Georgia Historic Newspapers

    The Atlanta Semi-Weekly Journal
VOLUME XIV.
BELIEVE KAISER ASKS
PEACE FEARING ENTRY
OF U. S. IN THE WAR
Baker’s Review Shows Coun
try Is Weakening—Officials
Think- Teutons Would Par
tition Alsace-Lorraine ,
WASHINGTON. Sept. 27.—Germany—
weakening-, though not yet beaten —is
making a desperate effort for peace in
the fear of America’s might next year.
International ery-rts repeated this
declaration today even more emphatical
ly than they have voiced it for weeks
past—on the strength oj Secretary of
War Baker’s official war review showing
that Germany's "punch" is waning.
The 'government was informed long
ago that Germany would start a new
propaganda for peace to avoid a winter
campaign and the effects of America’s
participation i nthe war. Peace feelers
were forecast by diplomats here last
month. German replies to the Vatican
the information was entirely cor
rect. Germany’s moves now are looked
upon here as an appeal to pacifist opin-,
ten. though none of her overtures to
date have the stamp of a real peace
basis.
Secretary Baker’s war review—the
first of a weekly series—shows that the
enemy does not feel himself able to un
dertake the “much-advertised offensive
action so often boasted of at home dur
ing the past summer in order to end the
war victoriously by Christmas.”
This statement is based on official re
ports to the American war college and
is in reality one of America's foremost
war experts speaking through Secretary
taker.
The report shows Russian resistance
stiffening; the Austrians using only one
division as reserve in ner Italian cam
paign; while the British and French ar
tillery. infantry and aircraft have done
most spectacular work the past week.
Such a situation means that Germany
is on the downgrade. Meantime, the al
lies. says the statement, are contenting
themselves with constantly wearing
down Germany’s power until American
co-operation makes the most gigantic of
fensive possible next year.
With the military situation thus shap
ing much to Germany’s disadvantage,
experts here see clearly that her peace
maneuvers are based on a real internal
desire for peace about which rides the
spgeter of a terrible beating if the
struggle goes on.
Germany’s latest peace move, a sug
gestion for restoration of Belgium with
the Teutons free to develop economical
ly there, squares with word printed re
cently based on official embassy mes
sages here. That outline said Germany,
in addition to offering Belgium indepen
dence. would also agree to slicing up
Alsace-Lorraine between Germany and
France. This overture is felt here to be
tftill a possibility.
But officials are turning a deaf ear
on all the German peace talk, inasmuch
as it contains no suggestion for elimina
tion of Hohenzollernism. which. Presi
dent Wilson says, is the only possible
basis upon which a peace conference can
be assembled.
Bulgaria Ready to Quit;
Only Wanted Territory
WASHINGTON. Sept. 27.—Bulgaria
is uninterested in, Kaiser Wilhelm's
dream of a mitteleuropa empire. In an
interview today Stephan Panaretoff,
Bulgarian 'minister to tne United States,
said his country had attained the sole
ends it entered the war for and is ready*
to quit, providing she can keep the ter
ritory "which by language, nationality
and historic rights belongs to her.”
Bulgaria, he said frankly, would have
preferred to have fought on the side
of the allies, but Germany made a more
acceptable business -proposition.
"Bulgaria entered the world war with
one object in view—regaining Dodbrudja,
Macedonia and parts of Serbia which
were unjustly taken from her during the
Balkan war and in the treaty of 1870,"
said Panaretoff.
“She had no particular love for the
central powers—in fact, a few years be
fore had been at war with Turkey. As a
price of entering the war she asked
restoration of her former territory,
which by President Wilson's own state
ment of national boundaries' rightfully
belongs to her.
"Bulgaria would have preferred to
join the allies. But they offered res
toration of her territory provided Ser
bia would consent to take in exchange
other territory—presumably wrested
from Austria-Hungary or Turkey. Our
prime minister even stated to the al
lies that within twenty-four hours of
the acceptance of Bulgaria's terms, our
army would be marching on Constan
tinople.
"Germany’s offer was unqualifed. Dob
drudja and Macedonia were to be re
stored. We joined the central powers—
not because we had to, but because we
deliberately chose to.
