The Barnwell people. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925, December 03, 1914, Image 2
tmm IENIT DIDBLE JET
UIXTiGEIlin
REINFBICEMENTS AUIVE
(Arrlral of Fresh Troops In Poland
Throws Result of Fighting Again
la Doubt—No News From West—
English Successes on Persian Gulf
—Defeat of British In Africa.
Up to late Tuesday night there was
no conclusive news from the Polish
battlefield where a decisive victory
v for either Germany or Russia would
vitally affect the course of the win
ter campaign, both in the east and
the west.
London reports a 'Petrograd dis
patch: "Gen. Von Hindenberg’s army
which last week was sweeping toward
Warsaw in Its second advance
* through Russir.n Poland, is reported
to be in retreat after having expert
on red severe reverses indicted by the
Russians, who. with reinforcements
made a brilliant stand between the
Vistula and Warta rivers.
While the extent and the com
pleteness of the German defeat was
not known here, the very fact that
Gen. von Hlndenberg had been check
ed was by far the biggest feature of
Tuesday's war news. The same dis
patches thartJ tell of his reverses, how
ever, say that the German reinforce
ments were being brought so that an
other great battle is likely to develop
on a line nearer to the frontier of
Posen, whero the Germans will have
the same chances of renewing a vlg
orous offensive, as had the Russians
fn the present instance.
"Gen. von Hindenberg has about
men, but If the Petrograd re
ports can be accepted, they have been
separated, badly cut/ up and thou
sands taken prisoners, so these Ger
man forces will require reformation
and rest after the severe punishment
Inflicted upon them following their
daring advance into the heart of Rus-
alan Poland."
Petrograd via London repor's say
there have been continued Russian
successes in the Czenstochowa-Cra
row front, where, on November 22,
the Russians took six thousand pris-
fOners.
Berlin reports that in Poland the
appearance of Russian reinforce
ments Is postponing a decision of the
battle.
Paris reportc: "There has been
Intermittent cannonading on the
front and a few attacks In the Ar-
gonne, which have alt been repulsed."
London reports: “A terrific battle
Las commenced. The Germans have
beavy reinforcements and fresh guns
for this renewed effort to cut through
the Allies' line. The English artil
I ary thus far has thwarted all the
German attacks.
While undertaking immense tasks
In the east, the Germans, according
to all accounts, are preparing to
launch another offensive movement
in the west. Just where this is to be
Is known by the general staff alone.
W is believed here that they will
make another effort to get through
te the French roast, and perhapu at
the same time try to force the line
of French fortresses In the Argonne
rgeion.
“The Germans have been violently
bombarding Ypres, In Flandeis; Sols-
»ons. In the Alsne, and Rhelms, while
they have been attacking in force In
Ihe Argonne region. The French
rlalm the Argonne assaults have been
repulsed, while the Germans say that
they have been gaining ground stead-
“Any or all of this activity may be
Intended to divert attention from the
quarter la which the sppreme attack
will be made, but the Allies are sure
to fliscoVer soon where they must ex
pect the next blow. To ward off the
possibility of the Germans again try
ing to move along the coast'the Brit
ish fleet has been bombarding their
positions from ?he sea.
Berlin reports: "Fighting con
tinues at Nieuport and at Ypres. A
small British squadron twice ap
proached the coast, but was driven off
by our artillery. The British guns
had no effect.
“In the forest of the Argonne we
Are gaining ground step by step, one
trench after another and one point
of support after another being wrest
ed from the French and a number of
prisoners being taken daily.
"A^ violent reco?snoitering expedi
tion against our position on the east
of the Moselle River was made iuef-
liondon reports: “The recent oper
ations in the Persian Gulf have been
crowned with even greater and more
rapid success than was anticipated
after the signal defeats inflicted up
on the Turkish forces on November
15 and 17, The latter, abandoning
all further resistance here, leaving
eight guns and many, wounded in
our hands. The Valis of Basra and
Bagdad accompanied the defeated
Turkish forces In their flight up the
Tigris River. •
“Barsa (a river port on the Shat-
-el-Arab, 60 miles from the Persian
Gulf), was occupied on the 21st Inst,
by our naval and land forces. All the
British in Basra are reported safe.
