The Taihape Daily Times SATURDAY, JULY 24, 1915. THE RUSSIAN RETREAT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 263, 24 July 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 1915. THE RUSSIAN RETREAT.

AND WAIiMAEIBTO ADVOCATE

(With, which in incorporated The TaL hap a Post unci Wahnarlno News,)

The war is taking either a serious or an extremely enigmatical turn; the' trend of recent events in Poland and, Galicia is causing a very bad break in the war narratives of the very best informed military writers. In connection with the enemy’s advance into Russian territory we are told that Germany is now at the zenith of her fighting power; she has now the greatest number of men in the field it is possible for her to raise; that her munitions making cannot in future be what it has been in the past, and that the i stores cf forty years’ gathering are becoming used up; that materials for t making munitions can only reach Germany with the greatest risk and difficulty, and then only in very small quantity. All tlrs may bk true, and probably - is, but Russian forces and equipment

must also have gone on improving since war was declared. In the first flush of German preparedness Russia in her almost totally unpreparedness, was able to hold back the invader, and push him back and prosecute an exceedingly successful offensive, and it is disconcerting to find now that the Russians ar e being driven back like a flock of sheep, making a stand or goingoff at a tangent nowhere. While this, what appears very much like disaster, jd proceeding, the Chief ox the Army, (trand r>ulc e Nicholas. is banfjuetting rn Pel rograd, talking ever the table whai Russia is. and what she is going to do, What can it all mean? While

his armies are being- driven back at eveay point; while the enemy is pursuing what appears very' .much like a triumphal march on Warsaw, the Com-mander-tn-Ghieff of the run rang armies is feasting and hobnobbing with foreign attachees in; Petrograd. His action and the- condition of his- troops do not seem to synchronise, and yet his talk is astoundingly confident, and expresses fullest assurance thaC his armies are determined, and that they will hold back the: enemy so that he will be no mor e successful in. his present effort to reach Warsaw than ixe | was in previous efforts. Look at tine position as w r e will’, it is not under- j standable, for if Germany is so much’) stronger in th e East, as som e say she is. then her forces in' France and Belgium must have been drawn upon to a very risky extent, and' there is something in the Russian suggestion, that if th e Allies could and would strike a heavy blow in the west it would materially mend matters in what is proceeding in the east. Viewing all the I circumstances it is difficult to believe that Russia could not have held up his latest onrush, for no adequate or satisfying reason has yet been given for their right-about-turn advance. We have no previous evidence that Russia is given to boasting, and yet during the whole of the run home she has been talking of the high spirits of the country" and of the troops,and affirming j the statement that Germany could be driven back, but the opportune time had not arrived. Surely it is best for the world that Germany should be beaten at the first possible moment, or does it mean that the resources of Germany need draining to the last dreg to for ever render her incapable of again involving the -world in such a holocaust? Perhaps w r e are on the eve of the promised great sledge-hammer blow which is to be struck that will clear the vandals out of France and Belgium, and that Russia is assisting by ruse after ruse, just letting the enemy on, decoying him in the greatest force, and encouraging him to draw men from where they are more needed by dangling, carrot-Ukd, before the donkey, the possibilities of a decisive defeat that would so maim the enemy as to make it impossible for her to render any considerable help in preventing a thrust on Cailais, or attempting sonig more bold and pretentious exploit. We admit the situation is inexplicable; we cannot believe the Russians are being whipped like frightened cats—for that’s what present happenings indicate —while their first while commander is banquetting and talking big at Petrograd, in company with representatives of other powerful and

fi'icnf’’— and while so much is being- said for a wonderful genius that, lias presumedly taken chief .command. It seems imoossible that Russa is beaten and while there 3°ems no reason for much doubt about it we am content to a-mait. evantnaiitios. This is an awe of ’■'rge strategic schemes ard it is nnl?''.' , !'"'mhlo that the strategic Benins 'of Britain, France, Russia and Tta.lv is permitting the war fp rv r u, the wav it e eems to v»c? uo th-. world, it is doing.