Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-22
RUSSIAN HORDES
BAFFLE GERMANS
IN FIERCE ONRUSH
Avalanches of Troops, With
Terrific Cossack Raids,
Overwhelm East Prussia.
Celebrity Marks Moves.
PETRoGRAD, Sent. o,

PETRoGRAD, Sept. %
Such success as has come to the Ru,.
sian armies against the Germans in Eas,
Prussia has proved a welcome surpriss
to many of the veteran troops OF tbo
Car who, at the beginning Of the rrest
European war, still smarted from tho
effects of their defeats by the Japanes.
There has been a change In the cond,.
tion of things on the Russo. German
frontier that might surprise even Der.
sons familiar with the Russian plan ~
campaign. One Russian officer at leas,
VINO may be regarded as reliable au.
thority, has been much surprised by the
rapid progress of the Russian advance
Originally five Russian army corps
were ordered to the Austrian frontier
for the purpose of delaying the Austrian
advance If 1t should be directed ,against
that line. However, the Russian Gem
eSal Staff was quite convinced that tina
main attack would aim at Warsaw
through Poland, and to meet that at
tack two new army corps were sent for
ward, and at the same time the cavalry
on the left flank (Chotin and Kielcej.
was strengthened.
The Austrian invading army met only
weak opposition in Poland and the two
Russian corps appeared to retire.
Suddenly the Russian cavalry in tina
South that is to say, on the left wing,
based on Kielce, took the offensive Al
the same time the Russian army was
ready to pour her enormous masses into
Prussia from the northeast frontier.
The great Russian mobilization was
ready several days before Germany had
expected, and Just at the moment when
Germany should have made her decisive
blow at France and been able to spare
her first line troops for meeting the Prus-
sian attack. This plan became a failure
Now. Russia has more than two and
one-half million troops In the northeast
corner of Prussia alone and the Cossack
cavalary number 10000, in seven battle
divisions. The German defence against
this avalanche consists of second line
reservists, not more than 100000 strong
already retiring to the row of forts along
the Vistula between Konigsberg, Marien-
burg, and Torn.
However, this line will be difficult to
force by an invading army: it will be
more difficult for the reservist army,
which has only $40 guns and about 600
Maxim guns, to defend.
The effect of this heavy Russian at
tack is noticeable everywhere in the east
stern pressure. People are leaving their
homes in fright of the Cossack hordes,
who are spreading with an enormous
celerity.
There are still about 10000 Russians In
Germany in a distressfu plight More
than 10000 OF the German Russians have
left during the last two weeks to return
home by way of Sweden. All of them
were lacking the ordinary necessaries OF
life, but the Swedish people everywhere
have tried to lessen their sufferings, and
at the main railway functions where
the special trains stopped. Swedish ladies
have distributed food and rugs ETC.,
among the miserable people. They all
tell the most appalling stories of the
rough treatment they have met with at
several places in Germany, but at the
same time they tell many stories of Ger
man courtesy and chivalrous behavior
toward the female fugitives.