Evening star., 1915-01-12
STUBBORN ATTACKS
OF FRENCH FUTILE,
TEUTONS DECLARE
Severe Fighting in Progress on
Heights Near Cernay, Ber-
lin Reports.
HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED:
MANY PRISONERS TAKEN
Forward Movement of Russians Is
Also Said to Have Been
Checked.
SITUATION GENERALLY SAME
Artillery Exchanges, Sapping Opera
tions and Trench Attacks Con-
tinue-England Sends Thou
sands of New Men Weekly.


LONDON, January 12.-While
Germans report successes agains;
French forces in Alsace, Paris
claims slight gains at other
points.
Generally, however, the armies
bathing in the eastern and west
ern arenas of the war by artillery
exchanges, sapping operations
and trench attacks. continue to
be aligned much as they were Oh
the first of January.
German View of Fighting.
Severe fighting is in progress today
FOR the possession of positions now in
the hands OF the Germans on the
heights to the south Of Cernay (Senn-
heinz. in upper Alsace. according 10
the German official communication is-
sued today. French attacks which were
begun last night are reported to have
been repulsed with heavy losses, but
the French returned to the attack at
dawn today.
In the fighting on the eastern part
OF the Argonne forest during the past
hve days the Germans claim to have
taken prisoner seven officers and 1900
men. The repulse of French attacks
in the region of Perthes and at ALLY
and the capture of a French position
along the ancient Roman highway
which runs through the Argonne are
onfi ix,ff In
arena mentioned In the report
In northern Poland the Germans claim
that forward movement of the Rus
slams was checked.
England Sends Troops.
Great Britain is now sending thou
sands OF men to France every week.
and. according to today's reports from
Berlin, Germany. aware Of this. is max
ing great military preparations for a
counter movement. all the reserves
being called to the colors. it is de-
clared here. and the further statement
Is made that the German generals are
gathering up the reins to assume ac.
tive direction of all the campaigns
that is to say. the Austro-Hungarian
fight against Servia and Russia and the
Turkish campaign against Russia and
Great Britain.
This. briefly. is the plan military OBJ
servers in London believe will be fol-
lowed, subject, however, to any change
which the entrance into the war of
Roumania or Italy might necessitate.
Germany Claims Progress.
Germany still claims that she is MAX
ing slow progress toward Warsaw.
There have been published in London.
however, reports that these operations
are merely masking movements to
shield German retreat to the Silesian
frontier. British military observers do
not credit this idea, believing that Gen.
Won Hindenburg has further offensive
strength, but at the same time they
draw attention to the fact that the
Russians must feel confident of War
saws safety. else they would not con-
tinue to hurl SO many troops against
Hungary through Bukowina.
French on Offensive.
The French troops were ordered to
take the offensive between the Meuse
and MoselIe January 8, and the fight
ing that followed resulted in a distinct
French gain.
While on the wings the infantry at
tackled LIE Pretrie wood and the forest
of Apremont, the artillery. massed be-
hind Flirey. awaited the right mo
ment to open fire: The batteries had
been deftly concealed during the night,
but, nevertheless, as soon as the morn
ing mists fioated away German shells
began to fall among the gunners.
Twice the positions were changed, but
still the shells fell thickly.
1t was then noticed that the sails of
a dilapidated windmill moved in an
unaccountable way. since there was
not a breath of wind. and five men
were sent to investigate. AS soon as
they reached the building a man
jumped from the window and fed to-
ward the German lines, but he was
soon brought down by a French bullet
At noon the French guns opened fire
and at the same time an aviator
been weakened because the Germans
were obliged to send help to the left
wing, which was hard pressed In the
LIE Pretrie wood.
Guns Put Out of Action.
After hours of shelling the German
guns were put out of action and the
French infantrymen dashed forward.
The Germans unfnasked quick-frers.
but their assailants were well into their
stride and unheeded the fire.
A fierce hand-to-hand struggle followed
along the edge Of the wood. and the Ger
mans were forced back into the muzzle
lead into them fo- ten minutes, an error
which enabled the French engineers to
reach the principal work and blow it
I'D, as well as the treacherous windmill
BY the end Of the day the Germans
mad been driven well into the wood OF
s.. Baussarit, and the French had gained
an advance Of half q mile.