Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1915-08-19

At the beginning Of 1915 the situa
tion on the several battle fronts wal
az follows: The Germans occupied al
Of Belgium except a district In thu
southwest corner. Their right nani
rested on the British channel near Men
port. From this point the opposing
German and allied lines ran In a gen
erai direction south, passing through
or near Ypres. Belgium, and Lille, Ar
ras, Peronne to Noyon, all in France.
At Noyon the linui bent eastward, past
scissors to Rheims, Verdun, thence
sOutheastward past Nancy (French to
the Vosges mountains, from where a
direct southwark stretch Of 100 miles
carried Il to the border OF Switzerland.
partly on French and partly on Ger
man soil (Alsace). On this line OF ap-
proximately 400 miles as the trenches
lay there were about 100000 French.
10000 British and 10000 Belgians.
The British and Belgians were on the
allied left flank In Belgium and near
the border. The French held the line
from near Lille to the Swiss border.
Both sides were lntrenched. The
new year opened with fighting around
Newport, the Germans being the ag-
gressors On the allied right, particu-
larry in Alsace. along the Vosges and
around holman. the French took the
initiative. On the eastern front the
Germans were within twenty-five
miles of Warsaw. Poland. and were
making desperate efforts to control the
passes on the Bsura and Rawa rivers.
III Galicia the Russians abandoned
their long siege Of Cracow and began
a second attempt to invade Hungary
through the passes of the Carpathians.
The strength Of the armies on the
Who'll eastern front was probably 1000
900 on each side. In front OF Warsaw
both armies were strongly intrenched
In the Caucasus the Russians claimed
to be overcoming the Turks. Germany
claimed that she held over 100000
prisoners. Lord Kitchener asked for
100000 more men.
The French won small success |
around Stelnhach, in Alsace, on Jan.
4, but this was Offset on the 18th by
brilliant stroke Of the Germans at SOis-
sons, their nearest reach to Paris. The
French were forced back south Of the
Aisne river from positions held since
The end of January found
the French at standstill.
Cars Armies Active.
Late In January the Russians invad-
ed East Prussia, aiming to strike Koe-
nigsberg, a strong German post on the
Baltic. Early in February the Ger
mans forced the fighting in front Of
Warsaw and at the same time drove
the invading Russians from East Prus-
STA, making heavy captures. Mean
while the Germans recaptured Plock,
IN the Vistula, In northern Poland, and
pushed northeast toward the Niemen
liver, across the Russian border. Ger
nan soil was now free Of foes, for the
Austrians defeated the Russians at
Oukla pass, In the Carpathians, and
NcAo LVASAh6 tACAh OuS "a |
an Austrian crown province
sast of Galicia, which the cars forces
lad occupied since September.
The Russian advance toward Hun
AIRY was met by Austrians marching
Iorth, and by the middle of February
he Russians had been driven from the
our great passes Of the Carpathians
nd were held as In wise in southern
,alicia. between the mountains on the
outh and the Austrian front in Buko-
Vina and the Austro-G German front
ased on Cracow.
A Blow at Constantinople.
On the 10th Of February the large q
eet of allied ships made a desperate
tempt to force entrance through Oar r
anelles strait toward Constantinople.
was kept up two days
nd resumed on the 25th without i'm
ortant results. This was intended for 4