Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-17
First Attack Will be Sig
nal for Engagement of
Vast Proportions.
FRENCH FIRE DEADLY
Abandoned German Trenches in
Upper AISaCe Filled With
Dead and Wounded.

London, Aug. 17.-An Off
cial communication from the
French war Office Sunday says,
AT the moment that the Ger
man main force comes into con-
tact with our troops, our allies
will force both Germany and
Austria TO engage in an addi-
tional struggle which it seems
likely will be of vast proper
tions."
French Advance In AIsace.
London, Aug. 1.-THE official press
bureau says French troops in the
course of a rapid advance along the
valley of Schirmeck have taken 1000
prisoners. The scene of the fighting
of the last few days in upper Alsace,
the announcement continues, shows
the great destructive effect of the
fire of the allied artillery. Trenches
that had been abandoned by the enc
my were filed with dead and wound
ed.
Paris says French troops have occu-
pied the town of Schirmeck, seven
and a half miles beyond Saales in
Alsace. They took II field guns, IL
caissons and eight rapid fire guns. The
French cavalry then pushed on to
Mulbach and LutzeIhauen.
French Victory at Oinant.
London, Aug. 17.-Despite the re-
peated repulses which they have suf-
fered the German battaIions continue
to move forward for a decisive en-
counter, which cannot be delayed
much longer.
While there has been a lull in the
fighting in northern Belgium, the in
vaders are sweeping along the valley
of the Meuse, south of Namur, and
have reached Dinant, where part of
strong French force, which is estab-
lished behind that town, took the Of
fensive and defeated them.
The incident shows that the French
crossed the Belgian frontier 10 join
hands with their allies not a moment
too soon.
Germans Driven Back.
All along the Alsace-Lorraine from
tier the advance guards of the two
opposing armies have come into con-
tact, and. according to French official
reports, the Germans have been driv-
en- back everywhere with loss.
An official report from Paris con-
firming the occupancy by French
troops on Friday of several mountains
around Donon, also known as Rouge
ment. says 500 German prisoners were
taken.
Strong French forces are now in
possession of all the passes OF The
Vosges mountains, from the west, as
far as those leading down to Colmar.
Further south French forces are
ready to proceed over the fiat coun-
try toward Muelhausen.
The French have tahen the often
sive along the line from Luneville to
on the German frontier.
but here, as in the other theaters of
war. the main armies have not come |
into contact.
Drive Germans From Dinant.
Probably the most important fight |
ing took place at Dinant. where Ger
man cavalry occupied a portion OF the
town on the left bank of the Meuse'
Is miles south OF Namur. French in
fantry coming from the north with !
machine guns, however, drove them
out OF the town.
An exchange Telegraph Co.'S Brus-
sells dispatch says the French casual
ties in the fighting between Namur and
Dinant were heavy. as the Germans
we're strongly entrenched and their ar
tilIery at the outset played great havoc
with the French lines.
The fight was principally an artillery
affair. The French gradually drove
he Germans back until late in the aft
,rnoon they were about 10 miles south
,f Dinant pursued by mounted rifles
and infantry.
Reuters correspondent in Brussels
elegraphs that the French legation
here confirms the report OF victory
by the French al Dinant II says the
ierman troops appeared in force with