Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1914-12-12
LODI, IN POLAND,
FALLS TO GERMANS
GREATEST BATTLE IN WORLDS
HISTORY is PRIZE WON TO
GERMAN CAUSE.
ROAD Is CLEAR TO WARSAW
Details Are Lacking of Disaster to
Army of Gear, Which is Ignored
by Petrograd.

London, Dec. According to a
wireless dispatch from Berlin early
this morning, official announcement
has been made by the main headquar-
tiers of the army that the Germans
occupied LODI, in Poland, on Sunday.
No word has been received from
Petrograd concerning the reported
German victory. In the absence of
any official contradiction of the Ger
man claim, the statement from Berlin
is being accepted as a fact here.
Worlds Greatest Battle.
The Germans, if the statement be
finally verified, must then be credited
with winning the greatest battle ever
fought in the history of the world. But
they have paid the price, for it is esti-
mated that the Germans lost in this
battle close to 200, 900 in killed, wound
ed and missing. Russian losses it is
believed are equally large.
Not only was the battle the greatest
in history, but the prize is momentous.
The capture of the city of LODI
means to the victor the control of the
most important railroad in central
Russian Poland railroad leading
straight to Warsaw, the capital of
Russian Poland, whose conquest is the
object of the German strategy in the
east.
Details Are Lacking.
Information of a reliable character
regarding the developments in the
battle around LODI is lacking, owing
to delays in transmission of messages,
because of the storms which have in
terrupted communication. But it is
known that as late as last Thursday
the Germans, having failed to pierce
the Russian center, had commenced,
with the aid of considerable reinforce
ments, another attempt to envelop the
Russians on both TANKS.
In this effort the fighting developed
strongly at Ilovo, to the north of LODI,
and at Retrokow, to the south of the
city, now reported fallen
Advance Was Rapid.
Both of these positions are much in
advance of those just reported to
have been held by the Germans. and
their presence there indicated rapid
advance. threatening LODI even at
that time.
These two positions also are on the
main roads to Warsaw. With the two
main high roads and the railway line
held by the Germans. Warsaw would
appear to be in imminent danger of In
vestment.
London still accepts the situation
with reserve, preferring to await off.
cial advices from Petrograd
London Is Skeptica.
Military observers find the news OF
today from Berlin difficult to reconcile
with reports sent from the front in
Poland as late as Friday of last week.
A correspondent of the London Daily
News, telegraphing from Petrograd.
sends the following dispatch, descrip-
tive of the continued success of the
Russian arms at that time.
"The fighting near LODI was marked
by many stirring episodes. The No
voc Vremya correspondent, Alexander
Ksiunin, writes:
Daring attacks by Siberian caval-
ry will be commemorated in history.
In the forest between Breziny and
Kurpin is a continuous German grave
yard. One Russian regiment which
had already won renown early in the
war. charged a howitzer battery. The
center broke before the hellish fire.
but nothing could arrest the onrush of
the TANKS. They were cut down bv
the gunners or captured"
Lodz a Great City
Lodz. city of some 100000 popu!a-
ton, is the chief manufacturing cen
ter of Russian Poland. 1t has numer-
Gus textile mills, the majority of them
for the manufacture of cotton goods.
In addition it has -four mills. dyeing
establishments. brick yards, machin-
cry plants and breweries. The popu-
lation is made up OF Poles, Germans
and Jews.
Turk Cruiser Damaged, Say Russians.
Petrograd.-Th Turkish cruiser