“la East Africa, It appears from
tbe latest information that, as an im
portant German railway terminus
was reported weakly held, a force was
sent from British East Africa to seize
It.
“On the evening of November 2
one %nd one-half battalions landed
urlthin two miles of the place and be
came heavily engaged just outside the
town. But, as the enemy were in
much superior strength, this force
was compelled to fall back and await
reinforcements.
*At 11 a. m., on the 4th the at-
tack wjL*renewed. -Whan wUhla..gfta l
.yaeAs -of-tho pooMee- the troops ct-
800 FRET SEPARATE FOES BE
TWEEN OISE AND SOMME.
' \
Paris Scads Oat Vivid Story of Des-
. permte Cannonading Along French
Valleys.
The trenches of the opposing ar
mies between tbe Oise and Somme
are at some point only 300 feet apart,
according to a Haras dispatch from
the front. The correspondent says
French officer, acting as a guide for
fifteen newspaper Jtnen, told them
when they approached the firing line
they must he silent, for "the enemy
can hear us."
“The crashing voice of the three-
inch guns which we had left behind
us as we advanced," continued the
dispatch, “now was almost obliterat
ed by the nearer and quicker,staccato
reports of the machine ghni and the
Mausers. At a distance of one hun
dred yards was a gray winding ridge
of , earth, the advance line of the
enemy’s trenches. - ;
^“Here, face to face and within
range of each other's forces men
were shooting each other down point
L’.ank, while feem every ridge and
every mound, covered with four
inches of snow, unseen batteries com
pleted the turmoil of war.
“Here and there a head rises cau
tlously above a white-crested trench
There are six quick shots and then
the head disappears, as though swal
lowed by a sea of snow. This Is all
spectators see of the hundreds of
thousands of men in the burrows
v'l.o were ready to issue fprth at the
slightest alarm.
The vast chambers, roofed over
with the branches of trees and with
stout wooden pillars in front support
ing sacks of earth, protect the men
inside alike from shells and the tern
pests. These are underground forts
for modern warfare, with sanitary
ditches, kitchens for the mess and
bunks for the rifle men awaiting their
turn on the bring line.
“In front rises an ancient wind
mill, neutralized without the form of
an armistice, when provisions are
brought to the trenches of both the
combatants. Further on the trenches
are so near each other than the Ger
mans and French exchange newspa
pers.
"Complicated barbed wire defences
protect the trendies here from sur-
prlces. At a converging point on
one spot stands a building, at the
walls of which the enemies arrived
at the same time, and a German
rifleman, breaking r hole through
wall, thrust a ba v onct under the not,e
of a French sentinel.
M ISJOMEAD
LUND SKCOUTEJ ATTITUDE
IF IT1E1 UraniEJ
"This is the spot where the sttua
tion was critical for the French ten
:en-
days ago and where a brigadier gei
eral saved the day and gained the
stripes of a general commanding an
army.
“To the right and left black clouds
from bursting shells are interspersed
by chimney stacks from which the
smoke of Industry curls up as is days
of peace.
'Further down appear the crumb
ling ruins of Arras, where the war
has been more pitiless and where no
Industry remains standing.
“At nightfall the humble village
of Quesnoy, with its ruins standing
out like phantoms, marks the scene
of a formidable clash which will
make the place historie. The town
nwo is nothing but a heap of stones
and smoking ruins, in the midst of
which are seen the narrow trenches
from which the Germans resisted the
onslaught and which now contain the
heroic dead.
“Twenty-five batteries played upon
these trenches, while fifteen bat
talions charged with bayonet to a
mighty chorus of 'Vive la France.*
formidable fusillade and machine
gun fire stopped the on-rush but half
the ground had been gained. The
next day the batteries reopened and
the infantry line charged again, this
time carylng trenches and chasing
the Germans from the position
Quesnoy had cost the French- 2,00<J
men to-take and the Germans lost
.000.
