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EUROPEAN WAR DEVELOPMENTS. The veil of secrecy has been drawn over the battles between the Russians aud the Austro-Gernian forces. The headquarters of both armies now are confining themselves to the briefest statements concerning the hostilities, saying merely that fighting is in progress. News coming from unofficial sources, however, shows that the German advance has penetrated farther into Poland than had been disclosed previously and that Warsaw is threatened for a second time. General von Hindenburgs army has advanced to within thirty miles of the Polish capital. Farther south in Poland, however, the Teuton allies are said to have been repulsed between Radom and Klelce. The battle In East Prussia seems to have died down, but the Russians continue to advance in Galicia and are still fighting on the Czensochwa-Cracov." front, where, they claim to have taken 2,200 prisoners. The following otlieial communication was issued at Vienna. "We and our ally continue our attacks successfully in Russian Poland. Several counter sittacks by the enemy have been repulsed. So far the Austro-Ilungarian troops have captured 15,000 prisoners. An important battle is proceeding west of Domjec Galicia :ind in the Carpathians." Steadily pressing forward south of the Vistula river, the German forces in Russian Poland are reported to have captured the three towns of Lowicz, Debske and Rozkizlow. These three towns are on the Bzura river. Rozliizlow is only thirty-one miles west of Warsaw. News of the capture of Ixvicz, which is on the south bank of the Bzura, indicates that the Germans have crossed that stream in force. Lowicz is an important railroad point, two lines from there running to Warsaw,-one through Skierniewice, the other through Socharzew, just across the Bzura from Rozlazlow. Debske and Roz-lazlow .are on the second line mentioned and are located on the north bank of the Bzura. Their capture gives the Germans control of the railroad up to the bridge between Rozlazlow and Socharzew. This Is reported to have been destroyed, and the only way In which the Germans can cross in this region is by means of pontoon bridges. The German general staff, referring to imixn-tant operations in Poland, now nearing a decisive outcome, announced that it considered the situation everywhere favorable. Although official dispatches only mention skirmishes in East Prussia, a dispatch from a correspondent with tlie active army reports with circumstantial details the capture of Gumbhinen after a battle lasting five days. Gumbiunen, sixty-six miles east-southeast of Koenigsberg. is tlie capital of the government district of the same name. Tlie population is about 15.000. The German" column between the Wsirthe and Vistula rivers, according to otlieial I Russian reports from Poland, comprises six army corps and presents a front lifty-llve miles in extent. The two rivers prevent Hanking by either side, hence the lighting consists of straight frontal attacks, in which the losses of botls armies are heavy. Extreme activity of the Germans along the Belgian coast as well sis reports indicating that warships are about to move from Emileu caused great uneasiness in London yesterday. The greatest mystery surrounded the movement along the coast. British military experts express the Iielief that this activity in Belgium may be a part of a plan for tlie establishment of liases for a daring raid upon London or tlie forerunner of a movement to engage the allied fleet off the coast and under this cover endeavor to transport troops by sea to the French coast. The entire population of the Belgian towns of Zeebrugge and Knocke has been transferred to Bruges by the Germans. The people were not permitted to move into Holland. Bruges is now said to be garrisoned largely by slightly wounded soldiers, tlie others having been moved toward the front. -Reports have been received that six submarines are being put together on the docks at Zeebrugge. The inhabitants of St. Nicholas, a city of 40,000between I Antwerp aud Ghent, have been ordered to leave im-1 mediately. St. Nicholas is an important railroad I junction. The people of the town were ordered to 1 move to Antwerp, where they were told unoccupied houses originally abandoned by Belgians, who tied the city, would be turned over to them. An official announcement issued by the Austrian general staff says: "In tlie southern war theater powerful Austrian forces, have crossed tlie Koluhara river, but the Servians are resisting in several well-; chosen fortified lKisitions. Our patrols in the last two days captured 2,440 prisoners. The number of Servians captured since November 0 totals 13,000. An official Berlin statement says: "Advices from i Sofia, Bulgaria, say that the defeated Servian army will try to make its last stand at Kraguvevatz, a Servian town fifty miles directly south of Belgrade. The Servian government recently implored the Greek government to help the Servians." An official Ser-1 yian statement concerning the Servian retirement before the Austrians, declares that the movement is being mad "for