New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-09
RUSSIANS ADVANCE
FURTHER In POLAND
Continued from page !

about twenty-eight miles due east Of
Thorn. In the Carpathans the Rus
SLAMS move steadily forward on the
right wing and are retiring in Buko-
wilma. the Russian object having OBJ
yiGusly been to draw as many as pos
sihle Of the enemy's troops eastward
peudinc an advance on the right.
Following is the communication from
the General staff issued this evening:
"On the right bank Of the Vistula, in
the region of Serpetz, the engagements
have assumed character OF increased
violence. Vanguard encounters are
also reported on the KhorJele-Mys-
chenetz Johannesburg line.
con the left bank of the Nistula ar
tillery fire is still being maintained, but
the attitude of the enemy is passive.
"The attempt to pierce our front IN
the region of Borjimow and VIOLA
Szydlowiecka, which began January 81.
was stopped on February 6 in spite OF
important forces which were brought
into the action. We owe this success
to the gallantry Of our troops. In that
particular encounter the Germans made
extensive use of explosive bullets.
an the lower Bzura region we con-
tinued TO progress, and on February Z,
having forced three successive rows OF
wire entanglements, we captured
strong German point of support near
the cemetery of the village of Komiony,
taking prisoner the remainder of the
garrison, five officers and more than 800
soldiers. A counter attack by the Ger
mans an hour later was repulsed with
heavy losses to the enemy.
an the Carpathians our offensive is
proceeding. On the MezolaborcZ-Luto-
wisko front we captured several
strongly fortified positions and about
sixty officers, more than $500 soldiers
and eleven machine guns"
Why the Germans, determined to
break through the Russian line at
Bolimow, should have chosen for their
supreme effort this particular point of
the long ura-Rawka-Pilica front is
fairly obvious.
From Bolimow a good high road, af-
fording facilities for transport, leads
eastward toward Warsaw. The cOun-
try is perfectly fiat and open, with lit
tie cover, except patches of forest and
clumps of trees surrounding the
manors on Count Sobanski's broad es-
tates. There, il anywhere, is the point
TO try TO force the Russian line, but it
is not clear why the present moment
was chosen for the attack. German
prisoners declare that in their army
there is a strong desire for peace, and
a fierce attack may simply mean that
the German commanders wish to re-
vive the dropping spirits OF the army
and people by some kind of victory.
In the thick Of battle German SOL
diers shout TO Russians: "Give us War
saw or take Berlin! Make an end Of
i somehow" Even if the Germans
succeeded in breaking through at Boil
NOW and in forcing the Russians 10
retire. they would gain no strategic
advantage, for the Russians have i'm
mediately behind them other strong
positions. where they could hold out
indefinitely.
The new Russian advance, according
TO the latest and most reliable infor-
nation reaching Warsaw, already has
been successful between the Bzura
junction and Vitkovitze. where they
have taken a number OF German
trenches and started the enemy upon
precipitate retreat in which the Ger
mans left large number of pieces OF
artillery behind them.
Russian military observers in Poland
find in the disorder and Reorganization
evidenced in this German retreat in
cressing proof Of what they call the
weakening OF the German morale.
Expect Victory in Spring.
Although il is expected here that the
Russian offensive will now extend over
the whole Polish front, even the most
sanguine observers do not look for any
very rapid progress in the resumption
of the aggressive, since the Russians
have detailed information of elaborate
German fortifcations extending from
the Vistula south TO Skierr'ewice and
Lavka. The general consensus of mill
tary opinion in Warsaw TODAY. how.