New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-05
London Hears Attack
Will BeLaunChed from
Baltic Provinces.
TO MOVE MANY
SOLDIERS NORTH
Campaign Believed To Be
Designed to Relieve
Pressure on Galicia.
BY ARTHUR S. DRAPER.


assumption by Won Hindenburg Of the
supreme command on the Eastern
front, the German war council has de-
termined that the field marshal shall
take an immediate offensive against
Petrograd, in hope of forcing the
abandonment Of the English drive.
This news came to London through
European neutral channels tonight,
and caused many discussions in mill
tary circles throughout the city. So
many startling and unexpected moves
has the German high command made
in the two years Of the war that every
fresh report is eagerly seized upon
here.
The proposed drive will be made
from the Baltic provinces. it is under
stood. with Riga as the base Of oper-
ations. Hindenburg will be given
free hand and allowed to prosecute
the drive on the Russian capital at the
expense, il necessary, OF territorial
losses to the Teutonic armies in the
south.
That he will risk the weakening Of
the Austro-German lines in Volhynia
and Galieia by transferring any large
number of troops 70 the north Is
doubted by critics here. Army men are
extremely skeptical, too, Of the pos
sible success of any German move
ment in the north which does not con-
template the strengthening Of the pres
ent German forces there.
Must Have More Men.
II is pointed out that recent devel-
onment. proved the inability Of Hin
d.nhurg', Dyina army to withstand the
nressure put upon them by Kuropat-
kin's short-lived offensive. Unless the
German commander in chief has Tar
greater number Of men at MS oispo-
sal. il is not believed that he will be
capable of striking any crushing Dio"
at the Cars defences between the
Gulf of Riga and the capital city.
Tn. odds are all in favor OF the
Russians. Between the German armies
and their goal the Cars forces are
firmly intrenched and in huge num-
hers in a region prominently htted
for defensive operations. The rail-
road lines interlacing the vast interior
~ Russia are all at their disposal
and troops and supplies could be
yushed in short time to the aid of any
threatened portion of the northern
front.
Will Smother Drive.
The very fact that the Russian
armies are in the ascendency along the
whole 400-mile eastern front leads oo-
servers to predict that the proposed
drive on Petrograd will be smothered'
Al any time that danger threatened the
canital. they argue, the Russians could
halt all offensive operations to the
south. strip their lines of veteran sol
diers and officers for use in the north,
and still have sufficient forces TO repel
anv Teuton attempts to advance. This
/, especially true Of the great Galician
and Volhynian fronts, il is declared.
For these reasons London believes
that the threatened new thrust against
Petroerad is either to be an attempt TO
r.lieye .he pressure on the Teuton
lines now being rolled back on koyel
and Lemberg. or but feint to mask
some deeper project in the south
some new offensive in Galicia, perhaps,
where Turkish troops by the thousands
have recently augmented the Austro-
German forces before Lemberg.
Russian Attack Goes On.
Meanwhile, ufdeterred by reports
for which there is as yet no orflclal
foundation, the Russian troops are
continuing their powerful and inees,,
.ant pounding of the German and
Austrian lines behind which kovel
and Lemberg tremble with the rear
OF imminent attack. The most zero
cious fghting of the day took place
around and in the village OF kudka-
Continued on page 3, column