Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-08-26
GEAR IS ADVANCING
IN FULL STRENGTH
Emperor Nicholas Goes to Head
quarters Of Army, Now Taking
Offensive in Force.
DISPATCH TO ROME GIVES NEWS
REPORTS from Sc PetersburE Re
ceived In italian Capital Tell
of Little Father" Being
ut the Front.

LONDON, Aug. 25.-The Central
News has given out a message from
its Rome correspondent saying that
dispatch received in the Italian
capital from st. Petersburg declares
that Emperor Nicholas has gone to
the headquarters OF the Russian
army, which has now taken the Of
fensive in full strength.
Before Fortincu cities
The incursion on large bodies OF
Russian troops into the German
provinces OF east and west Prussia
and their capture OF the important
positions OF Gumbinnen and Inster-
burg bring them in front OF a series
OF more or less strongly fortified
German cities, placed strategically
to the east of the river Vistula and
between II and the frontier.
Among these fortresses one OF the
first in Importance is Koenigsburg,
on the gulf of Danzig, a fortress of
the first class. The city contains
about 100000 inhabitants and was
formerly a Polish possession. The
garrison in times of peace comprises
three infantry regiments OF three
battallons each, a heavy cavalry reg
lment. a squadron Of mounted rifles,
two field artillery regiments, one
garrison artillery regiment, two en-
gineer battalions and one battalion
Of the army service corps.
Thorn is another first class fort
ress guarded by a large number of
outlying works. This place also
has a garrison of nine infantry bat
talions, one regiment OF Uhlans. one
field artillery regiment, one garrison
artillery regiment and a battalion OF
fortress engineers. II is southwest
of Koenigsburg, on the Polish front.
Allenstein is, II anything, stronger
even than Thorn. Its garrison con-
sists OF six infantry battalions, one
dragon regiment and a regiment of
field artillery, but 1t is the headquar-
ters OF the Thirty-seventh infantry
division as we'll as OF the Seventy
fifth infantry brigade and the Thir-
ty-seventh cavalry brigade, and 1t is
regarded as a place OF concentration
for a field army. Allenstein was
the scene Of victory by Marshal
Soult and a French army. over the
pursuing Russians and Prussians In
1907.
.a First Fortified Line.
1t lies hetweea Thorn and Koenisgburg,
the three cities forming the first fortified
line on the eastern German frontier. Far
TO the north or the yisruiR lies Danzig,
great naval station and fortress. II
has population OF about 10000 and q
considerable garrison, consisting OF nine
Infantry battalions, two regiments OF
hussars. two field artillery regiments, one
garrison artillery regiment and battalion
OF the army service corps
To the south OF the Russian line ad-
vance and the left wing Of the Russian
ohhAN h0H AuStht stTonkly IoTllIleu city,
former port OF Poland which is occu-
pied by a garrison whose composition 10
unknown, but whose strength is believed
to be very great.
Keys of second Line.
Between Danxig and Posen, on an even
line, lie the two fortresses OF Bromberg,
with six infantry battalions. one mounted
grenadier regiment and two field astillery
regiments, and Graudenz, which has nine
infanty battalions, regiment Of
mounted rifles. two field artillery regi-
ments and some garrison artillery. These
are the keys OF the second line OF de-
fenslve works.
Other small fortified places on the line
OF advance are Marienburg with small
garrison OF artillery, which was formerly
fortress Of the knights Templar; Kuhn,
with garrison of one rifle regiment and
machine gun section; Dierschau, a
small place. which was plundered and
burned by the French In 1907; umberg.
which is occupied by a fuslllier bat
TALON and which was the scene OF a vic
tory in 1907 by Bernadotte over the Rus
slams.
All these places were originally Polish,
most OF them becoming Prussian territory
when Poland was divided In l772 among
Russia, Austria and Prussia. Most OF the
Inhabitants still speak the Polish Ian
guage.