The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-12-13
AUSTRIAN Ship
VEIN T0RPEDOED.
GERMANS UNDuLY ACTIVE
ALONG WESTERN FRONT.
PILING UP TROOPS ON TROOPS
Making Ready For Master Stroke Be-
fore Americans Are Ready.-5at-
tie Is opening.--Pressure On
Italians Relieved.

Italians Relieved.
Amsterdam, Dec. 12- Sinking Of the
Austit Hungarian battle ship, Wien
by a torpedo Sunday was announced
in official dispatches which were re-
ceived from Vienna today.
The Wien was class d battle ship
of 5512 tons.
She was laid down in 1893 and had
a complement of Al men. Her largest
guns were four ga inch and six So
inch and she had four torpedo tubes
above the water.
Germans Feverish
London, Dec. 12-The German high
command is feverish in their proper
atoms today for great stroke on the
Western front.
Dispatches received here assert that
forces are being concentrated day and
might at various points along the
Franco British front lines.
After information
More German aeroplanes than have
been seen in months ore in action
seeking where the supplies are stord
in the British positions on the battle
front. Unusual raiding activity in the
same effort to obtain information as
to the strength of the front lines OF
positions develops along the line.
Raids Are Frequent
The repusling of an enemy attack
to the north of Lavacquerie was re-
ported by Field Marshall Haig today
He also declared that the British had
made successful raid in the north
west Of st. Quentin in which they
captured some prisoners and one
mashine gun.
Let Up On italian Front
A persistent lessening of the Teu-
toniec pressure on the Italian front
was reported this afternoon.
This serves to confirm the belief
here that the Autrian-German forces
are concentrating their Teutonic forces
for stragetic stroke at the British
and the French on the western front.
Many Austrian forces are already there
havig transported from the Russian
lines.
Big Battle Starts
The artillery duel on both British
fronts was attaining a maximum VIC
lence. The Germans are assuming
their initiative in this combat.
Along the entire western front from
the North to the Adriatic sea, artillery
duels of great magnitude are being
fought which doubtless are the fore
runners of the expected great often
sive the Teutoonic allies have in view
before the American troops can reach
the battle fronts in great number.
Reinforce All Fronts
The Teutons daily continue to rein
force by large numbers their already
superior forces on all the fronts. In
the rush of troops and munitions to
the theater in which the British are
operating one German train is re-
ported to have collided with another.
resulting in great explosion in which
several hundred soldiers were killed.
Great Activity at Front.
BY William Phillips simms, With
the British armies in the field, Dec.
12.-Long lines of transportation and
reinforcement Of troops we're seen be-
hind the German lines on the north
British flank of the Cambria sector
this afternoon.
Great flocks of enemy aeroplanes
were unsuccessful in their endeayor-
ings to seek out information concern
ing the positions of the British lines.
Early this morning the Germans de-
veloped a heavy gun firing on the
thanking forces of the British armies.
The concentration of the air forces
was the greatest the Germans have
as yet disclosed in any engagement
/ with the allies.
British aviators reported seeing one
line of motor cars bringing up fresh
German troops.
American Ready for Attack.
BY ]. w, t. Mason, New York. Dec
12.-America's battle front in France
may be a mysterious object for the
4 Germans in their massing of new
troops on the Western front.
No other part of the allied lines
i from the North Sea to Switzerland
presents such stragetic position to
the Germans. 1t is known that the
American forces are facing the Ger
mans within artillery range on the
Lorraine border.
At the same time with Switzerland
exchange of communication with the
; Americans concentrating assurance
I that American troops will not trespass
Swiss territory. suggests that Alsacs
! bordering Switzerland Is also within