Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-24
Six Hundred Pieces Heavy
Artillery Turned Loose
Close to Arras.
SLAUGHTER TERRIBLE
Underuround Works Torn to
BitS-Dead and Wounded
Litter German Lines.

Paris. Dec. 24-General Johre,
French commander-in-chief, said to
the Russian and English military at
taches at field headquarters four days
ago: Come with me and you will see
something you have never seen before
in war" They accompanied the gen.
eral to place near the lines not far
from Arras. There 600 pieces of ar
tillery were placed in position so as
to bear upon a short plexus of German
entrenchments The ranges had al
ready been found.
Upon word from Joffre, repeated by
his aides telephonically, the 600 pieces
opened a sustained fire upon the Ger
man works and spaces behind them.
After a quarter of an hour the French
infantry charged. Not a hostile shot
met them. Not a bayonet CLEANED
over the edge of the works. The
trenches were actually torn to pieces.
Dead and wounded men, half buried,
Uttered the line where formerly there
had been trenches. The few alive
were struggling to free themselves
from heaps of earth.
Paris, Dec. PA French official
statement this afternoon recites a SER
les of French successes, ;pparently of
minor Importance, from the sea on the
north to the frontier of Alsace on the
south. Fog prevented fighting near
Arras and Verdun and there have been
military activities southeast OF
Amiens, near Villa-Sur-TourSe and in
the forest of Apremont.
Germans Abandon Trench.
Berlin, Dec "a = Official: "At
Bixschoote we took $50 prisoners Dec.
% In the neighborhood of Souain
and Perthes yesterday a fierce .artil-
lery attack of the enemy was repuls-
ed. A trench lost by us, but recap
tured, was later abandoned because
parts of the trench were almost lev
eled by the enemys fire. In the east
we have assumed the offensive and
are advancing from Neidenburg and
SCldau least Prussia). We repulsed
the Russians after several days fight
ing at MIawa (northern PoIand), and
the enemy's positions at Mlowa are
again in our hands. More than one
thousand prisoners were taken in
these battles. At the confluence of
the Bzura and Rawka rivers there
have been bayonet attacks at many
places. Artillery could do little on
account of the misty weather The
Russians suffered heavy losses on the
right bank of the Pilica river. south
east of Tomaszow.'
British Land Reinforcements.
Paris, Dec. -CCorrespondence)
The allies in the western field are
about to take a general offensive
against the Germans All British and
French soldiers on leave have been
recalled and word sent to hospitals in
Paris and vicinity to prepare to re-
ceive great numbers of wounded. Brit
ish reinforcements are arriving in the
north and it is understood tn ~ will be
in position by next Friday With the
fresh troops are many new 15-inch
British howitzers which will 90 into
action for the first time against the
Germans. They are believed much
more powerful than the German NOR
Grs and to outrange them. Immense
Cserves of shells and ammunition
have been accumulated by the allies
in preparation for general forward
II. 0vement. The allies appear consid-
erably more numerous than at any
time since the opening of hostilities.
Since the foregoing was written cable
have told of greatly in.
creased activity on the part OF the al
lies almost at an points. This is in
terpreted as signalling a long expect
ed general advance.