A GREAT VICTORY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1915, Page 5

A GREAT VICTORY.

GERMANS ROUTED AT ] TARNOPOL WITH ENORMOUS LOSSES. Received Sept. 10, 12,85 a.m. Petrograd, Sept. 9. Offiicial: The Russians have gained a big victory at Tarnopol. We captured eight thousand prisoners and thirty guns. The German losses in killed and wounded are enormous. [Tarnopol (pop. 40,000) is in Austrian Galicia, on the river Sereth, and 75 miles east-south-east of Leaberg.]

AUSTRIAN REPORT. FIGHTING AT TARNOPOL. Received Sept. 9, 9.5 p.m. Vienna, Sept. 9. A communique Bays;—ln the lighting on August 7 the enemy, by superior forces broke from the bridgehead fortifications at Tarnopol and Strusow. German counter-attacks repulsed the Russians at Tarnopol.

CZAR TAKES COMMAND. RESCRIPT TO THE GRAND DUKE. WHO GOES TO THE SOUTHERN FRONT. London, Sept. 8. Official: The Czar personally takes chief command by land and sea. The Grand Duke Nicholas has been appointed Viceroy of the Caucasus. Petrograd, Sept, 8. Tie Czar has issued a rescript of most g-enerous acknowledgment of the services of the Grand DuJce Nicholas. In it he states:

"At the beginning of the .war I was unavoidably prevented from following the inclinations of my soul, to put myself at the head of the army and navy. Hence I entrusted to you the chief command. You, under the eyes of the whole of Russia, proved your steadfast Ibravery, inspiring profound confidence and the good wishes of all. My duty to my country, entrusted to me by God, impels me to-day, when the enemy has penetrated to the interior of the Empire, to take the supreme command ,an<l undergo the care and fatigue of waif in order to safeguard Russian soil. The ways of Providence are inscrutable, but my duty and desire determine me in my resolution for the good of the State.

"The invasion by the enemy of the north-western front, which necessitates ■the greatest possible concentration, civil a.<d military, as well as the unification of the command in the field, has turned attention from the southern front, where we recognise the necessity for your assistance and counsels."

■ A SEA OF FIRE. FATE OF BREST LITOVSK. RUSSIANS KEEP THEIR WORD. Received Sept. 9, 7.35 p.m. Rotterdam, Sept. 9. The newspaper Courant states that Brest Litovsk no longer exists. A correspondent who entered with the German advance guard writes that the Russians did what they said they would. The whole town was a sea of fire, and although it was dangerous, amid tie flames they went forward to see if at least one street could be saved. The town was empty, except for one family. When the populace had left, the Russians had ordered all the houses to be destroyed. THE GERMAN PLANS.

OPERATIONS AT GRODNO. (Times and Sydney Sun S.rvices.) London, Sept. 8. The Times correspondent at Petrograd says that the Austro-Germans are carefully linking up throughout the eastern theatre, the object apparently being to gain possession of the Rigaf.cniberg railway in order to cope effectively with the transport problem and to provide means to transport troops to any point on 'the 700-mile front. The operations are resolving themselves into two fundamental movements, one consisting of a northward swing between Grodno and Pinsk, intended to clear out the Russians and capture a segment of the railway, the other being a swing southwards on Rovno with a similar object. The Grodno operations are causing the utmost anxiety. The enemy succeeded in breaking through at one point, but were promptly hurled badk.

IN THE POLISH MARSHES. MASKED GUIDES' HORRIBLE FATK Received Sept. it, 10.50 p.m. IVtrograd, Sept. 9. The Germans arc progressing in the Polish marsh, using n railway. They constructed railways on sleepers laid on narrow roadv.-nvs, sufficiently lira) to allow a speed of ten miles an hoije, They are draining the marshes bc«V" the advancing troops in order to prMs.'i* fever. The Germans are being guid.-i hj, (h marshes by men who evidently have lived in and studied the district for years, and there have been similar actions elsewhere.

During the march in the Courlaud swamps mysterious masked men led the Germans. In one case a German company was annihilated. The Russians sought out the masked guides, and found that they had died by horrible torture. When their masks were flung off their faces were found to be masses of raw burned flesh. When the guides h;\, been mortally wounded the Germans poured acid on their faces, fearing llr neighbors would recognise them and discover the nests of the traitor!"

RUSSIA'S RESOURCES, '•' A IQEBFPL"FOKEQAB2SPLENDID HARVEST PROSPECTS. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received Sept. 9, 4Mo p.m. London, Sept. 8. M. Cruppi, ex-Foreign Minister for France, is a message to Le Matin, says that tie Germans are fabricating tfcles when they depict Russia as exhausted and incapable of retaking the offensive. Certainly the army has sustained great losses, but fresh soldiers are rising from the soil by millions. He saw at Odessa battalions in new formation, drawn.from a single class, which have furnished a contingent of twelve hundred thousand men. The munitions crisis is over. Though progress in the production of munitions is slow, it is incessant, and daily grows in activity and method. The Russians are served by immense forces, while the harvest this year is superb, UNITY OF THE NATION.

1 SUGGESTED REFORMS. Petrograd, Sept. 8. Tht leaders of the Parliamentary Block hare signed a . common programme declaring that victory is only possible if the Government is supported by the confidence and organised co-operation of citizens. The programme provides for a Bill establishing the autonomy of Poland and a conciliatory policy in Finland, tie removal of the disabilities of the Jews, the enlargement of the trade union rights of artisans, a liberal amnesty for political and religious offences, the amelioration of the condition of refugees and extensions of local selfgovernment. ,

UNALTERABLY DETERMINED. TO CONTINUE THE WAR. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) London, Sept. 8. A Copenhagen newspaper contains an interview with M. Rodzianko, President of the JDums. He declared that, if necessary, Russia would continue the operations for five or even ten years to obtain her objectives. 'Petrograd and Moscow would be given up and the Russians would retire behind the Urals if the necessity arose, but the war would continue, and not be abandoned and not altered, until Russia was victorious. Her twelve million soldiers would fight until the last drop of blood was shed. He mentioned Constantinople as one Russia's objectives.