The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1914-12-11
GLARS MEN APPROACH WITH
IN FIRING DISTANCE OF cRA-
COW FORTS, ADVANCING
FROM PRzEMYsL.
INTEREST LIES TOWARD
EAST PRUSSIAN BORDER
New Battle Develops to Southwest Of
LODI, Where Germans Form
New Line With French
Forestry to Pierce
Russian Center.

London, Dec. with the lull in tn
battle in the west, which has assume
the proportions of heavy cannonad
at widely separated points, with onl,
occasional infantry attacks, interest il
now almost entirely centered in tn,
struggle between the Russian and Ger
man hosts in the east.
Russians Near Cracow.
At last the Russians have approach
ed within firing distance of Cracow
their steady advance from Przemys
having proceeded without any real
check. They were reported to be
mounting heavy batteries around the
town of Wieliczka, which they occu.
pied and from which the outer forts
at Cracow can be reached.
New Battle Develops.
important as this is-for the fall of
Cracow would lay open the roads to
Vienna, Breslau and Berlin-the main
interest in the east continues to rest
with the operations on the irregular
front from Czenstochowa, through
Lodz and Lowicz, to the east Prussian
border. Official announcements as to
the progress here are guarded and in
definite and it is thus difficult TO ar
rive at conclusion with regard to the
course of events.
1t is apparent, however, that new
battle has developed to the southwest
of LODI, where the Germans have
formed a new line with fresh forces
brought from Kalisz and are again
trying to penetrate the Russian CEN
ter.
The Russians, too, have had time to |
straighten out their line and, in the |
eyes of the allies, another battle fol- |
lowing so closely that Just concluded /
In this region must help them in the
long run, for, it is argued, win or lose,
the Germans must be further weaken
ed, and in addition soon will have to
turn their attention to the Russian Of
fensive against Silesia and around Cra-
cow
For Another Blow in West.
On the other hand, German experts
believe that defeat for the Russians
would enable the German generals to
mite all their forces for another blow
against the allies in the west.
However, the battle must last for
iome days and the opposing troops
nay be counted on to fight with the
anne intensity as they did in the pre-
ious conflict, when the losses in kill
d, wounded and missing reached
normous numbers.
There has been no news for some
avs of the fighting in the Caucasus or
4 Egypt, but throughout the whole of /,
frica more liveliness is anticipated
ow that Gen. Christian De Wet has
cen captured and Gen. Louis Botha .
an carry out his original plans of !.
owing against German Southwest
frica; the first Australian and New :
ealand contingents have been landed
Egypt for operations against the
urks, and Portuguese reinforcements
i've reached Angola to take the Of q
nsive against the Germans on their L
frican borders.
The political event of the day was
e announcement by the premier of Oh
lly that nothing had interviewed to g
ompt Italy to alter her policy of CO
in
Belgrade sheIed Early. 10
London, Dec. belgrade, which 4,
til the outbreak of the war was the n,
pital of Servia, has been occupied ~
Austrian troops, the Serviaas hav- M
, previously evacuated the city. Thus 70
the Goth anniversary of the reign Fr
Emperor Francis Joseph, who again :
reported seriously i'll, and four m,
uths after the outbreak of the war, Of
generals report one of the most
portant successes they have OBJ mr.,
ned. ~,
Belgrade was under bombardment va,
quently early in the war and but for 9Th
general European conflict which tbf
npelled Austria to send her troops
inst Russia, must have fallen an
y prey to Servia's big neighbor. 7
Austria miscalculated the bes
uie VI inc oersidh opPositloh ana gur
y after Bosnia was invaded did Fla
send a sufficient force against the abJ
vians to drive them back. mn
Servlans Are Retreating. tina
he Servians are now being forced foo
kward and are eagerly looking for Use
advance of the Russians into Hun trot
7 to afford them relief the
ussia has been sending Cossack ticu
ing parties through the Carpathi- viii
with the object of diverting Aus fror
nu,Iin N>uen,o~rr o-;a.I