Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-12-11
ALLIES TAKE
the. OFFENSIVE
Begin New Campaign Along
3OC.Aib Line II Franco
DRIVE FO: ii.Ch TkEACRES
Severe Fighting In klsace, Where
French Claim Advance, BUT esr'
mans They Were Repulsed.

mans They Were RePulsed.
AS the Germans are attemtlng an
offensive movement against the all Z |
forces in the region OF Yres, Wh6- Q
the hosts of the kaiser have met Will
repeated repulses, the French nave
.urled forward their army on th7
light wing in an attempt to Smash
aeir way through the invaders nnes
md bring to decisive conclusi Il
the battle of the seven rivers that mas
oeen raging for many weeks.
With the resumption of the o1el'
sive in that region the French war
office In Paris announces that these
;nslaughts are progressing and tnat
me army of the republic is advancing
It's lines and the Germans again nave
cen forced to retire from thelf
trenches, especially in the dlrect'on
# and near to Altkirch.
In this section of the war zone tAe
French have continuously assalled tae
kaiser's battle line, and since tae
Germans have weakened their lines
in that part of the western tneater ot
war to strengthen the front in Flano-
ers and north France, as has oeen re-
ported, they have met with a number
Of reverses and Paris claims that they
are being pushed back toward their
own territory.
In the West Flanders district also
the allies have begun their attacks en-
the German lines and it is unothclal:y
reported that the allied armies nave
started a campaign to drive the Ger
mans back to their line of fortresses,
beyond the frontier. Berlin dispatches
.ell of the vigorous offensive OF the
allies in Flanders and the repulse by
the Germans. While the statement ls
brief, Berlin reports unoficially that
he allies have determined on an as
,ault that would lead to one of the
.reatest struggles Of the war.
The French official communication
,old of the intermittent but spirited
.rtillery cannonade between the r~ll'
road from Ypres to Reulers and the
..ighway between Becelaere and the
Pass Chendaele, where the infantry
# the invaders was unsuccessful IN
several attempts to gain ground,
For the first time in many days
here was little activity along the line
between the Somme river and the Ar
,onnes. Reports of progress by the
french along that part of the front
lave been made by Paris, but this ac-
.ivity has been confined: to skirmishes
by detached bodies of troops.
From Paris comes the report tfat
the Germans have shifted the weight
of their pressure in West Flanders
to the region between Ypres and Dix
nude, and the allies lines at that
point are being subjected to a con-
tinuous bombardment. The crown
prince, 1t is said, has been placed in
command of the German army on the
Ostend-Dixmude-Y line and Is al
ready on the scene.
The trenches north of Ypres, which
were originally held by the British,
have been strengthened with fresh
French troops and teh arrival Of more
heavy artillery, which Is needed to
combat the concentrated big gun fire
of the invaders.
1t is reported from st. Omer that
some of the wounded who fell In the
fighting early in the week are still at
the front. The railway congestion has
prevented the removal of many of the
wounded from the firing line.
The activity on the eastern end OF
the 300-mile battle line continues with
good results for the French. The
French army of the Moselle has occu.
pied three or four strategic points on
the eastern bank of the river within
the past forty-eight hours, but nothing
further is heard Of the operations OF
that section of the army of tie Mo-
selle, which Is trying to establish con-
tact with the outer ring of forts at
Metz, on the southwestern side OF the
city.
Ypres still remains In the hands o.
the allies, but the troops defending
it are compelled to Undergo terrible
hardships.
From German sources comes tae
announcement that a new battle IS
developing in Alsace and the Vosges,
in which region developments may be
expected shorty. The French have
assumed the offensive in shat district,
but the German forces are being
strongly reinforced with troops drawn
from the Rhine valley.
Dispatches from the Aisne district
admit that terrific havoc has been
wrought by the German artillery at
Rheims, but this was unavoidable be.
"ause of the positions taken up by the
t'rench.
The official bulletins are as follows:
GERMAN.
"In the western theater of the war
French attacks against our troops in
flanders. were repeatedly repulsed, as
they were also in the region north.
vest of A,tkirch lin Alsace), where
the French suffered considerable
iosscs."
FRENCH. .
"At no place along the entire bat.
lie front has the been arr notable
incident. .s
"On our right wing we .,aT: mad
progress in the direction OF and IT
10 Aithirch.
The ch aaneStWa tor dch