, with a loss
of one man killed and one wounded, just north of the river Douave,
southwest of Messines. They forced an entrance into the German front
trench after bayoneting thirty of the occupants. The party returned
with twelve German prisoners. About November 19-20, 1915, the heavy
artillery of the Allies battered the German trenches west of Ypres,
while their warships were shelling the coast fortifications at
Westende.

Between November 20 and 25, 1915, the British employed their time in
bombarding the German positions in several places, destroying wire
entanglements and parapets. The Germans made but little reply,
contenting themselves with holding tight to their trenches. They were
more active north of Loos, Ploegstreet, and east of Ypres. On the
evening of the 22d the Germans made a heavy bombing attack on a mine
crater held by the British south of the Bethune-La Bassee road, with
apparently inconclusive results. Constant mining operations were
resorted to by both sides, the British exploding one and occupying the
crater on the aforesaid road, and the Germans performing a similar
feat south of Cuinchy, severely damaging some British trenches. They
also exploded mines near Carnoy and Givenchy. A British aeroplane
squadron of twenty-three machines bombarded a German hut encampment at
Achiet le Grand, northeast of Albert. A single German aero ascended to
engage the attackers and deposited sundry bombs in the neighborhood of
Bray. In the Argonne forest artillery activity was more pronounced,
and a German ammunition depot in the Fille Morte region was destroyed.

A big fall of snow somewhat restricted operations in the Vosges,
especially in the region of the Fecht and Thur Rivers. On the Belgian
line a rather violent bombardment occurred in front of St. Heewege. To
the north of Dixmude and the cast of St. Jacques Capelle a retaliatory
fire was kept up for two days. The subjugated Belgians raised a voice
of protest against the German method of raising the war levies imposed
upon the country. They complained that, whereas Belgium had faithfully
carried out her share of the arrangement, the German Government was
indebted to the Belgians a matter of $12,000,000 for supplies that had
not been paid for. Nearly $100,000,000 had been exacted in tribute by
Germany from the occupied provinces of Belgium up to November 10,
1915, since which date the German Governor General had issued orders
for a monthly war tax of 40,000,000