The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-08-09
RUSSIANS SLOW
in MODELLING
FIRST YEAR OF THE WAR IN THE
EAST SHOWS PROGRESS OF
BELLIGERENTS
Pendulum Now Swinging Against the
Gar and Now in Worst Plight
Of the Year

The frst twelvemonth OF fighting
between the Russians on one side and
the Austrians and Germans on
the other Is = story OF great changes
Of fortune, both combatants being 70
peatedly driven back only to show
the greatest resiliency In defeat and
soon to resume the offensive In most
surprising manner.
The end Of the year, however, nnds
the pendulum swinging strongly
against the car. He may recover
and take again the roads to Cracow,
Vienna and Berlin, but just at pres
ent he is on the whole In worse plight
than in any hour since the war
started.
Russia's losses In the first year of
the war are not approached by those
of any nation In any war of history.
According to reliable estimates, she
has had between 2.500,O 900 and 4,000,-
600 men killed, injured and captured.
Despite these horrible gaps made in
her ranks, she still has millions in
the field, and her great reservoir of
personnel does not show signs OF ex-
haustion. 1t is not men she lacks, but
guns, shells and brains.
Slow to Mobilize.
On August 1, 1914, Germany de-
clared war on Russia. Almost imme-
diately the Germans crossed the from
tier at Thorn and the Austrians south
of Lublin. They were practically I'M
opposed because of the slowness of
mobilization In Russia. The Grand
Duke Nicholas Nicholaievitch was
forced to gather his main armies we'll
to the rear of the line of great fort
resses running through Kovno, Grod-
no. Ossowetz, Novo Georgievsk, War
saw and Ivangorod.
On account of his desire to do all
he could to relieve the French, who
were being driven from northern
France by the amazing German rush
through Belgium, Nicholas attacked
sooner than he otherwise would have
done. AS a result, he met two disas-
ters. Fr Il A
l1S bOHI NOACA dl 0dhlCOAOA iAIO
East Prussia from the south and
General Rennenkampf into East Prus-
STA from the east, the latter winning
The first large engagement Of the war
IN the East at Gumbnen.
At this moment the Germans, be-
ieving that the French were we'll in
hand and about to be surrounded on
heir eastern frontier, quickly with
rev 100000 men from France and
lurled them by rail into East Prus-
ia, where they fell upon Samsonoff
With crushing force In the great Ger
nan victory Of Tannenberg (Aug. 28).
Meanwhile, the Austrians, leaving
My a few troops In Galicia to hold
'ack the Russians advancing from
'arnopol on the line OF the Gnila-Lipa,
truck the Russians en- masse at Kras-
TX and routed them to Lublin.
Most Bloody Drive Of War.
With two armies in difficulty, the
rand duke decided to abandon one
, its fate and save the other. He
rev re-enforcements into Lublin
nd ordered the line OF the Gntla-
ipa river be forced at any cost. In
ne of the most bloody drives Of the
ar the Russians advanced into east
m Galicia and occupied Lemberg.
The Russians then advanced to
ava Ruska and took the Austrian
mics in Poland in the rear, cutting
lem up frighfully.
Meanwhile Won Hindenburg had
,mpleted his victory over Samsonor
: turning on Rennenkampf and clear
& East Prussia of Muscovites. But
ough Rennenkampf had been de-
ated and Samsonoff almost ami
lated, the Germans.
The Russians we're now as Tar west
!! Tarnow in Galtcta. while their