The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-26
GERMANS PRESSING
DRIVE IN BELGIUM
Great Battle Is Expected by
Thursday. Birthday Of
Kaiser.
CATHEDRAL IS WRECKED

LONDON, Jan. 25.--"The German ac-
tivity in tho west 10 gathering impetus
and probably will reach its greatest
effort on Thursday. the Kaiser's birth
day" the Rotterdam correspondent OF
the Daily Mda teiegraphs. He adds
THE enemy's guns are now making
a more spirited reply to. the splendid
artillery Of the Allies. while in the air
and underground they arc showing great
energy and enterprise.
From the User TO the sea the Ger
mans have sought relief from the dis.
comfort Of the flooded trenches by spas
modic attacks. For the hrst time In
many weeks their artillery gave back
the Allies shell for shell at Newport"
The German official statement issued
to-day announces he bombardment by
German artillery of the Cathedral At
Nisuport. There Is confusion In the des-
patches received here as to whether the
entire cathedral was destroyed or only
the tower. a despatch from the woln
Bureau of Berlin says that the cathedral
was 'levelled.' Tho German Official
statement says that The w mbardment
was undertaken because the cathedral
was used az an observation post by ;hc
Allies.
The present battle line runs just north
of Newport, which N ten miles southwes,
from Ostend. Tho cathedral, built In
the fifteenth century. WAS restored In
1903. Among it's features were a mas
sive baroque tower, a Gothic pulpit. Re
Nuisance choir stalls M an altar dat
Ing from 1880.
The German Report.
Tho Berlin cn,cisl statement is a.
follows:
In Flanders our artillery subjected
positions OF the enemy to a lively fire.
Patrols which at certain points pene-
rated the severely damaged trenches
OF the enemy observed that he had
suffered heavy losses. We took a few
prisoners and captured o m!no
throwers.
The tower OF the Cathedral Of Nieu-
port. which offered an excellent OBJ
~servation post for tho enemy was de-
stroycd.
East Of Ncuville ~. Vast our
troops a,tacked one OF the foremost
trenches OF the French. following some
successful mine explosions and cap
tured three machine guns and 100
prisoners. Several enemy counter at
lacks against the captured positions
went nc further than a miserable ef-
fort Only a few stout hearted men
left their trenches and they were shot
down.
A German a"roplane squadron at
tackled the military establishments an
aerodrone at Nancy and the factories
OF Baccarat \ French hiplane fell
with its occupants near Benoi,, north
west OF Thiancourt. The machine and
crew were unchanged.
The German attack on Newport. whic
failed yesterday. WAS repeated to-da
without success. At one point the Gci
mans penetrated the advanced tronche.
but were driven out before obtaining
foothold The Germans also repeste
to-day their attempts 10 break IN
French front in .Artois, In the anGl
made by the Arras-Lens and the Neu
ville-St. Naast-Thelus roads The al
tack. more violent than that mac
earlier I'm the day. was preceded by
thorough preparation by tho use {
bombs and artillery. The attack Wa
made on IA front Of 1900 yards. T.,
cept at two points in the French line
the Germans were driven back to the
own positions by the French fire. \
these points craters made hy the min
explosions were occupied by IN" ifs
mans. but they We're soon driven froi
most OF these.
Tn official nommuniqIe ISSUED ny III
French War once tonight follows
In Belgium. Ia the south Of 30"
SINCE. our hidden artillery, with the
British artillery. executed "A violent
bombardment Of the enemy works.
which suffered serious DAMAGE.
This morning two German aero-