Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-11-02
FAILURE TO BREAK LEFT WING
OF ALLIED ARMIES CHECKS
ADVANCE ON PARIS.
EFFORT COSTS MANY LIVES
AMONG BEST REGIMENTS
Kaiser Said to Have Ordered Attack
Which Meant Terrible Sacrifices
Admissions That Retreat Has Been
Necessary in Eastern War Theatee
Shows Critical Situation Of Empire.
Especial Correspondence.1

Washington, Nov 1.-The fact the
allies in northern France and north
western Belgium report continued
progress and the Germans admit de-
feat in Russian Poland are the COM
handing phases of the European mill
tary situation just at present
The idea that the German capacity
for taking the offensive has passed
high tide is strongly suggested by the
war news this week The first sug-
gestion OF 1t was the statement the
force Of the attacks on the left of the
allies, aimed at Dunkirk and Calais,
had slackened. Various features Of
the news from the field since then
have tended to confirm it.
While the allies have scored moth
ing that can be construed as decisive
victory in their advance the past week
in France and Belgium, it seems more
and more as if the great German Of
fensive movement which aimed at
Dunkirk and Calais has been so COM
pletely blocked that it either will not
be renewed with the same determine
ton as before or will be abandoned.
To this extent, the recent operations
of the allies may prove to have been
decisive. 1t will take little longer
fully to disclose whether this is the
case.
iosse. Necessarily Heavy.
The reports from all quarters TEEN
with references to the losses 1t is i'm
possible to believe that all these re-
ports are imaginative. The probabili-
ties are that the losses In this fight
ing have been extremely severe This
must have been the case on both sides
and especially SO on the German side,
because they have assumed the Of
fensive more often than the allies in
the recent fighting in this particular
region. 1t is difficult territory to
fight in. fiat and muddy. crossed by
canals and just now made worse by
cold and torrential rains. Spec
ulaion continues why the Germans
should have been determined 10 get
Dunkirk and Calais at such enormous
sacrifices, sacrifices which must have
not only caused heavy losses Of good
troops but have tended to impair the
lighting power of the German right.
1t liz asserted the kaiser ordered II.
Whether he did or not, II is now quite
apparent that unless the Germans do
get Dunkirk or Calais or both they can
not maintain with profit their hold on
the channel Ostend is Of no strength
and can hardly be made much of base
for German activity in the channel
SO II looks as If the Germans have
been striving for Dunkirk and Calais
for one thing because they can not
make effective use Of what territory
they have on the channel without one
or both of them. Ostend, under the
continual harassing Of the guns fire
of English warships. though these ships
doubtless would have to keep we'll
away from shore, would scarcely be
permanently tenable and certainly not
tenable under conditions that would
make 1t of much use.
The slight reference to what is go
ing on about Apremont and ST.
Mihiel leave the situation there partly
in the dark. 1t looks, however, as II
the Germans who have been holding on
to st. Mihiel CALAMITY are finding their
position more difficult from day to
day.
Germany Admits Defeat.
The German admissions of defeat in
Russian Poland are highly significant.
They tend to bear out the previous ad-
vices from Petrograd, which were not
accepted at their face value in many
quarters. The Germans admit that
both the Germans and Austrians have
been compelled to retire from Russian
Poland before fresh Russian troops adj
vancing from Warsaw, Ivangorad and
Novo Georgievsk. Despote fight
ing is said to continue along the San
river but the main German-Austrian
army is reported to have been visited
with a defeat Of the greatest import
ance.
The indications are that the Rus
slams, who seem to have heen mohiliz-
ing new forces steadily are in greater
strength than ever along the vast line
stretching thru Russian Poland into
Galicia. Their success in hurting back
the German-Austrian forces will UNI
doubtedly be followed by vigorous