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EUROPEAN WAR DEVELOPMENTS. It is oCiciallv announced at Petrograd that the German forces in Poland are in full retreat southwest of Lowfcz along a Hue extending for forty-three miles from Strykow to the Warthe river, and that the Russians are pursuing the beaten enemy. The Germans north of the Bzura river have been unable to cross that stream, and it is stated that all indications point to an overwhelming Russian victory along the entire battle front. A dispate.i from Petrograd to the Loudon Times says that according to the latest unoUleial information the German armv of about 400,000 between the Vistula and thfe Wartlie has been broken into several parts. One pan was compelled to divert its course to the soifth and another to the north. In each case thr RiJ.sians apparently succeeded In getting behind tliise corps and inllictiiig great losses in killed aud wclinded, besides taking many prisoners. Other reports declare the Germans who had reached Lodz-are now at Sadek. twenty-five miles to the rear of tile easternmost point readied by the force which advanced through Poland from Kalicz. The correspondent at Petrograd of the Paris Matin says: "The Russians, after having cheeked the German ellenslve on the Ploek Leezyen front, gained on that side a brilliant decisive victory. The enemy, who had heavy losses, is Hying with all speed toward the German frontier. An entire German regiment surrendered to the victors. The Russians are energetically pursuing the enemy. The Russians also are vigorously attacking along the Czenstoch-inva-Cracow line. This day seems to mark one of the most important and perhaps decisive phases of M the war." Berlin newspapers have cotnparatively r little comment on the appearance of reinforcements in the battle of Poland which the Russians, as at Warsaw, ""were able to bring up at an opportune moment. Major Mbraht, the military critic of ths Tageblatt. says it was to lie expected, as large rorces had been left behiud to garrison the Vistula forces when the Russians advanced, and these arc now being hurried up in an endeavor to save the day. A dispatch to the London Times from Petrograd says: "The expected victory of the Russians between the Vistula and the Warta has been con firmed by private advices. Large bodies of German troops were surrounded and captured near Lowicz. Thu enemy is reported in some cases as abandoning his guns. It is expected, however, that Gen. von Hindenburg, who has been reinforced by a new reserve corps, will attempt an offensive at another point on the Polish border." On the Galician front it is reported that the Russians are iwinhard-ing Cracow, the Austrian stronghold, and that the city is in riamcs. The Russians also have occupied Xevy-Sandez, a few miles southwest of Cracow, after forcing the Austrians to evacuate. This advance from the southwest would tend to complete, the Russian circle which is seeking to invest the Galician fortress. An official communication given out by the German headquarters staff says: "In tae eastern war theater the situation has not yet been decided. In East Prussia our troops are holding their own to the northeast of the plain of the Mazur lakes. In northern Poland the fierce fighting which has been taking place still has lieen witn-out result. In southern Poland the battle in the region of Czenstochowa has come to a standstill. On our southern wing to the northeast of Cracow our attack is progressing. The official Russian report that Generals Liehert and Tanuewitz were made prisoners in East Prussia is an invention. Gen. Liebert at present is in Berlin and Geu. Tanuewitz is at the head of his troops." London reports disaster to two German warships. The British admiralty announced that the German submarine U-1S was rammed and sunk and special cables said the German torpedo lioat destroyer S-124 foundered as the result of a collision off the Swedish coast. A British patrollilig vessel discovered the submarine U-1S off the north coast of Scotland and rammed the vessel at 12:20 oclock Monday afternoon. The IT-IS was not seen again until 1:20, when she appeared on the surface Hying a white fiag. Shortly after this she foundered just as the British destroyer Garry came alongside. The destroyer rescued three officers and twenty-three i f the submarines crew, only one being drowned. The names of the German officers rescued are Captain-Lieutenant von llenuing, Engineer-Lieutenant Sprenger and Lieutenant Xeuerberg. It was the Danish United Steamship Companys steamship Au-1 p s v s t t j. ? i i I 1 j 5 ; i 1 J ; 1 ; 1 ! 1 1 ! glodane that came into collision with the German destroyer S-125 outside Falsterbo. Sweden. The destroyer was steaming full speed without lights when she was rammed amidship. Two other German destroyers came to her assistance, lint sue sank shortly afterward. Most of the crew was saved by the German craft. The destroyer was towed by one of the torpedo boats to the Swedish coast, where it will be disarmed. While an eventual victory of the Teutonic allies in the eastern theater of war Is as confidently expected as ever, Berlin advices say that official reports from German aud Austrian headquarters make it appear that the decision will not come as soon as was expected. While the advance of new Kus-shin troops from Warsaw delays the final result in that region the Austrians announce that they have abandoned several passes in the Carpathians to sunerior hostile forces. The Russians investing Przcmysl have been driven back by a sortie and are not within cannon range of the fort, it is claimed. The Russians, who crossed the lower Domajec, are not able to proceed farther. The tremendous extent of the battles raging In the east appears from the fact that the hostile forces are in contact along a line more than 400 miles in length from north to south. There are no important reports from Servia, Turkey or the western theater of war. The latest official statement given out in Paris says that, generally speaking, the situation on November 23 showed no changes of importance. The text of the communication follows: "Speaking generally, it may lie said that the situation during the day of November 23 has showed no important changes. Along the greater part of the front the enemy manifested his activity particularly by an intermittent cannonade, which was, however, less spirited than on the preceding day. Nevertheless, there were here and there some infantry attacks, all of which were repulsed. As we have come to expect, these attacks were particularly violent in the Argonne, where we gained some territory, and in the region of Four-de-Paris. There is nothing to report between the Argonne and the Vosges, and furthermore a heavy fog has interfered with operations." The London Daily News correspondent at Petrograd wires: "The Germans have abandoned their main purpose of pressing the Russians along the banks of the Bzura. Towards their own artillery positions along the frontier southward from Kaliscz the Germans are now ou the defensive. A new German army under the cavalry leader Gen. von Makkensen