Evening star., 1914-12-15
Official French Claims.

Official French Claims.
The official statement given out by
the French war Office in Paris this
afternoon says the French have re-
tanned the territory they won recently
along the Ipres canal: to the west OF
Hollebeke; in the Arsonne and else
where. There has been artillery fight
ing from the Somme to the Argonne
and in A1sace. German infantry gained
Il foothold near Steinbach.
According to dispatch from Rotter. .
dam the newspaper BelgiQue says that
the retreat of the Germans toward
prepared positions east of the User is
confirmed. Masses of troops have been
concentrated along a line embracing
Bruges. Thieit and Courtrai, with gem
eral headquarters at Thie1t
Servians Recapture Belgrade.
Belgrade, the unfortified capital OF
Servia, which the Austrians. after 4
long and terrible bombardment, occu-
pied two weeks ago, again is in the
possession of the Servians.
A dispatch from Nish. the temporary
capital of the country, received III Lon
don early this morning makes the an
nouncement that Servian troops have
re-entered the city. thus crownins
their recent surprising victory against
the Austrian invaders Of their terri
tory.
The telegram from Nish is brief and
cupied. Up to THE present time it has
not been followed by an admission
from any Austrian source.
Stay in Belgrade Short.
Tho ustrians occupied Belgrade
December >, after having beseged it
since July .e. bombardins from bat
terics near S;emlin and from monitors
on the Dapube, y large portion of the
city was said to have been destroyed
by the fire of the Austrans.
When war WAS declared the Servian
government moved from Belgrade to
Kraguyevatz and later went farther
south to Nish. where ii remains.
Austrian arms have been figuring
prominently of late IN the war the
Austrian progress across the car
pathians. from the passes of which
they have been clearing the Russians.
having been one of the few positive
factors in the fighting of the last few
dayS in the eastern arena
Neither Claims Decisive Victory.
North of the Eistula along the Mlawa
front the struggle seems to he favor
ing the Russians, but neither side
claims n decisive victory anywhere
along tn eastern front. The final en-
:,asement still remains to be fought
out between LodZ aud the Nistula.
Military observers in London, COM
inenting upon Russias failure to clear
Poland of German troops. dwell upon
the fact THAI even Russa's vast re-
sources in men may continue to prove
unavaiiing unless existing methods oi
communication are improved On two
Rms ia 4.
the German frontier have been driven
back by reason of the remarkable sys-
lem of German railroads which en-
abIes Germany to move her troops eX-
ana il has been suggested
that Russia should begin at once the
construction OF new transverse lines
in Poland and that improvement of eX-
isting lines Temporary lines. it is
argued. could be laid at the rate of
ten or twelve miles a day.
Austrians Report Successes.
The progress of the war in northern
Hungary is somewhat obscured- Sun
day's German wireless report spoke of
the severe resistance" which the Ger
man and Austrian arms are encounter
ing in South Poland and in Galicia.
adding that it was evident the Aus
trian forces in the CarpahtianS are not
strong enough to clear the
Russians out OF nun nSdTidh teiiiSOiy-
But the AuStrianS claim that they are
driving down the northern slopes of
the Carpathians the Russian invaders |
who We're last week in Occupation of |
several towns south of that mountain |
range
IN late report the Austrans an
nouncc that they have rcoccupied the :
important point of Dukla. to the north |
of the Carpathians Oh d line south OF |
and Cracow. but nearer to the |
former, with the capture of 5000 pris- |
onerS
The main issue in the eastern theater
af the war-whether the German and
Ai- -r,'~ >>i.s y, t.it "a ~,@ r-'i+i'H''-