The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-21
Great German Generals STRAIT
egg May Compel General
Withdrawal
Petrograd Claims
Line Not Broken
kaisers Troops Drawing Near
to Lodz, Indicating Fifty-Mile
Retreat of Russian Center
Army

london. NOV. 20.-1he sixnifi-
cant news from the eastern bat
tie front today WAS that the Rus
~iaHs are continuing their attack
in East Prussia and In Southwest
Poland 1ite~e far advanced Of
fcn>iye movements could not be
maintained II the Germans had
broken the Russiaa center In their
new ard powerful advance from
Thorn through Northwest Poland.
This estimate of the situation is
made by military critics from an analy~
sis Of the official Russian and Ger
man reports, supplemented by unof-
fetal news from Petrograd and Ber-
lin There is no doubt whatever that
the genius If Genera, Won linden
burg. prJba bly, the ablest commander
who has appeared or the German
SIDE has found the men and the
method 10 endanger gravely the whole
Russian line, but 1t LIS equally certain
raj the Germans have SO far been
able only 10 prees back the Russian
center and not to break it.
So long as The Grand Duke Nicholas
can hold a defensivc position between
The Warthc and the y.stula, keeping
ms line from the Baltic to the Car
pathians intact. although far from
s{EasAtll. UiltilaIf WHITES GotlCSue tu6t
ne san continue his invasion of East
Prussia and maintain advance against
Cracow.
No Decisive Result in Sight.
The German Government claims no
vital success IN the operations at the
center and there is no 1-reconcilable
difference between the official German
and he Official Russian statements
The outstanding feature of the fight
ing in the most important region, Rus
sian Poland. between Thorn and War
saw. Is that the great battle continues
with no decisive result in sight Upon
the outcome IF that battle depends
whether or not the Russians must
withdraw from East Prussia and from
before Cracow "a necessary outcome
Of a defeat in Northwest Poland), or
whether or not the Germans would
be able to advance once more TO the
Nistula and invest Warsaw. after driv-
ing every Russian soldier from Ger
man soil.
Russia states officially that her
troops are resisting determinedly In
tGiaad, which Is an Indication that
~. retreat has stopped and that the
E8ssians have reached defense line
chosen by the commander IN chief
Tae German Government states that
me 6 lH.at4nDS are progressing anu
ards nva3on to believe that the Rus
slams will make "a stand against a
frontal attack It saay be many days
9cfore the issue will he determine
y dispatch from Petrograd says that
t.l. Germans are renewing their ag-
sresysve attack in Russian Poland
from the direction Of kal.scz
Thorn and Rypin, on both sides Of
Ghe Nistusa. According to informa-
s;oT. from a high authority in Petro-
grad 1t is apparent that they are Try
.ng 10 dr.ve n wedge toward Warsaw.
They are now probably about six
miles from Lodz and about twelve
miles from Iowiscz.
Advances Are Checked.
\ general survey of reports received
in Petrograd seems to show that the
Germans have met with a temporary
check In Poland, and that the Russian
advance an East Prussia and against
Cracow has been slowed by tho flu
rious resistance of the Germans in
the vicinity of Angerburg and of the
Austrians defending Cracow. On all
sides there Is virtually deadlock
which can be broken only by a great
victory In any one of the vast areas
~ fighting
There Is a report in Petrograd that
three German attacks delivered on
Thursday against the Russian posi-
tinns along the River Bzoura were re-
pulsed by the RUSSIAN artillery and