Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-02-18

CZAR FALLING BACK
Muscorites Claim Their Retirement
is to New Fighting Lines of Their
Own Selection.

Petrocrad, Feb. 1S-Information
has been received which tends to
clear, up situation hitherto rather
/ difficult to understand. The Germans
are preparing a general attack along
! the whole Russian strategic front,
more than 700 miles in extent. The
enormous power developed by Ger
many in this attempt is eloquent Of
! long years of preparation.
After a mad attempt to break
through the Russian defense at a
salient point of the line at Horgstof
which was successfully mastered,
the Germans advanced in East Prus-
sia in overwhelming strength. Iney
were ten to one against the Rus
sian forces, which for months past
has been quietly pushing forward II
this region. The Russians were fully
aware of this movement and made no
serious attempt to check it. On The
contrary, they moved forward
strong cavalry screen Though the
region on the right bank OF the
lower Vistula. which at one time
penetrated into German territory, and
al the same time developed sudden
activity in the region Of the Mazu'
rian Lakes, with the object OF fixing
tho Germans in their detelm nation
to attack i'll. this direction.
Apparently the Germans original
" estimated the force necessary tor
their purpose here at four new army
corps in addition to the men already
holding positions in East Prussia.
These four corps were guilty with
drovn from the armies on the west
eru front and their number ilIled ny
from new Iev!es in the interior OF
Germany.
Whom. however. the Russians be
oan making Il show Of renewed ac-
tivity over wide front extending
from the lower Vistula to Il!slt. tht
Germans doubled their original es-
tinnate Eight to 10 German army
corns are now believed to have been
o,rcor+r.te5 in East Prussia and
y at
launched upon the region north oi
tho Vistula and eastward toward the
N;emeu. They came on like an ava
,.rcbe = yeritable German lighting
stroke, but the Russians had lore
.eap the entire menoeuvre, and re-
+;rad hetimes, leaving adequate forces:
admirable light horse, to carry OH
running fight along the line OF inc
,d,,ance Of the Germans. The siege
IF Rovren fortress has been abandon
cd and all the Russian forces after
LAYING waste the entire region. re-
tired upon their fortified positions
toward the Niemen.
petrograd, Feb. ls.-Distinct sue
casses over the Germans and the
Anstro- German forces in Galicia, the
carnathians and at isolated points
along the northern battle line are
claimed by the war office today.
! II declares that the fighting on
+be left bank of the Vistula is con
tinually increasing in violence but
that neither side has beer able to
gain any ground. North of the Me
mon. where the Russian forces have
taken new positions the exchanges
have been confined to cavalry patrol
exchanges with little damage and the
halance Of success resting with the
Russians.
In Galicia the Germans attacked i'll
. force along the front, from khava to
Vykorotch and further east. nut
were repuIsed with heavy losses.
In the I.ubne- -Studenne region an
other German attack was repulSeQ
and 400 prisoners and three machine
] guns were captured.
In the Carpathians at Wyszkow pass
4 the Germans have delivered series
of impetuous assaults, pushing for
ward in the direction Of the main
Russian positions commanding the
pass They were finally checked by
a series of bayonet charges, one en-
tire battalion being either killed or
taken prisoners.