"Now Bulgaria has attained those
ends for which she entered the war. She
is ready for- peace—according to no less
authority than Prime Minister Rados
lavoff—and wants nothing but which by
language, nationality and historic right
belongs to her. She has no interest in
Geormany’s reported dream of a m’ittel
Europe nor in the elimination of the Ho
henzollerns.
"Our armies have not participated on
any battle front except against Serbia
and Rumania. They are holding what
they have won. As far as 1 know, they
will not fight with the Teutons against
France or England, and will engage
in no offensive except to maintain ter
ritory which is now occupied
"Bulgaria has not regretted joining
the central powers. She has attained
what she sought—territory which is
now and always has been Bulgarian.’’
Restoration of Riga
Was Suggested by Pope
ROME. Sept. 27. —Restoration of Riga
and “all other Russian territory” now
held by the Germans was "explicitly and
implicitly” suggested In the pope’s ap
peal. according to a Vatican announce
ment today.
The announcement was taken to mean
that Germany must relinquish her plans
for a kingdom of Poland, with a Ger
man regency, to meet the pope’s condi
tions of peace
It was also reported today that the
holy see had advised Germany that the
pope will view with active displeasure
any attempt tn Germany to restrict the
liberties of Matthias Erxberger. the cler
ical (Catholic) liberal leader, or the
Catholic press which is firmly support
ing a non-annexationlst program.
Full Associated Press Service
MEANS’ PAPERS, SEIZED.
CENTER OF LEGAL TILT
Counsel for Defense, Swearing
They Are Indispensible, Ap
ply for U. S. Writs
CONCORD, N. C.. Sept. 27.—From his
cell in Cabarrus jail, where he awaits
grand jury action on the charge of mur
dering wealthy Mrs. Maude King, Gas
ton Bullock Means this morning was
waging a strong fight to cripple the
prosecution which would send him to
the electric chair.
Papers se’zad by New’ York authori
ties from Meant:* New York apartmer’s
had become the center of a furious
legal tilt. Counsel for Means, swearing
the papers were indispensible in the de
fense of the prisoner, had applied for
additional federal writs before Judge
Webb at Gastonia, citing John Dooling
and his New’ York prosecuting asso
ciates for contempt of court for failure
to deliver them to Cabarrus county
authorities as directed in a first order
by Judge Webb.
Because of interrupted railway sched
ules, they were unable to appear this
morning.
Interest centered here today in what
Gaston B. Means’ defense will be if the
October 29 Cabarrus county grand jury
.indicts him for the murder of the
wealthy Mrs. Maude A. King.
Much significance is atttached to the
mysterious disappearance of the hat
worn by the w-idow the night of August
29 when death came upon her suddenly
at Blackwelder Springs.
Gaston Means has been quoted as say
ing this flat-brimmed, black flower hat
was so soiled and bloody it was dis
posed of. This alleged statement has
never been confirmed. Belief is strong
here that this hat will turn up before
this case is ended.
Whether Means' defense would be that
Mrs. King shot herself accidentally or
committed suicide no one will venture
a guess.
The New York officials, headed by As
sistant District Attorney John T. Doo
ling. had expected to be in New York
today, but it was thought best to re
main until the superior court action by
Means’ attorneys seeking possession of
papers seized in Means’ New York apart
ment is disposed of. |
An-attempt Is being made today to
have the order citing Dooling to appear
October 8 vacated or heard today by
Judge Cline at Salisbury. The New
York men’s reply to the demand for the
papers in any event will be that they
are in possersion of Attorney General
Manning at Raleigh.
Means Directs Fight
From His Prison Cell
CONCORD, Z N. C„ Sept. 26.—Loser in
the first battle to keep himself from
the road that might lead to the electric
chair for the alleged murder of rich
Maude A. King. Gaston B. Means today
directed continuance of the fight from
a prison cell here in his home town.
He chose his own battle ground.
Here, within four miles of the secluded
spot where the state claims he decoyed
and murdered the wealthy widow of the
late Chicago lumber king, after squan
dering her fortune in New Vork and
other large cities, he cast his lot
against the law.
Meantime Chicago. New York and
Washington department of justice rep
resentatives, with tank loads of evi
dence gathered from Means’ blazed trail
of “business management" for Mrs.
