The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-20
Six Million Men Face Each
Other Along Thousand-Mile
Battle Front
WORLDS GREATEST
BATTLE ABOUT TO BREAK
Defeat of Russia Now Means
That Her Offensive Power
Gone and Whole German
Strength Is Free for West


the worlds greatest battle has
been Joined on the eastern front
and that approximately 6.O0O,OOO
men, about evenly divided. are
locked In q desperate struggle II
expected momentarfly In London
In reality II will be six Russian
armies In contact with as many
armies of the Germans and AUS
TRANS over front extending,
roughly speaking. from Bessarahia
nearly to the Gulf OF Riga. dis
lance OF 900 or more miles.
In all other wars the world has
known any one OF the four cls
gagemcnfs would he stupcndous
battle, but, as in this case, nii OF
fensiye operations OF the Germans
have been synchronized, all plans
coordinate. 1t Is regarded here
by military experts as one great
issue, In which the western battle
front could be dropped without
touching either end.
To Drive Russians Out OF Poland.
The Germans are on the offensive
in this battle. and they have but one
objeetive--to drive the Russians ous
OF Poland, Gripping their offensive
powers for months, In order that they
may both demoraiize the hghftnB
spirit of the Cars forces and free
their great army for work In the west.
Primarily. they are seeking to reach
Warsaw, cut off all railway commnni-
cation between Russian Poland and
Russia. Geographically, the first Of
the four actions is that which Is tak-
ing place In the Baltic provinces OF
Courland, Kowno and on the edge of
Livonia.
The Germans are said to have one
million men In this operation. 1t II
supposed that the objective may be
the very important seaport of Riga.
on the gulf of that name.
BY a swing>to the southeast the in-
vading forces could cut the great rail-
way which once connected Petrograd
with Berlin and now acts as an i'm.
portant transportation line into Rus.
sian Poland. In this field the RUS
slams are in retreat, as dispatches from
Petrograd admit. But while SO adj
mitted. 1t Is said that the general star
Ia not disturbed over this situations.
The commander of the German forces
on this wing is General Won Buelow.
who supported General Won Kluck's
left in the high water drive on Partsss
EchOrn Heard From.
General Won Eichorn, Field Marshal
Won Hindenburgs chief aide In thu
Mazurian Lakes drive, is in command
to the south. his front extending from
the Nfemen south around Ossowfec.
A drive southwest over the Bobr and
the yistula strikes In through the for
tilted cities on the latter river toe
wards Warsaw, and its railroads due.
west or little south is the great drive
south between Mlawa and Khorgcie.
which took Przasmysz In Its route and
now has the Russians back on the Ma
rev. The general Immediately in COM
mand Is Won Gallwitx. who has not
appeared in large operations.
The Bzura River Rawka front y
quiet. and so appear to be the fronts
south of the Dneister. In BukowinAs
down to the Bessarabia line.
The fourth great action or phase of
the battle Is that which impends
southwest of Cholm. where General
Won Mackensen and his great army.
aided by the Austrians. under the
Archduke Joseph Ferdinand, are now
ing north. Their object Is to cut the
Lublin- Cholmry. which feeds into
Warsaw to the northwest and int
Brest- Iitovsk to the east. 1t il heye1
according to Berlin dispatches, that
the Grand Duke Nicholas Is preparing
to make decisive stand. ss
In face OF this terrible strain there
are no indication that Russia has lost
heart. AZ matter of fact, all reportx
from the cable tonight are most en-
'coura ging. S