The Ordway new era., 1914-12-18
MORE ACTIVITY IN
NORTHERN FRANCE
The French Claim Capture OF
Two Important Points
on Battle Front.
FOUR GERMAN CRUISERS SUNK.
Commerce Destroysrs Attacked BY
Strong British Squadron In South
Atlantic After Five Hundred
Mile Running Fight.
lSumma,y Of EaeNls.l

(Summa,y Of E1enls.) !.
The Allies are reported from
Paris and London to be making
slow but steady gains along the
entire battle line in northern
France and in Belgium. This ad-
vance has been proceeding for the
last six days, according to the in
formation. The Allies have cap
tured Roulers, in Belgium, and
Armentieres, in northern France.
Both are stragetic points.
Germans Move Headquarters.
Tho German divisional headquarters
was removed from Roulers when shells
began to fall In the town after the
British had recaptured Passchendaele,
eleven miles northeast of Ypres
Despite the vigorous attack being
made by the allied forces, reports
indicate that the Germans have
not abandoned their offensive at all
points. Heavy firing is reported along
the coast. with the Germans lombard
ing East Dunkirk. west Of Nieuport,
The allied warships also are reported
to have been able to get back into &C.
tion and have shelled the German po-
sitions. II
Heavy Fighting In Aisacs.
Heavy fighting is reported In Alsace.
In the Argonne the German trenches
are being assailed vigorously by
French artillery and through mining
operations. All new positions taken
by the allied troops along the User
have been held and the advantage Is
being followed with determination, &C.
coriing to London reports.
British WIN At Sea.
The British have retahated for the
recent German naval victory in the
southern Pacific by sinking four oe
the German warships which sank the
Monmouth and the Good Hope. The
German cruisers Scharnhorst. Gneise-
nau and Leipzig were destroyed east
Of the Falkland islands. In the south
Atlantic. in . battle December 8. 3
y Two other German cruisers, the
Nurnberg and Dresden. escaped. They
wefe ptrsued tflvs hundred miles. The
NurnberE was finally sunk. The Dres-
den. badly crippled, got Into the
Straits Of Magellan. The British
squadron was composed OF nine bat
tleships, some Of them the largest and
newest in the navy. This avenging
fleet was about twice the strength Of
the German group.
Two golfers were captured. At the
same time squadron Of British and
Japanese warships sank three German
merchantmen OF the coast of Terra
del Fuego. Announcement Of these
sea activities have Just been made by
the British admiralty. ti
Pursuing ths Russians.
The Germans declare they are pur-
suing the Russians to the south and
southeast OF Lodz. Several American
correspondents we're with the Rus
sian army when the battle of Lodz
broke. but nothing has been heard
from them for several days. Evident
ly they are under the hand OF strict
censorship.
British military experts say that
three-quarters of the best material of
the German army has been held In the
western theater of war throughout the
campaign and that the troops opposed
to the Russians consist principally of
second line organizations.
But the great battle for the posses
sion of Poland continues. The front
extends along three hundred miles and
victory. over q part of it at least, ap-
pears to have fallen to the Germans.
while the Russians are pressing upon
Cracow In the south.
Importance OF Capture.
For weeks military critics have
called Lodz the vital point of the
Polish campaign" To The Germans
1t meant everything. according to
Major Moraht. German war expert.
To prevent an invasion by the Rus
slams the kaiser's troops had to check
their enemy at the city and their cam
paign in doing SO undoubtedly brought
out the greatest generalship the war
has seen. #t-s
Lodz long has been an objective
point Of the German army. 1t has
grown In recent years from an insig-
nifcant place to be one of the most
populous cities in the Russian Empire
In 1910 its population numbered 415.-
GOA and with this important place as
SHIPPERS FEAR GERMAN n