Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-24
BERLIN SAYS ATTACKS
OF FOES HAVE FAILED
Declares Number of Prisoners and
Cannon Captured Has Been
Increased.
DEADLY GASES USE CHARGED
Teutons Said to Have Been Able to
Take First Trenches Near
Ypres Through Noxious
Fumes.

LONDON. April 24.-Over an
arclike front in Belgian Flanders.
which is roughly ten miles long.
from the region OF Bischoote in
the north to St. Eloi in the south,
French, British and Belgian
troops are locked with the Ger
mans today in a series Of engage
ments which recall the fighting OF
last October.
Although it is generally admit
ted that the Germans in their
sudden drive gained considerable
ground through the allied lines. it
being estimated at five miles, the
British by strong counter at
tack have forced the enemy TO
give up much of that territory
gained.
While the British claim that
much of the ground taken by the
Germans has been recaptured in
counter attacks, Berlin insists to-
day that these attempts have
failed under heavy German FIRE.
Berlin declares that the number
of prisoners taken in the drive"
now amount to 2.47O, while
thirty-hve cannon have been cap
tured. West of the Ypres canal
the Germans have stormed the
town of Lizerbe, it is declared.
Successes for the kaiser's arms at
other points in the western arena
are claimed.
Launch Sudden Advance.
Driven from hill No. so, to the south
of Ypres. and falling to retake il by
a counter attack. the Germans launched
a sudden advance northeast of the town.
and after stupefying and killing men in
the first trenches with deadly gases.
according to British official reports.
they drove wedge of infantry for
ward, forcing the French and Belsians
back toward. and at some points ap
parently across. the User tYpres) canal
la maneuver which at the same time
compelled the British line north of
Ypres to fall back to conform with the
French.
Although the advance of the Germans
was considerable, extending. according
to Berlin dispatches, over front of
five miles. French. Belgian and British
ter, the Belsians the left and the Brit
ish the right OF the line-immediately
initiated a counter attack, the result
of which was to compel the Germans to
taken, and force them in northeast
Ierly direction toward LanSemarck.
from which place the attack started.
Attempt to Gain Calais.
Some of the London newspapers to-
day characterize this German rush as
another attempt to break through to
Calais, and some estimates say they
have 900 men available for this ef-
fort.
BY this time the British are pre-
sumably well strengthened, and have
consolidated their position on hill No.
so. The hardest fighting, consequently,
is expected north of Ypres.
Field Marshals Report.
Field Marshal Sir John French. COM
mander-in- chief of the British forces
in France and in Belgium, in com
munication to the war Office describes
the most recent fighting. He says:
Yesterday evening the enemy de
veloped an attack on the French troops
on our left in the neighborhood OF
Bixschoote, and Langemarck, on the
north of the Ypres salient.
This attack was preceded by
heavy bonn mba rdment. the enemy at the
same time making use of a large num-
Der of appliances for the production
of asphyxiating gas. The quantity
produced indicates long and deliberate
vices contrary. to the terms. of The
Hague convention, to which the enemy
subscribed.
The false statement made by the
Germans week ago to the effect that
We were using such gases is now
plained. 1t obviously was an effort to
diminish neutral criticism in advance
French Forced to Retire.
During the night the French had to
retire from the gas zone. overwhelmed
by the fumes. They have fallen back
to the canal in the neighborhood of
Boesinghe Our front remains intact
except on the extreme left. where the
troops have had to read1ust their line
in order to conform with the new
French line.
Two attacks delivered during the night
on our trenches east Of Ypres were re-
pulsed. Fighting continues in the region
north Of Ypres.
This morning ono Of our aviators. dur
ing a reconnaissance which he completed
successfully. damaged German. aero
plane and forced It to descend Our Tying
corps has brought down another German
near MessinsA"
nalisvad Kav "a CalnSs.
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