Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-01
RUss|A'S POTENTIAL
ABILITY UND|M|N|sHED
Armies Intact, Resources Untouched
and People More Determined
Than Ever.
5 VAST RESOURCES MoBILIzED
These Efforts Rapidly Lessen Dis
parity of Combatants in Guns and
Administration OF Power
to Exhaust Enemy.

PETROGRAD, July 3l.-From n per-
son who. although not connected Of
ficially with the War Department. is
in close touch with the government Of
| iicials and is well acquainted with the
military situation and the Russian
state of feeling. the Associated Press
has obtained the following review OF
tn: first year Of the war:
The end OF the first year Of the war
finds Russia's potential lighting ability
undiminished. Her armies are intact.
her resources virtually untouched; and
the determination of her people. the
morale OF her troops. have only been
deepened with the growing realization
Of the enemy's strength.
This determination is expressed
most forcibly in the mobilization of
vast industrial resources for the pro-
duction of war munitions. These eff
forts are rapidly lessening the dis
parity of the combatants in guns and
ammunition. Russia does not look for
speedy termination Of the struggle. but
feels confident OF her power to exhaust
the enemy.
The campaign on the eastern front
must be viewed in relation TO the enor-
nous extent OF territory over which
Baltic to Bukowina. The far-Nung ad-
vances and retreats here have had no
more Significance relatively than gains
and losses of 1000 yards on the western
front. To interpret Russia's temper
airy loss Of territory as German success
Is to ignore Russias role to engage as
great part of the enemy's forces as
possible to relieve pressure on her al
lies. Russia's refusal to accept battle
in disadvantageous conditions, even
though she must temporarily abandon
territory, has kept her armies and de-
fensive lines unbrokcn.
1T is the assertion OF russian au-
thorities that every German advance
has cost Germany more men, both rela-
lively and actually. than il cost Russia
They regard Germany as now com
mittcd definitely TO campaign which
! is carrying the German armies farther
and farther from their bases, and TO
abandon this campaign would be a dis
astrous defeat for her. Moreover, II is
maintained that not even the terri
torial ambitions of Germany have been
realized. since the German detectives
on this front nave not been fully at
tanned.
ADVANCE OF AUSTRIANS
MET WITH DEFEAT
The advance of the Austrians into
Southern Russia in the early stage OF
the war met with full defeat. II was
followed by Austria's loss of Galicia
General Ivsnof, at the head of the
Southern Russian armies, carried on
one OF the most brilliant offensive cam
pa!gns Of the war. The present stage
may possibly be regarded as an un-
| completed repetition OF this earlier
movement.
Furthermore, the repeated German
drives at Warsaw from the west have
cost the enemy tremendous losses. 1t
was only after six weeks of the mos,
| intense fighting in the Bzura region
due west Of Warsaw, last winter tina,
the Germans recognized the futility OF
attempting to break the Russian front
by direct frontal movements.
On the other hand, by eXacting n
heavy toll OF lives in rear-guard ac-
lions during the carefully ordered re-
| treats and by keeping her own army
intact, Russia successfully performe ID
her appointed task.
The East Prussian aggressive which
manifested itself periodically, and lat
terly the Baltic campo ign never have
been regarded otherwise than as diver
sions 4 parallel to these movements
Is found in the Bukowina operations in
their relation to the general Galician
campaign Their chief Importance has
been TO draw men from other fronts
where more serious fighting has been
in progress.
While it is understood the fate of