The chronicle=news., 1915-01-05


assist materially in solving the diff.
ficulties caused by British interfer.
ence with American shipping.
Further Russians successes in op-
erations against the Austrians are de-
scribed in unofficial dispatches from
Petrograd. According to these ad-
vices, the Russian troops, which were
said several days ago. to have pene.
trated the passes of the Carpathians
mountains and begun an invasion of
Hungary in force, have captured
eight Hungarian towns and surren-
dered several divisions of Austrian
troops in the mountains. There was
no official confirmation of these
statements. however. and the latest
official announcement from Vienna
asserts that the Austrian forces in
Galicia have captured strong posi-
tions and are preparing for further
operations.
Although it is admitted in Petro-
grad that the Germans occupied
Russian positions at Bolimow on the
battle front before Warsaw, the
Russian war office states that the in
vaders later were driven back again
abandoning six machine guns.
Except for the advance of the
French into Alsace. there is little ac-
tivity in the west Both sides ap-
parently are content for the present
to hold their trench positions. leav-
ing the fighting largely to artillery.
London, Jan. 5.--The right Wing
Of the French army is today less than
80 miles from the river Rhine, hold
ing the Alsatian village of Steinbach
and the heights to the southeast of
the village after one of the most stub
born localized fights of the war. No
ether point of the western front has
there been any noteworthy change.
In Poland there has been little
shift in the relative positions of the
invading and defending armies. The
Germans continue to deliver their
furious and intermittent attacks on
the Bzurs- -Rawka line. To the south
the Russians have swept forward to
Suszawa. near the Roumanian from
tier. In the Cauca sian the Turkish
invaders and the Russians are ap-
rarentlv still fighting out their bat
tie in the region of Sarikamysh. both
sides claiming victory.
The French progress i'll upper Al
SAGE is probably the most significant
news from the western front in a
number Of weeks and by some observ-
ers here it is taken to indicate fu-
ture attempts on the part of the al
lies to break through in this region.
maintaining meanwhile base on
Belfort.
For the moment the swampy con-
dition of the ground in west Flanders
precludes a general advance move
ment in this locality. Furthermore
General Joffre's feeling tactics at
ether points have resulted in no gains
and it consequently would not be a
surprise if the heaviest fighting dur
ing the next fortnight centered on
the eastern slopes Of the Vosges
mountains. 1t is down these hills
that the French Alpine Chasseurs,
backed by the famous 75-millimetre
guns. swept to victory yesterday at
Steinbach after some of the most SAN
culinary fighting of the campaign.
Only little further advanced to
the southeast. British. commenters
Point out today, will give the allies
possession of the village of Cernay.
They no who'd the heights to the
west of this town and its fall would
throw open the way to Muelhausen.
Whether the Turks are exaggerat-
ing their successes or not, they are
doing some hard fighting in the Cau-
casrs. judoinp from the dispatches
reaching London. Even kilograms
from eFtrograd admit that this stu
alton is becoming one of first i'm
portance. There is no sign as yet,
however. of Russia's moving troops
from her western to her south from
tier.
Paris, Jan. 5.-The French Off
ci,1 statement given out by the wal
office this afternoon conveys the first
iuiimation OF another French advance
into Alsacc. at Il point near orbeS
or, T-rbeis which is some miles
,o .he west of Colmar 1t sets forth
also that the French advances in the
direction of Gernay tSeennheim, tc
, the southeast of Steinbach nave peei
El