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Show FRENCH ATTACK ON OTMANFORCES I IN CHAMPAGNE DISTRICT COLLAPSE I Enemy Holds Positions North of Les Mesnil in Face of Stronz H Assault A ong 1000-Yard Front Russians Have Con- sohdated New Positions and Forced Austro-Germans to Remove Supplies from Bases Prepared1 for H Advance in Spring Campaign Turks Re- port Annihilation of Allied Troops H Left at Gallipoli. M Berlin, Jan. 12, via London, The collapse of a French attack on German Ger-man positions north of Lcs Mesnil In tho Champagne along the front cf about 1,000 yards was nnounced by the war office today. London, Jan. 12. The official French report of this afternoon, received re-ceived here by wireless, follows: "There were no events of importance import-ance last night 'except in the region between the Meuse and ihe Argonne where our batteries dispersed groups of enemy sappers." Constantinople War Report. Constantinople, Jan. 11, via London, Jan. 12, 7:20 a. m. The following official of-ficial statement was issued tonight by the Turkish war office: 'On Monday evening, debris, booty and a number of dead bodies, but not a single soldier of the enemy, remained remain-ed at Seddul Bahr. In the course of our pursuit, the remainder of the enemy en-emy who refused to surrender and fled in the direction of the landing places, were annihilated. On the left wing in the sector of Kereves Derc, we discovered a great quantity of automatic mines, ninety of which were destroyed by our engineers In a small space. "Irak front: On the night of January' Janu-ary' 6, the enemy, who had been surrounded sur-rounded In Kut-el-Amara, attempted at many points to make sorties after a vigorous bombardment. These were repulsed with losses. "On Januarjr S there was a heavy artillery ar-tillery battle in the Black sea for half an hour between the Turkish battle cruiser Sultan Selim (formerly the German cruiser Goeben) and the Russian Rus-sian battleship Empress Maria. The engagement was at long range. The Sultan Selim was not damaged, while a hit was observed on the Empress Maria." I French Order to Troops. Paris, Jan. 11, 5:05 p. m. General Sarrail, commander of the French army in the east, has issued a new order to his troops, from which the Saloniki correspondent of the Temps quotes the following, as the most important im-portant passage: "I repeat again You must all, both officers and men, observe toward the officers of the Greek army of rank superior to your own the authorized rules of deference and the outward marks of respect. You will be good enough to entertain relations of friendliest friend-liest comradeship with the military men of your own rank." , British Have Information. Washington, Jan. 12. American Consul Kemp at Marseilles cabled to-day to-day that the crew of the Persia had reached there and said because they had given affidavits to the British authorities au-thorities at Alexandria, Egypt, they refused to give him any statements. The state department will call on the British government 'for the information infor-mation they contain. Review of War Situation. London, Jan. 12 The announcement announce-ment of the occupation of Mount Lov-cen, Lov-cen, in Montenegro, though it is not confirmed from entente sources, is generally accepted here as true. Uneasiness which is freely expressed ex-pressed in Italy, is reflected in the English and French newspapers. The loss of Lovcen. from the point of view of the allies is serious owing to the fact that its summit dominates Cat-laro Cat-laro bay, the Austrian naval base. Before Be-fore Italy entered the war the French had established a number of guns on the mountain and had prepared emplacements em-placements for heavy guns which could have swept tho bay" Austria, by seizing seiz-ing it, forestalls this danger and is in a commanding position with regard to Cettlnje, the capital of Montenegro, which is a little over six miles distant, although mountains intervene. Austrians Steadily Advancing. The Austrian advance, considering the distance to be covered, was much slower than that made In the Teutonic conquest of Serbia, but in consideration considera-tion of formidable obstacles which tho mountainous character of the country presents, it is conceded that the forces are making steady progress. The question is being, raised as to why the entente allies did not long ago send aid to tho Montenegrins and in particular why Italy, which Is more acutely affected by this Austrian invasion, in-vasion, had not taken preventive measures. meas-ures. Tho Austrians are noy only ten miles from the capital of Montenegro, calculating the distance over tho existing ex-isting roads, and a successful blow at the heart of tho country may hayo tho effect. It is said by military critics, of isolating the troops who are defending tne nortneastern rronuer. Germans Have Advantage. In Champagne the Germans hold a slight gain made as a result. of the determined offensive of last Saturday and Sunday. The French military authorities au-thorities say that tho Gorman forces which delivered the attack lost heavily heavi-ly as there were three divisions and those advanced in the face of the French artillery fire, which took a terrible ter-rible toll. Russians Are Successful. From the eastern front it is reported report-ed that a comparative lull at present prevails. Special dispatches affirm that the Russians have been so suc-j cessful In consolidating their new J positions that 'tho Austro-Germans have begun, to remove BuppHes from J the bases which they had established H in preparation -for the advance which they intended to make in the coming H spring. IH The British forces under General jH Townshend have made several sorties H from Kut-el-Amara, on the Tigris, IH each being repulsed with losses, ac- H cording to tho current statement bv H the Turkish war office. The officia'l H communication says this force Is sur- H rounded. H It was announced, in London yester- fl day that the British relief force com- H ing up the Tigris was at a standstill fH more than twenty mlleB down the, riv- M er. The Turkish unofficial advices H have claimed the defeat of this force H with heavy loBses. The British de- H clare they have the better of the sit- H uation and that tho halt of General IH Aylmer's relief column is because of IH weather conditions and the necessity H of removing their wounded by river. M Long Range Naval Battle. H A long range naval battle in the H Black sea between the Turkish war- H ship Sultan Selim, formerly the Ger- H man cruiser Goeben, and the Russian H battleship Empress Maria is reported H by Constantinople. The latter was H hit by the Turkish vessel's fire, but H the Sultan Selim was undamaged, it M is declared. Constantinople clalmB that considerable losses were suffered M by the entente forces in their evacua- H tion of the tip of the Gallipoli penin- H sula. Parties of the retreating troops IH were wiped out, the Turkish state- IH ment asserts. M The German offensive in the Cham- H pagne on Sunday was preceded by a M twenty-four hour bombardment, one of the heaviest the Germans have yet de- veloped against the French lines, a IH Paris dispatch states. A prompt coun- ter attack gave the Germans no time IH to organize the positions they carried and negatived their effort, the dis- IH London, Jan. 12, 3.10 a. m. The l Times, in an editorial this morning, H dealing with the position of the British H forces in Mesopotamia and the chang- H es of control in Egypt and the middle IH east, desires the government to define H the ultimate object of the British ad- H vance in Mesopotamia. It says that H no conceivable military object can iH be gained by exposing the British for- H ces In an . advance beyond Kut-ei- H Amara and that it is highly important H that the government should decide H upon a clear policy for future oper- IH ations in these regions and place them H under command of one strong mau. H Berlin, Jan. 12, via London. 3 p. m. H An ammunition depot in the south- H ern section of Lille, northern France, H has been blown up. An official an- H nouncement says that seventy persons H were killed and forty injured. Con- H siderable damage to property was H |
