Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-07-22
GERMAN ADVANCES
THREATE En- TO CUT
PETROCRAD LINES
Rumors of Fall of Warsaw Cur.
rent, But Evacuation Is Not
Believed to Have ACtu-
ally Occurred.
SURRENDER is INEVITABLE
Russians Making a Desperate
Stand All Along the Polish
Front But Apparently
Without Success.
SURRENDER is INEVITABLE

Berlin. (via Sayville), July "a
The Vossische Zeitung estimates
that using official headquarters re-
ports as basis, the number OF
RUSSIAN prisoners taken since the
beginning of the new offensive is
l75 officers and 5000 men, which
the newspaper calls "a nice start"
London, July 22.-Rumors of the fall
OF Warsaw are in circulation TODAY.
but the latest communications from
both sides indicate the Austro German
rush towards the Polish capital has
slowed down. The Russians continue
10 iose ground, but apparently the cam
palgn has not yet been brought to q
decisive issue.
me most important success now re-
ported oy the Germans has been won
by General Won Woy1ich. south Of
lVangorod. This seems to have been
surprise attack. The Russians. who
had heavy reserves in the yneighbor-
nooo, later delivered vigorous counter
attacks. but failed to recover the lost
ground. Windau, in Courland. on the
Baltic, is definitely in the hands of tha
Germans who are now within 35 miles
OF the important Russian seaport Of
May Cut Off Petrograd.
Possession OF Riga by the Germans
would force the Russian armies near
Shawl and Mitau tosretreat, as the Bal
tic port Is their chief point OF supplies.
The ambitious advance Of the Germans
In. the Baltic provinces indicates they
hope not only to capture Warsaw. hut
to cut Off the retreat of the Russians
by placing forces between the retiring
armies and Petrograd
All these late advances place Grand
Duke Nicholas, the Russian COM
mander-in chief, in an embarrassing po-
n sjnlS ~1xs 49, 49,
| might imperil his retreat, but il is
| pointed out here that such an extended
| Austro-German line may contain weak
points against which a counter move
| might be made in the hope of saving
| the Polish capital. Military writer's as
sert that the presence not only Of
Landwehr but of Landsturm troops in
| the German lines indicates the central
| powers are eXerting every resource to
crush the Russians.
Magnitude Of Operations.
The magnitude of the German often
sive almost staggers the Imagination.
| On this S00-mile battlefront. stretching
| from the Baltic to Bessarabia, Germany
has concentrated two-thirds of her mil
itary force. or about 100000 men. g.
900 of whom are operating in the
Polish district. the other 100000 en-
| gagged In the actions against Riga.
| Besides fighting to crush the cars
armies. Germany is seeking to open tho
| path to Turkey and Asia The Turks
| are hard pressed for munitions. A def
initely crushing blow dealt Russia now
| doubtless would influence the waveriEg
Balkan states and intimidate Rumania
| into permitting the passage of German
| munitions through her territory to
| Turkey.
Russa's task is one of gigantic diff
ficulty. Grand Duke Nicholas, the
master strategist of the Russian ar
Il v,,inc do MI
| minds of his antagonists. and is not
1 to be taken by surprise. The result OF
| the crowning fight for the Polish sail
| ent is being watched by Russia's S allies
with absorbing interest
| II the grand dukes central armies
| can be enveloped and crushed, all the
rest of the much easier effort undoubt-
| edly would be made to sweep to Kiey
| and the Black sea. break through the
Balkans and join hands with the Turks
The English writer's are loudly decIar-
ing that now is the opportunity of
| France and Great Britain. These pow
| ers had one chance, they. say, and did
not take it. Now they have a second,
| say these observers who doubt that the
\ third opportunity will ever come With
| the Russians crushed beyond Immediate
| repair, they believe the victorious Ger
| mans will turn back to the west and
deliver such a blow that the western
| allies cannot withstand it.
Defense Is Desperate.
| Military critics of all the newspapers
| point out that the battle raging be-
tween the Nistula and Bug river is OF
| decisive Importance. The belief is ex-
| pressed that the Russians will tena-
| ciously resist the onslaught. throwing
forward their best troops from Pet
| rograd and Moscow. The imperial
household troops have held back until
now. the writer's say
A dispatch to the Berlin Lokal An
Zeiger, from CzernowitZ. capital Of
Bukowina. reports heavy fighting along
the Dneister river near the Bukowina-
Galicia border. The Russians brought
| up refnforcements and made deter
| mined efforts to retake positions on the
left bank of the river which had been
captured by the Austrians. They were
| supported by heavy artillery, but the
dispatch says their attacks gained
| them nothing
Inhabitants in Flight.
Along the Bessarabian, also, the
Russians are on the offensive, having
made desperate attacks during the last
four nights. They succeeded in break
ing into the Austrian positions in one
place, but the attacking forces subse-
quently were captured and here. as
elsewhere, the Russians We're unable to
| make gains. The battle of Monday
night lasted six hours, during which the
| Russians made eight assaults.
According to dispatches reaching
Berlin. all the official archives in Riga,
the Russian Baltic port now threat
cned by Germans, together with the
| moneys Of state banks and court rec
ords. were taken to Petrograd Monday
Government officials have been advised
TO be ready to depart. 1t is said more
than 10000 inhabitants of the city fled
last week.
l
E. w. HURST DIES.