Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-04-27
GERMANS BEGIN
new OFFENSIVE
IN FLANDERS l||
BUSHES Against Canadians and
French Forerunners on Big
Effort to Reach Coast.
THEY BOTH CLAIM SUCCESSES
Troops Being Transferred From East
to Aid in Operations to
Take Calais.
THEY BOTH CLAIM SUCCESSES

PUSHES in Flanders and the Woevre
where they claim to have had con
siderable success, are believed to be
the forerunner of another big effort
to break through the allied lines il
the west.
For many days Belgium has beer
sealed from the observation of lieu.
trails, while reinforcements from
Germany were being moved to the
south to take part in the new often.
sive, which they hope is to carry
them to Calais and possibly break
the resistance of the allies.
The attack in Flanders, original
ly leveled at the French, has been
transferred to the British lines held
by the Canadians, on the immediate
right of the French, and here for
two days the men from the dominion
have been engaged in deadly con-
test with the Germans. The latter
state in their official report that they
have made further progress towards
Ypres and that the British counter
attack has been repulsed.
The French account, on the other
hand, declares that the allies count
er attacks continue with success, and
that the, British hold all their posi-
tons, and repeats the charge that
the Germans are using bombs con-
tanning asphyxiating gases.
The Frankfurter Zeitung justifies
the use of these missiles on the
ground that the allies have done
likewise.
The German attack in the Woe
vre, or in the Mouse hills, was d.
rected against the French positions
to the southwest of Combres, and,
according to the Berlin statement,
the French suffered a heavy defeat.
Paris, however, says that in coun-
ter attack the Germans were COM
pletely driven out of the French
first line which they had pushed
back.
These offensive movements by the
Germans have been made possible by
the state of the ground on the east
ern front, where operations are vir-
tually impossible until the spring
floods have subsidized. Taking ad-
vantage of these conditions, the Ger
man general staff transferred a large
number of troops to the west to make
another big effort, which shows that
they are not content to rely on a
passive policy.
1t is believed that half million
new German troops have reached
Flanders and that more guns and
material are to be used than were
provided the original attempts to de-
stroy the allied armies in the west
attempts which met with failure
both in August and in October.
In the meantime, the eastern front
is enjoying a period of comparative
calm, except in the d-Carpathians,
where the Russians continue to at
tack the Austrians in Uzsok pass,
and to the eastward, where the Aus
TRANS and Germans are trying to
crush the Russian flank. Both sides
report successes.
The operations in the Dardanelles
apparently are still confined to the
Commandment of the Turkish en-
trenchments, while preparations are
being made for landing the allied
force, part of which is already on
Turkish territory, at Enos and 9TH
er points.
Italy and Greece continue to de-
bate what steps, if any, they will
take, and Roumania, it is believed,
waits on the decision of Italy, as it
is declared the two have perfected
treaty of alliance. 1t is stated that
Austrian and German diplomats at
Rome are prepared to recommend
acceptance of Italy's terms, but are
waiting for instructions from Wen
ma, which must have the last word
in the matter.