Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-12-24
BERLIN DECLARES
MUSCOWTES HAVE
SUFFERED DEFEAT
German Capital Is Celebrating
What Is Termed Greatest
Victory Yet Scored In
Present War.
FEW DETAILS ARE KNOWN
Petrograd Comedies Nothing
and Sets Up Counter Claim,
But General Retreat
Is Probable.
FEW DETAILS ARE KNOWN

Berlin, (Vla London) Dec. 10
Inc German general staff today
gave out the following statement:
ON the frontiers of east n
west Prussia, the situation is I'M
changed.
In Poland we continue to pur-
sue the retreating enemy"
London. Dec. 19.-Again the Ger
mans and the Austrians seem to be on
the crest of a wave of battle as the in
terminable struggle in the east con
tinues. Again Berlin is gay with flags
and again P%etrograd declines to concede
victory to the invaders.
Berlin and Vienna contend, however,
that the Russians are falling back along
the entire front from the Baltic to the
Carpathians. with the invading center
less than 80 miles from Warsaw.
To the south. where a few weeks ago.
Russians were pouring over the Car
pathians into Hungary, combined Aus
tro-German columns have now forced
them back through the passes, and it is
asserted. have advanced two-thirds OF
the way across Ga1icia and are nearing
the fortress of Lemberg, occupied by
the Russians early in the Galician cam
| paign.
Russia Comedies Nothing.
The Russian Official announcements
admit none of this. They dismiss the
happenings in Galicia as engagements
of no Importance and class the opera
tons to the west of Warsaw in the
same category. 1t is claimed, however,
that the extreme Russian right near
Mlawa, has thrust the Germans back
and that Russian cavalry has swung
| across the southern border OF east
Prussia.
According to latest advices from
Warsaw. the nearest city of conse-
quence to the fighting zone, declares
that Il great battle is in progress 80
miles west of that point. The Polish
situation, according to these dis
patches, centers at ~Sochaczew, where
the Germans have succeeded in re-
establishing themselves, after having
suffered heavy losses.
Here the Germans were met with
eve resistance on the part of the
Russians. Hand 10 hand encounters
resulted. Both sides We're reported to
be bringing up heavy achievements,
which were expected to urn the tide
of battle.
Berlin declares that not only has the
Russian offensive against Silesia and
Posen completely broken down. but
that the Russians everywhere nave
been driven back. While the Austro-
German forces have crumpled the
Russian steam roller at every point in
the great battle line.
General Retreat Not Unlikely.
What the extent of the German sue
cess amounts to cannot be estimated,
though it is a keen disappointment to
the allies. For several days Petrograd
has intimated that a drawing back Of
the Russian armies might be rendered
necessary. The Russians have been
fighting under a sever handicap, the
Germans possessing superior Transport
tation facilities. 1t is said that a gen.
eral retreat of the Russian armies
would place them in much better posi-
ton to move troops and supplies from
one point in the battle line to another,
while the Austrians and Germans
would find themselves under the same
handicap which the Russians hereto
fore have had to contend with in the
matter of transportation.