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GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY AVhat is possibly Hie most critical battle yet fought in that locality is progressing in the northwest corner of Russian Poland. So far no details of the course the struggle is taking have been I divulged at Petrograd. The last announcement of 1 the general staff merely states: "The engagement between the Vistula and tlie Wnrtho has assumed the character of a big battlu with considerable forces of the enemy." It was a clear counter-attack. The Germans had made it necessary for the Hussian army to concentrate some distance to the rear of the line reached by its right Hank in the westerly advance. The movement has also been rather sudden, as the Germans were being driven out of Rypin as recently as November IS. It looks rather like a check to the victorious progress of the Russian soldiers, Petrograd says. The following otlieial communication from Russian general headquarters was issued: "Between the Vistula and Warta our advance guards in an engagement with the Germans, who took the offensive, fell back in the direction of Bzoure. The enemy succeeded in gaining a footing in the region of Lent-ehltza Lonczyca and Orloff, throwing out advance guards in the direction oX Piontek. In East Prussia our troops continue to make progress and lighting is going on near the Gunibinnen-Angerburg front, which the enemy is defending. In the trenches which we captured near Varsohlaghes the enemy abandoned more than 3rt dead. On the front along the Mazurian lakes our troops reached the wire entanglements of the enemys position ana forced them. On the front letween Czenstochowa and Cracow We have attacked important forces of the enemy, detachments of which operating at Lodovitze were routed. In Galicia we have occupied successfully the passes over the Carpathians." The. unexpected blow delivered on the Kussian center bv Gen. von Hindenberg with the German army which had retreated from before Warsaw, was the predominant feature of the news reaching London yesterday from the eastern arena of war. Having for the time being thrown back the Kussian advance toward the German frontier of Posen, Gen. von Hindenberg is the hero r the hour in Berlin. There is much criticism of the Germans retreat from Warsaw, but if the present marked reversal of form proves permanent the Geman center will retrieve its reputation just as the allies retrieved themselves almost at the gates of Paris. The German wedge from Posen would appear to have driven the Kussian center more than fifty miles back from the frontier, so that the line is about midway betwi-en German territory and Warsaw. Elsewhere along the great eastern front the Russians, where they are not progressing, seem to be holding their own. Advices from Thielt. Belgium, dated November 10, state that West Flanders, the scene of inces-saut military operations, remains -an island cut off from the rest of Belgium through the blowing up of most of the bridges leading thereto. The Germans have declared the territory west of the railroad running from Antwerp to Brussels and theuoi to Mons an official war area. It is difficult to obtain reliable news of the situation in the war zone, as the bedraggled men and women who manage to escape, are too miserable, through cold and hunger, to give connected accounts of their experiences. It was learned that Dixiuude. the scene of such severe lighting, is entirely ruined. Nieuport also has suffered severely. In Ypres the Cloth hall which was one of the few ancient buildings saved from the English siege in the year 1383, was scverelv damaged. Ghent is deserted by its popula tion, but is overflowing with German wounded. The following statement was issued by the general staff of the Russian navy: "On Tuesday morning a German squadron of two cruisers, teu torpedo boats, and several other steamers appeared before Lilian. They bombarded the city and harbor for more than lour hours. Several factories were damaged, the petroleum reservoir was shelled and destroyed, the railway station was set on lire, and houses in the poorer part of the town were damaged. The Germans also brought along soma small cargo steamers, which they sank in the entrance to the harbor! Five persous were killed by the bombardment, including two women, and thirtv or forty were wounded. The same day the Russian Black sea licet, which had been cruising off Trebizond, steamed close to the town and bombarded the harbor and barracks and set on lire buildings along the coast. No Turkish ships were sighted off the coast." A Russian staff officer, passing through The Hague, has this to say as to the cause of the present German success in Poland: "The Russihu army in Poland maintains three times as many cavali-vmeh "sis the Germans. This cavalry swarmed after "the retreating Germans, and when the Ger- mans suddenly stopped, the Russian cavalry was dashed to pieces like migrating birds flying agaiust a rock. Meanwhile the main body of the Russians. 1 000.000 men, whose absolute purpose is to beat the Austrians decisively, is proceeding unmolested to attack Cracow, leaving a smaller detachment to besiege Przemysl. Thereafter," the officer con eludes "the Russians do not intend to attempt to cross the Carpathians, but, following the Oder rivr. will make their main attack on Germany by way of Oppeln, Breslau aud Glogau." German attacks against the allies in West llaiiders have become much less violent, according to advices reaching Paris and French military experts are now predicting that the invaders along the Ost-end-Dixmude-Ypres line will soon have to retire. Any offensive movements by the allies in that region, however, would meet with the same obstacles which have hampered the operations of the Germans. The deep mud left by recent storms in the fields and upon the highways and the floods north of Dixiuude would render an advance by the British, French and Belgians a difficult matter. They would find It almost impossible to move their heavy guns forward through the quagmires and across the stretch of water north and south of the Yser canal and the Yser river. There is some anxiety in Paris as to just what has happened at Chauvincourt, a village near St. Mihiel on the Lorraine