19 DECEMBER 1914, Page 3

• The great Serbian victory over the Austrians has been

more thorough than we were able to record last week. It has ended in the Austrians being entirely driven out of Serbia. Belgrade has been retaken by the Serbians after it had been occupied by the Austrians for less than a fortnight. It will be remembered that it was "laid at the feet" of the Emperor Francis Joseph on his accession day, De- cember 2nd. Many thousands of Austrians—some reports say eighty thousand since the beginning of the war—have been taken prisoners. The Serbians perhaps did better than any other State in the Balkan War, but this victory over the Austrians has been a feat of arms which has won the admira- tion of the world. The pitiful official explanation issued at Vienna is the kind of communication which Governments are compelled ultimately to resort to if they embark on a policy of secretiveness where secrecy is unnecessary. Much better tell a patriotic people what efforts and sacrifices are required of them.