Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-03-03
REPORTS VARY
As TO GAINS
NEAR vERDUN
British, French and German Re-
ports All Tell Different Story
of Great Drive.
HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES
DENIED BY REPORTERS
Late Reports Credit Germany
With Immense Gains in Enemy
Territory.

Territory.
London, March 2.-The British Of
fcial statement issued tonight on the
fighting in the western zone says:
1--WE recaptured the trenches at the
bluff of the Ypres-Comines canal
which were lost February IA, and al
so captured small salient in the
German line."
The capture Of 500 yards of British
positions, southeast of Ypres, after
seavy artillery bombardments, was
claimed in the German official state
ment Of February 10, which added
that a majority of the defenders OF
the British trenches were killed.
German attacks of great violence
both artillery and infantry, have been
resumed to the north of Verdun. The
official statement issued by the
French war office tonight says that
furious infantry assaults have been
repulsed by the French troops
whose fire decimated the ranks OF
the enemy
Destroy Mine Galleries.
The German mine galleries in the
trenches were destroyed, the state
ment says, and four officers and l7G
men were taken prisoners.
The situation remains unchanged
on the Russian and Austro-Italian
fronts. In Asia the Russians are
keeping up their strong offensive
against the Turks
Infantry Attacks.
While over most of the front. from
the east OF the lMeuse down into the
Woevre region, the German big guns
have been active, around Douaumont
the Teutons launched several infan
try attacks Of extreme violence
These the French war office declares
were put down by the French troops
Northeast of Miriel, the French
guns have been worked effectively
against the German positions. In Al.
SAGE in the region Of Seppois heavy
artillery duel has been in progress.
Big German Gains.
The Overseas News agency said TO-
day:
Summarizing the recent situation
on the western front around Verdun,
correspondents at the front declare
that between February II and March
a total Of 40 square kilOmeters of
territory was gained by the Germans,
this being four times as much as the
French won in their entire offensive
in the Champagne last fall. -.
"The correspondents again empha-
size the fact that all the gains were
obtained by losses which were ap-
parently insignificant
Helped Prisoners Escape.
The charge that commanding Of
ficer of guard had facilitated the
escape Of German prisoners from the
prison camp at Amherst, N. S., was
made in the senate at Ottawa today,
by Senator Clorin of Montreal. He
escape and the courtmartial at Hall
fax.
He added that he understood "the
officers who had allowed Germans to
escape were in the penitentiary or in
their graves.
The government allowed the adop-
tion Of the motion for the production
OF the papers.
British Marine Losses.
An official communication issued to-
night concerning marine losses says:
British wrecks reported to the
board of trade in February aggregat-
ed SO, involving a loss of 42O lives
Included in the wrecks were AZ sea
ships of total tonnage of 56,S56.
Ten of these steamers were sunk
by enemy warships, with loss Of 36
lives; five by mines, with a loss of 176
lives: one by mine or a submarine,
with the loss of eight lives, and one
by bombs from Zeppelin, with the
loss of 13 lives.
"Of q sailing ships lost, six were
sunk by enemy warships.'
German Note Forwarded.
The German memorandum on
armed merchantmen, addressed to
the United States, was dispatched by
way of London in the embassy pouch
leaving Berlin February IA. 1t was
presumably forwarded to the United
States on the steamer California, on
February -.
Floating Mine Field.
A Stockholm dispatch to the Morn
ing Post says that, according to
message from Kralfkrona, Sweden, a
whole mine field of several hundred
mines is drifting from the north, hav-
ing presumably been set adrift by
wind and ice. Explosions are occur
ring hourly and navigation in the
neighborhoOd of the Swedish islands
is perilous.
NEW CHIEF ENGINEER.