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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11647, 16 August 1916, Page 5

SPECULATIONS AS TO HIS FATE. RUSSIANS CONVERGING ON HALICZ Petrograd, Aug. 15. Now that Bothmer, after stubbornly holding his winter lines for ten weeks, has been compelled to fallback under the menaces on his flanks, interest centfes'in his chances of avoiding disaster. Some quarters consider a Sedan js possible hut there is no sign of that. The retreat has been delayed, but apparently is orderly thus far, Bothmer is a clever and is not likely to have held on over long in view of the steady Russian progress on his wings. One of Pflanzer’s forces is retiring north-west from Stanislao in an endeavour to cover Bothmer. who,has the Tarnopol-Lemberg railway behind him, also good roads. Moreover, three parallel rivers protect his southern flank. Much depends on the enemy’s ability to hold Halicz to enable Bothmer’s centre to make good its retreat. The Russians are converging on Halicz from three directions. GERMAN MISLEADING COMMUNIQUE. HIDING THE TRUTH. NEWS OF BOTHMER’S RETREAT WITHHELD. Petrograd, Aug. 14. It now appears that the allusion in a German communique on the 11th to the regrouping of troops in order to meet the Russians’ altered dispositions, was a method of preparing Germany for news of Bothmer’s retreat, but the communique has not yet mentioned that the retreat lias been in full swing for a couple of days. OFFICIAL RUSSIAN REPORT. TELLS OF GOOD FORTUNE. VILLAGE AND TOWN CAPTURED. Petrograd, Aug. 14. , Official.—The Russians forded the Lukh, a tributary of the Seretb, and repelled the enemy from a series of trenches. We crossed the Zlota Lipa at several points. Our offensive north west of the Dneister continues. We captured the village of Tustobaby in the face of a terrific lire from well prepared trenches. Belgian cyclists and armoured cars rendered distinguished service in assisting to capture the town of Zborov. 1

AN AUSTRIAN REPORT. Amsterdam, Aug. 15. Au Austrian official message states: We drove off ravaging detachments westward of Koyowa. We repulsed numerous attacks in the Zborov sector. Bothmer defeated, south- westward of Podkamien, a massed attack supported by gas bombs. The front of our positions was covered with Russian dead.