The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-27
BEST FIGHTING STRENGTH
OF GERMANS is ENGAGED
Now Making Desperate Effort to
Break Through Line Recently
Undefcndcd.
FORCES UNABLE TO ADVANCE
Allies More Than Sufficient TO Meet
This New Observation-Disclosures
Positions Near Arras Lost--Wreak
Vengeance on Villages. and Towns.
by ANDRE BEAUMONT.

DIEPPE, FRANCE, October 26.-The
battle OF the north, along the canal of
Labassee and the Rivers Lys and User,
which has now been pushed with un-
usual fury for seven days and. one
might say. seven nights. is one OF the
most violent that has been fought in
the course OF this war
There is no doubt that along this
line the Germans have massed their
best troops. All that remains of the
guards are their latest recruits, who
came to fill heavy losses in the regi-
ments which In some cases. L am told.
reached 70 per cent of their effective.
This entire mass of their best fight
ing strength Is engaged In desperate
effort TO break through n line which,
curiously enough, was, so to speak.
open to them four weeks ago. having
been left undefcndcd because at that
time the German effort was directed
toward breaking through the French
line at Lassigny, Royc and Albert, in
the direction of Amtens.
The forces or the allies are more than
sufficient to meet this new onslaught
The Germans are wearing themselves
cut by constantly extending their line
OF battle. Already we learn that they
have been losing or -evacuating import
near r.TTRS, ana also
along the centre AT Itheims. the troops
left in those places being now almost
without officers. as many OF them were
called north TO lead fresh recruits
But as they wreaked their vengeance
on the villages and towns Of the
Ing to leave behind them n waste in
the north. For the last two weeks
they have carried on a systematic cam
paign Of incendiarism and destruction
In the villages of Givenchy, Frommciles,
lilies. Ablain, Warneton. Radinghem
and others through which they have
passed or. out of which they have been
driven.
| have seen the German frebrands
at work. AS they did at Lille and
Arras, their first work Is to surround
the village with a series Of trenches.
As the first of these is given up. the
fighting goes on behind the houses,
where they place machine guns AS
soon as they feel the fighting going
against them. they set their incendiary
brigades to work to set fire to as many
houses az possible. Once the village
driven out OF the last trenches on the
other side. they shell the unfortunate
place from distance, and try to de-
stroy what remains Of the houses.
the unhappy peoples who fed from
their unhappy homes and wounded Of
rage.
On the other hand, we have the sat
isfaction of knowing that the German
lines are being driven back. They are
defeated. and their offensive war is
being converted against them to their
utter disaster into defensive one.
German officers who have been cap-
turcd do not hide their disappointment.
In vain they have tried to carry the
German flag as far as Dunkirk, Calais
ana Boulogne, ana raise II in defiance
OF the opposite shores Of England.
That hope has now gone, and. in
spite of their furious charges of the
10 advance The French cavalry has
achieved wonders. Following the
roads between Estaires, Fleur Baix.
Vile Cappelle, La Courte and RICHIE
bourn. as described by the correspon-
dent OF the Petit Pariessine, crossing
rivers at night by swimming. they sur
priSed the Germans everywhere, and
invariably defeated them in every cav
airy encounter.
AT Vile Cappelle there was an ex-
traordinary fight between Uhlan and
French chausseur. Both had lost their
horses, and the Uhlan had taken refuge
in house where the chausseur fol-
lowed and engaged him in sword
combat. The fight began in the kitch-
GU anu SoHtiHuSu III tHe SaTu at the
back, where both finally fell mortally
wounded. They are buried side by side
, in field near the neat little church of
Vile Cappelle. The cemetery of this
church was also the scene of furious
hand-to-hand encounter between French
and German troops. The church was
finally bombarded.> and its pretty spire.
roof and half Its walls were blown
away. There is not house in Richie
bourn which has not been shelled and
riddled with bullets. Many of them
were set on fire by German incendiary
bombs. The first building they burned