Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-10-29
Allies for Third Time in as
Many Days, Claim They
Have Made Progress.
LINE OF FIGHTING
UNMovED, HOWEVER
London Reports F'ierceness
of German Attacks Has
Started to Relax.

OVAL ICu w 1NC40A'
The great battle for possession OF
the strip of coast running along the
North sea from Ostend to Calais is
said by the French to be swinging
slowly in favor of the allied forces.
The assaults of countless German
troops, which apparently attained the
height of human effort were matched
with equal courage and ferocity and
today the offensive efforts Of the Ger
mans were said to be relaxing. For
the third successive day the French
official statement asserted the advan-
tage lay with the allies. 1t is notable,
however, that the French claims in
each instance have been vague and
bare of detail as to the capture OF
towns or localities which may be set
down on the map as marking definite
advance at any point. Progress"
Advances" or "gains" are reported at
various sections of the line not close
ly indicated. From unofficial reports
from the front it is inferred that in
the main the battle is ranging along
practically the same line as hereto
fore and that the deadlock has not
been broken. =,
London reports unoflcially that the
fiercest German attack had diverted
from the seacoast slightly to the south
in the line between Dixmude and
Ypres. This may possibly be explain
I'd by assertions that the British feet
off the coast, said to have been driven
off for time by German artillery, has
resumed its bombardmentw with telling
effect, it is said, on the Germans.
Eastward along the main course OF
battle, where comparative calm pre-.
vailed for several weeks, there are
further indications that heavy action
has been resumed. Yesterdays Of
fetal French statement referred to
successful attacks on the Germans on
the center and eastern end of the
lines. In today's statement it is said
that the Germans attempted violent
offensive movement at Craonne. This
assault, it is said, was repulsed.
The conflict in Galicia is still I'M
decided. Both French and Russians
assert that the offensive action against
the Germans is being pursued success
fully in the fighting zone near War
saw. It is reported unof1icially from
Petrograd, however, that the Russians
have not succeeded in pushing the ad
vantage along their left and center as
far as they had hoped. An unusually
early winter threatens untold hard
ships for the invading Germans, and
the disastrous experiences of Napol-
con in his march on Moscow are re-
called by dispatches stating that
heavy billiards. are raging in western
Russia
London, Oct. 2s.-The correspondent
of the Times in West Flanders, under
date of Tuesday, in describing the bat
tie and stubborn heroism of the Bel
gian soldiers, says:
''The Belgians never entirely dis
lodged the Germans from the footing
they obtained across the User near
Pervyse, although the Germans suffer
ed terrible losses in keeping the strip
of ground thus won in the bend of the
river. Again and again they have
been practically swept away by Bel
gian shrapnel, but they continued to
pour men into the death trap which
served them as a bridge head.
AT Dixmude and Nieuport the
struggle has been equally severe. At
Dixmude the French marines were
Obliged to Withstand forty hours
continuous attack before they were
able to expel the Germans at the point
of the bayonet.
Belsians Driven Back.
t'Last Saturday the Germans made
another crossing further south near
Saint Georges Capelle and frightful
struggle ensued between the river
channels The Germans occupied the
village of Stuyyekenskerke and were
driven out but not for long. The Ger
mans concentrated their fire on the
canal bank and raked the Belgians,
compelling them to retire again. The
fighting continued until Sunday morn
ing, wnen the arrival of the French
forces resulted in driving the Ger
mans back over the river except the
little forces holding the bridge head at
Tervaete.
"The German attack on Dixmude
was repulsed last night with. heavy
loss.
"The main point at which the Ger
mans crossed the river and where the
situation has been most critical is
north of the village of Pervyse, on the
railway line from Nieuport to Dix
nude. They crossed last Thursday
but were prevented from advancing
over the main waterway at that time.
On Saturday they succeeded in getting
across the second channel and nearly
reached the railway line. They were
finally driven back after fierce fight
ing, and it is the railway embankment
which now forms the main line of the