SYDNEY SUN CABLES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 4 September 1915, Page 6

SYDNEY SUN CABLES.

"VLONDQN, Sep. 2. The Times' t correspondent at Petrograd says th'ja position vis fluctuating I from day to day. The enemy's northern movements at present have reversed to the direction of Riga, and. attention is concentrated at, Friedrichstadt, which is a vital point situated not "far j from' the railway opening the path to ' "both Riga and Dvirisk. The/seizure of the Mitau-Kreuzgurg section of the railway, which is forty-five miles long, enables the Germans to bring up rein- ] forcements from Mitau. I

On the" other ' hand, in the Dvinsk region, we have assumed the Offensive. The enemy's crossing of the Niemen at Olita, and his advance on Orany, disclose an intention to isolate our Vilna and Grodno groups, thus hindering our retreat from the Niemen line. It is hoped that the enemy operating in the region of Bialystok and Bieresk has not succeeded in intercepting our retreat from Grodno to the trunk line. In the vicinity of Mosty and Lida the Russian rearguard is (offering a desperate resistance on a twentymile front, between Bfeloaiezh and the Suprase woods, in order to afford time for regrouping in the rear. Serious importance is attributed tt> the events on the front between Vladimir Vqlynski, and Lutzk, where the enemy is operating in-great force. Apparently General Maekerisen's army has been transferred there;!so undertake an important offensive1 against the trunk line from Kobel to Kieff.

The Italians found on Austrian prisoners a commander's message stating that the officers and men were physically exhausted. The officers fighting since July were suffering from nervous crises, and the losses were heavy.. .■ General Cadojrtia concludes that this is evidence of moral depression in the. Austrian Army, and; urges the Italians to persevere m their efforts to overcome the Austrian resistance where it is still possible owing to the strength of their positions. German agents are busier than ever in Spain, and are spreading reports of German victories and the final defeat of Russia. The organisation has spread over the whole country, and even in insignificant villages, where' the majority of the laborers cannot read, individuals in the pay of the German secret service arc.to be found reading aloud to working-men from pro-Ger-man newspapers. Hotelkaepers in Glasgow are converting their houses into something resembling social tea and lunch rooms, where, during the prohibited hours, non-alcoholic drink is served, besides food. In view of this efforts were made to remove the ban upon the employment of barmaids. The magistrates, however, refused to withdraw, the inhibition.