The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-15
Servians Defeated and Are Forced to Retreat, Says a Havas Dispatch
 From Nish
TWO BIG BATTLES ON EAST FRONTIER
 ARE IN PROGRESS
Germans Claim Successes Against Russians, While Austrians ReOccu-
 py BukOwina

Paris, February I4.-t5.4O D. m)-A Havas telegram from Nish says the following statement was given out by the servian government today,
 "Yestcrday large numbers of Aiban- fans broke through our lines. crossing rend. Before superior forces of the enemy our troops as well as the m"- nicipnl authorities were forced to re- treat.
 "The Albanians continue to advance in the direction of zapod, Topoliana and Glavotchnitz
 .'The enemy cut telephone and tele- graph communications
 London, February 14.--t5 ?. m)-A large force of Albanians has crossed the Servian frontier into the depart ment of Prisrend, forcing the Servian troops and local authorities to with draw, according to a Reuter- dispatch from Nish. servia The Albanians the message adds, continue to advance. 
 London, February 14.--10:35 p. m) Two big battles, it Is believed, already haze begun or will begin soon on the Russian side of the East Prussia iron tier and on the River Sereth in Ruk- owipa. The Russians have withdrawn in East Prussia and in Bukowina lh the face of superior German and Aus train armies, to concentrate and come Into closes touch with their lins~ os l communication.
 The official reports make brief ref erence to the operations at these two extremes of the eastern front. but what they do say indicates that the Russians have reached the liles on which Grand Duke Nicholas has decided to give battle.
 The rest of the campaign in the east. even the fighting in the Carpathians, is overshadowed by these greater events, on the result of witch both sides are stalking much. Germans Claim Victory The Germans claim big victory in 1 East Prussia and the Austrians an- | nounce the Russian retirement in Bulk l OWina With elatlOn, put appdttHtiS Petrograd views these incidents with out misgiying.
 In the west there has been con tinuation of heavy artillery lombard | ments, in which Rheims again has suI- 1 fered, and several infantry attacks, in which both sides claim success | From unofficial sources comes the news that St. Mihiel, on the Mouse l which the Germans have held so long
 has come under fire of the French guns, which shows that the French
 either have advanced in this region oi l have brought up heavier guns in an ef- I fort to dislodge the Germans. At sea the weather has been such
 thae naval operations are out of the
 question. The English coast has been
 washed by tremendous seas for two
 Gays past and many ships have been
 wrecked and considerable damage has
 been done at several ports.
 good deal of interest is ta<en ir Z the coming weeks proceedings of tht
 British Parliament, for tomorrow j David Lloyd George chancellor of tho exchequer will make a statement ii r financial arrangements between Grea1
 Britain, France and Russia, and Win
 ston Spencer Churchill, first lord ol
 the admiralty, will review the rava
 situation.
 Later in the week debate will bt
 continued on the increased cost Of the
 necessaries of life. in connection witf
 which a number of meetings hei,
 throughout the country Saturday anf
 Sunday have urged the government tt
 take steps to control food supplies aEt
 the means for their distribution.