Fergus County Democrat., 1915-10-21

CuI9dT'dnS waking otrdiSnt ACROSS
Country for Macedonia-Allies Have
Been in Action Near Graeco-Buloar.
ian Frontier.-ZeppeIins Shell Rus
sian Submarines in the Baltic.
LONDON, Oct. 2O.-10 p. m.) =
Battles south of Riga, where the Ger
mans have made some progress in
the new thrust at the Baltic province
port, and in Volhynia and Galicia,
where the Russians have gained
rather important victories, are now
competing in interest with the oper-
atiOns in the Balkans
The Germans have concentrated
very large forces with a great amount
of artillery south of Riga and as a
result stubborn battle has been in
progress for several days. Field Mar
shal Won Hindenburg, who is in com.
mand in this region, reported two
days ago that his forces had reached
the river Drina, but as on previous
occasions this broad and fast-running
waterway appears to have held him
up for the time being. The situation,
however, is considered by the Rus
slams to be more serious than it has
been for long time and there is
again talk Of the evacuation OF Riga
by the military forces, who have been
in sole occupation of the city since
the civilian population left month
ago.
At the other end of the eastern
front the position is just the reverse.
General lvanoff, who has proved h,m.
self to be the most aggressive o. the
Russian commanders, has been strik-
ing hard at the Austro-German forces
on the middle Styr and all along the
fringe of Galicia that is still in Rus
sian hands. At several places he has
driven his opponents back and there
is report tonight that the ALstrians
have evacuated Czarnowitz-a report
which finds some confirmation in an
Odessa dispatch declaring that the
Russians have abandoned their con.
templated evacuation of the north
ern districts of Bessarabia.
The progress OF events in Serbia is
surrounded by considerable mystery
The Austro-Germans and Buigaraus
are advancing all along the various
FONTS, but not with the speed antici-
pated. The Austro-Germans appar.
emily have spread their armies over a
wider front, as Berlin tonight reports
that they are advancing on Shabats,
which is a long distance west of
Belgrade; while for the Bulgarians
it is reported that they have captured
Sultana Tepe, southwest of Egri Pa
lanka, and that in advancing toward
Il Al,
Both of these places are east of
Uskup.
There is still some doubt as to
whether they have cut the railway
near Vranya, the Serbian government
denying the report that they have
done so. while other accounts say that
the Bulgarians reached the city, but
were driven back
The general opinion is that the
Germans in the first place aim at
the Serbian grain country, of which
Pozarevac, already reached by them,
is the center, while the Bulgarians
are making straight across the coun-
try for Macedonia, where they will
find part of the population friendly to
them.
The Anglo-French forces have been
in action near the Graeco-Bulgarian
frontier, but seemingly the battle was
not an important one, as no official
reports have been issued with re-
gard to it.
The Germans, according to the
British and French statements, at.
tempted offensive movements near
Hulluch and Rheims yesterday, but
again suffered severe reverses. On
the other hand, the Germans claim
success near Prunay in the Cham
payne district.
Mining operations have occupied
the attention of the Anglo-Frenc.
troops and the Turks in Gallipoli
while from Mesopotamia it is unoffi
cially reported that the British ale
within a few miles OF Bagdad.
Considerable importance is at
tached to the arrival at Odessa of {
military mission en- route from Ru
mania to Paris; it's object IS no
known, but it is thought here tina
such mission would hardly be under
taken unless Rumania contemplated
action on the side of the allies.
The Germans are now employing
their Zeppelins against the Britis'
and Russian submarines in the Bal
tic, where German ships have beei
suffering heavily during the past fort
night.
uLrlMAruM TO GREECE.