Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-22
RUSSIAN HORDES
BAFFLE GERMANS
IN FIERCE ONRUSH
Avalanches of Troops, With
Terrific Cossack Raids,
Overwhelm East Prussia.
Celerity Marks Moves.
PETRoGRAD, Sept .,

PETRoGRAD. Sept. o.
Such success as has come to the pr..
sian armies against the Germans in Ea,,
Prussia has proved welcome surnr,.o
to many OF the veteran troops Of ,ho
Czar who, at the beginning OF the rrea,
European war, still smarted from tbo
effects Of their defeats by the Japaneso
There has been a change in the cona,.
tion of things on the Russo-Gernan
frontier that might surprise even nor.
sons familiar with the Russian plan q,
campaign. One Russian officer at least.
who may be regarded as a reliable All.
thority, has been much surprised BY tbs
rapid progress of the Russian advance
Originally five Russian army corn,
were ordered to the Austrian frontier
for the purpose of delaying the Austrian
advance IL It should be directed aesinst
that line However. the Russian Gem
eral Staff was quite convinced that the
main attack would aim at Warsaw
through Poland, and to meet that at.
tack two new army corps were sent for.
ward and at the same time the cavalry
on the left flank (Chotin and Kielcej
was strengthened.
The Austrian invading army met only
weak opposition in Poland, and the two
Russian corps appeared to retire.
Suddenly the Russian cavalry in tho
South, that is to say. on the left wing
based on Kielce, took the offensive. Al
the same time the Russian army was
ready to pour her enormous masses into
Prussia from the northeast frontier.
The great Russian mobilization was
ready several days before Germany had
expected, and just at the moment when
Germany should have made her decisive
blow at France and been able to spare
her first line troops for meeting the Prus.
sian attack. This plan became a failure
Now, Russia has more than two and
one-half million troops in the northeast
corner of Prussia alone. and the Cossa.k
cavalary number 10000, in seven battle
divisions The German defence against
this avalanche consists of second line
reservists, not more than 100000 strong,
already retiring to the row of forts along
the Vistula between Konigsberg, Marien-
burg. and Torn.
However this line will be difficult to
force by an invading army; it will be
more difficult for the reservist army,
which has only $40 guns and about 600
Maxim guns, to defend.
The effect OF this heavy Russian at
tack is noticeable everywhere in the east
stern pressure. People are leaving their
homes in fright of the Cossack hordes.
who are spreading with an enormous
celerity.
There are still about 10000 Russians in
Germany in a distressful plight More
than 10000 of the German Russians have
left during the last two weeks to return
home by way OF Sweden. All of them
were lacking the ordinary necessaries Of
life, but the Swedish people everywhere
have tried to lessen their sufferings, and
at the main railway functions where
the special trains stopped. Swedish ladieB
have distributed food and rugs, etc,
among the miserable people. They all
tell the most appalling stories of the,
rough treatment they have met with at
several places in Germany, but at the
same time they tell many stories of Ger
man courtesy and chivalrous behavior
toward the female fugtives.