Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-17
CRISIS NOT YET REACHED
IN THE POLAND CAMPAIGN
Teutons, Halted at Several Points,
Press the Attack Fiercely
at Others.
Won HINDENBURG A MENACE
Russian Retirement Cannot Be Con.
sidered Successful Until He
Has Been Turned
Back.
BERLIN, August II, via

BERLIN, August II, via
London, AIS p.m.-One of
the outlying forts of Kovno,
between the Niemen river
and Gesia, to the south of
the main fortihcation, has
been captured by the Ger
mans, it was announced by
German army headquarters
today.
Three forts at Novo
Georgievsk also have been
captured, army headquarters
report.
! LONDON, August IA crisis
has not yet been reached in the
present stage of the eastern cam
paign. Grand Duke Nicholas, the
Russian commander-in-chief, will
not be able to assure the safety
OF his armies until the menace
presented by the operations OF
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg
in Courland is removed.
In the Bausk district of Cour-
land the German army has been
driven back toward the Aa river,
while Kovno is still stemming the
German tide. The chief struggle,
however, centers in the region
north of the Niemen, notwlth-
standing the recent success OF
| Russian resistance.
Between the Narew and the
Bug the German drive evidently
is making some headway, al
though Petrograd claims that at
tacks of the invaders in this
region have been repulsed after
heavy fighting. Along the middle
Bug the .Austrians and Germans
have forced several crossings. 1t
the Russians plan to hold the val
liable transverse railroad running
through Wilma, Grodno, Bialvstok,
Brest-Litovsk and kovel, they
must soon check the AustrlanS
and Germans definitely.
Russian Plan Executed.
| The Times military correspondent
! dealing with the warfare IN kussia,
! says:
In conformity with the general plan
| of retirement, Grand Duke Nicholas has
now withdrawn his forces from Poland
! to points west of the line of Ossowetz
Bialystok ana Brest-Litovsk, and We
shall learn within a few days whether
he intends to make long stand on
The staffs of the Russian armies
have performed difficult tasks with the
greatest competence. Attacked in an
untenable position by SIX or seven
Austro-Ge German armies, the Russians
fought steadily back and are now in
line.
Cars Armies Not Beaten.
The Russian armies are neither
beaten nor demoralized, nor dispirited:
but they are not yet out of danger,
nor can they be until the menace of
, Won Hindenburg in the north is dis
posed Of
"Chief interest still lies in the strug-
gle north of the Niemen, in the defense
of Kovno and in the decision of Grand
Duke Nicholas to stand upon the Brest-
Litovsk line or to continue his retire.
ment. The real crisis of the grandiose
operation is still to come"
Scores of Civilians Killed.
Scores of civilians were killed and
wounded in the three-day lombard
ment with heavy artillery which pre-
ceded the German occupation of Lomza.
according to a Reuter- dispatch from
Petrograd While German guns were
showering tons of metal upon the town
the inha bitantS took refuge in the cell
lars of their homes. Many houses
were blown to bits and others were
burned.
Before the arrival of the Germans all
metals and everything of military value
had been removed by the russians.
Civilians are reported to be leaving
Bialystok to escape the lighting which
is expected there. The banks and hos.
pitfalls already have been removed.
Difficulties for Germans.
ROTTERDAM, August 16. via London.
August 17.-No point is yielded by the
Russians to the advancing Germans
until railway bridges and everything
else Of military value has been de-
stroyed, according to German reports
received here. The Cologne Gazette
admits the difficulties confronting the
invaders and says:
"The great area west Of the vistula
is covered by ceaseless professions of
wagons bringing up supplies. In this
devastated country where the railway
bridge has been destroyed an incred-
ible amount of work has to be done
Only by fabulous exertions have we
heen able to carry supplies for our