frontier. On Tuesday the French otlieial communication reported that tli French troops had occupied the western part of Chauvincourt, and Wednesdays official statement said that this part of the town had been blown up by the Germans,- who apparently bad mined the place before thev retired. How severely the French troops suffered by this exploit is not yet known. Chauvincourt. which contained vast French military buildings aud stores, is on the right bank of the Meuse. It has lieeu occupied by the Germans fur some time, and is an important link between Argonne and Metz. Violent lighting has been resumed within a two-bour motor ride "of the gates of Paris. At Traey-le-Val, where the main battle line from the north swings to the eastward, at the point nearest Paris, a German- advance led to a violent encounter. The Germans attempted to recapture the town, won by the allies a few days ago, but according to the French war otlice statement they were repulsed with lieavv losses. In Flanders the artillery duel, described during the last few days as of furious intensitv, lias become still more violent, on the part of" the Germans at least, but here, as elsewhere, the opposing forces are holding fast to their liiaiil positions. Hie following official statement was issued at Svdnev. Australia: "The Japanese government has intimated to the British government that it is readv to hand, over .Marshall and other German islands in the Pacitic. temporarily occupied by Japanese, to an Australian force. The British government has informed the Japanese government f its intention to act accordingly. A special Australian force will be dispatched to the islands and remain in occupation until the termination of the war. when the matter will be a question for consideration by the allied powers." According to a Berlin dispatch the kaiser has sent the following telegram to the crown prince: "The Sheikh-ll-Islam lias published a fetwa declaration of sacred law, according to which every Mussulman must as a religious duty light to the utt finest against England. Russia and France, on-prof-sors of Islam. This fetwa. to be distributed throughout the entire Mohammedan world, is now proclaimed to pilgrims in Mecca. This means a holv war for the whole Islamic world. Signed "WILLIAM." Victoria. B. C. is in hourly terror of attack by a German fleet. The marine department of Canada has ordered all lighthouses closed near the entrance to the harbor and has discontinued most of the light service on more distant coast lioints: Masters have been ordered to obey strictly all naval department regulations. All lights rrom the international line northward mav be extinguished and certain channels of navigation closed. Hollands difficult position as a result of the "t European war is shown by one weeks reports from the coast and frontiers. Along the coast eighty mines of French. German and English make have been thrown upon the shore and, exploding, caused the death of nine persons and the wounding of live. Over a hundred bodies, presumably of British sailors from sunken warships, have lieeu washed ashore and buried with military honors. Fighting between the German and allied forces in the Inundated territory between Dixiuude and Nieu-port on the North sea coast is frequently being carried on in boats. Artillery, for the first time in - the war has proved Ineffective, but personal bravery and enterprise are counting for much aud the battle is beginning to resemble the siege of I.eyden in th? sixteenth century, with raids and counter raids by means of Hat bottomed boats. West of the Vistula, in the neighborhood of Warsaw, Poland is reported to be one mass of ruins. All the railroad stations and water reservoirs have been destroyed, telegraph poles have been cut down and the telegraphic apparatus in every place broken nil. Bridges, Including even the smaller viaducts, have been blown up and factories with modern machinery, especially in Lodz, have been destroyed or ruined beyond repair. A German official communication given out in Berlin says: "A German aviation squadron encountered some of the enemys aviators in making a reconnoitering flight and caused them to descend, one of them falling. One of the German flying machines is missing. A tierce French attack in the region of Servon, on the western slopes of the Ar-gone forest, was repulsed witli heavy loss to the enemy. Our losses were small." There are persistent rumors at Valparaiso that the British transport Crown or Galicia has been attacked by German cruisers and been sunk. It is not stated whether the vessel was sunk by its own crew or by the Germans. The crew of the transport, it is said, was saved and will be landed at Valparaiso by the German steamer Rhakotis of the Kosmos line. An official communication by the general staff of the Russian Caucasian army, says: "In the valley of Olti Su a column of Russians attacked and dispersed the enemy in the direction of Erze-rum. The Russian troops took by assault the tovn of Dutah. an important point ou the road of communication in the valley of the Euphrates." The American steamer Kroonland, recently held up by the British admiralty at Gibralter for "twelve days and only released when the United States made vigorous demands, has been seized again in the Mediterranean by a British cruiser. An Athens dispatch states she is alleged to have 2,500 tons of munitions of war for Germany on board. The London Posts Petrograd correspondent says!. "Emperor William is staking his all upon the great battle in Poland. He has brought his finest troops from France, borrowed the best cavalry, namely, the Hungarian Horse, and depleted his garrisons by moving their guns wherever possible." Forty-six soldiers who had been rejected from ths Canadiau contingent as ineligible, presumably on account of German or Austrian nationality, arrived at Glasgow Wednesday under an armed escort of Canadian troops. They were embarked on a Donaldson liner for Canada. Berlin reports that the Turkish fleet engaged a Russian squadron of two battle ships and live cruisers off Sevastopol, according to an official announcement. One of the Russian battle ships was seriously damaged and the others lied to Sebastopol, pursued by the Turkish licet. TI;e Earl of Crewe disclosed in