Tombstone epitaph., 1915-08-08
FIRST YEAR OF THE
 WAR IN THE EAST

The first twelvemonth of fightinS between the Russians on one side and the Austrians and Germans on the other Is a story of great changes of fortune, both combatants being re- peatedly driven back only to show the greatest resiliency in defeat and soon to resume the offensive in a most surprising manner.
 The end of the year. however. finds the pendulum swinging strongly against the cZar. He may recover and take again the roads to Cracow. Vienna and Berlin. but just at pres ent he is on the whole in worse plight than in any hour since the war started
 Russia's losses in the first year of the war are not approached by those of any nation in any war of history. According to reliable estimates. she has had between 2.5oo.000 and 4.000,- 900 men killed. injured and captured. Despite these horrible gaps made in her ranks, she still has millions in the field, and her great reservoir of personnel does not show signs of eI- haustion. It is not men she lacks, but guns, shells and brains.
 Slow to Mobilize.
 On August l. 1914, Germany de- clared war on Russia. Almost imme- diately the Germans crossed the iron tier at Thorn and the Austrians south of Lublin. They were practically un- opposed because of the slowness of mobilization in Russia. The Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaievitch was forced to gather his main armies well to the rear of the line of great fort resses running through Kovno, Grod- no. Ossowetz. Novo Georgievsk. War. saw and Ivangorod.
 On account of his desire to do all he could to relieve the French. who were being driven from northern France by the amazing German rush | through Belgium, Nicholas attacked sooner than he otherwise would have done. As a result, he met two disas, ters.
 He sent General Samsono1 into | East Prussia from the south and General Rennenkampf into East Prus. sia from the east. the latter winning | the first large engagement of the war ! in the East at Gumbinen.
 At this moment the Germans, be | hand and about to be surrounded on | their eastern frontier, quickly with l drew 250,000 men from France and hurled them by rail into East Prus sia, where they fell upon Samsonofl with crushing force in the great Ger man victory of Tannenberg (Aug. 2s) Meanwhile, the Austrians, leaving only a few troops in Galicia to hold back the Russians advancing from Tarnopol on the line of the Gnila-Lipa struck the Russians en masse at Kras nix and routed them to Lublin. Most eIeedy Drive of War. With two armies in difficulty. the grand duke decided to abandon one to its fate and save the other. He threw re-enforcements into Lublir and ordered the line of the Gnila Lipa river be forced at any cost. IT one of the most bloody drives of ths war the Russians advanced into east ern Gaiicia and occupied Lemberg The Russians then advanced tt Rawa Ruska and took the Austrian armies in Poland in the rear. cuttini them up frightfully.
 Meanwhile Won Hindenburg hat completed his victory over Samsonof by turning on Rennenkampf and clear ing East Prussia of Muscovites. Blu though Rennenkampf had been de feated and Samsonon almost ami Inflated, the Germans.
 The Russians were now as far wes as Tarnow in Galicia, while thei Cossacks were able to make raids int Hungary farther south. Hindenburl concentrated a great force suddenl. in Silesia and began a drive from tn west against Warsaw and Ivan gorod. The Siberian corps arrive in the nick of time to save Warsay from the enemy.
 Nigh Tide Of Russian Invasion.
 Hindenburg then drew off the north ern section of his army in Poland t | the north thinking to take the purst