has reached Poland to help Gen. von Hindenburg in the crucial struggle. The great battle which will decide the fate of East Prussia is rapidly developing. The German cavalry suffered a disaster at Deviaten in attempting to strike the right Hank of the Russian forces, which was moving across the Mazur lakes region. The Germans are now concentrating all their strength ou an elaborate iwsition in the region of Darkehmen. south of Insterhurg." Germanys armies are reported preparing to launch a new offensive movement in Belgium or France in an effort to break through the allies line and reach the French coast. It is believed by the allied commanders that they will attempt at the same time to force the line of French fortresses in the Argonne region. The Germans have been -iolently bombarding Ypres. Soissous and Rheims while making attacks iu force in the Argonnes. The French claim the assaults in the last-named region have been repulsed, but the Germans say thev have been gaining ground steadily. All this activity may be intended to divert attention from the quarter in which the supreme attack is to be made. The Turkish government lias notified the cable companies that messages from or to belligerent countries will not be admitted to Turkey, either terminally or in transit. Further, representatives of neutral powers in Turkey will not be permitted to exchange telegrams in code or cipher with their home offices or with the representatives of other neutral powers. Officials at Washington say it is an undisputed principle of international law that a representative of a neutral country may maintain communication with his home government in secret. If Turkey should attempt to prohibit Ambassador Morgenthau from sending dispatches to Washington in dinlomatic coda some action would be taken by the United States. Russian successes over the Turks are announced in an official report from the commander of the czars army in the Caucasus, as follows: "On November 22, iu the direction of Erzernm. advance parties of the Russian forces continued to repulse the Turks. After defeating some columns, wc captured a number of ammunition caissons and a wagon train bearing ammunition. South of Kara-Killissa and Alaschgerd there were engagements favorable to us. Our troops operating in Various directions against the Kurds have been reinforced. The regular troops at Aserbcidjan defeated the Turks in the region of the Khauessur Heights and also fn the hills leading from Dllman to Kotour. Part of the Turkish artillery was captured." News from New York of the sudden and unexpected arrival there of Henry Vim Dyke, United States minister to Holland, followed an hour or two later by the arrival of a man who declared lie was a special envoy from the king of Sweden with a message so important that it could not be trusted to the mails or the cable, started renewed talk in Washington and in financial circles to the effect that peace moves were afoot. The special envoy from Stockholm bore a message from King Gustave to the Swedisli embassy and went on to Washington. The cruiser Goehen was only slightly damaged in her battle with Russian warships in the Black sea and is being rapidly repaired at the Nicodeinia dry dock, according to a dispatch from Constantinople. Remarkable optimism relative to the duration of the war prevails in financial and insurance circles in London. The Lloyd policies indicate that the betting now is ten to six that the war will be ended by March 31. Not loug ago the betting was five to one that there would be no peace within a year. The island of Hcrm, one of the channel group off the coast of Guernsey, which is less than one square mile in area, has been occupied by British troops as a precaution against its possible use by Germany. Some time ago a mild agitation was started on. the ground that the island was leased to Prince von Bluecher, a descendant of the famous German commander at the battle of Waterloo. A wireless plant was found there shortly after the outbreak of the war, and was destroyed. An official statement issued by the Austrian general staff says: "In Russian Poland till now there is no decision. We continue our attacks east of Czenstochowa and northeast of Cracow. While occupying Pllicia In Russian Poland thirty-tbrco miles north-northwest of Cracow our troops captured 2,400 Russians. The Russian troops, which had crossed the lower Dunajrc, were unable to proceed further." An official communication given out by the German headquarters staff says: "British warships again appeared off the Belgian coast Monday and bombarded Lombaertzydo and Zeebrngge. Our troops suffered slight damage from this bombardment, but a number of Belgian villagers were killed and iu-jured. Otherwise no actual changes have occurred in the west." The Cologne Gazette declares that the reports of a German desire for peace, which it says are probably inspired by the British, belong to the "region of higher political idiocy. The position of the Germans, neither in the east nor the west," it continues, "is critical. The German military undertakings on all the battlefields are progressing favorably." Telegraphing from Petrograd the London Morning Post correspondent says: "The British embassy in Constantinople has been ransacked and the Russian hospital pillaged aud all foreigners have been abused. There have been many arrests among all classes of the population. A widespread conspiracy against the Young Turks has been discovered." A Berlin correspondent states that two German officers who -broke their parole and escaped from Holland, have arrived at Osnabruck. They will lie summoned before a court of honor, the correspondent declares, and must leave the army. Trains have been passing through Calais full of soldiers in an unfamiliar light blue gray unform. This is the new French field service uniform now being issued to the class of 1014 and some of the older troops who are being reequipped. A correspondent of the London Times in Flanders says the Germans are placing in shape a large number of armed motor-boats for use on the Belgian canal. They are, he says, high in engine power and are armed with quick firers. While the main armies of France have been striving to hurl back the German invaders from their home soil, the French colonial army has been waging a small war against the fierce Berber mountain tribes in Morocco. British and German war vessels have been sighted off the Uruguayan coast, and a battle is imminent. The British steamship Ortepa. bound for Chile, has been instructed to remain at Montevideo. The Austrian garrison at Przcmysl successfully attacked the Russian troops besieging that fortress, according to an official report from the Austrian general stuff. Many noncombatants. including women and children, lost their lives in a second bombardment of the Russian Baltic city of Libau by a German fleet. A news agency dispatch from Vienna says a general revolt against Russian rule has broken out at Tillis, iu the Caucasus. An official statement in London admits that a British attack on a German post in Africa was beaten off with heavy losses.
