TIE GERMAN OFFENSIVE ON LAND

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2548, 24 August 1915, Page 5

TIE GERMAN OFFENSIVE ON LAND

ADVANCE ON BREST-LJTOVSK IMPORTANT RUSSIAN SUCCESS NEAR MITAU <By,Tclcgrapli-rrcss Aseociation-OopyrtEht ; . , Petrograd,. August 22, Bomb-dropping by aeroplanes in frnqtjfjHt over BrntiUriltnvMs> • i'htt H'holo -of tU Groduq-Bisloktciek-Bi'BSt'Utovtk is stiM w ■

Immense storos of provisions and precious monuments, such as Anokolsky's ] statue of Catherine 11, have been conveyed to the interior. Hundreds of' 1 trucks' were required to transport the municipal property. All copper articles j were secured. Endless processions of refugees from the Kovno district aro s streaming along the Vilkomir .road. ] Tho "Bourse Gazotte" states that German advance detachments ■ have, «p- j peared towards Svientiany, on the Vilna-Petrograd railway: TII3 Russians vigorously drove them back, and were also successful in an important engage- 1 ment near Mitau. I Amsterdam, August 22. 1 The "Berliner Tageblatt" correspondent states that tho Austro-Germart ; forces aro within CJ miles of the outer forts of Brest-Litovsk. The Russians aro j experiencing difficulties in retreating across the Bug, especially as they are ; thrown back to the immense swamps near Rokitno. * I RUSSIANS 'ASTRIDE THE KOVNO-VILNA RAILWAY. , (Rec. August 23, 10.30 p.m.) 1 ' . Petrograd, August 22. . The latest advico is that the Russians are astride of the Kovno railway, 1 opposing the advance 011 Vilna. RUSSIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE (Reo. August 23, 11.30 p.m.) Petrograd, August 23. Official.—"Our forces remain firm in the region of Riga, Jacobstadt, and Dvinsk. "We hold a persistent offensive west of Kosherdary, The position at Ossoweicz, the lower Bohr, the Upper Narew, and along the riglit bank of tlja Bug, is almost stationary. "Tho enemy is exerting an obstinate presnre on Bielsk, and from Vlodava toPichta, but is being held by counter-attacks. _ 1 "Aviators' reconnaissances on August 20 showed that the situation, at < at Novo Georgievsk was so difficult thsi there was littlo reason to hope for further resistance from the garrison." RUSSIAN MILITARY CRITICS REMAIN OPTIMISTIC ■ BUT ALLIES MUST SQUARELY FACE THE FACTS. .("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) London, August 22. Military critics in Petrograd remain optimistic, although the enemy will soon be marching on Vilna and threatening to cut oft' the Russians who are . holding the Narew-Brest-Litovsk front. They say: "The deficiency in rifles and munitions, which has enabled the enemy" to advance, could scarcely he remedied within three months. The warfare is of the fiercest, requiring a constant expenditure of material, and it is necessary for the Allies to look the facts squarely in the face, and rccognise the -limits of human endurance, even with such' an army as the Russian. It behoves Britain to'clearly understand the Russian frame of mind. If the Russian nation should become convinced of the breakdown either of Russia's internal resources or of the efficiency of her Allios, we should be confronted with an immediate likelihood of disaster, We saw this happen ten years ago." 1 . COLONEL REPINGTON ON THE FALL 'OF NOVO-GEORGIEVSK. ' (Rec. August 23, 11.5 p.m.) London, August 23. 1 Colonel Repington (tho "Times military correspondent), reviewing tho fall ' ; of Novo-Georgievsk, says : —"lf the Grand Duke Nicolas deliberately sacrificed ' Novo-Georgievsk, I am disposed to believe that the time gained as a consequence to facilitate the retirement of the armies of the Vistula would be worth the loss of tho garrison, especially if tho numbers did not exceed thirty thousand—perhaps they were second-line troops. Novo-Georgievsk was an important road, river, and railway centre, which. while the Russians held it, hampered the communications of the German armies attacking the Narew line. "It is certain, in any case, that the difficult and delicate operation of with- ' drawing from the Vistula to tho Bug from six or seven more or less victorious hostile axmies was carried out as arranged without loss. The garrison fought well, as all Russian garrisons invariably do. A fortnight is about the longest time an ordinary fortress, attacked by heavy artillery, can hold out. ' Tho immediate conscquenco of the fall of the fortress is that it improves the communications of the German armies. THE WORST WAY WE COULD HELP RUSSIA, „ London, August 22. The 'Observer".says: "The worst w ay to help Russia will be to rush into extensive frontal assaults 011, the Western front. The Allies' forces are growing stronger daily. The. Germans hoped that- the Allies thero would fling away an endless series 9f futilo. attacks. General Joffre's building up of strength for decisive emergencies offers the surest guarantee to Russia. General Joft're will give the signal at the right hour for moving his fullest strength to the surest purpose."- ■ EIGHT: MILLION RUSSIAN RESERVES TO BE CALLED. , Paris, August 22. Russia has announced the early, summoning of a reservo of eight million men under 35 years of age. • ' THE ENEMY'S STRENGTH ON THE EASTERN FRONT. (Rec. August . 23, 11.40 p.m.) Petrograd, 'August 23. R is estimated that not less' than 40 per cent, of the German forces aro operating against Russia, aggregating with the Austrians, 70 per cent, of the entire enemy's forces. ' ABOLITION OF THE JEWISH PALE. (Rec. August 23, 10.30 p.m.) Petrograd, August 22. The exodus of population from the western provinces had an important result in the abolition of the Jewish pale. The" Jews are now allowed to live in most parts of Russia. Legal effect to this abolition will shortly be given by an Imperial, decree. \ ' RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON THE PEACE RUMOURS .(Rec. August 23, 10.30 p.m.) .... Petrograd, August 22. M. Sazanoff, the Russian Foreign Minister, interviewed, said: "The only foundation for tho separate peaco rumours is due to the repeated attempts by ■ the enemy to inaugurate a discussion with Franco and us. These attempts , 1 were met with an absolute negative. Th enemv's idea that they sow dissnn-' sion anions the Allies -will in no eveilt be realised: the bonds uniting the Allies are continually growing stronger, and confidence in the attainment of. the common- aims has not been shaken in the slightest."-