The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-28

port issued yesterday in LONDON
! London. Sept. 2S.-The French are
now battering the second line OF Ger
man defenses in Champagne, Whie
the British to the north apparently
have been able to crush all German
counter attacks.
| So far as can be ascertained, the
situation on the western front as Gre
| ated by the allied offensive of Satur-
! day and Sunday is about Wnere IL
was. The diversion initiated by the
! Ger man crown prince in the Argonne
at some places reached the first
French line but nowhere cid the Ger
mans break through.
While German prisoners are arriv-
ing in France by the trainload, Brltlsh
wounded from Flanders are beginning
to reach London. All have the same
story to tell. They describe the ter
rifle bombardment of the allies before
which it seemed impossible that any
den slackening of the fire and the
British charge.
How it happened that so many I'M
wounded Germans We're captured is
puzzling the public of this country and
France. This is the sixty-thlrd birth
day of Field Marshal Sir John Frencp.
The people are not expecting 1t TO De
signalized by any marked fresh al
vance, so soon after the gains ALREADY
achieved, but these accomplishments
have for the particularly cordial con-
graduation for the British comman-
der.
The fighting in the east still favors
the Russians on the south end of the
line, although there is no confirma-
ton of the report that they nave
reached the important railway juno
ton of Kovel
The most momentous struggle is
still conferred on DVinSk, where 1t IS
said the Germans are regrouping their
forces preparatory to another great
blow. Bulgaria, though she has
modified her troops has not made
her next move clearer.
Will "CrumpIe,' Says Berlin.
Berlin Sept. 2S.-The first rush of
the Anglo-F'rench troops in the west
has been met and stopped. The sec
ond rush, it was promised here today,
will be dealt with even more eff
fectually.
There is every confidence that
what was planned as a great offensive
movement will crumple into mere
trench warfare before the end of the
present week In spite of the check
administered by the Germans in the
fighting of Sunday night and early
yesterday, the allies are expected to
return to the attack. The opinion
against the German position Will last
at least a week, unless a disaster like
that experienced by, the British at
Nueve Chapelle halls operations.
er the British nor the French have
denied the German line. The success
attained by the allies in the first few
hours of fighting was due solely to
their long artillery preparation, ac-
cording to reports REACHING here. Sew,
eral weeks shell fire had partly
demolished the advance German
trenches and it was considered use
less to defend them at heavy cost of
life. For that reason the Germans
fell back in the Champagne region,
and released their grip on narrow
trench front at Loos.
In the second days fighting, no such
easy task confronted the French in
fantry.
Their artillery had now blown in
the second line trenches and from be-
hind these works the Germans main
tanned themselves without losing
ground.
In the north, the British were halted
before they reached the wire entangle-
ments and were thrown back by a
heavy fire and then pursued to their
own trenches. 1t is officially declared
that the enemy made no further
gains on any sector of the front from
-Arras north to the sea.
The French losses in the first three
days of fighting are understood to
have been surprisingly small in view
of the fact that the French every
where were on the offensive This
was because the German trenches had
been so badly wrecked by concentrated
artillery fire that the enemy could
offer no effectual resistance.
Wounded officers arriving here re-
ported that several hours of the first
day of the battle was fought in a driv-
ing rain that drenched the men to the
skin,