Evening star., 1914-12-23
Reported Troop Movements.


from Holland reports of vast move
ments of German forces from the east
and the west. A dispatch reaching here
from Amsterdam says that thousands
Of German troops have passed through
Alx-la -Chapelle toward northern France.
This activity may be the forerunner of
a renewed German offensive in the
western arena under the eyes of EN-
peror William or it may simply be in
tended to offset reinforcements Great
Britain has been throwing lately into
the French field of hostilities. AS the
situation appears to stand today the
allies in France and Belgium continue
more on the offensive than defensive
and every day shows slight gains to
their credit.
It is believed that notwithstanding
the failure of the plan for an armis-
tfce over Christmas, some sort of a
lull will set in Christmas day itself.
Christmas sentiment Is deep in the
mems hearts.
French War Office Claim.
The announcement given out by the
French war office in Paris this after
noon reports slight progress on the
northern end of the allied line. in
France and Belgium.
Fog caused a slackening of the fight
ing near Arras. Advances are claimed
near Perthes-les-Hurlus, where Ger
man machine guns were captured, and
progress on the driving back OF coun-
ter attacks is reported near Beause-
jour and in the forest of La Grurie.
Near Boureuilles. however, the French
apparently lost to the Germans.
Repulse of French Claimed.
That the attacks launched yesterday
by the allies in Belgium were easily
repulsed by the. Germans; that the
French troops are showing greater
activity in the vicinity of Camp de
Chalons, and that the French forward
movement IN the vicinity Of Sillerie.
Rheims, Souain and Perthes have been
partly repulsed were the features OF
the announcement issued today by the
German army headquarters at Berlin.
A special correspondent of the
Cologne Gazette, who has just arrived
at the headquarters of the Duke OF
Wuerttemburg, says Berlin dispatch,
telegraphs that the comparative quiet
hitherto prevailing on the west front
has given place within the last three
days to such unusual activity that the
soldiers have dropped all thoughts OF
preparing for a Christmas celebration
The French and British. ad.s the
correspondent, have been trying for
several days to break through the
German positions. especially at Nieu-
port and on the User canal, supported
by very strong reserves They have
maintained a stubborn fire upon the
German positions with their heaviest
artillery. Nowhere, says the corre-
spondent, have they achieved the de-
sired success. The spirit of the Ger
man troops everywhere he reports as
excellent.
German Flanking Movement.
PETRoGRAD. December %. via Lon
has been driven across the East Prus-
sian frontier from Mlawa. Russian Po-
land, by the Russians, is spreading out
to the east and west, according to re-
ports received here from the front. The
purpose OF the German movement Is
to debouch to the right of the In
inforce the troops in the vicinity OF
Thorn for protection against the con-
t.nued Russian advance on the Thorn-
railroad, Which
is the main strategic line paralieiinS
the north Poland frontier.
The Russian successes here not only
threaten the right of the German Mazur
lake position, but also threaten the leIt
wing of the army operating before war;
saw.
The Boerse Gazette calls attention to
the shifting of the weight of German
troops from Belgium to the Polish front.
but the newspaper is OF the opinion that
this action means no Tightening Of the
task of the allies, since the Withdrawals
of Germans from the western battle front
are from parts of the line where ella Dor
ate intrenchments proved sufficient to
withhold the French and British forces.
New Levies to Poland.
1t is stated that the heavy draft on the
German troops of the first line
is being filed out with the pick of the re-
servists and that new levieS are being
sent to the Polish fronts.
A second attempt made by the Aus
trians to pierce the Russian lines facing
the Carpathian mountains at Sanok and
Lisko failed Monday in spite of a fierce
night attack on the Russian trenches near
LiSko.
The garrison of the Austrian fortress
of Przemysl, seemingly informed of the
of the Austrian Carpathan
army, made sortie coincdent with
the Austrian attacks, though separat-
ed by thirty-five miles from Lisko. 1t is
that an Austrian officer, an
aviator shot down at Bircha. fourteen
miles southwest of Przemysl, was carry
ing messages between the two Austrian
forces.
The Austrian operations are rendered