Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-08-21
Marshy Nature Of Surround
ing Country Proving Only
Serious Obstacle.
PENETRATE OVER BUG
Cars Forces Battle Des
perately But Vainly to
Check Invasion.

/ London, Aug %. t1o.27 p. m.}-The
Russian field armies are fighting des-
+ perateIy but yaiaIv to check the on
rush of the Germans and Austriane.
I |Eovogeorgievsk the last Polish fortress
10 hold out has fallen. Ossowetz. to
the north 0f Poland. has resisted the
( invaders thus far only because of the
marshv nature of the surrounding
country. which prevents the Germans
+ from employing their heavy guns eHec-
lively.
/ South of Brest-Litovsk. Field Mar
/ shal Won Mackensen's forces have pen
I etrated beyond the Bug Other Ger
man armies east Of that river render a
serious Russian defense along the
BfaIystok- -Brest-Litovsk line virtually
impossible
The mysterious naval battle in the
gulf Of Riga was sJill in progress at
the time Of the latest report from Pet
r0grad which, however, gave no details
as to the magnitude of the action
Along the other fronts no important
changes are recorded, with the excep-
G0n Of the French admission OF inabil-
ity to hold the Lens-Arras cross roads
recently captured
The diplomatic problem in the near
east has been brought appreciably
nearer the solution by the formation of
Greek ministry under the premier
ship of NJ Venzel0s and the indications
that the uncomDromising attitude Of
/ the military faction in Serbia against
Bulgarias claims are being broken
down
AfGsr As hours Of unusual activity,
resulting in a heavy toll Of merchant
men s4raversing the naval var zone,
/ German submarines apparently have
beens withdrawn to their bases. Relief
( is expressed that the White Star liner
/ Bowie is safely in port It is now def
nitely established that only two Ameri-
cans. who we're passengers ou the
/ Arabic. are missing
Paris Reports RepuIsed.
Paris. aug. 2l. l2:30 p. mJ-Omcial:
Last night saw continued severe artiI-
. Ierv fighting in the Artois district, be
tween the Disc and Aisne; in the
Champagne district and in the Vosgas.
In the Argonue fighting with mines
continued at Courtes Chausees and at
St. Hubert. where we have occupied
and consolidated the crater made by a
mine explosion.
Two weak infantry attacks on the
part of the enemy, one at Frise Dur
Somme and the other in the forest of
Parroy. in Lorraine. were completely
repulsed by us.
Ossowetz Attacks Fail.
London. aug. 21.-A Reuter- dispatch
from PetrOgrad says;
"Ossowetz. where heavy German at
tacks have been repulsed, Is greatly
favored by typographical condition
which prevent the enemy from con
centrating an irresistible fire from any
direction Il is impossible TO post
guns on the swampy banks of the
Bobr which with its marshes has pro
tected the fortress from being storm
ed.
The s0-calIed isthmus between the
Niemen and Viliya. which was Occu-
pied by the Germans after the Rus
slams withdrawal from Koyno, is
three miles across. Consequently the
town Of Viiiya is threatened and the
inhabitants are leaving. The removal
of the church bells, after they were
sprinkled with holy water by the
priests. was watched by bareheaded
and silent throngs.
Near Keydany, in the government
Of Kovno a German shell fell among
a procession Of refugees. causing many
casualties"