my company place a cross on. the grave of an unknown German.” ,

London, December 19

A Berlin official message states thai “the enemy made a number of at tacks on Nieuport and Bixschute, and north of La Basse. Fighting continues west of Lemsi and Noyon, and east of Albert, where attacks, were repulsed. “The pursuit continues in Poland.”

PROGRESS OF THE ALLIES.

Paris; "December, 19

/Official: We gained' ground slightly along the dunes north east of -Nieu port. The enemy’s two strong coun-ter-attacks northwards of the YpresMenin road were repulsed. The Brit, ish slightly advanced in the Armen' tieres district. Our artillery destroyed two heavy batteries in the Verdun district.

In order to occupy Saint Georges, the Belgians and French crossed the flooded country, sonjfe'times waist, deep in water. The engineers made pontoon bridges. Six lines of Gernihr trenches, five hundred to a thousand yards apart, were taken. On reach ina Saint Georges they, discovered that the artillery had driven out the Germans. Thirty-eight were found hiding in a cellar, and, were made prisoners. ' "

The FrancOrßritish advance to Ron lers is confirmed. French and British outposts hold Roulers. A Belgian , aviator , bombed a Ger. mail supply convoy near Osteiid, and destroyed three motor lorries. The Allies’ advanced troops passed Mid.dlekirke in the evening, and the Germans were driven out,of a numbei of trenches ,on the right bank of the Yser, our forces having now pierced the German position just at the end of the inundation of the Dixmnde re gion. The Belgians, being acquaint? ed with exact position of dykes and ditches which fudden in the murk\ w,aters, previously.death-traps,to eyeri advancing G,erma,u ; force,,, , led thefl comrades over- selected, parts kneedeep in water. ~„ Tho 'AlHes cher crossed, audi- charged with the, bayonet. The Germans made, a poor de fence. Many were taken prisoners Their losses in the Vicinity of Mom. haei’tzyde were very heavy.

Official: Wo organised the ground gained on. Thursday south of Dixmude, and pushed the front to the •south of Cambaret and Fort Ker. Tluadvaiice south of Ypres continues over difficult marshy ground. The Allies progressed over a. kilometre in two days south of La Bassee, During the night of the I.7th and the following day, we advanced at Albert under violent fire. We reached the wiifl entanglements at the enemy’s second line of trenches, hut the Ger- •}' : * man hand grenades forced us to abandoii the trenches captured on Thursday north of Malinconrt. Several German trenches were carried in the Lihors district where three violent counter-attacks were repulsed. Our fire, directed by airmen, demolished two heavy batteries on the height’s of the Meuse, and damaged a third.

WORK OF FRENCH DRAGOONS. London, December 19, h Tbe Daily Mail’s .correspondent at Dunkirk writes that, after advancing along the coast in the direction "of Osteml, French dragoons attempted a tprnihg movement near Nieupnrt, but German reinforcements and bidden machine guns checked them. Next night the dragoons galloped round the Germans’ right wing. The Germans in the dunes were enclosed on three sides, and surrendered. Nine hundred were taken prisoners.

THE DEVASTATED VILLAGES.

London, December 19

The Times’ Paris correspondent reports that for the purpose of re.constituting the life devastated in the villages, the Americans have formed a committee to collect and distribute funds. The English Society of Friends sent teams of workers into the country particularly In the Marne and portion of the Aisno, including doctors, nurses, sanitary experts, and architects, to help to re-bnild the houses, iind feed, clothe, and medically attend the peasants, and generally guard against dangers to health arising from the hasty burial on the battlefields, and to lend agricultural implements. It is understood that the Society of Friends is prepared 'to spend a million sterling for this purpose. Paris, December 20. Official! We repulsed an -attack at TeenstraftC) and appreciably progressed in'the neighborhood of Korteker. We surprised and cut to pieces a column at Lihons.

TWO AVIATORS INCINERATED.

(Received 8.45 a.m.) i Paris, December 20. Two military aviators fell near Isscles, Moulineaux, and the petrol fired, both being incinerated.

ALLIES’ AIRMEN AT WORK.

(Received 8.45 a.m.)

Amsterdam, December 20,

A Berlin telegram states that two' of the Allies airmen threw ten bombs into Esaarburg, in Lorraine, bn Thursday night, killing a Uhlan and severely- wounding a|giil. They also bombed other villages.

FRENCH ARTILLERY’S SMASHING BLOW AT ARRAS.

(Received 9.45 a.in.) Paris, December 20

The French artillery, with 500 guns, dealt a smashing blow' to the German front lines on the north-eastern side of Arras on Thursday. The Germans abandoned the trenches before the devastating fire, and retired to Blaiigy :

and Saint Lauren, where snipers have taken up positions at the windows and on the house-tops. The Allies are strongly entrenched on the outskirts.

GERMANS REPLY TO WARSHIP’S

FIRE.

(Received 9.45 a.m.) London, December 20,

A seaman who participated in the bombardment of Nieuport and Middelkirk states that the Germans at one point replied with naval twelve-inch. ers which were mounted ashore.

ALLIES’ PROGRESS REPORT.

(Received 9.35 a.m.) Paris, December 20,

A communique states; We gained a little ground before Nieuport and saint Georges, and progressed slightly east and south of Ypres, where the enemy is reinforcing their defence. We captured a portion of the enemy’s first line of trenches, between Rechebourg and La Bassee and recaptured a trench north of Maricourt. We repulsed very violent efforts to recapture the trenches at Lipons, and maintained our artillery superiority in the Argonne, where we silenced the enemyV guns and destroyed the matcliine gun shellers and observation posts, and dispersed enemy’s concentration.

Saturday’s midnight communique adds that the British lost some trenches towards Neuvechapelle, which they captured on Friday. The Indians advanced some hundreds of metres towards llichebourg.

GERMAN’S OUTRAGEOUS TREAT-

MENT OF 195 PRIESTS.

(Received 9.45 a.m.) Amsterdam, December 20

Pricsts were - shot, wounded, or taken prisoners for giving evidence before the commission inquiring into the German outrages in Belgium ,

GUNS ON THE SAND DUNES RE-

PLY TO WARSHIPS.

FIERCE FIRING ON SATURDAY.

(Received 9.45 a.m.) Amsterdam, December 20

Refugees report that the Germans posted eight fifteen-centimetre guns and several machine guns on the sand dunes between Duinsergen and Meyst. German troops are concentrating along the Dutch frontier between Costham and Meerhout.

The Telegraf states that there was Jierce gun fire on the coast on Saturday, assisted by the warships. Trains of wounded arrived from Bruges, but most of the cases were sent further eastward.