Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-06

sunday WIN formulate . proolAma0on
declaring Poland to be . semi-autooo-
nous state under Joint Polish ana Aus
,tro-Hungarian rule. This oon1orma
With q recent decision Of q Polish con-
sress held at Piotrkow. Russian Po-
land, which proposed q joint fousn
army and Augtro- Hungarian rufe VIZ
g separate Polish army . ana the M,,S ai ths
strategic interests OF Auseria-aunsarS
The German offer Of autonomy is re-
Earded as q bid for the support OF ,tne
liar declaration Of Emperor Nicholas
promising eventual Polish autonomy
under Russian suzerainty. Tho out
come of these events IN Warsa~ pro-
ably win determine the pol1tical STATUS
of Poland during the war.
Course Causes Speculation.
What the Germans will do next IN
military way after attempting to COM
plete their enyeloping movement Is
matter of much speculation. II the
eampaign against the Russians Is not
theoretically pushed there is the possi-
bility of the present victories being I'M
done, while II an offensive in the east
is continued the Germans face the rig
ors and dangers of a winter campaign
In Russia. .
Conservative students here think It
will result In a compromise. IN which
the Germans will withdraw part OF
their eastern army. leaving enough
men to maintain and secure the defen-
sive positions When they Ha'e Jug
themselves in.
Teutons Move Fifteen Miles East.
Discussing the situation around Riga.
the sixth city Of the Russian empire.
>h> pa+roorod correspondent of the
Morning Post says:
Russian military forces seem merely
TO be observing the German advance
and falling back before it. The Ger
mans now are fifteen miles farther
east than yesterday. Their aeroplanes
have dropped numerous bombs on
Riga, and the main body of German
troops has succeeded in getting beyond
the difficult swamp region which was
the city's chief natural defense. They
now are in good forest country.
through which they are being guided
by local Germans-Riga's population
Is 80 per cent German.
Refugees give Illuminating ac-
counts of the conduct of those Riga
Germans. When the Russian popula-
ton was preparing to leave, Riga as
sumed the appearance of city cele-
brating a national holiday. Germans
swarming the streets and every sign
Of public rejoicing being apparent"
10000 Leave Riga Daily.
Ten thousand persons have been leav-
ing Riga, the Baltic capital, daily for
week.
Among the objects most carefully re-
moved from the evacuated territory are
church bells. many OF them often too
large to remove whole without erecting
special framework. In such cases the
bells are sawed to pieces.
Several Towns In Flames.
A letter from Warsaw dated Tues
day, August 3, says the towns Of Jirar-
don, Groitzi and Blonie all were In
flames when the Germans reached
them. The invaders are said to have
been forced to fight IRE SO persistently
in the advance to the Vistula river
that the Teutonic armies were preceded
By detachments Of military hremen.
Ivangorod Forts Weak.
The forts at Ivangorod. constructed al
most entirely Of brick. do not answer the
requirements of modern warfare. accord
ine to an oficial statement issued by the
Russian general stan in reply to the
Austrian claim that a great victory was
achieved in Ivangorod's capture.
Last October" the Russian statement
says, enemy attacks were not repulsed
On the line OF the fortified circle. but on
positions constructed to meet the advance.
because Of the impossibility Of Ivangorod
sustaining siege all its provisions were
methodicaIiy removed today.
ION some Of our lines west Of Ivan
Rorod our rear guards detained the enemy
Tor some days, without heavy fighting. but
Wednesday. conformably to our general
nlan of action those rear guards blew up
The concrete bases supporting the brick
easements of the forts, destroyed the
bridges and withdrew to the right bank
Of the Vistula."