New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-21

object to win over Rumania, who still hest
tates, to the cause of the Quadrupe Entente
But it would seem as if this offensive had ex-
hausted its strength the Russians, after heavy
losses had been inflicted on them, have ceased
their attacks and have retreated. In the north
it is scarcely to be expected that Marshal Won
Hindenburg can long be held in check; TOR,
during the whole Of the period under consid-
Grafton, the losses Of the Russians have been
terrible.
~ In the Carpathians and during the retreat
from Galicia they lost hundreds of thousands
of men killed. wounded and prisoners; and
their losses along the line Ivangorod-W Warsaw
Lomsha were not much smaller. In Novo-
eeorgievsk alone, which was beseiged by about
10000 men, 10000 prisoners and 1900 guns tell
into the hands of the victor, to say nothing OF
an incalculable amount of other booty The
same thing happened in the north General
Won Eichhorn captured 1900 guns at Rovno
Along this front hundreds and thousands OF
prisoners were made daily In the course OF
the uninterrupted retreat along impassaoie
roads, under the pressure OF the swiftly ad-
vancine German pursuers, the losses during
the march were terrific. According to state
roents made by prisoners, those regiments
which at the outset contained the greatest
number Of soldiers-sorle 4,ooo-saw their
muster roll diminish to about 100 or goo men.
The baggage and artillery were, it is true,
A. ,r,fa ,trUt &c
demoralized, and has grown weary OF war;
officers and rifles are both lacking here AT
the end of September only the front lines were
fully armed The reserves had to march out
armed with the rifles of the dead We Will
hardly be exaggerating if we estimate the total
losses Of the Russians since the beginning OF
the war to be approximately six million men.
1t is at present impossible to calculate the
number of guns captured, but this number VIII
certainly not fall far short of 10000. Among
them are many which have been sold TO Rus
STA by Japan.
The material damage inflicted on the unfor-
tunate country through which the retreating
legions passed is likewise appalling The VII
lagos have been burned, the harvest destroyed;
the greater part Of the inhabitants have fled.
Those who remained behind are dependent
on the charity Of the victors, OF the German
"barbarans," who bring in the harvest, till
the soil. and alleviate distress as far as they
can possibly do so. 1t IS, in truth, bitter irony
when the states of the Quadruple Entente
endeavor to prove to impartial spectators that
they are fighting for the defence OF freedom
and civilization against the tyranny OF German
barbarism and against slavish militarism. The
Huns Of the Middle Ages cannot possibly have
behaved worse than the Russians did in their
own empire. One must have seen these things
as I saw them-witi ones own eyes in
order to believe such wild rage Of destruc-
ton to be possible. The downfall Of the Rus
sian army appears to be as complete in the
moral sphere as it is in the purely military
ONE and it will be long, very long, time be-
fore the army of the Tsar has recovered suffi-
cient strength to enable it to undertake once
more offensive operations. But what that
army will never recover is the efficiency which
it possessed at the outbreak of war. This
seems, indeed, wholly impossible, despite all
the help afforded to Russia by America and
Japan.
RUSSIAN ARMY BROKEN INTO THREE
GROUPS.
One great aim has been realized. After suf-
fering enormous losses, such as the world had
never previously SEEN the Russian army has
been broken up into three groups which are no
longer directly connected with each other.
These groups can effect their junction only at
a long distance in the rear of their present po-
sitions, and are compelled to adopt very cir
cuitous ways if they wish to come to each
others assistance. The right wing, to the
north of the Duna, and in the neghborhood OF
Dunaburg, protects the road to St. Petersburg;
the centre has, in the final instance, its basis
in Moscow, and the left wing in Kief; the
evacuation OF the latter city has already begun.
/ cam however, scarcely believe that the
armies of the Central Powers will push forward
as far as these centres of the Russian resist
snce They would, by SO doing, move very
long way from their own bases. True both IN
the north and in the south certain conclu-
sion must be arrived at. In the north we
must secure firm hold over the Duna line,
and Dunaburg must be taken in order that II
NAV serve as a basis OF operations against the
rear and flank OF the Russian central group
In the south the Allies will perhaps wish to
take Rovno and to clear the enemy entirely
cut Of Galcis. IL only in order 10 render It
easier for Rumania, whose flank would then
be absolutely safe, 10 take decision regarding