Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-01-07
FEARING ENEMIES
SULTAN PREPARES
TO QUIT CAPITAL
Report From Athens Indicate
ConstantinopIe Is Threat
ened-Extent of ACtiv-
tiles Not Known.
RAID ON EGYPT ABANDONED
German Lines Apparently Not
Weakened In West-Attack
Shifts In Poland-Rus-
slams Enter Hungary.
ON EGYPT ABANDONED

London, Jan. 4.-The sultan of Tur-
tey and his court are preparing to
cave Constantinople, fearing the fall
IF the ancient Turkish capital. accord
tng to advices from Athens. 1t is ex-
aeedingly difficult to obtain any clear
idea of the operations Of the Turks. but
he attack on Egypt seems to have been
abandoned indefinitely.
Whether the allied fleets are prepar-
'ng to shell the forts along the OAR
ianelles and the works protecting Con-
.tantinople is not known, but 1t is as
sumed that the sultan's preparations
or departure presaSe an
movement by the allies. Former dis
The Germanic allies We're preparing to
iepart for the interior.
1t Is known that q large fleet OF French
and British warships are now in the
Mediterranean and Adriatic waters.
Thursday, it was reported. that Pola,
the great Austrian naval base. was UNI
der Commandment by 30 or 40 French
and English warships. One French
warship was sunk there his week by
an Austrian submarine.
Germans Gain Ground.
The latest news available from the
western battle front shows that little
progress is being made by the allied
forces and rather indicates a sporadic
renewal of the German offensive. with
resultant slight gains in the Argonne
and French Flanders. These operations
can hardly be classed as a general
German offensive movement in The
west, such as is still being conducted
in Poland, but the strength the Ger
mans are showing seems to make it
plain that they nave not weakened
appreciably their western army by
transfer of troops to the east. nor has
the pressures of the allies broken their
grip on Belgium and France, from the
North sea to Metz.
Germans On Offensive.
The German attack in France and
Belgium, intimated in reply to the of
fensive movements of the allies has
developed to such a point that the al
lies now are on the defensive along the
greater part of the line. The extent
of the German movement is shown
by today's French statement, which
speaks Of a series of night attacks
against the allies along the front
These onslaughts apparently were no
in great force however. and the asser-
ton is made hat they We're all re-
pulsed with ease. AS to the result ol
recent fighting in Alsace and the
Argonne along the eastern portion OF
the front, there is q sharp conflict in
the statements from Berlin and Paris
The German communication says fur
ther ground has been gained in the
Argonne and specifically denies the
claims of the French war office thai
half of the Alsatian village OF Stein
bach has been captured and that the
French are making d further advance
there.
The Paris announcement asserts that
some of the territory lost to the Ger
mans in the Argonne has been regaineC
and that three new lines of houses nave
been occupied in Steinbach.
Seeking Weak Places.
General Joffre apparently is still
preparing for a general attack. by
their tactics of feeling out the German
line by attacks here and there the al
lies are playing a waiting game, pend.
ing the time when, with the assistanc,
of achievements, they deliver a CON
centrated blow at some strategic point
With full knowledge that vast num-
bers of men are being trained in Eng
land, Germany, it is recognized here
must be preparing to meet their entry
into the war. 1t is agreed that much
depends upon the quality of the new
formations on both sides. The English
| view is that Britain's new troops viii
be the cream of the country, while
Germany having sent in her fines
forces at the outset, must depend fol
reinforcements upon those less fiji
physically.
Moving Troops East.
There are again reports of tn,
movement of German troops from the
! west to the east. Advices from Am.
sterdam state that 100000 Germans
passed through Cologne IN the way
! east and it is suggested tina they arc
being sent to General Won Hindenburs
| preparatory to another great effort tC
batter through the Russian lines tt
| Warsaw.
The Germans are still attempting t.
press forward in Poland. but to tn,
south the Russians have driven thu
Austrians further back-more than CT
miles in all. 1t is again reported thai
the Russians are pouring across thu
Csrpathians into Hungary, causing TIL,
inhabitants to flee.
In Poland the German attack a>-
I parently has shifted to the southwark
The Russian statement mentions fight.
ing of particular intensity at Rawa
which is so miles south OF Sochaczew
The recent center of German activity
German attacks there. as We'll as i,
cast Prussia and i'll the region o
Mlawa. IN Poland. near the east Prus
sian border, are said to have been re-
! pulsed.
Austrians Defeated.
The Russian war office announce.
that another defeat has been inflicted
upon the Austrian forces in Galicia
whose advance from the Carpathian,
recently was checked with serious con.
sequences to them.
! It is asserted that fortified Austria,
| positions nea Gorlice We're oestroye,
and that 5000 prisoners were captured
The Russian statement says. how
ever, that the victory was won onl,
after a hard battle and Ina fightin,
/ stu continues. indicating that the Aus,
trians are still capable of offering de
termined resistance.
Austrian war ships have bombarde,
Belgrade. the Servian capital, from
which the Austrians We're driven short
ly after they had occupied it. Som
damage to property was caused by tn
bombardment. but so Car as known n,
lives were lost.