New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-05
9l8-A VICTORY YEAR FOR THE ALLIES
Russian Collapse
Discouraging, but
Not Hopeless
as Yet
Copy right lsl7-The Tribune Association

Zlota Lipa River, and thence across this
river to the Dniester River. Now, after two
has retreated from the strong position
which it held on the Zlota Lpa, has aban-
doned the second strong position which
it might have held along the Strypa
River, and has also abandoned the third
position, which was the Sereth River, on
which Tarnopol is situated. Actually, to
| Judge from the latest reports, this Rus
sian army is now either on the Russian
! frontier or across it in Russian territory
all the way south from the Brody-Lemberg
railroad to the neighborhood of the
| Dniester River. 1t has evacuated not
merely all the ground which it won in the
recent offensive, but it has evacuated also
all the ground won by the offensive Of
! beyond the limits of the great Russian
retreat which followed the defeat at the
Dunajec, in the spring of 1915.
The effect of this retreat on the army
Immediately to the south, which had made
the great success of two weeks ago, and
had taken Halicz and Kalusz, was imme-
diate. So far as one can now see, this
army has not lost its morale, nor has its
retreat become rout. Nevertheless, it has
had repeatedly to draw back, first from the
ground obtained between the Lomnica
River and the Bistritza River, which rep
resented the gain of the recent offensive, =,
and then practically all of the country be-
tween the Dniester River and the Car
and the city of Czernowitz, which has also
been reported to have been evacuated.
Actually, the Russians have now given
up practically all the Austrian territory
which they held-something like 10000
square miles-including considerable por-
ton of Austrian Galicia and all Of Buko-
wilma. With very slight exceptions, Aus
trian territory is now free of Russian
troops, for the first time in almost three
years.
| Possibilities Of the Future
So much for what has actually taken
f, place. The question now arises whether
the disorganized retreat will go forward
still. If it does, it will open gap in the
whole Russian line from the Brody-Lem-
berg railroad right down TO the Dniester
River, and this gap will threaten the whole
Russian line. 1t will open the way either
| for an enveloping movement toward Kiev
and Odessa, or else sweep southwark,
which would complete the conquest Of Ru
mania.
1t is too early to forecast either a great
disaster or Russian rally. But it should
be clearly recognized that if Germany now
possesses the troops and the transport to
press her great advantage, which has come
as the result of the Russian collapse, we
may see all Rumania occupied and German
and Austrian troops reach the Black Sea
ports of Russia.
On the contrary, we may see Russian
rally, either at the frontier or behind II,
which will restore the continuity of the
whole line from the Gulf of Riga to the
Black Sea- Such restoration Of the line
may be due entirely to Russian rally, or
il may be due to the fact that Germany
and Austria now lack the reserves for a
sustained offensive necessary to reach Kiev
or Odessa. We can only recognize that
one Of the greatest disasters in military
history has been made possible by the
collapse of the Russian army in Austrian
Galicia. and it will probably be some
weeks before it will be safe to forecast
the outcome.
My judgment is that there is lacking TO
the Germans and Austrians sufficient re-
serves and material for such a sustained
offensive as is now called for il they are
to profit to the limit from the Galician col
lapse. So far only one Russian army has
really broken down. North and south the
armies seem to be retaining their organi
cation. Further south the Rumanian army,
supported by Russian army, has actually
recrossed the Pennsylvania frontier and
won material victories. Whether these will
be sufficient to relieve the pressure to the
north or not is impossible TO say, but it
seems hardly likely. Henceforth the most
that can be expected on the Austrian front
by the Allies is that the Russian armies
will rally in time to preserve the con-
tinuity of their whole line and prevent the
complete conquest of Rumania. II they do
this the Russian collapse may prove Of no
great permanent effect, because the Ger.
mans and Austrians had already reduced
their electives on the Eastern front to the
minimum, and very few troops are avail
able to transfer to the Western front I'M
less Russia makes a separate peace or ut.
terly collapses.
have very often cautioned my readers
AGAINST false homes as 10 Russia We shall