The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-08-15
B0THMER IN
FULL RETREAT
Russians Smash Through the
Austrian DefenCeS.
RETREAT ON 1OO-MItE FRONT
Cars Troops Win Entire 300 Square
Mile Sector Between the Strlpa ana
koropiec Rivers.

Mile Sector Between the Stripa anu
koropiec Rivers.
London, Aug. 15.-Along the CAN
clan front the Russian sweep continues
unchecked.
Further gains have been made on
the upper Sereth. In the region ol
the middle Stripa the Austrians are
being pursued by the Russians, VINO
reached the northern bank OF the
Dniester before MariampJl. All this
is according to the Official statement
from Petrograd.
A report that heavy forces OF Cos
sacks which captured Mariampol have
pushed northward along the Dnlester
valley, taking Halicz, lacks Official con
irmation.
The Austrian lines along the Strlpa
which they had held since early III
September of last year, have crumoleo
General Won Bothmer is in full re-
treat along the whole front.
Sundays fighting won for the car
troops practically the whole OF the
sector of three hundred square mlles
between the Stripa and the koroplec
rivers, most of the territory through
which the upper Sereth runs, the low
er part of the Zlota Lipa lines, the
Dniester front as far west as Marian
pol. the place itself falling into their
hands, and a ten-mile advance west
of Navorna, on the lower BystrltAa
line.
General Won Bothmer's position has
been regarded as untenable for days
and the only wonder in military CIT
cles is that he has had the courage
to stand fast for so long. General
Letchitzky is advancing far in the rear
of Won Bothmer's right flank while
General Sherbatchoff is closing In on
his left The Austrian commander l.
apparently making an attempt to es
cape the Russian trap by taking up a
position on a line running through
Zlochoff, Pomorzany, Brzesany to
Halicz, roughly twenty miles to the
west of his old lines before Tarnopo
and Buczacz.
It is stated semi-off1cially that the
Austrians evacuated the Stripa line
without a battle. Their success IL
reaching and holding their new Pc
sitions is considered very prob!ematlt
by Russian military observers. 1t Is
pointed out that the strength of Gen
eral Letchitzky's position on both side:
Of the Dniester below Halicz makes il
extremely unlikely that the Austrian:
will be able to hold that town. The1l
failure to hold Halicz would render
their new line little more advantage
Gus than the positions on the Strips
as General Letchitsky would still bt
hanging ntheir right flank.
The Russians have successfully ne
gotiated the last natural obstacle be
tween them and Halicz, namely the
Bystritza river, which empties into the
Dniester eight miles to the south. Gen
Schs herb Edf6ss has already throw y
preaching Halicz from the southeast
The occupation of Yezerno on the Tar
nopol-Lemberg railway and group OF
towns to the south of that point
threaten Won Bothmer's communities
lions with the Austro-German armies
defending Lemberg on the Brody line
and appears to have been the last blow
to the defence of the Stripa.
The capture of Navordna strength
ems the left wing of General Letchitz
ky and completes the isolation of the
Austrian army in Southern Galicia
The Austrians were endeavoring to re-
organize this rmay for the defence OF
Pruth.