Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-01-16
Cars Army Crosses River
Nida and Capture Men
and Guns.
AUSTRIANS BADLY DEFEATED
Petrograd Dispatch Says Retreat in
GaIicia is Becoming More and
More DisorderIy-French
Capture Belgian Town.

Petrograd, Dec. 3O.-Between the
Lower Vistula and the Pilica only
| fighting of small Importance has taken
place. The Germans left theeir
| trenches on the right bank of the
Bzura near the village of Mistrzevice
and fell back on the left bank of the
Bzura.
On the River Rawka the Russian
heavy artillery is fighting a large num-
Der of German batteries of heavy
guns.
The Russians met with success
while crossing the River Nida in the
taking by storm of the villages of
Starckorczin and Senislavice, which
were well fortified. In the fighting
they captured forty Austrian officers
and more than 100 soldiers and
three machine guns.
In Western Galicia the Russians
have made progress in spite of the al
most impossible condition of the coun-
try due to mud. They have driven the
enemy from the front of Stremnik
Sorlice Jasliska, taking guns and a
large numbee of machine guns.
Army of $4,000 Retreats.
The retreat of the Austrian army
in Galicia, along the Lisko-Sabok-Duk-
la-Zmigrod front is described officially
here as more and more precipitate and
disorderly. The retreating forces are
estimated unofficia1ly as numbering
about $4,000 men.
The nature of the country favors
the Austrians in their retreat. The
corridor-like valleys and passes pre-
vent the Russians from persuing
them over parallel roads or harassing
their TANKS
French Take Belgian Town.
The French official statement on
the progress of the war refers to COM
paratively minor French successes
and mentions violent bombardment
of certain French positions by Ger
man artillery. The French have oc-
cupied a village in Belgium; they
have gained ground in the Argonne
and they are investing Steinbach in
Upper Alsace.
Little Change in Line.
London, Dec 29.-The battle lines
in the East and West have undergone
only infinitesimal changes during the
day. The French and German reports
agree that the Germans have captured
a section of trenches near Hollebeke,
south of Ypres. The French assert
that the Germans gave up. trenches on
the first line, to the extent of about
500 or 900 yards in the Lens region,
further east, while unsuccessful DEM
onstrations have been made from both
sides at various points along the ex-
tended lines.
The reports of the numbers of
wounded both armies are sending back
from the lines in Belgium appear to
show that the fighting on Christmas
in that country was the fiercest of the
past month. Correspondents in the
rear say the Belgians as a result of
five days sapping captured nearly
5000 Germans with only small losses
to themselves.
Russians RepuIse Germans.
Petrograd, Dec. 29.-The following
statement from the general staff of
the Russian commander-in-chief was
issued last night:
'On the 9th there was no import
ant engagement between the Lower
Vistula and the Pilica rivers. The
German attacks were everywhere re-
pulsed. The Germans suffered heavy
losses, especially in vain attack they
made to the southeast of Sknernie-
vice. Between the Pilica and the Up
per Vistula the enemy has now adopt
ed the defensive.
Our troops stormed the village of
Szitniki, which was stubbornly de-
Tended by the Austrians. The enemy
has definitely evacuated the left bank
of the Nidas
British Raid cuxhaven.
London, Dec. 2S.-Assisted by light
cruisers, destroyers and submarines,
seven British naval airmen, plotting
seaplanes, made daring attack
Christmas Day on the German naval
base at Cuxhaven, at the mouth of the
Elbe. Six of the airmen returned safe
ly, but the seventh, Commander Hew-
lett, it is feared, has been lost, as his
machine was found off Helgoland.
wrecked. What damage was done by
the bombs thrown by the attacking
party could OF be ascertained, but
the German report of the affair says
that the raid was fruitless.