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Show Allies and Germans Keep Up Fierce J Artillery Fighting on Western Front i ... ?- . RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE IS MATURING i RAPIDLY ON WHOLE OALICIAN LINE Ml I ' Germans on Defensive on Three Important Rivers Capital H of Bukowina Again Seriously Threatened by Russian H Advance Hungarians Routed and Forced to Re- tire Four Miles to Rear French Take Ger- man Trenches Artillery arid Hand Gren-H Gren-H ade Fighting Continues Allies Cross H Vardar River in Balkans. I H Petrograd, Feb. 12, via London, H 5:17 p. m. The Russian offensive H which has been indicated in the re-H re-H ports of the last few days is matur-H matur-H ing rapidly over the whole Galician H front. B The Germans, according to advices H from the Vienna war office, are on H the defensive on three important riv-B riv-B ers the Sereth, the Pmth and the fl Dneister. Czernowitz, capital of B Bukowina, is again seriously threat-B threat-B rued by the Russian advance, east of B Raranche, as -well as by the Russian fl crossing of the Dneister at Usciecsko fl v.'here their troops are firmly entrenched en-trenched This move also has had the effect of interrupting one of the most important lines of communication communica-tion between the armies of General Pfanlser and Von Bothmex. Russians Rout Hungarians. A third important Russian advance Iipk been recorded near Znle Szczyky, v.liere a fierce counter attack is declared de-clared to have been successful in routing rout-ing the opposing forces and demoralizing demoral-izing the Hungarian troops to such an extent that they retired to a new line four miles to the rear In addition ad-dition to these breaches announced to have been made in the opposing lines the Russians have been active immediately to the northward of Tamopol, where they have moved slightly forward. While it is admitted that these op-1 op-1 orations have no immediate strategic L alue, it is believed-in mllitarycir-it mllitarycir-it clc? here that the new Russian of-' of-' fcnsive has prevented the Germans from withdrawing troops from this i front, thereby lessening the chances of successful attacks on allied hues elsewhere. The initiative on the Dvinsk front remains in German hands, but the imlcl weather of the last month, threatening with inundation the trenches built by the Germans on f marshy ground, is seriously handicap-' handicap-' ping their efforts to move forward. Prisoners report that a great number num-ber of French prisoners are employed I in the construction of drainage works. Berlin, Feb. 12, via London, 2-47 p m After a violent artillery bombardment bom-bardment on the greater part of the Champagne front French infantry made an attack yesterday afternoon. The German war office annouueed today that the French penetrated German positions near Mnssiges over a front of about 200 yards. i Thft KlntPmptil follows! "Western front After a most violent vio-lent artillery bombardment on a great part of our front in the Champagne, Cham-pagne, the French toward evening made an attack to the east of the Maisons de Champagne farm, which 1 is northeast of Masslges. They-penc- i trated our positions over a section of not quite 200 yards. "On Combres hill we occupied the edges of a crater made by the explo- j sion of a French mine in front of our trenches. ,, "Eastern front At several points , we repulsed advances by Russian pa-t pa-t trols and to her detachments. "Balkan front: The situation Is i unchanged." I Guardian Reviews German Memoran-1 Memoran-1 dum. ' Loudon, Feb. 12, 9:15 a. m The Manchester Guardian in an editorial on the German memorandum regarding regard-ing armed merchantmen says: "Germany's announcement of her intention to treat armed merchantmen as warships after March 1 Is to bo read in connection with the proposals hich the United States government recently made to the belligerents." The edltorinl argues that Washington Washing-ton proposes a bargain the entente side of which is clear, namely the I surrender of the right to arm mer- 1 chantmen, but the Germau side ot I which Ib not clear. The United States therefore, it says, "ca nonly think it $ reasonable if we ask by what means t it will guarantee that Germany and 3 her allies will carry out their pnrt cf a bargain. Presumably the United If ' States has made or will make sug- gestions to meet this difficulty." l Austrians Marching on Durazzo. Paris, Feb. 12, 1:05 a, m. A dispatch dis-patch from Rome says that according accord-ing to the Durazzo correspondent of the Idea' Nozlonalo, the strength of the Austrian force now marching on Durazzo is estimated at 30,000 men. The Test of the invading army, the correspondent says, is engaged in guarding the country behind tho advancing ad-vancing troops. Ho adds that the 1 disarmament of Montenegro is not yet completed and parts of the little lit-tle kingdom have not been occupied, las a result of tho vigorous resistance of the followers of General Marntl-sllch. Marntl-sllch. ; i Paris, Fob. 12. The ' war ' office "According to further information in our possession the attack with hand grenades which we executed yesterday afternoon in Champagne in the region northeast of the Butte do Mesnll, &ve us possession, after an artillery Engagement, of about 300 meters of enemy trenches. A counter coun-ter attack made by the enemy during dur-ing the night was repulsed completely complete-ly and sixty-five prisoners, of whom one was an officer, remained in our hands. "The night was calm on the remainder remain-der of the frout." French Troops Cross Vardar. Paris, Feb. 12, 310 a. m. The Sa-loniki Sa-loniki correspondent of the Petit Pari-sien, Pari-sien, telegraphs that French troops crossed the Vardar river on Febru ary 10, and are now encamped on the right bank of the river and in the region reg-ion of Janitza and Veria The town of Veria is an important railrond station sta-tion on the line between Saloniki and Monastir The region alluded to in the above dispatch is to the northwest of Top-sin Top-sin on the Vardar river, fifteen miles northwest of Saloniki, at which point the lines of defenses of the camp of the allies' nt Saloniki begins. The line ascends the Vardar to Karasuli from which point it sweeps in a semicircle semi-circle to the southeast, enclosing Saloniki. Sa-loniki. Review of War Situation.- - Latest reports from the battle front indicate successes for the French in winning back some of the positions they lost in the recent nibbling nib-bling of the Germans at their lines in the Artois and south of the Som-mc Som-mc From south Russia and Galicia come announcements that the Russian Rus-sian offensive there is assuming considerable con-siderable proportions but without striking results having been so fan achieved. I Enemies Strengthening Positions. In preparations for eventualties aiound Saloniki the enemies are strengthening their positions and extending ex-tending their lines. The French have advanced across the Vardar northwest north-west of the city. In Albania the Austrians are reported re-ported marching on Durazzo with a force not larger than 30,000 men. Important troop movements in Bessarabia Bes-sarabia are Indicated by Bucharest advices, The Champagne region In France, where comparative quiet nas pre- ailed recently while sanguinary battles bat-tles ha-ve been in progress in the Artois and south of the Somme, again has been the scene of bitter fighting, fight-ing, of which tho French have had tho advantage. Following a violent bombardment by French artillery along a great part of the Champagne front, the French launched an infantry attack on tho German lines to the northeast of Masslges Mas-slges penetrating the German positions posi-tions over a front of approximately 200 yards. The allied gain is admitted admit-ted in today's official bulletin from Berlin. Steamer Sunk. London, Feb. 12, 5:40 p. m. The Norwegian steamer Alabama of Sta-venger, Sta-venger, a vessel of S91 tons gross, has been sunk. The crew was saved. No details regarding the sinking are available. avail-able. More Americans Needed. Washington, Feb. 12. American Ambassador Maryea at Petrograd has recommended at the request of German Ger-man authorities, that an additional corps of American relief administrators administra-tors be sent to Russian and western Siberia to inspect prison camps of German and Austrian soldiers there. His recommendation has been taken up by the state department and Red Cross officials, it was learned today, but no definite plan or decision has been reached. Negotiations are In progress with Russia. |