The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-10-24
GREATEST VICTORY
OF THE WAR
Continued from page l.,

ooO ana oAu uiiiIlelSr gum -SiuhSIihe
the entrance to tuunels aid caverns
cavins in tlose near TO the s..cface anc
actually shaking the ground like a
earthquake.
/ personally Witnessed these giant
guns lodging shells Weighing tor
each over the Aisne crest. The mis-
siles were visible to the naked eye
from their departure from the can
mons mouth, through their magnificent
arc over tie crest and the beginning
OF their downward plunge TO the Ger
man lines.
Countless French airplanes, wire
lecGly res,l,a ed every Sho. so aecur
ately that enc battery fired i've shots
from a distance of six miles, all five
OF which struck successfully In the
same hole, penetrating subterranean
fcrtrcsS
Although the crown prince had the
fifth division Of the Prussian guard
among the five divisions (75,000 mem
facing the French, he rushed up two
other guard divisions and likewise a
Bavarian division, thus concentrating
in the zone of attack the very flower
of the German army.
He entrusted the defense Of Fort
Malmaison to the second division or
the Prussian guard.
In pursuance OF their past tactics,
the Germans massed reserves In the
caverns, intending when the French
infantry dashed over the plateau to
rush these out of their safe subter-
ranean warrens for a counter attack.
But when the French attack did
come, the poilus out-Hindenburged
1dindenburg. Behind the very first
wave of the French attackers, came
specially trained battalions Of poilus
who seized the entrance to cave1ns
and blocked them effectually with
machine guns, grenades and powerful
explosives. They literally walled up
beneath the ground, In the vast and
Intricate underground galleries, the
huge reserves which the Germans
had massed there. This fact alone &C
counts for the enormous and almost
unprecedented number Of German pris-
oners taken--a number out OF proper
ton under previous army tactics, to
the width Of the front over which the
French made their gains.
The capture of Fort Malmaison was
perhaps the most brilliant Of the man
euvers Of the assault For weeks
preceding the attack. four regiments
which had been chosen for Fort NAL
maison rehearsed their plan OF bat
le They were letters perfect In their
parts. Just before the move was
made the powerful giant guns rained
tons of shells into the fort. Then,
while one OF the French regiments as
saulted the position from the front,
the three others encircled 1t. The
combined drive of the four, carried
out with the precision Of men drilled
to every motion, completely smashed
the picked second guard division. AL
though the attack was launched at
Ave q. M, and in complete darkness.
except for the flashes of the guns,
the entire battle plan, capture OF sub.
terranean fortresses, Malmafson and
all. were executed on clockwork sched-
Ule.
New Army Chief.
PETROGRAD. Oct. 24.-The news
papers Of the capital announce that
Premier Kerensky will soon prob
ably relinauish his post as command
er in chief OF the Russian armies 10
General Doukhonin. This IS taken as
an indication of improvement in the
morale and discipline Of the soldiers.
Mlchae,is Said to Have Resigned.
LONDON, Oct. PA Wireless
Press message received today from
Amsterdam asserted that Chancellor
Michaelis had placed his portfolio in
the kaiser's hands.
The Wireless Press story was not
confirmed from other sources. The
opposition to Chancellor Michaeits
has been growing steadily during re-
cent months in Germany. 1t started
with the effort Of the majority so
cialists to obtain some definite state
ment OF Germany's war aims and
grew more formidable when Michaelis
svaded and ducked the issue. 1t
reached q crisis when Michaelis and
Admiral Won Capelle. minister OF
marine, sprung the news Of the Ger
man naval mutiny In what socialists
soon saw was trick to gain a weap-
on by which Michaelis and his
Junkerite supporters could crush lib
eralism in Germany.
Within the last few weeks, Berlin
reports have indicated the myster.
dous presence there of Prince Won
Buelow, formerly chancellor, and
have coupled his conferences with
high officials with the report that
the chancellorship was again to be
Offered him.
American Steamer Sunk.
BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 24.--Sinking
of the American steamer Santa Elena
with twenty-four lost, was reported
in dispatches received from Spain to-
day by LaNacion. The dispatch says
the vessel was sunk near Ferrol and
that the captain and one sailor were
the sole survivors.
La NaCion adds that the Santa
Elena was one of the German ships
seized by the United States.
1.-THE Santa Elena was steel
screw steamer of 7,415 tons, owned
by the Hamburg South American line
of Hamburg. As far as available,
records showed today she was not
nmong the German vessels seized by
the United States at the outbreak of
the war.
Secret Session Of Parliament.
PETROGRAD, Oct. 24-Geueral