davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1916-01-02
WESTERN ARENA.
Chronological Events.

SUNDAY
Mining operations and intense. artil-
lery actions prevail over many sections
of the front
MONDAY.
Allied monitor bombards Westende-
Bad.
German parapets destroyed by allied
artillery fire In Belgium.
Announcement Is made of the with
drawal of Indian troops from the west
ern front.
German detachment dispersed north
east Of Chilly.
German attack on French position
near Hill 1913, in Champagne, reported
repulsed.
TUESDAY
French attack German positions on
the Hirzstein. but attack breaks down,
according to Germans.
Paris reports renewal of fierce artil-
lery engagements in. the Fosges.
Fighting at close quarters between
French and Germans in Chaulnes sec
tor.
German munitions depot is exploded
near Steenstraete in Belgium.
French shell railway station at Lens.
French claim to have taken possess
sion Of more German trenches at Hart
mannsWeilerkopf
German artillery particularly active
WEDNESDAY.
French report successes in recapture
of German trenches at Hartmanns-
Weilerkopf. but Germans claim they
were eventually ousted.
British reported to have lost two
aeroplanes. one at Lens, the other at
Han.
French report repulse of Germans in
front of Dompierre.
Fierce artillery engagements are re-
ported over whole front. coupled with
mining and sapping operations.
Sixteen British aeros shell Confines
station.
THURSDAY.
German ammunition depots exploded
near Beaurains.
German battery silenced near 'Sois-
sons.
Artillery action continues in Hart
manns- Weilerkopf region.
Twelve encounters between German
and British aeros. Each belligerent
loses one machine.
Germans report capture of British
trench near Hulluch.
FRIDAY
Allies report successful bombardment
Of German first and second lines of
trenches in Belgium.
German work west of Soupier de-
moIished by allied fire.
French report repuIse of infantry at
tack in region of Hirzstein. il
Evening star., 1916-01-02
BUILD RAILWAY FROM
ARCONNES TO BAGDAD
Germans Overcome Difficulties of Al
most impossible Roads by Won
derful System.
e Of the Associated Press.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press.
IN THE ARGONNEs. France. Decem-
ber 10-"AIi aboard for Bagdad." Such
was the humorous suggestion of a
sprightly German officer as the tiny en-
CINE on the Argonne railway whistled
for it's departure.
From the Argonnes to Bagdad is
quite stretch, even for the imag ina
ton, and yet, through the seemingly
impossible construction of a railroad
| through the French mountains. the
Germans have in fact established a
connection. more or less direct. but
nevertheless unbroken. from the
trenches at the front in the west to
the Asiatic city Of their Turkish ally.
To build the Argonnes railway the
Germans went to an abandoned French
mine. and from a depth of some 500
meters resurrected miles of trackage
has been laid on the surface. over
land so swampy and difficult that the
first train came to grief simply through
sinking into the ground.
Thus far two main lines have been
constructed-the one 85 centimeters
wide (37 inches) and the other Is
meters wide (38.5 inches). On the Sec
engines are used. because of their COM
paratively noiselessness. Farther away
from the trenches tiny steam engines
draw the diminutive trains.
Engine Capacity of Four Cars.
The engines have an approximate
capacity of four cars-better per-
haps-the rails and roadbed can stand
that much weight without disappearing
from view-and are busy every hour
Of the twenty-four in the transporta-
ton of troops. supplies. ammunition
and, when possible. wounded.
Automobiles which have come to grief
on the terrible roads of the Argonpes
have been rebuilt, and have been
equipped with 81 or 38.5 gauge wheels
of steel in order that they may serve
as ears de luxe" for officers who have
to travel from one point to another
behind the front. The sight Of officers
ioiling back In dismantied machines
towed by diminutive locomotives in
variably provokes. first, merriment, and
then admiration for the system that
has literally made something out Of
nothing and has found q way to over
come the difficulties Of the almost i'm
passable Argonnes roads.
These difficulties have been enormous.
Rainy weather has been the rule
rather than the. exception in the Ar
sonnes for months. and it has been a
| by supply trains and ammunition
columns and artillery--from degene-
rating into mere bogs. The task Of
maintaining regular and workable
communications with the extreme front
] has been uphelteyably bard.
Evening star., 1916-01-02
BALKAN ARENA.
Chronological Events.

