The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-01-01
4 new OFFENSIVE
IN UPPER ALSACE
German Army Under Gen. Won
Mackensen About Ready
to Strike.
TO CLEAR COUNTRY OF ENEMY
Have Concentrated a Big Force Along
Line-capture of Varna Not
Yet Confirmed.

Zurich, Dec. 23.-Germany is pre-
pairing for new and violent offensive
in Upper Alsace, to be directed by
Field Marshal Won Mackensen, hero
of the Polish campaign, and conqueror
of Servia.
The last fifteen days the Germans
have been concentrating forces along
the line selected for the new attack.
Three hundred thousand troops are de-
clared to have been thrown along the
line in Upper Alsace. Twenty-Five vii
lagos have been evacuated to permit
operations and all foodstuffs have been
requisitioned.
The Fourteenth Army Corps is now
en- route to Belfort, according to the
Zurich advices, and is to be followed
by the second.
Part of Alsace is held by the French,
the only German territory now held
by the enemy.
Occupation of Varna Unconfirmed.
London, Dec. 23.-Up to late hour
there was no official confirmation of
the report of the Russian occupation
of Varna, which, if true, according to
greatest moves of the present war"
The same critics believe that the
Russian assault on Varna is the pre-
Jude to a new effort for Constantinople
which is less than $50 miles distant.
On the western front the. success of
the French at Hartmanns-Weiller
in the Vosges, is regarded in the allied
capitals as not only a brilliant, but
useful operation at a point where the
situation has been most difficult for
many months. The number Of prison
ers is the largest on the west front
since the great Champagne-Loos often
sive.
Says BuIgars Enter Greece.
Copenhagen, Dec. 23.-The Deutsche
Tages Zeitung of Berlin, copy of
which has been received here, says
that Bulgarian troops are entering
Greek territory but that if they are not
attacked by Greek troops they will
confine their operations to Selling the
Sa1oniki Railway.
Bulgarian Port Captured.
London, Dec. 22.-The Daily Chron-
icle reports the capture of Varna, Bull
garia's chief Black Sea port, by the
Russians. 1t says the ibombardment
of the Russians silenced the Bulgarian
guns and laid the town in ruins. The
garrison suffered heavily. The Rus
slams then, according to the report,
landed infantry and artillery without
loss and in sufficient force to hold the
town against Bulgarian attack
Should the report of the capture of
Varna prove true, it would mean that
the oft repeated intention of the Rus
SLAMS to land on Bulgarian soil, either
by way of the Danube river or on the
Black Sea coast, to take the Bulgar
ians and Turks and their Teutonic
allies on the flank, has been accom-
pIished
French Win in Vosges.
The French have captured with in
fantry, after preparation by artillery,
an important part of the German
works in Hartmanns-Wellerko in the
Vosges mountains. Elsewhere on the
western front there has been nothing
but artillery boInbardments.
Greek Situation Tranquil.
The situation on the Greek front
remains tranquil, although the great
est activity prevails in the allied
camps and the port of Saloniki. The
proposed entry of Bulgarians into
Greece with German army is at pres
ent the subject of diplomatic discus
| sion.
Withdraw from GaIIipoIi.
London, Dec. 21.-Operations in 9TH
er sectors of the front on the GallipoIi
peninsula than those from which
troops were announced today to have
been withdrawn are to be continued
it is estimated in an official statement
issued tonight. The withdrawal was
effected without knowledge of the
movement on the part of the Turks,
| it is declared.
Further details of the evacuation of
the Anzac and Suvla zones have been
received says the official statement
Without the Turks being aware of
the movement, a great army has been
withdrawn from one of the areas &C.
cupied on the GallipoH peninsula, al
though in the closest of contact with
the enemy. By this contraction Of the
front operations at other points of the
line will be more effectively carried
| ont