Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-24
GERMANIC ADVANCE
AGAIN SLOWS DOWN
Fighting Particularly Severe South
east of Wilma and East of Dvinsk,
It Is Declared.
RIGA IS GOAL OF TEUT0Ns
Hope to Capture Port Before Onset
of Winter, It Is Declared,
Wilma Retreat Held Bril-
liant Exploit.

BERLIN, September "a,
+ $40 p.m.-Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg has made
further progress in his ef-
forts to capture the Russian
fortified city of Dvinsk.
The taking by storm of ad-
ditional Russian positions
defending the city northeast
of Smelina is officially re-
ported today.
LONDON, September a.
Military activities on the eastern
front are once more assuming the
familiar phase OF a slow German
advance, following the recent i'm
petuous rush OF the invaders.
The German plan OF dividing the
Russian armies north and south of
the Pripet has been a strategic
success in a way, but the imme-
diate effect of the severance was to
throw an increa sed burden on the
Austrians, who seem unable to
check the Russian drive.
Unofficial dispatches from
Petrograd state that the latest
Russian victory, northwest OF
Dubno. is OF more Importance
than was revealed by the official
communication from Petrograd.
involving recapture of the fortress
of Lutsk. northwest of Grodno.
Relinquishing this fortress, the
Austrians are said to have retired
across the Stvr.
All the way from the Baltic
port OF Riga to the Pripet marshes
the Russians are holding their
line stubbornlv in an attempt to
bring their long retirement to an
end The fighting is particularly
severe southeast OF Wilma and east
of Dvinsk. 1t is generally be-
lieved the Germans have deter
mined to capture Riga before the
onset of winter.
Describes wilma Retreat.
Describing the wilma retreat, the
Petrograd correspondent of the Times
chara cterizes it as one of the most diff
ficult and brilliant Russian exploits or
the present war, but says the with
drawal began not a moment too soon,
for a further delay would have enabled
the Germans to drive wedge into the
Russian rear.
THE Germans had not only almost
encircled the city," the correspondent
says, but by throwing out huge masses
of cavalry, followed by light infantry.
had swep: around from the north far
into the rear of Russian communica-
tions at Molodechno and Lebedevo.
Tho Germans had prepared an en-
yeloping movement depending on the
occupation of Molodechno. but in the
advance from Ida the Russians foiled
This nlan by retreating along the Viliya
river due east from wilma instead OIL
southeast, as the enemy had antici-
mated Thus the plan of sudden oIow
on our northern flank was paralyzed at
its inception.
Pass Through Narrow Strip.
Assuming that we should retreat in
a southeasterly direction on the osh-
miana. Gems Won Eichhorn and Won
Scholz. operating along the valley from
wilma to Lida proposed to attack us OH
the flank Thanks to our withdrawal
due east, however. the enemy was
obliged to engage in a frontal battle
on our left wing. Thus we succeeded
not only in passing through narrow
corridor thirty-three miles Mioe. pc
tween Soly and Biniakony, put also in
widening it considerably.
For this reason the enemy failed to
enyelop a single Russian corps, and
Smorgon, where the Germans reported
a Russian attempt to break through
had been frustrated. is actually in Rus
sian hands,. The latest reports permit
us to breathe more freely. Our rear
guards are successfully engaging the
enemy. whose ambitious design to ac-
compiish a second Sedan miscarried
completely.
Position of Russ Line.
According to the latest information
received in Petrograd the line now runs
from Osmiana to Smorgon. which is on
the left bank OF the Viliya. west OF
yileika. From Smorgon the line ex-
tends to Lebedevo, protecting the Molo-
dechno railway junction. Thence it
parallels the Vilna-Lida railway. cross.
ing the Ida Molodechno railway, and
extending across the Gasda river at
point eighteen miles east of Ida. The
line then runs to Noviny, Molchad, Milo
yidy, to the east of Lake Vygonovski.
and eastward along the Oginski canal
to Lyscha and the junction ofsthe Jas
ceda river with the Wins. lsast OF