New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-15
The Campaign for Warsaw.


Russian reports Of new artillery oper-
ations by the Germans about Ossowetz call
attention again to the most ambitious of
recent German strategical ventures in the
east, a venture which was suspended rather
than abandoned because of weather condi-
tons about three weeks ago.
Conceivaby the new activity fore
shadows a final attempt to get Warsaw
and take the line of the Vistula as a per
manent defensive position in the east.
Look at any good sized map Of Russian
Poland and it will be seen that some fifty
miles south and east of the German from
tier and following it is the Petrograd-
Warsaw railroad. South Of this and con-
verging upon it is the Moscow-Warsaw
railroad These railroads are the life
lines Of the great Russian any defending
the Polish capital, on the Bzura-Rawa line,
a few miles to the west.
On two occasions the Germans have at
tempted to take Warsaw by an advance
from the west The first time they were
defeated almost within the city limits and
driven TO the frontier. The second time
they were brought to a halt at the Bzura
River. In December, and held there from
December TO April.
Late in February they made third at
tempt TO get to Warsaw, and this time they
planned to move south from East Prussia
and cut the Petrograd-W Warsaw and the
Moscow Warsaw railroads east Of Warsaw.
This would compel the Russians to evacu-
ate Warsaw and go back from the Vlstula
10 the Bug. The Germans would then hold
the Vistua line from East Prussia toI
Galicia, and holding it could send troops
to France and to aid the Austrians.
When this drive began the Tenth Rus
sian Army was in East Prussia, strung
along the Mazurian Lakes and slowly
working west toward Insterburg. This
army was defeated, completely routed and
driven east and south toward the Petro-
grad-Warsaw railroad.
To reach the railroad, however, the Ger
mans had still to break through the Me
-Bobr-Narew barrier, series Of forts
and fortified towns stretching from kovno
TO Novo Georgiewsk on broad semi
circle $50 miles long. This barrier fol-
lowed the eastern and southern banks Of
these rivers. Between the rivers swamps
and forests make the country difficult for
military operations, and wherever roads or
railways crossed the line the Russians have
constructed forts. Kovno, Grodno, Lomza,
Ossowetz. Ostrolenka and Novo GeOrgiewsk
are among the most considerable of these.
The Germans advanced in three col
umns, the first toward Grodno, the second
toward Ossowetz, the third upon Novo
Georgiewsk. The first actually penetrated
the line at Grodno, but under pressure fell
back upon Suwalki and Augustowo, where
it still stands. The third, after taking
Przasnysz, half way between the German
frontier and Novo Georgiewsk, was driven
out of it by Russian corps called up from
Warsaw. The other, the central column,
approached Ossowetz. covering the point
where the railroad from Koenigsberg to
Bielostok passes the Russian border line.
Heavy artillery, the famous 42-centi-
metre guns, were brought up, and Osso-
wetz was bombarded for many days. But
presently Russian official reports noted the
withdrawal of the artillery; the whole Ger
man offensive ceased The failure was in
terpreted as meaning that weather condi-
tons, the coming of the spring thaw, had
prevented pushing the attack.
The new activity may mean that the
weather conditions have sufficiently i'm
proved for the Germans to risk one more
drive, one more effort to take Warsaw.
Like the operations of February, the pres
ent operation would then mean an attempt
to cut the Petrograd- Warsaw and the Mos
cow-Warsaw railroads. At Ossowetz they
are within twenty miles Of the former.
1t is equally conceivable that the Ger
mans are merely attempting to draw Rus
sian attention from Galicia and to force the
Russians to divert to Northern Poland
troops that might give the deciding blow
in the Carpathians. Pressure in the north
might easily compel slackening Of Rus
sian effort far to the south
But if Ossowetz is a mere demonstration,
then al its close it will be necessary to
record the failure of the whole German
winter campaign in the east. This cam
paign had two detectives: first, to destroy
Russian military strength, as the August
and September campaigns aimed at dis