New-York tribune., 1915-03-23
PrZenysl.

triumph on the offensive side since the war
began. 1t may easily turn out one Of the
really decisive victories Of the whole con-
nict. coming as it does at moment when
Austrian fortunes are fast waning and
Austrian neighbors are partitioning Haps-
burg provinces as preliminary to joining
the fray.
Like the fall of Antwerp, which 1t
naturally recalls. the surrender of Przc
mysl soldifes the position of an invader in
a conquered province. Against 10000
square miles of conquered Belgium is
now to be set more than twice as large an
area in Gaicia. But the German achieve
mcnt, thanks to the intrepidity of the Bel
cian army. was devoid of considerable
military consequences, while the Russian
conquest seems bound to have far-reach-
ing effects
To the armies Of the Gar Przemysl was
= far more serious menace than Antwerp
was to the Kaiser's armies. The Belgian
fortress was on the flank Of the German
communications and could be contained
by small force But Przemysl is
souarely on the main trunk railroad, be-
tween Lemberg and Cracow and the centre
of several branch lines and Of various
highways
Thus, while the city held out, Russian
armies in Galicia were compelled to de-
tach corps to deal with the unconquered
fortress in their rear, and their lines OF
communication were broken by the Aus
trian garrison's command of highways
and railroad vital to the invaders and
commanded by the heavy artillery of the
Przemysl forts.
Looking back over the progress Of the
siege, it will be seen how great was the
value each side attached to Przemysl In
September, when the Russians swept west
along the Lemberg-C Cracow railroad af-
ter their great victories, Przemysl was in
vested. For more than month the Cars
generals made desperate attacks and sacri-
lCCU lHOuSdluo VI iIlNli III 'pi44'
This failure compromised the whole
IN Russian situation in Galicia, and when the
u Germans made their first drive at War
saw Russian armies west of the San and
north Of the Carpathians were obliged to
retreat to escape being caught between
two fires. The fortress was thus relieved
and all Galica west of the San recon
quered by the Austrian troops.
The defeat of the Au5trians at San
domir on November 10 led promptly to a
new investment. Before December l the
iron circle had closed about the fortress
and the city was once more besieged
Later in December, when Hindenburg haC
won LODI and was approaching Warsaw
A new Austrian offensive directed from
Cracow and from Hungary in converg
ing drive upon Przemysl was undertaken
and ended in complete disaster. As i
turned out, this defeat settled the fate o.
the fortress.
But in February one more determined
effort was made by the Germans, whC
now went to the aid of their Austrian
ally. Coming east and north into Buko
wilma, coming south and east from Cracow
coming north over the Dukla, Lupkow anc
Uzsok passes, great armies endeavored tC
This was the last and most desperate
effort.
OF the three offensves the first, from
Cracow, broke down about Tarnow. or
the Dunaiec The second, from Buko
wilma. after clearing the whole of the
crownland. was checked at the Pruth
near Halisc and Stanslau, and is now
flowing back toward Pennsylvania. The
third, that by the Carpathian passes, was
halted in the mountains after some of tht
most desperate fighting the war has YET
seen. To-day all Galicia east of the Duna
ice and north of the Pruth is in Russian
hands and the Slav frontier has touched
the Carpathians perhaps permanently.
This represents a complete failure no
merely of the Austrian. but of the German
winter campaign in the east. From th'
attack on Liege to the defeat on the ISei
and about Ypres the main German effort
was directed at France, the chief purpose
of German strategy to crush France, dis
pose of her and turn to the Russian
Fron4;cr with free hand
After the defeats in Flanders Germany
was compelled to deal with Russia