Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-07
THE WAR TODAY

A German retreat all along the
line of the front in Russia from
Riga to VOIhynia is reported to-
day.
Unofficial news to this effect
comes from PetrOgrad through
Rome. 1t declares that a triple de-
feat for the Germans in the Riga,
kOIki and BaranOyinchi sectors
caused them to begin a movement
of their whole front westward.
. .Petraersdz had &c cent
nounced successes in regions men
toned in the Rome advices. The
last report from the vicinity of
KOIki in the crucial YOIhynia sec
tor. recorded the capture by the
Russians of more than $500 priS-
oners. half a dozen cannon and 23
machine guns
A great battle is raging along
virtually the entire front of the
British offensive in northern
France.
At daybreak the British launch
ed a new drive east OF Albert. I'M
pOrtant tactical successes we're
gained in several sectors, London
announces.
The Germans simultaneously at
tackled in force near the river An
ere and north of FricOurt. They
succeeded in temporarily occupy
ing two or three hundred yards of
ground lost i'm the earlier British
drives.
The chief advantages gained by
the British were in the vicinity of
OvilIers, Contamination and La
BOisselle. Near the last named
place in an engagement last night
a German trench more than half
mile in length was captured.
Meanwhile the French, both
north and south of the Somme in
the field of the great allied OffenS-
i've. are resting on the ground
won in their notable advances of
the last week.
There is a complete lull in the
fighting about Nerdun so far as
the infantry is concerned but artll-
Iery actions on the right bank OF
the MeuSe. north of the citadel are
still violent.
Both French and British are
consolidating their positions and
making preparations to renew the
great bOmbardmeDt which preced-
ed the first rush at the battle OF
the SOmme. In the beginning the
Germans concentrated their forces
against the British, apparently
considering operations OF the
French to the south as OF small
Significance. But the rapid French
advance, together with the import
anee of the objective for which
they are aiming. has changed the
German view and has caused the
German commanders TO strength
en- their defenses and forces along
the line guarding PerOnne and
other important strategic points
No advances on either side are
reported around Nerdun, although
heavy bombardment is kept up
The tremendous proportions OF
the Russian drive against the AUS
TRANS and Germans during the
last month are shown by an unOfsl-
ciaI statement from PetrOgrad
which saws the losses of the leu
tonic allies total nearly hall a
million men. about half OF whom
are prisoners. About $50 guns and
zoo machine guns, in addition TO
immense quantities of war stores
have fallen into Russian hands.
The Austrians admit serious de-
feat west of KOlomea, where they
were driven back five miles.
The Russian war office annOun-
ces the capture of 10000 prisoners
Yesterday. 5000 in a battle on the
Dniester and 5000 on other sec
fions of the Russian front
The Germans admit the with
drawaI of General Won Bothmer's
army in the TarnOpOl region be-
fore the Russian attacks. They
copcede also an advance by the
British south of ThiepFal In the
western zone.