Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1915-09-30
ALLIES GAIN
IN THE WEST
OFFENSIVE BY ALLIES DECLAR.
ED GREATEST BATTLE OF
WORLD WAR

ED GREATEST BATTLE OF
WORLD WAR
London, Sept. 27.-Battering their
way over 3O0-mile front, the armies
of England, France and Belgium to-
day gripped with the German hosts
in northern France and Belgium in the
greatest battle of the world war, q
battle of such magnitude as to fore
cast the dwarfing Of the gigantic bat
tie of the Marne. By land and sea
and air, the Allies are hurling their
forces against the German lines, and
according to their official statements,
partially admitted from Berlin, are
gaining and holding that which they
have gained. German reinforcements
are being rushed to plug weak spots
in the line. The great offensive on
the west, which has been talked of
and promised for year, is on.
The greatest artillery onslaught OF
any war is blowing whole sections of
the German FrancoFlanders front to
bits. The allied troops are smash
ing their way toward the railway lines
by which the Teutons hold their grip
on Belgium and northern France. The
losses on both sides in the allied drive
that began Saturday morning already
are believed to total more than
100000.
F rom the southern territory in Lor-
raine, between the Meuse and Moselle,
to the northern coast of Belgium,
where warships are bombarding Zee
brugge and Middlekircke, is one vast
battlefield. Paved by the blasting
shells of go hours of continuous artll-
lery fire, fire which shattered the
carefully built trenches of the Ger
mans, which took a year to perfect,
the French and English path lies
straight to the second line of defense
of the Germans. Since the launching
of the great offensive Saturday, it has
been infantry work, bloody, with the
bayonet.
Paris, Sept. 28.-1ntelligence from
the Champagne front beyond Chalons
shows that it was the right wing OF
the German crown princes army
which was shattered in the attacks OF
Friday and Saturday. The crown
princes center made furious efforts to
counter in the Argonne Monday with
the result that all railway lines to
the east and north, according to
French information, were engaged
last night in carrying away German
wounded. French officers reckon that
the crown princes army lost 100000
men in this attack, and previous as
saults during the summer. The plan
of attack Of this army has been the
sending in Of masses Of two divisions
or about 10000 men at time against
the French works.
London. Sept. 29.-The British are
battering the third line of the German
defenses in the vicinity Of Loos, and
the French are maintaining their Of
fensive in the Champagne.
The Germans in the Argonne ap-
parently have been unable to make
important gains and have refra1ned
from infantry attacks:
This sums up briefly the situation
in the west as seen in London TO-DAY.
No great change In conditions Is
shown, but England attaches high i'm
portance to indications that the OF.
fensive movement of the allies is not
to be relaxed as predicted In some
quarters. ,..
The brief breathing spell has been
succeeded by the hardest pressure on
German positions at points weakened
Or shattered by the allied rush
That it is the intention to maintain
this pressure is indicated by a tele-
gram from Field Marshal French to
the lord mayor Of London, thanking
him for his message of good will.
The British commander added that
the message encouraged his troops
Ito push the immediate success to
really decisive ISSUE"
This leads the public to believe there
is to be no stalemate, such as followed
the battle of Neuve Chappelle, but
that with new British forces in the
field and ample supplies Of ammuni;
ton, General Joffre and Field Marshal
French plan a real test Of whether
the German resistance in France and
Belgium can be broken.
Russia, although encouraged by the
progress of her allies in the west, has
not been doing so we'll the last day
or two. The Austrians have stemmed
the Russian advance in southern Po-
land and have retaken 1.utsk, and the
Germans are renewing the great
movement against Dvinsk.