Imperial Valley press., 1914-10-29

that the Germans are stripping that
territory of all soldiers except the
bareso garrisons and are rushing all
reinforcements possible to the army
that is trying 70 break through the
British Belgian French line that is
guarding the approaches to Dunkirk
and Calais.
Further encouraging news came
from the press bureau of the Belgian
government at Havre in statement
that the condition of the allied troops
on the User was improved, while the
enemy's artillery fire was slackening
and IN some places had been subdued
entirely by the guns of the fleet op-
Grating along the coast. The state
ments add that the operations along
the Ypres were considered every sat
isfactory."
Opposed to this was a wireless dis
patch from Berlin to the effect that
the land batteries of the Germans
had been bombarding the fleet and
had succeeded in hampering it's op-
Grafton greatly. The wireless said
that several British warships had been
struck by shells and were afire. Other
dispatches from Berlin by way Of
carried flat contradic-
tion of the Belgian press bureau re-
ports and said that the Battle of the
User was going favorably for the
Kaiser's arms.
That the Germans are anticipating
the landing of troops on the Belgian
coast from transports under the pro-
lection of the British fleet is evil
denced by the news reported to the
Chronicle by it's Amsterdam corre-
spondent that the German headquar-
ters staff has been moved from Os-
tend TO Heyst, while tugs and dredges
commandeered in the harbor at Os-
tend have been used to strew mines
thickly through the waters along the
coast. These mines, the correspon-
dent reports, apparently have been
carelessly placed, for they continual
ly break loose and explode against
the rocks along the coast, doing no
damage. .,,..:
Ostend is crowded with German
according to travellers who
have reached Amsterdam from the
Belgian seaport. 1t is estimated that
in the fighting along the User the
Germans have lost 10000 men a day.
Another estimate puts the German
losses at $4,000 and it is feared that
the allies, while not so hard hit, have
suffered terribly in the almost hand
to-hand fighting that as been in pro-
gress continually day and night since
early last week. a..
One wounded Belgian is quoted as
saying that out of the 5000 men who
comprised six regiments,
fighting in the trenches along the
User, only about 200 are left. In one
place the Germans hid in one trench
along the User, fearing to cross un-
der the Belgian fire. Belgians crept
into another trench along the river
and found themselves separated from
The enemy only by wall of earth
six feet through. They could hear
the Germans conversing and finally
them with the bayonet, kill
ing many and driving others to death
in the river. r'. 49,
The army commanded jointly by the
crown prince and the Duke of Wur-
Lemburg has been in the thick of the
fighting and on a front opposed by
one English brigade left 1000 corpses
after one retreat.
At another point along the battle
front near Ypres the Germans, plan
ming a night attack, sent out scouts
who saturated the bushes and dried
grass with kerosene. This was sud-
lenly fired and the Germans swept
On in charge, singing and shouting
as they advanced in the Pickering
light. They succeeded in surprising
the British, who held the trenches.
out were subjected withering fire and
finally beat retreat that was changed
into a rout when the English soldiers
Ieaped into the open and took after
them with the bayonet.
This attack followed the capture of
five miles north of
Ypres, the British troops inflicting
enormous losses on the enemy. The
victors had established themselves in
positions beyond the vii
lage and it was here that the Germans
expected their maneuver of firing the
bushes would give them an advantage
they had not been able to gain in the
day fighting. So badly had they mis-
however, that, in addition
to losing hundreds of men from gun
fire and bayonet, they suffered the