Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-12
TEUTONS' LINES
SWEPT BACK TO
BASE AT KOVEL
Brussiloff's Strategy Threat
ems to Outhank Austro-
Germans
LINES CRUMBLE
Full Strength of Central En-
pire's Forces Fails to Stop
Onrush of Slavs

LONDON, July 12.-The sledge hammer
blows of the Russians on both sides Of the
Sarny-Kovel Railroad have driven the Aus
tro-German armies over the stokhod River
at SO many vital points that the Teutons
have been compelled to fall back upon their
recently constructed defenses in front of
Kovel
Except in the sector near Hulevichi and
in front of SvidnilSl, where the Germans are
holding their own. no more natural bar
riers stand between General Brussilofr's s
troops and their immediate goal The prin-
cipal difficulties which have confronted them
ever since the drive on Kovel was inaug-
urated have been swept away by the very
impetuousness of their assaults.
Military observers here look for the fall
Of Kovel-and, with It, that of Vladimir
Volynski--within week at the most. with
his right flank protected by the impossible
marshes of the PinslS and his whole lines
from Czartorusk to Svidnikj reorganzed to
withstand the pressure of Teuton counter
attacks, It is the consensus of opinion that
never has General Brusloff been in a better
position to outHank the German defenses
before Kovel
TEUTONS UNABLE TO STOP FOE.
II is regarded as extremely significant
that the powerful reinforccments which the
Austrians and Germans have brought TO the
Volhynian front have been unable to stem
the Russian tide. 1t is believed that the
Teutons are now opposing the Russian ad
vance on Kovel with their full strength
with forces which cannot be augmented as
long as the Allied offensives on other
fronts threaten the Teuton lines,
But the only effect of this massing of
men at the danger points on the East front
has been, according to all indications, to
increase the toll of prisoners taken by the
Russians and to retard only temporarily
and at isolated places the onward sweep
of the Cars hosts.
In the Stokhod and Galiclan battles,
from July to July s, the Russians bagged
$4,000 of the enemy's troops. OF these a
large majority were taken unwounded. an
indication of the quick, powerful thrusts
at unsupported points which have charaC-
terized the Allied drives on both the East
and West fronts. The total number of
prisoners taken by General Brussiloff up to
July 10 exceeds 27l,OO0.
The Russian drive on both sides of the
Koyel-Sarny railway-admisson of the ini-
tial success of which is made for the first
time by the Germans in today's Official
accomplished something
more than the menacing of Kovel and the
capture of thousands of Austria's best
fighting men. II has relieved LutzK of the
dangerous pressure which was being eX
erted upon it by the German forces thrust
ing forward from ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
To bolster up tEJ crumpling lines along
the Stockhod the Germans apparently have
stripped their southern salient OF all but
the most necessary defenders and have
abandoned for good the movement against
Lutzk.
In Bukowna and on the Dvina front
the fighting has resolved itself into violent
artillery combats, with neither side able to
break through the guard Of their opponents,
Vienna claims slight successes on
the Carpathian front.
Much comment was caused here yester-
day by the German denial of an alleged
Russian claim that Pinsk had been eyacu-