The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-09-29
END OF BIG CONFLICT
BELIEVED TO Be NEAR
French Experts Declare InVad.
ers' Resources Are Seri-
onsIy Strained

London, Sept. 29.-Violent attacks
are being delivered by the Germans
against the lines of the allies between
the districts of the Aisne and the Ar
gonne, says the official French state
ment.
Thus far, according to the state.
ment, these onslaughts have been re-
pulsed. The official announcement is
brief, the French war office content
ing itself with the added remark that
there is nothing new otherwise in the
general situation.
The prolongation of the tension on
the two long lines of fire and death
fronting each other on the Aisne river
must have become insupportable to
the Germans, since reports indicate
they have changed their tactics and
attacked with the bayonet. The opin-
ion is expressed in Paris that General
| Joffre's master hand is shown in this
move, as it is believed there that he
has succeeded in pushing his lines
inside the range of the deadly heavy
German guns and forced the enemy
TO hand-to-hand fighting.
French Tell of Victories.
Supplementing the official commu-
nication issued by the French war Of
| fee is the following statement:
AT the end of the day our troops
occupied the front at Dompierre
southwest of Peronne). Ribecourt
and Noyon were put on the defensive
by the Germans. We occupy Berry
au-Bac. The enemy ha sretired on
Blamont with serious losses and has
evacuated Badonvillers. The enemy
was forced from Lesseux and the
woods between Lesseux and Nisen-
| bach"
Since the attacks have been re-
pulsed over the whole line, according
| to the official statements, the French
| military experts cannot see now what
resources the German emperor's gen
eral staff can call on to retrieve their
| fortunes.
The general opinion is that the
battle has reached the most critical
as well as the most violent phase and
| that the issue cannot be delayed
| much longer.
The losses of the last few days on
both sides are said to exceed all 9TH
er engagements of the war. Stories
have reached Paris from Belgium that
| the Germans, unable to bury their
dead on the field, have shipped them
behind the army by trainloads to
avoid epidemics.
| Sharpest Attacks on Wings.
| Along the great western battle line
the struggle still continues to be gen.
eral, with the most determined at
tacks being made on the two tanks
Both sides apparently realize that
mass attacks in the center are futile
| in the present exhausted state of the
armies.
The London Times correspondent,
telegraphing from Bordeaux, says the
other that only few hundred yards
separate their respective trenches. He
says everywhere the German fury was
unavailing.
The Belgians have retaliated by
desperate sorties against the threat
of the Germans to bring up their
siege guns before Antwerp. An Ans
terdam dispatch says violent fighting
occurred between the Germans and
Belgians at Schooten, four miles east
of Antwerp; at Termonde, sixteen
miles east of Ghent, and at Hofstade,
eighteen miles east of Ghent
In the latter locality the German
heavy artillery became stuck in the
mud and the Germans were obliged to
retire before the attacks of the Bel
gians.
The Belgians are reported to have
blown up the viaduct at Bierghes,
J thus cutting railway communications
between Mons and Brussels.