New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-21
The Battle of Warsaw

ready comparing the Battle of War
saw with the first Battle of the
Marine. The first Marine saved
Paris. General Weygand's opera
ton has saved Warsaw. Possibly
the Russian defeat may lead to a
quick ending Of the war--something
the first Marine didn't do. Both bat
ties represented strong recovery
on the part of armies fighting with
their backs to the wall" But the
tactics of Joffre and Weygand were
not at all the same.
The French counter offensive of
September, 1914, hinged on an en-
velopment of the exposed German
right flank, in the region of the
Curcq. Maunoury tried to work
around to Won Kluck's rear. Though
he didn't succeed, the tension on the
German right and right center
caused by Won Kluck's recall of two
of his army corps which were sup
porting Won Bulow resulted in
dislocation of the German front
Franchet d'Esperey pressed the
thinned German line hard, and Foch
broke through it. Then the Ger
mans retired to the Aisne.
In Poland the Red armies tried to
envelop Warsaw from the north and
west. At the same time they pushed
much further west, from Mlawa into
the portion of West Prussia annexed
to Poland, heading for Thorn and
Graudenz, on the lower Vistula. The
Reds in this region were more than
one hundred miles to the northwest
of Warsaw. But their right flank
was protected from development be-
cause it rested, in great part, on the
neutral plebiscite area in East Prus-
STA. In this area the Poles had TO
concentrate troops from Posen, in
Thorn and Graudenz, in order to
hold the invaders and to push them
back by frontal attacks
The strategical situation, however,
favored Weygand, because the Soviet
armies were overextended to the
northwest and could retreat only
through narrow corridor along the
old East Prussian border. He
therefore aimed at breaking the Rus
sian center and left center and then
driving north to intercept the retire
ment of the Russian right.
This operation has apparently sue
ceeded almost beyond expectations.
The Polish armies have advanced
north and northeast of Warsaw,
pinning the invaders down by hard
fighting, while east and southeast of
the capital the country has been
cleared for more than one hundred
mlles-all the way to Brest-Litovsk.
The Reds were routed in this section
by converging attack, east from the
Vistula by one army and north, fol-
lowing the Bug River, by another
army based on Cholm. A further
movement north from Brest- Litovsll
to Biaiystok would catch the Reds
northwest of Warsaw in trap.
They are already disorganized by
their too rapid advance, anG are re-
ported to be retreating in condition
of semi-panic.
The Red forces lack steadiness and
are poorly supplied. 1t will be diff
cult, apparently, to reorganize them.
once they get going, within the Dor
der Of former Russian Poland. IF
an a1mistice doesn't intervene and
French help is given freely, Poland
will probably be able within a brief
period to clear all her own territory
OF the enemy. The Battle of War
saw has marked a spectacular turn
III her fortunes 1t ought to fill her
people with the same sort of conf
dence and citation as thrilled France
3ftpr tho first NTac,o