The Republican journal., 1915-08-12
THE PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

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the tide of battle had turned in favor of
the armies of the Gar. But soon fol-
lowed the surprising announcement that
Warsaw was to be evacuated to save the
Russian armies from capture. Berlin
prepared to celebrate, and it was plan
ned that on the anniversary of the De-
ginning of the war the Kaiser and his
consort should head the triumphal march
into the Polish capital. The Russians
held on, however, and this ceremony was
necessarily postponed. Meanwhile the
opposing orces were moving north and
south to cut off the Russian retreat, and
last week the Germans began to assall
Warsaw's outer forts. During this time
it was intimated from Russian sources
that an offensive movement of the AL
lies in the west that would relieve the
pressure in the east might enable them
to hold Warsaw But there was no move
in the west, and August 9Th the Ter
mans took possession of Warsaw, the
capital of Poland, and the third largest
city in the Russian empire. The Rus
slams continued rear guard lighting to
protect the retreat of the main army,
whose fate at this writing is undecided,
some reports indicating that it would be
cut off from its new line of defence while
the general belief has been that it would
make good its escape. In either event
Russia is out of the fighting for an In
definite time. 1t is now matter OF
SPECULATION as to what move Germany
will make next. Will she continue her
aggressive campaign against the Rus
slams, in which case it is possible that
Petrograd may be evacuated, or, leav-
ing sufficient force to hold the Rus
slams, divert her forces to the western
scene Of action for drive on Paris and
the French seaports.
Aside from the moral effect of the
evacuation of Warsaw, not only with the
German people but with the lesser Euro
pean powers, ready to cast their lot with
what appears to them to be the winning
side. the material gain is great. Ger
many will have Poland to draw upon for
food supplies In addition to the home
production, and the mills and factories of
Warsaw. now dismantled, can be equip
ped with new machinery and make mu-
nitions for the forces in the east, thus
saving transportation from Germany.
A month ago the London Times in
commencing ga prolonged, vigorous and
most gallant offensive" by the French
forces North of Arras said: "But the
broad and dominating fact is that there
is no immediate prospect OF breaking
the German line so effectually as to COM
pei the enemy to withdraw within their
own frontier. The British Army cannot
properly fulfil its share of the task until
it has far larger supplies of big guns, of
high explosives and of machine guns,
and these requirements will take months
TO PROVIDE That is apparently the
situation today and explains the inactiv
ity of the British forces which has led
to SO much unfavorable comment. And
of the Russian retreat and the fall of
Lemburg The Times said: "They have
not failed in valor, any more than our
own brave men. They have been driven
back for precisely the same reason which
prevents US from advancing" And the
London Daily Mail said: "For US the i'm
portant thing is, that for the rest of the
summer Russia cannot undertake any
further operations and that she will
probably have to lie low until spring."
How much worse then is the situation
today with the fall of Warsaw and the
Russians in full retreat and in danger of
being outfanked and cut off from their
new line of defences.
Germany apparently has an inexhaust-
ible supply of munitions, having not only
a large amount on hand at the beginning
of the war, but her daily output is suf-
ficient to meet all demands. The Allies
were unprepared and had no such reserve
to draw upon, and while France is said to
be keeping her army well supplied it is
doubted whether England ever can man.
facture war munitions equal to her re-
quirements. Writing. from Copenhagen
United Press staff correspondent who
has had exceptional advantages in study
ing the situation says:
Even now Woolwich arsenal, London
great war munitions factory, is not rum
ming at its maximum capacity. Some of
the men employed there are stock ex-
change lockers who work in an amateur
ish why during Saturday half holiday and |
on other casual occasions. Lloyd George |
recently estimated that Germany and |
Austria Hungary are making ESQ, 900 |
shells per day The United Press learns
that the British war Office estimates |
$50, 900 shells per month is the maximum
capacity of all the factories of Lam
cashire even under conditions of war |
time pressure. Lancashire is England's
leading manufacturing county.
Beside making ammunition for the |
army, shells must also be produced for
the British navy in huge quantities.
Germany does not have to divert the out |
put of her arsenals in this manner to |
anything like. the same extent as does !
England. The British fleet has fired an |
enormous quantity of shells during the
Dardanelles operations alone, which have |
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