The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1915-08-12
THE WAR LAST week
FALL OF WARSAW STARTS A
HUGE GERMAN EFFORT
AFTER ARMY OF NICHOLAS

Slavs From Their Second Line of
Defence and to Force Evacuation
of Bug River Positions. :
The Military Expert of The New
York Times reviews the operations
In Europe as follows:
In reviewing the operations of the
past week that led up to the fall of
warsaw, division of the fighting
front into sectors, similar to that of
several weeks ago, will again be
made and followed. Although the
ultimate objective of all the Teuton
armies on this front was naturally
Warsaw, each Of them had a func-
tion to perform in regard to a par
ticular objective, and it was a COM
bination of this that was to effect
and did effect the fall OF the Polish
capital. Therefore, the various steps
taken can, in their relation to the
whole, be best understood by follow
Ing the operations of each Of the va
rious armies.
Around the Gulf of Riga.
In the extreme northern sector,
that of Courland, the army of Gen.
Won Buelow is operatin.., his left be-
ing at some point on the Gulf of
Riga, his right extending down into
Suwalki Province in the neighbor-
..ood of Augustowo. The operations
OF this force have not been strictly
against Warsaw itself. 1t seems
rather a heavy raiding force, which,
in addition to it's offensive operations,
prevents the turning Of the German
left, as was done by the Russians in
the earlier campaign against War
saw.
Won Buelow's Minor Successes.
Won Buelow's operations have been
largely against the principal Russian
cities in Courland and the railroad
running from Warsaw through Grod-
no and Wilma to Petrograd. This
army has met with considerable
minor successes. 1t has taken the
town of Mitau, is seriously menacing
the important gulf port of Riga and,
although stubbornly opposed, has
fought it's way forward some little
distance toward the railroad. But
the railroad Is still a long way off
and it will probably be a month at
least before 1t can be reached, IL 1t
ever Is. Some of it's branches have
been and probably will continue to
be cut, but the main stem is intact.
Railroad Line is Important.
The importance of this road is not
primarily that 1t feeds Warsaw, for
Warsaw being now in German hands
need no longer be considered in this
connection. But the Russians will Of
necessity fall back to a new line,
fighting as they retire. and it is the
right flank Of their new line that
will be dependent on it for supplies.
In so far as the rest of the new
line is concerned, it would be but
little affected by the success of Won
Buelow's operations, as the roads
through Siedlce and Volkovysk, and
through Brest-Litovsk, with their
numerous branches, can bear suffi-
cient traffic to bring up the necessary
supplies.
In so far, therefore. as Won Bue-
lows force has influenced the fall of
Warsaw, it can not be said to have
done more than to have effectively
guarded the flank of the forces oper-
ating in the next sector, that OF the
Narew from Lomza to the confluence
OF the Narew and the Bug at Serock.
Narew Affords Splendid Defence.
Although the Narew is only about
200 yards wide, 1t is guarded, as are
most of the rivers of Poland, by a
wide marsh belt on both sides. 1t,
therefore, makes an excellent defen-
sive position. In addition to it's nat
ural strength its defensive possibili-
ties have been greatly augmented by
the construction of permanent forti-
| fications at various points within
supporting distance of each other.
The principal ones are Lomza, Ostro-
| lenka, Rozan, Pultusk and Serock.
May Cut or Garrisons.
The Narew between Lomza and
| Serock screens three railroads radi-
ating from Ostrolenka, all of which
| are branches of the Warsaw-Petro-
grad road. 1t is, therefore, entirely
| logical that such heavy fighting de-
veloped along the Narew front, as
the cutting Of any of the three roads
Continued on last page.)
| .--eo-A