European War Developments, Daily Racing Form, 1914-12-12

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EUROPEAN WAR DEVELOPMENTS. Petrograd advices are to the effect that the attack of the Austro-Germau army iu Poland appears to have lost its impetus with the exception of Gen. Mackenzens army, which is- unoilicially reported between I.owicz and Warsaw and only about fifteen miles from the Polisb capital. The following oUicial statement was issued from Russian general headquarters: "Isolated attempts on the part of the enemy to take the offensive have given rise to engagements in the districts of Ciechanow and Przasnysz, as well as at Piotrkow and in several other districts on our front. The result of the engagements was unfavorable to the Germans." An official statement Issued in Berlin says: "In jiurtli Poland the German troops are in near contact with the Russians, who have stopped iu a strongly fortified position eastward of the Miszga river. Our columns advancing on the right bank of the Vistula took Przasnysz by storm. Six hundred prisoners and some machine guns were captured. Around Lowicz the lighting is continuing, and in south Poland the Austrian and German forces again have attacked the enemy successfully. Emperor j William has told deputations of the eastern Austro-1 German armv that the war must be carried on until I long-lasting peace is secured. In southern Poland the Russian attacks were repulsed." The following official report was made public in Vienna: "In Poland everything was calm along the entire front. Nignt attacks by the Russians in the district southwest of Novo Radomsk were repulsed. In west Galicia strong forces on both sides were active and we have thus far captured 10,000 Russians. The battle , continues. Our operations in the Carpathians have resulted in the retaking of considerable parts of our own territory." Fierce hand to hand fighting has been in progress in the streets of Lowicz, Poland, for fourteen hours, and the Germans are ill complete control of the outskirts of this important railroad center, says a dispatch from Breslau. The official statement given out in Paris says 1 that tlie enemy was active in the vicinity of Ypres : Thursday. Three of the attacks were repulsed, but one of the important French trenches was reached I by the forces of Emperor William. Nevertheless . French troops continue to make progress iu the direction of the enemys lines, according to the official report. Artillery engagements are reported I in the region of Arras and in the Aosges, as well as i iu the vicinitv of Varennes and on the heights ; of the .Mouse. Iu the Argoune the French advanced 1 several of their trenches. The text of the communication follows: "The enemy .showed a certain activity in the region of Ypres. He directed several attacks against our lines, three of which i were repulsed. At; one single point on the front the Germans succeeded in reaching one of our iirst line trenches. On our side we continued to make progress iu the direction of the enemys lines. In the region of Arras and in the vicinity of Juviu-court there have been artillery engagements. In the Argoune we have pushed forward several of our trenches and driven back two German attacks. In the region of Varennes we have consolidated our gains of the preceding days. The German artillery has been active, but we suffered no losses. A similar condition lias existed on the heights of the Meuse. In the forest of Le Pretre our progress lias boon continued and lias developed. To tue south of Thann we have occupied the railroad station of Aspach. Along the remainder of the front iu the Vosges there have been artillery engagements." London reports that a supreme effort is being made by the, Austrians and Germans to relieve the besieged fortress of Cracow. So important is tlws movement regarded that Archduke Frederick, who has been in command of the main Austrian army, is said to have yielded the direction of operations to the German general staff. The lighting to the south or Cracow is developing into one of the great battles of the war. The Austro-German forces have made desperate attempts to break the Russian line bv massed frontal attacks, pouring men forward in seemingly unending numbers. The artillery lire lias been terrific. Every indication is that the Gorman artillery outranges, the Russian, but the Russians have held their lines by the bravery of the Cossacks fighting on foot. London advices say that the Swedish foreign office has made an inquiry into the laying of mines iu Swedish waters, which has caused extensive damage to the shipping of that country. The special object of the inquiry is to ascertain by what nation the mines were laid and what purpose prompted its action. The laying of these mines lias aroused public feeling, and the press continues its agitation vigorously. Some of the newspapers say Hint the mines were laid by Germany and demand that an indemnity be paid by that country. "Emperor Williams condition is so greatly improved that lie was permitted to confer with the imperial chancellor," says a dispatch from Amsterdam. It is said that the kaisers fever has dls-apoeared and that bronchial catarrh, from which he has been suffering, is no