‘From Arras, where German sheila
still rage,<though little remains to be
destroyed, to the la Bassee canal, a
tug of war continues across the tarns
deadline as during the last three
months. Over this line bullets whis
tle and shells screech unceasingly.
Dark clouds that mark the targets of
he German heavy artillery stand out
gruesome relief against a back
ground of snow."
casualties the One Hundred and First
Grenadiers actually entered the town
a^d grossed bayonets with the enem
The North Lancashire regimeiU^dnd
the Kashmir 1 Rifles on the riglvt pass
ed on in support under a very heavy
fire and also reached the town. They
found themselves opposed by tiers of
fire from the images, and were even
tually pomp^Wid to fall back to cover
00 yar^»'irom the enemy’s position,
losses were so heavy and the
tion so strong that it was consid
ered useless to renew the attack, and
the force re-embarked to return to its
base to prepare for future operations.
From recent reports just receiv
ed the total casualties In this unsuc
cessful operations were 795, includ
ing 141 British officers and men."
Wife Sees His Death.
As his wife watched F. E. Radlna
warm up his auto for the races at
Knoxville, Tenn., his car crashed
through a fence . Thursday, killing
ilm Instantly.
Horses for France.
The largest shipment of hojses yet
pqrtpJ is expected to leave New
leans for F|ance. Two -special
trains brought 1,620 horseq from the
middle west. ^
Pt Tsmljfflafi la Hi
TOT
Smuke from me forest fires of
under a very heavy fire southeastern i.lsaonrl drove many
•c'tWr left lank.,. la spite of heavy residents oat of their fcofeee Tuesday.
forest
Touring Car Swerves in Crossing
Black Creek—Three Men Killed
and One'Seriously Injured.
As a result of a joy ride in an auto
mobile Saturday night, Robert S. Har
rlson, a young merchant; A. D. Tay
lor, and John E. Richter, Jr, em
ployees of tbe Florence Gae com
pany, are dead and J. W. Wilson, the
manager of the gas plant, is very so-
—-Bulgaria's Attitude Unknown—Irlously injured. The automobile in
BALKANS TO BLAZE DP
Scandinavian Nations Are Causing
4 r . .* A . '
. log Some Anxiety In English Conn-
~ cils—Itaiy Expected to Enter W
indiiho-
of the
Roumania Will Probably Join.
EvenU are moving rapidly toward
the further extension of the Euro
pean war, and, according to* the best
sources of information available- in
London from whence* comes this art!
cle, the impending developments are
calculated to bring remarkable sur
prises In their> train.
Germany 'and Turkey have top to
the present been confident that, in
the event of hostilities spreading
within the area of the Balkan States
Bulgaria would take up arms against
Servia and thus avenge herself upon
the powers which spoiled her of the
fruits of her early victories In the
Balkan warjs. ————
For some tim epast secret negotia
tions have been going on with a view
to removing the Bulgarian griev
ances in this regard, and there is
good reason to believe, that these
have made satisfactory progress—
thanks chiefly’to Italy's willingness
to meet Servian aspirations. „ These
plans; of course, assume the sym
pathy of Italy, even if not her actual
cooperation with the Allies.
After the speech delivered by ex-
Mayor Nathan of Rome, Italy’s par
ticipation in the war is regarded as
a certain development of the new
year. The Influences of the Masonic
lodges upon Italian policy is consid
ered to be a factor which will IndiT
tably decide the" resitations
Rome cabinet.
The question of Roumania's atti
tude is also believed to have been
settled in a way satisfactory to the
general scheme of policy of the A1
lies. From the outset, when it was
feared that Bulgaria might throw in
her lot with Turkey when the latter
entered the fray, the allied statemen
counted upon Roumania's forces to
offset those of King Ferdinand. Now
that the Bulgarian danger is believed
to have been averted, Minister Jones-
co'a declaration that Roumanian in-*
terests are indissolubly bound np
with the THple Alliance is welcomed
as an especially significant contribu
tion to the cause of the Allies.
In these qua'ters where the belief
that Bulgaria baa been wen over is
still treated witn skepticism, it is
suggested that Jonesco’a statement ia
in the nature of a direct warning to
King Ferdinand's government.
