Austrian rout

New Serbian offensive

Germany’s problems in the east

Britain rules the waves

When the Berlin wireless admitted some days ago that the Serbians are still capable of offering considerable resistance it was clear as had been suggested that the fall of Belgrade in no way indicated Serbian collapse.

The general impression however for some time had been that Austria’s numerical preponderance had at last told its story and that only defensive even to mainly guerilla warfare was left to the smaller nation.

This was wrong and it would not be surprising to hear eventually that we have been witnessing tactics of the mouse trap order.

At all events, practically without warning the armies behind the Kolabara River resumed the offensive.

The Austrian forces suddenly found themselves being pushed North, on the Serbian left and centre and most determined advance drove the Austrians off the spurs of the Meljen mountains and took them almost to the level country in the Sava valley.

The Serbian are now as a result on the line they held in the middle of November.

Territorially that have made good their strategic frontier and altogether have accomplished a performance which may well have an enormous effect on the south eastern campaign.

Whether they will continue on the offensive remains to be seen, probably they may not dare to risk an attempt to regain the Sava.

It would appear that Austria’s campaign against Serbian has failed and the fact if it be a fact is of great significance.

The naval victory There is more pleasing news in the action between British and German squadrons in the South Atlantic.

The German cruiser Nurnberg is now added to the list of German losses in that engagement so that four out of five enemy vessels were sent to the bottom and the search for the one that escape, the Dresden is still proceeding.

A telegram to this effect was received yesterday from the British commander who added that the fight extended over five hours.

The news has everywhere been received with the greatest satisfaction and the Americans write of it almost as if it was a victory of their own fleet.

One effect of the victory is immediately evident, the Board of Trade announce a reduction in the government rate for the insurance of cargo against war risk.

This after little more than four months of war the German campaign against British sea-borne trade is all but finally broken down.