The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-17
German Successes in West Works Little Change in the General Military Sit uatiOn
NEW OFFENSIVE
 AGAINST ALLIES
 THOUGHT LIKELY
Severe Fighting Continues in Poland With Germans on the Offensive-LittIe Headway Made

Berlin, January 16.-The Turkish official statement issued in Con- stantinople today announces that the French submarine Saphir, while try ing to enter the Dardanelles. was sunk by Turkish artillery. Part of the sub- marines crew was rescued.
 The Saphir displaced 3s8 tons and carried about 21 men. She was i5< feet long, 12.s beam. was fitted with six torpedo tubes and was capable or travelling IF knots on the surface and eight knots submerged. she was built at Toulon in iDOS.
 London, January i6.-(-0:s5 p. m)-Of- ficial reports disclose no new developments as result of the German success on re- gaining lost ground north of Soissons and the Russian advance between the East Prusslan front and the vistula river The French, who are strongly en- trenched along the Aisne river on either side of Soissons. with the assistance of the floods. apparently have checked any further German advance. and big guns have taken the place of rifles and bay onets in the fighting In that region. In fact. tilery continues to play the lead ing role. although here and there along tho line attacks and counter-attaclss have been made
 Recapture Trenches The Germans in one of these recaptured some trenches near Carcnoy. but their att ta .ire als mi. south of Thiaucourt. where they have been most violent, have not been SO success ful. The Germans have displayed much ac- tivity in their effort to recover ground they lost during the allies offensive un- dertakins late In December Their efforts are interpreted in some quarters as an attempt to resume a general offensive. With the ground soft, military men in London do not believe the Germans will make any such effort, but as success may depend to a large extent on a surprise. they may attempt the unexpected. In Poland. North and South. fighting consists largely of artillery engagements, but here, too, the Germans continue to attack the Russian armies which block the road to Warsaw. apparently without mak- ing headway.
 Has Another Army
 Unless Field Marshal Von Hindenburg has another army to meet the Russians. who have advanced almost to the German frontier on the right bank of the lower V;stula. this hammering soon must cease. for with the freezing of the river, it would be possible for the Russians to cross and attack the Germans on the flank and rear
 The Austrians. like their allfes. have brought forward heavy artillery and are tryinS to stop the Russian army, which, if 1t gets across the Dunajec river again, will threaten Cracow. The Russians havs mounted guns on the crests of the Car pathians to ward off tho Austro-G German forces reported to have been organized to protect Hungary from invasion. while In Bukowina they are concentrating for an advance into Pennsylvania. Thus any Austro- German army which sadvances in Hungary will be open to attack from both north and east.
 The Turks are reported to have met further disaster at the hands of the Russians.
 The eleventh army corps sent Iron Erzerum to help the broken tenth Fur kish corps. which was making . stand at Kara Urgan. according to Petro- grad advices. has met with a dofeat which some correspondents describe d irretrievable. Should this reverse prove as serious as reported the Turkish po- sition would be extremely serious. for the Russian fleet can prevent rein f3rcements being sent from Euroos. having already sunk eight sailing yes sells carrying troops.
 Enver Pasha. the Turkish war nsi-,
 tConti.ued en Pass Ts~,