On the night of December 5 the British strengthened their line by abandoning certain untenable positions near Cambrai, falling back deliberately and successfully, unknown to the enemy, upon a well-chosen line which ruled out the dangerous salient made by Bourlon Wood.  Here they prepared to maintain their hold upon the captured length of the Hindenburg line against any pressure.

The German casualties in the battle of Cambrai were estimated at 100, men, greatly exceeding those of the British in consequence of the nature of the massed attacks made by infantry in the counteroffensive.

As the year 1917 closed there was a succession of German attacks and counter-attacks by the British in the Cambrai sector, the British lines holding firmly at all points and continuing to hold during the winter.  SOME RESULTS OP THE YEAR

The British War Office issued the following statement of captures and losses during 1917:  Captures—­prisoners on all fronts, 114,544; guns, 781.  Losses—­prisoners, 28,379; guns, 166.

The following figures, obtained from reliable sources, tell the real story of Germany’s “ruthless” submarine campaign against British shipping.  Tonnage of British, ships of more than 1,600 tons in August, 1914—­16,841,519; loss by enemy action in 3-1/2 years, less new construction, purchase, and captures, 2,750,000; remaining tonnage January I,1918—­14,091,519.

On December 3, 1917, it was announced officially in London that East Africa had been completely cleared of the enemy.  Every German-colony was then occupied by Allied forces.

DISASTER AT HALIFAX

As the result of a collision in the harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia, between the French munition ship “Mont Blanc” and the Belgian relief ship “Imo” on December 6, thousands of tons of high explosives blew up, killing more than 1,260 persons, injuring thousands, and destroying millions of dollars in property in the city.

JERUSALEM CAPTURED BY BRITISH

Advancing steadily upon Jerusalem in the Palestine campaign against the Turks, the British forces under General Allenby finally, on December 10, captured the Holy City and restored it to Christendom.  The Turks were driven to the north, with heavy losses, the port of Joppa was occupied, and Palestine was slowly but surely freed from Mussulman dominion.  General Allenby formally entered and took possession of Jerusalem on December 11 with a small representative force of British and colonial troops, being received and welcomed with impressive ceremonies by the inhabitants.

WAR DECLARED AGAINST AUSTRIA

The United Stages Congress on December 7, 1917, passed a resolution declaring a state of war to exist with Austria-Hungary.  Austrian aliens, however, were permitted free movement in the United States, only Germans being classed as alien enemies and subjected to restrictions as such.