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Show IlueMIk the gerins back DESPERATE EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO TAKE TRENCHES OCCUPIED OC-CUPIED BY INVADING TEUTONS. Week of Fighting on French Territory Terri-tory Results in Heavy Losses on Both Sides and End of the Battle Is Not in Sight. Desperate efforts are being made by the French and English forces to drive the Germans from French soil. The Teutons are making a stubborn resistance, the result being heavy losses on both sides. This latest effort of the allies to beat back the invaders has resulted in an almost continuous battle which has raged along the western -front for more than a week. From French sources comes the claim that the Germans have been driven back from the first line of de fense. Tornadoes of shells continue cease lessly to sweep the German second line of defense in Champagne. Gen eral Joffre is all the time feeling foi weak spots at which to throw the blue lined waves of his legions. Alreadj French detachments have taken firn: foothold in some advanced trenches in this second line, which, like the first consists of a series of entrenchmentf forming underground forts. Sometimes the French waves art swept back, but they are as irresist ible as an oncoming tide. Military critics say that pnee this line is car ried there is no third position which could save Germany from a great dis aster, affecting particularly the crown prince's army in the Argonne and Von Heeringen's north of Rheims. The losses on both sides are enor mous, according to all news from the front. It is evident that in the fighting fight-ing since Saturday at least 300.00C men have been lost by both sides. The casualties of the attacking force naturally are the greater, it is be lieved. Along the Belgian coast the British fleet, in co-operation with French land batteries, has resumed its bombardment bombard-ment of the German positions, and a great flanking move is about to be launched, it is reported, by the British, with Ostend as the initial objective. Berlin admits that south of Marie-Py Marie-Py a French brigade succeeded in breaking into the German second line, but states that efforts to go beyond this point met with failure, 800 Frenchmen French-men being captured. Paris also states that owing to a "curtain of fire" the French were unable to press their way farther into German lines. South of Ripont the French during the night occupied a German earthwork known as the "Defeat Earthwork," but Thursday Thurs-day night's communique admits that the Teutons have regained a foothold in this position. |
