Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-12-19

! according to the declaration A bonn
bardment of Odessa is feared and Rus
sian shipping companies have removed
| their ships from these bodies of water
| A blockade of the harbor of Libau
1 places the control of the Black Sea
| in the hands of the Germans, while
the freezing of the harbor of Archan-
! gel, in the White Sea, sewers Russian
| communication with the outside world.
Germans Destroy Ypres.
The Germans have destroyed the
old and magnificent city of Ypres, in
southwestern Belgium Failing to
capture the place and hold it as a
startegic position against the Allies,
the kaiser's army drew up to the
northward an armored train of heavy
artillery and systematically battered
the city to pieces in two days This
is the gist of report given in the
latest French official bulletin
every Act Justified.
Our forces were unable to succor
the city," the report continues; but
French army sappers, working under
the hostile shell fire, were able to
rescue many of the inhabitants, the
city records and few pictures in the
museum" Berlin has made no denial
of this statement by the French. In
stead, Major General Won Ditfurth
writes: Every act of whatever ma
ture committed by our troops for the
purpose of discouraging, defeating and
destroying our enemies is a brave act
and a good deed, and is fully juSti-
fed"
Germans Muster Entire Force.
Every able bodied German in Bel
GUM who can be spared from garri-
son duty is on the fighting line be-
tween Ypres and the sea. Late re-
ports say that during the lull in the
fighting of the last week Belgian
towns back of the lines were emptied
to the last man who could be spared
IN the maintenance of order.
Big Levy on Belgium.
message from Brussels states
that the German governor OF
the province of Brabant, in which
Brussels is located, convoked a meet
ing of fnanciers and told them that
Belgium must pay 35.O0O,OO0 francs
(s7.OO0,000) monthly for the mainte-
nance of German troops. In addition
to this sum, it is said, Belgium must
contribute war levy of 375, 100000
francs ($75,O0O,0O0) as a penalty for
violations of neutrality by Belgium
and losses ensuing therefrom to Ger
many.
Official reports from Paris and Lon
don say that the Allies have assumed
the offensive against the Germans
along the User river and the Ypres
canal in the last few days. This is
regarded as significant change
Allies Assume Offensive.
The Germans, following a lull last
ing more than a week, made very
heavy assaults all along the lines in
the extreme northwest of France and
in Southwestern Belgium They had
heavy reinforcements and fresh guns,
and for time it appeared that they
would be able to cut the Allies line
and get to the English channel
1t was reported from Berlin that the
kaiser had ordered his great western
army to get to Calais, France, by De-
cember 10, and that raid on the east
coast of England would follow the cap
ture of Calais. That the Allies have
been able to Withstand the battering
of the German forces. and have even
assumed the offensive, probably means
safety for English coast towns for the
winter
British Warship Sunk.
The British warship Bulwarn has
been blown up in the Midway river
on Sheerness by an explosion in her
magazines. Only twelve were saved
out of the crew of 700 or 500 aboard
the Bulwark. The explosion is be-
lieved to have been in an internal
magazine. Whether it was caused by
German agents or was an accident
such as might have occurred in times
or peace, has not been determined
British Lose Another Boat.
Striking a mine OFF Grimsby at the
mouth of the Humber river, near Hull.
the British collier Khartoum was
blown up. a report from the British
admiralty announces. The crew was
saved. but the Khartoum went to the
bottom
French Guns Near Metz.
French artillery continue to bonn
bard Arnaville, only ten miles from
Metz, Germany The development of
an offensive in Lorraine has long
been expected, but to what extent it
may be carried was not indicated at
the war office
From north of Verdun and south of |
Metz the German line extends i'm a |
wedge into the verdun-Toul defenses
OF the French. The two sides of the
wedge are Joined in the region of |
Chauvonvourt and ST. Mihiel. where |
desperate fighting has occurred the |
last week. 1t was at Chauvonyourt |
/