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Show ARMIES REST 01 FLANDERS FIELD SITUATION SHOWS BUT LITTLE CHANGE, ALLIES CLAIMING SLIGHT ADVANCES. There Has Be-en Noticeable Absence of Infantry Attack, Both Lines Confining Their Activity to Heavy Gun Fire. The allies claim that important gains were made in the Flanders section, on Thursday, and that the German guns in Belgium have been silenced for the moment at least. So important were they to the new offensive movement being launched by the allies to destroy the invading army or drive it from Belgium that the French war office deemed it best in its official announcement of Thursday Thurs-day afternoon to withhol-d the location loca-tion of their advances. The official statement simply stated that ' in the north the cannonading diminished in intensity and no infantry attack waf directed against our lines, which made slight advances at certain points." The official statement issued from Bordeaux follows this up with th terse statement that "complete calir prevails in Belgium." That there has been terrific fighting in the north fighting of such a char acter that no definite result is likelj for some days is indicated by unofficial unof-ficial reports which have reached Paris. As in all previous actions oi importance, there is official silence as to the advance stages of the combat This is strategically important, as, ii the information were given publicitj while the movement was in progress it might be found available by the enemy and redound to the disadvantage disadvant-age of its authors. Official announcement was made during the day that the Germans had made a desperate attempt during Wednesday to capture the village oi Missy, on the river Aisne, but the at tack was repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy, as was a like effort on the part of the kaiser's troops at a place east of Verdun. Arras continues under bombardment by the German guns and the villages near by are being shelled constantly, but there has been no change in the positions of the rival fighting front in this region. Along the whole of the center there has been a noticeable absence of infantry in-fantry attacks, both lines confining their activity to heavy gun fire. West of Souain the allies hare been able to make slight progress, but otherwise the positions have been maintained rigidly in this section during dur-ing the past week. Heavy falls of snow are reported in the .Vosges, particularly in the higher altitude of the Vosges ranges An unofficial report has reached Paria that the allies have succedei in driving the Germans from Dixraude in a furious battle in which the French marines led in the attack. The Germans, according to this circum stantial report, were forced back a distance of seven miles. |