New-York tribune., 1915-03-23
Fall of Przemsyl Regarded
as Greatest Capture of War

LONDON, Marcn e etroBIau' LOH-
don and Paris tonight are celebrating
the fall of Przemysl Petrograd and
Paris, dispatches indicate, in the spon-
taneOus manner characteristic or those
cities; London with silent and grim
satisfaction. which is the Briton's way.
The newspapers assert that the fall
Of the fortress marks the most lmpor-
tant CAPTURE Of the war, not excepting
Antwerp, in that il not only releases
considerable Russian forces, which can
be thrown into the fuctuating struggle
in the Carpathians, but opens the door
to Cracow and the plains of Hungary:
II is argued. moreover. that the moral
effect of the surrender will be tremen-
dols, the theory of the Allies being
that it will stimulate feeling in their
favor both in Rumania and Bulgaria,
Just as the operations in the Dardan-
elles are causing an agitation IN Greece
and Italy.
British Pay Tribute.
The British press comedies that Pre-
mvsl fell with honor, for it withstood
tho onslaughts longer than any place
during the war, the investment having
begun about September 16, something
more than six months ago. The dura-
ton of the siege, compared with the
length of time il took the Germans to
capture such strongholds as Liege.
Namur and Antwerp, was due to two
causes, one being the desire OF the
Russians to keep the loss Of life among
the besieging army at minimum. the
other to the lack Of great guns, which
the Germans had in Belgium.
The investment was not a close one,
the garrison having had up recently
radius of about twelve miles in which
to move about, and some dispatches
told Of shooting expeditions INDUCED
in by the officers Of the garrison. An
aeroplane post was maintained almost
up to the last, and il is said that even
some scanty food supplies were carried
in this way.
The Przemysl garrison was esti-
mated at $4,000 men last September,
and last week il was reported that it
had diminished to 25,OOO men: There
have been recurrent reports of cholera
and other diseases. but these were as
vague as many of the premature re-
ports regarding its surrender.
The military expert of THE Daily
Chronicle" writes:
"Przemysl will count among the
famous sieges of history, both for the
tenacity Of its defence and for the SER
vice the garrison rendered to its own
side in the large operations in the
eastern theatre. The strategic impor-
tance OF rrzemysl lay in the fact that
it commanded the passage of the san
River in the direction Cf that key 10
the Carpathians, DuklG Pass; com.
manded the great trunk railway line OF
Galicia from Cracow to Lemberg, and
guarded the approach of the Carpath-
ian passes to the south of Lupkow Pass
and Uzsok Pass.
"Thus the fortress played double
function. By threatening the Galcian
railway line it hampered the Russian
advance upon Cracow, which, IN us
turn, is the entering gate Of Sllesla,
that highly industrial region which IS
the Achilles heel of Germany. At the
same time il barred the Russian ad-
vance over the Carpathians into the
plains of Hungary beyond. The latter
was its more important function, Tor
the political and economical conse-
uucnces Of a Russian invasion in force
of Hungary would be enormous.
"Hence the fall Of the city viii Ia
clitate the Russian offensive westwar
against Cracow and Silesia, and south
ward against Hungary. The large con-
tanning force that has been held by the
stubborn defence of the garrison IS
now released, together with its power
full equipment of artillery, and, at The
present moment batteries are more IN
portant to our ally, perhaps, than regl-
ments. The SHOWS are already begin
ming to melt in the Polish and Galiclan
plains, and a week or two hence the
Carpathian passes will be becoming
practicable for large armies. The fall
of Przemysl comedies with the entry
of spring, and both events are impor-
tant factors in the great developments
that may shortly be expected in the
eaet -