Eastern News

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 58, 8 July 1915, Page 5

Eastern News

THE GALICIAN CAMPAIGN. “Shrapnel/' the -well-known military correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes optimistically of the Russian retreat. His expert opinion is voiced in the following The great Galician battle, or, rather, what has now developed into a double turning movement, still continues. General von Mackensen still continues his advance in South Poland along a front extending from the Radom heights eastward to Krylow, on the Bug, north of Sokal. Near this point he had the advantage of a railhead, and consequently would be able to bring his artillery up rapidly. There is some scheme underlying this fairly rapid Russian retreat. Here

and there the Russians fight rearguard actions, with the assistance of their fine cavalry forces, and take heavy toll of Au.stro-Gerraan lives. There is the Lublin-Cholm railway parallel to the rear of their line oj retreat, and it may be expected that before the Russians allow the Germans to get astride of this rail way that there will be some desperate lighting. The line affords the Russians the opportunity of bringing up reinforcements which, indeed, may already be waiting along the railway front.

On the left bank of the Vistula, in the Radom-Kielce districts, the retreat is very leisurely, and that argues some confidence on the part of the Russian;!. The very frankness of the Russian reports must be taken either as expressive of confidence or else as an indirect way of appealing to the Allies in the West to strike a heavy blow to take the pressure off the Grand Duke’s forces. Again, the inactivity of the Allies in the West must be due either to a want of sufficient munitions or to a belief that the developments in the Eastern; theatre are not as serious as they seem to be.

South of L'emberg, General von Linsingen is acknowledged to lie progressing, and it is admitted that he has readied and taken Firlejov, on the Gnitn-Lipa, and also that further soutli and east he has reached the Zlota-Lipa. This seems to be a covering action for an approach upon the town of Tarnopol, an important railway radiant at the head waters of tho Sereth River. The capture of this town would compel the Russians who are acting against the Austrians further south to retreat across the border, and then Galicia would be completely freed of the Russian invaders. Perhaps after such an accomplishment the Hermans might have reinforcements to spare to send westward. The Russians hint that such a movement has already begun.

All round in both theatres the Germans secern to_ be endeavouring to follow out Clausewitz’s axiom that the best defence is an active offensive; but, though that is undoubtedly a good axiom to follow when a defeat can be driven to a heavy finality of consequences, it is a dangerous road to take when an opponent has unlimited resources to draw upon, and when his strength is continually increasing, while the assailant’s own curve of strength has already reached the maximum. The vast expenditure of men and material on the Galician campaign may yet prove a deadly error to the Gorman power of resistance. Time alone will show.