Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-03
Christmas Is Anything but Day
of Peace at Rawka in Po-
land, Says Associated Press
Correspondent
WARM WEATHER HOLDS
BACK GERMAN ADVANCE
No Snow on Ground and Con-
slant ThaWS Prevent Prog
reSS Where Country Is
Filled With Marshes,

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iHY soRHIna JOURNAL orGrfAL leAsto wRHi
Headquarters of Tie Tenth German
Infantry Division on llIc Rawka Riv-
cr. Poland. December .G (,ia courier
Ia HerIin. thence 10 London, Jan. 3.
1888 n. m.) Artillery preliminaries
Tor general infantry attack will be-
gin at noon infantry attack begins at
. O'Clock
This was the Christmas day order
telephoned and signaled to the Ger
man army on the Rawka Yesterday
morning.
The thunder Of q heavy cannonade
and the rattle Of infantry fire was
heard along the whole line the short
Christmas afternoon. The attack re-
suited in "A slight advance of the
Tenth infantry. AT one point a hri-
gade was thrown across the swampy
valley and succeeded in gaining a
foothold on the other side
Slow Progress of Germans.
But progress was slow against the
triple row of Russian trenches on
the hills and In the woods on the east
bank of the Rawka, which position
is protected by a bro "A belt Of swamps
in which the Germans cannot en-
trench, as the trenches an immed-
ately with water The short winter
days aud the fogs hanging over the
valley give the German artillery only
an hour or two daily in which to
cover the German advance by an ef-
fectiye bombardment a few days Of
hard frost and clear. cold weather
would make the tls easter. but tho
winter in Poland so far. has been eX-
ceedngly mild. There is no snow on
the ground and thaws keep the
81 inund marshy. converting int3 quae-
mires the roads over which ammuni-
iion supplies must be transported.
Under such circumstances, only
slow progress can be expected in a
frontal attack against the iiussian
I osition.
Aviutors Have Rare Chance.
A few hours Of sunshine yesterday
gave the German aviators their first
in a week to reconnotef
the Russian lines One Of the aviators
re ported that long wagon trains were
parked in the road through the forest
near The Russian lines. This inforna-
tion was conveyed to the German ar
tillery and surprise was arranged
for the Russians AT a given signal
several heavy batteries opened ltr on
The road
The effect could not be determined
definitely as the fog again settled be-
fore the aviator could roascend The
batteries had the exact range, how
ever and the havoc caused was pre-
sumed to have been great But little
was heard during the day from the
Russian artillery, which Is believed
TO be short Of ammunition on this
section of the front
Battle ON Christmas Day.
Although Christmas day was a bat
tie day for the Germans, Christmas
eve. which to the Germans is the
most important part of the ynletide,
was comparatively quiet. A Russian
message had announced general at
tack along the whole line for the
evening when the Germans were cele-
brating. The Russian attack, however
developed in force only at one point
against the German army corps to
the south Of this place, where the
Russians launched a heavy infantry
attack, we'll supported by artillery
They we're beaten Off and lost heav-
ily, particularly in prisoners.
Elsewhere along the line the GER
man soldiers celebrated Christmas as
nearly as possible in home fashion,
There was scarcely shelter hut IN
the trenches and artillery positions
which did not display Christmas
tree. decorated with tinsel and gay
colored candles that had been repos-
ing in the soldiers knapsacks Tor
many weeks. The correspondent rld-
ing along the lines. saw scores OF
such trees exhibited by the proud
Packages From Home Delayed.
Most of the Christmas packages
from home failed to arrive, having
been delayed by the miserable roads
and rapid movement of the army.
But food tidbits, bottles Of wine, nips
Of rum and arrack carefully presery-
ed for the celebration, came to llght
and helped to give the real Christmas
feeling.
The cannonade on this part OF the
front ceased almost entirely at DUSK
Far and near could be heard the
rough soldier voices joining in the
Christmas anthem Holy Night
Night" Christmas carols
were heard from the Russian line TOO
AT one point. probably from the Pol
ish soldiers. as the Russian Christmas
is thirteen days later.
At the division staff quarters a
large tree was set up in the dining
room Of a country house The division
commander made a brief address TO