GREAT RUSSIAN DRIVE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2306, 13 November 1914, Page 6

GREAT RUSSIAN DRIVE

INTERESTING REVIEW OF

THE CRUCIAL STAGE

! The High : Commissioner reports as follows '■'■■ -.-..-.

' , , London, November 11 r-: Official.—A correspondent at Russian headquarters states that he had just iriade a , journey over the country between ■ Warsaw and Cracow, where-the Bussion advance is proceeding. He Bays' that events are rapidly converging, ton a, new advance west of Warsaw, from a counter-stroke into a. general transference of the sphere of. operations, and a most valuable rectification of the iw hole Russian line. '

i In' East Prussia the Germans are being slowly driven back by: a doubleturning movement. Further westward the northern frontier of Poland is well secured.'.-. The Russians have occupied, and hold firmly, Plock, Lodz, Petrikaukielce,' Landomierz, Jaroslav, and all Ijtb'e'r passages on the River San. i'.-C-..'. : -■"'•'• .- : ' '•• ■. ■' ' ■■■'■ '... /•.Tlie Passage of the Vistula. , ;, Oh-the repulse of the German attack on Warsaw, tho enemy was pressfed back south-westward. There was three'weeks'continuous fighting. Near lyangorod a famous Caucasian regiment;, iforcedj.a. passage, of V the -Vistula, jlinder'the fire of the German artillery the advance guard crossed the broad etream .in skiffs and ferry boats and jheld their good; position under a .devastating crossfire till the. construction of a pontoon bridge allowed the passage ;of reinforcements. . .. , ; -; : Supports coming along the river bank frcm-Iyangorod had to advance through Hooded,swamps almost breast-high. A looting! was, made good at Kosenice, where .there was desperate' , fighting, later, the Russians made a series of. ibrilliant; attacks' in the forests, after jwbich the Germans werethrown back on Radomi A 'general advance drove back the enemy beyond Radom.and Ila. k.[:'■;■ ■ /•■ Wilful Vandalism. • : At,the; small town of Szidlewice the German commandant, threatened,- as the ißussians'approached, to blow up theremarkable Town Hall (built in. the [Florentine style). The building is conspicuous ■; for tliirty miles around. They also* threatened to, destroy the beautilur Gothic church, six hundred years bid."'-.;'.' The .inhabitants offered' ransom; .by a obntribution of 5000 crowns. This iwas ; acceptedj but twenty minutes later the Town Hall was blown up. and the jchurch .followed in a quarter of.hour, ■ In front of Kielce the Austrians were jabandohed by the Germans, who retired, iand;made a stand, near Le Sezina, on a tjgh, sandy. position with a, large fir copse in the centre.. Extending over a wide 'front,;the- attack, , delivered by a 'Russian corps (including a. division inajnly composed of Poles) fell chiefly on' thej Austrian-Polish regiment from Cracow.. yThe assailants Hptup the fire all,day,' , and finally rushed the enemy's' rifle-pits;- r '.".-.■■ • ■;. ■';■ ■;■-■.-

; -The Austrians left Kielce' 'at night; ioine were, captured by. the Russians, wKo were close -upon their heels, and pursued; them for miles. -■■-.They w % e brought into action later the same day. The next day the Russian artillery was also heard in the south-east of Cracow/ The- Germans'retreated in the direction of. 1 Czenstochow. <.'■■ Battle Elan of the Russians. ■ The three weeks' fighting was characteristic of: the Russian style. Bayonet attacks'were kept up for two hours. Small -units '/eagerly.: attacked hostile;.ones. ■ lii general, the/Russians, outflanked the enemy., In one case they , broke "through the centre. Often the Russian artillery caused them to decamp in. the night. .'■ '.. ... H .. .-''.,... (•■'"The officers describe the enthusiasm of _the,'raiik.and file as growing clearly .visible. •'.'ln the rear of the army it is ehown by>the' energy with which the transport is being pushed up. The enemy thoroughly destroyed the bridges, but they are being quickly repaired. Meanwhile the ardour of the troops on the transport train's minimises the' deJay. -The German rifle-fire-is superior to \th'e; Austrian regiments officered hy Germans. . ",- .■ : ■;. ... . , Bad Blood Between Teuton and Aus- '■■: - ",:^' : -J'- ■■'■;.. trlan.:';.;...; ; ... ..; ;. ' The .Austiian Slavonic regiments resist'well for'/ two or , three days,- but then break up and surrender. Large bodies sometimes-asked guides to take them to the : Russian lines. The inliabitants speak well of the Austrians, but the indignation of German prisoniers confirms' the rejMrts of bad relations between the allied armies. Austrians aud Germans, when captured, lire kept apart. There is ample, evidence of the enthusiasm of the iPoles for the Russian cause. They show the greatest courtesy and kindness to Rusisians, 'especially in the villages. All the eyidence'of prisoners shows that the Stussiaris are treating them as well as their own. comrades.

Turning Point of the Operations,

[ The theatre of 'the present operations is of crucial importance, as in it Austrian and Germany join> hands. Serious reverses will, compel them either to retreat on diverging lines or to expose their capitals. Either event would have political consequences of the highest military significance.