RUSSIAN ASSAULT ON CRACOW

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2272, 5 October 1914, Page 5

RUSSIAN ASSAULT ON CRACOW

"BATTLE HAS BEGUN" CLASH OF OPPOSING MILLIONS 1 Petrograd, October 2. The Russians are before Cracow, and a battle has begun. The whole military and civil administration of- Cracow is in Gorman hands. General Dankel has an army of 150,000 Austrians outsido Cracow. Rome, October 2. Advices from Petrograd state that a million Russians, with powerful artillery, are advancing towards Cracow, whithor General Hondensberg has been recalled from East Prussia to assume command of the Austro-German forces. Tt is ofßoittlly mmouivwl from Vlmum Uiat tho Aiwfcro--Qlenii&u awy defend* in« Cracow numbers iw) and a half millions.

A telegram received here states that Germany is making a supreme effort to face Russia and raise the prestige of the Austrian Army. All the Bohemian and Moravian railways aro congested with troops and war material being concentrated to prevent the invasion of Silesia.

CHECK TO THE GERMANS IN THI NORTH RUSSIANS BREAK THE ENEMY'S CENTRE, Petrograd, October 2. The successes at 'Augustow and Kopciow, north-west of Grodino, imply that the German centre is broken. The Russians opened sluices, rendering the approaches to tho Oseowieo fortress impassable. The Gorman attacks on tho Russian right wing, with a view of delaying operations in Galicia, were thus frustrated. J The German casualties at Draseniki were twenty thousand. Many German guns are embedded in tho mud. It is officially stated that the Gorman forces at Osaowiec are hurriedly retreating northwards. ENEMY REPULSED WITH HEAVY LOSS HEAVY FIGHTING IN EAST PRUSSIA.. Qlco. October 4, 2 p.m.) Pctrograd, October 3. The Grand Duke Nicholas reports that the battle in East Prussia continues, the enemy retreating from Seiny, sometimes in disorderly fashion, owing to -the activity of the Russian cavalry and artillery. Tho Germans rushed reinforcements by railway to the region of Suwalki to assist the retreating forces. A sanguinary encounter ensued from Augustow to Suwalki. The enomy attacked with the bayonet and were repulsed with heavy losses. The Russians bombarded, Augustow and then the infantry drovo back tho enemy. The Russians were successful at Szczuczyn and Grajevo, and invaded German territory and seized part of a convoy of motors. The fighting in this region is more desperate than any since the war began. Rains having compelled the German artillery to keep to tho main roads, the Russian infantry are able to carry out attacks without awaiting the cover of their own guns. Wooded and marshy country was tho scene of scores of isolated attacks upon tho bogged and trapped Germars. The Russians, finally breaking the enemy's lines in at least four sections, captured much transport and a number of guns.. Suwalki is a government of Russian Poland, of which it occupies the N.E. corner, extending to the north between East---Prussia and the Russian government of Vilna and Grodno, with the government of Kovno on tho north. Its area is 4846 square miles. It includes the east of the low Baltic swelling (800 to 1000 feet abovo the sea), and is studded with lakes.. Its northern slopes descend to the valley of the Niemen, while in the south it falls away gently to the marshy tract of the Biebrz. The rivers flow there in deep-cut gorges and hollows, diversifying the surface. The Niemen forms ifs eastern and northern boundary and has many affluents from both elopes of the swelling. The : Augustow canal connects the navigable Hancza, a tributary of the Niemen, with a tributary of tho Biebrz, which belongs to the basin of the Vistula, and an active traffic is carried on by this canal. , Forests cover about one-fourth of the area of tho Suwalki government. The population of the government in 1906 was estimated at 633,900. The majority (52 per cent.) are Lithuanians, mostly in the north, there are 21 per cent. Poles (and Mazurs), chiefly in the towns, 16' per cent Jews, 6 per cent. Germans, and 4 per cent. Russians. .. - J ' The chief towns of the seven districts into which the government is divided are: Suwalki, Augustow, Kalwarya, Mariampol,_ Seiny, Wilkowiszki (or Volkovyshki), and Wladislowow. Suwalki is the capital of the government. It is situated at the source of tho Hancza, a tributary of the Niemen, 65 miles by rail N.W. of Grodno, and has a population of about 250,000. The town of Suwalki lies about 100 miles S.E. of the Gorman fortress of Konigsberg, and the same distance east of AUen3tein, where the Russian invasion of 'East Prussia was checked at an early stage of the ivar. The ,lino of German retreat from Augustow to Suwalki lay almost due north. The two places ar«i twenty miles apart. Fifty miles west of Suwalki, across the East Prussian border,' stands, the German fortress of Lotzen. Szczuczyn is in Russian Poland, about 38 miles S.W. of Augustow, and close to the East Prussian border. In tho German territory at this point there aro numerous lakes and much marshy and forost-covered country. Grajevo is on the frontier line between Szczuczyn and Augustow, about a dozen miles N.E. of the former place. THE ATTACK ON FORT PRZEMYSL. (Rec. October 4, 2 p.m.) Petrograd, October 3. The Russians have captured two forts at Przemysl, whence they were enabled to silence several other batteries. Przemysl is the principal' Austrian fortress in Galicia. GERMAN-MOVE TO OUT RUSSIAN LINE. (Rec. October 4, 2 p.m.) , Petrograd, October 3. It is reported that the Germans are advancing in great 'force from Galicia, seeking to cut the 'Russian lines at Warsaw. The Cossack outpost 6 are far afield in Hungary. Warsaw, situated in Russian Poland, about 115 miles north of the nearest point on the Galician border, is an important fortress and strategical railway junction. • .. RUSSIAN INVASION OF HUNGARY. (Rec. Ootober 4, 2 p.m.) Petrograd, October 3. Nearly a thousand guns were in action during the fight at Uzsok Pass. The Austrians maintained an obstinate defence, but entire companies were wiped out, and they retreated after being dislodged from three positions. The Uzsok Pass is one of the principal passes in tho eastern Carpathians. It is traversed by the road from Ungvar to Sambor. The latter place is in Galicia about 25 miles S.E. of Przemysl. Ungvar, on the southern side of the Carpathians,' is about -70 miles S.W. of Sambor and distant about 165 miles from Budapest, the capital of Hungary, with which it is connected, over a somewhat longer route by rail. Budapest lies W.S.W. from (Rec. October 4, > 4.10 p.m.) Bucharest, October 3. After occupying the principal towns of Bukovina, the Russians began their advance' Austria has concentrated several army corps,, including those formerly oil the Servian border, in order to defeat the movement. A big battle is imminent. Bukovina (or Bukowina) is a duchy and crownknd of Austria, bounded on the east by Russia and Rumania, on the south by Rumania, on the west by Transylvania and Hungary, and on tho north by Galicia. It is of importance from the military point of view from tho fact that within its area there are several important passes through the Carpathians, including the Radna Pass and the Borgo Pass. The climate being milder than that of Galicia, is more