SUNDAY.
Montenegrins report further advances
against the Austrians. capturing Gou-
douche. Donevo and Dobrido from the
enemy.
MONDAY
Bulgarians reported to have with
drawn four miles from Grecian border
and to be fortifying line.
Expected inactivity on Saloniki front
reported from Athens.
Berlin reports disSepsien between
Evening star., 1916-01-02

battles of the eastern arena have been
fought, the Germans and Russians al
ternately have made attacks of i'm
portance.
After the great retreat" in the sum
adic offens
Russ in Good Shape ives at vari-
for Concerted Drive. navs heen
able to straighten their lines to GER
tain degree. Ammunition and guns
have been furnished in plenty since a
woeful shortage became apparent in
the German drive on Warsaw, Riga and
Dvinsk. The morale of the Russian
soldiers is declared to be excellent and
the hope has been expressed among
the allied nations that once new
and general offensive was attempted
by the cars men it would be of such
character as to drive the Germans and
Austrians from Russian soil. Whether
or not that offensive is now on re-
mains to be seen. but the indications
are that the present great battles are
but part of general plan to move
winter weather. which has almost in
variably proven decided handicap to
all armies operating against the Slavs.
1t is reported in London that the
present offensive on the southwestern
section of the line may. be part of a
plan to force the AustMans and Ger
mans to detach a large part Of their
armies operating in Serbia to the east
ern line. Rumania's { -rmined oppo-
sition and refusal to grant the Rus
slams the right to cross her soil to
strike Bulgaria is said to have largely
shaped the present Russian policy on
the Bessarabian frontier.
On the other hand. it is declared, the
present offensive is but part of the
general allied plan to Immediately be-
gin concerted action with the idea of
pressing the Germans back on their
own soil in all directions, or at least
forego incursion into the near east and
check the proposed expedition against
Egypt and the Suez canal.
The contests which have been waged
week have been of determined char
acter. Although the British have been
attacked at several points and the Bel
gian lines subjected to a veritable rain
of artillery shells. the chief fighting
has been going on between the Ger
mans and French in the vosges noun
tains. Here the French have advanced
and been beaten back and the Germans
have suffered the same fate. The see
saw of battle has seen the French in
the ascendancy one day and the Teu-
tons on top the next. Particularly vio-
lent engagements have occurred a about
Herzstein, three miles southwest of
Hartmanns- Weilerkopf. where a battle
has been raging for almost two weeks.
The French at the present juncture
claim to be still holding the positions
at Hartmanns Weilerkopf which they
wrested from the enemy last week.
The Germans claim that enemy attacks
at Herzstein have completely broken
down..
Evening star., 1916-01-02
TO STRIKE AT ENGLAND THROUGH EGYPT -.
Is NOT A NEW STRATEGIC CONCEPTION W"
DECLARES WRITER ON EUROPEAN WAR
Frank H. Simonds Characterizes the Suez Canal the
Exposed Heel of the British Achilles" Phrases of
the Campaign Brought Under
Observation.

