The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-12-19
Germans Drive Against British
At Ypres and Gain a Foot
hold In Second Line, Holding
Against the Counter Attacks
FRENCH TAKE MORE
PRISONERS AND GUNS
Capture Munition and Turn Teu-
ton Guns Upon Troops Of Crown
Prince - French Claim To
Be Beating Superior Numbers
CAssoctated Prssp by Fec raj wirslsss)


ATEW YORK, December l7-With
~ the Germans on the offensive
in Flanders and the French con
tinuing their hammering of the Crown
Prince g divisions in the Verdun sector,
the interest in the war has again shift
cd to the western front, where there is
heavy fighting.
Before Ypres the Germans launched
heavy attack. clearing the British
front line trenches and advancing in
some places as far as the second Bri
tsh line, where they have obtained a
foothold and are holding against the
British counter attacks.
The Germans have evidently massed
large number of fresh troops along
the Belgian front and are attacking in
earnest, but whether to divert atten-
tion from the Somme section and the
Verdun front, or whether to attempt
another serious drive to pierce the lines
of the Allies cannot be told from the
meager dispatches arriving from Berlin
and London.
French Sweep On
On the Verdun front the French are
continuing their gains, driving the
Germans still further back and adding
to the toll of prisoners and guns taken.
Yesterday the fighting WAS confined to
the east bank of the Mouse, but
whether the initiative was taken by
the Germans, in possible counter
attacks, or by the French, in resump-
ton of their offensive, is not known.
That the tide of battle is flowing
strongly in the direction of the French
Is evident, however.
The new prisoners taken yesterday
brings the total since Thursday I'D to
nearly ten thOusapd, while eighty guns,
many of large calibcr, have been seized
Ivy the advancing French. in the cap
tured positions, Large supplies of
shells for the captured guns have also
been secured in the drive and already
the Teuton artillery is firing German
made shells into the ranks of the
Crown Prince.
Germans Have the Most
On Friday night, following the first
lunge of the French from DouamOunt,
the Germans made no attempt to cOun.
ter attack and the French were able to
consolidate their new ground without
opposition.
The Paris dispatches state that the
French are making their gains in the
face of superior numbers, the Germans
having five divisions engaged in the
battle to the French four.
Elackening In Rumnnia
In Rumania the Germans continue to
advance, although the progress of the
past few days has been slow and the
hghting severe, the Russo Rumanian
defense having Stiffcned The Berlin
dispatches state that two thousand
more prisoners have been taken.
In the DObrudja region, announces
Berlin, the Russian line has been with.
drawn from the Constanza line.
Dispatches from London announce
that the city is wrapped in the heav.
lest fog that has been known in fifty
years The fog blanket has removed
the Zeppelin danger, which the other.
wise moonlight season would have
brought to the city. While Zeppelins
cannot locate London in the fog, at
the same time, it is realized, the anti.
aircraft defenses would be useless
should any Zeppelin begin dropping
bombs blindly.