The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-16
Specso, Cobie Despatch to TEE suS


LoNpoN. Dec. i5.-The Germans Of
the left bank of the Vistula, in Poland
are concentrating in preparation sup
posedly for another drive against War
saw. according to a statement issued a
Russian general headquarters in Petro
grad to-day.
The communication was as follows:
In the Mlawa region our action
continues and the success gained by
our troops has been maintained.
On the left bank Of the vistula
large forces Of the enemy arc con-
Ccntratins. In the area adjacent To
the river near How the presence of
several new bodies OF the enemy
which have just reached our front
has been disclosed
Since the morning OF December IL
tMonday) there has been fierce fight
ing between Lowlscz, the Fistula
and the left bank OF the Bzura, and
both sides have been alternately on
the offensive and defensive. our
troops. however, have been able to
make some progress.
The fighting in the other regions
along the whole stretch Of the front
has been less intense. a marked
Weakening of the enemy between
Czenstochowa and Cracow is re-
ported. and in that region the Ger
mans are completing their move
ments by railway toward the passes
of the Carpathians
In western Galicia the battle Is
developing.
Tho correspondent OF the Times y
Petrograd telesraphs the following:
Austrian columns are pouring Owe
Dukla Pass in the Carpathians int,
Gaicia. The Grand Duke Nicholas
records the fact without the slightes
comment. II is the consensus Of opinion
in military circles that his attitude o
equanimity is warranted"
The following official statement va;
given out In retrograd tonight.
~ the operations on the Russian
prussiau front afford the German
General stan no opportunity of re-
cordng even minor successes for the
Gerrsn army, the German COM
ndnders nave had recourse system
atically To the medium OF semi -otii-
cial state 'nsntS with the evident oh
ject Of misleading public opinion and
inducing Il To believe that German
arms were victorious At points where,
a, a matter of fact. they suffered de-
feats Tnis was tho case during the
iirst Russian invasion OF East Prus-
sta, when the Germans announced
their defeat at Stillupoenen AS a VIC
tory. In the last few days there AaS
been further evidence of these tactics.
The statement then goes on to refer -
tho German denial Of the Russian an
uouncement % victory near C5ensto
choVl on No, ember 20, claiming that IN
Russian Seventeenth Corps had been gu
to pieces on that day. Then Il Conr1nu's
IL may he mentioned that a German
official cornmunique previously pub
lished had stated that there was no
serious lighting on the CZenstochoys-
Cracow front on November 20. From
this Il can be seen where things were
going badly.
The extreme ends OF the battle line il
Poland continued to-day 20 see sever,
igh,inr
In the south the Austr!ans. with tn
aid OF the troop Withdrawn from
Servia, are making a tremendous effor
and appear 10 be pushing back the Rus
slams In tho region OF Cracow. In tn
north Russian reports OF a victory a
Mlawi are confirmed by an official state
n-nt given out in Berlin which says:
The column which advanced from
Soldlu by way Of Mlawa in the di-
rection of Z!enChanow had to return
10 It's previous line because of the
superior forces of the enemy.
Elsewhere in Poland there ~
nothing of Importance to report.
our operations have been hindcred
10y bad weather.
The progress OF the Austrian. through
the passes OF the Carpath!ans is re,
ported TO have been accelerated. CnofH.
cial Russian reports admit the gravity
OF the situation In that district, but say
that the issue has not been decided TIL,
Austrians have an enormous task laic
out for them. They are not only at,
tempting to clear Hungary of Russian