view raw text
! : : EUROPEAN WAR DEVELOPMENTS. The Germans now are on the defensive between the Pilica river and tho upper Vistula, according to reports from Pctrograd. A Petrograd dispatch also savs that all the important passes on tli-; Carpathians are again in Russian bauds. The following statement from the Russian general staff was issued in Perograd: "On the 27th between the lower Vistula and the Pilica rivers, German attacks everywhere were repulsed. The Germans suffered heavy losses, especially during an attack to the southwest of Skieruiewioe. Between the Pilica and the upper Vistula the enemy has adopted the defensive. Our troops stormed the village of Szituiki, which was stubbornly defended by the Austrians. The enemy has definitely evacuated the left bank of the Nida. To the south of the upper Vistula on the front of Opatow-Biecz the fighting continues to develop to our advantage. From the lSth to the 20th we captured there 200 officers and 15,000 soldiers and forty mitrailleuses. The enemvs retreat In the region of the Dukla passes and 011 the road to Liska is becoming more and more precipitate and disorganized. On the 20th we caotured in this region as many as 3,000 prisoners." Russian forces according to advices from Galicia, have succeeded in crossing the Biala river and in taking possession of a twenty-mile strip of territory south of Tuchow, thereby separating the two Austrian armies. The forces of General Boehm-Ermolli, the Austrian commander, are claimed by the Russians to be retreating precipitately and the western Austrian army is said to be badly crippled. The investment bv the Russians of the Austrian fortress of Cracow again is threatened. Following the discovery of an at-. tempt made by the Austrians to divide the Russian forces in Galicia the Russians retreated eastward for a distance of thirty-five miles to strongly intrenched positions 011 the Biala and Donajec rivers. Now the Russians again are advancing on Cracow. The United States government has dispatched a long note to Great Britain insisting upon an early improvement in .the treatment of American commerce by the British fleet. It gave warning that much feeling had been aroused in. this country, and that public criticism was general over unwarranted interference with the legitimate foreign trade of the United States. The document, constituting the strongest representation on this subject made bv the United States to any of the belligerents since the outbreak of the war, was cabled to Ambassador Page to lie formally presented to Sir Edward Grev, the British foreign secretary. As the detailed point of view of the United States in numerous specific cases of detentions and seizures of cargoes had been set forth in a series of emphatic protests, most of which have gone unheeded, the communication was couched in general terms covering the entire subject of the relations between the United States and Great Britain as affected by the lattcrs naval policy, considered highly objectionable by this government. The note declares at the outset that the representations are made in a friendly spirit, but that the United States considers it best to speak in terms of frankness, lest silence bo construed as acquiescence in a policy on the part of Great Britain which infringed the rights of American citizeus under the laws or nations. There was given out in Paris an official communication on the progress of the war, reading as follows: "In Belgium the village of St. Georges has been occupied by our troops, who have established themselves in this location. From the Lvs to the Soinnie the enemy has bombarded our position violently. The enemy has violently bombarded our positions in the vicinity or Rebelle. St. Aubin. Le Quesnoy and Pouchoir. northwest of Roye. There has been calm along the front between the Sonnne and the Argonne. We have gained a little ground in the Argonne, notably in the forest of LaGrurie, in the Forest Bolante and in the Forest Courte Chaussee. On the heights of the Mouse several German counter attacks have been repnlsed in the I-orest of Le Boucuct, which is northeast of Troyon The forces of the enemy which has occupied our trenches in the vicinity of the redoubt in the burned forest to the west of Apremont have been driven out after three successive counter attacks. In upper Alsace, following a violent engagement, we are closely Investing Steinbach, and our forces have taken possession of the ruins of the chateau which is located to northwest of this village." General Joffres French troops continue their offensive in the Argonne region while a terrific storm is raging along the Franco-Belgian battle line. They have made a slight advance, but whether this offsets an earlier reverse south of Ypres is not disclosed in the official French reports, which announce a prior gain near the sea and the capture of a trench near Lens. The latest German report recounts the capture of some of the allies trenches south of Ipres and the repulse of allied attacks elsewhere. Information given out bv the official press bureau in Berlin and forwarded by wireless says that the advance General Joffre ordered December li has been resisted successfully everywhere and the defeat of the English at St. Hubert leaves the allies in worse shape than when the French offensive started." Fleet and armies took part in the latest lighting, as shown in the official reports, of which the following was issued bv the French war.ofhce: "During the entire day a violent storm has interfered witli the operations along the greater 1?? Pu hc JT0"t 11 is reported notwithstanding tins that we have made some progress in tho r-gonne region." o1?6 "liIlistr from the Netherlands called at th State Department yesterday to obtain for his government a copy of the presidents note protesting against British seizure of American merchant ship. Hie minister conferred with Counselor Lansing, who prepared for him a memm-andum giving the substance of the note. As the minister left the department he said Holland had told Great Britain virtual- the same thing, but he thought added weight would be given to the argument because of tlu vigorous position of the American government. The following official communication was issued !.r.om..tlle ff-adquarters of the army of the Caucasus: In the direction of Olti Transcaucasia our troops having crossed the Laursin river, arrested the progress of considerable Turkish forces. In the region of ban Kamysch the fighting is developing. On December 2., in tiie region of Dutak, our advance terminated 111 the occupation of the Hue between Khamour and Agadane. The Turks withdrew, having suffered grave losses. On the other fronts there has been no change." . Two more steamships struck mines in the North sea and there was further loss of life. The British steamship Linaria. which was last reported at Marseilles on November 2S. struck one of the floatin" mines and sank at some point which is not located Mi lbA "lcml statement. Its crew was rescued. Itie. Glasgow steamer Gem was also destroyed by a mine. Lwo or ts crew were rescued. The others arc missing Tins makes a total or eight vessels Christinas01 " in thu Iforth ea sluce An official statement, reading as rollows. was gixeii out at Berlin: "In the western arena of the war we gained some ground after relatively un important engagements near Nienport and to the southeast of Ypres. Several strong French attacks northwest of Ste. Menehonld have been rcpuls.-d with heavy losses to the enemy. We captured 260 prisoners. An advance in the burned forest west of Apremont led to the capture of one fortified French trench and three machine guns." Officials of the Canadian Pacific Railway comnany have been advised that the new liners Princess .Margaret and Princess Irene, which have been building at Dumbarton, Scotland, for service between Seattle anil Victoria and Vancouver, have been commandeered by the British admiralty. The two vessels oVty Ks.m,iSt;n Thly The German official statement given out in Berlin says the German attacks in Poland have made progress and Russian advances have been repulsed" riie statement says: "On the right hank of the Vistula, on a branch of the Bzura and on the Rawka rivers our attacks have made progress, in the region staith of Inowlodz strong Russian attacks have been repulsed." A resolution calling upon the State Department for all documents transmitted and received in relation to interference by belligerent war vessels witn cargoes of c,:pper shipped from the United States to neutral nations abroad was introduced in the senate yesterday by Senator Walsh or .Montana. V.11"1", t,!. lust four months of the war fiftv-foiir British foreign going shins, valued at 1,400,000, with cargoes worth S.S00,000. were captured or destroyed by the enemy. These are the official figures of the Liverpool and London War Risk Insurance association. A. agency dispatch from Nairobi, British hast Africa, says a German attempt to capture Monibassa was repulsed. The Germans were armed with rifles and machine gnus. A brother nf Sir Edward Grey, British Foreign Minister, was hurt. Frame ami England will make an attempt to occupy Constantinople. A th-et of transports bearin- ," imy has been assembled with the fleet off the western entrance of the Dardanelles
