The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-08-18
BIG GUNS STILL
HAMMER away
Little Infantry Fighting on Any
of the European War a
Fronts Now.
MUD HOLDING BACK ATTACKS
Conditions in Flanders Since Recent
Rains Make Movements of Troops
Decidedly Difficult.

hoSAAuSlOns aug lt.-Ol none or
the battle fronts of Europe has the
fighting activity of the last twenty
four hours been marked. In Flanders
however, the great artillery battle con
dnues most violently. seemingly pre-
pairing the way for further heavy in
fantry activity.
The only infantry engagement in
Flanders has taken place on the line
between YpTes and Dixmude. with the
French troops the aggressors in both
instances.
Northwest of Bixschoote the French
have enlarged further the gains made
on Wednesday, Southwest of Blk
schoote, in the region south of LANCE
marck, the French have made some
progress into the German line.
Mud Retards Infantry
Terrain conditions in Flanders.
made more difficult by the rains of the
last ten days, are such that without
destruction Of enemy defenses by ar
tlleTy fire, 1t is nearly useless to
throw forward infantry attacks. There
are indications AnglO-French guns Of
al calibers are leveling German de-
Tense positions The German general
staff reports great artillery fire in
Flanders, especially heavy on the Bel
gian coast and from Bixschoote to
Hollebeke- The latter sector takes in
most of the important Ypres salient
Except for several local raids by the
French, there has been no infantry
activity from St Quentin TO the Swiss
border, but French and German guns
are hammering the opposing lines
along the Aisne front, IN Champagne
and on both banks OF the Mouse in
the Verdun region
Russians Check Teutons.
Apparently the Russians have check
ed greatly the Ausro-German advance
in Galicia and Bukowina, as no not
able advances have been made by the
TeutOns since the Russian line stiff
fened- South in MoldaYia, Russians
and Rumanians are attempting TO re-
occupy positions north of Fokshani,
lost to Mackenzen's men They have
attacked the Austro-Germans with
strong forces, but Berlin says they
failed. Prisoners taken by the Teu-
tons in this region are reported 10
have reached $500.
British Raid German Lines.
Washington, Aug. 9. - Flanders,
where the big guns have been boom
ing necessarily since rain stopped the
entente offensive movement. early last
week. has again been the scene Of in
fantry fighting, but only on q small
scale.
Near the coast the British have
been successful in a raid into the Ger
man lines near LOmbaertzyde- Berlin
officially describes this operation as
an attack in force, which, it says, the
Germans beat off in hand-to-hand
fighting. The Teutons also record the
repulse Of local attacks by the British
in the Bixschoote region, between Dix
nude and Ypres-
Russians on Offensive.
Along the Aisne front and on tha
right bank OF the Meuse, northeast Of
Verdun, violent artillery activity con-
tinues on both sides. The German
crown prince has not followed up his
attacks on the Aisne front, where he
was repulsed east OF Vauxaillen and
west Of the California plateau.
Russian troops are on the offensive
in the Chotin region on the Russo Ga
Iician border. northeast of CzernOwitz,
and have withstoOd successfully Aus
tro-German thrusts in the region Of
BrOdy, in Galicia, northeast Of Lem
berg. The Russian forward movement
west OF Chotin resulted in the capture
Of two villages and a height The Aus
trO-Germans lost 300 prisoners and
four machine guns. The Teutonic eff
fort near Brody penetrated the Rus
sian lines. but the attackers were
thrown back by a counter attack and
the Russian lines restored
Fortress is Evacuated.
A newspaper report from PetrogTad
says that the Russians have evacuated
the fortress OF Observation-Disclosures, the
capital of Podolia, about thirty miles
northeast Of ChOtin, and the garrison
town of ProskurOT, on the Bug river,
dfty-three miles north of Kamenetz-
POdolsk. Both these places are some
distance from the line Of the River
Zbrocz, which has been held in part
by the Russians for more than week.
and lie behind the ChOtin-BrOdy line.
Ardentins Ready to Mobilize.