Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-03
GERMANS SAVE ALLY IN EAST
Close of Winter Campaign Shows Teutonic Cause in
Desperate Straits Against Russian Foe,
Expert Declares

In the Province of Posen west of the
Wartha, another Russian army was
moving southwest upon Cracow, be-
come the gate to Germany, not the
outwork OF Austria. Finally, a strong
Russian army was again in East Prus-
sia, flowing west toward the Mazurian
Lakes, spreading ruin and terror in
Its pathway. Not alone Hapsburg but
Hohenzollern interests now demanded
an offensive In the east.
Victory Sought on Vistula
BY December 1 Germany was COM
| mitted TO her eastern campaign. She
had defnitlvely failed to get a decision
in the west: she was seeking along the
| Vistula what she had missed at the
Marne and the User. Eastward from
France and Flanders corps after corps
of her veteran troops were coming
giving way to reserves; the campaign
of the west had ended.
In the military history of the future
1t is far from unlikely that Won Hin
denburg's campaign in Poland will be
estimated the finest, from the purely
professional side, in the great war.
Confused as is the record still the
world does know that at the battle Of
Lodz tho Russian army was almost
destroyed that by using his strategic
railways, by making full use of his
troops, superior in morale in train
ing. in equipment, the great German
commander almost succeeded in en-
velopIng the Russian Polish army. Two
factors served to block the second
great German bid for a decision, the
weather and the great numerical SUI
periority Of Russian reserves. BY all
the seasonal calculations Polish roads
should have been frozen solid; they
were river of mud. Winter, which
In Napoleon's invasion had begun pre-
maturely, now held off with equal per-
versity. From the closing sides of
the German net the Russians slipped
safely. At Lodz their losses were enor-
nous; but when the battle was over,
when they had withdrawn, they stood
behind the Bzura rs solldly as the Bel
CLANS behind the User.
In the eastern campaign the battle
of Lodz was wholly comparable with
that Of the Marne in the west. At
the Marne the Germans lost and re-
treated, at Lodz they won local sue
cess and advanced a few moro miles,
but these two conflicts were the de-
cisive engagements of the war to May
L; in both Germany failed in the battle |
which was to dispose Of n nation. BY |
,TauInrV I she
Poland as in Northern France, the |
great prize had escaped her, only the |
incidental advantage had been brought |
home. She had set out to destroy an |
army first in the west, then in the |
east, she had won some kilometres or |
versts Of territory, captured some hun !
dreds of thousands of French and Rus
slams, demonstrated the superiority of
her organization in both fields. but the |
war was beginning not ending.
Greater Prize Lost
The close Of the winter campaign in
the east shows Germany the gamer
in number Of great battles, holding
many square miles of Russian terri
tory, so far inexpugnable, on her new
front from the Baltic to the Nida.
Measured by local advantage the prize
Is fairly hers, but the greater reward
has slipped through her hands. Rus
sia has not been crushed, decisively
beaten back TO the Vistua; Warsaw
holds out. But, above ALL Russian at
tack is now at the summit of the Car
pathians. German effort concentrated !
In meeting Russian offensive.
In sum, the end of the winter cam
paign saw German fortunes in the east
not less desperate than they had been
in the opening weeks of winter. She
had Won provinces and lost time, now
she must deal with all three of her
opponents, for the first time prepared
as she had been in August Hope of
decision against one had vanished.
only her own allies We're weaker than
N August; France, Russia, even Eng
and were ready now. Not only ready,
out in the Carpathlans and in France
and Belgium pressing more and more
heavily against German resistance.
German defense. Germany had been
granted her opportunity, her chance
'or decision. Spring saw the Allies
'eachng out to grasp their chance saw
ne whole problem of the great war
changing with the season.