Paris, Nov. 17, French artillery was active on the Western Front yesterday afternoon and evening, driving back strong German patrols east of the Moselle area, south of Saarbruecken and north of Wissenburg, the French high command announced last night. A French detachment surprised a group of German infantrymen digging new trenches and erecting machinegun emplacements east of the Saar River in the Biles region, the announcement said. Several small German patrols were dispersed in this same' region, it was added, German reconnaissance planes again "appeared over north-east France yesterday in three. groups. The first group arrived by the North Sea and returned the same way. The second arrived by the North, Sea and returned to Germany flying over Belgium, The third over the West Front and returned by way of Belgium.
It was assumed the planes did not encounter Allied planes, as. the, French war communique issued yes terday reported only "local patrol activity" on the West Front, The French Government announethat it had decided to liberate the military class of 1911 from active duty,—United Press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.