The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-25
ALLIES ARE FORGED BACK ID THE YSER IN FIERCE FIGHTING IN EAST FLANDERS Germans Pouring Men Into West in Gigantic Effort to Capture Ypres-Old Bat tie Duplicated CANADIAN TROOPS SAVE STU A TION
 BY COUNTER ATTACK 
 Allies Claim Teuton Ad- vance Has Been Stopped. Great Struggle Believed Developing


 Germans are pouring troops into Elan ders to press the attack which, at the beginning, has forced the allies back to the Yscr canal. north of Npres. This movement, according to reports reach ing Holland, hns assumed even great CT dimensions than those which pre- ceded the battle that ragged for more than two weeks Tn the same region last October. On that occasion the opcr- ations ended in the discomfiturc of the Germans, who had declared their in- tention of pushing their way through to Calais.
 It appears that the Germans have similar aim today and have set out to capture Ypres. described as the key to the French coast ports
 While the attack originally met with considerable success, due, according to the allies reports. to the use by the Ger mans of asphyxlating gases, it is said already to have been checked. The Cam adians. who held the extreme left of the British line and were forced to return
  pressed back, made brilliant counter at tack, regaining most if not all the ground which they had conceded and re-taking four guns which they had left in the hands of the Germans. In the words of Sir John French, they saved the situation.
 Gains Not Known
 The British report does not say how much ground they recovered, but the statement in the Berlin official report that a British attack at St. Julien was re- pulsed shows they are well back in their old positions. for that town which is on the main road between Yprez. Poelcap- belle, is immediately south of Lange- marck, whence the German attack was launched.
 The Germans. however, maintain their hold on the Yser canal further north, for they speak of storming Lizerne, which is across the canal between the towns of Steenstraate and Het-Sast which they took in their first rush. The German at tack south of Ypres, which was made sim ultaneously with that to the north. ap- parently has failed entirely.
 These attacks are believed to be the be- ginning of another big battle, which, with both sides strongly entrenched, promises to be one of the bloodiest and most bitter of the war. Telegrams from Holland to- night tell not only of the movement of German reinforcement to the front, but of long trains of dead and wounded pass ing to the rear-a condition which also must exist in the rear Of the allied army The outcome of this battle is waited with utmost ca gerness.
 Tn the Lmeantime, fighting goes on in Champagne and the Woevre, as well as in the Carpathians. Despite torrential rains, the Russians appear to have resumed their attack on the Austro-German posi- tions guarding Uzsok pass. Capture by the Russians of Hill 1901. it is claimed, will greatly facilitate their operations, re- ducing in importance HH. 992, which the Austrians still hold. Confirmation of this new Russian offensive Is contained in the Austrian official report, which records fighting on Turka road. which traverses Ixsok pass.
 The Dardanelles
 There is no official news as yet of opera tons in the Dardanelles or the North sea, but in the latter region there is evidence of activity by the Germans, who have sunk or captured several neutral vessels. The Danish steamer Nidaros was captured; the Norwegian barks Oscar and Eva and the Swedish steamer Ruth were torpedoed by submarines; the Norwegian steamer Cap rivi was blown up by a mine of thu Eng l;sh coast. while the Finnish steamer Track was torpedoed in the Baltic.
 Diplomats are watching Italy, which ap- parently has not yet reached decision on her future attitude. The fact that the meeting of the council of ministers called for today was postponed would seem to indicate that negotiations between Italy and the Germanic allies still are proceed ing of that Italy is waiting for final answer to her demands for territorial con sessions.