Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-04
BATTLE IN WEST GALICIA
WAS CAREFULLY PLANNED
Concentration of Great Austro- Ger.
man Force Had Been Going on
for Three Weeks.
LARGE BOOTY FOR vICTORS
Thousands of Prisoners and Huge
Quantities of Stores Fall Into
Hands of the Triumph
ant Teutons.

LONDON. MAY !. 1, 90 pm
The reported Russian reverse in
western Gallcla took precedence
over all other phases OF the war
today, and even overshadowei
discussion OF the Forthcoming
budget ..a..
Striking an average between
Austrian and German official ac-
counts. London newspapers agree
| that the Russians must have been
pushed back considerable dis
tance along this front
SixtyMile Battle Line.
The line OF battle runs north
and south distance OF about
sixty miles from the Carpathians.
over Bartfeld. to the junction of
the Dunajee and \'istula rivers on
the border OF Russian Poland.
Petrograd expresses little con-
Germ over the situation. although
admitting that the Austro-Gcr-
man forces are making strong at
tacks along the front. on which
they claim a great victory.
Eight Thousand Prisoners.
! VIENNA. via London. May THE
| Austrian official statement issued Nes-
| terday confirms the German reports of
! a big Austro-German victory along the
entire front in West Galicia, and says
| that 5000 Russian prisoners were cap
tured.
| :, large Austro German army has
been steadily concentrating before Cra-
COW for the past three weeks. th the
idea of making a new offensive move
| ment. All available Austro Hungarian
troops have been quietly transferred
during this time to the Dunaiec front.
and for fortnight past an unbroken
stream of troop trains has been pour
ing eastward from Frankfort. Berlin
and other German railroad centerS
Warning of Big Events.
Thus was warning given that big
Newspaper correspondents were per-
mitted to telegraph that new often
sve on the Russian front was IN
preparation. and even to intimate that
the blow would fall neither in the Ma
zurian lakes regions nor in the Car
pa athians Closer indications. of course.
We're out of the question
Final plans for this movement were
fer re me- he Id n Rpt-
lin April 22 between Gen. Won Falken-
hayn chief of the German staff, and
Field Marshal Conrad Won HoetZendori.
chief of the Austrian staff Gen. Mac
kenZou commando Of The German
ninth army. who came from the front
in Poland. also was present at the Ber-
lin conference.
Got the Jump on Russians.
He left for the front 10 TAX. conn
mand OF the new army ,hat same night
after receiving his final instructions.
So far as known Field Marshal N"n
Hln,ienburS did not attend the Ser n
council of wa. although h- visited
German headquarters with Cen. Mach
cnson shortly previous to this. u Is
too early to discuss the fun military
effect of this victory in tiaiicia. hut 4
is the opinion of Austrian observers
that the German and Austrian sirate-
pists got the jump on the offensive
,rhich The Russians were believed TO
be planning and of which their cam
paign in the Carpathians was thought
to have been preliminary.
The number of prisoners taken by
The Teutonic allies mentioned in the
first report is noticeably small. but the
experts here expect that the total NUM-
her of men captured and the amount
of war booty will grow rapidly.
Piercing of Russian Line.
significant feature of the reports
of This victory is the reference to the
piercing of the front of the Russian
army The Russian commanders up to
the present time usually have been
able to avoid a breach in their ltne
BY falling back before the line broke
The political value of this victor, Of
the nrst magnitude is regarded here
as quite great as the military! II
comes in the midst of the Austro-
Italian negotiations and on the eve OF
the meeting of the Italian parliament
and il comedies with the announce
the success of which would be ma
terially affected by victory at this
time
correspondent of the Neue t'reie
Presse of Vienna in the theater OF the
war has sent in the following dispatch
the battle of Sunday in
West Galicia:
Description of Battle.
"The Hungarian offensive
succeeded with surprising rapidity The
Russians occupied naturally strong
nositions on the Dunajec and the Biala,
which had been strengthened with
every imaginable method of fortifica-
tions They felt themselves absolutely
secure After a searching artillery
exceeding in intensity
ANYTHING which has occurred on the
front, the Austrians and