The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-01-21
KAISER PREPARES
SMASHING ATTACK
ON WESTERN FRONT
Thousands of Troops Are Being
Transferred From Poland to
France-Defensive Cam
paign In the East.
HEAVY FIGHTING EXPECTED
Russians Exerting Steady Pres
sure, But Germans Are Well
Entrenched For Clash
Turks Beaten.

London. Jan. 19.-London is recall.
ing that this is the 44th anniversary of
the proclamation of Wilhelm /, as Ger
man emperor, and in the British CAPT
tai it is expected that the day may
bring news of widespread German Ell
fort to follow up with a still more I'M
portant movement the success achieved
last week in the ~neigborhood OF
scissors.
In London, it is believed the Ger
mans have adopted what is virtually
a defensive role to the west OF War
saw-some British observers arguing
that this has been forced upon them by
superior Russian numbers-and That
| these defensive tactics synchronlZe
with the movement Of many thousands
of Teutonic troops from Poland to the
French and Belgian battle fields.
The fighting at scissors, some Brit
ish commentators declare to be the
ecurs of the entry of these new
! troops upon a vigorous offensive
| perhaps an attempt to cross the RIVER
Aisne.
AT Scissors the French failed to hold
their positions on the northern bank
of the river, and for the Germans to-
regard as a development to be ex-
pected.
Shift Battle Lines.
The German attack on the western
front has shifted northward from Sois-
| sons, and yesterday there was a Sc
we're encounter in the region OF Albert.
Today's official Berlin statement says
that the Germans, attacking with bay
! onets, drove the allies from positions
northeast of Albert. In the scissors
region there is little activity. Sew
/ eral French trenches in the ArgOnne
are said to ave been captured.
The official statement from Paris
disputes the Germs claim of victories
in the Argonne, saying that the at
tacks were repulsed. Several minor
victories for the allies are reported.
mostly in artillery engagements.
AS to future engagements in this
region, it appears to be q fac that the
French artillery on the hills on the
approaches to the river, and that 1T will
have to be reckoned with.
In the eastern arena of the war the
steady pressure which the arrival OF
l;ooo,0 600 of last year levies has enabled
the Russians to exert upon the Ger
mans according to news dispatches
reaching London, has been slowly push
ing back the German line to the west
of Warsaw. News dispatches today
report the Russian occupation of PlocE.
This report has been confirmed Off
cially. but the Russians on Saturday
crossed the Skrwa river a few miles be-
low that point and may have been able
to occupy the city. Russian forces al
ready a reached Sierpec and Gombin,
lying respectively directly north and
south of this provincial capital.
The Russian defeat of the Turks, If
the claims of Petrograd are fully borne
out, was SO devisive that it may mark
the close of the Ottoman attempt to
Invade Russia in the Caucasian region.
The Russian victory probably will free
enough of the Caucasian army to OPP
pose effectively the Turkish forces
which are approaching the frontier fur
ther eastward through Persia.