New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-08
The Decisive Failure OF the Yer
Observation-Disclosures OF
fensive in the East.

west. n France and Belgium lhe Ne'''''i' "
still carving on the war in the enemys terri
tory Though they have been stopped, they nave
NOT vot b,en driven back In the east, however,
the Russians are steadily improving their posi-
ton. They have occupied nearly half OF Gahcia
on the south and are on the East Prussian border
~ the north. In the centre they have extended
ths;r lines so as 70 cover practically all of West
ern Poland. which up to a couple of weeks ago
thew hsa left In the possession of the enemy.
The German Austro- Hungarian offensive was
deliberately planned. Because of the stalemate IN
operations in the west and for political as well as
strategical reasons the German General Staff de-
c;ded 70 push the war into Poland and TO try
n recover the whole of Galicia for Austria-Hun-
earv. Large armies were therefore collected IN
the east-at least twenty German corps and
twelve to fifteen Austro-Hungarian corps In
highly interesting article which was published
recently in the "Staats- Zeitung," and which was
accredited to former member Of the Austro-
Hungarian General Staff, comprehensive &C
count of this movement was given-the most IN
teIlicent which has yet appeared in the press Of
this country.
iTbe offensive against Russia was properly de-
sc,ibed as IAN attack from the left wing on
That is 70 say. the German army of the left wing
stationed in East Prussia, opened the campaign
by crossing the Russian border and making
demonstration against the fortresses on the line
If the Niemen River. The Germans withdrew
into Fast Prussia after brief and unsuccessful
campaign, but they had drawn off the attention
of the Russians to some extent while the Ter
an-Austro-Hungarian forces in the centre were
moving forward through central and southern
Poland toward the line of the Vistula River.
From 100000 to 100000 men were engaged in
the Niemen River demonstration. Probably oOO,-
600 took part in the Polish campaign. These
forces under General Won Hindenburg, made
their way to the line Of the Vistula and compelled
the Russians to concentrate for the protection OF
Warsaw Ivangorod and the Vistula line gener-
arlv from Warsaw down to the Galiciau border.
It was probably General Won Hindenburg's hope
10 surprise the Russians, take Warsaw and spend
the winter maintaining defensive in central
Poland. while part Of his forces could be trans
ferred for winter service to the western front
Another object was TO clear the way for the
advance of the Austro-Hungarian armies IN
Calicia, which were to cross the San River, re-
take Lemberg and re-establsh themselves IN a
position threatening any subsequent Russian ad-
vance toward Silesia and Posen. The three re-
organized Austro-Hungarian armies took the
offensive as soon as General Won Hindenburg got
mn toward the line of the Vistula, and in order to
strengthen their position and to cooperate TO the
best advantage with the Russian armies IN
Poland the Russian forces in Galicia fell back to
the San River. In the last three weeks the Aus
+ro-Hungarian troops have desperately attacked
the Russian positions in Galicia. But Russian
strategy was equal to repulsing that attack, and
the quick retreat of Won Hindenburg's armies IN
Poland has now compelled the Austrians to sur
render the offensive and beat a retreat.
The German General Staff in planning this left
to right campaign against the Russians was
playing for high stakes. By recovering Galicia
and Selling Warsaw it hoped to influence Ruma-
MIA to remain neutral. 1t also hoped to shift
the burden of the eastern operations again to
the shoulders Of the Austro-H ungarians, since
Russia could not threaten Prussia until she had
once more secured the left flank of her armies
bv driving the Austro-Hungarians across the
Carpathians or west Of Cracow
The collapse of the movement into Poland was
fatal TO the success Of these designs. After APP
proaching the Vistula the Germans weakened
and soon withdrew ninety one hundred miles
TO the Silesian frontier. The connection between
the German centre and the German left in East
Prussia has been completely severed and the con-
nection between the centre and ustro-Hun-
oarian armies in Central Gacia has been almost
snapped.
On October 80, when the retirement of Won
Hindenburg from the Vistula was first officially
admitted in Berlin we said that his abortive raid
into Poland had lied to a new Russian advance
which puts in peril the position of the Austro-