britain can put quarter of a million
troops along the canal. she can call
oack her troops at Gailipoli and Sa-
ionikf II necessary. and she has a sure
source of aid in her fleet and in the
ships OF her French and Italian allies
Turkey, eager to recover the lost
Egyptian and Tripolitan provinces-to
reconquer Africa-will unquestionably
make the campaign gladly. But IL is
wen to remember that practically the
whole campaign will have TO be made
by the Turks. Artillery and officers
may be German, engineers and railroad
managers may be Tcutonic. but the
majority of the officers and enlisted
men will be Turkish. and the supply of
Turks. like that of Teutons, is not in
eXhaustible. and heavy drafts have
been made upon the resources by the
present and the previous war
Regarded as Mainly a Threat.
Since there is no other way Germany
can attack Great Britain. and she is
beginning TO realize that Britain is the
dangerous foe, the Suez attack will
probably he made But il is hardly
likely to be made in haste. II is, i be-
iieVe, more of threat than a serious
purpose. The Germans hope that the
menace VIII bring the British to listen
to terms of peace that do not carry any
immediate loss to Great Britain II the
attempt is made and fails. Germany
ioses her last lever upon British opin-
ION. So far as Britain is concerned she
VIII have shot her last bolt.
Like the Balkan adventure, [ believe
the Egyptian conception is from the
German point of view political rather
than military. Perhaps there are Ger
mans who believe that the capture of
Egypt would bring Britain to heel. but
they are not the men in charge of Ger
man military affairs. Yet the effect
upon the world of the menace has al
ready been considerable 1t opens new
horizons to the German public, whose
hatred of the British has grown ia
recent months as the immunity of Brit
ain from injury has been more and
more appreciated. .
But Egypt, like the Balkans, is es-
sentlally a sideshow. The war must
be won in Flanders and Poland Napo-
leon discovered his mistake in Egypt
and returned to France He was car
rled away by dream as romantic as
the present Teutonic conception, but
he gave it up soon.
Meantime it is well to think of the
attack as directed against a position
with front of, not more than a hun
dred miles, more than half OF which is
wholly inaccessible. owing to the lakes;
1t is well to remember that the defend
ers have behind them a railroad and a
canal of fresh water: that they have
nearby bases upon the sea, from which
they can draw every sort of supply and
unlimited reinforcements in men. Match
this against the Teuto-Turk prospect
at the end of their long single-track
railroad and with desert before them,
and 1t is easy to see that the advance
upon Suez is, in reality, a forlorn hope,
gambling venture, with little more
than the gamblers chance of success.
Evening star., 1916-01-02
May Seek to Avoid
Conscription Stigma

greatly deterrent to the cause of the
allies from the standpoint of morale
feel that possibly the governmen nt's
determined threat will force great
ma jority of the slackers to make imme-
diate attestation in order to avoid the
stigma of being forced into the ranks
They hope that England never will be
compelled to fall back upon her pro-
posed conscription plan. which Will be-
come law IL it surmounts the parlia-
nentary breakers ahead.
In addition to the conscription tur-
uoil in Great Britain. the past week
has been marked by the resumption of
determined fighting on the eastern and
western battle fronts. Events would
make IL appear that the fercest en-
SaKements during the remainder Of the
winter Will occur on these fronts. The
Germans are reported to have greatly
reinforced their lines in the west and TO
have sent large forces back along the
eastern line to face the Russians, ac-
itvittes between the allies and Ger
manic forces in the Balkans having
come to standstill for the time being
That one of the big battles Of the
war is being fought on the southwest
crn section Of the eastern line Is ad :
Ipttted in Vienna and Petrograd Wen
ma declares that great masses" of
Russians are being hurled against the
Austrians. although claiming that all
OF these attacks have been repulsed,
Vienna at no time has made any
pretense of belittling the effort
of the enemy or discounting the Sc
riousness of the Russian offensive ef-
fort. Latest dispatches indicate that
there may be great change along this
section of the eastern front within the
next few days. The present great Rus.
sian offensive. which seems to be not
confined solely TO the southwestern sec
tion. was foreshadowed last week when
the war minister announced TO the peo-
pie of Russia that big events could be
expected. Along the Riga section OF
ths line and in the regions about
pvinsk. where some Of the hloodiest
Evening star., 1916-01-02


