Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-23
RUSSIANS PLAN TO BURN
WARSAW IF THEY LEAVE
Grand Duke Gives Orders That TorcI,
Is to BE Applied in Polish
Capital.
MEMBERS ASSIGNED FOR WORK
If Germans Capture City, They VIII
Find 1t Heap of Charred Ruins.
Archives, Court Records and Gold
in Banks Already Removed.

SIedt Flbtuist lOTtFeSS ana Key to War;
saw and Lublin. has been invested by
the Germans. Already the German
siege guns have beer brought up and
the Teutons are trying to rcwrite in
tho east the story OF Antwerp and
Namur. If IvanEoroG falls, the Rus
slams will be forced to cvacuatc ali
.'oland.
".ndau. the baltic port. has been
ial'i waste by the rc'rcating Russ,nns
The harbor works have been destroyed.
according TO dispatches reaching
Libau. and tho torch has been applied
TO the buildings and houses of inc city
On their whole line Of retreat the Rus
CLANS have commenced to make barren
the country behind them. Cities and
villages arc being burned and crops
conNscatcd or destroyed. Following
,nc tactics OF the S!avs against Ma
polcon. the Grand Duke Nicholas is
.caving nos an ounce If food nor inch
II shelter behind for the lceions which
are driving his troops further and fur
her into tn. interior Of Russia
Following the example of Windau. 1t
is reported here that the grand duke
has given orders that when the last
defense Of Warsaw has been taken
flames are to be spread in the Polish
capital. The Russian commander Is
said to be determined that the great
government buildings and churches
shall not fall into the hands of the
conquerors unscathed. Members have
been assigned. il is stated, 10 the task
OF applying the torch to all quarters
Of the city when the Russians are
ready to evacuatc.
All the archives. court records and
gold in the banks have already been
m
The Germans, 1t is said. will nnd the
most beautiful city in Poland in
heap OF charred ruins If their drive
carries them within its gates.
WITHIN THIRTEEN MILES
OF HEART OF THE CITY
The fall OF Warsaw seems certain
The Germans and Austrians already
are within thirteen miles of the heart
of the city. having forced a passage of
the Nistula east of Blonie.
In the south. along the Luhlin-
Cholm railway. the Russians are fight
ing furiousiy in their last dcfenses
According to adviccs from the Aus
trian field headquarters. the fighting
on this front has now reached its deci-
sive stage. On a greatly shortened
front the Russians have concentrated
the flower Of their army, while the
Austro-Germans under supreme com
inand Of Field Marsha! Won Mackcnsen
also have been greatly strengthened
by large forces released from other
points. The Tcutons have pressed
their advance through a most difficult
country, the ground being sandy and
in parts swampy, until they have
reached the last Russian lines. Their
artillery has been brought up under
tremendous fiTicnltioS in,
many cases being forced to put their
shoulders 10 the begged wheels, and
shells are now being poured upon the
railway, effectually blocking the re-
ported Russian efforts TO remove the
great stores of war material they had
gathered at Warsaw
According TO the last Austrian re-
ports. breaches had been made at sew
eral points in the Russian defenscs.
and II these can be widcncd, the last
obstacle to a German sweep upon War
saw from the south will be removed.
Following the example of the popu-
lace Of Riga and Lublin, il is reported
that the civil flight from Warsaw al
ready is under way. The few remain
ing railroad lines out OF the Polish
capital. il is said. arc TANNED with
great transports OF supplies and war
material being removed hastily to in
terror Russia. and the great portion of
the refugees have to take to the roads,
walking or with whatever pack ami
mails they can obtain.
THOUSANDS or RUSSIANS
PRISONERS OF TECTONS
With to-day's reports of captures by
the Austrian and German troops, it is
estimated that more than 100000 Rus
slams have fallen into the hands OF the
Tcutons within the last four DAYS
This more than anything else has
caused British military critics TO he
come blackly pessimistic over the out
come of the grand dukes campaign. as
il indicates that the Russian morale
has been shattered by the long series
of reverses and defeats they have suf-
fcrcd.
y Berlin dispatch received here states
that ii is semiofficially announced that
the Germans and Austrians have cap
tured $4,000 machine guns from the
Russians since the war started With
Russia's inability to supply herself
with these vital weapons Of defense,
this, If true. shows what a tremendous
problem the Russians face in even at
tempting to halt the German sweep
News reports from Austrian field
headquarters state that, while fighting
gailantly before Lublin, the Russians
are hampered by lack of artillery and
officers. In many cases. it is said, en-
tire battalions arc commanded by ono
commanding officer his subordinatcs
being men risen from the ranks Rus
sian noncommissioncd officers in the
majority are men of little education,
and consequent doubtful ability, it
is pointed out by London critics, and
her tremendous losses in officers, whose
places she is unable to fill, are one OF
the most serious prospects, from the
Russian standpoint.
Berlin tonight is In n state of great
excitement, according TO dispatches
reaching here by wireless. With Won
Mackcnsen fighting to open the