THE STRUGGLE AT THE SAN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3984, 17 July 1915, Page 5

THE STRUGGLE AT THE SAN.

SUCCESSFUL RETREAT BY THE RUSSIANS.

MOVED BACK AS IF IN MANOEUVRES.

HUNS PAY A HEAVY PRICE FOR VICTORY.

(Times and Sydney Su*> Services.) (Received July 16, 9 p.m.) LONDON, July 16. The Press Bureau says that after crossing the San the Germans thought they had broken the R ussian lines, but me gaps wer filled instantly from reseirves. At another spot the Germans launched cavalry through what seemed an empty space. Without delay the tide vvas'stemmed by Cossacks and infantry riding to the front. The next day everywhere fresh troops were arriving and measures were being taken to render a repetition of earlier losses unlikely. The Russians were 600 yards from the Germans and had orders to advance in little stages. Twenty men crawled forward together and crawled up a protection breast high. They then established themselves while the Germans pelted them with shrapnel. Tlie prisoners stated that despite tnc successes in Galicia the mood of the Germans is nothing like at first, when there was a great outburst ol enthusiasm.

Tile- (‘Times” correspondent with the Russian forces spent three days with the third army, which has seen the hardest lighting. They entered Galicia on the extreme east hist year, and were fighting around Lemberg. Grodek, Przemysl) thence in the Carpathians, capturing, as the commander informed me, 300,000 prisoners. Since they had been fighting hack with similar determination and stubbornness.

I have motored a hundred miles along the Russian'front observing the advanced positions and talking to oliioers of all ranks, who stated tno .Russians had. inflicted losses greater than they had received during) the Galician retirement, which was conducted) like manoeuvres. An Austrian attack has just been 'delivered on this portion of the line, but. failed, the enemy’s losses being 3000. THE RETREAT FROM THE CARPATHIANS. SIGN 1 FCAXCE OF THE MOVEMENT. Air Hilaire Belloc thus explains tlie significance of the Russian retreat to the line of the River San. Writing in “Land and Water,” he says:— “Roughly speaking, thev had fallen back in rather less than a fortnight at an averge of five or six miles a clay and at the'extreme of their line somewhat faster. They had, presumably, abandoned in wounded and stragglers and a- certain proportion of 'un wo uncled prisoners, inevitable from such a retreat, well over 100,000 men. and they had lost in nnu way or another perhaps fifty or sixty field guns. “They had at the same time, ot course, entirely lost their grip upon the northern Carpathians and the easy passes across those mountains, and 'their immediate opportunities ot invading Hungary with the appoaeh of summer were lost. And an tlie considerable check to the plans of (he Aluihi wo must ascribe to the difficulty the Russians find in equipment, and still more in the munitioning ot their artillery, particularly of their heavy guns.” , , , But Mr Belloc points out that, although the Austro-Gcrman.s have compelled Russia to lose their hold ot the Carpathian passes in the north they have none the less Jailed to break theRussian line and to recovoi then liberty of manoeuvre in the largest sense.

FRANKNESS AND TRUTHFULNESS. WHERE TilE BRITISH .MIGHT EXCEL. A HARD HIT AT THE C.ENSOR- - SHIP. (Received Julv 16. 10.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 16'file correspondent of the ".Manchester Guardian” writes that- one of t-lie principal assets of the war was our power to tell exact truth from day ti> dav about military operations. This asset ‘had been lost. The German reports, wJien allowance was made for occasional exaggeration of victories and intelligent anticipation, of events, were quite as reliable as were our own. It was necessary to make this clear, for wo Had several times made much of inaccuracies in German reports of military operations. An impartial American opinion had said that in the ranks of truthfulness the German reports of land operations had been above our own. To many Englishmen lack of 1 rankness in official reports was the. most discouraging thing of the war.

ALLIED AIRMEN ACTIVE.

MUCH DAMAGE WROUGHT

(Received July 17. 1.30 a m.) AMSTERDAM, July 16. The Allied airmen continue' actively to bomb the German trenches. An English airman destroyed an ammunition depot between Holders and, Yortryk. .Four aeroplanes _ bombed) a casino for officers at Mem in, and several officers wore killed or wounded. • The airmen bombed jfleobruge breakwater oil Wednesday morning.

COTTON IMPORTS TO GERMANY. -

NAVAL .MEASURES PROVING

SI ( CESS FPL

(Received July Hi, 7.A0 0.m.) LONDON, July 1G

Earl Crowe in the House of Lords, said that as Jar as could bo ascertained the naval measures to prevent cotton read linn Germany were sn vessful. ■ No one would suppose' .that Tinder international Jaw or the elelnontarist rules of fair play it would he .possible to .institute a"blockade of neutral countries. The Government had therefore adopted a policy, whicJi, though novel, was rendered necessary by the,changed conditions in maritime warfare. The Government had to consider .the friendly relations with America in. placing cotton on the contraband list so as not to alarm the Southern States without conferring any benefit to England. Therefore, unless for paramount military reasons, the Government were averse to an unfriendly action.