The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-01-16
ReaSOnf for Attack ON
Scissors.
.TEUTONS MAKE SOME
GAINS IN VICINITY
French Defenders Forced Back
Across the AiSne River.

London, Jan. 1.-THE violent German
attack to the north of Scissors under
General Won Kluck which, with a food
stage of the river. has forced the
French back across the Aisne is the
most striking news of the last twenty
four hours from the seat OF war The
Germans have been gaining in this
locality for several days, but they
have not recovered all of the ground
lost by them. The engagement north
OF scissors is the first notable fight
ing in the vicinity since last Septem-
ber, when the British army. which
subsequently, was transferred % Bel.
/ gium, crossed the Aisne river.
Snow in the Vosges mountains and
foods in Flanders stl prevent any
| extensive operations on the eastern
and western wings of the allies. and
to British observers it appears as
though the scissors district has been
selected for the point where, with re
| Inducements and first line troops, the
/ Germans are planning once more an
attempt to hammer their way through
to Paris by tactics so familiar during
| the autumn. On the other hand some
war experts argue that the operations
at scissors may have been undertaken
to compel the allies to lessen pressure
| in Alsace scissors is less than sixty
| miles from Paris.
British Success Indicated.
The British claim to have won a
| marked success several days ago near
La Bassee, when they drove the Ger
l mans from strongly entrenched posi-
tions. gaining one mile in distance
and inficting severe losses on their
Antagonist The French Official state
| ment reports progress near Lom-
baertzyde and Becelaere. which are
northwest Of the River Lys. and tells
| OF an attack by Zouaves north OF Ar
| ras, which resulted in the capture of
German positions near the road lead
| ing from Arras to Lille Arras is di-
| rectly south of La Bassee.
In the same region, at Targette and
st. Laurent, as well as in the region
of Rove, the French statement says
| the allies batteries won an advantage
| over the Germans Roye also is about
| sixty miles from Paris.
The latest French statement admits
that the Germans succeeded i'm oecu.
pying the village northeast Of Sois-
| sons, but says they were driven out
again by French counter attack
Violent artillery engagements took
place in the region of Craonne and
near Rheims, but the French claim
the advantage. Quiet is reported in
the region OF Perthes, the scene OF re
cent heavy fighting, in the Argonne
and on the heights of the Meuse.
Claim Gains at Mawa.
In the eastern theater OF the wal
Petrograd is confident the German Of
fensiye movement in Poland has spent
it's force and the war office announces
that the Russians have made gains
north of the Vistula river in the re
gion of Mlawa General Won Hinden
burg's troops are now occupying
strongly entrenched positions, how
ever, and there is no indication that
they are threatened seriously by the
Russian attacks.
Italy has been momentarily dis
tracted from thoughts of war by the
devastating earthquake. The asser
ton still is being made in London
however, that the allies confidently
expect Italy to join them in due
course.
The Turkish forces which penetrat
ed Persia, occupying Tabriz, are nov
advancing into the interior Russia
explains its evacuation OF Tabriz as
due to strategic regions, which neces
stated recouping its troops. A dis
patch from Teheran says the Turkish
ambassador there has notified the
Persian government that the porte is
READY to evacuate the province oi
Azerbaijan as soon as the Russians
definitely move out OF this territory
and after the heir to the Persian
throne reaches TabriZ to assume con
troll The dispatch adds that the heir
to the throne is to leave Teheran fol
Tabriz In few days.