Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-09-23
RUSSIAN CITY Of
WILMA OCCUPIED
BY THE GERMANS
Won Hindcnburg Gains His OBJ
jectivc by the Capture Of
Great Industrial Center on
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Railway.
CARS FORCES IN DANGER
'Tcutons Have Succeeded in AL
most Surrounding Portion of
the Russian Army-Decisive
Battle Is Probably a Question
of a Few Days.
CARS FORCES IN DANCER

Berlin, Sept. i5 via London.-The Rus
sian city of wilma az which the armies
of Fled Marshal Won HindenburE have
been driving and which was stubbcrnly
deferGei until nearly surrounded by
hostile forces. has been occupied by the
Germans, it was officially announced by
Germany army headquarters to-day.
Eastern theatre of war: Army group
of Field Marshal Won Hndenburg. The
extensive attack by General Won Eich-
horn against Wilma has been crowned with
complete success Our left wing has
reached Molodechno Smorgon and Wor-
jany. Attempts by tho enemy to break
through our lines in the direction of
Mtschalschk with strong forces hurriedly
collected failed completely.
Because of the uninterrupted progress
Of our encrcling movement and
simultaneous strong attacks by the troops
Of Generals Won Scholz and Won Gallwitz
upon the enemys front, the forces OPP
posing us have been forced since yester-
day to retreat as quickly as possible
along the entire front, Inc strongly
fortified town of Wilma fell into our
hands. The enemy is being pursued along
the entire line.
Army group of Prince Leopold OF Ba-
varia: This army group is also occupied
in pursuing the rotreating army and has
reached the line running through Nierdo-
wicze, Derewnje and pobromyal Enemey
rearguards were defeated
western theatre of war: Southeast OF
Bray, on the Sommc. widespread ex-
plosion effected in and behind enemy posi-
nj Dnripu the ha II o
Immediately following. and which was
successful to us, the French suffered
sanguinary losses. a few prisoners we're
taken.
"Directly to the west Of the ArConnc
enemy divisions engaged in constructing
trenches We're dispersed by our artillery
with heavy losses to them.
ARTILLERY combats continue along a
large part of the front.
wilma, a city of some 10000 inhabi-
tants, on the WarsawPetrograd rail-
way line, has been the object of n Ger
man offensive movement for weeks past
in the course of the widespread opera
tions of Field Marshal Hindenburg on
the northern end of the extended battle
line in the east.
After the fall Of Kovno, to the north
west, and Grodno. to the southwest, no
fortress barrier remained before the
Germans moving on Wilma. but stubborn
defensive measures were taken by the
Russians to hold back the Teutonic ad-
vance, Wilma being the northern key
position on the important strategic rail-
way line running southeastward to Rovno
which the Russians are striving to re-
tain. 1t was on this line running
through Ida, that the defenders of
wilma had apparently their sole oppor-
tunity to retreat along railway routes
when the German offensive recently de-
veloped intensive force. the lines south
west of the city and those to the north
and the east having been cut.
The fall of wilma has been anticipated
for several days, the German encircling
movement having developed sufficiently
to mako it apparent that its abandon
ment was only a question Of time. Last
week retrograd dispatches stated that
wilma as we'll as Dvinsk, another OF
Field Marshal Won Hindenburgs objec-
tives had been emptied of stores and
abandoned by government and private
institutions. 1t was declared that neither
point was regarded as of further strate-
gic Importance. except as section
0 e"' io''' anu 'i'aI IL was
~ su' poS' ~ ''e N"SS'"h se"e'a al
IN, ''''" az az ''.''
ma l''' "e.' an ','po''ant i'iuus'r'a'
40 ."' must Vi re-
80 Wv" ."Ne'' io'es's anu
eSui''a'oS haft stated
nc nan '"e pop"'at'oh WAS
'"'S WIN o'''I a s'iln' Ha'Nc NUS
e'"' ''',',"'' !, 'e''7 -'e nome OIL nu-
",urouS ,"''"'''""S anu ''o'es as Well
~ VI, '"P'n'c VI INA ''e Nei''hi's
~ '"o'I ''''' ''e way '''o'e easily
Hpe,i,r ~ ~, '"sh' ''' e''''e runway '''''
Ne ''' az" 70 '''' .''S "o"
III '''e'' """c9'
London, sept. 49, $50 p m.-Thc Ger
mans have occupied wilma and by vide
sweeping movement to the north or THAI
city nave succeeded IN almost II not en-
ureiS surrounding portion OF the Eual
san AIRY "A'c" ~ 'shtlhr IN the rail-
wa Viohs'e between NlIha' L'oa ana
Nheiha'