The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-12
FRANCE

ls[United Press Leased Wire Service.l
PARIS, Feb. 12.-The campaign for
possession Of the vosges passes and
the main roads into upper AIsace has
been resumed despite the heavy snow.
Tho Germans are being bombarded
with long range heavy artillery,
brought up during the iuI Of the last
fortnight and an offensive Is being
Initiated that is expected to resolve IT.
self into series Of hot'y contested
battles that will give the French pos
session Of various strategic points
necessary to begin the drive Of the
kaiser's forces northward and across
the Rhine.
On the other extreme Of the long
battle line, from the sea to Nieuport,
a German offensive which has been
developing has suffered q severe
check. Some Of the outer chain Of
German trenches have been demolish-
ed by the French and Belgian heavy
artillery and by bomb throwers. From
Nieuport to Ypres, around the laBas.
see positions and near Soissons, vs.
artillery exchanges continue w'tF
interruption. In the Argonne y
In6 USHItuQ boUEtl tie lOd0S -
south through BasateiIe and Z = he
heights Of Marie Therese g .ues.
The Germans have made al dt-
ost more than 1000 in x alone. In
ontinue their efforts to retake the
wooded hills lyinq north Of MesnIi-
Les-Hurlus, but SO far without sue
cess.
SEVERE FIGHTING.
[By Henry Wood, United Press Staff
Correspondent.
PARIS, Feb. 12-severe fighting
continues to the south Of la Eoiselle,
where the Germans have succeeded in
exploding a mine under a section Of
the French trenches. Despite this
fact, it was officially announced here
today that the French are maintain.
ing all Of their positions there and
that the Germans were unable to take
advantace Of the demolition Of the
French trenches.
From the sea to the Somme, the
artillery exchanges continue and are
growing In intensity, but there has
been no change In the relative posi-
tions of the forces. The Germans are
i again bombarding Tracy-Le-Mont and
have succeeded In badly damaging a
number Of buildings there.
{; From Rheims to the SoiSsons tri-
. angle, the French were today engaged
lin violently bombarding the German
/ positions and were reported to have
/ silenced some Of the more active Ger
man artillery.
The war. office, in connection with
its afternoon summary Of the war con-
ditions, announced that official ad-
vices from Petrograd say that the
Germans have-I lost 10000 men in their
recent attempts to renew their often
sive in Poland and that everywhere
they have been completely checked.
The Price Of Sugar.
| BY William Philip Simms, United
Press Staff Correspondent
PARIS, Feb. 1. (By mail to New
York. Sugar at eleven cents pound
is declared by officials to have reach
ca its highest point. Steps have been
taken to encourage the production Of
the domestic article and officials be.
| lieve they have solved the general
problem.
When the war began, there was
food panic. People with the memory
u LOW ACCdA IAiOuSH tu0 ROVSTu-
iment's action in Communicating large
quantities of food supplies, made 4
rush for the grocery establishments.
Salt and sugar were among the things
that were purchased. Sugar, especial
ly, soon disappeared
| Then came the invasion by the Ger
mans of the principal sugar Producing
provinces and the confiscation of
Estores on hand. Most of the sugar in
France comes from the Nord, Pas-De-
Calais, Aisne and Somme departments,
and the Germans had invaded these.
What was still worse, three-fourths CT
the best sugar beet seeds came from
Germany and the other quarter from
1.-THE invaded portions.
, The German seed houses were will
ing to sell their products through
Swiss sources. But the French gov
ernment would not permit this. Then
,:Russia came to the front She offer
ed full supply Of seed through the
French government at the price that
the Germans had asked in the piping
iidays of peace. The offer was accent
led.
4 The French government has taken
loft the duty OF Sc hundred pounds on
the seed. But it is admitted the
|hcreage will OF necessity be reduced.
Still, it is believed here that enough
ground can be planted to insure near
ly normal crop and the government
will assist in planting and in harvest
ing it.