The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1914-12-25

LONDON After two weeks
fighting in an effort to maintain their
hold on the Belgian coast the Germans
are reported to have evacuated Middel-
kirke, north of Ostend.
UncOnfirmed reports declare that
their line has been thrown even
farther back and that Ostend has been
evacuated.
The coast towns of Zeebrugge and
Heyst have been vigorously lombard
ed by the allied warships within the
last two days This has been in sup
port of the general movement to clear
the coast while the French and British
in the Dixmude and Ypres region are
forcing the enemy back upon the
es-Roulers-Courtrai line.
Four Attacks RepuIsed.
Germanys troops MADE four sue
cessive assaults on the allies linees
in front of LihOns in a determined
effort to recapture trenches that had
been wrested from them.
All these deadly attacks were re-
pulsed, says the latest report of the
French war office, which discloses
also that the British recaptured most
OF the trenches previously taken from
them and that the French gained
foOthOld in the German trenches south
OF NOyOn and made progress else
where.
British Regain Trenches.
Following is the communication is
sued by the French war office:
"The British troops attacked the
enemy this morning and recaptured
most of the trenches which they had
lost. In front of Lihons. The enemy
made four successive attacks in an
attempt to retake the trenches which
we had previously captured in this
region. All these attacks were re.
pulsed
Northwest of Puiseleine (south Of
NoyOn) we have attacked the enemy
and captured his first line of trenches.
We have also advanced in the st.
Mard wood No other important news
has been received regarding the oper-
ations of the day"
Pail Lines Rebuilt
AMSTERDAM - The TELEGRAPH
learns from Berlin that the Germans
have restored the railways from
Charleville, in the department of the
Ardennes, opposite Mezieres, to
Montmedy, in the department of
,Nfl
Vcrdun, which the French destroyed
when retreating early in the war
The railways to Givet, in the de-
paItment of Ardennes, on the Belgian
border, according to the same dis
Patch, will be opened shortly, While
the bridges over the Mouse neor
Lumes, Flize and Donchery, all south
east of Mezieres, are again open.
blocked tunnels near Montmedy and
MohOn, the last-named point just
south of Mezieres, have also been put
into condition to be utilized
Says Kaiser Sought Aid of Sweden
LONDON - The correspondent
of the Daily Telegraph at Copen-
hagen says he learns from a high
diplomatic source that Germany pro.
posed that Sweden should help her III
the war, offering as compensation the
Baltic islands and a protectorate over
Firand.
LAS Sweden did not deign to reply
the correspondent adds, Germany in.
timated that if Sweden refused the
offer Germany. at the peace confer
nee after the war, would let Russia
take Sweden as compensation for Po-
land
"Rhis threat was similarly ignored,
and then Germany began to irritate
Sweden by stopping its food export
These were incidents leading up
OF the Malmo conference"
Fierce Battles in Poland and Gaicia
LONDON In Poland and
Galicia battles are being fought be-
tween the Russians and the Austro-
German allies amid deep snow in bit
ter cold. The Russian and German
claims continue to be directly contra
dfctory
The Germansin Poland again are
making nerce attack toward the
Capital and the Russians are making