Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-11-11
FRENCHNEN CLAIM
IMPORTANT GAINS
AGAINST GERMANS
Declare They Have Advanced
In Long Disputed Territory
of Verdun. Capturing
Two Towns.
HARD FIGHTING AT ARRAS
Kaiser Feeling Out Weak Places
In Allies Lines While Gath
ering Forces For Su-
preme Attack.
HARD FIGHTING AT ARRAs

London. Nov. 9.-Residents of
Perne Bay. q seaside resort on the
IS coast of England, were
awakened between midnight and 1
o'clock this morning by the sounds
of heavy firing in the North sea.
Perne bay is situated on the estu-
AIRY of the Thames. six miles north
east OF Canterbury.
Havre. France. (via Paris). Nov.
9.-Thc following Belgian official
communication was given III here
today:
THE situation on the User shows
no change. The enemy has hosts
on the left bank of the river but has
commended himself with a feeble ar
tillery fire directed against the
roads in the environs of Ram
scapelle.
The defeats i'm Russian Poland
seem to have resulted in the re-
treat of the enemy's troops in
Belgium. There has been report
ed movements in this connection.
the departure toward the east of a
division of 5000 men, who have been
seen marching from Bruges to-
ward Client. Furthermore five
troop trains left Brussels recently
going in the direction of LOuvain.'
y III L.. -SON. - wv \iGI ~ III
to reach the straits of Dover. prosecu-
ted with such reckless abandon and
courage as to wiring praise even from
the foe, appeared today to have relaxed
temporarily. Along tHe User, from
the sands OF the North sea coast to the
ruined town OF DiXmude, the situation
today was reported relatively quiet"
Along the rest of the battle line.
which stretches across France, impor-
tant advantages are said to have been
won by the allies. Today's official
French statement says that the Brit
ish and French forces have repulsed
German attacks along almost the en-
tire front and that northeast OF Yer
dun, where the territory has long been
disputed with exceptional ferocity. two
villages have been captured by the
allies.
The fighting there has all but ceased
and the tide of battle has rolled south
ward. leaving behind it the countess
dead. South of Ypres. on the line ex-
tending down over the French border
to .Arras. the Germans are preparing
another furious onslaught, spurred Oh
by their emperor. The main battle
there. upon which depends so much
for the Germans and allies alike. has
not yet begun.
Concentrate On Arras,
Paris is watching with the keenest
the battle in the north and ev-
cry word from official and other
sources is eagerly discussed.
Having been driven by gun fire and
flood from the roaa to Dunkirk. the
Germans appear to be concentrating
all their energies on the Ypres Arras
line with the object OF reaching
Canche river. Three recently formed
army corps. the Eighteenth. from
Frankfort: the Eighth, from Coblenz.
and the Tenth. from Hanover. ave
been brought up to stiffen the Ger
man troops. who are exhausted after
troops arc being massed around Arras,
behind strong positions at Beauvals.
Tilloy and ST. Laurent De Blangy.
Preparatory cannonading has be-
come intense in the last two days, ac-
cording to a resident OF the district
just arrived in Paris: and infantry at
tacks have apparently had the object
or testing the French strength. 1t
was remarked that the enemy seemed
TO be abandoning the mass methods of
n tried attacking In open
order. making use OF all available "
err. making forward by short spurts and
throwing themselves down when the
French quick firers opened.
Topography Favors Allies.
Inc result ~ Is dlu. HAS O0eN no DcI-
ter as the mon seem to lack the i'm
itiative required to make this method
effective. None of these attacks so
far has made an impression on the
French line. The country between
Arras and Boulogne is we'll wooded and
hilly lending itself admirably to defen-
sive fighting and every preparation has
been made to utilize it. for il is realized
that the Germans will make an even
greater effort If That is possible than
before particularly in view of the crit
teal situation ON the Russian front.
Following is the officiai statement
issued by the French war office today:
o. u left wing the situation is
relatively quiet on the User DOWN
stream from Dixmude. The Belgian
troops who advanced along the right
bank of User from Newport In the
direction Of Lombaertzyde and who had
been counter attacked by the Germans
were sustained in time. The situation
has been entirely r~e-established in this
locality.
AT Dixnude the marine fusilliers re-
pulsed a fresh counter offensive move
ment. Further to the south the at
lacks of the enemy around Bixschowte
also were repulsad by French troops
who subsequently, advanced.
TO the east of Ypres the situation
this town We have resumed the often
sive in ombination with the British
troops operating in this region and re-
pulsed an attack particularly violent
and pronounced by datachments be-
longing to the active sr.av corps re-
Gently brought into this ,acioE by the
Germans.