Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1914-10-22
IuWI DCIW[[V M
AND0F BRITISH FLEET

LONDON, Oct. 21.-(7:3O p. m.)-
Fierce attacks and counter attacks, de-
livered almost continuously for a week
or more by the allies and Germans,
have so far failed to decide the titanic
battle in West Flanders and Northern
France.
The Germans supreme effort is de-
clared to be directed against the allies
left, beyond Lille, while the move
ments along the coast so far are be-
lieved to be in the nature of a recon
naissance.
The French war office, in it's state
ment tonight, declared that the allies
are everywhere holding their ground,
although especially violent attacks had
been made during the day on their
lines from the North sea, as far as
La Bassee.
At Lille, the Germans hold the two
important roads out of that city-one
northerly to Armentieres, and the 9TH
er southerly to Tourney. They also
have occupied the bed of the partly
completed Grand du Nord canal, which
gives complete protection for the
movement of vast bodies of troops
This canal runs by Roye and Arras
and SO far every effort of the allies
to dislodge them has met with failure.
Aided by British warships, which
have bombarded villages held by the
Germans, the allies are reported to
have caught the Teuton force advan-
cling along the coast between two fires
and to have hurled them back to
within six miles of Ostend. An un-
confirmed report announced that the
warships, cooperating with the allies,
land forces, besides repelling an attack
of German submarines, had shot down
Taube and Zeppelin airship.
With the death grapple in Northern
France at it's height, Petrograd tonight
lifted the veil that has shrouded in
mystery the operations in the eastern
theater of the war by announcing that
the German troops menacing Warsaw
have been repulsed and are now in
full retreat, leaving their wounded on
the battlefield. The official statement
declares that, although the Germans
are still occupying the left bank of
the Vistula, south of ,Pilitza and as far
as Sandomir, the Russians are ad-
vancing along the whole front, which
is 267 miles in extent The German
report declares no decisive result has
been achieved in the fighting in Rus
sia. The report seems to show that
the Germans have concentrated
strong force of artillery in front Of
Kocienice, just across the river from
the important fortress of Ivangorod.
1t adds that the Russians are holding
this district under most unfavOrable
conditions.
Of the progress of the battles in
Galicia, the Russian and Austrian re-
ports again are in direct conflict. The
Russians say the Austrians have failed
to cross the San river and that the
Russians are taking the offensive,
while near Przemysl the Russians re-
pulsed numerous bodies of Austrians.
The Austrians, on the other hand,
claim that their attacks are progress
ing and that the Russians have been
driven out of several places. It is
thought possible here that the Aus
trian report refers to battle taking
nlace farther to the south of Przemysl
but that it must be part of the general
onerations to get the Russians out of
Galicia and threaten their flank
In East Prussia, the situation seems
to be unchanged. The Servians again
report successes for their arms over
the Austrians in the sphere of opera
tions in the south.
According to the French communica-
tion, the Germans made attacks on the
allied lines today at Nieuport, Dixmude
and La Bassee. The German general
staff declares fighting continues on
the User canal and that the Germans,
taking the offensive west of Lille, have
repulsed the French at several points,
The report seems to contravent op.
timistic accounts appearing in the Eng
lish newspapers from correspondents.
who claimed they were in West Fland-
ers and who stated that the Germans
had been driven back.
The Germans, however, are believed
here to be fighting under a great dis
advantage, especially along the coast, !
because the British ships, which have
been assisting the allies land forces. |
have long range guns, capable of seri- |
ously menacing German troops and
men in the trenches as well as the
The ammunition trains and supply con-
Voys which must remain in the i'm
mediate rear of the troops.
While no official information IS avail.
able as to the ships which are being
Used for this purpose, it is probable