Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1916-02-24
Central Powers Making
Most Desperate Offensive

CHCcI az CHc SdIIlc IlIlcS UOCH OH CHe
side of the Allies. Between these
forces it is expected that Bulgaria
will be ground to pieces as Turkey
is being ground by Russia now, and
as Serbia has been ground by the
Central Powers.
1t is as near certainty as things
can be that in very few days the
heaviest of fighting will be on in the
Balkans. a
The Germans, in the great western
offensive, are driving for the French
fortress Of Verdun, and already have
succeeded in penetrating two miles in
to the French lines in the Woevre re-
gion.
The drive resulting in this advance
was along a 1O-mile front. It had it's
impulse almost directly to the north
of Verdun, where the Germans sue
cessfully occupied the Haumont wood
and then the village itself, bringing
them within eight miles of the fort
|ress.
Fighting of great violence is con-
tinuing.
A French official statement admits
the capture Of Haumont.
The present German offensive has
been in progress more than three
weeks.
1t has resulted in important net
gains, for while at some points the
Allies were able to regain parts Of
the ground lost the Germans have
clung tenaciously to many positions
despite all efforts to dislodge them.
Announcement Of important gains
in the offensive on the western
front was made by the German war
office today.
The statement says that in Upper
Alsace the Germans captured a posi-
tion 700 yards wide and 400 yards
deep.
The war office also announced the
German forces had penetrated the
opposing lines for distance of three
kilometers 1.-TWO miles) in the north
ern sector of the Woevre.
It is said the Allies lost more than
5000 prisoners and great quantities
of material.
Paris reports fighting of great vio-
lence in progress from the right
bank of the Meuse to a point south
est in the Herbe Forest.
North of Verdun there were in
fantry actions on {, front of Is kilo-
meters 90 miles). East of Seppois
the French were enabled by a counter
attack to retake a great portion of
the Forest of Causes, north of Beau
mont.
A strong German attack on Herbe
Forest was stopped by the French
curtain of fire. According to state
ments Of prisoners, whole units of
Germans were completely destroyed
in the course of the actions.
In the Herbe Forest, the French say,
they have evacuated the village of
Haumont. They claim to still hold
the environs after bitter fight in
which they troops inflicted very heavy
losses on the Germans.
In his speech opening the Russian
douma, Foreign Minister Sazonoff
made striking statements regarding
Russia's attitude toward Sweden and
that of Roumania toward the two
groups of belligerents.
Russia, he declared, was not i'm
PEELED Coward the coast of Scandi-
navia," and her sentiment toward the
Swedes was one of sincere friend
ship.
She was looking for her outlet to
the sea, he said, "in quite another di-
rection."
As to Roumania, the foreign min
lister gave the impression by his re-
marks that he believed that in due
time she would be found on the side
of the Entente powers.
Petrograd announces the contin-
ued pursuit of the remnants Of the
Turkish army which fled from Erze-
rum with the taking of the Turkish
stronghold by the Russians.
Appointment of new chief for the
German battle fleet is announced in
Berlin, Admiral Won Pohl, who retires
on account of i'll health, being sue.
ceeded as commander by Vice Ad-
miral Reinhardt Scheer.