Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-26
RUSSIANS DRIVE
BACK AUSTR|ANS
Cars Forces Directing
Chief Attack Against
Southern Foe.
IMPORTANT POINTS
TAKEN BY STORM
Floating Mines Declared to Have Saved
DardanelIss in Battle Of March 1s-
Damaged Ships Being Repaired
Mine swespers Said to BE Making
Progrsss-HoIIand Excited Because
Of Sinking Of Ship by Germans.

London, March 26.-As has been pre-
dicted by military observers since the
fall of Przemysl. Russia is now direct
ing her chief offensive against the
Austrian front in the Carpathians.
North of the Niemen and the Vtstula
rivers the Russians are making little
effort to advance, evidently being con-
tent to hold Field Marshal Won Hin
denberg in check. But in the Car
pathians desperate fighting continues
Unofficial reports from Bucharest
credit the Russians with a great VIC
tory atuzuok, while the Russian CAPT
tai claims successes in the Lupka pass.
There the Russians took important po-
sitions by storm.
The Russians also are credited with
further successes in Bukowina. Austria
admits the Importance of the Russian
offensive in the Carpathians.
Austro- Italian Break.
It is freely rumored that the mission
at Rome of Prince Won Buelow. the
German ambassador. has failed so COM
pletely that all negotiations between
Austria and Italy have been suspended.
Roumania Is said to be contemplat-
ing immediate action on the side of the
allies. ~
The, sinking Of the Netherlands
steamer Media by German submarine
has caused much excitement In Hol-
land. Various report represent the
allied fleet as again entering the Dar-
idanelles, but insomuch as official con-
firmation is lacking it is believed the
movements of the allied warships have
been limited to an effort to cover the
operations Of mine sweepers.
Floating Mines Favor Turks.
British naval officers who participat-
ed in the operations last week in the
Dardanelles, cables the correspondent
at Athens of Reuters, express the be-
lief that but for floating mines the
straits would have been forced on
March 18.
It is the opinion of certain British
officers, the correspondent goes on, that
the forts themselves would not be able
to bar the passage Of the straits. Fur
thermore, the mine fields have, been
considerably weakened, many being
cast adrift by storms.
Damaged Ships Being Repaired.
The French battleship Gaulois and
the British battle cruiser Inflexible,
damaged in the recent actions, have
been towed to we'll sheltered bays,
where they are effecting repairs. There
is good reason to believe, in the opinion
of these officers, that some of the Turk
ish forts have been destroyed.
Residents have been forced to quit
the town of Dardanelles, otherwise
known as Chalek, and the town has
been looted by the Turks. The coal
shortage in the Turkish capital is acute.
Many factories are closed and the
power stations of the street car service
have been obliged to shut down.
Mine sweepers Make Progress.
The British battleships Agamenon
and Queen Elizabeth and the cruiser
Cornwall entered the straits March "a,
to protect mine sweepers. At, 10 o'clock
Turkish artillery at Erankui fired five
shells, and the forts at Killid Behr also
fired. The British vessel replied with
twenty rounds. To this the Turks
made no reply. The mine sweepers
continue the work thruout the night
and with very satisfactory results.