The Colorado statesman., 1914-12-05
AUSTRIANS TAKE
SERvIAN CAPITAL
ALLIES BOMBARDlNG LINES NEAR
DlXMuDE AND TEUTONS RE-
NEW PLUNGE TO COAST.
new BATTLE IN POLAND
MUSCOVITES TIGHTEN CRACOW
RING WHILE FRENCH CAP
TuRE TOWNS IN ALSACE.
western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service
London, Dec. 3.-Belgrade, which
until the outbreak of the war was fhe
capital of Servia, has been occupied
by Austrian troops, the Servians hav-
ing previously evacuated the city.
Thus on the seth anniversary of the
reign of Emperor Francis Joseph, who
again is reported seriously ill, and
four months after the outbreak of the
war, his generals report one of the
most important successes~they have
obtained.
Belgrade was frequently under bonn
bardment early in the war and but
for the general European conflict
which compelled Austria to send her
troops against Russia, must have fall
len, an easy prey to Servias big
neighbor. Apparently Austria miscal-
culated the nature of the Servian OPP
position, and only after Bosnia was
invaded did she send sufficient force
against the Servians to drive them
back
Now they are being forced back
ward and are eagerly looking for the
advance of the Russians into Hungary
to afford them relief.
Russia has been sending Cossack
raiding parties through the Carpathi-
ans with the object of averting Aus
tria's attention-but the dual mon
archy seemingly is determined to
finish with Servia first.
In a dispatch dealing with the
evacuation of Belgrade and its occupa-
ton by the Austrians the Daily Tele-
graphs Athens correspondent says:
"As the result of Servian concen-
tration on new defensive line Bel
grade became isolated, and, being ill
prepared to stand siege, was evacu-
ated by the garrison Monday night"
This, however, is only small affair
compared with what is going on in
north Poland. There the German army
which, with the aid of reinforcements,
succeeded in escaping from the ring
the Russians had forced around it, has
formed a new front, and at some
points has resumed the offensive.
The Germans assert that in this se-
ries of maneuvers, by which they were
able to check the Russians, they made
$4,000 prisoners.
The Russians, on the other hand in
statement issued through Rome, say
their captures greatly exceed this
number. All agree that the losses
have been heavy and that the battle
still is undecisive, as it probably will
be for some days.
For a moment the allies are some
what disappointed that the realization
of a great Russian victory is denied
them. They take some consolation in
the fact that the German attempt to
pierce the Russian lines has failed,
and that, suffering from heavy losses,
tho Germans are compelled to weaken
their armies elsewhere.
The Russian report says that the
fighting has lost some of it's violence
and indicates some progress for the
Russian troops south of Lodz.
1t is unofficially reported that the
Russians are nearly in Cracow."
The official statement says:
"On Dec. l there was a relative lull
on all the fronts. In the region of
Lowicz the action continued, but with
less Intensity.
Towards midnight the enemy,
marching in compact columns, made
fierce attack against our positions
to the north Of Lodz, but was re-
pulsed
While there is every indication that
another big battle is imminent in the
west, there is no evidence that it
actually has begun. There has been
fighting in Flanders, but this, doubt
less, is the result of an attempt by the
allies to take some advance positions.
There are also reports that the Ger.
mans have evacuated several villages
on the User canal and are concentrate
ing on new positions.
The British have taken over COM
mand of the User region, and, like the
French, have been strongly reinforced.
1t is believed that on the first sign of
German movement to the east in
any considerable force the allies will
take the offensive in the west
Reports of renewed fighting in the
west are told in the official statements
issued at Paris and Berlin.