Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-08-01
1000 GERMANS AND
TWELVE TOWNS ARE
TAKEN BY ALLIES
GREAT DRIVE OF BRITISH AND
FRENCH TROOPS NETS BIG
GAINS OVER ENEMY ON WEST
ERIN FRONT.

London, Aug. 1.-The titanic battle
which opened yesterday in West Elan
ders still ragged today
In the first rush of the new offens-
i've the Anglo French armies captured
upwards of i000 German prisoners
and more than dozen villages and
fortified positions of a % mile front
between the Franco Belgian border
and Newport
The gigantic struggle, which fol
lowed the most savage bombardment
in the history of warfare, has given
the British and French troops gains
of from two To three miles of territory
and they are still progressing Furi-
Gus German counter attacks were
made during the night but the as
sauts broke down before the stern
resistance of the allies.
Despite the extent of their victory.
the Anglo French troops suffered
slight losses. Dispatches from the
West Flanders front ,oday of the So
we're losses of the Germans, tell of
shell-wreeked trenches, blasted dug,
outs and she'll craters were found to
be full Of mangled German cOrnsee.
Every instrument OF modern war.
fare IS still pounding the German po-
siions and the lines Of cOmmuniea-
battle planes dart thru the air on
scouting cruises or purring a rain OF
machine gun fire into the German sol
diers in their earhworks. Tanks min
gle with the soldiers, lahoriously
blowing their way across the shell.
torn fields, crushing the dead beneath
their ponderous wheels.
German prisoners were completely
demoraized They declare that the
British cannonade was so intense that
some Of the Barayian units on the first
line had to be withdrawn Seasoned
veterans. used to heavy fire, were
turned into ravina maniacs by the hor.
rors to which they were subjected
during the first days fighting n So
we're thunder storm came up and the
soldiers. as they battled were dreneh
ed by the downpour The rain, how
ever, did not diminish the fury of the
struggle. altho il handicapped the mer
by turning the thick dust TO slippery
mud. The hig guns roared as usual
throwing their projectiIes thru the
pouring wet.
The battle in West Flanders had
been anticipated rs the reports Of vi
client artillery firing in that sector in
dicatad for some time Field Mar
shall llaig was prepa n new
stroke Tho complete SUI. Of The
struggle caused n wave Of eXu1stou
to sweep the country and military
critics today predicted That other pow
erful blows might now be expected III
what may be regarded as an effort to
turn the northern end of the German
battlefront
The Germans, anticipating drive
in Belgium. had massed a reserve but
so well directed and violent was the
fire of the British artillery that the
German rc-inforcements could not be
held close to the firing line. Unable
to form an effective concentration Six
Germans were handicapped when The
infantry lighting commenced, because
1t took some time to rush their re
serve troops to the first line positions
Among the Belgian villages takeT
from the Germans were Iilhem
Hooee BiXsChoots and Steenslracte
All had been fortified by the Germans
This VIII probably so down in his
tory as The third battle of Ypres. The
scene of the main fighting is just
little over 80 miles from Heobrugge
the German submarine base in Bel
GUM.