The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-06-20
FLOOD SITUATION GROWS SERIOUS
GERMANY


UNITED Press Leased Wire Service. ]
BERLIN, June 1e. (via The Hague.)
"A great human batterine ram to-
night is pounding at the outer de-
fenses Of Lemberg. On a front less
than two miles in width General Mack
ensen is hammerins at the Russian
earthworks on the western outskirts
Of Grodek.
The SIavs have established them.
selves in strong positions north OF
Grodek. The Austro-Germans are ao-
vancing on narrow front, exposed
to heavy artillery fire. Before Grodek
is won and the railway to Lemberg
seized, Mackensen's losses, It 10 ad-
mitted here. probably will be very
heavy.
Austro-German artillery is being
moved eastward through Rodatycze to
ai5 IN the attaek. Two miles 5eyor:
the viIlage the Russians tore up the
railway and the heavy guns are max
ing slow progress over swampy roads.
The assault upon Grodek in force,
may not begin until Monday.
On sixty mile front northwest Ct
Lembere, stretching across the Rus
sian border, the Russians are steadily
falling back.
AN ENGLISH SPY.
|TBy Carl w. Ackerman, United Press
Staff correspondent.l
BERLIN, May 26. (By mail to New
York; .)-Nathaniel Pyle, an Oxford
graduate and English spy, owes his
life to American Ambassador Gerard.
Though he carried an American pass
port, had New York City birth GER
tifeate and claimed Brooklyn as his
home, Pyle broke down at the en-
bassy under Gerard's cross examIna-
tion and gave himseIf up. Before his
arrest he had lived for months at
the Central hotel here, posing az an
American newspaper correspondent.
Gerard suspected Pyle when he heard
that he represented himself to be an
American correspondent, hut nevev
called at the ennhassy. !. He sent fol
him and Immediately had his suspic.
ions strengthened by PyIe's decided
English accent.
Pyle sale he was born In Brooklyn
but went to England when boy with
his mother and was educated at Eton
and later at Goettfngen. His birth ce--
tificate, he said, he obtained four years
ago at the bureau Of vital statistics In
New York.
"But you have overlooked some
thing" said Gerard. "The stamp on
the back ct this certificate Is dated
September, 1914"
Pyle admitted he had lied. The am
bassador eonfiscated his passport and
turned him over to the police. He
Gerard's appeal to Under Secretary
his life To-day Pyle 10 In Ruheieben
prison camp.
CLOSING IN ON LEMRERG.
VIENNA, June 1e. (via Berlin wire.
less s.)-Austro-German armies. closing
In from the south and west stormed
and captured the town Of Grodek, six
teen miles wes. OF Lembern. early to-
day.
The Russian Notifications werc
blown to pieces by a tornado Of shells
The Siavs offered stubborn resistance,
but were driven through the town in
the infantry onslaught that continued
ceived here today said the enemy was
SSSoSiPS NV " k''S SSHO
Ct the Przemysl-Lemberg railway to-
ward tho last line Of defenses before
Lembers.
The Austro-German right wing &C.
cupied komarno, ten miles souti, Of
Grodek, with little resistance and is
pressing forward to the railway lead
ing to Lerberg. Two AustrIan-Ger-
man forces are now within striking
distance Of Lemberg itself.
On the extreme left Of the Austro-
German line, the Russians are every
where In retreat. The south bank Of
the Tanef river has been entirely
cleared Of the enemy and small forces
Of Germans have crossed the river at
certain points.
At only one sector Of the GaIician
battle front are the Russians now at
In the extreme southeast,
the Russians have delivered several
strong attacks, all Of which have been
reruIsed.
SAYS AMERICA ls RIGHT.
BERLIN. June 10. Via The Hague.)
in the TasbIatt today, Pro-
fessor Jastrew upheld the American
that the United States does
not violate her neutrality by permit
tinc the sale Of arms to the allies.
From the legal standpoint he said, the
American argument that the allies
control Of the seas alone makes them
the sole purchasers. is sound.
Professor Jastrow, however, declar-
ed that since the United States has
taken this position it would be impos-
sibie for her to play the role Of peace
maker Other Berlin newspapers con-
tinue to devote columns to discussions
as to whether the United States Is