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Show Alllies Prepare to Advance on the Rhine I RUSSIA THREATENS GERMAN LINES OF COMMUNICATION IN PRUSSIA : 'fl'hree-fold Assault on Germanic Allies Starts With Steamer-roller Steamer-roller Force in North, Center and South Trench Warfare War-fare Continues in Poland Russians Claim Germans Lose Heavily in Holding Positions and That Austrian Resistance in South Seems to Have Eentirely Broken Down Germans Continue Optimistic. AIRSHIPS PLAN ATTACK ON FINNISH ROAD Destruction of Road to Sweden Would Be Serious Blow to Russia Baltic Sea Route Made Impassable by Mines and Ice Cuts of Egress by Way of Archangel Sharp Fighting Reported South of Metz and Interesting Interest-ing Developments Expected British Will Join in Advance on the Rhine Ixmdon, Jan. 21. 12 noon. Russia's three-fold assault on the Germanic allies al-lies has, In the opinion of British observers ob-servers of the war, resumed its steam xoller characteristics alike in the north, the center and the south. In the north the advance into East Prussia is reported as threatening the (German lines of communication, and 3n Poland the trench warfare con-' con-' rtinues with small results for either fcide, but the Russians confidently (dwell on what they call large German -losses In efforts to hold present positions. posi-tions. In the south the Russians declare (that the Austrian resistance seems to Jha?e been broken down entirely, and fbat Transylvania lies open to them. Reports of Rumania's long awaited '- entrance Into the fight continue to circulate; one rumor today has it, l however, that Rumania will not immediately imme-diately declare war. but that she will Dj t. throw troops into Transylvania, which , 0 is Hungarian territory, for the pur-1 pur-1 i pose of protecting Rumanian nation- ; ' aTs. " Germans Are Optimistic. Meanwhile German official utter, ances continue optimistic. The communications com-munications given out every day say that the situation in the eastern theatre the-atre of the war remains unchanged. Certain serai-official summaries of enents received in London by wireless wire-less telegraphy from Berlin are somewhat some-what more communicative. Such a message received recently says the Russians have had some successes in Which their losses were heavy and that the Turks have been operating successfully in the Caucasus aud are now marching on Egypt. Telegrams reaching here from Berlin Ber-lin record the arrival there of Archduke Arch-duke ( harles Francis, the Austrian crown prince and Dr. Von Bethman-Hcllweg. Bethman-Hcllweg. the German imperial chancellor, chan-cellor, who are to be joined shortly ! by Baron Burian, the new Austro-Hungarlan Austro-Hungarlan minister of foreign affairs, presumably for a conference regarding regard-ing a plan of campaign against Russia, Rus-sia, as well as the adoption of suitable suit-able measures against the prospective prospec-tive entrance into the war of Italy and Rumania. Recent dispatches from Sweden indicate in-dicate that a German airship attack on the new Finnish railroad between Sweden and Russia is coming to be expected. This is the line that runs around the northern end of the Gulf of Bothnia Its destruction would be a serious blow to Russia, as the only other routes of communication between be-tween Russia and her allies are by way of the Baltic sea. or through Archangel on the north The former route has been made Impassable by mlnes. and the latter is likely to be cut off any day by ice. In the western arena of the- war the activity has been generally confined to arttllerv exchanges, except to the south of Metz. where sharp fighting promises interesting developments. German Capture Trenches. Hcrlin, Jan. 21. by wireless to London. 3 05 p. m Although spirited A lighting 1b In progress along the western west-ern battle front the official statement Irom the Gorman war office today phows that these engagements are -if merelY a local character. The French made repeated attacks near Arras and south of St. Mlhiel, but were repulsed. The Germans captured cap-tured trenches near Berryau-Bac and Tont-a-Mouason. but. lost ground in fche neighborhood of Notre Dame de ILorette. A defeat of the Russians a a small engagement in East Prussia Prus-sia also is anaounced. P German Offlolal News. The following official statement was issued at the war office today 0 "Iu the western theatres of war only artillery duels took place yesterday yester-day between the coast and the Lys trenches at Notre Dame de Lorette, I which we occupied day before yesterday, yester-day, were lost again today. ! "Northeast of Arras the Frenc h re peatedly attacked both sides of the J high road from Arras to Lille, but were repulsed. Southwest of Berry-! Berry-! Au-Bac we took two trenches from the French and kept them notwithstanding notwith-standing their fierce counter attacks, ; French Attacks Repulsed. "French attacks on our positions V. kouUi of St. Mthiel were repulsed Northwest or Pont-n-Mousson we succeeded suc-ceeded in recapturing tlie positions evacuated three days ago. In that il vicinity our troops captured four can non and several prisoners Fighting still continues for the remainder of the lost trenches. "In the Vosges, northwest of Senn-heim, Senn-heim, battles still proceed "The situation In East Prussia remains re-mains the same. An unimportant engagement to the east of Lipno ended end-ed favorably for us. One huudrcd prisoners remained in our hands.' Germans In Rear of Russians. Petrograd. Jan. 21, via London. 2:30 p. m. German forces have appeared in the rear of the Russian army which Is advancing toward the Prussian border. They are along the road from Plonsk, forty miles northwest of Warsaw, to Goslitza. thus being between be-tween the advancing Russian army and the Polish capital So far as is known, only comparatively small bodies of Germans, consisting of re-connoitering re-connoitering detachments are in this locality. Russo-Germans Helping Kaiser. The Bourse Gazette says that the Russiau military authorities have learned that Russo Germans in this vicinity have given information and other assistance to the Germans. On this account, the newspaper said. Grand Duke Nicholas, the Russian commander in chief, has ordered that all Russo-German residents in the districts between Warsaw and the Russian front dispose of their property prop-erty within six days, preparatory to being removed to the interior of the country'. Austrians Bombard Montenegrins. Paris. Jan. 21, 4 21 a. m. The Austrians Aus-trians at Cattaro, near the Montenegrin Montene-grin frontier, have furiously bombard ed Mount Lovchen. a strong Montenegrin Monte-negrin position Just across the frontier, fron-tier, without effect according to a Ilavas agency dispatch from Cettiuje, Montenegro. The dispatch says: "The guns of the Austrian fleet and force at Cattaro furiously bombarded Mount Lovchen for several hours. A great quantity of ammunition was expended ex-pended without damaging the Montenegrin Monte-negrin positions "A hoavy fall of snow in the last few days has stopped military operations opera-tions on all fronts." |