New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-25
The German Success in Poland.

II is clear now that the victory which Berlin
celebrated last week, much TO the mystifcauon
o. the outside world, was not victory won on a
particular day OF on a particular oattehe1d' IL
was merely the definite success of the strateglcal
plans on which Field Marshal Won Hindenburg
had relied 70 check the Russian offensive against
Posen and Sesa that Germany jubiated over
Won Hndenburg in his report spoke only OF the
sbattering of the Russian offensive; he did not
mention any special action. He had in mind the
result of all the actions which had occurred since
he began his drive from Thorn toward warsaw
about the middle of November.
The chief purpose of that move was to relieve
Russian pressure on Cracow. The ancient capitai
of Poland on the upper Vistula is the vital point
in the German-Aust Hungarian line Of defence
On the eastern front With the Russians In pos
session of Cracow, the connection between the
German and Austro- Hungarian armies would be
broken, since from that base the Cars forces
could operate in one direction against Vienna ana
In the opposite direction. through Bresau, against
Berlin Public opinion in Austria and IN Hun
gary would compel recall of the armies OF the
Dual Monarchy TO protect the territory south OF
the Carpathians, and Germany would be left to
carry on her own fight against an invasion Of
Prussia's eastern provinces.
Won Hindenburg has realized the value Of Won
Bernhardi's injunction that the best defence
against Russia is a tactical offensive. lie there
fore decided to protect Cracow by an advance
against Warsaw. That advance has been pressed
with great persistency, despite many partial re-
verses and the German armies, after a months
costly fighting, have pushed the Russians in West
ern Poland nearly back TO their bases on the
middle Vistula. The latest dispatches indicate
that Cracow has been relieved, the Russians find
ing it necessary TO yield ground In Western
Galcia in order to make their lines there conform
to the retirement on Warsaw.
There can be no doubt that Won Hindenburg
has accomplished his main purpose, which was
TO dictate the conditions under which the cam
paign on the eastern front should proceed. He
tried similar movement in October, when his
armies got up to within cannon shot Of Warsaw
and Ivangorod. That movement failed and the Ger
mans retreated to their own frontier. Now the
pendulum is swinging back again. The Russian
advance has recoiled and the offensive has passed
for time TO the Germans.
In the October recoil the Russians had to fall
back beyond the Vistula and San rivers and
abandon the siege of Przemysl. This time their
retirement is much less extensive. Przemysl re-
mains invested and the Austro-Hungarian armies
have not yet gotten much of foothold north Of
the Carpathians. The siege of Cracow is raised,
but the Russians are still strongly established in
and a heavy toll in casualties to drive them back
anywhere near the lines which they occupied in
the early part of October
The value to the allied cause of the rapid diver
sion of German strength TO the Polish front is
apparent. The campaign conducted by Won Hin
denburg has had its immediate effect in relieving
the situation in Servia and putting the German
armies in the west on the defensive. Even the
Germans know that they can win no decisive sue
cess against Russia. a serious invasion of the
Cars domains is out Of the question. Whatever
is done on the eastern front is done to protect
Posen, Silesia and East and West Prussia. A mega
tive rather than a positive result is aimed at.
Therefore from the point Of view of the grand
strategy Of the war the deeper the Germans get
involved on the eastern front the better the pros
pect for the Allies In the sort Of fighting which
Germany is inviting in Poland victory must
eventually incline to the side with the larger
resources and greater numbers