The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-08-28
THREE FRENCH CITIES
OCCUPIED BY GERMANS
Lille, Valencinnes and Roubaix
in Their Hands.
IMPORTANCE NOT KNOWN.
German Wireless Dispatch Says
All Forts at Namur Have
Fallen.

An Associated dispatch last night
says the Germans have occupied the
French cities of Lille, Valenciennes
end Roubaix, according TO a dispatch
from Ostend, Belgium, which passed
through the hands of the ccnsors at
London. The three cities are within
few miles of the Belgian frontier.
Lille is strongly fortified. valen-
ciennes Is a military station of less
Importance while Roubaix is known
chiefly as a manufacturing center
Exact knowledge of the impor-
tance of this movement awaits Off
cial information. Earlier dis
patches from Ostend quoted a Bel
gian officer as authority for the
statement that the allies had decid-
ed not to defend Lille and that its
evacuation by the French troops was
announced by the mayor Tuesday.
A wireless dispatch direct from
Berlin early yesterday brought Off
cial announcement that all the forts
at Namur had fallen before the Ger
mans who had also captured
Longwy. The army of the crown
prince it was added had repulsed a
French attack, and upper Alsace was
free of the emmy except at points
westward of Kolmar.
The war Office at Paris has been
silent up to nearly noon.
The Belgian operations were as
serted to have been completely sue
cessful in an official statement that
came from Antwerp by way of Paris
a little after midnight Four Bel
gian divisions from Namur were said
to have stopped the southwark
movement of the German fourth di-
'ision, after which the Belgians re-
tired on the French line. The forts
at Namur were still holding out, is
was declared. This claim regarding
the Namur fortifications was repeat
ed later by an English correspondent
officer who had arrived from Namur
He said that the Germans have de-
stroyed two forts and were still as
saulting the others.
1t was officially announced in St.
Petersburg that the Russian advance
in Prussia is proceeding with ire
sistible force toward Posen. The
Germans are represented as having
retired to Osterode in East Prussia.
A merchant arriving in London from
Berlin is credited with the statement
that the trains are bringing many
refugees to the German capital from
Konigsburg, which city he claims
civilians had been advised to leave.
Reports of continued Austrian vic
tories in Russian Poland were receiv-
ed by the German embassy in Wash
ington from the Berlin foreign office.
These advfces stated that the main
Russian army in Poland had been de-
feated and adde dthat a swift Aus
trian advance toward the Russian
interior was expected.
From the same source came infor-
nation that the small German cruis-
er Magdeburg had been run aground
and was blown up by her captain in
the innish bay, presumably after a
battle with Russian warships
Diplomatic relations between Aus
tria and Japan apparently have been
formally severed. A dispatch direct
from Toxic states that the Austrian
ambassador, Baron Muller de Scent
gyorgy, has been recalled. A block
ade Of the German territory of Kiao-
Chow has been declared by the Jap
anese, whose warships shelled a
small island off the coast This
island was not defended. This i'm
formation came from Tsing-Tau.
The same correspondent states that
so far as can be observed the Japan
ese have not yet sent a landing
party ashore.
The Japanese minister OF justice,
Yukio OZaki, announces that hostili-
ties in the China and Japan seas, will
end with the capture of Kiao-Chow
when Japan will become a spectator
instead of a participator I'm the war.
He adds, however, that IL the Ger
mans should prove a menace to the
peace through their standing in the
south seas, japan would consult with
Great Britain and might cooperate