South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-17
VETERAN FORCES ARE
SENT TO AID Won KLUCK
New Creusot Guns Have Been
Brought Up by the French at
scissors and German Ad-
vance is Checked.
GREAT VICTORY.

BERLIN (via wireless Sayville).
Jan. 16.- The fighting at Soissons is
regarded as the greatest German sue
cess in France for three months. Cen
firming the conviction that Gen. Jof-
fre's offensive has broken down Maj.
MOraht, writing in the Tageblatt, puts
the total French losses in the last
three days at 80, 600 at least. He con-
cludes that this victory must eXpidite
the German operations in the ArgOnne
and around Verdun
LONDON, Jan. 16.-Important new
dispositions of troops are being made
by the Germans according to dispatch
es received here from Holland and
from behind the lines in Belgium and
France. The change which evidently
is taking place in the German cam
paign plans, indicated by the general
shifting of first line forces, is accepted
by British military critics as preSag
ing a new drive against the allies at a
point which only can be contectured.
Amsterdam reports that the Ger
mans have evacuated all the towns
and villages on the Belgian coast as
far north as Mariakerke 10 the north
of NieupOrt and three miles southwest
Of Ostend. The towns reported aban-
doned include Middlewerke, Slype and
Westende. The veteran forces already
had been Withdrawn from along the
User to reinforce Won Kluck's army
which attacked Scissors under the eye
of the kaiser and Landstrum troops
had taken their places.
II is considered likely that the new
drive of the kaiser's troops will be
made against the French coast posi-
tions by way Of Arras and Roye where
fresh bodies of first line troops are
already reported to have appeared.
New Gums are Used.
German attacks against scissors
continue, but the invaders evidently
have been checked by the fire Of the
new Creusot guns brought Up to the
south band of the Aisne at this point.
Shells hurled against the positions the
Germans captured when they forced
the French across the stream destroy
ed a number of the enemy's field
works, dispersed a regiment which
was attempting to reasSemble and
wrecked and completely silenced sew
eral German batteries.
Berlin reports quiet on the scissors
front but adds that the number Of
cannon captured from the French Jan.
u, Is and IA has been found to be 35
The French report on the other hand
denies the German claim that 5000
Frenchmen were killed and more than
days.
Fresh gains on the Perthes-Beause-
tour front were set out in the mid
night official communique received
from Paris. a new trench was cap
tured from the Germans on the out
skirts of Perthes-les-Hurl and a
woods nearly 500 yards in front of the
French line at Beausejour has been
occupied by them.
No Mention Is Made.
Berlin states that La Boiselle to the
northeast OF Albert, was completely
DESTROYED by the German shell fire
and the town entirely cleared of the
French. Paris states that the Ger
mans attacked violently the French
positions to the west or the town, out
we're repulsed. OF fighting in the
town itself. no mention is made by the
French report.
The French claim progress at Bla-
CRY near Arras while Berlin states
that the French attacks to the north
east of Arras were repulsed two
trenches being captured from the
French in a cOunter-atrack, all the oc-
cupants being made prisoners
Artillery duel continue on the
Flanders front and sparodic attacks
and counter-attacks with slight gains
for one side or the other, none OF
: which materially affest the military
situation, are recorded on the remain
der OF the battle front.
Weather conditions continue severe
the roads being too heavy for the
moving of heavy guns or transport
motors The swollen rivers and small
streams continue to harass the en-
! trenchments near the banks and IN
many places the lines has been forced
1 back from the edges OF the streams 70
safer and higher ground.