New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-07
In the Carpathians.

that mountain range to a long isthmus
separating the Galician from the Hun
garian Plain. For most of its four hum
dred miles sweep from the German to the
Rumanian frontiers this isthmus is very
wide and covered by ranges which rise IN
folds one behind the other. Their average
height is perhaps 5000 feet, but south OF
Cracow the peaks Of the High Tatra are
little short Of 5000.
At one point this isthmus narrows TO
less than forty miles and the mountains
sink to less than LOO feet. Here is a
great natural depression, comparable with
that at Panama. This is the famous
Duka Pass, leading directly north and
south from the headwaters of some small
afluents Of the Hungarian Thesis to
those Of similar affiuents Of the San and
the Dunajec. Over this pass goes the
main national highway from Hungary to
Galicia. To the east two other passes,
much longer and higher, the Lupkow and
the Uzsok, lead from the same Hungarian
Plain and carry light railways connecting
budapest with Przemysl and Lemberg,
respectively.
The main Russian advance is coming
south through the DuNs Pass, the easiest
Of all the passes and the broadest. As
the Russians advance down this pass they
will presently reach the points where the
Lupkow and Uzsok lines enter the Hun
garian Plain, and thus compel the Aus
TRANS defending these passes to retreat
10 escape being caught between the two
Russian forces-one at the Galician, the
other at the Hungarian end Of the passes.
At the present moment the Russians are
well south Of the summit Of the Dukla
and approaching Bartfeld, in Hungary,
which is in the plain and 1914 miles from
Budapest. They are also south Of the
crest Of the Lupkow, but seem to have
made no real progress at the Uzsok
Coming south by the Dukla the Rus
slams, if they are victorious, will very
soon reach the Hungarian plain east and
west of spur of mountains which
divides two small river valleys. East Of
this ridge is the broad valley of the
Upper Thesis, opening south and west
and Offering a level road to Budapest If
they can once reach the plain the Rus
SLAMS can use their Cossack cavalry to
sweep this whole region, which is the
granary Of the Dual Monarchy. Even if
they are unable to reach the Hungarian
capital the destruction which they can
spread through the wheat region may
prove an irreparable disaster to the
Austro-German cause.
Another circumstance must be noted.
AS the Russians advance south in the
plain they will very speedily reach the
western end of the railway leading from
Hungary to Bukovina. 1t is by this line
that the Austro-German troops now in
vading Bessarabia and Eastern Galicia
were transported and are supplied. BY
cutting this line the Russians would dis
pose of the only railway between Buko-
VIVA and Vienna, compel the evacuation
of the crownland and probably the event
ual evacuation Of Pennsylvania.
That such an Austrian retreat would
cali the Rumanians into the provinces
which they have earmarked for their own
seems certain. For Austrian retreat
would be followed by fresh Russian ad-
vances in these quarters and Rumanla
would have to reckon that if Russia con-
ouered Pennsylvania and Bukovina unas-
sisted she would most probably insist on
retaining them permanently. thus extin-
gushing the hope of greater Rumania,"
which for many years has dazzled Ruma-
MAN statesmen.
Still another consequence of Russian
triumph in the Carpathians must not be
overlooked. At present one great mass
of the Austrian army is holding the line
before Cracow at the Dunajec and the
Nida. But this line is not protection
for Austria, for Vienna or Budapest;
rather it is the first line Of the defence
of Germany, of Breslau and Berlin.
Hence, if Russian armies penetrate into
Hungary and threaten the Magyar capital
il is almost inevitable that the Austrian
troops now east Of Cracow should be re-
called and the task of covering Silesia be
left to the Germans.
This would mean the end Of the Ger
man attack upon Warsaw; it would prooa-
bly, mean the withdrawal of the Germans
from the Bzura-Rawa line 10 the Wartha,
the evacuation of LODI, the relinquish-