The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-02
COAL 6 MI. AWAY
British in Belgium Not Far
From Strategic Railroad.
Would Cut OFF U-BOat and Aero
Bases on Belgian Coast.
RUSSIANS ADVANCE A MILE
PetrOgrad Reports Defeat OF
Germans on Riga Front.
Victory of British Against
Turks Took 1000 Prisoners.
RUSSIANS ADVANCE A MILE
(By the Associated Press. }


Altho the Berlin military writers
are admitting that the Germans can
hardly regain the initiative on the
western front, the German high COM
mand is evidently doing it's utmost to
keep the British from making the
best use of their advantage in Elan
ders. Apparently dreading the effect
of the next British stroke, Crown
Prince Rupprecht has been launching
attack after attack upon Field Mar
shall Haig's troops in their advanced
positions in an effort to disarrange
the British plans. Similar tactics
were adopted last week on the eve of
the renewed British thrust, heavy
counter attacks being delivered on the
evening of September rs. when 1t be-
came evident to the Germans that
Haig was about ready to launch his
drive.
German Attack Futile.
The record shows the effort of last
week to have been futile. 1t Is too early
yet for the effect of the present at
tempt to be developed The British
commander, however, reports that the
attacks themselves. five in number,
were complete failures, the Germans
not being able to make any appreci-
able impression on the British posi-
tions along the Ypres- Menin road and
at the southeastern cage OF HOIYSOn
wood, where the thrusts We're ofeIiv-
cred. With the whole German line in
Flanders hanging in the balance, as
the military maps show, small sur
prise is expected that the German
command is making such desperate
efforts to balk the British plans and
is fighting hard for every inch of
ground protecting the Lille Ostend
railway a scant six miles beyond the
present point of the advancing Brit
ish wedge.
On their front in northern France.
the French are holding themselves in
restraint at present, permitting the
crown prince to hammer away at their
lines in attacks which almost invar-
iably are repulsed with heavy Ger
man losses. Two attacks by the Ger
mans in the Craonne sector on the
Aisne front last night were repulsed.
Efforts by the Germans on two occa-
sions to re-capture trenches which
they had lost in the Beaumont regioV
in the Verdun front, also were I'M
successful.
French in Air ReprisaL
Despite the intensity of last nights
air raid on England, the official fig
ures show that the four groups of
German afrmen, making their sixth
attack in eight days, inflicted compar-
they dropped. Lord French reports
today that ten persons were killed
and 50 injured. While Britishers are
urging reprisals for the German at
lacks on London, the French are actu-
ally conducting such retributive en-
tei prises. Sunday night they bonn
barded the German city of Stuttgart,
100 miles beyond the frontier and last
night the reprisals were continued on
a larger scale. Stuttgart was agaiI
Prussian city of Frankfort on the
Main, with about 100000 population
and more than 125 miles from the
French border, also was subjected to
aerial attack. The Prussian towns of
Treves and CobIenz were the other
places bombed by the French raiders.
Russians Claim a Victory.
Petrograd, Oct. 2.-The Russian of
fensive in the Riga sector advanced
mile against the Teutons today, the
war office announced.
In the Riga region south of the
railway from Kronenberg to SpitaH
and in the Grounduli sector our van
declared.
400 Turk Prisoners.
London, Oct. 2.-Nearly 1000 pris-
oners were taken by the British army
in Mesopotamia which captured
Ramadie, it is announced officially.
The capture of Ramadie on the
west VI AodSUoo was S1AcCG-
ed by a surprise attack by the British.
They outflanked and cut off the
Turks, defeating them in a heavy en-
gagement and taking prisoner nearly
the entire garrison of Ramadie. An
official announcement in London.
Sunday said the Turkish commander,
Ahmed Bey, and his staff had been
taken with his men. and that guns,
arms. ammunition stores, equipment
and much other booty had been cap
tured.