The Washington times., 1914-11-16
SEVEN SLAV ARMIES
CLOSING ON GERMANY
Cars Attacking Forces in East
Comprise 100000 Men in
New Offensive.

LONDON. Nov. 16-The situation in
the eastern theater of war is sum-
married by military critics as more
favorable to Russia than at any time
since the outbreak of hostilities. three
and half months ago. Germany and
Austria have failed twice in powerful
offensive movements and are now en-
tirely concerned with the problem of
blocking the Russians from German
territory.
In this they have not been wholly
successful. since Russian troops are
further within east Prussia than ever
before and have even broken through
,ie Warthe line in west Poland and
gained a foothold at various points in
Posen and Silesia. This appears to be
due not so much to the weakness of
the German resistance as to the con-
stantIy growing power of the Russian
attack and to the superior generalship
of the RussNn commander in chief
Russia has been able not merely to
repair losses but to add at least 200 900
trained troops to her first line armies
every month.
numbering 100000 men, are now at
tempting to close in on GERMANY On
the Russian right wing two armies are
advancing toward the east Prussian de-
tense line of Dantzig- Thorn, with the
obvious purpose of holding the river
Fistula from the Baltic to Thorn and
making any turning movement by the
Germans in the north impossible when
the central armies, now advancing in
west Poland against Breslau. are ready
TO strike with full force.
Miles In Germany.
The first army holds Stailuponen and
the railway line to Gumbinnen and In
sterburg and is believed TO have occu-
pied probably twenty-five or thirty
miles of German territory. The second
army, cooperating with great energy,
is advancing in an entirely new line, to-
ward the northwest, and has gained
foothold at Soldau, johannesburg and
the region south of Allenstein. There
are reports that the Germans are at
tempting an offensive movement from
Thorn. where they have concentrated
new troops.
In Poland three Russian armies are
attacking the frontier Of Polsa and
Si,esia. concerned for the moment with
driving every German detachment from
Polish soil. One, apparently operating
south and west of Plock. has found
pear to have penetrated into German |
territory. A fourth Russian army has
troken through the German defense at |
the Warthe and has pushed an advance |
guard into Posen, holding a position at |
Pleschen.
A fifth, moving southwestward, is at
the gates of Cracow. and. according to
official announcements in Petrograd, is /
attacking the outer defenses Of the
city. There are unofficial reports that
this army's right wing has occupied
Czenstachova.
Two Russian armies are operating in
Calicia. One is nearing Cracow. hav-
Ing captured Tarnow, sixty-five miles
to the east, and having reached the
River Dunajec. 1t is reported that
ra!ding considerably west of that city.
= his army is cooperating with the
hfth Russian army. advancing on Cra-
row from the northeast. The two forces
are rapidly converging, with. their ad-
vance guards within forty to fifty
current in Petrograd, and repeated
from Rome, that Cracow has fallen to
The Russians. but ii is believed here
that the report is premature.
Drive gainst Austrians.
The seventh Russian army. very ac-
tive in central Galicia, is engaged in
the business OF driving the Austrians
into Hungary and appears to be ac-
its task effectively. 1t
has thrown a claw around Przernysl
while pressing the Austrians south ward
md westward
In all OF these operations the Rus
slams appear to be acting cautiously,
although with no less dash and conf |
ience than characterized their earlier
dvances.
Where the advance in east Prussia
nearly three months ago was an in I
dependent raid, launched for the pur- {
pose of relieving the strain on the !
allies in the west. il is now a part Of
tlW whole general forward movement !
Where the operations in Poland werc {
almost entirely defensive three months
ago. they are now completely OF an
offensive chara cter, interIocked with {
he movements to the north and south 1
Finally. the new offensive in Galicia {
has the support of a powerful often
live in Poland. and is further helped {
'y the apparent split between the Ger {
- h. ~