Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-12-15
GERMAN TROOPS
OCCUPY LODI
Capture of Town Officially Re.
ported From Berlin and
London.
RUSSIAN STATEMENT MADE
Impossible at This Time to Estimate
Losses or to Ascertain Number of
Prisoners-German Victory Is Con-
sidered Remarkable Feat.

sidered a Remarkable Feat.
Berdin, Dec. S.-The German official
statement given out in Berlin this af-
ternoon says that in northern Poland
German forces were successful in pro-
longed fighting around LODI in defeat
ing strong Russian forces stationed to
the northwest and to the southwest of
the city. The text of the announce
ment follows:
In northern Poland we gained i'm
portant successes in prolonged fight
ing around LODI by defeating strong
Russian forces stationed to the north
west and to the southwest of this city,
which is in our possession.
Russian Loss Reported Large.
Details of the battle giving us
LODI cannot yet be made public be-
cause of the extended field over which
the engagement was fought The Rus
sian losses were very large. An at
tempt by the Russians to come to the
assistance of their threatened armies
in the North from southern Poland
was foiled by the activity of the Aus
tro-Hungarian and German troops in
the district southwest of Piotrkow.
mo especial reports have been re-
ceived from the region to the east of
the plain of the Mazur lakes"
German Victory Remarkable.
London, Dec. AFTER long bat
tie, fought with the greatest stubborn
ness, the Germans have succeeded in
occupying LODI, Poland, which is an
unfortified city.
This success of the Germans, large
> y because of what preceded it, is con-
sidered by military experts a really
remarkable achievement. Less than a
fortnight ago the army to which this
victory has fallen was surrounded by
Russians and cut it's way out only at
the last moment, losing great numbers
of men and many guns. Yet it was
able within few days to reorganize,
take the offensive, and defeat the Rus
slams defending LODI.
This was made possible by the net
work of strategic railways on the Ger
man side of the frontier, over which
re-enforcements can be sent where
they are most needed.
Russian Army Hard to Move.
The Russians, on the other hand,
vigorously attacked on both wings,
were unable to send fresh men to
stiffen their center to meet the Ger
man wedge, and were compelled to fall
back.
Official Berlin Report.
Berlin, Dec Tt is officially an
nounced this morning that the Ger
mans occupied Lodz, in Russian Po-
land, on Sunday LODI is the second
largest city of Russian Poland and
is rs miles southwest of Warsaw, the
Polish capital.
The official communication issued
yesterday merely stated that "the bat
tie around LODI is taking it's course
as we expected" and continued:
Nothing of note has taken place in
the war area east of the Mazurian
lakes, where the enemy remained
quiet. In southern Poland there is no
change in the situation"
Another official statement from the
German headquarters given out ear
lier yesterday was as follows:
THE report given in the Russian
statement of November 20 that the
German attacks in the vicinity of
Czenstochowa failed with many cas-
,,oIt;o. IN Tho Cor,,ope 10 foIeo tba
truth being quite the contrary. The
attack of the Seventeenth Russian
corps, which approached to within six
ty-five yards of our lines, was re-
pulsed, the Russians taking position
farther back and leaving large num-
Der of killed and wounded"
News Confirmed in London.
London, Dec. IAN official tele-
gram from German main headquarters
in Russian Poland, received at Berlin
and transmitted by way of Amsterdam
to Reuters Telegraph company, says
that Lodz was occupied by the Ger
man troops on Sunday afternoon, the
Russians beating retreat after Sc
we're losses.
The German official announcement
is given further support by delayed
dispatches from Petrograd to the
Daily Telegraph. The correspondent
states that on Friday, the date the
dispatches were filed, the situation at
Lodz was serious.
For the last three days" says one
of these dispatches, "the Germans
in Russian Poland around LODI have
been strenuously aggressive.
Germans Heavily Reinforced.
THE German wedge, which already
has been driven into Russian Poland,
is being pushed with tremendous re-en-
forcements. The base of this wedge is a
line from Thorn to Kalisz. The apex is
Lowicz This gives the Germans con-
troll of all the railroads in this tri-
angle They are using the railroads
TO pour in an unceasing stream of
fresh troops and engines of war.
The enemy's plan around Lodz in
wolves the cutting of some of War
saws most important lines of COM
munication. The Germans plan TO
hold this wedge all winter by inaugu-
rating elaborate trench warfare