Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-20
RIVER BUG A BIG LINK
IN RUSSIAN DEFENSE
On 1t Men and Supplies Can Be Con-
centrated Along the
Border.

THE line of the Bug pronounced
days ago were said to be retreating
and which they were determined to
hold against the invading Teutonic
forces, is a dividing line between what
is now known as Russian Poland and
the provinces of Russia proper" says
the latest statement issued by the Ma
tional Geographic Society upon the wal
geography of Europe. THE country
traversed by the River Bug offers
many advantages for obstinate defense
Along much of its course the rivers
banks are very difficult, and the coun
try beside for long stretches is heavily
wooded. Extremely bad roads, and
lake. pond and marsh by the way add
to labors of military advances here.
This river forms one of the strong
est lines of defense in the west of the
Russian empire. A network Of feeding
railways are laid to pour men and mu-
nitions into any sector of this line
from any interior point in the empire.
From Petrograd to Odessa railways
converge upon the River Bug. Fur
thermore, the river line is paralleled
along it's entire Russian Poland course
just as Germany's eastern frontier is
paralleled-by a railroad, passing from
the fortress in the north. Osowiec,
through Bielostok. Bjelsk, the fortress
Rrest Litovsk KoveI to Vladimir
Volynsk, in the south, just beyond the
Galician frontier Another branch of
this railway runs from Brest Litovsk,
close beside the river, finally crossing
the Bug and terminating at Kholm.
Course of the Bug.
The Bug rises in Galicia, about ffty
miles east of Lemberg, flows west to
kamionka Busk, about twenty-eight
miles east-northeast of Lemberg, and
then turns north-northwest to the Rus
sian border. In Russia, for a great
part of it's course, it flows north along
the eastern borders of Poland. North
east of Warsaw it leaves the Polish
border, turns west and joins the Vistula
river. twenty-five miles northwest of
Warsaw, at the powerful fortress of
Novo Georgievsk. To it's junction with
the Nistula the Bug travels $50 miles
more than 300 miles of which are nayi-
gable. From Erest Litovsk it is navi-
gable for larger river boats, while
above the fortress it is navigated by
barges and RATS.
In peace times Il considerable traffic
is carried on upon the Bug. 1t is a very
important factor in the Russian lum.
Der trade, great RATS of logs being
foated down it's course from the rich
forests that line it's upper reaches
Grain, fowls-principally geese, for the
quality of which the Polish peasant |.
widely noted-and cattle are also trans.
ported on the river. The Bug is con.
nccted by waterways with the interior
of Russia, and its water-borne freigh,
can be sent into southern or northern
/ Russia, as well as into Germany. Canal.
connect the Bug with the Pripet, and
thus, with the Dnieper river and Cri
mean land and with the Niemen river.
Russian Communication.
The Bug river offers one of the bes
lines in the west for the quick and un.
interrupted concentration of Russian
armies and their supplies. 1t also re
duces the amount of frontier to be hello
| by great number of miles-an advan.
tage, however, shared in by friend ant
| foe. Still. falling back upon thi.
| line would necessitate the surrender Of
Warsaw, one of the richest manufac
turing cities of Russia, of innumerabl
| industrial towns and villages and o,
tens Of thousands of acres of richly
productive farmlands. Russian Poland
beyond the Bug, is an industrial center
/ of the Muscovite empire, a great gran.
airy and an important source of leather
and beef"