The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-08-21
POSITIONS GAINED
BY THE GAULS ON A
FRONT OF Il MILES

With the British troops busilE
engaged in the successful parry
ing of German counter thrusts
against the newly won ground IN
Flanders, the French and the
Italians have started monster Of
fenses-the FRENCH against the
Germans near Eerdun, and the
Italians against the Austrlans
from the region of PLAYA to near
the headwaters Of the Adriatic
Sea.
Sharp, decisive blows have
gained for the French positions
held by the Germans on a front
of more than eleven miles, ex.
tending from the Avocourt wood
eastward across the river Meuse
and into the Boise de Chaume,
while the Italians, after a bonn
bardment of an intensity never
before experienced in that theatre,
have leveled the Austrian de-
fense. crossed the ruins and also
the Isonso river, and now are at
deadly grips with the enemy
along a front Of about 81 miles.
Nearly 1900 prisoners already
have been counted by the French
and Italians. and doubtless this
number will be materially aug
menred when full details of the
fighting arc at hand. In addition,
the Germans and ArStrians lost
heavily in men killed or wound
ed. and in guns and machine guns
captured.
The new territory taken by the
French embraces positions that
have literally weltered in French
and German blood in battles that
have been waged 10 and fro since
the German Crown Prince. started
his most costly enterprise. the at
tempt to take Verdun, which re-
suited in utter failure as q mill
tary meneuver. and cost the lives
Of tens of thousands of his men.
Notable among the captured
positions are the Avocourt wood,
two SUBMITS of lie Mort Homme,
the Corbeaux wood and Champneu-
Vile, all OF which were held. not
withstanGing vicious counter at
tacks By the Germans. which
were broken up by the French flre
with heavy casualties to the enc
my. French atrTen materially
aided the infantry in the press for
ward, swooping low over the Ger
man forces and emptying their
machine guns into the ranks, and
fights in the air with German pro-
tecting machines. eleven OF which
were sent hurting to the ground.
Likewise the italian fiiers are
giving their infantry valuable
support, more than 200 OF them
being engaged in attacking with
bombs and machine gun lre-tha,
Austrian troop formations p-H11d
the lines. At last accounts the
Italian guns were erergetically
proceeding with the work Of de-
struction of the new positions
taken up by the Austrians. en-
deayoriug to blast road through
the defenses in order to make
more easy the march Of the Ital-
ian troops toward Triest. Aus
tria's principal seaport. lying at
the head Of the Adriatic Sea.
The situation in Flanders and
in northern France is virtually
calr.. as compared with last week,
but both the British and French
continue to make sallieS at vari-
Gus points and strengthen the po-
sitions won in the recent fighting.
The Canadians around Lens daily
are biting further into the Ger
man line. and now have the coal
center virtually surrounded. ex-
cept on the east. Even on this Sec
tor the Canadian guns have the
range and are making almost i'm
possible any movements of the en-
emy from or into the town. The
Entente allied airmen still are
carrying out raids on German po-
sitions in Belgium, many tons Of
bombs having again been dropped
by them.
In Rumania the Austro-Ger-
mans have forced back the Ruma-
mans on both sides of the Oituz
and Trotus Valleys. according TO
the Berlin official communication.
In the former sector more than
1900 Rumanians and 80 machine
guns fell into the hands of the in
vaders. while in the fighting on
the Sereth river 1000 additional
prisoners were taken.
TO RUN FOB MAYOR.
NEW YORK, Aug. 2o.-William.
Bennett. a former state seator. announ