Evening star., 1915-05-14
FRENCH THREATEN,
| BY BIG SUCCESSES,
TO CUT FOES LINE
Germans, Admitting Allies
Gains in West, Face
Wide Retreat.
BATTLE GOES ON WITH
UNBELIEVABLE FURY"
British Forces Doing Little More
Than Holding Own Near
La Bassee.
ENEMY CHECKED, SAY SLAvs
Berlin. However, Declares That 49,
500 Russian Prisoners Have
Been Taken in Galicia and
Poland.
BATTLE GOES ON WITH
UNBELIEVABLE FURY"
ENEMY CHECKED, SAY sLAvs

| Lo-NDoAN, MAY ~ 9~ihtShSiet
OF the fighting in the western and
eastern arenas of war increases
with the days.
Falling back of the German
forces on wide front in the west
is threatened by the result OF
French advances, which, if pushed
! little farther, will open a great
gap in Teuton lines.
The German communication
admits the truth of the more i'm
portant of the claims made by
Gen. Joffre, the French COM
mander-in-chief, as to the great
successes won by the French be-
tween La Bassee and Arras.
In the eastern field the Ger
manic forces in Galicia, who are
said to number 100000 men, are
reported to be within twenty
miles Of Peremysl.
The Russian war Office an
nounces that the battle in Galicia
is becoming less intense, and that
it regards the German advance as
checked permanently. Official re-
ports from Berlin and Vienna,
however, continue to claim that
the Austro-G German forces are
sweeping eastward, putting the
Russians to rout and capturing
vast numbers of prisoners.
In recent fighting in Galicia and
Russian Poland I4a5oo Russians
have been captured, according to
the German war Office.
Battle of Great Fury.
The great battle now in progress in
northern France is characterized in a
fury. but the allies are holding firmly to
the positions in which they are now es-
tabished.
The week of battle now drawing to a
close left both sides exhausted and
breathless, says the Daily News CORE
spondent in the north of France To
day. Ascension day." he teleg ra phs, I'VE
are burying our thousands and the Ger
mans perhaps their tens of thousands
The fury of the fighting has been un-
nd
palllng. but our line is established
firmly"
To the north of La Bassee the Brit
ish are doing little more than holding
their own, but at the same time they
are keeping great masses of Germans
engaged. troops which otherwise would
be available against the French Of
lenSlve.
Russians Fall Back.
Latest dispatches from Petrograd
declare the Russians have fallen back
upon strong strategic positions along
the River San. which runs north and
south through central Galicia They
now regard the German drive through
west Galicia as having been checked
permanently.
The arrival of fresh Russian troops.
which successfully engaged the Ger
man TANKS. had relieved pressure upon
the Russian center. 1t Is said These
attacks on the German wings, in which
the Russian cavalry has been support
ed effectively by mountain artillery
nave been prosecuted with unusual
nercenesS
Activity on Polish Front.
The activity noted In the las, few
days along the center of the Polish
front. in the vicinity of Skierniewice
and Rawa, is said to have been due to
Russian initiative, with the object Of
holding the Germans in their positions
and preventing utilization of these
forces elsewhere.
The retreat Of the Russian center
from Lupkow is explained here as due
not to pressure from the Germans but
| to the exposed situation of the Rms
SLAMS at that point in view of the ron
ing back of the Russian right hanL
This wing rests on the lower WisIeka
at Dembica, twenty miles due east NJ
| Tarnow. 1t is strongly entrenched
New Germanic Offensive.
with the checking of the German
J eastward movement between the vjs.
tuia and the Carpathians. there are al
ready indications of a new Austro-
German offensive against the Russian
left, In the direction Of Stry and
Uzsok Evidence of this is seen in
the transfer of German troops eastward
through Lupkow In view of this new
activity the Russians attach great i'm
portance to their recent successes fur
| ther east, in the transdniester coun
try, where they occupy a forty-fiye-
mile front between Obertyn and Czarno
witZ.
TO the north the Russians have been
able to hold the Germans on a line be-
tween Mitau and Kelmo, and have
driven them out Of Ragola. midway be-
tween koxno and Rossiens. The grain
lCojl liaued on Ninth Psgel