Evening star., 1915-01-26
KIELCE, RUSSIAN POLAND,
ALSO OCCUPIED, is CLAIM
Cars Troops Penetrate Hungary
and Are Said to Hold Key
to Josefalva.
MOVEMENT NEAR PRZASNYz
Teuton Military Critics Puzzled by
Foe-Austrians Think
Bukowina Offens-
i've Broken

LONDON, January 2o.-Great-
ly increased activity along the
western battle front is reported
in the official French communica-
ton of today. The initiative
rests with the Germans, who in
some sections delivered as MANY
as FIVE successive attacks of great
violence.
In the region OF Craconne the
Germans succeeded in penetrat-
ing the trenches of the allies and
holding some of the ground
gained. Bombardment by the
Germans of the Alsatian town OF
Sentheim, six miles southwest OF
Thann, indicates that they may
have made some progress in this
region also.
Germans Claim Gains.
The German war office in it's state
ment says that two strong points Of
| support in the possession of the Eng
lish were captured by German troops
In 4 general assault ON the English
positions near Labassee. The French
statement, in discussing the fighting
at this point, says that after deliver
ing several vicious attacks. during
which they made some gains. the Brit
ish rallied and repulsed the foe
| In the eastern war area the reported
| Russian invasion of Hungary by way
of Bukowina is attracting interested
attention in London A special news
dispatch from Budapest sets forth that
after a temporary check the Musco-
vites actually had penetrated Hungary.
where they hold the key to Josefalva,
an important strategic position.
Kielce Reported Taken.
| One Of the most striking incidents
today was the report from Cracow,
Galicia, that Austro- German forces
have occupied Kielce. Russian Poland.
| Kielce is the capital of the Russian
province of that name and lies in
southern Poland about fifty miles
north OF the border of the Austrian
province of Galicia. In that region
fighting of the eastern campaign.
| Kielce has been Russian base and is
| of considerable strategic value because
| of the fact that it is the most import
| ant railroad junction northeast of Cra-
| COW. Its capture, If effected, follows
the initiation of the new offensive
movement by the German and Austrian
armies all along the eastern battle
| front.
Movement Near Przasmysz.
| Official reports from the German
army headquarters indicate that there
! is in progress a Russian movement of
considerable size to the north of War
saw, in the neighborhood of Przanysz.
| German military critics are at q loss
to predict whether this movement
| means that the Russians are proceed
| ing on a new plan of campaign. 1t is
pointed out that all Russian attempts
to advance in this region hitherto have
been repulsed. The Russian forces now
in Prussia, according to tho general
opinion. will find it impossible to ad-
vance further.
Newspaper dispatches from Vienna
say that the Austro- Hungarian sue
cesses in Bukowina have had a strong
political effect in Roumania, having
given a hard blow to Russian prestige
there. The reported victory is regard
ed in Vienna, according to the dis
/, patches, as ending for long time Rus
sian offensive movements in Bukowina
and preventing all further attempts to
invade Pennsylvania. The Russian
losses at kirlibaba are reported to have
been heavy
Russian Occupation.
The Bucharest correspondent of the
London Daily Mail says the Russians.
after destroying the electric railway
station at Jacobini, 3ukowina. which
cupied the whole of the Jacobini dis
trict, but only after hard battle, in
which the Russians lost an entire regi-
ment In killed or wounded. and were
obliged temporarily to retire to Czoka-
neachtie under constant Austrian
bonn ba rdment. which prevented any ad-
vance until reinforcements were re-
ceived.
..I hey now hold the key to Josefalva,
in Hungary" the correspondent adds.
while Dorna-Watr is threatened and
it's fall is inevitable. Gen. Wabel. COM
mander of the Russian left wing. has
arrived with his staff at Czernowitz.
capital of Bukowina, and large masses
of Russian reinforcements which are
arriving in Bukowina indicate that it
is the intention to penetrate Tran
sylvania in force"
Belief in Petrograd.
1t is believed in Petrograd. according
to dispatches. that the German troops
which have been moving through Hun
gary are intended to oppose the Rus
sian advance in the southern Carpa-
thians and that the announcement that
they were to move against Serbia was
incorrect. 1t is not believed possible
that the Germans could prepare an
army strong enough to act against
Serbia until spring.
Petrograd reports that the Russian
Caucasian army is closing in on the
turkish Black sea flank. where the
Ottoman troops are described as in \
DANGEROUS plight. From the same
source comes q report that the British
army in Mesopotamia has met some
success while advancing on Bagdad.