The Washington herald., 1916-12-18
UNDERGO
CEASELESS FIRE
Germans Bombard Positions
Taken in Recent Spectacu-
lar Advance at Verdun.
pociaI Gable To tn, Washington Hersh

Special Cable 70 The Washington HIsh
Paris. Dec. T7.-Tbs French lines at
Vacherau Vile. Besonvaux, and around
Chamberette Farm, won by the French
in their big onslaught Friday, were bonn
barded by the Germans today. The nrs'
was kept up ceaselessIy. The war Office
reports only minor damage done.
Attacks also were directed at the
French trenches in the St Mihiel sec
tor. near ChauvO Court, but the Teutons
were driven back by the hot barrier
fire Of the defenders. An attempt to
make a raid in the Champagne section
also was frustrated.
Reports from the western front tell Of
attempts by the British to drive the Ger
mans back near Hannes Camps, north Of
the Ancre. little more than five miles
above the northern tip OF the allied at
taCking front on the Somme and Ancre
rivers
The result Of the attacks was not stated
in the British official reports tonight
II is believed here that the attack may
presaEe a sudden offensive in force by
the British. similar TO that launched by
the French at VerdUn.
Along Humid ed-MIIe Fronf
Along the whole lOO-miIe front in
Northeastern Rumania, from BuZeu to
the Black Sea, the armies Of Gen. Won
Fslkenhayn ana Field Marshal Won
Mackcnsen pushed onward in the direc-
ton Of Moldavia and Bessarabia during
the last thirty-siX hours, the German
war office announced. bulletin issued
by Berlin tonight stated that the bulk Of
the ToutOn forces have crossed the Buzeu
River and the lower Calma Juiul.
Eleven hundred and fifty additional
prisoners were taken. and the booty OF
the last two day includes nineteen loco
motives, 40 railroad cars. mostly
laden" as well as ''innumerable vehicles"
A Russian war office statement issued
today reported a check OF the Teuton
advance along the Buzeu Rimnicu Ssrat
Railway and i'm the region OF Batogu.
The mention Of this latter place, how
ever. Is an indirect admission that the
invading center is now only thirty-tWo
miles southwest Of the Rumanian Dan
ube port Brails.
In the Dobrudja the loss OF TetmaeIe
village to the TeutOns is conceded by
PetroGrad.
The German high comms nd does not
expect the Russians 10 allow the in
vaders TO carry the campaign into Bes-
sarabis with the same ease and swfftness
that marked the sweep through Rumania.
This is indicated by the concluding pas
sage of today's Berlin account which,
after staone that the northern part OF
the DobruGJa had been reached, says that
resistance is expected here.
ArdentIy Coveted Prize.
Bessarabia is one OF Russia's most ar
IDENTIFY coveted prizes in this war. Its
conquest by the Teutons would mean the
loss of Odessa and the turning OF the
whole Russian southern front. in the
wooded Carpathans, Bukovina and
Galicia- Defense lines OF the most pow
erful nature are believed TO have been
built by the Russians ever since the men
ace OF Teuton attack in this area FIRST
doomed large.
The Volhynian battle front suddenly
bobbed up again in todsys official re-
ports. To the north Of the vital railway
sector between Koveland Lutska, Bran
denburg reserves, four battalions-O0 600
men strong-assumed the offensive and
captured a Russian position Of about 100
meters, taking four officers and 800 men
prisoners. The attacks were directed
against Delyhi Porsk and Maly Porsk,
two fortified villages about half way be-
tween Lutsk and Kovel. Petrograd Of
stating that all previous assaults were
beaten OF.
\ German tank bombarded Russian
trenches near the village of Kabarevo.
Sixty prisoners were taken by the MuSco-
vtes in the capture Of a height in the
wooded Carpa;hians, Petrograd an
nounced. Berlin reported a local advance
IN the Uzui Valley.