The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-01
New Year Finds Belligerent Europe Fighting as Storm fly As at Beginning of
 the Conflict
MOST IMPORTANT
 BATTLE. IS RAGING
 IN RUSSIAN POLAND
Germans and Russians Continue the Struggle Along Vistula River. French Headquarters Report
 Slight Progress

London. December 31.-(0s52 D. m.) dispatch to Reuters Telegram com p"ny from Capetown says that Walfish pay on the southwest coast of Africa was reoccupied Christmas day with o"s opposition by . strong British force.
 POrfhcawl. Wales, December SI--tVtn London, 5'1O p. m.l-ConsiderabIe ex- citement was caused at this seaside re- sort today by the drifting ashore in this vicinity of many helmets such as are worn by the British troops in Egypt and India.
 Paris. December 31.-t1O.4o p. m. The following official communicat to n was issued tonight,
 Last evening nm attack from the enemy, who after lively firing. endeav- ored to debouch from the wood of Ferses ton the left bank of the Meuse) was immediately repul.ed.
 ''rhe positions which our troops have gained in steinbach have been kept and we continue to attack those of tn. enemy.
 "From the other parts of the frsat we hay. received no snf6rp,stion vorth 'o~~t;s lag.
 London. December 31.--(10:55 D. m. ! The new year finds belligerert Eu- rope afteA five months Of war fight ing as steinly as at the beginning, bat seemingly without prospects of i'm mediate biz victories
 The Austfians again have been driven ou. of the greater part of Galicia and. according to Vienna statement, the Russians have crossed the Carpathians Tor the third time. but in Poland where more important battle is in progress, the armies of the Russian and German emperors are still fighting for the banks of the rivers, which intersect the country between the upper vis- tula and Pilica rivers.
 Lull In Fighting In Flanders and France there has been a lull in the fighting on most of the front, disturbed occasionally, however. by artillery fire. infantry at tacks and counter attacks. The French tonight announced that they have car ried half of the village of Steinbach in upper Alsace, while of little or no importance itself, stsnds at the foot Of Fa MIL which commands a large part of the surrounding country. It is ii this region and in the vicinity of Noyon and between the Argonne ridge ard the Mouse that the Feench have been pushing their offensivt with the great est force and the hand where they claim to have made the most progress Along the Belgian coast fighting is confined to artillery iomb \. estende and many of the other little towns which long ago We're deserted by the civilian populations have been made the target for shells of the al- lies.
 Waifsh bay, British posssssion on the coast of German Southwest Africa, which the Germans took at the commencement of the war, has been retaken by Union of South Africa forces. while tie Austral- ians have annexed BougaiRynIe island. another of the Solomon Isands, over which flew the German nag and about | tho last of the German islaads m the Pacidc.
 Usual Celebrations In London. New Years eve sas cele- kbrnted by the usual dinners ana dances Int hotels and restaurants. but With less t&R.efy and on a much smaller sca,e At }11oE1arger hotels. however there kas a ! large attendance of officers on lesve or wa ting to go to the front. many Fsench 1, and Beigians who were driven from their homes by the war and considerable | sprinkling of Americans.
 The list of New Years honors offesed by King George on the recommendationpf of the prem CT and the foreign and colonAl offices was short and contained no neS i peerages. At the head of the lisl are thu (Contlnued on Pare SevenD