Imperial Valley press., 1914-10-17


when the transfer is made, and that
the system is placed in first class con-
oltlon when once we are in control.
Yo1 may, therefore, vote upon this
issue fully assured that you are TAX
ing the most important step and, if
it prevails, one that will be of the
greatest benefit to yourselves, that
has ever come before you in the val
ley. w. 0. HAMILTON,
President.
Vote California Dry
Allies Big Gains.
Paris, Oct. 16.-Although the fall
of Ostend appears to have become a
certainty, the German sweep of the
northwest coast to the west has been
circumvented by the allies in driving
a wedge between the army Of General
Won Bezler and the forces of Gen
eral Kluck and Won Boehm, which
compose the German right of the
main line of the invaders in France.
Definite information from official
sources regarding the movements and
the strength of the armies engaged
is lacking because of the excessive
stringency of the censorship inaugu-
rated with the development of the
movement in the Department Du Nord
in France and West Flanders in Bel
gium, where the two great armies are
reported to have met in a pitched
battle-the greatest of the war-in
which the fighting already is report
ed severe.
The official communique issued at
Bordeaux at midnight last night re-
ports among other gains along the
whole front the capture of Estaires,
13 miles west of Lille and on the
north bank of the Lys.
This, taken in connection with the
previously reported occupation OF
Ypres and today's unofficial announce
ment that the allies have retaken Lille,
indicates remarkable advantage gained
by the allies during the two days OF
| fighting. Ypres is across the Bel
gian frontier and the allies front now
extends from Arras through Armen-
there's to Ypres. Fifteen miles west
of the line lies Hazelbrouck and 20
miles behind it is Cassel, where the
Germans for week by furious cav
airy charges have been trying to
smash the allied lines. The occupa
tion of the new French and British
positions shows that the Germans
have been driven back just this dis
tance to the northward and that the
allies are moving straight north to
give LATHE to the Antwerp beleaguer-
ing army, which is moving to the
westward.
Northeast of this position the Ger
mans have made corresponding ad-
vance which is part of the converging
movement upon Ostend.
The army from Antwerp not only
has occupied Bruges, only Is miles
from Ostend on the east, but has es-
tablished line swinging in an arc
to the south and then to the west with
the vanguard of the German army
occupying Thourout and Diomunde,
the latter but 10 miles from the coast
and tc the southwest of Ostend. In
Thielt, Is miles southeast of Bruges.
a large force of Germans have ap-
peared and at least 100000 of the
invaders are reported to have Occur
pied Client.
1t is these two forces in great
strength, but lacking elaborate en-
trencnments and Notifications, that
mark the battle of the Aisne as one
of the most stubborn struggles in the
history of war, that are reported to
have come in contact near the Bel
gian border in a terrific encounter of
vast proportions which will decide the
fate of the German plan to advance
against the French channel ports.
On the left bank of the Lys the
Germans have been forced to aban-
don all their positions, according to
official announcement from Bordeaux,
and in the vicinity of Lens and be-
tween Arras and Albert the French
have made considerable progress. The
continued advance of the allies in this
direction indicates that the German
offensive there has been definitely
checked. An index of the severity of
the engagements fought in the region
of Arras is the report published to-
day by the France Du Nord that be-
tween 10000 and $4,000 Germans were
lost when surrounded in the marsh
land in the immediate vicinity of Ar
ras.
A telegram from Bordeaux SAYS
that the Germans have recommended
the bombardment of the cathedral at
Rheims, while official 6isnatcbas ra