The Spectator., 1914-12-04
BELGRADE TAKEN
 BY THE AUSTR|ANS
EVACUATED eY SERvIANs AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF BOM-
 BARDMENT.
ON BIRTHDAY OF EMPEROR
ter the Most Stubborn Resistance of the Whole War.
Testern Newspaper Union News Service.


 London.-Belgrade, which until the outbreak Of the war, was the capital of Servia, was on Wednesday occupied by Austrian troops, the Servians hay ing previously evacuated the city.
 Thus, on the sixty-sixth anniversary of the reign of Emperor Francis Jo. seph, who again is reported seriously ill., and four months after the outbreak the most important successes they have obtained.
 The occupation of the city was an, nounced in a telegram to Emperor Francis Joseph from General Frank commander of the First army corps The message follows:
 "On the occasion of the sixty-sixth anniversary of your reign permit me to lay at your feet the information that Belgrade was on Wednesday oc. cupied by the Fifth army corps"
 Belgrade was frequently under bonn. bardment early in the war and but for the general European conflict. which compelled Austria to send her troops against Russia, must have fallen an easy prey to Servias big neighbor
 Apparently Austria miscalculated the nature of the Servian opposition and only after Bosnia was invaded did she send a sufficient force against the Servians to drive them back Now they are being forced backward and are eagerly looking for the advance of the Russians into Hungary to afford them relief.
 Russia has been sending Cossack raiding parties through the Carpa. thians with the object of diverting the Austrians' attention, but the dual monarch seemingly is determined to finish with Servia first
 Belgrade, capital of Servia, until the seat of government was removed to Nish shortly after the outbreak of the war has been under attack by the Austrians much of the time for the last four months. Early in August Austrian troops reached the city, but were unable to hold it.
 The advance of new Austrian ar my through northern Servia during the last fortnight made the position of the Servian troops in Belgrade a hazardous one
 Germany claims that the advance of its armies toward Warsaw has been delayed, but not checked
 The crisal battle in northern which there has been so much mys- tery, is now being fought out under the eyes of the German emperor on the one side and the Russian emperor on the other. These two monarchs left for the front Tuesday, so that virtually the heads of all the nations at war are with their troops.
 The king of England is in France; the king of Belgium is spending all his time with his soldiers, while Pres ident Poincare of France started Tues day for another visit to the northern battlefield.
 Official news from Poland continues to be scanty, and with both headquar- ters claiming successes, it is impossi- ble to say how the battle is going Of its intensity, however, there can be no doubt.
 The Germans, when they started for Warsaw, dashed full tilt into a mass of Russian troops and forced their way so far in that the Russians closed on them. This was taken in Petro- grad to mean that some of the Ger man divisions had been cut off and that their surrender or annihilation was inevitable.
 It appears, however, that the Ger man troops succeeded in breaking through the Russian lines at one place and at another in holding their en- trenchments against all the Russian attacks. Their Hanks are still being harassed by Cossacks, but seemingly the Russians are not now in a position to gain the sweeping victory they had anticipated.
 The losses with the desperate fight ing that has been going on for a fort night. must be heavy on both sides.
 Against the Austro-German forces in the South, the Russians continue to gain more decisive results. They are positions protecting the Carpathian passes and are said to have arrived abreast of Cracow, while their cap lures for three weeks number 30.OOO men.