res-Poelcapelle road toward St.
Julien. Soon after a very strong attack developed against that village
and the section of the line east of it. Under the pressure of these
fresh masses our troops were compelled to fall back, contesting every
inch of ground and making repeated counter-attacks; but until late at
night a gallant handful, some 200 to 300 strong, held out in St. Julien.
During the night the line was re-established north of the hamlet of
Fortuin, about 700 yards further to the rear. All this time the fighting
along the canal continued, the enemy forcing their way across near
Boesinghe, and holding Het Sast, Steenstraate, and Lizerne strongly. The
French counter-attacked in the afternoon, captured fifty prisoners, and
made some further progress toward Pilkem. The Germans, however, were
still holding the west bank firmly, although the Belgian artillery had
broken the bridge behind them at Steenstraate.

On the morning of Sunday, the fourth day of the battle, we made a strong
counter-attack on St. Julien, which gained some ground but was checked
in front of the village. To the west of it we reached a point a few
hundred yards south of the wood which had been the objective on the 23d
and which we had had to relinquish subsequently. In the afternoon the
Germans made repeated assaults in great strength on our line near
Broodseinde. These were backed up by a tremendous artillery bombardment
and the throwing of asphyxiating bombs; but all were beaten off with
great slaughter to the enemy, and forty-five prisoners fell into our
hands. When night came the situation remained unchanged.

This determined offensive on the part of the enemy, although it has
menaced Ypres itself, has not so far the appearance of a great effort to
break through the line and capture the Channel ports, such as that made
in October. Its initial success was gained by the surprise rendered
possible by the use of a device which Germany pledged herself not to
employ. The only result upon our troops has been to fill them with an
even greater determination to punish the enemy and to make him pay
tenfold for every act of "frightfulness" he has perpetrated.

Along the rest of the British front nothing of special importance has
occurred.

WHAT THE GERMANS SAY.

_The comments of the German newspapers on the advance of the imperial
army north of Ypres readily admitted and justified the use of
asphyxiating gases. The leading Prussian military organ, t