a new stroke just inside Bukovina seems to indicate " oon-siderable offensive along forty-mile front.
At present big battles are raging northward of Rumania, the Russians opening their attack with intense bombardments followed massed infantry attacks the river Pruth to a point northward of the Dnister. Up to the present the operations have been in favour of the Russians. Meanwhile the now Russian army for the Spring is being rapidly formed and will be completely equipped in a few weeks, Petrograd, Dec. 30.
Since the reported removal of the majority of the German and Austrain forces from the Balkan front and the rumours that a part has been sent to reinforce the Galician front, the operations on the latter during the last few weeks have gradually developed.
The official reports issued yesterday and today emphasize this development. The engagements are extending over a wide front south of the river Pripet and in Galicia and in places are assuming " fierce character. The military authorities state that while the fighting is still of the character of separate engagements the dimension and importance of these is increasing.
The laconic official information that "fighting is proceeding" gives no indication as to which side assumed the offensive. The Germans and Austrian official reporte during the last few days, in their references to Russian attacks on the Bes-sorabian front and at Raranche, Chartoriisk and Kolka suggest that the initiative is in the bande of the Russians.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.