Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-09
Preparing Russian Mind

That Lodz is in the possession of the
sian official report just issued apparently
is preparing the public mind for the
news by referring to the difficulty o.
defending the city. which gives to the
Russian front an abnormal contour, and
forecasts a reforming of the line.
Details of these mighty battles have
yet to be written. The general fact thai
there has been fearful slaughter and in
tense suffering from the cold comprises
about the total of the information re.
ceived
The Germans claim they are pursuing
the Russians to the south and southeas
ents were with the Russian army wher
| the battle broke, but nothing has beer
heard from them for several days. Evil
IDENTIFY they are under the hand Of q
strict censorship.
British military experts insist that
three quarters of the best material OF
the German army has been held in the
western theater of the war throughout the
campaign. and that the troops opposed
to the Russians consist principally OF
second line organizations.
The situation around Lodz proves
rather mystifying to the Petrograd
correspondents of the London newspa-
pers. They are disinclined to admit
the retirement is a definite Russian
reverse and relieve rather that the
movement away from Lodz will be
eventually shown to have been dictat-
ed by sound strategic motives.
All the dispatches. moreover. en-
phasize the tremendous cost in men OF
the latest German operation, without
any commensurate gain"
The Petrograd newspapers call their
readers attention to the fact that with
the new year Russia will throw a huge
army into this territory to hasten
the decisive blow
The Petrograd correspondent Of the
Daily News says:
ut has been increasingly evident for
several days that the process of an ir-
regular siege in the region of Lodz
and Lowicz was not helping the Rus
slams toward the delivery Of de-
cisive blow on the enemy.
Handicap to Russians.
The handicaps of the terrain and
incessant positional battles were cal
culated to detain a large Russian force
in operations which did not further
the main purposes of annihilating the
Germans or driving them back into
Germany.
"It was evident that sound strategy
had been served by deploying the Rus
sian troops into a new position Tor a
sneedier and more aggressive cam
paiRn. Immediate interest now centers
south of Cracow. where the Germans
are attempting to cross Dounaets river
on the Russian left Hank.
The Posts Petrograd correspondent
"All signs point to a regrouping OF the
hostile forces and the Strengthening out
of the knots and tangles. Both sides
probably need rest and recuperation.
A Petrograd dispatch to Reuters Tele-
gram Company, the date Of which Is not
eiyen. says German aviators. with head
Quarters at Czenstochows, continue to
drop bombs on Lodz. According to the
latest reports, says the dispatch, the town
hall. three large factories and forty-seven
houses have been destroyed Thirty per-
sons have been killed and 200 wounded.
German Troops at Cracow.
PETROGRAD. December (via Lon
Bourse Gazette quotes "a high
authority as saying that the defense of
Cracow, the Galician stronghold now be-
ing attacked by the Russians. has been
stiffened by the addition of German troops
to the garrison.
.'The German plan of using only Ger
man troops in the northern campaign
along the Vistula river and Of sending all
has been changed" says this authority.
THE need of reinforcements caused the
Germans to withdraw Austrians from
Cracow to Lodz. Hence the two armies
are again mixed"
This same authority makes a state
ment in line with the official commune
cation of today which indicated that
the withdrawal of Russian troops from
Lodz soon would be announced. He
says that the importance Of Lodz as
basis for military maneuvers has now
been lost. owing to its position at the
point Of an angle extending into ter
ritory controlled by the enemy. and
on account of the difficulty of main
communication with the rear.
These circumstances. he adds. make the
continued occupation of Lodz more Of
4 hindrance than a help. and when
active operations in that section are
resumed the Russian front probably
will be Strengthened.
Cracow Nearly Deserted.
VIENNA. via London, December 81
A dispatch from Warsaw to the Secolo !
Bays the population Of CEacow has been