Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-31
RUSSIANS STOP
GERMANS RUSH
Invaders in Poland Unable
to Make Any Progress
Toward Warsaw
BLOODY BATTLES AT
RIVER INEFFECTIVE
Huge Losses Go for Naught
as Troops Are Driven
Back Across Water

London, Dec. 30.-The soldiers of
Emperor Nicholas still hold the main
German armies in check and continue
to press their advantage, according to
dispatches reaching London. At the
same time they are harassing the Aus
trians, who have been flung back over
the Carpath1an mountains.
In the western arena of the war the
allies continue to claim slow progress,
but the offensive, started about the
middle of December, has noticeably
slackened, a fact which Berlin, accept
Ing the order issued by General Joffre,
the French commander-in-c chief, on
4 December II, as bona fide, declares
means the failure Of the attempted al
lied advance.
Even some of the British news
papers call attention to the marked de-
crease in the vigor of the French,
British and Belgian thrusts at the
German line, but they add that the rea-
son for this quiet soon will be dis
closed.
The Bzura river, to the west of War
saw, has now become the User of the
east; on its banks the Germans have
been sacrificing thousands of men as
they did in Belgium on the User. The
crossing which they forced at great
cost has now been nullified, according
to dispatches from Petrograd, the Rus
slams having driven the invaders back
to the west bank of the river
German Report.
Berlin, Dec. 30.-The official COM
munication given out today by the Ger
man war office says:
I'm the western theater of the war
we atilI arns fagktin5 for the hamlet or
ST Georges, to the south Of Nieuport,
which we were compelled to eyacuate
owing to surprise attack.
Storm and cold have caused dam
age to the positions on both sides in
Flanders and in northern France.
In East Prussia the Russian cavalry
was driven back In the direction of
Pillkallen (four miles from the Rus
sian frontier and south of the Niemen
river.
TN Poland: On the right bank of
the Vistula the situation remains un-
changed. On the western bank Of the
Vistula the offensive to the east of
the tributary Bzura continues. For
the rest, fighting on and to the east of
the Rawka branch continues, as well
as at Inowlodz, and in the region to
the southwest of this place.
Reports from outside sources give
the impression that Lowicz aud Skier
niewice are not in our possession. We
captured these places more than six
days ago.
French Report.
Paris, Dec. 3O.-The official an
nouncement on the progress Of the
war, given out by the French war de-
partment this afternoon, reads as fol-
lows:
In BELGIUM we have won little
territory in the region Of Nieuport,
opposite Folders, and to the north of
Lombaertzyde. The enemy subjected
st. Georges to violent bombardment.
This Is the position we are putting in
4 state of defense.
I'VE have captured German point
Of support located to the southeast of
Sonnebeke on the road between Becel-
acre and Paschendaele.
In the valley OF the Aisne and in
Champagne the enemy has manifested
another burst of activity which has
taken the form particularly of vio-
lent artillery fire to which our heavy
artillery replied effectively.
"In the Argonne we have made
slight progress in the region of Four
De Paris.
Between the Argonne and the
Moselle there has been cannonading
along all the front, but particularly
severe along the heights Of the Meuse.
In the Vosges the enemy delivered
an attack against our positions at La
Tete De Faux; this was repulsed.
In Upper Alsace we are consolidat-
ing our positions. Our heavy artillery
reduced to silence the German how
itzers which wsre bombarding Upper
Aspach.''