Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-05
.PUBL|CiHEARs NOTHING
OF DETAILS OF FIGHTING
War News Consists Only of Unillumi.
mating Reports Given Ont at
Various Headquarters.
FEW PICTURESQUE SKETCHES
Present Activity of German Artillery
Believed to BE Prelude to Another
Concentrated Onslaught Some-
where OH the Allies Line.

LONDON, December "A few In
direct references. In tho shape OF
picturesque sketches. to- the visits OF
Emperor william and King George TO
the respective baltic fronts, and the
activities of the Prince OF Wales in
the trenches, constitute virtually tho
entire budget OF war news which has
reached the British public In the past
twenty-four hours, apart, OF course,
from the unillumfnating reports given
out at the French, Russian and Ger
man headquarters. OF the details OF
the lighting, with it's enormous toll
Of killed and wounded, the public hears
nothing.
For the moment, the dominating Issue
remains in the eastern arena OF tho
war. where the result OF the great
clash OF millions OF men in Poland will
go far toward determining the dura-
tion OF tho war, as well aa it's char
ncter during the next few months. but
believe they ,sse signs that the de-
ceptivc interval OF relative calm which
has marked the operations In Flanders
for the past few days has about
reached it's limit.
ACTIVITY Is PRELUDE
TO ANOTHER ONSLAUGHT
Tho present activity OF tho German
artillery Is believed to be prelude
to another formidable and concentrated
onslaught somewhere on the allies
line. This line. however, Is believed
by both British and French experts to
have been made impregnablc, since the
last German effort was 50 nearly sue
ceasful In hnmmering It's why through.
However this may be, II appears to
be established that In these recent ar
tillery duels the allies havo found their
artillery OF the enemy. This has been
emphasized In many OF the recent dis
patches of General JoGre, commander
in-chief OF the French forces
Should the new German assault meet
tho Same fate rs have previous at
tempts to reach the coast Of tho chan
mel, observers In London expect that
! II will he followed ny general I'D
4 vance on the part OF the allies.
There are signs OF approaching ac-
| tivlty In Alsace. where the French re-
| sitions.
| At the same time, the Germans are
said to have been heavily reinforced
In this section. General Joffres re-
cent declaration to the Alsutians that
we arc back here to stay" may soon
be put to the test.
CRACOw APPARENTLY
| AT MERCY OF RUSSIANS
| The fighting In Russian Poland In
the opinion OF British observers, ap-
penrs to have had no effect on the
! Russian operations against Cracow, to
stop which has been the main object
| OF the Germans. In the possession Of
| tho outer forts of the former capital
OF Poland the Russians ulkear to
have the Cracow fortress at their
| mercy. The very fact that tho Mus
| covites have been able to get to such
| close quarters seems to indicate that
! the guns of Cracow arc not so formi-
dabie as has commonly been reported.
II this city falls, 1t Is anticipat ed
that II Will have an Immediate effect
| OH the campaign In Holland, &c being
argued that the Germans would then
/! be forced to double back to stem the
| Invasion OF Silesia, which would be
the Immediate sequel to the RUSSIA
capture Of Cracow.
| The first story OF the loss OF a Brit
ish super-Dreadnought, copied from
American newspapers, IS published
here to-day with the omission of the
name OF the ship and the locality
| where the mislap occurred.
| Tho reference in the forepoinu dis