longer causing him much discomfort. "Reports that the kaiser is suffering from pneumonia arc untrue," concludes the dispatch, which says the Information it conveys coines from official sources in Berlin. It is said that besides striving to avert the intervention of Italy on the side of the allies in the j I , 1 : I . I i ; 1 i i war. Prince Von Buelow, tlie provisional ambassador of Germany at Rome, is entrusted witli a speci.il secret mission to prepare for peace. This is practl- tally certain to be negotiated under the joint au-spices of King Victor Emmanuel of Italy and President Wilson of the United States, whose efforts to bring about peace have been unceasing. German submarines made an attack at the eastern entrance of Admiralty Harbor at Dover, England. Thursday morning. Six vessels are lielieved to have participated in the attack. One report says that one was sunk and others were hit by the lire of the British forts and warships. No damage was done to the British vessels. The attack was made under cover of darkness, and during a heavy rain storm. A dispatch from Nish, Servia, contains additional details of the recent overwhelming victory over the Austrians by the Servians in Northwest Servia. Tlie pursuit of the Austrians is aid to be proceeding along the whole line. The total prisoners are estimated at upward of 22,000, and much war material was captured, including an entire artillery depot. A dispatch to the London Daily Express from the Belgo-Dutch frontier says: "There are indications that the Germans are preparing to abandon Thou rout and Thielt. The allies arc sweeping ahead between the railroads forming two sides of the parallelogram between Ypres. Handzaeme, and Ypres and Routers. The movement is of tremendous significance." The German armored cruiser Friederich Karl is reported to have been sunk in the Baltic Sea by a mine and most of her crew drowned, according to an official statement issued at the French Ministry of Marine. The Friederich Karl carried 537 officers and men. The sinking of the Friederich Karl .is said to have occurred late in November. The Berlin War Office yesterday reported that the Germans have made progress in Flanders, and that to the east and west of the Argonne forest the enemys artillery positions have been attacked witu good results. The oUicial report continued: "Two French attacks in the forest of Le Pretre and west of Pont-a-Mousson were repulsed." The German cruiser Dresden is reported to have taken refuge in tue Argentine port of Santa Cruz In a badly damaged condition, according to a wireless message received at Montevideo. If this is true the Dresden will probably be interned there until the end of the war. A dispatch from Coronel says that a merchant ship which arrived at Concepcion, Chile, reported it had intercepted a wireless message stating that the German transport Prinz Eitel Friedrich has been sunk by a Japanese warship. It is reported she had 1,500 German marines aboard. An official statement issued at Constantinople savs: "Under cover of a man-of-war the Russians attempted to disembark near Gounleh, south of Ba-toum Transcaucasia, in order to outtiank our troops. They" were compelled to retreat with heavy losses." It is officially admitted at Vienna that the Austrians in Servia are now outnumbered by the Servians and have been compelled to retire with the object of escaping an attack. British troops are reported to have captured the town of Staden, fourteen miles north of Ypres. on the railroad between Thourout and Ypres, according to a report from Sluls. The Turkish government has assured United States Ambassador Morgenthau at Constantinople that American missionaries In Syria will be protected and their work safeguarded. From an authoritative source high in the councils of the French foreign office it is learned that Great Britain is preparing to make formal amioucement of the annexation of Egypt. The German admiralty admitted yesterday that there was no hope that the cruiser Dresden could evade pursuit long. "We must reckon this ship as lost," it was stated. According to reliable information reaching Tokyo a squadron of Japanese warships is seeking the German converted cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich off the coast of Chile. The British press bureau issued a statement which said that the British casualties in the naval battle off the Falkland Islands-were only seven men killed and four wounded. The Prince of Wales, who was a lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards, has been promoted to be a captain in the same regiment. King George has appointed Earl Kitchener colonel of the Irish Guards, to succeed the late Field Marshal Lord Roberts. The British government- press bureau announced officially that the Boer rebellion In South Africa has been successfully put down. The Russky Invalid says Russia up to Dec. 4 had lost 00,000 commissioned officers in killed, wounded and prisoners. A Turkish gunboat struck a Turkish mine at the entrance of the Bosphorus and sank. Russia is said to have rejected the proposal of the pope for a Christmas armistice. . 1 : . . , , I . 1 : t t I 5 f J 1 1 - 1 s , ! 1 L j


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