New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-15
Force Reforms Lines on
Frontier After Retreat
in East Prussia.
COLUMN MAKES
STAND IN BUKOWlNA
Great Fight Expected on
Sereth River-RaWka
Front Active.
TBy Cable to The Tribune. J

petroprad. Feb 14-While the Rus
SLAMS northernmost armies, after
hasty but orderly retirement from tne
Mazurian Lakes region of East frus-
STA, are readjusting their lines 10 CIV
battle to the oncomng herman hos'
their columns which had begun re-
treat in the Austrian crown province
of Bukowina have turned on the FORCES
of the Teutonic allies at the RIVER
Sereth preparatory to general engage
nent. ,Lo.
from the two extremities OF the nus
sian front indicate to military experts
here that both the armies OF Grand
Duke Nicholas have formed along po-
gitions previously chosen as the places
for disputing most effectively the at
tempted advance of their foes.
In the mean time there are many IN
dications that the Germans in central
Poland have not finally abandoned
their plan to cut way through 70
Warsaw. In spite of the heavy drafts
made upon their troops on the leIt
hank Of the Vistula to strengthen their
armies in East Prussia and Northern
Poland. il is expected here that fleio
Marshal Won Hindenburg's forces along
the Bzura and Rawka rivers will soon
make another violent assault upon the
lines defending the Polish capital.
Petrograd Confident.
Petrograd apparently is viewing with
eouanimity the situation in both the
northern and southern theatres OF the
war. in spite of the German claims OF
n great success in East Prussia and
the series of official announcements
from Vienna that the Cars forces are
being driven rapidly from Bukowina'
II is known that the Russians IN the
southern district still hold the capital
of the Austrian province, Czernowitz'
which is a score of miles above the
The northern battle line now
stretches over a front Of eighty miles
wide, from the Niemen River, due east
of Tilsit, where there is fighting on
the frontier, down to the southeast cor
ner of East Prussia. The present dis
position of this section of the armies
of Grand Duke Nicholas is regarded
here as advantageous to the Russians,
even after the Germans success IN
conducting a well masked and swift
advance across both ends of East
Prussia.
II is regarded as unquestionable that
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg project
ed his latest operations in the north
in the belief that he could bring on
another Tannenberg. The Russians re-
Gently got some distance across the
scene of the battles Of the early days
of the war. The army in the north was
in a region Of plains, partly covered
with bare woods. II had reached the
neighborhood of Insterburg and Tilsit
when a strong German column, formed
at Koenigsberg, was shot forward at
great speed into the gap between the
Niemen and the Inster.
Concurrently with this advance, Won
Hindenburg sent across the northern
edge of Poland, behind screen Of
cavalry, another flying column. which
has been continuously fighting the
Russians in the region Of Serpiec and
Mlawa.
For a fortnight German line has
been pushed into East Prussia, south
Of the region where the Russians long
have been facing German entrenched
positions among the lakes. The Rus
sian left wing had time to draw into
more open country, and turned upon
the Germans on the plain near Lyck.
where it still holds them back after
having inflicted severe losses on them.
Inc aggregate ItSuIb VI NOH 'iihNSh
burg's major tactics is that he must
bring still more men into the wide
space Of comparatively fiat country be-
low the Niemen or submit to renewed
pressure westward by the Russians,
whose northern army is still practical
" intact. Its only appreciate loss fell
On one of the divisions which had not
| had time to link up with the main unit.
The evident hope of the Kaiser that
! he could, by this most recent rush Of
! the campaign, place East Prussia in
comparative security and turn a sub
/ stantial proportion of his men who had
/ been held there to the western theatre
/ of war for the expected great battle Of
! the spring must be abandoned. The en-
tire length of the East Prussian frontier
/ remains open for battles on a large
( scale. The first of them is already
preparing in formidable dimensions.
Prepare for Another Dash.
A thaw has let in among the river
courses of Central Poland, but General
Won Mackensen is busily engaged in
moving his columns across muddy fields
under Russian shell fire for yet an
other onslaught on the Russian lines
along the Rawka.
The Russians position in the Car
pathians continues to be sati factory.
J They have pressed on behind the head
waters Of the San and have seized some
fortified positions which the German
engineers had prepared. The Austro-
German troops are still fighting des-
perately for the heights which control
the Murkacz road, and a part of one of
their divisions has intrenched itself
only forty PAGES from the head of the
rock shelters held by the Russians.
A thorough scrutiny of the situation
has convinced military observers that
reports from Bucharest that an Austro-
German campaign against Servia has
begun are untrue. Nearly all the
troops which might have been thrown
against Servia have had to be sent to
meet the Russians in the Carpsthisns
1t is believed that probably all Of the
Germans other spare units are needed