Evening star., 1915-05-17

French deprives the Germans Of their
last connection with the west side of
the waterway. German assaults on the
British position at Ypres seem to have
spent themselves. at least for the mo-
ment. as Field Marshal French reports
all has been quiet there for the last
forty-eight hours.
Further Gains Reported.
Further gains are reported by the
allies today in the first great effort of
the spring to roll back the German line.
now under way on the same ground
where thousands of lives were lost last
fall in the German attempt to break
through to the English channel.
According to Berlin, the Germans are
holding their ground
The French war office announces that
allied troops. crossing the User canal,
took German positions on the eastern
side at one point. gain of ground
near Het Sas also is claimed
The unrest in Asiatic Turkey during
the war has resulted in further attacks
by Turks and Kurds on Armenians. The
Russian consul at Urumiah, Persia,
states that 5000 Armenfans have been
massacred in the province of Van.
Following the recent British victories
in German Southwest Africa, French
forces have invaded successfully the
German colony of kamerun. A force
from French West Africa captured the
post of Esoka May IL.
Defeated Russians at Bay.
Official reports from Petrograd do
little to minimize the severity of the
defeat which the Russians have ex-
perienced over practically the whole
line, from central Poland to the Car
pathians The victorious Germanic
armies have robbed the Russians of
most of the gains of the hard winter
and early spring campaigns. with the
exception of Peremsyl. which is closely
threatened on two sides by hostile
forces.
In the latest Petrograd communfca-
tion there is a suggestion that the Rus
slams are couched behind the River San
in readiness for one of those sudden
movements such as previously have
turned defeat into victory for them.
1t is evident that the Austro-German
forces will leave nothing undone in
the attempt to force a crossing of the
San. The Russians admit the loss of
fifty guns during the retreat of their
third army to the San. but assert that
most of them were destroyed.
Zeppelin Driven Off.
Another Zeppelin attack on seaside
resorts on the east coast early this
morning accomplished no more than
other recent air raids. British air
men, however. were awaiting the Yep
pelin on this occasion, and after a
lively stern chase overlook 1t near
West Hinder lightship. A vigorous
attack by aeroplaness routed the Yep
hi -hnn Ia CT hod ifc
tail down and appeared to have been
damaged severely.
Germanys reply to America and
Italy's next step divide diplomatic in
terests Nothing has reached London
to dissipate the impression that Ger
manys answer will be more or less
negative. AS to Italy, the return Of the
Salandra government with its policy
intact and enormously strengthened
by public support, is accepted in Eng
Land as confirming the belief that
Italy will enter the war on the side
of the allies.
Spring Drive Is On.
Should the expected action of Italy
materialize, the allies will be in a better
position than ever to launch their big
offensive movement against Austria and
Germany. which is being preceded on the
western front by a series of attacks,
furnishing a foretaste of what is to come.
Hardly had the German attacks on the
British line around Ypres exhausted them
selves and the French offensive to the
north of Arras shown signs of coming
to an end than the British became the
aggressors to the north of La Basse, and
the French and Belgian troops COM
menced their attempt to throw the Ger
mans back from the User canal
These attacks, according to the French
official account, which. however. does not
gree with that from Berlin, were sue
cessful, and again compelled the Germans
to counter -attack-the most costly of all
operations in siege warfare.
Fighting at both points was still in
nroeress Yesterday, as well as in Arlois.
slight gain to those made during the
week, and which, combined, constitute
the biggest forward movement of
either army in the west since the bat
tie of the Marine.
Fighting also is in progress In the
Woevre, particularly to the west of LIE
forest of LIE Pretre, which the French
also won during the past week
Position in East.
There does not appear to be much
change in the general position in Cali
cia, although the Austro- German armies
have been able to make an additional
slight advance by the withdrawal of
the Russian rear guards. which have
heen holding off the victorious troops
until their own armies could get into |
new positions behind the San river. |
This territory promises to be the scene
of another big battle, for the Russians |
reinforced, will make a des-
perate effort to stem the tide which has
been running SO strongly against them !
In the Russian border provinces along
the East Prussian frontier isolated en- |