OCR Text |
Show BIG ARMY Allied Forces Marshaled in Great Strength to Make Supreme Effort to Drive the German Hosts Beyond Borders of France. WILL ATTACK ON THREE FRONTS Other Battles Dwindle in Importance When Compared With the Titanic Struggle for Mastery Which Is Now Close at Hand. PASI Dec 4 10 37 p m The following official communication was issued tonight At no place along the entire front has there been any notable incident On our right wing we have made progress In the direction of and near to Altklrch During the day of December 2 we made 991 prisoners in the re gion of the north alone. (Spoilt Cab e y Arrangement With London Dally Te egraph and International Newa Service.) PARIS Dec 4 General Joffre s al lied forces are marshaled for a final test of strength with the Germans The counter offensive, which is to be the su preme effort of the French commander in chief to compel the withdrawal of the invaders from France ALace and West Flanders is gradually developing and the arrival of the psvchological mo ment is all that is awaited for the great dr ve. Simultaneously in Flanders along the Aisne and m Alsace on three d stinct fronts where the f ght ng of tho past few days has developed great vigor the fury of the grand assault is expected to break forth Joffre's Grand Arnij For two weeks ever since tha cam paign on the eastern front er began to turn in faor of tho Buss an arms tha strength of the allied arm cs has been rolling up in great bJlows until today Joffre has at h s command a gra nd army as perfect n oqu pment in training and in morale as modern sc ence of war can develop Already unoffic al reports partially confirmed by offic al statements, tell of f ghting of unprecedented proportions in Flanders and of another great battle m Alsace The Arras engagement, ternf c though it has been dur ng the past few daj p dw ndles n importance when compared with the s gmficance of the new battle along the ser Germans Repulsed Todays offic al reports fron the front record repulses to the German atten pts to retrieve their lo t terrltor between Becelaere f e miles due east of Arras and pass Chende ea se en ni es north east of that town These are polnt9 on the all es sal ent thrown out to protect "ipres from Ger man assault. The infantry of the in vaders atten pted to ad ance under Ig-orous Ig-orous cannonad ng but thev were met anl thrown back b the Bri sh and Scott sh b4ttal ons hold ng t cse post Hons The German bombardment was main talned from Ypres as fn across tl e she 1 swept f elds as Koule s The main acti 1 y o the Germans was e need a ong the stretel betwoen the rallwa whel connects Ipres and Kouer Terrific Conflicts The h ghway let eei the ow s o Becelac c and Passchendaele also was the scene of terrific confl cts It is alonj; these g aded stretches onl that tSe Ger mans are ate to mo e their Infant y Le cause of the effects ot the inunda io i w ich has co ered the low gro nd be t een with water In tho de elopraent of the 0? t ng to the north of Arras the French roops were able to continue the wok of strengthening the" positions taken f o the Germans In the fil ting of Monday particular) at Vermelles between Le s and La Bassee. Ton ght s official con n unique f om Bordeaux states that n thiM nort e n area alone tho allies o edne da u ceeded in making captl es 991 Ge as rresh Attacks Fail German nfantrj essaed ne o ta its agn nst t e French trenches in the Argonne region but all net witl fa lu e. Most iolent of the effo ts wa the as (Continued on Page ThreeJ !G AHHY WAITS FOB WORD TO anipEi neral Joffre Marshals Im-ense Im-ense Forces in Flanders, eady to Strike When Signal Is Given. (Continued from Pae One,) ; on 1 a Corn?, northwest of the for-of for-of i 'rurie, which is a Sun t wenty-nnUs wenty-nnUs vest or' Verdun. This, like the r assaults to t'ie south, t:tlrii before stubborn French resistance. Alsace the fiVittns is developing sui priMiii? activity, official Mate-is Mate-is fioni Bordeaux .claim that the eh have advanced steadily in the .lion .li-on of. AUkireh ami intir trwt city, t'toinl report? are that the, offensive jnifjit is also sratnirs: in the direo-o' direo-o' Muelha-usen. The sporadic e:i-mt'nii e:i-mt'nii iive led to a genera! b.ittle. h is new in progress and which is rted to of greater magnitude than yet fougr.t on tho French ri':t. rement Anticipated. e strs teglcal positions lately ccou-by ccou-by the French, a? re coaled in ci-l ci-l statement!?, evidently have been i in the French preparation for the tniporiant conflict. Strength with h the Germans have met the at-shows at-shows that the movement had been I pa ted and tha t the Germans have f r.t up considerable bodies of recede re-cede nts. official estimates row place the num-f num-f British reinforcements which have ied the firing line during the past .isM at 40'j.i.C'0. With them at the ip King- Georpe. The prince of s has joined the British monarch, royal visit to the front lias been ;ed by important conferences, and report is that before President Poin-returned Poin-returned from his visit to the firing there was a conference in the field een the kinc. the president. Klr Alitor Al-itor d Kitchener and General Jo fire, rtiun it is that the presence of King ?e has greasy heartened the British s, and their figlnins: of the past days has been marked with daring dash which was remarkable. |