The Colorado statesman., 1914-12-05
Inhabitants and Records Are
Saved by French Sappers
Working Under Fire.
BRUSSELS MUST PAY MILLIONS
invaders Tell Citizens They Have
to Maintain Unwelcome Guests
and Raise s75,ooo,o 900 as
War Tax, Besides.
(Snnlnza1y Of E0evtS.)


The Germans have destroyed
the old and magnificent city of
Ypres, in southwestern Belgium.
Failing to capture the place and
hold it as a strategic position
against the Allies, the kaiser's
army drew up to the northward
an armored train of heavy artil-
lery and Systematically battered
the city to pieces in two days.
This is the gist of a report given
in the latest French official bulle-
tin.
Every Act Justified.
Our forces were unable to succor
the city" the report continues; but
French army sappers, working under
the hostile shell fire, were able to
rescue many of the inhabitants, the
city records and few pictures in the
museum" Berlin has made no denial
of this statement by the French. In
stead, Major General Won Ditfurth
writes: Every act of whatever ma
ture committed by our troops for the
purpose of discouraging, defeating and
destroying our enemies is a brave act
and good deed, and is fully justi-
fed"
Big Levy on Belgium.
message from Brussels states
that the German governor of
the province of Brabant, in which
Brussels is located, convoked meet
ing of financiers and told them that
Belgium must pay 35,000,000 francs
C$7,OOO,0OO) monthly for the ma!nte-
nance of German troops. In addition
to this sum, it is said, Belgium must
contribute war levy of 375, 100000
francs ($75,000,000) as a penalty for
violations of neutrality by Belgium
and losses ensuing therefrom to Ger
many.
Official reports from Paris and Lon
don say that the Allies have assumed
the offensive against the Germans
along the User river and the Ypres
canal in the last few days. This is
regarded as a significant change
Allies Assume Offensive.
The Germans, following a lull last
ing more than a week, made very
heavy assaults all along the lines in
the extreme northwest of France and
in Southwestern Belgium. They had
heavy reinforcements and fresh guns,
and for time it appeared that they
would be able to cut the Allies line
and get to the English channel.
1t was reported from Berlin that
the kaiser had ordered his great west
ern army to get to Calais, France, by
December 10, and that raid on the
east coast Of England would follow the
capture of Calais. That the Allies
have been able to withstand the bat
tering of the German forces, and have
even assumed the offensive, probably
means safety for English coast towns
for the winter
British Warship Sunk.
The British warship Bulwark has
been blown up in the Midway river
off Sheerness by an explosion in her
magazines. Only twelve were saved
out of the crew of 700 or 500 aboard
the Bulwark. The explosion is be-
ieved to have been in an internal
magazine. Whether it was caused by
German agents or was an accident
such as might have occurred in times
of peace. has not been determined.
British Lose Another Boat.
Striking a mine off Grimsby at the
mouth of the Humber river, near Hull,
the British collier Khartoum was
blown up, report from the British
admiralty announces. The crew was
saved, hut the Khartoum went to the
bottom.
French Guns Near Metz.
French artillery continue to bonn
bard Arnaville, only ten miles from
Metz, Germany. The development of
an offensive in Lorraine has long
been expected, but to what extent 1t
may be carried was not indicated at
the war office.