The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-03
Check of Polish hvaSton
Feature of Month in War
In West French Made Notable Advance in AlsaceBrtish
Fleet Won Naval Battle Off Falkland Islands
English Coast Towns Sheed


Germans in their drive toward Calais, was
widened toward Roulers and to- the south
east In the direction of Menin.
At Arras the French were able to push
to the northeast and southeast, and
have captured some of the suburbs Of the
city Nermelles, east of Bethune, was
taken by the French, as well as the rail-
road running north and south to the east
OF Nermelles. These gains were made af-
Ter one of the hardest struggles OF the
war. The French also succeeded In maxi
ing a general advance toward Bapaume
and Peronne. and made marked gains on
the Plateau OF Nouvron, north OF the
Asne There was little change in tho
month between Craonne and Perthes, or
in the region Of Rheims.
Just west Of the Argonne the month
was given up to artillery duels The
French gained ground north OF Perthes
and Mesnils- les-Harlus in the same dis
trict In La Grurie woods. the northern
part Of the Argonne forest. which Is eN-
tremely difficult ground, the French and
Germans advanced and fell back alter
nateiy, with 10 change In the situation at
the end OF the month.
on the heights of the Mouse the French
advanced northeast OF Brabant and
reached the suburbs OF Varennes, west
OF the Meuse and northwest of Nerdun
accomplishing another step In the scheme
of extending the circle about the fortress
Of Nerdun, as, further west, the circle
was being extended about Ypres.
North Of ST. Mlhiel. where the French
have been trying to drive the Germans
southwark and eastward, there have been
slight French advances. while the Ger
mans have gained advantages south Of
the point Of the German wedge, which has
its point at st. Mhiel
Where the German line approaches the
eastern frontier, at Pont-a Mousson. the
French have approached Arnaville. a Ger
man border town, close enough to bonn
bard II. and also have been able to bonn
bard the fCstress of Metz by aeroplane.
French Gain In Alsace.
In addition TO the district in Flanders.
the most appreciate Allied advances have
been made In Haut-Alsace where the
French have extended their line within
n short distance of Altkirch and Muel-
hansen. To the north OF Thanh. which
has been held by the French for many
weeks, severe fighting developed In the
village Of Steinbach The French cap
tured the heights surrounding the town
ceeded in occupying part OF the town
Itself
The territory of Upper Alsace. which
the French now hold. has been organized
as new department OF France. under
the name which II bore before the war
OF 1870, lie Haul Rim.
Early In the month the FrencS War
Offlce announced officially that French ar
tillery had battered down German field
fort in Flanders. had overmatched Ger.
man guns in the Champagne district and
had silenced the German batteries neal
Narennes, in the Argonne. A little later
It was announced that German artillery
had been forced from its positions long
held on the heights of the Meuse. These
announcements were regarded as ndicat-
ing that the early German superiority in
heavy artillery had been overcome and
that the French not only had equalled
their rivals in this respect but had sur
passed them.
British Win st Sea.
The chief naval happening OF the month
was the defeat on December OF the
German cruiser squadron which on Mo-
vember | sank the British armored cruls-
crs Good Hope and Monmouth off Coronel
Chile, The German fleet, approaching the
Falkland Islands, in the South Atlantic
to destroy the British coaling station
there. was met by newly despatched
British squadron aud the German ar
mored cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
! and the light cruisers Leipsic and Nuern-
1 berg were sent TO tho bottom
ON December II the British submarine
Bill dved under Ave lines of mines i'm
the Dardanelles and sank the Turkish
coastguard battleship Messudieh with a
torpedo.
\ German cruiser squadron appeared
off Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
on the Yorkshire coast II England on the
morning of December l6 and shellcd the %
towns. killing 1923 persons and seriously