The farmer and mechanic., 1915-05-04
TREMENDOUS BATTLE IMPENDS =
ON THE PLAINS OF HUNGARY
Lu in the Fighting Portends the Most FURIOUS fghtig
That the Eastern War Arena Has Known for Months
Clinch in the Carpathians.

East Prussia, but they were driven
back to the Niemen by the Germans
This left Won Hindenburg free to IN
wade Northern Poland and attempt
the capture of Warsaw. The German
field marshal sent General Won Eich-
horn to engage the Russians on the
Niemen General Won Bulow, with ten
army corps was statiOnec on the Sol
dau- -Willenberg line With orders TO
cross the Narew River and proceed
down it's left bank to Warsaw. The
central army got only as far as
Prasnytz Their invasion failed be- |
cause they got away rom their rail |
way communications. Won Hlnden- |
| burg had to depend on motor trans |
| port. The spring thaws set In With
vengeance, and earlier than usual.
| The German transport system was
| begged up in siush and mud, and the
advance halted for want Of supplies.
The Russian General Rusxk brought
up an army held in reserve at Ostro-
| lonka, and caught the German invad-
ers between two fires. The Germans
fell back to their own frontier.
After PrZemysis Fall.
| Meanwhile, the Austrians were
trying desperately to relieve the gar
rison at Przemysl Grand Duke
Nicholas sent a large force to the
Upper San to oppose the Austrian
movement, and in Gaiicia as we'll as
| in Poland the Russians began to gain
ground. 1t was after the fall Of
| Przemysl that the Russian movement
towards the Carpath1ans began and
gathered force, and in it's Importance
Overshadowed every otner phase Of
; the eastern conflict. The Russians,
fighting their way southwark towards
the Carpathians, have been strongly
opposed by the AuStrians, who have
contested every inch of ground. If
; the Austro German forces succeed in
divertng the Russians from their pro-
!, posed invasion of Hungary, it will be
, largely by resorting once more to Won
Hindenburg's railroad tactics
: The railroads form circular net work
: through and around the Carpathians,
> with radiating lines that extend on
the south to the Hungarian plains,
and on the north 60 the Russian
stranghOld Of CracOw. If the Ger
: mans are unable to turn Grand Duke
o Nicholas from his purpose, they can
at least readily concentrate all their
t forces on the great Hungarian plan
e in front of his armies.
In a sense the invasion Of Hungary
e already has begun. A force Of Rus
: slams recently made their way through
e the Dukla Pass, one OF the less i'm.
6 pOrtant gaps in the Carpathians, an6
q penetrated as far as Barfield in Hun
gary. The Russians have been re-
l. ported in possession also Of the Lup
: kow and Beskid Passes, to the wes
e and east of the Uzsok Pass. Rus
slams and Austrians have been in con
S, slant touch in these passes. The mail
II Austrian defensive army in Hungar,
a stretches from Eperies to Munkacs
1T From this broad line radiate the small
in er forces that are actually carrying OF
le the fighting with the Russian invades
le The railroads crossing and bisectin
n Hungary form an admirable mean
s. OF communication for this Austria
~ main body.
lr Roads Deep In Mud.
g. Even were it not for the diversio
?k which the Germans and Austrians ar
III creating by their concentration to tn
LII southeast and northwest of the Rus
MS slams, passages through these passe
Ap would be difficult at present for a
no army as huge as that of Grand Duk
as Nicholas. The SHOWS have been mel
ing on the sides Of the Carpathian
a and every valley has it's swift mou1
no tain current. Roads are deeply mire
LOT bridges dangerous and fords unce
tain. The actual invasion Of Hunga1
yar cannot begin until the snow is go1
ces and the sun and wind have dried IL
To- ground sufficiently to bear the weig]
Of OF heavy motor transport wagons az
zen artillery trains.
IAN The Carpathians themselves are Oh
re- of the most interesting mounta
lge mountain chains in the world. TIL
he are Hungary's natural defense. TIL
of form the eastern wing of the gre
of central European mountain systel
,ds, and form a huge semi circle aroul
Of Hungary and Pennsylvania. They e
uct tend within Austrian and Hungari;
in territory for distance Of more tn;
on 500 miles, and vary in width fro
IAN seven to 230 miles. After the AL
Ind they form the most extensive mou
nth tain system in Europe, but are nett
has er as lofty nor as picturesque as t
on Alps. The Carpathians are, hOWev
md wild and rugged, and winter the
n.y. is severe, with deep snow and l,
ril- temperature. The greatest altitu
in they attain anywhere is about 80
has feet, in the Tatra range. They 6
the somewhat lower at the point whs
q the Russians will cross over il
OPS, Hungary. The Beskid Pass, the M
into easterly of those held by Russia, /
l. Il