King halfway across the country, con
ferred with Solicitor Clement and At
torney General Manning, of North Car
olina, on the prosecution.
Means and his family are politically
significant in this section. Brandon.
Means. Gaston's brother, is a county po
litical leader. Confessedly, the defense
thinks It will have a better chance to
win Means’ freedom here than it would
if Gaston were taken to New York and
tried there on other charges entailing a
possible long term tn Sing Sing.
Means, by express agreement of his
counsel, will have no chance to get out
of jail on bail between now and Octo
ber 8, when his case goes before the
grand jury. It appeared probable to
day he would try to get the case before
a local jury, and that the prosecution
would ask. in case of an indictment by
the grand jury, a change of venue to
another county.
Even if Means shuld be tried and ac
quitted on the murder charge here, he
might still, under certain action by the
New York authorities, he taken there
for trial on other charges.
These charges would revolve around
the now famous "second King will,"
which New York authorities hint may
have been forged after Means’ alleged
dissipation of Mrs. King’s available for
tune.
A large lumber baron. J. C. King, left
her only a little cash and control of
his millions when he died. This mys
terious second will of his gave her sev
eral million dollars outright.
“It is this will Gaston Means fears,"
said Attorney P. C. McDuffie, for Mrs.
Anne E. Robinson. Mrs. King's mother,
at Charlotte today. "And it’s this will
he sught to get hold of in the order of
court he obtained from the superior
court."
In connection with this proceeding,
W. G. Means, Gaston’s father, said to
day an attempt will be made to hale
Assistant District Attorney Dooling and
other of the New York officials here
before Judge Webb to show cause why
they should not be held in contempt
for refusing to deliver up the seized
papers on order of the court.
GERMANS ARE ARRESTED
IN AND NEAR NEW YORK
NEW YORK. Sept. 27.—Plans to
wreck machinery in munition-making
shops in America at the bidding of Ger
man agents in Europe are believed by
the police to have been defeated through
the arrests of about 100 Germans and
German sympathizers in raids which, be
gun here last night, were continued to
day.
This forenoon, the aliens, each guard
ed by a detective, were placed in auto
mobile vans at police headquarters and
left for Ellis Island, where, it was an
nounced. they will be Interned -probably
for the duration of the war.
Nearly all the men arrested are mech
anicians. A number are employed in mu
nitions plants and on navy contracts.
Ninety-one Germans were taken to El
lis Island today and interned. Guhrded
by sixty federal officers, the Germans
were transported to the wharf in patrol
wagons. Additional armed guards were
on the pier.
Later federal charges may be filed
again individuals suspected of having
made actual attempts to damage ma
chinery or otherwise Interfere with glv
ernment work. In the meantime blue
prints and maps confiscated when the
Germans were seized will be carefully
examined. Other arrests may be made
tonight.
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ENSINEERS UNDER FlflE
DF ENEMY AIRPLANES
U. S. Troops Flee From Bar
racks When Machine Gun
Bullets Riddle Roofs
BY J. W. PEGLEB
AMERICAN ARMY HEADQUAR
TERS IN FRANCE, Sept. 27.—Ameri
can army engineers sleeping in their
barracks have been under fire from Ger
man airmen.
Not an American was hurt, despite a
fussilade of machine guns fire from the
air which riddled the barracks’ roofs
and walls.
’ The Sammies took refuge In dug
' outs. There they sat about in groups
, —some In pajamas and others just plain
naked —and contentedly played poker
by candle light until the raiders were
dispersed.
(This is the first time that barracks
of an American army contingent have
been the object of a German aerial at
tack. )
Details of the attack, including the
date and Xime cannot be given.
The baracks attack was not the first
time the members of the engineer con
tingent have been under fire.
As a matter of fact, they are getting
hardened to the sensation of being
shelled. This is especially true of the
railroad pioneers regiment. Enemy
aviators have repeatedly attempted to
bomb nocturnal trains under charge of
Americans transporting supplies Io
French sectors.
Some of the Americans are also well
acquainted with big shell fire. I en
countered three engineers—two Chica
goans and a Milwaukee resident, all
graduates of Marquette, waiting In a
certain famous French citadel while the
French unloaded their trains. They
were to take it back to the American
center.
