Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-22
CZAR'S MEN LAY WASTE
REGIONS LEFT BEHIND
All Courland Devastated and Flames
From Destroyed Windau Are
Seen Miles Away.
SLAvS vEXED AT ALLIES
Believe They Are Doing More Than
Their Share in Combating Ber-
Inns Armies-Anxiety
in Britain.

LONDON, July 22.-While
prayers for victory were being
said today throughout Russia the
Austrians and Germans continued
their drive at Warsaw from the
north, the west and the south.
Meanwhile they were reaching
farther north toward Riga, on the
Baltic, from which their advance
guard is not more than twenty
miles distant.
The tone of dispatches from
Petrograd bespeaks plainly that
the country is aware of the grave
ness of the military situation, in
volving not only the fate of the
Polish capital, but the integrity
of the Russian army in Poland,
the northern and southern Sec
tions of which might be cut in
twain by decisive defeat along
the Lublin-Chelm railway.
1t is along this sector that the
Russians are now fighting most
desperately, for this railway is the
sole great arteryof comnaanicaZ
ton of Poland with southern
Russia, sweeping away from Lub-
lin and Chelm toward Odessa.
Having several times been report
ed within five miles of the railroad
and now, according to Austrian
claims, having pierced the Rus
sian front, this section of the
Teutonic forces should be within
rifle shot of the railway, but no
claim has been made of having
seized it.
Retreat Into Fortress.
The German war Office announced to-
day that the Austro-German forces
which are driving at Warsaw from the
south had compelled the Russians to
retreat into the fortress of Ivangorod.
about fifty-siX miles southeast of the
Polish capital The fortress is now
closely invested.
Around the circle, which is tightening
on Warsaw LEY have made steady
progress, though meeting with serious
opposition along the Narew river.
northwest of the capital.
Elsewhere, generally speaking. the
Russians are falling back, employing
the tactics with which they harassed
Napoleon in 1872. That is, they are not
only burning all bridges and destroy
ing roads, hut are laying waste the
countryside with fire and dynamite, re-
| moving such provisions as they can.
destroying such as they cannot take
away, driving cattle and other live
stock before them. and leaving for the
invader a ruined and desolate waste.
Courland Is Laid Waste.
All Courland has been laid waste, and
Windau, in flames, sent up glow visi-
BILE many miles away.
Before evacuating Windau the Rus
SLAMS applied the torch to the city and
the harbor works, according to advices
received at Libau. The greater part OF
the city is said to have been DESTROYED;
The Russian troops also reported
to have fired villages and farmhouses
in other parts of Courland in accord
ance with the provisions of recently
British Public Anxious.
The British public is following with
keen anxiety the campaign in the east.
hoping that Grand Duke Nicholas may
stem the Austro- German tide or at
Least extricate his armies and continue
in further retreat the cohesion he has
been able to maintain thus far.
Eliminating the stroke against Riga,
-
of roughly 500 miles, divisible into
three principal areas: The first, along
the Narew. north and west of Warsaw:
the second. the center on the Vistula
between Warsaw and Ivangorod: the
third, in the vicinity of Lublin, where
the Austrians and Germans are fighting
for the railway. The situation, as the
British press sees 1t. is critical. and the
papers editorially remind Russia that
as she checked the Germans at the
gates of Warsaw last fall and drove
them back when within eleven miles OF
Lublin, SO she should now hold them.
Russia Bearing Burden.
Coincident with dispatches from Rus
sia saying the spirit of the army is un.
broken and the belief in ultimate vic
tory is strong. comes the report that
the feeling is growing that Russia IL
doing more than her share In the war.
hearing at present almost the entire
burden. These complaints, according
to special correspondents, are not con-
fined to the rank and hle. Russian
newspapers contrast the colossal battle
in which their nation Is engaged with
the comparative inaction along the
western front.
Novogeorgievsk Sentinel.
Telegraphing from Petrograd. the
correspondent Of the Times says:
'Novogeorgievsk. one Of the greatest
Of the Russian fortresses, 10 endftual-