South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-11-19

tivity is at the eastern end, where at
tack and counter attacks are progress
ing in the Meuse valley. The French
are struggling to dislodge the Ger
mans at st. Mihiel and the Germans
are not only trying to hold their own,
but are endeavoring to push back the
forces that have prevented them from
getting guns up to lombard the mid
die line forts around Verdun.
In connection with the renewal of
warship activity aft the Belgian coast,
where the French and British men-of-
war are bOmbarding the Germans, the
following story comes through from
Dunkirk:
THE Germans noticed that the fire
from English ships spared houses on
the sea front at Middlekerke There
upon the invaders took up quarters
in the houses. This fact became
known to the British who concentrat-
ed the fire of five warships upon the
houses. demolishing them. The Ger
man loss is estimated at S1,700."
1t is reported from Furnes that the
transports of the Germans in West
Flanders have moved back and that
the invaders have mined the road
ways. According to information from
the same source the British have been
able after terrific eXertiOns to move
their heaviest guns to the front and
they are now cannonading the Ger
man lines.
West Flanders Isolated.
Interesting facts about the situation
in western Belgium were related here
today by a traveller who has just ar
rived from the fortified town Of Bur-
CESS a great part Of West Flanders
is now Isolated, being cut off by
water released from broken dykes and
by the destruction of bridges. Peas
ants fleeing from the danger zone
have been cut off by water released
and hundreds of them have been
drowned, the muddy, filthy streams of
water are full of debris. Purple
bloated corpses and the swollen car
casses of horses float side by side The
water is filed with slime and mud,
gathered up by the inundation as it
swept over battle fields and miry
roads. All the battle carnage that
will float swirls in the eddies of this
CHASTITY torrent. The miserable refu-
gees, men, women and children. who
are able to make their way out of
this zone of death and destruction are
too numb with suffering, exhaustion
and horror to tell what they have
seen. They are incOherent with the
grimness of the thing. They are cold
sick and famished and death has be-
come so common to them that human
cOrpseS move them no more than
clods Of the fields. The big elements
Of their existence have measured
down TO warm place to sleep and
food TO satisfy their growing hunger
The sights Of death and the dangers
of battle have ceased to thrill or ter
rorize.
Towns Show Signs.
All Of the towns in West Flanders
west of FOulers and throughout show
signs of the conflict. Some are no
more than piles of blackened ruins:
others are only partly damaged but
stand deserted and silent like cities Of
dead. Some have been blasted by ar
tillery fire: others have been burned
while still others suffered their ruina-
ton from the hand-tO-hand fighting
which surged through the streets.
No Pupils for Schools.
In TermOnde the Germans ordered
/ the schools reopened but since the
I 10000 inhabitants had been reduced
/ 10 couple Of hundred there were no
\ pupils. Besides four-fifths Of the
town is in ruins. The garrison of
Termonde Is made up of Bavarian
landwehr.
Client is deserted by its population.
\ but is overlooking with German
wounded.
Zeebrugge, according to reports. has
been made a station for German sub
\ marines
/ Alost has been partly destroyed, but
under the urging of the Germans
I many inhabitants are returning
( Baron Won Der GoltZ. the German
/ military governor OF Belgium. has
/ promised the inhabitants the aid Of
i Germany in rebuilding their homes.
i In Brussels the whole population is
supported on charity. The German
/ soldiers treat the people with the
I greatest kindness and friendship.
Ii is reported that the Germans
have built concrete trenches OF the
heights commanding the plains OF
/ Waterloo.
Safety razors resharpened. PA y.