Wide-eyed and boyishly intere.sted the
Americans were sauntering amid the
crumbled and blasted masonery, entire
by oblivious to high explosive shells
which banged at random among the
ruins.
The American infantry contingent to
day was excited over a series of bay
onet, entrenching, rifle and grenading
contests now on. Generals Pershing.
Sibert and Sharp, with the American
newspaper correspondents, have offered
championship cups for the men who
excel in each branch. The awards will
be made next week.
German Messages Sent
From Mexico Since
Early in 1916 Reported
MEXICO CITY. Sept. 27.—1 t is stated
|on good authority that an investigation
i here shows that the passage of mes
sages in German code between the Ger-
I inAn legation and Berlin byway of the
Swedish legation and Stockholm as re
vealed recently by Secretary of State
Lansing extended as far back as the
early part of 1916.
It is also stated that these messages
were not confined to dispatches from
Heinrich von Eckhardt, German minis
ter to Mexico, but that they consisted
in part of messages from the Berlin for
eign office which were transmitted
through the Swedish legation to von
Eckhardt and were answered by the
same route.
ATLANTA, GA., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1917.
CONGBESSMEN NAMED
BY HEFLIN: DEMANDS
"SLUSH" FUND PROBE
Mentions La Follette, Mason
and Others and Wants Com
mittee to Investigate Their
Conduct With Bernstorff
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.—Repre
sentative Heflin, of Alabama, today de
manded immediate appointment of a
house committee before which he can
denounce members of congress who, tn
his opinion, have acted disloyally.
In .an impassioned speech he mention
ed the names of Senator LaFollette and
Representatives Britten and Mason, Illi
nois; Baer, North Dakota, and Norton,
North Dakota, and asked an investiga
tion so it could be ascertained if there
were any connections between their con
duct in congress and the $50,000 Bern
storff slush fund.
He also said that he would not be sat
isfied to have Speaker Clark name the
members of the proposed committee, but
would insist that the house elect them.
He accused the speaker of unfairness to
ward him at a recent house session,
where he was hooted when he failed to
substantiate alleged charges of mem
bers receiving money by gambling.
When Britten went to the rules com
mittee, where the speech was made, to
find if definite charges had been made
against him, he was informed that the
stenographic record would not be made
public until Representative Heflin had
been given an opportunity to revise it.
Before this congress is over, Heflin
said he would name thirteen or four
teen members whom he regards as dis
loyal, as unsympathetic with their gov
ernment, whose conduct had been sus
picious.
He preferred, he said, a committee be
fore which to make his charges, but if
one were not named, he determined to
deliver his accusations before congress
itself.
At the coming investigation, he prom
ised he would show the relationship, if
any, between the kaiser's spy system
and the bills by Mason, Illinois, to re
peal the select service law; by Britten,
Illinois, to exempt German-born citi
zens from service against their former
fatherland; and in the speeches of Sen
ator LaFollette.
Heflin said that since making his orig
inal speech he had been persecuted; that I
an important letter had been stolen from
his files, and that newspaper men had!
been hired to hang around him.
There were many members in the
house, he said, who would like to have I
him expelled before he had a chance to I
make his disclosures.
Congressional investigation of the;
charges of Representative Heflin, seemed j
certain today.
Democratic leaders said if the commit
tee did not act by tomorrow the situation
would be taken up on the floor of the
house. Leaders of both parties are re
ceiving such insistent demands for im
mediate action that It seems It cannot
long be delayed.
Four Privates Killed
By a Train in Chicago
CHICAGO, Sept. 27. —Four’prlvates'of
the Forty-fifth United States Infantry
stationed at Fort Sheridan were run
over and Instantly killed by a North
Shore electric train at Highland Park
last night.
.DESTITUTION AND DEATH
MARK ARGENTINE STRIKE
Pro-War Demonstration At
tracts a Crowd of 100,-
000 Despite Rain
BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 27.—Destitu
tion and death marked continuance of
Argentine’s nation-wide strike today.
Many infants and Invalids whose deaths
were reported succumbed because of the
milk famine. Violent clashes between
strikers and police were reported. More
workingmen joined the movement today,
and the industries of the city were at a
standstill. *
Meantime the government was ener
getically seeking arbitration and mark
ing time on its decision as to Argen
tine’s future course toward Germany.
