The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-11-18
DECISION At HAND
GERMANS MAKING TITANIC EE-
fort TO SKATER Lines
Make some ADVANCE

| MAKE some ADVANCE
DMn1ude Occupied By Invaders on
Tnesday-Fresh Masses Hurled at
Allied Line Near Ypres in Effort to
Gain Coast-Decisive Moment is
Said to be at Hand.
London says the wave Of optimism
which has been sweeping England for
the past week, was checked Thurs
day by news of the German occupa-
ton Of Dixmude and the renewed in
dication of the peril from German
submarines by the fate Of the tor
pedo gunboat Niger which Wednes-
| day morning was destroyed by tor
pedo launched from submarine Of
the enemy. This occurred within
sight of the English shore in the mar
row part of the channel, where sew
eral hundred ships lay at anchor.
The Importance of the fall Of Dix
nude is difficult to estimate with an
exact knowledge Of how the opposing
forces are disposed in this locality,
but the town is on the direct road to
| Dunkirk, and if the German forces
can debouch from it, the Allies prob
ably will be compelled to fall back to
new positions in their efforts to block
the way to the coast.
! Behind Dixmude is the direct road
to Dunkirk, one Of the French ports
on which the Germans have set their
hearts, and if they can break through
here the Allies will haYe to fail back
| to new positions. The invaders have
| concentrated their forces at this point
and their success in taking Dixmude,
where they claim to have captured
500 prisoners and positions west Of
| Langemarck, where, according to the
Berlin report, 1000 prisoners fell in
their hands.
London says that the Germans, as
soon as they found they could not
capture Warsaw, threw many Of their
troops to the west. At other points
along the battle front in France the
French official communication claims
some success for the Allies, but the
German headquarters staff declares
all attacks have been repulsed.
London reports a critical stage in
the battle in West Flanders has been
reached, and the next few days, II not
hours, should produce something de-
cisive.
The Germans, with all the forces at
their command, have continued to at
tack the British and French, who
hold the line between Dixmude and
Ypres, but except for the capture Of
Dixmude, which occurred Tuesday,
and some little progress around
Ypres, they have not made any mate
rial advance.
Paris reports: TO the north we
have held on all our positions. The
enemy has sought to debouch from
Dixmude by a night ATTACK, but has
been repulsed.
1--WE have resumed the offensive
against the enemy who had crossed
the River Yser,' except at one place,
where he still occupies from geo to
800 metres on the left band.
"In the centre we have gained
some ground in the region Of Tracy
le-Val, to the northeast of the forest
of L'Aigue. -
I'm the Argonne region the Ger
man attacks have been very serious,
but have amounted to nothing"
Berlin reports: "The enemy ad-
vanced from Nieuport as far as Lona-
baertzyde, but was driven across the
User. The eastern bank Of the User
as far. as the sea is now clear OF the
enemy.
"Our attack across the Yser canal
to South Dixmude is progressing.
"In the region east Of Ypres we
have advanced farther and captured
seven hundred French soldiers, four
cannon and four machine guns.
"The enemy's attack in the forest
of Argonne were repuled.
London reports: 1.-The Germans
continue to destroy bridges and rail-
ways in Belgium, but with what OBJ
iect remains secret. 1t is thought,
however, that they are making pre-
parations to winter in that country,
and they are taking every step to pre-
vent their plans from becoming
known to their enemies.
Paris reports that the Germans,
have been given an emphatic denial
of the reports that they were IN re-
treat by carrying Dixmude, on the
| User, u miles north of Ypres, and
on the road to Dunkirk, which the
| Germans are striving to attain.
! French bluejackets at Dixmude had
held the town against them in the
face of fierce attacks for the past
| week, but were finally compelled to
give way. The Allies attempts to
drive the Germans out again have
thus far failed.
East and south of Ypres, the Ger
mans seem to have found fresh
masses of troops to hurl into the
murderous fray, but the Allies seem
to be holding their own. The coun-
try here is undulating, well wooded
and covered with multitude OF
farms which are surrounded by large
elms. The villages are few and
small, and most Of the population is
centered on these farms which are
distant from each other, at the most
from two to three hundred yards.
These innumerable and solidly
built brick houses with their walled
court yards and sometimes with deep
| bitches make excellent bases for
small detachments and play an i'm
portant part in the long battle. The
struggle is taking place among the
farms in the direction Of the border