To offset this is a dispatch from
Sofia saying leaders of the Agrarian
National Liberal parties delibered
speeches in the Bulgarian parliament
Tuesday calling for the formation of
genuine national ministry. The
deputies also urged occupation by
Bulgaria of Macedonia, which, it was
argued, could be carried out in agree
ment with the Triple Entente powers.
Austrian troops, said the speakers,
were approaching the Bulgarian fron
tier, and it was feared they would
cross with a view to co-operating
with the Turks.
While the diplomatic wire pulling
is thus believed to be favorable to tbe
allied cause in southeastern Europe,
there exists some anxiety as to the
success of German endeavors in the
same line in the northern part of the
continent. The Scandinavian nations
since the beginning of the war have
admittedly been taking precautionary
measures by ordering partial mobili
zation, and the reports which now
come from Canada of the calling in
of the Swedish and Danish reserves
in the Dominion are an Incidental
demonstration of the extent to which
these measures go.
But authorities on Scandinavian
^flairs agree that none of the three
little northern nations—Norwa
Sweden, and Denmark—seek mili
tary adventures, and that |h£y are
solely actuated by a determination
to protect their neutrality. The Ger
man campaign in Sweden, however,
is regarded herjMis a potent factor of
danger.
Fear of^ftussia rather than love of
Germany is at the root of the Swed-
is^lrattitude, though there is a strong
ro-German leaning on the part of
the aristocratic and military cliques
of the population. Sweden’s mili
tary preparations have gone much'
further than Norway's or Denmark's.
Cbmplete mobiliation has been or
dered for certain districts, including
the fortresses that are the keys of
the country's long and exposed
coasts. On the other hand, Sweden’s
observance of neutrality has been
scrupulous.
Another point to which’ attention
has recently been drawn by the Scan
dinavian authority, Edwin Bjorkman,
in a contribution to an English paper,
is that the heavy expenses of their
defensive measures have had a good
effect in bringing home to all three
countries the fact that their cause is
a common one, namely, the preserva
tion of their independence; and this
to some extent has led them to for
get their mutual differences. ’ 1
Although the relations between
Norway and Sweden have not been
cordial, the understanding at which
they arrived almost immediately af
ter the war begun amounts almost
to a defensive alliance against all
comers. Dr. Eridjof Hansen's voice
has .been raised In favor of extend
ing this understanding beyond the
duration of the preesnt war.
AUTO JUMPS BRIDGE
FOUR FLORENCE MEN IN FATAL
AUTO DISASTER.
which the four men were riding went
into the middle of Black Creek
stream, at what is known as Muses
Bridge, four miles north of Florence,
shortly after 9 o’clock. The three
dead were drowned and Wilabn, the
fourth, only saved himself by a mira
cle. ~
It seems that Taylor left home
about 9 o'clock to go' to a garage to
get some work done on his automo
bile. After leaving the house he pick
ed up the three other men and went
out for a joy ride. Having made a
trip around what is known as the
“loop” they returned and one of them
left the car end Wilson joined the
party. They drove out across High
Hill Cfleek in the direction of Back
Swamp, and as they were passing
over the high bridge at Black Creek,
going at a good speed, the car sud
denly swerved to the right into the
guard rail on the bridge and over
the middle of the stream,, turning
completely over. . „
Wilson, not knowing where he was,
but finding himself under the water,
managed to get free and dive from
the side of the car. Th*e stream, be
ing one of the swiftest in the county,
swept him some 200 yards down the
current, and after considerable effort
in the darkness, managed to reach
the bank, where he pulled himself
out of the water. Not knowing where
he was, but hraring dogs, bark, and
afterwards hallowing of hunters in
the woods began hallowing himself^
He finally managed to reach the
road, and-after some time assistance
came to him. He was nearly frozen
and was carried to a nearby house
arid resuscitated from his condition.
It was then that he told of what had
happened, but as it w: s dark no ef
fort was maun to locate his three
companions other than to call for
them. Wilson was gent to the city
by, friends about 3 o’clock Saturday
morning. Then it was that the news
spread like wild fire.
