Progress of the War.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15487, 14 January 1916, Page 6

Progress of the War.

Confirmation of the Austrian success on Mount Lovchen is supplied by the news that the Montenegrin Government has moved from Cettinje to Podgoritza. The Austrian s claim that their advance has forced the Montenegrin army to retire to Xiegushi,' on the south-east side of Mount Lovchen. The loss of this important .position, as was to be expected, has caused disappointment and bitter comment in Italy, where it is said la -be regarded as a national defeat. Whether the Italians will allow the Austrians to remain in undisputed possession of the mountain is open to much doubt, and there is a strong probability, that a decelerate effort will bo made to retrieve the lost position. The Austrians claim that they repelled six attacks by the Russians on Tuesday, on the lino near the Bessarabian frontier. An unofficial message from Pctrograd makes the extraordinary announcement that the Russian offensive has been suspended for the present, as the desired object of diverting the enemy's attention from, France and the BalkaKs has been achieved. In view of the fact that a determined effort was made by the Germans on the Western front, while the Russian offensive was still in progress, this statement cannot be accepted. It looks as if the Russians have sustained a bad check in a iEoremont which openod with great promise. It is rather significant that official news from Petrograd is confined to reports of minor operations on the Riga-Dvinsk front. Fighting on the Western front is principally confined to the Argonne district, where a lively action is proceeding for the possession of a huge mine crater. The Germans claim to have repulsed a French attack at Le Mesnil, in the Champagne district. Their communique ascribes a serious mazagine explosion in Lillo to an English plot.