Evening star., 1915-05-27
SLAVS ADMIT RETREAT
OVER A WIDE FRONT
Latest Positions Will Get Test in
Impending Great Battle-Foe
Gets Praise.
FRENCH FIGHTING IN WEST
Contenders Realize Insignificant Ad-
vances Are Sure to Bring Terrible
Losses-Four Reverses for
Teutons Reported.

LONDoN, MAY ZI.-out VI
breath after their eastward squirt,
the Germans and Austrians are
now bringing up reinforcements
and fresh ammunition, and an
other great battle will be fought
to determine whether the new
lines to which the Russians have
fallen back are tenable.
According to the Germans, the
encircling of Peremysl is pro-
crossing, in that they have forced
another crossing Of the River San
only eleven miles north Of the
fortress, and extended consider
ably their line east of this river.
Progress is being made to the
northeast.
The Russians at last have admit
ted the extent of their retreat
from the Dunajeo to the San, and
while they profess that the Aus
tro-German rush has been held
up, they pay tribute to the i'm
petus and spirit Of the advance Of
their antagonists at the same time
that they laud the smoothness Of
the Russian retirement, which
they are calling as mastery as
that of the allies from Mons.
Believe Peremysl Safe.
The Times Petrograd correspondent
says the Russian military observers
consider Peremysl at the present time
quite safe and think there is no rea-
son to apprehend the development and
blockade Of the fortress.
The Times correspondent with the
Russian forces, in a dispatch dated at
1vangorod. gives a description of the
Russian retreat from the Donajec to
the River San
The German attack on the Defajec
was unparalleled in history" says the
correspondent Their batteries were
massed first in tiers of field guns, then
in howitzers and then in the heaviest
of mobile artillery. which, by a tor
rent of uninterrupted shell fire, de-
stroyed the Russian center
Retire Undemoralized.
'In spite of the fury of the attacks
the Russians retired undemoraliZed,
and when the San was reached the gap
was closed, the armies were stiffened
by reserves and the Austro-German on
slaught was stayed. The Russian re-
treat as a maneuVer VIII rank equal to
the retreat from Mons.
"rhe German check on the San ap-
pears to have been due to the impos-
sibility of supplying ammunition fast
enough, the rapidity of the Russian re-
tirement compelling an Unexpectedly
rapid lengthening of the enemy's lines
of communication. At the same time
German strength, courage and persist
ence must not be minimiZed. Past ex-
perience indicates their capacity to
keep coming on with apparently undi-
mintshed ardor-
Trench Warfare in West.
notwithstanding the superb weather,
the contenders in the western arena of
hostilities, realizing the terrible losses
even an insignificant advance entails,
have reverted, generally speaking. to
the trench warfare of the winter.
Four distinct reverses for German
arms are claimed by the French official
statement Of today. The Belgians are
renorted to have repulsed two attacks
in the vicinity of Dixmude. while in
the sector to the north of Arras two
engagements took place last night
Near SoucheZ one of the enemy trenches
was taken, while east of Neuville st.
Vasar a German advance was checked
by fierce artillery fire.
statement issued today, allied attacks
between Vermelle and Lorette Hills and
in the region of scissors have been
repelled.