It was only a short time before the
Black Creek road was literally lined
with automobiles, vehicles and pedes
trians. going to the scene to do what
they could to learn the true state of
affairs, and to assist in the search for
the bodies. The car, which had plung
ed headforemost into the stream
could not be seen, but upon dragging,
was found about ten feet away from
the bridge, lying right side up in
about fifteen feet of water.
The stream was searched, and
about 300 y&rds below the bridge the
dead body of Harrison was fotrod
standing straight up against a cypress
tree with a part of the bead out of
the water, his back directly against
the tree, where, it is thought, that he
tried to savo himself, but was finally
drowned.
The search was continued and
about 1 o’clock the body of Taylor
was found on the bottom of the
stream about midway between the
bridge and v here Harrison was
found, lying.flat on the bottom of the
creek in fourteen feet of water. The
search was continued until shortly
before 5 o'clock, when Richter’s body
was found between the tree where
Harrison's body was found and the
north bank of the creek, lying in v flf-
teen feet of water.
Richter’s body was within three
feet of Harrison and it was suggest
ed that the two men must have died
In each other's embrace, or were sep
arated only when the death struggle
took place. They were^nding in the
back seat and TayUHr^ and Wilson in
the front seat wh^n the accident oc
curred. There were no scars to
amount tiy^fmything on either body
and tha attending physicians stated
thelMneir death was from drowning.
AliUlLAl JPEAIJ PLAINLT TO
PEIPLE IF TEIA CRUZ ,
TO PROTECT EVERYBOOY
BIG FOREST FIRES.
Three States Face Destruction of
Many Acres of Forestry.
Forest fires Tuesday continued
their destructive sweep through the
lumber regions of three states iu the
southwest. There was too indication
of the-checking of the fires at any
point and reports from towns in Ar
kansas, southwestern Oklahoma and
northwestern Louisiana told of enor
mous losses through the burning tim
ber. Farmers have lost fences and
outbuildings, while many miles of
telegraph and telephone wires have
been put out of commission through
the burning of poles.
With Fourche mountain and Gran
ite mountain ablaze and the smoke
from the burninjr timber sweeping in
dense black clouds int oLittl^ Rock
Tuesday that city came to a closer
realization of the menace of the for
est fires •which now are raging
throughout the state.. The burning
areas are within less than four miles
of the heart of the business district.
Fifty-seven convicts were in peril
of their lives for several minutes
Monday night in the burning roc*;
crusher plant just a mile west of the
new state capital. The men were
housed in a stockade‘150 feet from
the burning structure. With all doors,
of the stockade locked and escape
impossible, a riot was imnilnght when
extra forces of guards were rushed to
the endangered btoildings. Hurriedly
the men were formed in lines and
taken from the building under closest
convoy.
' r*
IBM'uupqf i mi wm
icty as to developments among. the 1 from its rack behind the door Bud
little nations of northern Europe, are ] Winn, n farmer of. Saluda, was acct-
to be noted In the English press. . dentally killed Friday afternoon.
New Military Governor Enters Port
Upon the Heels of Retiring Amerl-
cans Calls for • Firearms and
Keeps Saloons Closed—Occupation
of City Is Orderly
Gen. Canlido Aguilar, who suc
ceeded Brig. Gen. Frederick Funston
Monday as military governor of Vera
Cruz, did not mince words when,
through his chief of police, Theodore
Frepieres he told residents that any
sort of disturbance would result in
the execution of the offending indi
viduals.
The proclamation contains this
declaration was circulated through
the streets as Aguilar’s forces were
entering. The decree provides that
all arms must be surrendered within
twenty-four hours and that failure to
comply will cause the shooting of
the one in whose possession a gun
is found. 1
This flat statement caused W. W.
Canada the ^American consul, to call
at the police station, where hc-toW
Chief Frezieres that many Americans
had deposited their arms with him
The consul was told that Aguilar did
not intend demanding them, and, in
fact, expected the consul to use his
discretion in holding the guns.
Americans are not exempt from the
order, but in cases where the author
ities are convinced their standing
warrants if they will be given per
mits to retain their arms.
