Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-04
GERMANS DEFEAT
POLESN BATTLES
TeutOns Win Two Vic
tories-Polish delegates"
Call Off Invasion
REDS ARRIVE AT WILMA

Copenhagen, Jan. 4-German troops
defeated Polish invading forces In
battles at Iissa and Nakel, a Berlin
dispatch reported today. The Germans
superiority in artillery gave them the
victory. uissa is forty-two miles SOUTH
west OF the city Of Posen. Nakel is sixty
miles northeast of Posen.)
The dispatch stated that Prussian
Minister Ernst had conferred with some
Polish delegates and that the latter had
agreed that no attempt would be made
to sever the province of Posen from
Prussia before tho matter could be
taken up at the Peace Conference. "
is not known whether these delegates
had sufficient authority to effect an un-
derstanding by which the Polish inva-
sion would be called off.
Ernst Is said to have admitted after
the conference that the eastern portion
Of Posen Is In the hands of Poles.
Copenhagen, Jan. 4-(By A. PA
peoples council to combat the Polish
danger has been established at Danzig,
and a militia force will be recruited,
according to reports from Berlin. In
southern Posen tho Poles have occupied
the frontier town OF Skalmierzves and
destroyed the fortress there. The Ger
man garrisons at Ostrovo and Kroto-
schin. west OF the frontier. are threat
ened seriously.
Warsaw. Jan 2.--(Delayed) )-(By A..
P.)-Bolshevist forces are reported in
the outskirts of Wilma and towns on the
railway between Mnsk and Brest-
Litovsk are said to have been occupied
by them. The Bolshevists are reported
to be burning buildings and robbing and
numbering peasants as they advance.
Throngs of refugees are arriving here by
railway carts and on foot. The bag
gage belonging to them has, in many
cases. been stolen en- route.
Locomotives and cars are being
brought westward from the path Of the
Bolshevist forces by the retiring Ger
mans.
The Russian Baltic port of Lbau. ac-
Cording TO reports received here. Is pro-
tected by one British cruiser. three de-
stroyers and one gunboat The British,
however have landed no forces. The
admiral commanding the squadron WIS.,
tied the Lithuanian committee at wilma
and promised to remain at Libau until
| the Gulf Of Riga had begun to freeze.
The retiring German soldiers are SELL
ing their arms through Soldiers Coun-
ellis to the peasants andthe Bolshevili,
according to Count Wankovicz.' a Lane
owner In the Government of Minsk, who
has arrived here with his family. Thu
German officers. he reports, are helping
themselves to the armored automobiles.
horses. wagons and other material. In
one instance thirty automobiles were
sold for sixty thousand rubles.
Countess OBrien de Lacey. who has
arrived in Warsaw from Baranovichi,
declares that existence in that region Is
| impossible for those of the well-to-do
classes. Private property no longer eN-
| lists.
Tie Countess told Of the murder of
! n family with which she was acquainted.
The only one of ten persons who es-
capped alive was the wife. The ropa
with which she was hanged broke and
she dropped to the floor where. while
feigning death. she saw her husband
and eight children butchered by the
peasants.
| Iondon, Jan. A. (By A. P)--The
| Russian wireless service reports a num-
ber Of military successes for the Red
| Guards. They have taken Novo Grodek
In the province of Minsk. while the
Ukrainian Reds have captured Homel.
The offensive movement Of the Boil
sheviki continues in the Reval and Riga
sectors, where they have occupied the
station OF Nosvenchany and also some
villages on the southern front and a
series of villages along the Ufa-Ster-
litamak highway.
The British Foreign Office denies that
British ultlmatum has been sent to
the German commander in the Baltic
region. as has been reported. II also
declares it has had no reports of the
landing Of large British forces In the
Baltic provinces.