South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-24
Hard Fighting in Progress at
Langemarck and Steen-
straate Where Four Big
Guns Are Captured.
KAISER'S MEN RENEW
THEIR DRIVE ON CALAIS
Attacks Directed Against YpreS
and British Forces on West
Bank of Canal Force Retreat
of Allies for Time at Least.

LONDON, April Z4.-bi 4NlSA NiOott9
in FLANDERS have taken the onenslEe
.,aainst the Germans and hard hight
ing is in progress at Langemarck ana
lSteenstraate This was announced III
an official statement issued Dy lhe
government press bureau today
The Canadian division OF the BRIT
Ifsh army is i'm the front line or the at
tacking forces The canadians are
leading In the counter attacks against
lIhe kaiser's troops.
When the Germans made thelr
sudden assault upon the Langemarck-
tSteenstraate front the Canadians
ksvere forced To fall back because OF
y ne loss of the line at that point
-Four OF the Canadians 4.t-lnch guns
were captured by the Germans.
In their counter attack, however,
the Canadians recaptured the guns
also taking many prisoners, including
a colonel.
The press bureaus statement, re-
mort from British headquarters un-
der today's date. says that the gai-
lantry of the Canadians undoubtedly
saved the situation. They suffered
many casualties.
Renew Drive for Calais.
German troops have renewed their
drive for Calais. This IS the concLu-
sion placed by British military eX-
lperts upon the sudden offensive OF the
lSaisers army in Flanders. Ihelr as
saults directed against Npre& and the
allies forces ON the west bank of the
Ypres canal have resulted in victory
for the time being at least.
That the allies have been forced TO
retreat is admitted by both Field
Marshal French and the war office,
though they attribute the Germans
success To the use of asphyXiaung
bombs. II is apparent that Germany,
Il X 90
the burdens placed upon her army in
the western and eastern theaters or
war. is still able 10 fight vigorously.
The German troops in Flanders
now are believed 10 number 5OO.OOO
and more are steadily arriving. The
opinion OF the military experts here
IS that the German general STAFF mas
withdrawn great forces from the east
ern theater and transferred them to
FLANDERS. as recent dispatches from
Berlin have reported no Iate leVles,
though thev assert there are still D.
100000 men in the empire, who can
be drawn upon IL necessary.
Critical Moment Arrives.
The critical moment has ar
rived. is the view expressed by the
military correspondent of the Daily
Mail HIS statement represents gen
eral opinion in we'll informed circles,
though no anxiety = manifested In
any AAdA Lt4 dc latt p4ciA4o pA LAAN GNA
mans 10 make another attempt 10
hack their way through TO the chan
mel ports have been known TO the
british war office for some time.
1t was this reason that the British
took the offensive at Neuve Chapelle
Apnd hill No. 90. Lord Kitchener in
iOrsed these attacks, backing uI
Field Marshal French in his desire
10 strike the first blow. Both were
successful but something went
wrong" at Neuve Chapelle which IN
large measure upset the British plans
AT hill No 90, though the British
captured that important position, they
were held hack from further advance
Then came the long expected German
attack in the direction of Ypres
which is considered one of the keys
TO Calais. In the positions they now
hold on the Npres canal. the Germans
are less than miles from Dunkirk
Allies scheme Carried Out
With the Germans on the advance
IN the west, the general scheme OF
operations laid down by the allies is
BSain being carried out. Russian
hosts are again on the move. Late
dispatches from PetrOgrad report aC-
tion along almost the entire S0O-mile
battle front extending from the Bal
ghc 10 BuSowina-
If the Germans nave weakened
their forces IN the east 10 strengthen
those in the west. il is almost a Ger
4aintv that the Vulnerable spot vii
De found by the Russian leaders. In
terest outside OF that as regards Elan
ders is directed again 10 the Carpa-
thians and the Nistula front The
English believe that in one OF these
REGIONS the next great Russian blow
will fall.
While the belief still exists that q
naval battle IS soon 10 be fought IN
the North sea. attention previously
given 10 that situation and TO the
Dardanelles has been diverted 10 the
more important land operations al
most at Englands s door.
Germanys statement that its fleet
has been out In the North sea without
meeting any English shrips was ig-
nored by the admiralty today The
officials there know Just what the
German navy IS doing and also what
England IS prepared TO do when the
opportunity arrives.
LYRIC QUARTFT GIVES