The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-01-29
Official Report Tells Of
Withdrawal Because of
superior PRESSURE
PREPARATIONS MADE
FOR NEW OFFENSIVE
ReOrganiZed Rumanian
Army Ready to Make At
tack in Spring.

LONDON, Jan 2S--A sudden Russian
attack has cut mile wide gap in the
fortified Teuton mountain positions in
the Bukowina near the Rumanian bor.
der. immediately after stopping the
Teuton offensives on the Sereth and Riga
fronts, the Russians have dealt q blow
In the Carpathians the force of which
Berlin admits
The Russians chose for their effort
the important region Of Meste CanescI,
few miles east of the Golden Bys-
tritza. where their efforts failed with
tremendous losses In the big Carpathian
offensive undertaken two months ago in
the vain hope OF saving Bucharest. The
German official statement admits that
''the defence had to be placed nearer the
Golden Bystritza."
The fighting was stubborn on the whole
front. The Russians captured prisoners
and booty, the number and extent Of
which were not yet certain when the
Russian War Office issued Its state
ment. The statement does not say
whether or not the summit of Mests
Canesci itself was storrned, nor does Il
mention the tunnel through which runs
the kimpolunE-JaCoOeni railroad
Tunnel vital POint.
This tunnel, a Vital point IN the Meste
'anescl sector, WAS tine scene of dcs-
porate hand to hand combats in the Rus
san effort OF two months ago. Once the
Russians almost had it. but were thrown
out. From the fact that the Russians
attacked to-day ON both sides of the
! road that passes near IL. il is thought
the tunnel may have been taken.
If the Russian assaults in this region
continue. and have the same success that
met the attack OF to-day, il may now be
possible for the Russians TO strike at the
! rear or the Teuton armies on the Ru-
manian front. The Bnrgo and Rodna
passes are only fifteen miles away
| While making this intially successful
! attack, the Russians have been able to
/ continue their blocking of German at
1 :smpts to get any further with the Riga
I offensive. Three times the Germans at
4 tackled IN the same region where until
Yesterday they had been fairly success
! ful, and each tim" they Were beaten back
1 without an inch gained. They attacked
] the Russian positions west of The River
/ Aa, twice 1T one point, on g at another.
Deadlock on Riga FrOat.
! The Russians again counter attacked
! during the day on this front. Berlin an
/ nounces ana IN each case the advance
was shattered 10y the German guns.
! There ia little doubt here that a deadlock
/ has returned to this front. the Germans
! having rocapturcd their lost pos sitions but
made practically 10 impression upon the
Russian positions of IA month ago.
The official statement issued at Petro-
: grad to-day says:
n, Ia. OF
Epiphany, in the region Of Labuzy on
the River Shara, southcast Of Barano-
Vichi. the chaplain OF one of our d-
visions Archpriest Father khol-
mogorov. with IL cross and holy water.
made n tour OF our front line trenches
blessing the troops. Although under
artillery and trruCh mortar hre OF the
enemy, the brave priest did not hes.-
tate in his ministratiOnS and both he
and priest, a private. arCompanyin
him, were mortally wounded. the lat
ter dying an hour Later.
When ambulance men arrived
Father Khoimogorov refused TO have
his wounds dressed, requesting the
surgeons first to attend to the private.
Dlsregardi his heavy loss OF blood
he pronounced his blessing on the dy-
ing soldier lying near him. and only
when the private WAS carried away dld
the priest allow himself to he attended
to In the evening OF IN" same o'y
: Father KholmoEorov passed away IN
the dressing station Of the division.
Germans Launch Attack.
After fierce artillery preparation
= the Germans launched an attack
: against our detachments occupying
posltIo.s on both sides of the kaln-
zern- -Chlok road. to the west or Riga.
The attack WAS rtpuls"d and the enc
my fled In disorder. Two hours later
th. Germans launched another attack
on the same front and wer" again
repulsed After artillery preparation
the enemy assumed tn" offensive
. against our troops occupying positions
six versts northwest Of the village of
Kalnzem. hut the attack was stopped
by our nre.
, During the night Of January 81.
after artillery preparation. small enc
= my attachments attacked our posts on
the River Shara, In the region OF the
/. Baranovlchi- Luniniets railway line,
$ but were driven back to their trenches
On the same day one OF our Far
y man alrplarcs. In charge OF Aviator
Q Ensign Plugin and having as the oh
server STAFF Capt. Kselov, was at
I tackled while returning from u recon-
a naissance by Il German battleplape,
o After some machine gun firing our
n a!rplane caught fire and fell in the
: region of the River Shara. southeast
o Of Baranovich, in front of our wire
q entanglements. The dead bodies OF
: the aviator and observer were brought
l. In the same day.
q South of Brody lke enemy launched
attach n Qa iuaf 0ur udyauca oua I'd