The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-31
Reported That Invaders Oc-
cupy Enemy's Capital and
Are Pushing Warfare
Several Battles;
Casualties Heavy
Little Resistance to Movement
Against Capital. But Serbs
Stoutly Defend Other Points

London, July 31,--Ofiicial reports
from Vienna tand these are officially
declared to be the only authentic
ones) deal only with the operations at
Belgrade and along the Danube anu
Save These briefly record the bonn
hardment Of the city. which ,s said
to be in flames. They say nothing OF
Austrian occupation of the Sereian
capital.
Unofficial reports dated Vienna and
Eemien say the Austrtans now occupy
the city.
Another Austrian force, which IN
vaded servia at Semendria. is adj
vanc.ng towards Osipan.ca, which is
on the road to Nish-
The occupation of the Servian CAPT.
tai was not dsfficult. The troops
dressed by the remnants Of the bridge
across the Save. which was blown ap
by the Serv.ans several days ago. ana
pontoons. They mtN with resistance.
which they soon overeame.
Losses Light.
The invaders advanced up a steep
hill. driving the setrians, VINO re-
treated. towards Groea and popo-
vich The losses on both sides were
comparatively slight. y majority OF
the population fed before the occupa-
ton OF the city.
The Invasion of Servia Via Semen
dr:a IL reported 20 have been much
mere difficuit, The Ausfrsans landed
on an island in the Danube. zoo yards
fiom the Se-ysar shore They crossed
on pon;oons over the swim current
This Was a difficult matter As they
were under q sever Are. They crossed
under cover 81 an artillery and fnfan-
Try Arc, The seTvtans maintained
their resistance.
The subsequent dosngS are not re-
ported from these sources.
Many Casualties.
Rome dispatch gives a telegram
purportlng ~ have come from Nish,
which says the losses al Semendria
were severe. Many hundreds on Doth
sides were killed. The same dispatch
records fights at LosnttZa, where IL IL
said tha Austrtans lost severely. and
at RATA. where the losses were slight
A dispatch from another source
says the Servians suffered severe
iefeat Al Fotcha. losing 500 killed TO
200 by thk AassriAns.
There is an uncoaArmed report that
the Ausfrians are bombarding Mount
Lorchen with fire from warships
There is Russian report from
Nish of artillery fighting near kiozini-
co and SYnedervo,
All the foregoing reports are Win
out details. and they were. perhaps
engagements which the Austrian ofh-
ctal report dismisses as tunimportant
ekirmishes
sharp Resistance.
Newspaper dispatches from Nish, by
way Of Ealonika and Rome. say that
small detachments Of Servian troops,
left behind by the main Serrian army
FOR that purpose. are offering sharp
resistance to the Austrian advance
from the northwest
The Scrvian legation In London re-
cetxed number Of dispatches sester-
day giving the servian side OF the
nghttng. One told Of an important mil
ltary engagement that was in progress
twenty miles east of Belgrade. The
dispatch said the Austrian troops at
tempted to cross the Danube at that
point and were repulsed by the Ser
vians. Both sides then resorted to ar
tillery firing.
Another legation dispatch said the
Servtan troops had resisted successfully
the Austrian advance at Losnitxa- The
eSrvians had taken up n position which
they were able to hold throughout the
day. causing heavy losses to the in
vAders.