Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-04
LONDON IS S|[ENT
AS BATTLE RACES
Activity of German Artillery a
Prelude to Another At
tack in France.
ALLIES ARE NOW READY
TO TAKE THE OFFENSIVE
Should Present Teutonic Attack Fail,
French, English and Belgians
Will Advance, Is Report.

LONDON. December 4. 1874. PIN
\ few indirect references, in the shape
of picturesque sketches, to the visits OF
Emperor William and King George to
the respective battle fronts, and the
activities of the Prince of Wales in the
trenches, constitute virtually the entire
budget of war news which has reached
the British public in the past twenty
four hours, apart, of course, from the
uniiluminating reports given out at
the French, Russian and German head
quarters. OF the details of the fight
ing, with its enormous toll of killed
and wounded, the public hears nothing.
For the moment the dominating issue
remains in the eastern arena of the
war. where the result of the great
clash of millions OF men in Poland will
90 far toward determining the duration
of the war well its chara ctcr
during the next few months, but those
more or less behind the sieges believe
they sec signs that the deceptive in
terval of relative calm which has
marked the operations in Flanders for
the past few days has about reached
its limit.
The present activity of the German
artillery is believed to be a prelude
10 another formidable and concen-
trated onslaught somewhere on the al,
lies line. This line. however, is be-
perts to have been made impregnable
since the last German effort was so
nearly successful in hammering its way
through.
Allies Guns the Best.
However this may be. it appears to
be established that in these recent ar
tIllery duels the allies have found their
heavy guns capable of overbearing the
of
emphasized in many of the recent dis
patches of Gen. Joffre, commander-in-
chief of the French forces.
Should the new German assault meet
the same fate as have previous at
tempts to reach the coast of the chan
mel. observers in London expect that
II will be followed by a general ad-
vance on the part of the allies.
There are signs of approaching ac-
tivity in Alsace, where the French re-
certify have been improving their posi-
tons.
AT the same time the Germans are
said to have been heavily reinforced in
this section. Gen Joffre'S recent decla-
ration to the Alsatians that I'VE are
back here to stay" may soon be put to
the test.
Germans Are Drowned.
In the dark hours before dawn yes
terday large force of Germans
crossed the flood waters of the User
by means of big, broad RATS, says the
correspondent of the Daily News in
northern France, under date of Decem-
Der 3.
The venture was a desperate one.
for not a man who set out on it could
have been ignorant of the fact that
death was almost certainly awaiting
him. The RATS were punted through
the shallow waters in dead silence and
in utter darkness. Each carried fifty
sixty men and some machine guns.
in preparation for dawn a further
fieet of RATS drawn by motor boats
was waiting on the German side Of
came the plot was discovered. When
daybreak did arrive the artillery of the
allies met the advancing Germans with
devastating effect. Yet, despite their
losses, the Germans, brave even to mad
ness. still essayed the crossing until
midday.
Several RATS were upset in mid
stream by the fire of the French guns,
and great number of Germans were
drowned, while others were shot
Germans Attack North of Ypres.
Fierce fighting is now taking place.
adds the correspondent. The Germans
are concentrating their attack prin-
cipaly to the north of Ypres They
have withdrawn their heavy artillery
ON account of the mud and are using
light guns mounted on motor lorries.
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