OCR Text |
Show ing thirty-three German and 317 Turkish Turk-ish prisoners. While this operation was iu progress a mounted brigade, which had been debouched to watch the Jordan crossings, was assailed by a numerically superior force, which had crossed the river during the night, and was driven back, abandoning nine field guns. Reinforcements were sent to their aid and captured more than 300 prisoners after severe fighting. In Finland, after a five days' battle, the Germans and their allies, the Finnish Fin-nish White Guards, defeated the Red Guards and took 20,000 prisoners. The Germans who entered the Crimea have ocecupied the great fortress of Se-bastopol. Se-bastopol. Although on paper peace exists between Germany and Russia, the Huns evidently are taking all points of great military value, fearing that the outraged out-raged and injured Russians may organize or-ganize some day to strike back. The occupation of all strategic places and the strongholds would render a Slav "come-back'' ineffectual. Russian peasants peas-ants in occupied districts, furious at being plundered, have attacked German troops and have been slaughtered. The Germans appear to be having a much more difficult time than they anticipated in getting food out of Russia. Rus-sia. The populations, even in tho Ukraine, are roused against them. The farmers are hindering the transit of food as much as possible. Everywhere that the Huns go they are hated, and they are compelled to resort to massacres mas-sacres to enforce their will. They have gone so far as to arrest at Kiev Borne of the ministers of state of the new Ukrainian republic, which they helped to create. They accuse even the government gov-ernment officials of trying to obstruct them. Battles are going on in Kiev between be-tween forces of the Ukrainian government govern-ment and of a new government set up b, the peasants. The president has asfed for $15,000,-000,000 $15,000,-000,000 for the army for the ensuing year. In one year of war more than 1,500,000 men were called to the colors. It is now proposed to call men as rapidly rap-idly as they can be armed, equipped and sent abroad, which means that the army will be increased, not to any stated limit, but as much as possible and as quickly as possible, the only limit being the ability of our government to get the men into the field. PROGRESS OF THE WAR. General Sixt von Arnim's plans went woefully awry at Ypros juBt when he expected to reap the reward of his turning turn-ing movement against that stronghold. He had pierced the allied lines south of Ypres on a front of twenty miles and had swung into the rogion southwest south-west of the town. He had captured the strongest hills defending the city on tho south and southwest, notably Mes-sines Mes-sines ridge and Mount Kemmel, and had pushed the British back to Voorme-zeele, Voorme-zeele, two miles south of the city, and had taken from the French reinforcing army ground beyond Mount Kemmel, including in-cluding the village of Locre, near the foot of the Scherpenberg hill. Before these operations were completed com-pleted the British had been forced to draw in their lines east and northeast of Ypres without much fighting, for they saw tho necessity of getting their lines back far enough, so that in case tho enemy broke through to the southwest south-west the northern British flank could be saved. The Belgians on this flank also fell back somewhat to keep themselves them-selves in proper alignment with their allies. Finally, tho British and Belgians drew up their lines beyond the Steen-beek Steen-beek river. Now was the opportune moment for General von Arnim to begin a general attack, with the object of. compelling the allies to retreat from Ypres itself and all the neighboring line. But it was just at this moment that tho allies decided de-cided to make their most resolute stand. Before the big assault came the British and Frenoh had constantly reacted against the enemy at Voormezeele and Locre. The latter village changed hands five times, and at Voormezeelo the British repulsed the enemy and took several hundred prisoners. On Monday, Von Arnim launched his main assault along a front of fifteen miles, from Meteren on the southwest to a point east of Ypres. Regiment after regiment and division after division divi-sion was thrown into the battle all day, but at nightfall the German general had little to show for his heavy losses. His men had advanoed through Loere and had pressed up the slopes of the Scherpenberg, but counter-attacks drove them back from point to point. Meantime, the British had held their lines intact near Ypres and had caused the enemy the severest losses. On the following day, the British and French, rightly judging that the enemy had suffered one of the worst reverses of his offensive, decided to counterattack counter-attack powerfully. The British advanced ad-vanced slightly, while the French made a deep indentation into the enemy's line, retaking the entire village of Locre. On the Amiens front severe fighting has been recorded from day to day. It will be recalled that the British recaptured recap-tured Villers-Bretonneux and that the French retook Hangard and part of Hangard wood. Most of the fighting was in this region. The Germans and tl)eir enemies attacked and counter-attacked throughout the week, the final advantage resting with the allies. At one point the Huns came in contact with an American force, which apparently had been inserted between the British and French near Villers-Bretonneux. Three thousand of the enemy, after a two hours' bombardment, attacked this part of the line. They came to close quarters with the Americans, and there was hand-to-hand fighting, in which the enemy was worsted. He retired, leaving leav-ing many bodies in front of the American Ameri-can position. For the first time it is recorded that the Americans are using a new weapon, a sort of shotgun rifle. It is evidently used for fighting at close quarters, although the shot, which sprays with a shotgun effect, kills at several hundred yards. Westerners who know something about the deadliness of the sawed-off shotgun will appreciate the effectiveness of this weapon in a scrimmage. In fighting south of Hangard the French improved their positions. They attacked the Germans between Hailles and Castel. on a front of about one and one-quarter miles, taking possession of Hill S'2 and the wood bordering on the Avre river. British operations are proceeding in both Mesopotamia and Palestine. Moving Mov-ing north of Bagdad, toward the great Turkish base at Mosul, they have reached the Tauk river, after capturing captur-ing fourteen guns and nearly 1000 prisoners. pris-oners. In Palestine, with the exception of one severe reverse, the British have prospered. On Wednesday, while they moved to attack the foothills east and southeast of Es-Salt. Australian mounted troons "tered Ks-Salt. eautur- |