Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1915-02-21
FRENCH THROW IN
REINFORCEMEN7S
Most Terrific Engagement
in West Is Being Fought
in Champagne Region
TEUTONS USE STEEL
Prussians Use BayOnet in Heroic 81.
tempt to Take Trenches to East OF
Nrres, Hundreds Dying in
Close Fighting.

London, Feb. 20.--Heavy art!y'e.y
AID infantry actions were fought to-
day along the whole of the western
front, according to tonight's official
statement from Paris.
Fighting in the dunes and before
Ypres continues violent, but the most
vigorously prosecuted and the mosi
determinedly resisted action on rs;c
entire line is peing waged in the
Champagne region, where the French
are bringing all the weight of their
increased numbers and metal to bear
on the sturdy line which is defending
the German center army's lines of
communication.
To the German claim that the
French during the night of Friday
did nothing more than enter few
advance trenches in the region north
Of Perthes and Les Mesnils, their
other attacks failing, the French COM
munique tonight adds to it's previous
reports of success by declaring that
the battle continues to run in their
favor. Several renewed counter at
lacks were repulscd, it says, and
French progress made. A wooded
position north of Perthes, which the
Germans had strongly entrenched,
was occupied.
Berlin attaches importance to thl
action around Verdun, where to the
north of this keystone fortress, the
German bulletin asserts, French at
lacks were repulsed and German ar
tillery delivered a violent lombard
ment, preparing the way for new in
fantry attacks.
The French statement ignores the
reported action north of the fort and
dwells upon the fight in the south
east, where, at Les Eparges, six ter
rifle German counter attacks were
repulsed, followed by an attack in
return which resulted in further
gains for the French. Three machine
Guns, two trench mortars and 800
prisoners, including several officers,
are enumerated as the French booty.
Five Regiments Engaged.
Bodies of soldiers belonging to five
different regiments were found on
the field after the action at Kon, II
which the French carried several
German trenches, in a Paris claim
put forth as showing the strength or
the German force which was over
whelmed.
German shells continue to ram
! upon Rheims and i'll the region OF
Berry-au-Back the artillery action is
very energetic, without definite re-
suit.
The afternoon official statement
| from Paris gives details of the action
fought TO the east of Ypres. Import
ant forces were utilized by the Ger
mans in their repeated assaults on
the allies trenches. After H2veras
attacks, accompanied by cannot
AIDES, had failed, the Teutons resorted
10 Geld stee'. ID drove down upon
the allies rifle pits with the bayonet.
! They were turned back after "a ter
rifle hand-to-hand encounter, in
which hundreds of dead were LETT on
the field. The reserves, which should
have given support to the attacking
Germans, were held immobile by che
| German forces
Fighting in the Vosges continues.
Paris admits that the Germans sue
ceeded in gaining foothold on the
eastern spur south of LaFacht. where
the French had established an ad-
vance post. German attempts to re-
take hill No. GOT have failed. BerEn
| asserts the kaiser's troops stormec
more than mile of the French front
on the heights eest OF Sulzern ana
On Reconsideration west of Nuens-
ter. The battle for the possession OF