A dispatch from Havanas says the
safety of Cubans in Mexico Is giv
ing much concern to the government
It is feared Cubans will not be safe
after the departure of the American
forces from Vera Cruz. It is under
stood the government is considering
the immediate dispatch of a cruiser
to Vera Cruz to bring away cuch Cu
bans as desire to leave.
Brig. Gen. Funston and his com -
mand Of six thousand infantrymen,
and marnes. abich landed in Vera
Cruz April 30 last, got under way’
late Monday and Gen. Candido Augi-
lar's men took charge of the city.
The United States traosport Christo-
bal bearing the first contingent of
Americans, left the dock at 1:30 p.
m. for home.
The Mexicans marched in on the
heels of the departing troops, but no
serious disturbance occurred. Rer!-
dents of Vera Cruz wha had heard
of threats made by Villa followers
and others opposed to Gen. Carranza
that they would resist occupation of
the city by Aguilar’s troops breath
ed more freely as the Carranza sol
diers moved nearer aad nearer to
the center of the city
The only unpleasant incident had
no effect on the general situation.
Gen. Carranza was quoted by repre
sentatives as being displeased with
the Ameiican method of delivering
over the city, and . as having criti
cised sharply failure to make a for
mal transfer of various departments.
Gen. Aguilar personally rased the
Mexican flag over the municipal pal
ace at 6 o’clock Infantry was
drawn up in front of the building
during the ceremony targe crowd
in the plaza cheeretFas the colors
were un^fleS Q^n. Aguilar in a
statement said^^
“I am wait satisfied that this day
has ended so peacefully. The Mexi
cans afe pleased to have shown the
civilized world to-day that Mexico s
-•cultured nation and is well satis
fied with the whole affair. I appre
ciate the efforts of the American peo
ple and the government, which made
it possible for the occupation to end
this way.’
The proclamation ends with the
statement “that any individual who
commits any theft or swindling oper
ation or who enters any house or
commercial establishment with the
purpose of committng any crime will
be executed."
This is made still broader in its
application by one paragraph which
says "that any one who does any
thing to alt-r public Hfe in any way,
and fails to respect life and property
will be executed.”
Vera Cruz will be dry at least tem
porarily. On entering the Mexicans
found saloons closed in accordance
with an order issued by Gen. Fun
ston. Under a new order issued
Monday the saloons will remain clos
ed “uotil further orders.” Restau
rants and hotels are allowed to sell
wine and beer with meals only.
Gen. Aguilar issued another proc
lamation calling on the people of
Vera Cruz to assist him in the man-
tenanqe of order. The gen areasl
sures them of hs intention to fur-
sures 'them of his intention to fur-
furnish guarantees of safety '‘to all
residents, Mexicans and foreigners,
of all classes, even to those opposed
to the cause.”
Those who had expected the Mexi
cans would convert their own city
into a battlefield, or would subject it
to rioting and looting, admit their
mistake The entrance of the 4000
men novt. garrisoned here was ef-
fectefl as quietly as was Gen. Fun-
ston's withdrawal The withdrawal
was accomplished without hitches,
and little ceremony marked the de
parture, bpt Gen. Aguilar’s occupa
tion was as rapid as .complete and
as orderly.
About to Fight.
It seems that there will be warfare
between Gens. Villa and Carranza, as
they have not agreed to leave Mexico
as reported.
*fhnmdar
tMftrs Armored Autos.
The Dominion of Canada has plac
ed an order for forty armored motor
cars, fitted (with revolving turrets. -
the war situation
MILITARY OBSERVER DISCUSSES
STAGE OF WARFARE.
Says Fighting in East and West is
Now Intimately Connected—Ger-
-many on Defensive in West, r
The war in Europe, says the mili
tary observer of the New York Timesi
has now made progress to a stage
where the operations in France ahfl
Russia arb intimately related. The
fighting in Servia. and Turkey also
has some influence'In diverting troops
from the main battteflfeMs, but to' a,
relatively small deg?ee. The uses that
Germany is now making of^tlie in
terior position and of her railroad
system link the eastern and western
campaigns so closely that each is de
pendent upon the other.
