Eastern News

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 80, 3 August 1915, Page 5

Eastern News

BATTLE AROUND WARSAW.

United Press Association Petrograd. August 2

Warsaw lias not yet been evacuated. Tlic deliberation of the withdrawal is an encouraging feature of the situation.

A semi-official communique states that strategically the situation is unchanged. The front nearest Warsaw is wholly unshaken, and the enemy's attacks cast of Hozani were unsuccessful, even at the most active points. The other front, affecting Warsaw in the west and south-west, is the arena of a stubborn conflict.

We expelled the Germans from the woods on the right bank of the Vistula. There are deep reasons which tend to demand that our withdrawal will be only temporary, and not prolonged. The fact that the enemy has not obstructed our withdrawal shows how his strength is being reduced through exhaustion to impotence, and that our retirement is not under pressure shows that the initiative is on our side.

Official: We fought a desperate engagement with the Germans on' Friday and Saturday on the river Aa, below Dausk. After numerous fruitless attempts the enemy, at the cost of grave losses, estahlished himself on the right bank of the Aa, near Jungferkopf farm. Our troops at Pout Devisz road, near Darchischke, overthrew a German column which had taken the offensive, and repulsed the advance guard near Ruttany and Tyltagola, taking several hundred prisoners and a number of machine'guns. We also captured the enemy trenches, which were full of German dead. The enemy pained a footing on the left bank of the Xaiew, near the mouth of the Schkva, but our counter-attack drove them back towards the river bed.

Considerable enemy forces developed an offensive between the Narew and Oje, in the Rozaiii sector, and a very desperate battle ensued, the enemy greatly using asphyxiating gas. There were many desperate bayonet actions, after which the enemy slightly progressed near llainenba and captured our trenches south of the Oje, hutwere later driven back. Fighting was most sanguinary, the enemy losing severely. We captured a thousand prisoners and a complete battery. There were barren enemy attacks between the Viepry and Rejovetz station.

We withdrew somewhat northwards between the Kholo and the Rug, before superior forces, after desperate fight-

OPENINC OF THE DUMA.

Petrograd, August 2,

There was a brilliant assemblage at the opening of the Duma. The Ambassadors of the Allies were greeted with tremendous enthusiasm, members rising and cheering them. M. Sa/.anoff (Minister of Foreign Affairs) said that this was a moment of extreme tension, and complicated the work of the combined action between the Allies, which had been well organised. He paid a tribute to Italy's courage, and said that if other neutral States followed her example they would contribute to a speedy cessation of bloodshed. He hoped the Anglo-Swedish negotiations would provide the basis of au agreement. The monstrous German methods of waging war, which did not stop at wholesale poisoning of soldiers or the extermination of women and children, had aroused the repugnance of neutrals, and these feelings had spread to the United States, where humanitarian feelings revolted at the sinking of the Lusitania. '

M. Sazanoff continued :—The unexampled fighting of the Allied troops on Gallipolia had excited our unanimous admiration. After suffering grave losses and forcing almost insurmountable obstacles erected by nature, and cunningly taken advantage of by the Germans, our valiant allies, with unshakeable tenacity, see approaching the longed-for moment when a close direct bond will be established between us. The Turks, scenting the approaching storm, have overwhelmed Christians with cruelties, and Armenians and Greeks are suffering terrible persecutions.

Greece will have to decide whether she is capable of assisting her coreligionists in Asia Minor without joining the Allies. Itoumania i.s undergoing heavy pressure at Austrotierrnan hands, but, despite all their efforts, is resisting 'temptation, M. Sa/.anoft" warned Persia that she must abandon intrigues with the Aus-tro-Germans. The friendly relations between Itussia and Japan almost bore the character of an alliance, and would undoubtedly lead to still closer relations in the near future.

Russia'.') determination to continue the. war until victory was assured.

M. Goremykin (the Premier) said tlic war had shown that Russia was insufficiently prepared, in comparison with the enemy. In order to overcome

the enemy the whole development of the national forces was requiste. The Czar had charged him to declare that he had ordered Cabinet to elaborate Bills granting Poland, after the war. the right to freely organise her ll;1 " tional, social, and economic life on a basis of autonomy under the Czar.

Concluding, M. Sazanolf emphasised

M. Polivanoff said that Germany by her persistent preparations, and employment of methods regardless of the military code of honor, had secured a military superiority over other nations, and by the concentration of enormous forces, was enveloping Warsaw, which was always a weak point on the western frontier. Russia accordingly will perhaps yield a portion of that region, falling back into positions where the army can prepare for a resumption of the offensive. They to-day would perhaps give up Warsaw, as they gave up Moscow to Napoleon, in order to ensure final victory. He paid a tribute to the Allied armies, particularly for the battle of the Marne.

BERLIN REPORTS.

United Press Association

Berlin, August 1

Wc ejected the enemy from positions near Kurow. east of Novbe, Alexandra. We passed through Cholm, pursuing the enemy, who continued to retreat, on both banks of the Hug between the Bug and south of Lenozna. During July wc captured in the southeastern theatre 323 officers, 75,719 men, ten ginis and 126 machine-guns. Our troops across the Vistula, north of Ivaugorod, repulsed heavy attacks. Continuing pursuing, we captured the heights near Podyamoze, making prisoners 'one thousand of the enemy, who again offered resistance between the Upper Vistula and the Bug.

"TINO" ON IT I

HIS INVINCIBLE SOLDIERS,

United Press Association

Bucharest, August 2

The Kaiser has telegraphed the Queen of Greece: '-My destructive sword has crushed the .Russians; they need six months to recover. in a short while I will announce the new victories won by nay soldiers, who have shown themselves invincible in battle against nearly the whole world. The war drama is now coming to a close. Kindest regards.--Tlno."

FROM WEST TO EAST. MOVEMENT OF REINFORCEMENTS.

United Prksh Association. (Received 8.5 aim.) ■ Petrograd. August 2

Official. —Largo German reinforcements from the French to the Russian front began in the fourth week of July, when General Von Mackensen's a liny was severely hustled in the Viprss Valley and the battles on the Nare\v were long drawn out. This creates favorable conditions for the Allies' operations in the west. Batteries at Novoedroevisk dismounted two Germans guns from motor carriages and foiled repeated attempts to remove them.

THE FINANCIAL POSITION. REMARKABLE RESULTS DUE TO : PROHIBITION OF ALCOHOL. Unitki) Purcss Association. (■Received 8.50 a.m. - Petrograd, August 2. M. Bark. .Minister of Finance, said that notwithstanding the enormous expenditure. Russia had .succeeded not only in deriving the necessary resources from her national wealth, but had filled the gap due to the stoppage of the sale of alcohol.. The Avar expenses in 1915 would reach 7242 million roubles, and the Government proposed a series of credit operations, the success of which was undoubted, because the total national savings had increased by 1800 million roubles, which proved the country's resources were adequate to carry out these operations. Their resources ought to be entirely attributed to the people's temperance, and he insisted that this beneficent and salutary prohibition ought to be maintained after the war.