New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-07
Evacuation of KOvnO
on New Defence
Line Likely.
Won BUELOW
MENACES ARMY
FORCES Link in Chain
Around Russians in
Baltic Provinces.
MACKENSEN ADVANCES
Cars Men Battle Desperately in
South to Give Others Time
for Escape.

<huks " w I'LL Tie tNCcD-
tion of the great intrenched camp
of Nowo Georgiewsk, the Russians
have evacuated the whole line Of
the Vistula River. Ivangorod, the
southern fortress, having fallen into
the hands Of the Austro- German
army, the Russians are now making
their way eastward to the Brest-
Litovsk line.
The probability that Russia
would not be able to hold the new
line, to which her armies are re-
firing, is indicated in a dispatch to
"The Daily Mail" from Copen-
hagen, which says:
"The Russians are evacuating
Kovno. The Governor and his staff
and the banks have gone. The pop
ulation has been leaving for the
past week."
Part Of New Line.
Kovno, a fortress Of the first
class, is the capital Of the govern
ment Of the same name in North
west Russia. II has been stated
that Kovno was to form the north
ern head of the New Russian line
of Kovno, Grodno and Brest-Lit-
ovsk. The city has a population Of
between $4,000 and 100000.
The decision of the General staff
to leave the garrison of Nowo
Georgiewsk is announced in Petro-
grad dispatches. The object IS TO
Seprive the Germans of the use Of
railway communication and Of the
Vistula River for bringing up sup
plies for their armies.
Nowo Georgiewsk is situated at
the junction of the Vistula, Narew
and Skwa rivers, to the northwest
of Warsaw. 1t has two powerful
bridgeheads, eight citadels ard
twenty-four redoubts, containing
eleven and twelve-inch batteries. 1t
is calculated by military observers
here that an army corps can hold
out there for many months, as the
camp is protected by massive earth
works, which doubtless have been
enlarged and improved since the
Russians were compelled TO begin
their retirement.
Siege of Nowo Georgiewsk Expected.
The laying Of siege to Nowo Georgi
ewsk may prove one Of the most in
teresting operations Of the war, as it
doubtless will show whether earthworks
are less susceptible to the fire Of high
explosives than are cupola forts.
A reference in the German official
statement indicates that some of the
Russian garrison of Nowo Georgei-
ewsk have escaped the German envelop-
ing movement. Breaking through the
German lines, these have reached the
Russian positions south OF the town
of Blendostwo, which lies midway be-
tween Naselsk and Serock and about
fifteen miles northeast OF Nowo
Georgiewsk
Berlin reports that a council will
formulate on Sunday a proclamation
declaring Poland to be a semi-autono-
nous state under joint Polish and Aus
Hungarian rule. This conforms
with a recent decision of Polish con-
gress held at Piotrkow, Russian Po-
land, which proposed a joint Polish
and Austro- Hungarian rule with a Po-
lish army and the fullest Polish su-
tonomy consistent with the strategic
interests of Austria Hungary.
The German offer of autonomy is re-
garded as a bid for the support Of the
population of Poland, as against a
similar QeCldEdtloH VI bnupttOt NtSuV-
las promising eventual Polish autono-
my under Russian suzerainty. The
outcome Of these events in Warsaw
probably will determine the political
status of Poland during the war.
Russians Stubborn Resisting.
OF the retiring Russian armies the
Official reports say nothing. The Rus
SLAMS, however, destroyed bridges over
the Vistula and took other means TO
place obstacles in the way Of their
pursuers, while others of their forces
continue TO offer stubborn resistance
TO the Germans and Austrians south
and north, who are trying to force q
ring around them.
Back of the retiring Russians is the
vast morass of Central Poland. with
few railways and primitive roads. max