Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-12
BR|T|SHM|N|M|zE
GERMAN|C GAINS
Though DisagreeabIe, Teutonic
Advance in Belgium Is With
out Great Importance.
FRENCH REPULSE FOE

LONDON, July 12.-The total British
casualties resulting from the German
success near Nieuport, Belgium, Tues
day, were about 800, including prison
ers. These figures we're given by Maj.
Gen. z. B. Maurice, chief director of mil
itary operations at the war Office, today.
The section captured by the Germans,
said Gen. Maurice, who made his state
ment in his weekly talk to the Asso-
ciated Press, was defended by only two
battalions of British. The German
claim of 1850 prisoners he considered
probably accurate.
Without Great Importance.
The respective official statements
furnish the only available details of
the German blow against the British
front in Belgium. Editorial comment
and expert criticism, which is restrict
ed and unilluminative, treat the incident
as disagreeable and troublesome but
without great Importance fntrinsically
and as unlikely to have any effect on the
future of the war.
1t is assumed that owing to the gale
on the Belgian coast British naval sup
port was impossible temporarily while
the Germans were in a particularly
favorable position for such coup.
owing to their formidable coast batter
les all along the dunes which they can
move with comparative ease from one
point to another.
One comment is that it appears the
mishap was preceded by a considerable
local display of German superiority in
the air, suggesting that the British are
suffering a relative shortage
airplaneS.
German Raid Fails.
"A raid attempted by the enemy last
night south of Lombaertzyde was sue
cessfully driven off," says today's Of
fetal communication. There is moth
ing further to report"
The official report from British head
quarters in France last night reads:
1.-THE extreme intensity of the enemy's
artillery fire on the Nieuport front has
now diminished. Our artillery continues
active.
1.-The enemy attacked our advance posts
east of Manchy lie Preux this morning ON
a front Of about 500 yards and succeeded
in pressing some Of them back very
slightly An attempt by the enemy to
rush one Of our posts northwest Of Lens
early this morning was driven off, one
wounded prisoner remaining in our hands.
Bad weather yesterday prevented any
aerial activity on either side until even-
ing. During the night we bombed two
enemy airdrornes. AL our machines re-
turned safely" -. gsSsss 4 -
Canadians Active Near Lens.
CANADIAN HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE. July 12-Determined pressure
against the defenses Of the Germans in
the vicinity of the city of Lens continues
daily. Necessarily 1t is of a sort that
must be exercised methodically. To send
large bodies of assaulting troops into the
maze Of wrecked houses and mining works
which now constitute mo mans land
might result in the carrying Of few
hundred yards of shapeless ruins. but the
price that would be exacted by enemy
machine guns would be far greater than
the new ground could possibly be WORTH.
The least costly mode of advance is
gradual encroachment on no mans
land by patrols which occupy wrecked
houses here and there during the night.
and after sufficient number has been
secured form a fairly continuous ad-
vanced line. This style of preparatory
fighting brings into action the scouting
faculties of a large proportion of west
erners in the battalions holding the
lines at present. An incident which
occurred the other night illustrates
their methods.
Grope Through Ruins.
A party Of ten men. with lieutenant
in command, went out to examine an
isolated row of miners houses IN front
of their own line. The enemy was so
near that no light was possible save
that of the moon, which emerged at
times from behind heavy clo1rs. Under
these conditions the party went to
work in pairs, cropping their way
through unfamiliar ruins and seeking
for signs of occupancy.
The lieutenant and two Of his men
were in one of the houses when sounds
outside warned them of the coming of a
body of GermansSTaking
shelter where the shadows were deep
est these three Canadians lay hidden
while more than forty of the enemy
passed through the house in which they
Law. The Germans were apparently on
the way to rendezvous for a raiding
party, for they went out in the direc-
tion of the Canadian front Collecting
his little party. the lieutenant sent a
man back to warn their comrades in
the Canadian trench. Then he and the
remainder of the scouting party fol-
lowed the enemy, stalking them so sue
cessfully that they got within bombing
distance undiscovered.
Germans Run Pellmell.