Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-11-23
BATTLE RAGING IN PRUSSIA AND
GALIciA TO HAVE IMPORTANT
BEARING.
KAISER SENDS FLOWER OF
ARMY TO CHECK RUSSIANS
Rainy Season Add. to Difficulty Of
campaisn-oermans Realize Danger
in Permitting Russians to Advance
Farther-Defeat Would Menace En-.
tire German Empire.
especial Corespondence.l

Washington. Nov. %. - The CAM
paigning on the eastern front OF Ger
many, in western Poland and in Cali
cha, continues today to be Of the most
a bsorbing interest 1t compels atten-
ton in part because Of its magnitude.
being along front of nearly 400
miles; in part because the outcome
may have a vital bearing on the OUT
come of the war; in part because OF Its
being an early winter campaign, I'M
dertaken under severe conditions of
weather. The cold. dismal rains of
November are falling. turning the
roads into Quagmires in many parts OF
the country. The difficulties of march
ing. of transport of supplies and OF
artillery are great. 1t is the edge OF
winter in East Prussia and western
Poland. But in most of the fighting
area the cold is not yet sufficient to
freeze the ground so as to make condi-
tons good for marching and transport
altho 1t is uncomfortable and un-
healthy enough for the troops.
Raids on Hungary Contemplated.
The line along which the operations
are being conducted runs roughly from
Gumbinnen. in East Prussia, about
iifty miles due east OF Koenigsburg.
thru Angerburg and the Masurian lake
region. to Flock. Lenczyca. Sieradz
and Czenstochowa, thence To the re-
gion of CracoW At the same time.
there is raiding and lighting thru the
Carpathian passes, where the Cos
sacks, part of them relieved from duty
il western Poland as the campaigning
there has arrived at stage where
they are of less use. are busy. Evident
ly. both seizure of the passes and in
cursions into Hungary are contem-
pla ted by the Russians.
The campaign In East Prussia Is go
ing well for the Russians. according to
the reports from Petrograd Fighting
is going on along the Gumbinnen An
gerburg front, which the Germans are
defending. In the Masurian lake re-
gion. the Russians are also forcing the
fighting and have gained some of the
Germans positions protected by wire
arrangements.
Importance Of Conflict.
The operations In the East Prussian
country are in themselves of great
moment, partly because they are on
German soil and are thus felt by the
Germans more keenly than II on the
soil of their enemies and partly be-
cause if the Russians continue to be
successful there the valuable center of
Koenigsberg will soon be seriously
menaced.
The real key to the campaigning be-
tween the Russians and the German
Austrian forces, however. is farther
south, along the center of the great
line of battle. The developments of
the last seven days and news from
various sources indicate that the
kaiser, realizing the tremendous i'm
portance of driving back the Russian
advance before it gets closer to Ger
many. has given General Won linden
burg heavy reinforcements and staked
everything on the powerful movement
against the Russian forces launched
from Thorn. Some of the reports from
Petrograd assert the very flower of the
German forces, west and east, have
been utilized for this attempt TO par
alyze the Russian advance.
No Decision 40 Vet.
Both the Russian and the German
advices agree to the extent that there
has been no decision in the great bat
tie which has developed between the
Vistula and the Warta rivers. The
German forces stretch from Flock to
the southwest thru Lenczyca and
Uniejow. The Russian advanced forces
have been driven backward but there
Is every reason to believe the Grand
Duke Nicholas has brought forward
enormous reinforcements and that the
struggle in this quarter vii. be not
only Of great magnitude but terrific in
It's violence. Attic there has been
some indication in the dispatches that
freezing weather has helped the con-
dition Of the roads, other accounts say
specifically that great November rains
have added to the difficulties Of the
campaign.
It is of extreme moment to the Rus
SLAMS to win in this struggle, just as IL
is vital for the Germans to win. If the
Germans lose, the Russian invasion Of
Germany then becomes more
menacing reality than ever.
In connection with the campaigning
in East Prussia, German reports indi-