OCR Text |
Show GERMAN FORCES BEATEN BACK i - i Speculator Copper Mine Near Butte on Fire Many Dead and Missing H Fall of Lens is Near and Another Great British Blow About Ready to Be Struck Supreme Effort to Be Made to Clear Germans From Great French Coal City British Forces Cut a Swath in Enemy Lines During the NigSit and Inflicted Heavy Casualties. Gen. Haig's determination to give the Germans no rest was exemplified ex-emplified last night when the British penetrated German positions around Lens to a depth of more than half a mile, on a front of more than two miles. The field of this attack lies from 15 to 20 miles south of that of the big drive made by the British in Belgium on Thursday, which resulted re-sulted in the capture of the commanding Wytschaete-Messines ridge and its retention, despite desperate German counter-attacks. The two fields of attack constitute points from which the great manufacturing district of northern France, centering in Lille, may be subjected to alternating pressure. The British success today is taken to mean that the fall of Lens, the great French coal city, is near, and that another great blow is about ready to be struck towards clearing the Germans from their long held and much-prized French possessions in this area. i LONDON, June 9. 2:46 p. m The British attacked last night south of the Souchez river and entered tho German positions on a front of more than two miles, the war office announces. an-nounces. The German line was penetrated pene-trated to a depth of more than half a mile. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the Germans. The Germans made a powerful counter coun-ter attack last night over nearly the whole length of the new front. They were repulsed completely. The attack extended north of the Souchez river. The statement says operations op-erations were carried on with complete com-plete success on a wide front from south of Lens to La Bassee. r ROOT IN SIBERIA. IRKUTSK, Siberia, June 9. Elihu Root and the other .mem- -f 4- bers of the American csnmlssion -f-4- to Russia arrived today n route j -f for Petrograd. The commission was enthusiastically greeted at the larger stations along the route. nn |