we're attacks
British Infict during the
Heavy Loss on Foe. thonsh a II is
admitted that the Germans gained the
first line of trenches at some points, il
is declared they eventually were hurled
back. Paris reports the kaiser's forces
lost 5000 men during the battle at this
point.
The ferceness of the artillery en-
gagements, bombing and sapping oper
ations over practically the whole front
indicates that a determined offensive is
near. Whether this will be attempted
by the allies or the Germans remains
to be seen. Paris expects that the Teu-
tons will be the first to swing their
gigantic forces forward. and believes
that another effort may be made to
reach Paris. That the allies are ready
for any such move is confidently as
serted.
London military experts are more in
clined to the belief that the allies will
sound the Forward" cry Immediately
The Franco-British armies are declared
to be in excellent fettle. thoroughly
equipped and in every way prepared
for sustained offensive designed to
drive the Germans out of France and
Belgium. 1t is declared that they are
only waiting for improved weather in
order that the success OF such a move
ment might be better assured. for, 1t
Is said. the roads along practically the
whole western front are almost i'm
passable TO supply trains, and the bat
tlefelds themselves are quagmires An
offensive under such conditions could
not hope to be carried out with the
fullest success.
The end of another weeks luIi on the
main Balkan front finds the allies in an
optimistic humor. They have thor
oughly intrenched themselves before
Saloniki. and that port has been made
one of the strongest fortified cities in
all Europe. Additional forces are being
landed daily. The Austrians and Ger
mans are reported to be withdrawing
large forces from the main battle
front. leaving the Turks and Bulgarians
to care for this section.
A concerted move against the rein
forced and re-equipped Serbians in AL
bania is not
Austrians Checked without the
by the Montenegrins. pos s,b,,,,y
and the fact that the Italians have been
| able to land large forces and are now
cooperating with the Serbians makes
! such move on the part of the Teutons
seem advisable. The Austrians are
meeting the most determined resistance
in their campaign against Montenegro,
and this little kingdom claims that the
| invaders have been thrown back at
| many points. and further asserts that
the enemy has been punished three
the withdrawal of Germanic troops for
\ suffered. 1t seems likely, In view of
times more heavily than its forces have
Operation elsewhere, the Austriaps
Evening star., 1916-01-02
Premier Asquith Will Be Forced
to Act Wisely to Avoid I'm
pending Strife.
NATION WOULD CLING
TO CHERISHED TRADITION
Laborites, Ireland and South Wales
Miners Already Are Threat
ening Trouble.
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

Emblazoned upon the banners OF
British tradition has been a motto held
most sacred-"The Briton always is
ready to die for his nation, his empire.
AS the new year dawns with it's clat-
ter of arms, with strife, turmoil and
terror over practically the whole of
Europe, Britons today stand face to
face with forced abandonment of their
cherished boast.
England has awakened to the fact
that If she is to win the great war now
being waged against the Germanic
nations and their allies she must have
men. more men, hundreds of thousands
of them. The government has called
again and again, advertised. schemed
and devised ways to attract the needed
forces. Admittedly it has. failed. Now
il is forced to take drastic steps-forced
attestation and possibly eventually
drastic conscription.
The little speck which appeared over
Great Britain's horizon three months
back now is thunder cloud. 1t is
expected to break into terrific storm,
unless the present government steers
It's perilouS course wisely.
There are hundreds of thousands of
people in Great Britain who cannot
forget the old and almost sacred motto
on their national escutcheon. They
are eager to win the war, but believe
that the needed men can be obtained
in other ways than even abbreviated
forms of conscription. 1t is these peo-
pie, who have firm champions in
Premier Asquith's cabinet, who threaten
to vent their Indignation upon the gov
eynment as Is at present constituted
if il dares violate tradition. That the
government itself realizes how delicate
the situation is is indicated by a por-
fif,a 0f Sriu sfa fa iScry dur
ing the week, designed to curtail popu-
lar feeling on the conscription issue.
which said:
''ln a matter which touches so many
may be expected to move warily. The
ministers must be prepared for some
opposition to their proposals, how
ever limited in FORM
Evening star., 1916-01-02
Turkeys First Try.

What happened in the first drive at
Suez we know In part. Roughly speak
ing it was this: Some $4,000 Turks
pushed rapidly west across the desert
from FL Arish and arrived at the edge
of the canal. On their arrival they
found that the first thirty miles of the
ditch had been covered by great inun-
dations; British engineers had coaxed
the water back from the Mediter-
raneAn into the ancient Lake Of Tineh.
and az far south as Ell Kautara wall
Evening star., 1916-01-02
Measure Aimed
Against "Slackers."

