New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-28
The Third Crisis in the Eastern Cam
paign.

with the capture of hOvno last week ana
its evacuation was inevitable. With the
decision to leave Warsaw the Russians
finally embarked upon a policy of retreat,
to which they have rigidly adhered since.
If the purpose of the Germans were
solely to acquire territory which would
give them an advantageous military from
tier in the east, then the taking Of Brest
is the eliminating circumstance in cam
paign successful beyond all parallel in the
history of the present war. But we all
know that the Russian army, not posi-
ton, is the objective of Austro-German
strategy-and this has not yet been
reached.
Take the case of the German invasion
of France a year ago. The battles OF
Mons, Charleroi and Neufchateau made
breach in the first line Of French defences,
of which Lille. Maubeuge, Givet, Mezleres
and Longwy were the more important
fortresses. 1t was then believed the
French would stand on the second line,
which included La Fere, Laon and Rheims.
But the British defeats at lie Cateau and
Cambria and their retreat beyond st. Quen-
tin made this impossible. This is what
has now happened to the Russians, and
they have been turned, not forced out of
their defences, by the operations far to the
north from Kovno to the gates of Riga.
But the French took their armies out of
Il defences safely, and the Russians seem
SO ar to have succeeded equally well. The
German reports of a capture of 100000
prisoners since Warsaw was taken must
be examined in detail to be rightly under
stood. Thus, at Novo Georgevsk they
claimed $4,000 prisoners and at KOvno
10000. But the garrison at Novo Geor-
gievsk was deliberately sacrificed to delay
German transport on the Vistula, as the
French sacrificed 10000 troops at Maui
beuge to control the Liege-Paris trunk
railroad as long as possible.
The loss of 100000 in prisoners in rear
guard actions in a period of three weeks,
and from armies amounting to at least
/ .5OOOOO men, is small indeed, and indi-
Gates how deliberate, well conducted and
successful has been the retreat up to the
present moment. SO far the retreat has
eoualled the German offensive as mar
velou5 military operation
All observers, however, agree that the
test of Russian skill is now at hand. The
country behind the Russians is made up of
forest and swamp. There are few rail
roads and fewer highways. The problem
of Withdrawing great masses, keeping the
enemy at bay and preventing demorallza-
to- will strain Russian capacity to the
utmost and the success or failure Of the
Russian strategy will be proved only if
the Grand Duke gets his masses back on
the line from Kiev through Minsk to Duna-
burg intact.
The first great chance for German cav
airy will now be offered. The artillery
has done its work The last important
fortresses, save in the extreme south about
Rowno, Dubno and Lutsk, have gone and
these will have to be evacuated. The Rus
sian troops are now in the open. But Ma
poleon. land the japanese in turn failed to
shake Russian armies in retreat. Will
the Germans be more successful?
For the Germans the problem daily be-
comes more difficult as the line of trans
port lengthens and the numbers needed for
rearguard operations increase. If they
were willing to accept the triumph they
have won as sufficient they could now
give over pursuit and consolidate, with the
practical certainty that it would be spring
before Russia could be dangerous again.
But there is no sign of such a German
relaxation On the contrary there is every
sign that German commanders still believe
that they can get decision and peace,
lust as Napoleon thought in his invasion Of
Russia a century ago, and, believing this,
are going forward. What their chances
are no one can now say but every surface
indication points to the possibility of sue
cess, now that the Russian armies are be-
yond the protection of their fortresses.
Actually the eastern campaign is enter
ing its third critical period. The first
came in Galica when the sudden drive of
Mackensen threatened the Carpathian
armies with development. The second was
about Warsaw. when another enveloping
threat was made The present peril is not
through enveloping operations, but rather
through the attempt to crush in detail
beaten troops now no longer protected by
permanent defences and withdrawing
through very difficult territory.
Twice thwarted in her primary purpose,
Germany has now third chance. Sue
cess, which can come only with the de-
structon of the enemys main armies, will
probably eliminate Russla-open the road
to Petrograd, Moscow and separate
peace. But if the Russian army crosses
the Berezina intact, there seems no reason