The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-29
GERMANS THROWN BACK.
Petrournd Believe. Plan 10 Takc
Warsaw IIns Failed.
sr,ciai Cable Dcspatch to Tnr su~.

LoNOoN. Dec. :s.--The Petrograd cor
respondent OF the Daily Vol has the fol-
lowing To say Of the Situati,n in the east
I'VE are still waiting anxiously to see
what the Germans will do. II Is now
clear that the Germans must change their
tactics.
The advance on Warsaw was not A
strategical advance. hut was merely a
'tacticnl manpuvrc. The aim set by the
German General StaT was to save Silesla
from invasion. In order to accomplish
ibis II WAS necessary to prevent the Rus
slams from taking CracoW. The pest hope
Of doing this appeared IN a plan drawn up
ny Col Hoffman, professor Of tactics IA
The Berlin Military Academy
This provided for the concentration at
Thorn OF large number OF troops from
various parts Of the front and their rapid
advance N the direction of Warsaw
Warsaw was threatened merely in order
TO force the Russians to withdraw from
Cracow, hut at the same time the plan
enabled the General stan to- please the
Kaiser, who was frantically eager to
occupy Warsaw Tor pylitical reasons
simultaneously with the movement
from Thorn Austro-German armies were
tn advance against the Russians threaten
ine Cracow. and the Austrians under Gen
Carpathians, satisfying ;he Hungarian
demand for protection against the in
vaders. Every one admits The plan was
sound and ingenious. 1t succeeded a first
IN spite OF the blunder which caused the
Germans huge losses a. I.Jdz
The mouse trap success did not last
long, however. First the East Prussan
army, sent to act as a support on the north
V.stula, was driven back 70 the frontier.
Next Gen. Boehme-Ermolli was compelled
10 return To- the mountains. The Cos, acks
are now pursuing him through the passes.
The Austrlans can ogly retreat In narrow
columns and the pursuers have great
advantage. Meanwhile the Austro-oicr-
man armies operating east OF Cracow
along the Nid3 and the punajec rivers
have also been put 20 flight, their right
wing turned How d.sordcIly the retreat
Is Is shown by tho large number % prls-
oners taken
I'm View OF this the amy north OF Tar
row, on the Nida. viii he compelled to re-
treat. The successes bring the Russians
again 10 W.thin threatening distance OF
CracoW. Thus even If the Germans had
succeeded in their repeated and furious
enors 10 break through the Russian dam
placed In front OF Warsaw, the German
plan would have failed, because IL would
have been useles' to keep an army OF
occupation there and long line OF COM
munications open while the Russia ans were
engaged in forcing their way into German
territory.
But the Germans are very far from
succeeding Co. their second attack against
warsaw. Their attack appears TO have
failed as signally as tho first II is pos
sihle that In" Germans may return to the
assault, II IS conceivable that they may
yet push through. lut for the present il
seems acknowledged that their frontal at.
lacks have produced 40 other effect than
enormous losses which are estimated 10 ba
bigger than thuse In Flanders.
In the course OF last week thor at.
tempts to cross the BZura and the Ravh1
are said 10 have cost them 10000 men
several regiments, Including III. famou,
NucrttcnucIg llussars, were anu!hilatcd
were made prisoners, VIII. Villages near
me frontier were turned into hospitals--
HeekoslnsN Tor example, where upward
u 1000 wounded men arrived IN the last
lew days within twenty-tour hour.
eighty ambulance trains arrived Every
uplsc .7 occupied 10y wounded. those ~,
Jlred too badly TO continue the journey
''1he scenes hy u,sh, aH long process
lions of carts hllcd with the dead wenC
heir way by lantern hight 10 burylng
rounds are described as Iitlful beyon,
worlds, In addition to the carnage alon,
II" streams west ~ Warsaw II Is estl
lated tina. tie casualties Of the Eas
russian bAitles have not been less thar
200,
III ih" Russian, follow up their sue
.aes"~ against the couhn ned German an,
AUSTRIAN forces We may expect to Gee .
r'u'Ihl retirement OF tho invader
'lpuHh"w Poland IN that case no,hinl
l. al h"V' been gained ~ C,i Hoffman
'"'' except delay Of in" incvItlbl,
uo'n'ht when Germans and Austrian,
''' '''lIie that dcfeM 10 cort"ln"