Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-12-23
KAISER WITH COURT
OFF TO JOIN ARMY
German Emperor, Accompanied by
Imperial Chancellor, Ministers
and Suite, on Way West.
INVADERS GETTING DISTURBED
French eye witness" Asserts that
Progress of the Confederate
Ha Alarmed the TeutOn
Enemy.


ministers Of war and marine and
numerous suite has gone to the western
front. according to advices to the Daily
Mail from Copenhagen.
story of Eye witness.
PARIS Dec 1-The French war Of
flee tonight made public report OF an
eye witness of events along the battle
line from December 20 December Is. II
says:
During the period from December
to the 18th. the ascendance gained by
our infantry has placed US In a position
TO make, in various sections OF the front.
progress which seems TO have disturbed
the enemy.
The German infantry IL more eau
tious. and continuous shipping by them
denotes a certain amount OF nervousness.
The fact that they are using searchlights
and lighting rockets more and more re-
veals their fear of attack.
Allies on Offensive.
After the expensive and useless ex-
periments OF last month our adversaries
seem almost everywhere 10 be reduced
20 defensive measures and Il II we who
on the whole OF the front have assumed
the offensive.
ALSO In the artillery duels our batteries
are showing more and more their SUI
periority.
Between tho sea and the Lys river
the enemy who from the 7th 10 the 9th
instant had contented themselves with
bombarding our lines and particularly
the city Of Ypres, on the 10th instant d.
rected 70 the south Of that city three
Infantry attacks agains our trenches.
Attacks RepuIsed.
'The first two of these attacks were
repuised. The third reached our first
line Of trenches. but on the first night
we regained this position. On the 18th
instant the enemy made another attack.
which was also repulsed.
ION December IA our infantry took the
offensive, In spite OF the exceedingly
muddy condition of the field, and sue
ceeded in capturing a German trench sew
eral hundred meters in length. Our in
fantry here held their ground against
fierce counter attacks by tho enemy.
1.-THE next day, with the cooperation of
the Belgian troops. we succeeded In sally |
ing forth from Nieuport and taking a
position on the western outskirts OF
Lombaertzyde and Saint Georges
During all the engagements the Ger |
man artillery gave their infantry very |
poor assistance.
Taking of vermeIIes.
Between the Lys and the Disc our |
progress has not been less marked. The |
taking Of the Chateau vermelles. OF which |
mention was made in our last weekly |
statement. permitted us to proceed by !
sapping toward the village OF Vermelles.
ION December Vermelles, as we'll as
the village Of Rutoire, fell into our hands.
We discovered that the houses we're
mined. The explosives we're In places. but
the engineers had not had time to fire
them. In the streets we found a num- !
Der Of bodies and a large quantity Of war J
materials which had been abandoned"
Enemy Falls Rack.
THE occupation OF Vermalles by our
troops has forced the enemy to fall back
three kilometers (about two miles,.
'rfhe same day we captured some
trenches TO the south OF Germany and |
We made In the region of ouesney ad- |
vances averaging from $50 to 900 meters
Ia meter 10 about three feeO. Our Skin
mishers advanced as far as the wire /
entangIements OF the enemy and sue |
ceeded under a violent fire In gaining |
a foothold.
ION tho sth some fierce engagements
occurred on the road from Lille 20 the |
north OF Rociincourt around q bArri- |
cade which eventually remained in our
hands.
Fresh Progress Made.
ION the 9th In front OF Parvilliers and |
Fouqszcourt We made fresh progress. |
In this section we are only 100 meters |
(about 800 feeO from the trenches.
'Tn front OF Andechy we have made |
progress averaging from thirty to 600
meters
"On the 18th to the east OF the road |
60 Lille we blew UP by a magazine. a !
German sapping tunnel. Our Zouaves
and sappers were quick in springins into
the excavation made by the explosion. |
Once there. they bombarded the Ger
man trenches with melinite petards.
The same day near IAhona. one OF
our mines was detonated and blew up
and destroyed a German counter mine. |
The enemy's sappers were thrown into
the air In the midst OF a cloud OF !
smoke.
Tho Germans manifested their &C.
tivity only by two attacks on the 18th
I'm the region OF Fouquezcourt and the
other near oviliers. Both attacks were
easily repulsed.
'-The German artillery which on the
18th bOmbarded Mareuil succeeded only
in causing some material damage. On
tbs other hand our batteries proved their
superiority. On the 18th We smashed
their trenches. scattered the enemy's
workers and also threw shells among
the attachments Of troops IN the rear
Of the trenches.
''On the 18th some automobiles which
had been assembled on the road from
Lens 20 Kila Sassee were compelled 70
flee before our shells.
Morale Perfect.
Tn spite OF the cold and the rains.
which mako boys OF the trenches. health
and the morale OF our troops remain
perfect. They show ingenuity in rem
edying the dampness OF the trenches and
the crumbling OF the embankments by
various systems OF interlaeing limbs OF
trees. like wtokerwork. and using CORFU
gated sheet iron roofing. the doors OF
houses. planks and other timber.
"A German prisoner declared himself
impressed By the good spirits OF the
Preach troops. which he said contrasted
with the WEAKNESS OF hts comrades. Our
frooua well led and warmly clad are