The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-03
REPORTS OF VICTORY OF ALLIED ARMIES IN
 BATTLE OF THE AISNE
 PROVE PREMATURE
Continued from Page One)

mans at present do not intend to make a serious attempt to besiege Antwerp and that the attack they have made is to keep the Belgians within the fortress and to stop sorties, which were disconcerting to the Germans occupying the rest of the country.
 Again reports are in circulation that the Germans are making preparations to evacuate Belgium, or at any rate that portion as far east as Brussels is packing up, but such statements have been made so often that not much re- lance is placed in them. Still another rumor has it that the German staff headquarters has been removed from Luxemburg to Mayence
 BATTLE COMMENCES
 NEAR CRACOW
 The battle which promises to be the greatest and most important of the eastern campaign has commenced near Cracow, Galicia, where an Austro- German army, estimated to number SO0,0OO men, is endeayoring to check the Russian advance. This combined Austro- German army has occupied a line Just inside the Russian Poland frontier from Cracow through Czen- stochowa to Kalisz and has had plen- ty of time to prepare strong defensive positions. Both sides are bringing up endorsements. The Germans are hur- rying theirs from Breslau and Bava- are congested with German troops and war material.
 The German plan of an invasion of Russia from east Prussia has failed, according to Russian offical reports, which declare the Germans got as far as the western bank of the Niemen river. but found strong Russian forces In h ,e.tr h.... .Ir D. ing in low and marshy ground, the Germans, according to the Russian viewpoint, were at disadvantage and could not advance.
 A fight is in progress at Miriampol near the northeastern Prussian frontier while farther south in the Suwalki dis triot the Russians claim to have turned the Germans retreat into dis orderly flight.
 More heavy fighting is taking placc at Augustowo, 40 miles northeast of Warsaw. in the province of Suwalki. where the Germans have received rein forcements and been taking the of fensive. At Grajewo. 25 miles south west of Augustowo, the Russians again have entered German territory, and at Mlawa, they claim d victory over the Germans.
 Prom far and near the sullen boom of guns echoed along the valley and at intervals in different direction the sky was flecked with the almost motionless smoke of anti-air craft shrapnel.
 Suddenly and without warning, for the reports of the distant howitzers from which they were fired could not be dis tinguished from other distant reports, three or four heavy shells fell into the village sending up huge clouds of dust and smoke. To this no reply was made by our side.
 Succession of Reports
 Shortly afterwards there was quick succession of reports from a point some distance up the subsidiary valley on the side opposite our trenches and therefore rather on their flank. It was not pos the guns from which the sounds pro- ooeded Almost simultaneously, as 1t seemed, there was corresponding suc- cession of flashes and sharp deteonations in the line of the hillside along what ap- peared to be our trenches. There was a pause and several clouds of smoke rose slowly and remained stationary.
 "Again there was succession of re- ports from German quick firers on the far side of the misty valley and like echoes detonations of high explosives; then the row of expanding smoke clouds was prolonged by several new ones. An other pause and silence, except for the noise in the distance.
 After a few minutes there was a roar from our side of the main valley, as our field guns opened, one after another, in a more deliberate fire upon the posi- tions of the German guns. Then silence ag gain save for the whir of shells as they sang up the small valley. Then followed fla shes and balls of smoke-one, two. three, four five. six-as the shrapnel burst nicely over what in the haze looked like some ruined buildings at the edge of the wood.
 Again, after short interval the