The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-08-18
k0VNO CAPTURED By THE GERMANS

| GERMANY
IBy Carl w. Ackerman, United Press
staff Correspondent.
BERLIN, Aug. rs. (via The Hague.)
Despite the activities Of Or. Karl
Liebknecht, radical socialist leader,
the majority OF socialists In the reich
stau are prepared TO vote war credit
Of $2,OO2 900 900 when the reiehstag
convenes tomorrow. Llebkneeht, who
announced that he will ask the govern
,nent on what terms Germany would
agree to an immediate peace. prob
ably will vote "no" on the proposal TO
grant further credits for war pur-
poses. A few other socialists may
leave the hall 40 silent protest. but
the majority Of socialist members. rot
lowing a three day conference, have
announced their deternination to sup
port the qovernment- As . spectacle,
the first session Of the reichstA0 TO-
morrow afternoon will rival the "a
nous meeting OF year ago when enc
first credits for the prosecutlon Of the
war were voted amid unparalleled
scenes. American Ambassador Ger.
ard and members Of the diplomatic
corps are planning to attend. Il is re-
ported that tile coming session will u!''
cover several party splits, prlnelpauy
In the ranks Of the national liberals
and the socialists. The socialsst labor
leaders, for instance, will lnslst that
action be taken against alleged FOOD
specuIators. They also are prepared Z"
oppose certain new orders respecting
the German iandsturm.
kovNo FORTRESS CAPTURED.
BERLIN, (via wireless to sayv'lie,
L. I.). Aug. 18.-The great Russian
fortress Of Kovno was captured BY
the Germans last night. An official
announcement from the war office to-
day declared:
"The fortress Of kovno, together
with all the forts and war materials
not yet counted, has been In German
hands since last night. More than
ls4oO cannon were x1ken.
"The fortress was stormed In spite
Of the most tenacious Russian resist
ance. !.
CAPTURE Of Kovno, the most import
ant German Victory since the taking
Of warsaw, forecasts the surrender
by the Russians Of the strongly foEti-
fled Kovno-1rest Litvosk line OF Nstftef
kovno was the northern stronghold
Austro-Gcrman forces already are
within striking distance Of the outer
forts Of erest Litovok, the southern
end Of the Russian lire Of defense.
kovno fell under the eye Of Genera!
Won Hindenhurg. Capture Of the fort
ress 10 the first personal triumph Of
the "oId man Of the Maxurlan lakes"
since the great Austro-German cam
paiqn In the east was inaugurated.
Tho ak great forts defending the city
from, the west and southwest weL-
simply blown to pieces by the inces
.sant pounding Of Germanys great ~
centirneter guns and host Of minor
pieces.
The forts Of kovno have been under
direct attack for scarcely week,
demonstrating again the superiority Of
modern artillery over fort structures
built by man. The German siege
howitzers were moved In closer each
dav and on Monday battered gap IN
the Russian Notifications southwest OF
the city through which General Won
Eichhorn threw several regiments.
The big guns were rushed up to this
new position and opened violent
fire upon the principal forts defending
kovno from the west, Including the
three located at the confluence OF the
Nieren and the ViIlya rivers. lnfan-
try assaults continued throughout the
day and although reports reached Ser.
lin Yesterday that all the forts mac
been taken, 1t was not until last night
that the savs finally surrendered fne
city. .,
over the railway to Wilma.
koyno was the stronghold that bar
red the German advance on wilma on
the Warssw-Petrograd railway, the
immediate objective OF Won Hinoen-
5ure,s drive in the north. Wilma Hes
fifyt-seven miles east Of kovno and
without adequate Notifications 70
not believed possible by German mi''-
tary men that It can resist capture ny
Won Hindenburs's armies. the cap
ture OF wilma and with II the in1por-
tant railways radiat'ng throuenout
northwest russia, is expected within
beoan evacuatina the city ten days
ago.
Six hundred prisoners and twenty
cannon were taken In the capture Of
the Novo Georeiewsk forts.
At the southern end Of the Russian
line Of defense, Brest-litovsk ls now
under attack by Mackensen's troops,
who drove the enemy across the Bug
and into the outer positions OF the
fortress. Mackensen's troops having
crossed che Bug southwest Of 6rest-
Litovsk. pressed on across the railway
connecting vlodava and erest-Citovsk
and are now attempting to surround
the fortress.
The whole Russian line extending
north from Brest-Lftovsk to kovno 10
in retreat. The armies Of General
Won SchoItz and General Won Gsl!wItz
are approaching the railway leading
from the fortified city OF Bie'ostok to