Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-06


= - recently were swept back from
the neig hborhood of Ivansorod
and Warsaw almost to the frontier, are
again threatening Poland
Only a few weeks ago Petrograd dis
patches told of the important battle
which occurred in the vicinity of War
saw. The Russians under the Grand
Duke Nicholas, it is said gained one
of the most decisive engagements of
the war. He not only outflanked the
invaders. but hurled them back almost
20 the frontier. the reports state. beside
taking more than 10000 prisoners and
capturing many Maxims and field guns
flight.
Berlin dispatches have told of Rus
sian defeats near the Poland frontier
at Lipno and kutno, in the government
of Warsaw. and about seventy-fve
miles west of the capital city Of Po-
land. Cen Won Buelow. the newly ap-
pointed head of the eighth army, in
trusted with the defense of East Prus-
STA by the kaiser. it is said, is expected
to execute another attempt to cross tho
Vistula and seize Warsaw, notwith-
standing the disastrous effects of the
former campaign. The city is recog-
nized as being the great strategic
stronghold in the conflict in Poland.
Warsaw is beautifully situated upon
the left bank of the broad Vistula
river. Built upon an elevated terrace,
on the edge of fertile valley, which
descends abruptly by steep slopes to
the river below, Warsaw lies on a ter
race which rises from 120 to $50 feet
above the Tistula. The river is from
1900 to almost 2.00G feet broad where
il is connected with the suburbs on the
opposite shore.
Three bri(:a.s cross the vistula. join;
ing Praga SAl Warsaw. The railroad
bridge passes 20 close as to be almost
under the guns of the old Alexander
citadel. which lies to the north. The
story goes that the citadel was erected
insurrection of the year before, when
Warsaw was captured by Prince Ivan
Paskevitch. the -chief OF
the Russian forces. who later became
governor of Poland.
The irate Russian emperor. it IL said.
explained to the Poles at the time the
sitadel was built that it was not for
the protection of Warsaw. but. on the
contrary. was intended to keep his bel
iigerent subjects in order. The Poles
were sternly warned that If there was
another uprising during his reign the
guns of the citadel would raze their
city to the ground And the little ia
Their" also pertinently added:
And Warsaw will not be rebuilt,
promise you, as long as I live"
Needless to say. with the citadel star
ing them menacingly in the face. the
Poles were for many years kept in
helpless subsection. Although in recent
years the ancient stronghold has been
much improved. it is still of the old
type. 1t has six forts, but they are too
close to the walls of the fortress to be
Of much use in modern warfare.
South of the citadel lies the old town
of Stare Miasto. the Jewish quarter.
While it is as uncleanly. it is not as
bad as the Jewish sections found in
many other Russian cities. The old
town. with its antique buildings and
crooked and narrow little streets, sug-
gests Germany in many parts. The old
Cathedral of St. John is the most an
cient edifce In Warsaw. 1t was built
in the thirteenth century and restored
in the seventeenth.
In another suburb, known as VIOLA,