South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-23
AnuIo-FrenCh Forces ReCapture
Village and Take Woods,
Houses and RedOubt in vi
Cinity of BixSChoote.
FRENCH OFFENSIVE IS
PRODUCTIVE OF GAINS
German Front Has Not Suffer-
ed Seriously at Any Point,
However, in Spite of Fort
niqht of Attacks.

PARIS. Dec. 23.-The allies are
maintaining their offensive with con-
tinued success in both Belgium ana
France. Ths French have made pro-
sress on the coast between the North
Sea and the road running from Nieu-
mort to Westende in Flanders
South Of the frontier in France the
ANGLO French forces have recaptured
from the Germans the village or
y-Les-Labasse. A heavy fog
is impeding operations around Arras,
but on other points OF the battle front
sharp lighting has taken place, says
an official cOmmunique issued here
this afternoon. The official statement
follows:
I'm Belgium we made slight pro-
gress between the sea and the road
from Nieuport TO Westende yesterday
as well as in the region of Steen-
straate and BixschOOte, where we cap
tured a woods, some houses and re-
doubt
@To the east OF Bethune we cap
tured, cooperating with the British
army, the village OF Givenchy-Les-
I.abassee, which had been lost.
Fog Lessons Activity.
f'In the region of Arras a thick fog
lessons activity, both on our part and
on that OF the enemy. To the east Of
Amiens on the Aisne and in the
Chan,pagne district there were artil-
Iery duels. In the region of Perthes-
Les -Hurlus we captured after a brisk
caanonade and two assaults the last
main line OF the trenches partially
taken on Dec. 21. we gained more
than 500 yards. In the last trench
captured we took a section of rapid
fire guns. both the weapons and the
men manning them. a violent coun-
ter attack was repulsed.
I'VE made equal progress to the
northeast or Beausejour where the
enemy launched new counter attacks
without success. Our troops have
made appreciable advance in the for
est Of Grurie upon a line of trenches
400 yards long and $50 yards deep
I'VE blew up with a mine two lines
or German trenches and occupied the
excavation.
Fighting continues around Bou-
reuilles. 1t seems that it has been
impossible to maintain the decided
advantage which we gained yesterday
morning.
Nothing has happened from the
heights OF the Meuse to upper Al
SAGE"
ON the Eastern Theater.
At the same time the following
statements on the eastern theater of
war were issued;
"Russia-In East Prussia the Ger
mans have been repulsed on the line
of Neidonburg- -Soldau- u-Lautemberg. In
Poland the Germans have succeeded
in gaining a fOothold on the lower
BZura north OF SOchaczew. Farther
TO the south they have reached the
Rawka river at Belimow and have ad-
vanced beyond SkiernieWice toward
the east
The Austro-G erman forces are de-
scending in Poland on a front which
runs from southeast of Pietro1ow TO
the west of the Nida. In Galicia they
have reached the Dunajec and occu-
pied the line Grybow- -SmigrOd- -Sanok
An attempted sortie by the garrison
OF Prezmysl has been completely re-
pulsed
Allies Make Gains.
Since the allies assumed the Of
fensive all along the battle front in
France, Belgium and Alsace-Lor-
raine they have made the following
approximate gains.
On the Nieuport-St Georses-DiX
nude line the Franco Belgian forces
have advanced about-four miles 10
point slightly east OF Lom bartZeyde.
At Ypres the Franco British forces
have gained between two and three
miles on the BiXschoote- -Passchen-
daele-Gheluvelt-H llebeke.
On the ATraS-IabasSe line the
Franco British forces have advanced
five miles. taking practically all the
Germans first line of trenches
In the Argonne and between the
ArgOnne and the MeUse the French
have pushed forward their lines about
three and a half miles taking a num-
Der OF trenches. and occupying
strategic roadways.
West Of Muelhausen in AlSace the
French have advanced about TO miles.
Slight gains OF less Importance
have been made by the allies on the
Bapume- Albert Rove Noy0n line. al
Tracey -Le-Val and ON the heights of
the Meuse as well as i'm the Woevre
district.
Germans Have Not suffered.
Although the allies have been
pursuing their offensive for more than
a fortnight with Varying degrees of
pressure along the line. the German
front at no point has suffered seri-
ously. This can be attributed 10 the
great strength of the Germans fOrti-
ded positions At points where they
have fallen back they have retired
To- previously constructed trenches.
The Germans have lost bat little ar
tillery and the French war office has
now got to the point where IL credits
officially the capture of such small
patches ~ prisoners as 100 or 500.
ibat Gen. Joffre. the French COM
inanter-in-chi IS not entirely salts
lied with the way things have been
going al some points ON the 300-mile
battle line - shown lN fhp fact thar