Public realization that German money
and German agents are aiding the strik
ers has served to pu't a powerful im
petus behind the movement for a break
with the Teutons.
Today the prospects for any imme
diate settlement of the strike were hope
less. Every class of labor is now
affected. Even housemaids are consid
ering a walkout. The gas company em
ployes quit today. Two of the city’s
street car lines were tied up and the
strikers stoned the crews and assaulted
passengers on some of the cars.
Not a wheel is turning on any of the
railroads. Business is completely tied
up. The gravest destitution is already
reported here and In other cities due to
the food shortage.
Argentine marines were In control of
the waterworks and all power plants.
The pro-war demonstration last night
attracted a crowd of 100,000 people—
and this despite a heavy downpour of
rain.
As against this popular manifestation
in favor of war with Germany, govern
ment officials announced today thou
sands of messages are being received
approving President Irlgoyen’s reported
attitude of continued neutrality.
The greatest demonstration Buenos
Aires has ever seen took place Tues
day as an evidence of the almost unan
imous, feeling of the people against Ger
many. There were two hundred thou
sand marchers In line led by a commis
sion of Uruguayan senators and depu
ties while thousands lined the thor
oughfares as spectators. The popu
lace threw flowers and tiny flags on
the marchers and cheered the Uruguay
an congressmen wildly, for their pres
ence gave evidence of the solidarity of
Uruguay with the Argentine republic.
All business was suspended. The
demonstration was organized in twen
ty four hours, indicating the unanimity
of public opinion.
Bennett 282 Votes
Ahead of Mitchell
NEW YORK, Sept. 27.—William Ben
nett was 282 votes ahead of Mayor
Mitchel for the Republican mayoralty
nomination today, when ballots cast in
19 Manhattan districts had been re
counted.
The recount in three more districts
added 220 more votes In favor of Mr.
Bennett, bringing his majority up to
314 In one election district where the
mayor had been credited with 23 bal
lots and Mr. Bennett none, it waa found
that each received eleven.
11 FOLLETTE IS INDIGTEII.
BI COLONEL ROOSEVELT
"I Wish We Could Give Him
to the Kaiser,”
He Says
CHICAGO, Sept. 27.—“ The Hun with
in our gate,” “the most sinister foe of
democracy at this moment,” and "a
cause for shame and humiliation of ev-
I ery worthy American” were only a few
i of the indictments hurled at Senator La
Follette by Theodore Roosevelt in a
speech before 12,000 persons at the stock
yards pavilion here.
The colonel sektehed a picture of the
sinking of the Lusitania.
“Senator La Follette condones the ac
tion of the brutes guilty of that mur
der,” he shouted. “I wish we could
make him a gift to the kaiser.”
Bishop Samuel Fallows, who won a
{brigadiership in the Civil war, leading
men from La Follette’s state, presented
resolutions prepared by the National Se
curity league, under whose auspices the
meeting was held, demanding La Fol
lette’s expulsion from the senate. They
were adopted without a dissenting voice.
“We are to stand behind them against
the Hun outside our country,” said the
colonel, after paying tribute to the na
tional army, “and against the Hun in
side our borders. We are to stand
against men of the stamp of Senator
LaFollette who, in a recent speech at
Minneapolis, actually, by implication,
condoned the brutal German murders
of our men and women on the high seas
and tried to distract attention from the
wrongs inflicted upon us by creating
dissension at home.
“We had his type in the Civil war.
Then they called them coperheads
These men used all the fine words and
the same arguments as LaFollette,
certain congressmen and editors and
sham philanthropists make now.”
The colonel brought this phase of his
address, which was comparatively
short, to a conclusion by expressing
regret that it was impossible to send
the object of his criticism to the Ger
man lines.
“I wish we could make him a gift to
the kaiser for use in his reichstag. In
the seante he is a cause for shame and
humiliation to every worthy AmerL
can.”
Referring to the divided allegiance
of certain foreign-born Americans, the
colonel maintained that “we have the
right to demand that every German-
American stand shoulder to shoulder
with hfs fellow Americans against the
bloody tyranny of the Prussianized au
tocratcy of Germany.
