New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-13
The End of the German Drive

end, 1t is possible TO Judge ana 10 appralse
the second great campaign of the present
war. The advance to the Marine was Of
course the first.
In each of these operations it is fair to
assert the Germans were seeking not local
advantage, not mere conquest of territory;
they were actually aiming at a success so
complete as to eliminate one of their enc
mics permanently, or at the least for many
months. from the conflict. In both cases
this could only be achieved by substantial
destruction of the main masses Of the
enemy.
The two operations, too, opened in the
same way. About the Sambre from Namur
west the Anglo-French forces were over
whelmed, compelled to take flight, losing
thousands Of prisoners, artillery; some of
their organizations were actually annihi-
lated. The same thing happened on the
Dunaiec in the first days of May. After
the initial defeat the Russian flight was
equally costly, the possibility of Russian
disaster quite as real, as had been that in
the west.
But in the east as in the west the same
thing is to be noted. The Russian armies,
like the Anglo-French, are not destroyed.
Instead. after the initial defeat has
come presently a rally, backward thrust
along the San comparable with that made
bv the French about Guise in the last days
Of August. Still, as the Anglo-French,
unable to stand on the Disc and the Aisne,
had to abandon Rheims, Scissors and Laon,
the Russians were compelled to surrender
Przemysl and later Lemberg.
Always. however, it is to be noted that
the Russian resistance instead of weaken
ing was stiffening. In the same way as the
French armies on the Vosges held stead
ily the Russian troops on the Dniester
peat off all effort to break in on the flank
and rear Of the main Russian front.
Now, after six weeks, Vienna announces
that the campaign is at an end. In fact,
it is just at the point at which the battle
of the Marine was fought in France From
Warsaw to Pinsk the Russian retreat has
reached the limit of withdrawal, if the
main system of Russian defence, the whole
Polish position, is to be defended. At last
Russian armies are standing with rail-
roads at their rear, along their front, with
the bases for supplies and ammunition
near at hand.
In a word, then, in advance of a battle
the Austro- German high command has
abandoned hope of obtaining a decision in
battle. The Russian army has not been
destroyed, the main Russian line in the
east has not been forced, and, presumably,
there is no prospect of such an operation
being pressed successfully.
So far, then, the second great German
operation has failed, as did the first. 1t
has succeeded in cOnquering territory, but
this time, it should be remembered, the
territory taken is Austrian, not enemy. 1t
has taken thousands of prisoners and much
material. It has abolished all peril of a
Russian invasion of Hungary. 1t has re-
strained Rdmanian Intervention and exer-
cised a great influence in Athens and Sofia.
But all its success is included in the merely
defensive aspects Of the campaign.
To-day Russia stands on precisely the
lines her high command had long before
the war planned she should stand. Not a
single one of the forts in her whole de-
fensive system has fallen. The territory
surrendered in Western Poland was indie
fensibe and abandoned at the outset. 1t
was only occupied after the first great VIC
tories in Galicia
We do not know whether Russian defeat
has been sufficiently complete TO preclude
any immediate resumption of the offensive.
But recent bulletins about the Krasnik
sector suggest that this is hardly the case.
It is wholly possible that great masses Of
German troops can be sent west for a new
bid for decision in France, or moved
round to the northern side of the Russian
position in Poland, where the communica-
tons favor attack, as the lack of roads and
railroads makes it difficult in the south
But this means the beginning of a new
operation.
By her great Galcian drive Germany
has demonstrated anew how wrong
were those who forecast an immediate
collapse of her resistance. She has
heightened the period of the war by per-
haps a year. She has given confidence
and new courage to Austria, to her own
people. She has won great and famous