Evening star., 1915-02-22
ARM|ESSTAKEALL
ON FIERCE BATTLE
IN THE MOUNTAINS
Russ Meets Teuton for De.
ciSive Test in Passes of
the Carpathians.
OTHER MOVEMENTS NOW
ARE DEEMED SECONDARY


ARE DEEMED SECONDARY
After Fifty Days of Fighting, the
Victory Remains Still to
Be Decided. h
EXPLAINS RUSSIAN RETREAT
Official Petrograd Statement Says
Tenth Army Was Overwhelmed
by Superior Forces in East
Prussia.
BERLIN, February q, via
London, $3.50 p.m.-The German
official statement issued today
announces that the captures in
the battle of the Mazurian lakes
district of East Prussia have been
increased to seven generals and
more than 100, 900 men.
The pieces of cannon taken
numbered $50.
Victory in the Balance.
LONDON. February ee.-
Fighting in the Carpathian noun
tains still is being fiercely prose
cuted bv the Russian and Austro-
German forces, but apparently
without decisive results for either
side.
These mountain passes are now
recognized by army men as form
ing the most difficult section OF
the long eastern battle front, and
the impression is growing among
military observers in London that
the other movements of both the
Russians and the Germans are
merely neutrality-suspicious. de-
signed ta~sffect the result of the
struggle at the gateway
to Hungary.
Says Blow Fell Short.
The crushing blow which Germany
hoped TO deliver against the Russians
from East Prussia has fallen short, teie-
graphs the Daily Nails Petrograd cor
The Russians have extricated their
main body from the German pincers.''
says the dispatch. land the Germans, in
stead of attacking, are being attacked.
reinforcements are arriving con-
stantly in large numbers.
"A fierce attack from the direction of
Lomza compelled the Germans to bring
troops from the north and abandon for
the moment their advance toward the
River Niemen, where only their cavalry
is operating in small bodies The Ger
man movement toward the fortress OF
Novo Georgiewisk continues, but less
All along the line, in fact.
there is noticea BILE slackening OF effort"
Front 100 Miles Long.
A Petrograd dispatch to the Times
says that the Russian counter move to
the German advance from East Prus-
sia has begun along front of 100
niles to the north of the Bohr and
Narew rivers.
The Russian losses in East Prussia.
IS given by the German commander.
fn1E ,1f
hey were undoubtedly heavy. In Petro-
grad it is thought the German move
nent in East Prussia is a diversion to
;alicia, to which country the Ger
mans apparently intend to direct their
main effort. Six new German army
,orps have been concentrated south Of
he Carpathians.
Russians Explain Retreat.
PETROGRAD. February 22-Expla-
ation of the Russian retirement from
Cast Prussia is contained in com
nunicatIon given out last night by the
,eneraI staff. Successes of the German
CUP are attributed largely to the lack
f strategic railways which prevented
he Russians from concentrating with
eceSSdfg Tdplultf Oi ouT I>dsl
ian frontier forces indispensable to
yard off this drive of the enemy"
The general staff asserts that the
nassing of German troops in East
russia was revealed to the Russians
4. but that the magnitude Of
he concentration did not become
nown until several days later Be
ause of three conditions, it is stated.
of the 10th Russian Army
rom East Prussia toward the frontier
,as decided upon. This was followed
,ter by a further retirement toward
he Niemen and the Bobr rivers The
follows:
Germans Adopt New Plan.
,ptionally obstinate and tenacious at
lcks which cost them innumerable
ictims, became persuaded of the i'm
ossibility of dislodging us from the
# bank of the Nistula. and proceeded
the end of January to put a new
an into operation
Having finished the formation in the
terror of their country of several new
,rps, and deciding to continue the
of troops from their
est front in order to make a supreme
fort against us. profiting by their net
ork of railroads. the Germans were
labled to launch an overwhelming
rec against our 10th Army, which oc-
,pied strongly organized positions
ong the Angerapp river and the Ma
Irian lakes.
.aTo assure the success of the coup
"a Carmang tranSported alao mart ~