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Show KOVND ATTACKS .hue cum, ClAIMSSIA Official Statement Published Pub-lished in Petrograd Says Efforts of Invaders Have Been Frustrated. VON HINDENBURG IS . IN CHARGE OF ARMY German Hero Is Given Command of Attempts to Reduce Important Russian Rus-sian Fortress. LONDON, Aug. 13, 50:20 p. m. Von Hindenburg, personally, has taken command com-mand of the Austro-German forces attacking at-tacking Kovdo, and, according to the German official report, has made further fur-ther progress in the fighting against J;he Russians in that region. The selectiou of Germany's national hero for the duty of capturing the fortress fort-ress of Kovno, which stands between the Germans and Vilna and the Warsaw-Pet rogra d rai I way, is tair en as an indication of the importance which the German general staff attaches to this operation. Engagement Is On. News that the civilians had commenced com-menced to evacuate Kovno, as well as Vilna, led to the belief in many quarters quar-ters that the Russians may have decided to give them up, but in the latest official of-ficial report from Petrograd it e claimed that the Russians have repulsed the German attacks except at one point, where a desperate artillery engagement is in progress. -. - Further north, between Poniewesch and Dvinsk, where General von Buelow a week ago was advancing rapidly toward to-ward the railway, the Germans apparently apparent-ly have suffered a setback, for the Russians Rus-sians now speak of pressing them and declare they have reoccupied tne town of Toviny," which is considerably west of the point to which the Germans had penetrated. Advance Is Slow. South of Riga also, the Germans are said to be doing little more than holding hold-ing their own, bo that the talked-of advance ad-vance toward Petrograd seems to be developing very slowly. On the other hand, the Germans continue con-tinue to drive in the Russians to the northeast and east of Warsaw, and, with the capture of Siedlio, are within a short distance of the Bug river, one of the main supports of the Brest-Litovsk line. It was believed the Russians originally orig-inally intended to hold this line. Field Marshal von Mackensen, who commands t the Germans in the southeast, between the Yieprz and the Bug, again ia reported re-ported to have been held up by a Russian Rus-sian counter-attack. The military critics disagree-as to the probable line on which Grand Duke Nicholas will elect to make his stand, but a majority of them consider it hardly likely that he will try to hold the Brest-Litovsk front. PRINCE CONTINUES EFFORT TO PIERCE THE FRENCH LINES DON DON, Aug. 33. The Gerraari crown prince continues his attempt to piorce the French line in the forest of the Argonne. He has had a few local successes, but the losses he has sustained sus-tained in the series of attacks are declared de-clared to have been very heavy. The Germans also have attacked in Artois, but without success, according to the French account. PARIS, Aug. 13, 10:18 p. m. The following official communication, was issued tonight: The day has been comparatively quiet. In the region of Xieuport a German Ger-man attempt haa been repelled by our fire. There is nothing to report along the rest of the front. DUMA TO INQUIRE INTO DEFICIENCY OF WAR SUPPLIES PETROGRAD, Aug. 12, via London, Aug. 13, 7:40 p. m. Details given the pTess of a secret, session of the duma i on August 10 showed that an inquiry was initiated to determine the responsibility respon-sibility for the deficiency in war supplies. sup-plies. The demand was made for an immediate imme-diate cessation of alleged irregularities , in tho manufacturing of war supplies and a correction of the shortage or ammunition. am-munition. Genera Polivanoff. the minister of war, declared that, for the purpose of an impartial inquiry into all that had taken place to bring the army into its difficult situation, there would be appointed ap-pointed a commission of inquiry, and an investigation would be set on foot. In its inquiry the commission would have the aid of both tho members of i (Continued on page Three.) RUSSIAN 5TII1EMEIIT MS III (Continued from Pago One.) the diima and the council of tho empire. em-pire. The duma applauded the resolution. It has been informed that the council of ministers will visit Grand Duke Nicholas at headquarters and lay before be-fore him the results of the duma 'a secret se-cret session. |