favourable for winter campaigning. Bu kovma has an area of 4036 square miles." The countrv, especially in its southern parts, is occupied by offshoots of the Carpathians, which attain in the Grainalou an altitude of 6100 feet. Ifortythreo per cent, of the territory consists of woodland. Bukovina has a mixed population (729,921 in 1900), in which Rutbenians (40 per cent.) and Rumanians (35 per cent.) predominate. Thirteen per. cent, are Jews, and the _ population also includes Germans, Poles, Hungarians, Russians, and Armenians. flio official language if) German. After Dalraatia, Bukovina shows/ the largest number of illiterates in Austria. The capital is Czernowitz, which has a popnlation of about 70,000. AUSTRIAN CAPITAL BEING REMOVED TO PRAGUE. tfteo. October 4, 2.30 p.m.)- ■ ' ■ Rome, October 8. 'A message from Vienna states thatth© military authorities have ordered the fortification of the suburbs and the adjacent towns. Preparations being made for tho ultimate removal of the capital to Prague have caused alarm, and the population is leaving Vienna. 'Prague, the ancient capital of the Bohemian kingdom, is the residence of an Archbishop and an Imperial Governor, and the meeting-place of the Bohemian Diet. The population of the town, including that of suburbs not yet incorporated with it, was 460,840 in 1906. Somewhat under a fifth of -the population are Germans, tho rest belong to the Bohemian (Czech) nationality. Prague is situated on both banks of the RiveT Vltava (Ger. Moldau), 150 miles north-west of Vienna and 70 miles S.S.E. of Dresden. In the course of i\s long history (dating back some ten centuries) the city has been the scene of many important events. It was twice captured by Frederick the Great. In 1848 it was determined to hold a-"Slavic Congress" at Prague, at which all Slavic countries were to be represented. During the sittings of the Congress, troubles broke out which originated in an insignificant conflict between students and soldiers of the garrison. Barricades were erected and the town finally surrendered unconditionally after a severe bombardment (June, 1848). In 1866 the Prussians, who had invaded Bohemia, occupied Prague (July 8), without encountering any resistance. At tho "Blue Star" Hotel in Prague also was signed the treaty which ended the war between Austria and Prussia (August 23, 1866). In the year of pca ce that followed the development of Prague was constant and vast. The removal of tho fortifications greatly assisted this development. Occasional riots such as in 1897, when the Bohemians were exasperated by the action of the Vienna Government, which restricted the use of tho national language in the Law Courts, and in 1905, when the people demanded an extension of the suffrage, have not interfered with the increasing prosperity of the city. > TSAR AND EMPEROR AT THE FRONT. . (Reo. October 4, 11.25 p.m.) Petrograd, October 3. . The Tsar has gone to the front. •' It is semi-officially announced that the Kaiser has gone from Thorn to Bromberg. Thorn is a West fortress lying a few miles from the Russian, frontier. Bromberg is about thirty miles further west. \ i THE LATEST-RUSSIANS OCCUPY NEW POSITIONS. (Reo. October 5, 0.5 a.m.) Petrograd, October 4. The Russians have occupied Raigrood, Marianpol, and Kulvaria. The Germans were repulsed at Ossowiec and are now occupying tho Grajevo, Lyck, Loetzew line. Lyck, to the N.E. of Grajevo, is about a dozen miles inside the East Prussian frontier. Loetzew, is possibly Lotzen, which lies about 25 miles further N.E. .•-,-..