Germany is now engaged in one of
the greatest strategic moves of his
tory. In a suprime effort to crush
the Russians she has cut down her
forces in every quarter to the mini
mum in order to deliver ggainst the
Russians the strongest blow of which
she is capable. Despite the fact.-that
her armies in France were already in
ferior in numbers to those of the Al
lies, shfe has even further reduced
their strength b,y withdrawing the
mounted troops and sending them to
the east, where they r could be used to
better advantage, still more IS Ger
man strength on this border affected
by the stoppage of the normal flow
oM'einforcements in order to direct 1
this stream of soldiers also to the
eastern battlefield, which for the
present has greater importance.
It takes much courage and deci
sion to adopt a plan like this, which
offers many possibilities of disaster,
but the Austro-German allies are in
a position where' such measures are
necessary. They have undoubtedly
given a careful study to the state of
preparation of .the allied atmies in
France, and have also siared up the
personalities and probable lines of
action of the opposing genersts.
The worst that is likely to happen
to them in the west at present would
seem to be an enforced retirement lo
the line of the Meuse in France and
the Dyle River in Belgium. , It seems
even probable that the inactive policy
to which the British and French have
committed themselves may permit
the Germans to hold on to their line
in France in spite of the reduction
in strength of the German armies.
The extensive use that the Ger
mans are making of the machine gun
especially strengthens their defensive
work. These guns can be placed so
as to sweep ground over which the
enemy would have to advance In mak
ing an attack. When the signal is
received from the observing station
that the enemy has reached a partic
ular stretch of ground the gun that
covers this front can then turn loose
a storm of ballets that will wipe out
any troops in its path.
This helps to explain the apparent
confidence with which the Germans
have turned their main efforts east
ward, in spite of the immense ar
mies that the French and British now
have in the field. The Germans de
pend upon their six-inch siege guns
to give them the advantage in the
long-range fighting, and upon their
machine guns to make up for their
disparity of numbers in the fighting ,
at short range.
In both of these arms the Germans
had a large superiority at the out
break of the war. Even more than
other machinery, guns and riffee wear
oift tepidly in servt'v. Many %re
captured, others are losr, and others
are broken. It is doubtful whether
Germany can replace this great drain
upon her military equipment. On
the other hand, the Allies have the
gun factories of their own countries
working on double shifts,-whole to
some extent all of the rifle and am
munition factories of the neutral
world are aiding them in increasing
t{iVir mechanical fighting equipment.
The report of the new French four-
inch gun, which is being rapidly
turned out by the great works at
Creusot, is a significant item.- Both
in France and in Great Britain the
national gun foundries are undoubt
edly working to their limit to turn
out .still heavier guns in preparation
for a great aggressive campaign in
the spring. Meanwhile the flghMng
in France and Belgium has become
a merely defensive campaign on the
part of the Germans and an inactive’
one on the part of the Allies
SWITZERLAND SAFE.
ss
Army of Two Hundred Thousand Men
Guards Her Neutrality.
David Jayne Hill, fortoier United
States ambassador to Germany, has
returned with his wife and daughter,
after spending the summer in Europe.
He said that Switzerland had mobiliz
ed an army of 200,000 men. 'With
the Alps surrounding them, Di;. Hfli
said that he did not*.think the Swiss
would allow any power tq violate
their country's neutrality. ' x
— , * * *
Obregon Takes Blj* Guns.
Gen. Alvaro Obregon’s retirement
from Mexico City is described as a
strategfc ipove to enable him to at
tack Villa after he has entered. The
gups of the capital, were carried oft.
British Embassy Sacked.
Lopdon reports a Petrograd dis
patch saying that the Turks had
sacked the British embassy at Con
stantinople. r -
Two'New Ministers.
The representatives of Chile and
Argentine have arrived.in Washing
ton and are expected to present them
selves to President -Wilson after
Thanksgiving.
V
-rue Germans are preparing a large
number of high power engined motor
boats for use In the canals of. Bel
gium. They will carry quick firing
rifleu. _ •