El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-07-24

~HE COLLAPSE Of the Russian offensive begun July
deprives the United States and the entente allies Of
that hope to which they had chung through the days
when the offensive making Roadway, namely that
Russia could hold steadfas Il hoped of the wild
ideasms to which the Sav character subject would
permeate the army and breakdown. It hoped
Russians would display political common equal to
their proved bravery.
But the breakdown came An agitation fostered BY
the Russian agent for Germany, Lenne and his eueuans
crying for an immediate peace all fronts broke out in
PetrOgrsd Il led TO disorders In the capital Il spread
the army, some disaffected units which fought
with great brhauc, refusing TO continue fighting Given
orders they sat down to discuss for hours whether they
should be obeyed They engaged IN more less active
mutiny.
The Germans, apparently with advance information
what to expect had concentrated numerous picked reg
ments against these weak places In the Russian line
and, at the proper moment began breaking through them
The task almost absurdy easy. These same Russian
troops who had stoed eutrenched lines Of the enemy
with the greatest dash and had rolled up" time after
time the very best troops which Germany Austria
Hungary had able TO throw before them now turned
tail and retreated with hardly q shot The Russians
had captured Kalusz and in fair way capture
Leberg capital Of Galica They had taken many villages
and lire after line Of entertainments Their advance
essay retarded by the stubborn resistance offered by the
enemy, nevertheless phenomenal measured by the
standards by which gage advances in this war namely
those OF the western front IN France and Belgium.
But fast had been their advance their retreat
faster still In two or three days It became Iout Il
seemed time until the press dispatches showed the
AusTo-Geman forces had opened breach in the Russian
lines many miles long miles deep This breach was
wdened and deepened constantly, while the Russian line
TO the north and that to the southeast remained stationary
for the reason that no attack had been directed against
them
In this sector Of the Russian 'front.' the Russians have
been thrown back past TaOpo which they captured in
the early DAYS Of the and which since have been
seriously meuaced They have lost everything they gained
the July offensive which Gen. Scott all other Amer
leans had regarded with such eaon and they lost
than that They thrown back only to the
starting point Of their offensive but beyond it, and still
being thrown back.
Russian official announcements from the ministry of
have been frank In dealing with the They say
plainly the enemys in this phase opera
lions due 10 SCATTERING Of Russian morale in the
ranks; that regiments have declined attack the enemy
that they have declined fight the defensive
and when ordered to reinforce better spirited troops have
hung back and GRATED among themselves while their fellow
troops were being cut to pieces
Meanwhile north Of the Pinsk marshes, the Russians
day made long gain and took than thousand
prisoners but the ministry regards this, too, with
pessimism doubling whether the waverng spirit Of the
troops VIII allow the gain TO be maintained.
The condition Of the Russian amy chaotic If any
the situation he Is minister Of Kerensv
premier we'll The situation Is desperate The
Germans have utruded into the Russian line salient so
deep that unless it is promptly bent back nothing but
extended and very hasy retreat the armies north
and south from being outflanked.
Kereuky may be able to hearen the dsaffected troops
He did It once before In that very sector which
soldiers exhorng them to attack and declaring that
unless they did he alone would advance against the
enemy. Under the power Of his oTatoy the Russians