The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-08-12
5AVARIAN FORCES UNDER
PRINCE LEOPOLD STORM LAST
DEFENSES WHILE RUSSIAN
ARMIES FALL BACK.
STRUGGLE SHORT BUT FIERCE
Capture of Polish Capital Marks Gull
mination of Greatest Sustained
Offensive Movement Of Euro
pean War-Plan to Make
Poland Semi-Auton-
omous State.

aiken by German troops, according TO
official announcement made at Ger
nan army headquarters.
The Russian garrison fell back
1ver the three Vistula bridges to
Praga, Warsaw's eastern suburb,
after only a brief resistance. Bavar-
an troops under Prince Leopold
stormed the last line of Russian de-
lenses and entered the city on the
Kolish and Radon roads.
Continuing their retreat from Pra-
ga, the Russian center is falling back
along the railway leading to Novo
Minsk and over the plain north of
he railway, keeping in contact with
is right wing near Novo ~Georgievsk.
Garrison Crosses River.
All reports agree that the complete
retirement from Warsaw apparently
vas ordered two days ago and that
the Russian armies on both sides of
the Warsaw salient began falling back
at the same time the Warsaw garrison
began crossing the river to Praga.
Rumors that the city had fallen, or
was about to fall, were circulated here
early in the day. Church bells were
tolled and there was general rejoicing
throughout Berlin.
The first bulletin from the war Of
flee contained few details of the
final battle at the gates Of Warsaw
or of the greater engagement on the
wings of the German armies seeking
to envelop the Slavs.
That the struggle was a short,
fierce one is evidenced by the fact
that Prince Leopold's armies arrived
before the Warsaw outer forts only
SO hours ago. 1t was the belief here
that a large part of the Russian gar
rison who made the final stand at the
city gates fell into the hands of the
Bavarians.
VistuIa Bridges Destroyed.
1t was assumed here that the Slavs
either completely destroyed, or at
least attempted to destroy the Vistula
bridges.
The first German troops entered the
city during the night. At the same
time general attacks were begun by
the German right wing extending
along the Narew to Ostrolenka. A
great battle is raging in this sec
ton, the result OF which is in doubt
The Russians are fighting desperately
to save the Warsaw-Petrograd railway.
The fall of Warsaw marks the cul.
mination of the greatest sustained
offensive movement of the European
var Twice before Teutanic armies
have knocked at the gates only to be
denied by the strength of it's defense
and the resistance of the forces hold
ing 1t.
London, Aug. with the great
Russian fortresses of Warsaw and
l~vangorod captured and the fall of
Riga, the capital OF the Baltic prov
inces. imminent, the Austro-German
onslaught has reached it's climax in
the East. The next step will be the
German emperor's triumphant entry
into the Polish capital.
Petrograd asserts that the Teuton
P'A~SAo CAV ny IliuucHbuTS III tile
north and Mackensen in the south
failed to close on the fleeing Rus
slams in time to catch the 10000 men
%retreating from the abandoned War.
saw salient.
Greatest Retreat In History.
If the Russian statement is cor
rect, the Grand Duke Nicholas has
conducted successfully the greatest
retreat the world has ever witnessed.
While many opinions are expressed
as to the direction of the next smash
to be delivered by the 1000, 900 first
line troops released by the fall of
Warsaw, the popular view Is that the
Kaiser will continue to press the
Russians. launching an attack in the
path Of Napoleon toward P~etrograd
in the hope that the weakening Rus
sian morale will be crystalized into a
possibility of a separate peace.
The Petrograd correspondent of
the Times messaged that the fate
Of Riga is sealed" and that the evac-
uation of the city was in full swing
when last reports reached Petrograd.
The Times correspondent said that
the Russian government last week