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Show VILM A IS TAKEN 8Y FORGES Portion of the Russian Army Almost Entirely Surrounded by Von Hindenburg, Whose Wide-sweeping Movement Move-ment Has Been Successful. Suc-cessful. TRAP AGAIN SET FOR MUSCOVITES Czar's Soldiers More Successful at Southern End of the Line, Where General Ivanoff Is Holding Von Mack en-sen en-sen in Check. BERLIN. Sept. 19, via London, 4 p. m. The Russian city of Vilna, at w-faich the armies of Field. Marshal Mar-shal von Hindenburg nad been driving, driv-ing, and winch was stubbornly defended de-fended until nearly surrounded by hostile forces, has been occupied by the Germans, it was officially announced by German army headquarters head-quarters today. LONDON, .Sept- 19, :40 p. ra. The Germans hare occupied Vilna and, by a wide sweeping movement to the north of that city, have succeeded in almost entirely surrounding a portion of the Russian army, which is fighting in the railway triangle between Vilna, Lida and Vileika. At any rate, the Russian forces in this district either must fight their way out eastward or retire in a southeasterly southeast-erly direction, for tlie only railway left entirely iD tbeir hands is that which runs from Vilna to Lida. and thence to Baranovitchi. Trying to Trap Army. The army of Field Marshal von Hindenburg, Hin-denburg, which took Vilna and has reached-Vileika, to the east of Vilna, is working in close co-operation with that of Archduke Leopold of Bavaria in an effort to catch a part of the .Russian army, an operation which has been so often tried without success since the Austro-Germans commenced their drive in western Galicia in early May. The Russians express confidence In the outcome of tbe battle, but with theJr northern armies held closely along ths Dvlna and the German flank well pro- tected by their cavalry, which recently occupied Wids . across the Vllna-Petro-grad rnllway. it seems impossible that any aid can come to them from that direction. di-rection. Must Fight It Out. The battle seemingly must be fought out between the troops now In the district dis-trict between Vilna, Lida and Slonlm, with the assistance of any reinforcements tlist can be spared to hold the German force which has reached Vileika, At the southern end of the line General Gen-eral Ivanoff still Is keeping Field Marshal Mar-shal von MacKensen at arm's length from the fortress of Rovno, the key to the route to Kiev, and In counter-attacks lias retaken a number of villages, both in Volhynia ami Galtcla. It seems a pparen t from the i na bil 1 1 y of the Austro-Germans to hold their positions po-sitions in the southern area that they have sent reinforcements from that front to Field Marshal von Hindentmrg's northern north-ern army, which, as heretofore. Is expected ex-pected to score the biggest success. Berlin Report. The following brief statement was Issued Is-sued by the German war office tonight: The extensive attack by General von Fyr.chorn against Vilna has been crowned with complete success. Our left wing has reached Molodechno. Pmorgon and Worjany. Attempts by the enemy to break through our lines In the direction of Mlschalischk with strong forces, hurriedly collected, failed completely. Because of the uninterrupted un-interrupted progress of otir encircling movement and simultaneous strong attacks by t He soldiers of GeneraJs von Scholz and von Gall wits, upon ths enemy's front, the force. opposing us have been forced since yesterday to (Continued on Page 3 Sport Section.) Ifll IS Till B! THE GERMAN FORCES (Continued from Pfcge one.) K'treiti ah quldkh tiM poHsihl u)itiit tlic entire. frint. Th.' Hirormly furl (fled town of Vil-iKi Vil-iKi rvii linn uiii ii.m.iM. The enetny is I'i'liiK pursued along tlin inlli'i; Iiiik. |