The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1914-10-26
yaiser's Army Crosses User
Canal Near Dixmunde.
the BATTLE PROCEEDS
Paris States the Allies Are Holding
Fast and Unofficial Reports Say
They Continue Aggressive.

mans have advanced their battle lines
in West Flanders and are no" ACROSS
the User canal.
According to the French ohclal
statement a desperate battle is raging
between Newport and the river Lys'
and on the outcome OF that connect
depends the success OF the invasion
of the kaiser's vast forces into nortn-
western France.
After checking the advance OF the
Germans for two days, the ailes
were forced to give ground and the
Teutons crossed the User between
Nieuport and Dixmunde and are no"
battling to drive back the Belglans
and allies in that section OF the lar
flung battle line.
Hurting vast reinforcements INTO
Belgium has turned the tide TOR the
moment in favor OF the invaders, put
fresh allied forces are being sent To
that section of the battle front ana
after violent fighting the further ao-
vance OF the kaisers leglons was
checked.
While the Germans have made
some slight progress along the User
canal in Belgium and the opposing
armies are in a deadlock on the west
ern end of the battle line, the French
have advanced near scissors and In
the region of Craonne. on the center
of the battle line, according to the
Official French statement.
On the right wing near Lille the
Germans continued their attacks IN
an attempt to cut through the front
of the allies battle line, but all OF
these onslaughts have been repulsed.
On the right wing Of the allies line
the French have resumed the Often
siye and with their heavy artillery IN
action took possession of the road
connecting Thiancourt, Nonsard and
Joinville, which is one of the princl-
pal lines OF communication OF the
Germans near st. Mihiel.
A dispatch received from Ostburg,
Netherlands, by the Nieuwe Rotter'
damsche Courant, says:
1.-The heavy fighting heard in the dl-
rection of Ostend is continually In
creasing. Numerous troops marched
from Bruges to Ostend. Roulers is
still in the hands Of the Germans
Each day is but repetition OF the
previous day in the battles now being
fought out in West Flanders, north
ern France and Poland. One side
gains little at one point, only to lose
the advantage at another.
It appears from the official reports
issued from German and French
headquarters that the Germans, find
ing it impossible to advance along
the coast toward Dunkirk owing to
the fire which they were subjected
to from the British and French war
land and have succeeded in crossing
the User canal, which the Belgians
have been defending stubbornly for a
week past, to the west of Dixmunde.
They also have made progress to
the northeast of Ypres and still are
in possession of Roulers, towards
which the allies were advancing last
week and at one time were reported
to have captured. The Germans claim
to have taken 500 British troops in
the fighting in this neighborhood.
OF the gains claimed by the Ger
mans, an early French report makes
no mention, dismissing the battle
with the sentence:
There is no change to report be-
tween the sea and the region around
Arras."
To add to the trials of the troops
engaged in the desperate fighting, a
short spell of fine weather has given
place to another downpour of rain,
which will convert the lowlands of
Flanders to great lakes.
OF the battles on the center and
left wing. the German report does not
speak, but the French declare they
are maintaining their positions in the
Argonne and on the heights of the
Meuse and have destroyed three more
German batteries. From unofficial
sources it is learned that the French
have made some advance in the noun
tains along the Alsace border.
The official bulletins are as follows:
GERMAN.
1.-The Yser-Ypres canal between
Newport and Dixmunde was crossed
Saturday by further strong German
forces after heavy fighting.
"East-northeast of Ypres the enemy
has received reinforcements, but in
spite of this our troops have advanced
at several points, capturing about 500
British, among them twenty-eight Of
ficers, including a colonel.
I'm the Argonne our troops also
gained ground, took several machine
guns and number of prisoners. Two
French aeroplanes were shot down
there. North of Toul, near Fleury,
the French declined truce offered
by us for burying the great number
Of their dead and taking care of their
wounded.
"In the east our forces have begun
IN offensive movement on Augustowo.
Near Ivangorod our troops are fight
ing jointly with the AustroH ungar-
ians and have taken 1900 prisoners"
Another official dispatch from Ber-
lin says that the condition of General
Won Moltke, chief of the German gen
eral staff, who is suffering from an
affection of the liver, is greatly i'm
proved.
FRENCH.
"The battle continues in the same
condition as in the preceding days.
The battle is very violent between
Newport and the river Lys. German
forces have been able to cross the
User between Newport and Dix
munde.
"West and south of Lille lively at
tacks by the enemy have been repuls-
ed.