Gilpin observer., 1914-12-17
BRITISH FORCES CONCENTRATE
ON STRoNGHoLDS OF WAR
LORD IN YPRES.
FRENCH TAKE HolLREKE
TROOPS OF KAISER ARE MASSiNG
FOR ATTACK ON ENEMY Al
COURTRAi.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

London, Dec. 16--The offensive
movement of the French and British
has become general and is being
pushed with strong forces, particular
ly in Flanders, the Argonne, the
Woevre and Alsace. While the French
claim to have been successful at all
points, except at Steinbach, in Alsace,
the German official report says the al
lies attacks have been unsuccessful
at several places
On the whole, however, it would ap-
pear that the allies, who now have
superiority in numbers as we'll as in
artillery, have succeeded in making
some progress and have withstood Wig
orous counter attacks delivered by the
Germans.
The fact that the allies are in pos
session of Hollbeke in Flanders and
that heavy fighting was going on
again shows that they have made an
appreciable advance during the past
two days, as last week they We're
being attacked by the invaders two
miles to the west of st. Eloy, which
is on the Ypres-Armentieres road.
In the Argonne region, the French
simply say:
I'VE have made progress and main
tanned our advance of the preceding
days.
The force which has been checked
at Steinbach is the left wing Of an
army which for some time has been
fighting its way towards Muelhausen,
and which has cleared a considerable
part of Alsace of the Germans.
It is evident that while the Germans
are prepared to offer stubborn resist
anoe to attempt advances in the re-
gions mentioned in the official COM
munications, they expect the main at
tack of the allies to be made in an
other direction, or are themselves pre-
pairing for an offensive.
They have gathered considerable
forces at Courtrai, from which point
they could be quickly transferred
either to Flanders or southwark
across the French frontier.
The only news from the east is the
admission of the German general staff
that the German column which ad-
vanced through Miawa towards War
saw, has reoccupied its old positions
owing to the superiority OF the en-
envy This in measure confirms the
Russian accounts of a victory on this
part of the battle front.
The Austrians have succeeded in
again crossing the Carpathians and,
according to their account, are driving
the Russian left back toward the river
San. This Austrian army, assisted by
German reinforcements, has under
taken the rather difficult task of fore
ing the Russians to withdraw from in
front of Cracow and also OF relieving
Przemysl The Austrians apparently
have met with at least partial success
in the former project.
Their army in Servia, however, has
not recovered from the surprise
which the Servians gave it. Just when
they were thought to be beaten the
Servians turned to the invaders and
drove them westward and northward
out of Servian territory.
The only part of Servia remaining
in Austrian hands comprises small
territory including the towns of Shah
ats and LosnitZa.
The little Montenegrin army also is
doing its share and, according to a
Cettinje report. has succeeded in cut
ting off part of the Austrian right
wing, which retreated into Bosnia. 1t
is now announced In behalf of Servia
that the previous retreats were due to
lack of ammunition and that the stores
had been replenished by captures from
the Austrians.
Headquarters in Vienna, dealing
with the situation, asserts that the
retirement of the right wing made it
advisable to abandon Belgrade. which
was evacuated without fighting.