Evening star., 1915-08-01
RUSSIAN EMBASSY
ON WARSAW'S FALL
Lack of Munitions Compels De-
fensive Campaign by
MuSCovites.
WESTERN FRONT SAID
TO BE WEAKEST POINT
Petrograd Expects Eventually to
Wear Down Teutonic Allies
and Win War.

NEW YORK. July 31-In re ronse TO
request from the Associated Press
for a statement on the present situa-
lion at Warsaw. the Russian embassy
tonight gave out the following:
THE reasons for the probable evac-
uation of Warsaw are these: A vast
number of men with full equipment
and ample supplies has been directed
against the Russian forces in the Pol
ish capital. On the western front Gin
Poland) there has been concentrated
nearly the entire Austro-Hungarian
army, excepting the forces assigned to
duty on the Italian frontier. and in
addition seventy divisions Of the Ger
man army. supported by nearly all the
German cavalry. Furthermore, the
Turks have diverted a portion of the
Russian army to the Caucasus.
"As result of the exceptional devel-
opment of German and some Austrian
Industries the enemies of Russia dis
pose of enormous quantities OF artll-
lery. machine guns and rifles, and
most abundant supply OF ammunition.
Russia has encountered temporary
difficulty in supplying her forces with
sufficient arms and ammunition to night
against an enemy SO pientlLullS
equipped as Germany and Austria-H Hun
gary Nevertheless. the most active
measures are being taken TO remedy
this deficiency.
Lack Being Supplied.
This lack of arms and ammunition
IL the reason why Russia has adopted
a defensive mode of warfare. Although
not so plentifully supplied with the
means of waging war. Russia has sue
ceeded, thanks to the heroic tenacity
of her troops, not only in checking for
the space of nearly three months the
forward rush of her enemies. but in
inf1icting countless losses upon them.
We have undermined by degrees the
strength of their attack. and. is
proved by the poor physician condition
Of the prisoners taken by u.s. we have
brought them to a stae Of considerable
exhaustion.
"a war is not decided by the invasion
and occupation of any section of terri
tory by one combatant or the other, but
rather by the final outcome of the
struggle between all the forces en-
gagged. Consequently. the power which
husbands it's strength until the end
must win. change Of the front line
may be regarded as necessary for the
purpose of placing the troops in more
advantageous positions to continue the
strife
"Russia's means are inexhaustible
and she is only beginning to develop
her powers, while the strength of the
Germans and the Austrians has reached
its highest point. They cannot avoid
failure in the future.
Weakest Point.
THE line on the western frontier was
always the weakest in the strategic
position Of Russia. We did not count
in our plans upon holding possession.
for the first period of the war. of the
region within the sweep of the Vistula
and the territory bordering on this
river. Consequently, as far back as
1910 Russia withdrew a portion of her
forces from this territory into interior
provinces, and established her princi-
pal line Of defense along the middle
reaches Of the River Niemen and thence
in a southerly direction as far as Brest-
Litovsk"