Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-09
Progress Registered on Prac-
ticaIIy the Full Length of
Sereth Line.
RUSSIANS ARE DRIVEN
ACROSS RIVER PUTNA
Capture of Fokshani Causes London
to View Situation With Degree
of Pessimism.

Field Marshal Won Mackensen's drive
| against the Sereth line in southern
Moldavia continues to gain ground and
| the Teutonic thrust against the Mol
! davian frontier mountains in the flank
| ing operation now under way is like
wise showing progress.
| Pushing northward from Fokshani.
| the fortress position captured yester-
day southwest of the Sereth and near
| the center of the line, Won Mackensen's
| troops have driven the Russians across
! the Putna and are now hammering at
a new position they have taken up
there. Petrograd today admits retirement
along the Putna.
| Further southeast, toward the Dan
ube the Russians are now beginning to
yield again. according TO Berlin. losing
| another town which the Austro-Ger-
| man forces held against counter at
| tacks delivered last night.
| Advance in Mountains.
| In the Moldavian mountains the ad-
| vance was chiefly in the kasino and
Suchitza valleys. The progress here is
| necessarily slow, because of the rug
| ged terrain and the strong defense Of
| fered by the Russians. The German
| report however, declares that every
| day new gains are being scored and
| maintained despite all difficulties.
! Petrograd today declares latest attacks
on the Moldavian frontier have been re-
pulsed.
| their defense is the superior commun1-
hind the advancing Teutons the rail-
! way lines have thinner out, but in the
rear Of the Russian positions lies
network of roads over which men ana
| supplies may be brought to the front
! These are fed both from Kishinev on
| the east and Czernowitz on the north,
| and an important lateral line, running
| through Tecutchiu, northeast OF FOX
shani northwestward through Pantzin
to Ocna, virtually parallels the present
front.
Teutonic armies in the operations OF
yesterday and the previous day is now
reported by Berlin as approximately
| $500. together with three cannon and
ten machine guns.
Desperate Fighting.
BERLIN. January 9. by wireless to
SayvilIe, N. Y.-Desperate fighting in
the valleys leading into the interior OF
northern Rumania is reported in to-
DAVIS war Office communication. Not
withstanding determined Russian re-
sistance the Teutonic troops stormed
defenses on both sides of the kasino
and Suchitza valleys. Field Marsha!
Won Mackensen's troops have captured
the Rumanian town of Galreaska and
taken more than 5.400 prisoners The
Front of Archduke Joseph-The en-
emy is tenaciously defending the val
leys leading from the Bereczk noun
tains into the Moldavian plain.
Of weather
the most difficult terrain in the rugged
wooded mountains. our troops are
pushing back the enemy every day, step
by step. Again yesterday, on both sides
of the Kasino and SuchitZa valleys. po-
sitions strongly constructed and with
barbed wire defenses were taken by
storm and in nd-to-hand fighting
and maintained despite desperate coun-
ter attacks.
Push Farther to North.
army group of Field Marshal Won
Mackensen-Taking advantage of their
victory, the German and Austro-Hun-
rarian troops advanced farther to the
north. defeated hostile rearguards and
reached the Putna sector, where the
enemy holds the opposite bank in a
new position
on both sides of Fundeni. the Rus
slams were driven into the Crangeni-
by storm in to-hand fighting and
maintained against nocturnal attacks.
The booty and prisoners reported
taken Yesterday have reached a total
of ninety nine officers, 5.400 men. three
cannon and ten machine guns.
The statement reports that nothing
of moment has occurred the Mace
donian front.
Russ Report Foes Repulse.
PETROGRAn January 9.-The war
office communication issued yesterday
dealing with the campaign in Rumania
reports the repulse of a Teuton allied
attack northwest of Fokshani, in which
the invaders left a large number of
dead and wounded the field. At
tacks along the Sereth were also re-
pulsed. The statement says:
.Rumanian front-After strong artil-
lery preparation the enemy in the
morning assumed the offensive in the
region of Petzesch. northwest of Fox
shani and pressed back the Rumanians
Further movements by the enemy how
ever were stopped by the arrival of
our reserves
"The enemy in close formation took
the offensive on sectors of our position
in the region of Ponticheschi. north
heavy fire they fell back, leaving a
great number of killed or wounded
ENEMY attacks north of Oloueska
Irkota and at Ali, on the River Seretb
eight versts east Of the mouth of the
Ruzeu, were also completely unsuc-
cessful'
Situation Deemed Graver.
LONDON, January 9.-The capture ,f
Eokshani. the western bastion of ~.
| fortified Sereth line. by the Teutonic
| ,u;es is commented upon here as ron
deriug grayer the situation of p,
mania. The fact that the capture =,
,he town was not mentioned in ~,
| t,test Russian official commupica.i ne
10 regarded as probably being exniai,,
ahie by the Russian communicates
being OF an earlier date than tbat oH ~
,he German war office. VI
The concensus of opinion Is that ,h
, loss of Fokshani is serious menan
! to THE whole Sereth position IT,
/ Times today goes as far as to saw.
| "It means that the Sereth lines ar.
| turned and that our allies must rn,',
| fail back once more. There is no sigm
of slackening In the enemy's deterne;a
| nation. and it may well be- as our cor
respondent at Jassy. the new Rumanian
! 1Contlnued on Fourteenth Page.)