“In this country the events of the
last three years will teach us much if
we have the wit to read the lessons
aright. There must be in the United
States one flag, and only one flag; one
allegiance, and only one language—
that of the Declaration of Independ
ence, of Washington’s farewell ad
dress, of Lincoln’s Gettysburg speech,
and President Wilson’s message to con
gress.
"I would give anything in the world
to be going over with you,” he said, ad
dressing his remarks to soldiers in the
audience. "If it had not been such a
very exclusive war I would have gone.
I greet you as comrades, you with the
white faces and you with the black
faces. And I want to say this, in the
home state of Abraham Lincoln, if a
man does his duty, black or white,
stand by him. We cannot afford to
take any other ground in our own
country under the penalty of being
counted as hypocrites when we fight
for the rights of humanity abroad.”
The resolution denouncing Senator
LaFollette dealt chiefly with his re
cent speech at St. Paul before the non
partisan league.
“His utterances have been most
agreeable and helpful to Germany,”
the resolution declared. *
He • “untruthfully stated that our
grievance was that the German govern
ment had interfered with our rights to
travel the high seas as passengers on
the munition ships of Great Brittain,”
it continued.
"He denounced the lawful action of
congress in passing financial measures
for the support of the war and con
demned the administration for approv
ing them. When his attack upon this
measure evolved the response ’shame
on congress,’ he replied. ‘Yes, and on
the administration that approved it.’
“This speech of Senator La Follette
was intended to make those who heard
and those who read it less loyal, less
disposed to perform their full duty
as citizens and more inclined to em
barrass and defeat the successful
prosecution of the war.
“Therefore, this assemblage of loyal
citizens of the United States, repre
senting every element in the great
melting pot of American citizenship
and patriotism, condemns Senator La-
Follette for his public utterances
against the government and the vigor
ous prosecution of this war and as an
unfaithful and disloyal official, un
worthy longer to represent the loyal and
devoted citizens of America.”
L. & N. TAKES NEW STEPS
TO PARALLEL THE W. & A.
Further steps on the part of the
Louisville nad Nashville Railroad com
pany to parallel the Western and At
lantic, which is the state road, were
taken Thursday afternoon when the
North Georgia Mineral company, owned
and controlled by the Louisville and
Nashville, filed a petition with the state
railroad commission asking to be al
lowed to issue $1,250,000 of common
stock and $2,500,000 of first morteage
bonds for the purpose of constructing
the road. The hearing on the petition
has been set for October 23.
The trackage to be built will extents
a distance of approximately fifty miles
from Atlanta, through Fulton. Cobb,
Cherokee and Bartow counties, to con
nect with the Louisville and Nashville
railroad at "White’s station near Car
tersville. Ga
The Louisville and Nashville, which
has been active for some time in get
ting a parallel line to the Western and
Atlantic into Atlanta, owns 12,495
shares of stock in the petitioning com
pany.
The petition was filed by Attorney
Jack J. Spalding, president of the North
Georgia Mineral Railroad company: W.
L. Mapother, vice president, and J. H. El
lis, secretary and treasurer. The com
pany was incorporated under the laws
of Georgia on April 13, 1917. On Sep
tember 19 the stockholders met and
authorized the proposed issuance of
stock and mortgage bonds and elected a
board of directors as follows: Jack J.
Spalding. Alex C. King, Hughes Spald
ing, W. L. Mapother, M. H. Smith.
NUMBER 103.
BRITISH ARE HOLDING.
THEIR GAINS AGAINST
STORMY ASSAULTS
Victory in Flanders Is as Com
plete as Any Gained This
Year—Germans Are Still Be
ing Pressed
NEW YORK, Sept. 27.—(8y foreign
cables from European capitals.)—Tester
day’s victory of the British in Flanders
appears to have been about as complete
as any they have gained in this year’s
operations. Today found them not only
in entire possession of the ground they
had won on a six mile front from Tow
er Hamlets to St. Julen, but pressing
the Germans hard after repulsing nu
merous counter-attacks.
It had taken hard battling, neverthe
less to maintain the gains of from half
a mile to two-thirds of a mile which
they accomplished In Wednesday’s
drive. The Germans returned repeat
edly to the attack yesterday afternoon
and evening, assaulting the new Brit
ish line with large forces. They were
successfully met at all points, however,
the British war office reports today, and
the fighting died down in the evening,
leaving Field Marshal Haig’s forces in
possession of their gains. The German
losses throughout had been extremely
heavy.
