German failure

Eastern armies surrounded

Marking time in Flanders

British battleship blown up

There is what we may regard as official confirmation of the Germans’ rout in Poland.

It is moderately worded but all other accounts agree that the defeat was of a smashing character.

Moreover, Lord Kitchener in the House of Commons yesterday declared that the Russians had been able to check and defeat the Germans with heavier losses than they have ever sustained before.

The War Minister is not in the habit of understating things but his cautiousness of phrase is noted.

All the general staff will permit themselves to say is that the German efforts are now directed to facilitating the retreat of their various corps which are now falling back in conditions very unfavourable for them.

Unofficially, it is declared that the Germans are enveloped on almost every side but beyond the capture of 8,000 Austrians the Russians do not yet state the number of prisoners taken.

Early next week we ought to know how far the Russian successes on the eastern border of Prussia and in the North East of Austria are going to affect the disposition of German troops in Flanders.

German losses have also to be taken into account.

It may be, as one authority points out, that since all arms are more or less in equal efficiency and since there is not very much to choose between the soldiers fighting on each side, the ratio of casualties will be fairly uniform throughout the war.

So far Germany has apparently been able to stand the attrition but from now on we may expect them to feel the pinch.

Altogether the prospects of a happy Christmas for the German General staff are not the brightest.

Meanwhile, the western armies are marking time, no movement is reported in yesterday’s communiques.

With a diminished cannonade and in the absence of infantry attacks the allies have moved forward slightly at certain points.

Following their aggression on the Aisne the enemy attempted an onslaught on an adjacent village but the effort cost them many losses and met with no success.

Operations on the French right are likely to be affected by snow which has fallen heavily, especially on the heights of the Vosges.

The British battleship Bulwark was blown up yesterday and of a complement of between 700 to 800, only 12 were saved.

The naval authorities believe that the disaster was due to an internal explosion as there was apparently no upheaval in the water. Unofficial messages state that the Bulwark was loading ammunition at the time.

The Bulwark was 14 years old, and Mr Churchill in announcing the news in the House of Commons yesterday stated that the loss does not affect the military position.