the British house of lords that in East Africa the Indian troops arc being employed against the Germans. That there has been heavy tigliting is shown by the fact that tho Britisli casualties to date total 000. The new levy from the landsturni of the years 1ST0 to 18!0 was begun in Vienna Monday and Will continue daily until the list is exhausted. Four commissions are sitting and about 3,200 men are passed daily for entrance to the army. Budapest dispatches announce the march of three Austro-Hungarian divisions across the Danube near Belgrade, which has been under renewed bombardment since Sunday. Its fall is declared to be iiu luiuent. Heavy- gun firing was heard Tuesday afternoon from Gothland island, in the Baltic sea off the Swedish coast, and is supposed to have been from a naval battle between German and Russian fleets. A wireless message from Berlin says the German capital is celebrating a great victory won by General Hindenberg in Russian Poland. The losses of the czars army are estimated at 40,000. The Russians claim that the cruiser Goeben ws set afire in an encounter with Russian warships , in the Black Sea. Gen. Villa, in command of the troops under the control of the Aguas Calieutes convention, is marching on Mexico City. His army took Leon, the first important railroad center south of Aguas Calieutes, without firing a shqt. Tho forces, of Geii., Pablo. Gonales, who is loyal to Carranza,. ara. gathered at Queretaro and Irapuato. where the first important clash in the hostilities betweep Gen. Carranza and the convention probably will occur. These facts were reported in official messages- Te-eeived from George C. Carothers. American consular agent accompanying Jen. Villa. Carothers said Gen. Villa was well equipped for the march. From American Consul Sillimau came a dispatch saying conditions were far more serious in Mexico City than they had lieen since the parleys for peace began. He regards actual hostilities as inevitable, though some of the generals are still trying to patch up the differences. The govennent of Carranza has moved from Mexico City to Orizaba. Two thousand Carranza troops surrendered to Geii: eral Villa when he took. Leon and other garrisons all along the line are changing allegiance to the northern chief as he inarches on toward Mexico City. American Consular Agent Carothers who is with Villa, reported there had been no fighting since the southward movement liegan and ventured his opinion that there would be no hostilities because the rank and file of the constitutionalist army seemed to favor Villa. Leon was taken yesterday without the firing of a shot and other reports tell of the occupation of Irapuato and Guanajuato. The general expectation in official circles at Washington is that Villa will reach Mexico City without much difficulty, fighting iierhaps one battle as his troops clash with those of Obregon or Gonzales near the capital. A dispatch from Aguas Calientes says that General Villas forces have driven the Carranza troops into Queretaro. The Carranza forces occupied the town without resistance. Villas trains have approached within fifteen miles of Queretaro. All the Carranza garrisons have retired before the sweep of Villas men. The United States government lias directed Ambassador Henry Morgenthau at Constantinople; to ask the Ottoman government for an explanation of the firing by Turkish land forces at a launch from the American cruiser Tennessee proceeding from Vourlah to the American consulate at Smyrna. Asia Minor. Secretary Daniels, with the approval of President Wilson, simultaneously cabled the commanders of the Tennessee and the North Carolina, also in the Mediterranean, to take no action which might embarrass the American government and to await specific instructions from Washington concerning the general situation. Although without definite details as to just what occurred, high officials of the government at Washington hal no doubt that the incident, no matter where the responsibility lay. would be promptly adjusted through diplomatic channels. President Wilson is determined that under no circumstances shall the United States be involved in war with Turkey. If the Turkish officers acted without authority of the Ottoman government and the firing was not justified by naval procedure in a closed port, it is confidently believed that the Ottoman government will tender an apology. The body of Field Marshal Lord Roberts, borne on a gun carriage, moved slowly through the streets of London yesterday to its last resting place in St. Pauls cathedral. The streets were lined witli troops while hundreds of thousands of civilians stood witli bared heads in a cold rain as tlie cortege went by. At St. Pauls funeral services were held before a reverent throng, including King George. Tlie body will bo interred alongside the remains of Wellington, Nelson, Wolseley and other famous Britons. It was recalled that just sixty-two years ago yesterday the body of the Duke of Wellington was buried at St. Pauls. American farmers and grain dealers since July 1 have sent abroad 50,000,000 worth of wheat and Hour to make the bread -of warring European nations. Other kinds of grain purchased in this country swell the total sum to 0,000,000 more. Investigation has disclosed that a wireless outfit on the Fiorida coast near Bayport. traced by a navy expert, was a small amateur apparatus and harmless. The inspector was sent to learn if unneutral messages were lieing sent to ships at sea. If plans of the presidents of railroads operating out of Chicago are executed 500 passenger trains will be discontinued November M0. Through passenger business has been light during the last few mouths. Duncan E. McKiuIay., former California cwigiesx-niaii. has been invited to Ifttid the International Peace Forum being organized in New York. He is planning to assume charge next March. The 1013 class of recruits for the first bac-talions of all Holland infantry regiments have been ordered to join the colors on December 15, says a dispatch from Amsterdam. Rev. Robert J. lturdette, no led humorist, died at Pasadena, Cal.. yesterday, after an illness of several weeks duration. Woman: suffrage was defeated by 110.205 votes at the Missouri election on Nov. 3, according In official returns.
