South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-10-26
Franz JOSeph'S Men Rally and
Show New Fighting Strength
in Eastern and Southern
TheaterS of Great War.
GERMANS SUCCESSFUL
IN REGION NEAR LILLE
KaiSer'S Army Achieves Slight
Victories on FranCo-Belgian
Frontier Through Timely Ar
rival of ReinforCementS.

LONDON. oct. 26.-The beginning
OF the 18th week of the war finds the
allies and the Germans still locked in
a furious struggle in the western
theater OF war.
In the eastern and southern theaters
Of war the Austrians seem to have ral-
lied and taken on new fighting
strength, much to the surprise of the
Russians and Servians. Discipline in
the Austrian army has been stiffened
BY the Importation Of trained German
army officers.
The greatest interest now centers in
the fighting in the northern sphere
around Arras, Lille and over the Nieu-
observation-disclosures line in Bel
gium. The timely arrival of reinforce
mentS and big guns saved the Ger
mans in that region just as their lines
had begun TO crumble beneath the Wig
orOus assaults OF the French, British
and Belgians.
Germans Achieve Successes.
The Germans have been able 10
achieve slight successes near Lille and
on the Pser in Belgium, but the British
military experts believe it is not far
when a German retreat from the coast
region will be ordered. DiXmude has
been badly damaged by artillery fire
and flames set by shells. The follow
ing description of lighting and havoc
Wrought ny AS nllub III ub1 1IAlWNStS II
Belgium has been gathered from the
correspondent Of the Daily News, who
visited the battlefield last Wednesday:
mo pen could do justice to the
grandeur and horror of the scene. As
far as the eve could carry nothing
could be seen but the burning VIII
lagos and bursting shells. / realized
for the first time how completely the
motor has revolutionized warfare and
how every other factor is dominated
by the presence or absence OF TINS
method OF transportation.
Roads Packed With Cars.
Every road to the front was pack
ed with cars. They formed an ever
rolling. endless stream, going and re
turning. In every village hundreds OF
private cars were parked under the
control Of medical officers. waiting 10
carry the wounded 10 field hospitals
Upon the firing line a terrible
scene presented itself The shell fire
from the German batteries was so
severe that the Belgian soldiers and
French and British marines were lit
orally blown out Of their dugouts and
sent scattering to cover Along
crowded rOadways and across shell
torn fields knots of peasarts-Old men,
women and children-could be seen
in flight
Many Killed by Shells.
These unfortuuates had to make
their way the best they could 70 the
rear and many OF them were killed by
bursting shells
"pixnude was the object Of the
German attack and shells were burst
ing all over the city. Houses were
bcinE ripped and torn and the streets
were full of WreCkage. Many build
inEs were i'm flames. At times wreck
age was blown upward, falling like
rain over q wide area. From a dis
tance of three miles we could hear
the German shells hing in the
streets of the town. s. le rolled up
ward from the burning houses and the
bursting shells The Belgians had
only a few field batteries SO that the
heavy German howitzers dominated
the field and the infantry trenches
around the town had TO rely upon
their own unaided efforts.
"Our preEress along the road was
suddenly stopped by one OF the most
horrible sights / have ever seen. y
heavy German howitZer shell had
fallen and bur in the midst OF Bel
giau battery causing much destruction.
The m3ngled bodies of the men lying
SpraWled among the carCasses of ar
tlery horses and wrecked caissons
presented q shocking spectacle.
IinaIv Reach DiNmude.
Eventually we got 10 DiNmude.
Every time shell screamed into the
town we thought our end had come
The town hau was a sad sight The
roof was completely riddled. The in
terror was "A scene of chaos. 1t was
piled with loaves of bread, military
trappings broken bicycles and the
bodies of dead soldiers.
"Wednesday evening DiXmude was
red. blazing furnace scene Of fury
and carnage. The horizon was red
with burning houses. The thunder Of
the German guns echoed on every side
and the whine OF the shells was never
Stilled."