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Show ALLIES HAVE BEGUN DRIVE IN THE WEST FULL STRENGTH OF ENGLISH, FRENCH AND BELGIANS DIRECTED DI-RECTED AGAINST GERMANS. Attack Develops Into General Bat-tie Bat-tie by Land and Sea, the Losses on Both Sides Eeing Appalling. London. The long expected "drive" by the alles on the western front has begun on land and sea. After a week of intense preparation, the details of which have been kept secret, the full strength of the English, Eng-lish, French and Belgians was directed direct-ed in a tremendous concentrated attack at-tack upon Uie German front on Saturday. Satur-day. The attack has developed into a general battle by land and sea from the Belgian coast to the southern limit of the German army. In Champagne the French are attacking at-tacking the German second line of trenches and are making further progress, hut seemingly the allies' offensive movement is not .being carried car-ried on with tho same impetuosity which characterized the first two days of the operations. The sucesses won are recognized as very important, hut the main object ob-ject which is to break through the German lines, has not yet been accomplished. ac-complished. Both the British and French greatly great-ly have improved their positions, and by gaining the hills and crests from which they can dominate the German lines of communication, their next attempt at-tempt to win a decisive victory should be made easier, in the view of experts in London. Field Marshal Sir John French reports re-ports the capture of powerful German dtfenses around Loos, where the number num-ber of prisoners taken by the British has reached 3,000, forty machine guns being taken and many destroyed. The British have captured the first and second lines and are heavily engaged in an attack n the third. The French continue to push forward for-ward east of Souchez, aiming at the heights of Vimy, which command the plain to the east; w.iile the British to the north are making secure their hold on the Lens-La Bassee road and are beating off the German counterattacks. counter-attacks. The battle in Champagne is over a sixteen-mile front, where the French ire attacking and now are within the German positions, and which has been so useful to them in moving troops and supplies to threatened points. With the French guns within easy range the railway is rendered useless. use-less. As usual there is a great divergence oetween the German and French official of-ficial accounts of the battles. The Germans Ger-mans claim all the French aKacks aave been repulsed, and that a num-ner num-ner of prisoners have been captured. It is the same with regard to the crown prince's offensive in the Ar-5onne. Ar-5onne. Whereas this is described by 'he French as an important action, the Germans say it is a minor one, designed to improve the situation, and that the desired result has been achieved. On the entire front the fight has taken on the aspe-et of furious attacks and counter-attacks in which the carnage car-nage has been fearful and which may continue for weeks before a definite decision is reached. The fighting is the bloodiest of tlw entire war, with two million strongly intrenched Germans Ger-mans pitied against French and Brit- sh armies estimated to number four nillicn. The Germans are reported to be rushing strong reinforcements to tho front, and nn Amsterdam dispatch says that Kmperor William himself is rushing to Luxemburg lo urge on his nnnies. |