Albuquerque morning journal., 1914-10-31
Much Hand-to-hand Fighting
Occurs in Which French
Distinguish Themselves With
the Bayonet.
GERMANS CONTINUE
FURIOUS ATTACKS
Invaders Are Said TO Be Grad
uaIIy Giving Ground Before
Persistent Hammering Of
Defending Forces.

,nr MORNING JOURNAL srsCial tNsern wlrsi
Paris, oct. 30.-officeTs returning
here from the battle frort say that
success for the allies has grown out
of the series Of furious conflicts on
the extreme left wing lying near the
coast, as well AS In the vicinity OF
Yprcs and Arras Everywhere they
say the Belgian. French and British
forces have been able to resist the
onslaughts of the German columns
ana TO reply with counter-attacks so
fun Of vigor that they carried the al
lies always still farther forward In the
movement 20 recapture Belgium.
The unhesitatlng manner In which
the Germans threw their masses Of
men az the allied positions. time after
time these officers say, caused as
tonshment. In the lines of the allies
the impression prevails that II was the
determination of the Germans to
break through at any cost. Their he
roic sacrifices are in vain. however.
for after they had used themselves as
human hattering rams they we're com
pelled to fall back without having
accomplished their task
The opening OF the dykes by the
Belglans near the mouth OF the river
User placed formidable obstacle in
the way OF the Germans, who we're
compelled TO recross the river. and
during this operation suffered severely
from the allies artillery.
The attacks If the Germans to-day
are reported not 10 have been accom-
panied with the violence OF their pre-
vlous assaults. The opposing forces
we're constantly In contact.
The behavior of all the allied troops
under the terrific strain has been
wonderful, Battalions OF French ma
rines, formed OF supernumeraries
from the fleet. covered themselves
with exceptional glory In the great
bayonet charge along the coast line
which did much towards forcing the
Germans to retire.
Around La Bassee both the allies
and the Germans have displayed In
domltable bravery in the hand-to
hand fighting which has been going
on day and night for two weeks. First
one side and then the other has taken
the offensive. and the line has sway
ed some times this and some times
that way. The country is interspersed
with thick hedges and bitches which
make operations difficult, and often
these obstacles must be overcome by
the troops In the face Of wltherins
fire.
on the cntrenched line Of tho
Somme, Ose and Aisne, frequent iso-
lated actions occurred today, espe-
clally near Rheims Roth armies were
so we'll buried In rifle pits and
trenches, however, that no important
change In the positions was brought
about
The fact that the battle Is progress
Ing Is more easily discernlble at night
than In the day time, when the
smokeless powder renders the artil-
lery and rifle fire almost invisible. In
the darkness. however, the flashes
shoot out brightly and the roar and
rattle of the cannon and machine
guns seems louder. while the scene ir
frightened by the blaze from burning
villages and farms.
A French acroplanc was compelled
10 descend yesterday between the
French and the German trenches. bur
the occupants escaped. Last night
Captain Bellenger, with several me-
chanics and infantrymen, made a
daring reconnaissance and found the
machine only slightly damaged They
effected repairs and brought the aer-
oplane away In the face Of heavy
FIRE from the enemy
on the Meuse the Germans have
been unable to bring their great ho-
witzers into effective action. owing TO
The hlly. wooded country. while the
French troops, with their thorough
knowledge Of the ground, have been
able to execute very annoying maneu-
yers. Today's infantry engagements
in that region were very hot. In up
per Asace the Germans and French
were entrenehed opposite each other
on the slopes on either side of a val
ley, but despite the difficulties OF
their task the French troops adj
vanced In the face of a terrible fire
and captured trenches of the enemy,
which they previously had swept with
we'll served artillery fire. The opera
tlon was costly in casualties but the
French secured commanding posi-
tion.