Albuquerque morning journal., 1915-01-05
OPERATIONS IN
EASTERN THEATER
ARE SUMMARIZED
Military Expert Tells History of
Campaign Ending in Cap
ture of LODI Early in De-
cefnber,

tAssociaied Press CorrespondeDce.)
The Hague, Dec. ia military
observer who has just returned from
The eastern theater of war gives an
interesting resume of the operations
there up to the capture Of Lodz by
the Germans on December q.
He points out that in the beginning
II was the plan of General. now Field
Marshal Won Hindenburg. to cut the
Russian lines Of communication by
an advance from Suwalki in the di-
rectinn of Bialystek, and possibly
Baranowtsh. With this In view the re-
duction of the fortress Ossewitz was
attempted by the Germans early in
October. But the terrain proved very
difficult, realizing what the plan of
General Won Hndenburg was, the
Russians concentrated a large force
against the German left wing.
For a while Won Hindenhurg per-
sisted This led to the fighting about
Augustowo and the vicinity Of Lyk.
Finally the planned reduction of Os-
sewitz had to be abandoned. and the
Germans. instead OF continuing their
vigorous offensive along the East
pruesian borders, were obliged TO as
sumo the defensive in those parts.
Buried In Trenches.
AS i'm other parts of the European
theater of war, the men began to
burv themselves in trenches. Won Hin
denburg leaving his forces on the
Fasf prussan border in circumstan-
ces resembling strongly those in
FLINDERS. Both Russians and Ger
mans began a field siege in which now
one. then the other would for time
keen up an aggressive. the sole pur-
nose of which was to let the oppo-
nent know that ii was considered
prrper net 10 move about too much.
Towards the end of October Won
Hindenburg appeared suddenly at the
head Of a large German force ad-
vancing in The direction of lvaneorod.
Al the same time the Austro- Hunga-
rlans. having recupterated from the
debacle of the Dau.il-Auffenberg op-
erations against Lublin and Krasnik,
managed to relieve Przemysl and
drive the Russians across the river
san and out Of Galicia. The Russian
general staff was obliged to rush re-
Inducements to the Suwalki theater
of war. This had eased the situation
had taken advantage of 1t.
In his advance upon the Ivangorod-
Warsaw line. Won Hindenburg finally
reached the banks of the Vistula, to
discover. however, that the Russians
had fortified all bridge heads and ele'
votions along the river. Several at
tempts were made by Won Hindenburs
TO force crossing, but he soon dls'
covered that this could not he done
He was able. however to stand ms
ground.
Neither Side Makes Progress.
Meanwhile the Austro- -Hungarian'
had again lost ground TO the Rus
slams, Jaroslaw had been taken. ane
while the Russians had been driver
ont of eastern Hungary they wer'
now threatening the Austro~ ~Hunga
rian right wing with massing o.
troops in the Bukovina. Recrossini
the SAN river en- masse, the Russians
for n time even threatened 10 Gu
their way through in northwestern
Galicia. This was averted. however
bv nrompt maneuvers on the part o
the German and Austro- Hungarian
forces. who offered a strong defensive
on the Cracow- Przemysl line.
During the first week of Novemhe
propress was made by neither of tn
opposing armies. The Austro- Hunga
rians held the Russians in check iron
Cracow 10 Przemysl. while the Ger
mans held the line Cracow- PetrikoW
Mlava. But the forces of the Two EN-
pires were too small to carry on
renewed offensive against the kus
sian masses which had moved acros
the rivers San and Nistula like an ava
lanche. 1t was then that Won linden
burg decided upon a plan which ma
be said typical of him
By means of n strategical retfea
he intended 10 break the husslai
front He ordered his center TO Ia
back and kept his own wings more o
less in the positions they had occu
pied. forming in this manner fousl
cul-de-sac into which he hoped I
trap the Russian force. which ne lei
would he sent to follow up the retreat
Ing Germans.
Austrians Not Effective.
II is generally admitted. the obser
ver SAYS, that yon Hindenburs pia'
would have succeeded had the Austro
Hungarian forces needed by mn
proven more mobile and eilectiVe' q
II was the Austro- Hungarlans' hain
pered by bad roads failed to appea
In time. and when finally the eHot
was made TO "bite off" the Russiai
forces which had taken up the puf
suit Of Won Hindenhurg. ii was iouh'
that the tardiness Of the Austro- n IN
garians had permitted too many nus
slams to push after the Germans,
For several days a situation said U
have no parallel in modern Warlai'
existed. In the center of the theate
of operations was large liussial
force surrounded on three SIDES D.
Germans. BEYOND the German iine
Russian lines were formins-the 1er
man position having thus two faces
and beyond the Russians another nm
Of Germans was forming in the noftii
and a line of Austro- Hungaflans II
the south and west
Desperate efforts We're made by w
Germans and their allies to BRING 70
gether the points OF the wings tnea
had laid about the Russian purshllii
force Instead the Russians fofcee
them further apart. until both ilne'
were again straightened out. Not
filndenburg learned two things u
these operations The first of thfs'
was that his swamp tactics Of l4as
Prussia had taught the RUSSIANS
ifaa0nf the second wes that he hat
credited The AustTo- Hungarian OH
GERS With a degee Of efficiency thsa
did not possess.
iina 4 NOT been Tor DE gallant con
auel ~ his 0wn men, Npl iilnhfhphfs
might have gone down in disaster iiHI
Ihr lfimans virtually eti lnelf Nsa
eul 0f fhe tannlf fhey Nefa iai thr lsF'
alelelan ffeeing iselt tfnH the hfpnF
NNaHap emniare in ihf ilfsi a4NH 9
itfffHhef Then fHnlf ilif iHhlNA
Ndt suqlng lhla phase q go phfls
liNhN AHH tHf sisHe "a tlfNksl re-
ss1 f.faaatieg e4 ..,,. stal'.