Evening star., 1914-11-15
EAST PRUSSIA NOW
NEARLY ENVELOPED
BYCzAR'S ARMIES
Petrograd Claims Progress
and Occupation of Tar
now in Galicia.
GERMANS HAVE DECIDED
ON STAND BEHIND WERTHE
Defeat of Foe at Wloclawek by
Kaiser's Forces Is
Reported.
SLAVS PUSHING ON CRAC0W
Teutons Said to Be Attempting
Thanking Movement-Mere
Boys Moved Down in
Fighting.
GERMANS HAVE DECIDED
ON STAND BEHIND WERTHE
sLAvs PUSHING ON CRAC0w


Russian armies, continuing their
enveloping movement around
East Prussia. have now entered
Rypin, which is west of Soldau
and on the road to Thorn, so
that they have now almost sur
rounded Emperor Williams
northwestern and favorite prov
lnce. -.--
Just southwest of Rypin, how
ever. the Germans have taken the
offensive from Thorn and claim
to have inflicted a defeat on the
Russians near Wloc1awek, on the
Nistula river.
Germans to Make Stand.
The Germans after all seem to have
decided to make a stand behind the
Werthe river, in Russian Poland. for
the Russians announce that there have
been engagements with the German
advance guards between that river and
the Vistula. 1t may be, however that
the mass Of the German army. having
retired to the borders of Silesia. these
EN- ngagements were intended only to de-
lay the Russian advance
further south the Russians continue
20 push on to the Austrian fortress of
Cracow. which is defended by Austrian
troops under German officers.
Russian Staff Statement.
The general staff of the Russian ar,,v
has given out an official announcement
as follows:
I'm East Prussia We continue to
make progress. We have captured
five German howitzers near Sol
dau November 13 we forced the
Iermans to retire from Rypin Be
tween the Vistula and the Werthe
~, nare had encounters with ad-
Fance detachments of the enemy
In the direction of Cracow Rus
sian troops have crossed the River
Schren1ava We have occupied Tar
now. in Gaiicia."
German View of Situation,
The German official statement In re-
gard to the operations in the east saws.
The lighting continues in East
russia. and at Stallupcenen we took
$50 Russian prisoners. No decision
get has been reached at Soldau
In the district of Vlaclawec
Russian army corps has been re-
pulsed and 1900 prisoners and
twelve machine guns fell into our
hands"
Side Flanking Movement.
The new grouping of German forces
is regarded in Petrograd as an attempt
OH the part of the Germans to threaten
the Russian advance upon Cracow by a
side fianking movement.
Military experts declare that the Ger
man cavalry operating in this district
is composed mostly of troops thor
oughly seasoned in the fighting in Bel
Eium. On the other hand, an officer
who has returned to Petrograd from
the East Prussian front reiterates the
report that the Germans are sending
whole companies of infantry formed
almost exclusively of very young men
into the first battle line.
"One of the saddest features of the
fighting that I Witnessed this Of
ficer said. was the sight of these
youngsters. some of them fifteen and
sixteen years old. moving forward
shoulder to shoulder like automatons,
and being cut down like grain by the
fire from out machine guns"
Put Forth Full Strength.
This officer said it was apparent to
the Russian commanders at the front
that the Germans in East Prussia were
putting forth all their strength. He
described East Prussia and the Rus
sian territory adjoining it on the east
as blanketed by fire.
While the Germans are concentrat-
ing elsewhere the defense of Cracow
is being provided for by two Austrian
armies officered by Germans. These
two armies are converging from Cali
cia and the Kielce region in Russian
Poland, their rear guards, according to
Russian reports being constantly bounded
by the advancing Russians.