The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-12-24
ARMIES BATTLE
IN BITTER COLD
Weather Hampers Movement Of
Troops on Both Sides
in Poland.
CLAIMS ARE CONTRADICTORY
Geramn Advance on Warsaw, Con.
tinues, But Russians Are Strongly
intrenched-sritish Recapture
Trenches Formerly Lost.

trencnes Formerly Lost.
London. Dec 22.--ln Poland and Ga
llcia battles are being fought between
the Russians and the German and Aus.
TRAN allies amid deep snow in bitter
cold.
No news of any decisive gain came
today The Russian and German
claims continue to be directly contra
dictory.
The Germans in Poland again are
making fierce attack toward the cap.
ital, and the Russians are making
stand against them on the east banl
OF the Bzura river. thirty miles ives
of Warsaw. Grand Duke Nicholas's
army here holds a natural strategic
line fifty miles long. running roughl,
north and south along the east banks
OF the Bzura and Rawka rivers.
The Petrograd report claims that
the German force in North Poland has
retreated across the boundary into
East Prussia in northwesterly direc.
ton. 1t asserts also that the Aust. ian
advance through the Carpathian pass.
es to the north has been checked and
the attempts Of the Przemysl garrison
to break through the lines repulsed
According to this report, the Austriang.
have been driven hack into the forti
fications with heavy slaughter.
The Austrian communication, on the
other hand, claims successes in the
Carpathians, but admits that the Rus.
slams again occupy Galicia and South
Poland in force. Apparently, there.
fore, the Cracow and Przemysl invest.
ments are proceeding and have not
been broken.
British Retake Trenches.
In the west the British troops have
attacked and regained most of the
trenches previously lost Before Lii
hons the Germans delivered four sue.
cessive attacks for the purpose of re.
capturing the trenches which we had
previously won in that region. but all
of them were repulsed.
In an attack to the northwest of
Puisalenne, south of Noyon. the French
gained foothold in the enemy's
trenches of the first line and have
made progress in the wood of Saint
Mard
There has been no other report of
any note on the operations of the day,
London, Dec 2l.-Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg's army, which is ad-
vancing on Warsaw over a wide front
between the Vistula and the Pilica
rivers, and which on Friday occupied
LOwicz. reached on Saturday the new
Russian positions along the Bzura !.
river and southwark to Rawa, with the /
result that another big battle is in
prograss
The Russians retired across the /
Bzcra river, destroying the bridges be- |
hind them, and two German detach-
burned bridge. were attacked and are
said to have teen annihilated, fifty
survivors beink taken prisoners.
Only Thirty Miles from Warsaw.
This is only the beginning of the .
great battle of Warsaw, from which
point the Germans are now distant
only thirty miles or lese
Siege Warfare in West.
The offensive operations in the west
are being carried out under conditions
Of siege warfare and are being stub.
bornly opposed by the Germans, who
in their entertainments and surround
ed by wire entanglements, make an
advance of even few yards a costly
matter for the attacking forces.
In Flanders little ground has been
GAINED at considerable cost, despite
The fact that along the coast the al
lies have the assistance Of warships
which continually lombard the Ger
man positions. The advance has been
more marked from the Belgian border
south to the River Disc, where the
ground is not as wet as In the flooded
regions of Flanders.
Reports Of fighting at many places
in Flanders have caused speculation
here - to whether the long expected
general attack of the allies may not
have been begun. In any event, the
fact Of the allies continuous aggres.
sive the last few days justifes the
superstition that considerable forces
have been brought into activity BY
them.
kalnoe Returns 70 Front.