Friday's news from the extreme western theatre of the war
is distinctly good. During the earlier part of the week the great battle of the Dunes, the opening chapters of which we described in our last issue, raged with unabated fury; but on Thursday there was a distinct slackening in the German attacks, and the official communique issued from Paris on Thursday afternoon recorded that the Allies had not only held their own (though of course with very great sacrifices), but were advancing. This communiqué further stated that during Wednesday the Allies made progress at several points round Ypres and to the south of Arras, and held their own on the front between Nieuport and Dixmude. The communique added that between the Aisne and the Argonne the French had taken some of the enemy's trenches, and that none of the attacks attempted by the Germans had proved successful. An advance in the forest of Apremont was also recorded. We may
add to this official communique a report that the Germans were also driven back for a considerable distance in the neighbour- hood of La Bassee.