New fighting developed today south
of the eastern extremity of Polygen
wood, the Australians there giving the
hard pressed Germans no rest. On the
British right heavy fighting also con
tinued for elevations northwest of
Zonnebeke.
The French on the Aiane front had a
German offensive movement to deal
with last night. They met it success
fully, repulsing with heavy losses the
crown prince’s troops who twice attack
ed French positions on the Chemin-des-
Dames.
Four Counter Attacks
Repulsed by British’
LONDON, Sept. 27.—Four separate
and distinct German counter blows, de
livered with terrific force and strength
against Haig’s newly-won positions In
the Ypres sector, were flung back by
British defenders last night, the Brit
ish commander’s report asserted today.
The enemy struck at the British lines
east of Tower Hamlets and the St.
Julien-Gravenstafel road between 4 and
7 o’clock last evening.
All of the assaults were defeated.
Battle front dispatches today indi
cated the fighting was almost continuous
along all the six-mile front over which
the British registered their successes
yesterday. The most determined resist
ance was encountered from the Germans,
and when the British drove them out of
positions the enemy sought In violent
counter attacks to regain the lost
ground.
The announcement follows:
“Later accounts show the enemy
spared no effort to regain Important
ground captured by us. The fighting on
the battle front yesterday afternoon anil
evening was exceedingly severe. Be
tween 4 p. m. and 7 p. m. four separate
counter attacks were made in great
strength against our new front from
Tower Hamlets to the St. Julien Graven
stafel road.”
British seaplanes again dropped many
tons of bombs on German military es
tablishments in Belgium on Tuesday
night. An official statement issued to
day by the admiralty says:
“On Tuesday night our naval air
planes dropped many tons of bombs,
making several direct hits on the rail
road lines at the Thourout Junction,
the Llchtervelde Junction, and the Cor
temarck Junction. All our machines re
turned safely.
“The struggle was the most severe In
the area south of Polygon wood, where
English, Scottish, Welsh and Australian
troops defeated repeated attempts of the
enemy to break in to our positolns. Th’
enemy's attacks all were repulsed after
fierce fighting In which the German
losses from our artillery and infantry
fire were extremely heavy.
"Later in the evening the fighting
gradually died down leaving our troops
in possession of the ground they had
captured during the day.”
Ostend Bombarded; Haig
Reports Success of Drive
LONDON, Sept. 26. —The German
naval base of Ostend, on the Belgian
coast, was bombarded yesterday by
British naval forces. British aerial pa
trols over the fleet encountered six hos
tile airplanes and downed two.
The British made an attack on a wide
front in the Ypres region. Good progress
is reported by the war office.
Field Marshal Haig, in reporting this
new offensive today, said:
"East and northeast of Ypres at 5:30
this morning we attacked on a wide
front.
“Our troops making good progress."
ing good progress.”
In their new attack this morning the
British pushed back the Germans over
the high ground east of Ypres, Reuter’s
correspondent at British headquarters
reports.
Elsewhere on the British front, Field
Marshal Haig reported a successful
raid last night east of Gouzeaucourt.
“In the face of strong opposition,” he
said, "two occupied dugouts were de
stroyed and many other Germans killed
by the bayonet. A few were prisoned
and a machine gun was captured.”
The British assault is the third great
drive which has centered in the bloody
“Ypres sector” in two months. It comes
on the heels of bitter fighting which
was the aftermath of a British success
on both sides of the Ypres’-Menln road
last week.
General Haig’s report did not defi
nitely fix the “wide front” over which
his troops "went over.” Last week’s
drive, which was also initially de
scribed as “east of Ypres,” extended for
a distance of about eight miles, four on
each side of the Ypres-Menln road.
British forces gained nearly a mile ad
vance in this push. Then came a pe
riod of German counter thrusts of ex
traordinary violence. Last night’s re
ports from Field Marshal Haig detailed
a day full of bloody encounters, most
ly hand to hand, in which the British
repulsed these assaults, in some places
from their own trenches.
The British offensive, coming after
the German cunter thrusts had thus
been broken up, was regarded in Lon
don as heralding fighting of a ferocity
heretofore unparalleled on this front.