THE LATEST NEWS-AN AUSTRIAN DEBACLE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2798, 16 June 1916, Page 5

THE LATEST NEWS-AN AUSTRIAN DEBACLE

FRANTIC EFFORTS TO SAVE THEIR'ARMIES. (Rec. Juno 15, 11.35 p.m.) . Petrograd, June 15. It is estimabed that the A.\ist.ro-(xerman losses for the week in killed and wounded total 25,000, and in prisoners 121,000, out of 670,000 Austro-Germans between the Pripet and Rumania. Ten per cent of the prisoners are Germans. The enormous disproportion between the prisoners and the killed and wounded is due to the incompetence and cowardice of the Austrian officers. The usual proportion is one prisoner to every four killed and wounded, but many of the Austrian officers left their men to look after themselves, and they, like lost sheep, surrendered. One divisional staff was captured. The only person to offer resistance was a Red Cross nurse—a tall, handsome girl, who drew a pistol and wounded several Russians. Later she did not show malice., and was quietly disarmed and I placed in a motor-car. The Russian officers, on the contrary, headed their men, au d went into tho thick of the fight. The men. will follow them anywhere. S The present object of the Austro-Germans is the speediest removal of their shattered and demoralised units, under cover of rearguard actions. They are desperately defending Czernowitz, less in the hope of preventing the Russian, entry than to gain time to secure and retire their terribly battered army. It is yhether General Pflanzer s Bukowina, army can be saved. 1.- Russians are already within miles of "the IC-olomea railway junction, leading into the Carpathians. Tho Russian cavalry is sweeping the country souuli of the Dniester, and. has cut the main line from Czernowitz to Binberir at Sniatyn. ° • A t \ s Te P 0 o the Austrian.? are hurrying four army corps from Italy m the hope of staying the Russian advance. GALICIAN DISASTERS HEAVILY CENSORED IN GERMANY. (Kec. June 15, 11.35 p.m.) m, „ ~ , London, June 15. ihQ news of General Brusilofi s smashing victories is being sedulously censored in Germany, though the war critics admit the Austrian reverse. •