The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-24

ports Of Won Hindcnburg's latest
stroke in East Prussia have grown
more and more triumphant. Starting
with 10000, the Berlin estimates of
the new harvest Of Russian prisoners
have multiplied the total to 100000.
And with all the indications of A vic
tory there has been not n word said
OF a great bnttle. Of another Tanner
burg. The puzzle is in a way to be
solved, for now has come the Russian
version Of the latest Slav disaster.
and il il as frank in its admission as
were the previous reports on both
Tannenburg and LODI.
The official explanation from Petro-
grad supplies the solution of the dues-
ton how the German arms won with.
out any stubborn fight against a sol
diery reputed the most grudging OF
all men in yielding. In this report.
prepared with the information of the
Russian General STAFF. is revealed the
other side Of the story, that which
even to Won Hindenburg and his as.
sistants must have remained n mys-
terry.
At the end ~ January Grand Duke
Nicholas for the first time felt as
sured of the security of Warsaw
against the repeated and costly Ger
man attacks from LODI and Lowicz.
The Bzura defences had held. and the
very desperation and violence Of the
German frontal assault had disclosed
its hopelessness. 4 great mass OF
troops. organized rs the Russian Tenth
Army. waited only for this moment.
The successful defence Of Warsaw re-
leased this army. waiting about its
base at wilma with its face To the
East Prussian frontier.
At the word it pressed forward.
surrounding the enormous difficulties
that oppose the passage Of several
hundred thousand men through a
country Of mere wheeltracks in the
depth ~ winter. The invaders were
served by two railroads. the east-west
line from wilma to lnsterhurg and n
secondary line from Bielo,tok To the
Mazurian Lake region. Although
these lines gave scant means for con
veying and feeding any great body Of
troops. to say nothing Of supplying
them with the vast quantities of am
munition needed for a battle, still they
were sufficient when worked to their
limit at least 10 aid n rapid advance.
sweep of Russian Invaders.
In the four or five days that fol.
lowed tn" first imretuouS rush of COS.
sacks against and over tho German
picket line, the Russian invasion >wep,
across the border with the silent speed
and the inclusive thoroughnp>S of a
white frost. Here were the Russians.
by reputation among the least enter.
pri>inC of soldiers. carrying out on a
vast scale an enterprise that had al
NV htSu anu an lUe nlllIl rus 10
luck that belong TO n torpedo raid
The men were rushed forward. M
matter whether there Wa u way ia
bring them all back in case of defeat
or not. The soldiers themselves had
To press on in advance, to relieve the
roads, that the great trains Of o1uip.
mcnt. ~ponderous and extended, might
crawl M, by rail and by army wagon
In an astonishingly short time al rhi,
bold front, far ahead Of It's mechanical
supports. vas ~hammering al the out.
skirts Of The first tier OF Prussiar
towns. Tilsit, Gumhinncn. LICK and
Johannisherc. At that moment.
formidable as /, seemed. tho invading
army was. on account of its very
rapidly of advance. defcuccles-
against any force Of aprroximatcly
equal size that might attack il.
Won H~indcnburg, however. was busy
before Warsaw. more than two hun.
dred miles away. There was fair
hope that the Russians NIGH, have
time to organize their line through
certain cov"tNl positions. and hv
bringing up their equipment make thlt
line im%precnahlc before The defenders