New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-05
RUSSIANS
MADE PRISONERS
ON 6O-NIILE LINE
Austro German Forces
Continue Pursuit of Foe
in West GaliCia.
PETROGRAD ADMITS
DEFEAT ON DUNAJEC
Official Report Says Opposing
Army Has Crossed River
Stroke Planned Month Ago.

London. May 4.-Thirty thousand
Russian soldiers, twenty-five cannon
and sixty-four machine guns were
captured in the battle along the sixty
mile front in West Galicia. according to
an official statement given out in vi
emma to-day. The Austro-German
troops are still advancing. the com
muniaue states, and the Russians are in
hasty retreat.
The Berlin official statement places
the number of prisoners at 2l,5Oo, the
heavy guns captured at sixteen and the
machine guns at forty-seven. To-day
WAS made a school holiday throughout
Germany in celebration of the victory
in Galicia.
An official communication issued this
evening in Petrograd admits that the
Austro- German forces have crossed 70
the right bank of the Dunajec River IN
Galicia. It says, however, that des-
pcIdlC
No Towns Captured.
The Austrian official report makes
no mention of the capture OF any
towns. such as Gorlice, which is close
70 the front. This leads the British
military critics to the conclusion that,
while the Germanic allies have won i'm
portant local successes. they have not
driven the Russians very far back.
Should they succeed in doing this, now
ever. il is asserted that a general re-
treat of the Russians would be lmpera-
tive. and that the whole Carpathian Of
fensive. on which the Muscovites have
spent so much time and so many lives,
would be completely nullitied.
The part of to-night's official state
ment from Petrograd referring to the
fighting on the southern front says:
"At certain points the enemy attempt
10 cross the Nida River, but our coun-
ter attack compelled him to evacuate
the left bank altogether.
"On the Vistula, near Krasnef, tte
enemy, who had concentrated near our
positions. hurriedly and stubbornly
threw up entertainments, but during the
night of May %, we attacked with the
bayonet and annihilated the troops oc-
cupying them. We took 400 prisoners
including nine officers.
Stopped on Right Bank.
"In Galicia, from the Vistula to the
Carpathians, a succession of battles de-
veloped during May 2 and 3. Enemy
detachments succeeded in crossing 10
the right bank Of the Dunajec, but our
fire prevented them from advancing
further than the bank.
"The fighting was particularly des,,
perate in the region of Tuchow and
Biecz, where the enemy artillery
poured forth an extraordinary volume
of fire. In the course Of our counter
attacks We took several hundred pris-
oners.
ave confirmed the presence at this
point of German active army ele-
ments, who were making their first ap-
pearance on our Carpathian front.
Hill Captured Three Times.
an the direction of Stry. in the re-
gion Of Golovetza, a most fierce battle
continues. Here one hill changed hands
three times. We finally captured 1t
Yesterday morning. During the day
We took a fresh batch OF l,200 pris-
oners, with FIVE officers, and also capt
ured three mitrailleuses."
According to Vienna dispatches. a
large Austro- German army has been
steadily concentrating before Cracow
for the last three weeks with the idea
of making a new offensive movement.
All available Austro- Hungarian troops
have been quietly transferred during
this time 10 the Dunajec front, and for
a fortnight past an unbroken stream OF
troop trains has been pouring east
ward from Frankfort, Berlin and other
German railroad centres.
Final plans for the big offensive
movement, Vienna reports, were sp-
proved at a conference held in Berlin
on April % between General Won Falk-
enhayn. chief of the aerman staff, and
Field Marshal Conrad Won Hoetzendorf,
chief OF the Austrian staff. General
Won Mackensen, commander OF the Ger
man ninth army, who came from the
front in Poland. also was present. He
left for the front 70 take command OF
the new army that same night after re-
ceiving his final instructions.
Teutons Strike First.
Il is the opinion Of Austrian observ-
ers that the German and the Austrian
strstegists got the jump" on the Of
fensive which the Russians were be.
lieved 10 be planning. and 20 which
their campaign in the Carpathians was
thought 20 have been preliminary.
The political value OF the victory is
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