strategic reasons." The retirement, the statement adds. Is being carried out in an orderly manner in rear-guard actions. The Austrians at Shabats, it declares, lost 1,000 men killed, near Smederevo 2,500 killed and about the same number of prisoners, and at Soublin 1.CO0 killed or wounded. The statement concludes: "Our spoils up to the present amount to seventy guns, forty mitrailleuses and 10,000 prisoners. The bombardment of Belgrade continues as before." The official communication Issued by the German army headquarters says: "Fighting continues at Nieuport and at Yprcs. A small British squadron twice approached the coast, but was driven off bv our artillery. The British naval guns had no effect. In the forest of the Argonne we are gaining ground step by step, one trench after smother and cue point of support after another being wrested from the French and a number of prisoners being taken daily. A violent recomioitering expedition against our position on the east of the Mo- selle river was made ineffective by our counter ; attack. The text of the French official communi- j cation follows: "Sunday was marked by a violent artillery fire. Tlie enemy directed ills attentiou particularly to the town of Ypres. where the belfry, the cathedral, the markets and a number of house. were set on fire: to Soissons and to Reims. In the Argonne . region the day was characterized by hot fighting. The enemy delivered spirited attacks, which were repulsed. In the Woe we and in . the Vosges the situation is without change." The German steamer Sierra Cordoba has arrived at Montevideo with the passengers and crew of the British steamer La Correntina and the French bark Union. Both were sunk by the converted cruiser Kronpring Wllhelm, tin; liner on October 7 and the bark on October 28. The Correntina carried :i cargo of meat valued at ,000,000 and was bound from Buenos Ay res for Liverpool. Constantinople announces that the Turks continued their successful advance on Datum, the Russian port on the Black Sea. All the territory between the Turko-Itussian border anil the River Chursk is in Turkish hands, and Artwin has been taken. The English losses at Shatt-el-Arab amounted to 730 dead and several thousand wounded. A dispatch from Pretoria says: "It is officially announced that General De Wets rapidly dwindling rebel commando became surrounded by loyal forces in the vicinity of Boshof on the Vsial river. General De Wet succeeded in escaping with only twenty-five men. The remainder of his force surrendered." The following official Turkish statement is announced: "The Turkish troops have reached the Suez canal. In fighting near EI Kantara the English suffered heavy losses and took llight." El Kantara is a port on the right bank of the canal, about twenty-five miles south of Port Said. It was announced officially at London that the British aviators who Saturday afternoon raided Friedrichshafen, on Lake Constance, report positively that sill the bombs thrown by them reached their objective aud that serious damage was done to the Zeppelin airship factory. Large bodies of German troops from Bruges have been hurriedly sent to the Middelkcrke, south of which there have been a number of fierce hand-to-hand struggles between opposing infantry forces in tlie allies efforts to retake Osteiul. Terrible losses were suffered by both sides. Tlie Germans have again subjected Ypres to a violent bombardment in an effort to drive out the British troops. The bombardment was like those which in previous attacks have been preliminary to an infantry attack. The market place and town hall were destroyed. An official communication Issued by the German general headquarters says: "In the eastern war theater the situation remains unchanged. In Poland we still are fighting for victory. Tlie lighting south of Ilock and at Czeustochowa continues." A British naval prize court lias ordered the release of si cargo of wheat consigned to Rotterdam bv :i New York firm and seized on board the British steamship Miramiehi in the .Mersey river after the outbreak of hostilities. Canada will increase Immediately to 01,000 the number of men under arms. Premier Borden announced. Fifty thousand sire to be mobilized and sent forward as requistioned by the w:ir office. That the British supcnlreadnought Audacious wan sunk by a torpedo discharged from a German submarine is news received at Washington from au authoritative source in Berlin. Although no official lists of losfos have been published, it is known that since the war began the French casualties have exceeded 375,000 killed wounded, captured and sick. A dispatch to the l-xchange Telegraph company from The Hague says Emperor William has decided to return to Berlin shortly, to be present when the relchstag opens. Au official dispatch from Pretoria announces the capture of several members of the staff of General De Wet, leader of the Boer rebels. A news agency dispatch from Vienna says a general revolt against Russian rule has broken out at Titlis, in the Caucasus. The mayor of Ypres is reported to have been shot by the allies sis a spy. A British force has occupied Jaffa.
