The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-21
TURKISH FORTS BEING BATTERED
![;ilANCE

/ [.lAMG
IN - .nry wood, United Press Staff
Ss correspondent.l
PARIS, FEB. 2o.-That the general
moxement to press the Germans out OF
/ French territory is already under
way, is indicated by tonights ad-
vices from the front. In the north
There has been much severe fighting
along the entire front from Lens In
side OF the Belgian frontier. But at
ieyery point, the latest reports say,
the Germans have been repTsed with
very heavy loss.
Commencing on the Arras road,
south Of Lens, the battle line extends
north through Vermelles to the east OF
Givenchy, then describes an acute
angle to Festubert and then shifts al
most due east by north to point
east Of Armentieres and wavering be-
/ tween Ypres and Zonebeke through
iLongemarck to Nieuport and the
coast. And ali along this line severe
| fighting has been in progress for sew
eral days. The British forces which
are defending the chief portions OF
this line, have been heavily reinforced
and the latest reports received here
4 indicate that the Germans have suf-
1 fered severely.
In the Argonne regions, and the
| champagne district, the Germans have
ceased their endeavors to break
through the French lines.
At half dozen points the French
|have made distinct gains.
4 Along the heights Of the Meuse, the
i fighting continues with the French In
control Of the, situation. They now
.|hoid numbersof bridge heads feady
to push their lines across the griver
when the necessity arises.
Through snow that at some points 10
waist deep, the contending forcss are
battling In the vosges They AHSeneh
troops have made small gains but Y
jis believed that no definite results
|can be expected until after the spring
thaws. A similar situation exists In
upper Aisace.
/ FRESH GAINS MADE.
[By Henry Wood, United Press staff
I Correspondent ~
PARIS, Feb. 2O.-Fresh gains for
the French forces engaged In rolling
the German crown princes armies
back from Verdun, were reported In
official dispatches tonight.
The Germans renewed their assaults
upon French trenches several miles
north Of verdun. They made six fur
ious attacks with the object Of captur-
ing positions from which shell fire
j could be directed upon Verdun itself.
- nA
French troops then counter-attaeked
and following close upon the heels OF
the retreating Germans, captured sew
eraI rows Of trenches adjacent to
those occupied yesterday. Two hun
dred prisoners, two n1ortars and other
war material were taken by the
French.
Success for the French offensive
movement north Of Perthe, was claim
Cd in the official eommunIque tonight.
The French forced the Germans to
evacuate wood where the enemy had
a strong position. The offensive move
ment In the Champagne region 10 de-
veIoping favorabIy.
The official statement said that
violent cannonadne continues In BEL
sIum and all along the battle front
from the seacoast to Rheims.
BRUTAL TREATMENT.
PARIS, Feb. 2O.-Stories Of es.
treme brutal treatment while inmates
Of German prisons, were recited to
the French atrocity committee, Of
which Gabriel Hanotaux Is chairman,
| Of the witnesses were withheld be-
cause they asserted that they had fam
lilies still living within the territory
held by the Germans and they feared
re eprisaIs. One Of the witnesses, a
woman, charged that the Germans
icompeIled men, women, girls and
;younq men to occupy the same quar-
iters and to sleep In the same room.
Some times, she declared, there were
tsixty men and women in the same
room that had space enough only for
twenty. Straw was thrown on the
floor for bedding and the entire build.
limo was filled with vermin. The air.
she alleged, was unbearable and there
Iwere no sanitary accommodations.
/, Another witness charged she saw po-
lice dogs jump on children and knock
them down. The food, she declared.
was unfit for human consumption, be-
inp made up Of frozen potatoes and
black bread. The prisoners were as
sauIted by the guards and knocked
down by officers who struck them with
the flats of their swords. Others were
kicked and beaten with fists. Illness
was prevalent, particularly rheuma-
i tisr,, typhoid and dphtheria. The
Eralish were brutally treated at first.
but later they forced respect by dig
ntfied bearing
I one old man, 6s, charged he saw
two old men die Of hunger because
thew were kept without food which
they could mastieate for five days
Witness charged he had been terribly
eaten hx xormin which entered his