The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1914-12-30
FRENCH TAKE
BELGIAN TOWN
Cain 6round in Afgonne and
Upper A|sace
HARD FIGHTING NEAR ARRAS

HARD FIGHTING NEAR ARRAS
Allies Attacks Germans on Twelve
Mile Front With Artillery and Bay
onet.
London, Dec. 30.-The fighting III
northern France continues with un
abated vigor and was marked by VIC
leat bombardment of certain french
positions by the German artillery anG
the capture by the French OF a VII
lage in Belgium.
The French have also gained some
ground in the Argonne, and they are
investing Steinbach, in upper Alsace
where the campaign for repossesslon
of the lost province of Alsace, one OF
the first detectives of the armies OF
the republic after the outbreak OF the
war, apparently is making progress.
The unofficial reports that the allies
were Smelling Muelhausen are supple
mented by the statement of the at
tack on Steinbach.
"In Belgium" the French war office
reports, 1.-THE village of st. Georges
has been occupied by our troops, VINO
have established themselves in this
location.
From the Lys to the Somme the
enemy has rather violently lombard
ed our positions in the vicinity OF Re
helle, at ST. Aubin, at LIE Quesnoy
and at Pouchoir, to the northwest Oh
Roye."
The French have also gained a lit
tie ground in the Argonne, notably in
the forest of La Gruri, in the forest
Bolante and in the forest of Courte
Chaussee.
On the heights of the Mouse sew
eral German counter attacks have
been repulsed, in the forest of LIE
Bouchot, which is northeast OF Tro
yon.
The German forces which had oc
cnupied the French trenches in the
vicinity of the redoubt in the burned
forest to the west of Apremont have
been driven out after three successive
counter attacks, it is declared.
In upper Alsace, following violent
engagement, the French are closely
investing Steinbach, and their forces
have taken possession of the ruins OF
the chateau near the village.
That portion of the French army
which is holding the lines near Arras
in northern France, attacked the Ger
mans on a front twelve miles long on
Sunday. They carried half mile Of
German trenches near Lens by as
sault, and are holding these positions
in force.
The way for this attack was pre-
pared by violent artillery and machine
gun fire, which swept the German pc
sitions from a point to the north OF
Lens to the suburbs south of Arras
The German batteries everywhere re-
piled heavily to this French fire.
While the Germans were thus en-
gagged along the entire line of this
part of their defense works, the
Erench fire opposite Lens suddenly
tTelcA luI6u
leaped from their trenches and charg
ed the German positions, which were
from 100 to 200 yards distant. A brief
and furious bayonet encounter
brought victory to the French. The
Germans were routed. It was all over
in twenty minutes.
The German official statement given
out In Berlin says:
"In the western arena of the war
we gained some ground, after relative
" unimportant engagements near
Newport and to the southeast OF
Ypres.
Several strong French attacks to
the northwest of st. Menehold have
been repulsed with heavy losses to
the enemy. We captured 200 prison.
ers.
IAN advance in the burned forest
to the west of Apremont led to the
capture by US of one fortified French
trench and three machine guns. The
French attack to the west of Sem.
helm have been repulsed."
War Office dispatches say storms
have interfered with operations in
France, but that the French continue
to attack on the North sea coast In
west Flanders, where they have been
repulsed.