Petrograd, Feb, 98.
The official communique issued to-night states:—On the left of the Niemen, morth of Grodno, the battle is growing in intensity and has been carried far beyond our fortified works. tacks are being made by both sides, and hills and villages are changing hands. We stormed height 100.3 and captured six guns and several hundred prisoners. This height and the heights towards Kelbaski were in our hands on the 27th.
The artillery action at Ossovez continues. to leave lething undone to achieve a triumphant pasco at the earliest possible moment. The Allies bad an overwhelming preponderance in mein, natural resources and access sibilities to the markets of the world but, above all, the Allies had moral strength. A nation could not endure that had the crime of Belgium on its soul.
The Chancellor, in a eulogy, said that Russia was essentially a peaceful country and Grand Duke Nicholas was the beet friend peace ever had. Germany had made the quarrel with the same quiet deliberation as che made a new dye; it was the purest picoo of brigandage in history.
He emphasized the fact that Great Britain had raised the largest voluntary army in the world but, he said, it ought to be Larger The Allies could muster 20,000,000 men; their enemies barely 10,000,000. The meed for arms, however, was greater than the need for men, and consequently he appealed to employers, workmen amd the public to see that the Allies had sufficient equipment.
Mr. Lloyd George concluded: "We have very reason for eonfidence, mone for complacency. Complacency is the rust of a nation,"
The enemy, having been reinforced on Friday night, re-entered Praasnysz and a battle raged all Saturday for possession of the town, which we recaptured in the evening, the defenders surrendering. We also made important progress om other sectors of the Battle of Przasnysz, the enemy abandoning supplies and wounded. Altogether we sent 5,458 prisoners to the rear on Friday night We badly defeated the Austrians in east Galicia. The Russians advanced from the Tchetchva valley, on a front extending from Jassinovetz to Roznatoff, through a dense forest which was impassable to artillery and through which it was necessary for our infantry to force their passage with the butt ends of their rifles and with bayonets and without the assistance of artillery. We captured 4,000 prisoners in this forest fight.
Elsewhere there has been no change.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.