by the greater
portion of England's slackers-those
men who refuse to enlist-will be
forced to do SO. First measures will be
directed against the single men who
up to date have been apathetic in re-
gard to the war and on one pretext or
another have refused to join the colors.
Premier Asquith has promised the mar
ried men of the nation that they will
be the last to be called.
Upon announcement of the govern
nent's policy there Immediately arose
discord in the cabinet, and several mem
bers are reported to have announced
their intention of resigning. Possibly
a few will do so, but it is generally
believed that moderate form of con-
scription. such as compulsory attesta-
tion, will keep several Of those op-
posing complete and sweeping COM
pulsion in the cabinet. Premier AS
quith rs said to have gained already
acknowledgment from several of the
stanchest nti-conscriptionists that
something of firm character must be
done. The government is framing it's
bill, which will be introduced in the
house of commons during the present
week. Even should Premier Asquith
be successful in retaining the major
part of his ca binet. a storm is sure to
arise over the nation. The laborites
everywhere have made threats every
time conscription has been limited. and
are largely responsible for forcing the
Earl of Derby plan. which has been
given q try-out. They are expected to
c.aate trouble for any measure sayor-
iNr of conscription VIXEN it reaches the
house. Ireland also is firmly opposed
TO the idea of forcing her men into the
army. and il is reported that the gov
ernment measure will studiously avoid
application to Ireland. The tens of
thousands of miners in south Wales
who have caused the British govern
ment much worry since the war broke
out. and in many ways demonstrated
their lack of patriotic sympathy for the
present conflict. have sounded notes of
defiance. Great interest centers in the
great conference of trades unionsts of
the nation which will be held during
the coming week TO take action on the
fsoVernments plan. II is significant
tnat this meeting IL not scheduled to
he held until January .. date after
the introduction of the governments s.
measure in the commons. Premier AS
Quith and his supporters are showing
great anxiety over the possible recep-
tion Of their proposed measure, this
being admitted by the press of London.
Those who are honip1 aea{pst hona
Evening star., 1916-01-02

Premier Asquith formally has an
nounced that it will be necessary to
Evening star., 1916-01-02

battles of the eastern arena have been
fought, the Germans and Russians al
ternately have made attacks of i'm
portance.
Evening star., 1916-01-02

Those who are hoping against hope
that England will not be torn by in
Evening star., 1916-01-02

British positions between Armentieres
and Ypres have been subjected to Sc
we're attacks
British Infict during the
Heavy Loss on Foe. thonsh au II is
Evening star., 1916-01-02
Says Britain Should Win.

But what reason is there for German
success here? The British have at
their backs a line of railroad parallel
ing the canal and a line going to
Cairo. They have a sea base at Alex
andria, at Suez, at Port Said. They
command the editerranean and any
amount of munitions and supplies to
Egyps both from Europe and from Asia.
South Africa and Australia.
To match the resources of an assail-
ant who has to move his troops for
fifteen hundred miles over a single
track railroad, and then for more than
a hundred over terrible desert. the
British are able to bring their troops
to the firing line by train and troop
ships, they are able to bring warships
to reinforce land artillery, and they
have all Egypt behind them as a source
for supplies.
1t is difiicult to see how anything but
supreme carelessness can give the
Turks even the smallest chance. They
have nothing like the chance of the
British at Gallipoli, for the British ad
vance was covered by the fleet: their
munitions must come from Germany
and their water must be shipped across
the desert. They will deal with Brit
ish officers used to desert fighting.
It is idle to attempt to forecast the
outcome of the Egyptian campaign, yet
1t 10 clear that without didiculty Great
The sun., 1916-11-11

stories, but the author has done better
work. O1.S5.)
The wonderful description OF the
setting of Boccaccio's stories. There
seems little excuse for Mildred Aldrich
To deliberately initiate him by making
the outbreak of the war serve as a
background for a company Of Ameri-
cans, who are relating psychological
problems to each other In Told & a
French Garden (Small. Maynard & Co.
BOSTON,. The little book disappoints
the expectations caused by the au-
thor's sincere "A Hilltop on the
Marne." Sl.25.)
There IL pathos and poetry in the
idea OF a girls retiring to a solitude
in order to make believe hat her dead
'over il still with her, and for a while
Margaret Sherwood in The Worn
doorstep Uittle. Brown X Coz carries
M the idea touch!ngly. Some OF the
lcalings with Belgian refugees ~ in
prettily. but the war spirit draws the
author 20 describe other wal happen
ings which do not harmonic 30
well and especially to analyze English
haracter and philosoph!zc on II. This
,hrows the original idea somewhat into
ne shade and turns the little book into
: defence Of and plea for England.
tsl.25.)
Competent workmanship marks the
many very short stories which Guy