The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1915-10-08
GERMANS OCCUPY
V|LNAAF TER BATTLE
RUSSIANS HAVE ONLY ONE RAIL
WAY ON WHICH TO MAKE
A GETAWAY.
OTHER LINE HELD BY GERMANS
Won Hindenburq and Leopold Renew
Efforts to Catch Retiring Enemy
-ivanoff Defends kovno-Mi-
nor Battles on West Front.

London, Sept. 20-The Germans
have occupied Wilma and by wide
sweeping movement to the north of
that city have succeeded in almost en-
tirely surrounding portion Of the
Russian army, which is fighting in the
railway triangle between wilma, Ida
and Vileika.
At any rate, the Russian forces in
this district either must fight their
way out eastward or retire in south
easterly direction for the only railway
left entirely in their hands is that
which runs from Wilma to Ida, and
thence to Baranovich.
Wilma a stragetic Point.
Wilma, a city of some 10000 inhab-
itants on the Warsaw-Petrograd rail-
way line, has been the object of Ger
man offensive movement for weeks
past, in the course of the operations
of Field Marshal Won Hindenburg.
After the fall of Kovno to the north
west, and Grondo to the southwest, no
fortress barrier remained before the
Germans moving on Wilma, but stub
born defensive measures were taken
by the Russians to hold back the Teu-
tonic advance, Wilma being the north
ern key position on the important
strategic railway line running south
eastward to Rovno, which the Rus
slams were striving to retain.
The fall of Wilma had been expected
for several days, the German encir-
cling movement having developed suf-
ficiently to make it apparent that it's
abandonment was only question of
time. Last week Petrograd dispatches
stated that Wilma, as we'll as Dvinsk,
another of Field Marshal Won linden
burg's detectives, had been emptied OF
stores and abandoned by government
and private institutions.
Wilma has been an important indus
trial and trade center in the midst of
region studded with lakes, forests
and marshes. Recent estimates have
stated that probably half the popula
ton was Jewish, with only small ma
tive Russian element.
With the capture of Wilma the Ger
mans seem likely to find the way more
easily opened to Dvinsk, virtually the
entire railroad line leading northeast
ward to that city apparently now be
ing in their hands.
German Position Strong.
The army of Field Marshal Won Hin
denburg, which took Wilma and hal
reached Vileika, to the east Of wilma
is working in close cooperation will
that of Archduke Leopold of Bavari;
in an effort to catch part of the Rus
sian army, an operation which ha
!, been so often tried without success
since the Austro-Germans commenced
, their drive in western Galicia in earl,
May.
Big Battle.
London, Sept. 21.-Of the many bi
battles fought on the eastern front dul
! ing the last five months few, If any
= have been fraught with such impor
ance as that now in progress to tn
east and south of Wilma, where Fiel
Marshal Won Hindenburg is attemptin
to cut off the retreat of and destro
. the Russian army that defended ths
y CITY,.
= The German official report issue
n today throws little light on the pro-
X ress of the operations, simply stain
4. "The attack against the enemy retrea
ing from wilma is proceeding"
q Nels B. Pearson, the owner of tt
IS Mechanics saloon, Spokane, was i
il stantly killed when an automobile
IS drove turned turtle on the Medic
a. Lake road, near Spokane, last Mo
q day.
u Russians Reiterated Finely.
70 London, Sept. 22.-The German e
~ circling movement against the Russi;
=. army which evacuated Wilma has a
10 preciably intensified and tighten
m and, with the retreating forces virtu;
:. ly without rail communication, the
eli retreat seems to have reached the me
lg critical juncture. There is increasi
x misgiving in England with regard
IS, the outcome of the maneuver.
ne The latest Berlin official commune
d; ton shows important advances
sr- Field Marshal Won Hindenburg's rig
m wing as well as progress by Prin
ne eLopold of Bavaria on the center
IN