The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-12-02
REVIEW Of THE WAR.
RUSSIANS ADMIT GAINS Hyrr
l'EiH.OiiE FALSE NEiCi.T3
or VICTORIES.
Won ilindcnburg Will Have Brnc-
lit Of Williams Advice ian tic l;us;
Although Germans suffer Him
Losses Situation is Not as Fad as
Reported.


A,us.IaE announcements still claim
advantage in the fighting in northern
Roland, but deprcciate exaggerated
reports OF their successes. Germany
declares officially that the Russian at
lacks have been repulsed and that
German countcrattacls have been
successful.
The German emperor has Joined
Field Marshal Won HindcnNurg in tho
east to offer his advice and 20 encour-
age his troops.
Enormous losses have been inflicted
on the Germans. according to the
Russian statement, but no mention is
made of tho capture Of German di-
visions, so freely claimed by the PET
rograd correspondents of London and
Paris papers.
Some days must elapse before this
battle, which promises to prove the
most decisive of the war, is concluded.
So far all that is definitely known is
that the German advance has been
stopped. Some Of the German troops
have been partly or wholly surround
ed, but they still are lighting stub
bornly to break their way through the
Russian lines, apparently to the north
ward where they hope to join rein
fOrCemcntS from Thorn
In the battle before Cracow the
Russians claim decisive success Dur
ing the last week they took 10000
prisoners in that region, which is
taken in PctrOgrad to mean that
Cracow will not bar the Russian ad-
vance in Silisia from the south, but
that with the Austrian army beaten
it will be necessary only TO mask the
fortress. The Russians also announce
success on the Austrian side Of the
Carpathians and against the Turks
in the Caucasus, 'altfT0ten 1nsssa fss.s..
gions the worst of weather has pre-
vailed.
In the west the Germans, although
making an occasional infantry attack,
seem content at present to lombard
the allied positions with so,ncM hat
lighter guns than they have been
using.
That tho enterprise that failed lin
Flanders will not be repeated for the
present seems probable, as the allies
have been allowed to capture some
points of vantage around Yprcs, pre-
viOusly considered necessary to the
German plans. There has been Il ,
minor attack near Arras.
Interesting reports from Field Mar
shal Sir John French, covering the
period OF the battle in Flanders ana
the days Immediately preceding ii
shows that this Dattic was brought
about. first, By allies al ,mpts to out
flank the Germans, who countcrcd,
and then hy their plans tomovcto b
and then by their plans to move to
the northeast TO Client and Brugcs, !
which also failed. After this the Ger
man offensive began, with the French
coast ports as the objective. but thi,
movement, like those oc the allies
met With failures.
Field Marshal French gives it as MS
opinion that the German losses have
been thrice as great as those &C the .
allies and speaks optimistically of the
future.
There apparently has been no de- /
in the Balkan situation, but
stress is laid on the cause OF the Rou- .
manian kings speech at the opening,
of his parliament. in which he said:
II am convinced that realizing thc :
of the present situation
YOU will give the government every
assistance in passing such legislation /
as is deemed Dy the circumstances and /,
required. TO meet the needs of the
army"