THE RUSSIAN FRONTIER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 76, 19 August 1914, Page 6

THE RUSSIAN FRONTIER.

GERMAN l-Oiim-nAIION.-,. THE CARPATHIAN RANGE. , SRATEGKAL C:tt:s>l PKUATJON'S. ISctwecn Hi and ;i.) n,-r <ci:i, of Russia's foreign ..raele pass,-.-. ,„ j.eiiin and tin; lialtic pons by .11 1,-asi, lii i', |)iiibably six, 'inc., of raiiv.av. the tromi >r lias few strategical iVatuiv, bevj i I those which have been cr-aicd, r.mi'. i.c are all in lavor (if Germain-. Eve;' sinee Germany, liy her aUinule at the lierlm Conference'l), lier er.lr-. into the Triple Allianee, became openly antagonistic to Russia, slie has spem num.a like water in creating the means i.> march an army rapid.y lo and across tile llu;-siaii border. As against Kn— I sia's six railways siie lias nearly 2(J. ' iler leeiinie.ll resoun.es of siege parks, light ordnance, and si, i-s, jar exceed anything vvliicn Riis.-ia may nini.nairi. And while .he object in everything !i is been a speedy assault, defensive cons'dcr,alions have not b -eu neglcc.ei!. Her border provinces. especially uio.-e'ol Eastern Prussia, have been ftroiigly, systematically defended by Ilia creation ,of such fortresses as. Tliom, Kor.ingshery, Posc-ii, and other citadels. Ever., year they l.ave been iusprovcu. Entrenched camps have been built at vita: ]ioints of .'junction, war ni.ueiia in abundance lies ready to hand. The fens of the Vistula., as well as sonic of the larger towns, are prepared for defence ; and, while Russia, cut sin e the Crimean War has given much alttntion to tae Warsaw and Vi|i:a areas. Germany's activity across the border has lcL her far behind. POWER OF ENDIIIANCE. Russia's power of cniluiuiK'c —the lighting genius of the Slav—the quality tnat in some measure atones for her lack oi progress, is iier main hope. As a leading iiussian strategi.-l (Genera! Kuropa.Kini observe.-,' it is impossib ■■■; tt suppose that 100 miliion Puissians, even tiiuu 6 'ii defeat in more llan on-: campaign d-scouraged them, would evesubmit to tile to.al alienation of pro..vinees bound to them by historical ties and vast sacrifices in Russian blood. Eor if Germany or Austria were at- | tacked and any great -nrtion of Iheiv anneal forces detained oa the wcslcra shle, Toiand give-; Russia great advantage in a victorious oli'en-'i've. Helm i-. only 2111) miles. Vienna ■>]:) miles away. ,St. l\ lersburg is a:!:! ,ni!"s iroai Ue Gciciiaii, UIKI mi.rs Ironi ilie An--trian iiouticr.s, while Mos.uw is (listed T.'lo and Kill) miles respectively. A cmisiileiMtioß of iioiitier't.mdilioi'.as between Austria ami Russia is almost as completely in favor of ihe former, as, t'urlher uurili, ..hey lire for Germany. A, suoa as the Tr:p! v AlliI aiifi: was formed, Austria coii.,;:i need to prepare for the inevitable ■..;■!■ wiC I Russia. Tli» natural frontier betwee l Klie two grtal countries is ihe Car--patlihm range, yet Galicia. om- ,-jf h-'>• u-rrilorie-s. 1 es on the Ru~ian side of the Carpathians. Had Austria been as lK'g'ectiul of, or as frequently diveried f 10:11, prcpara-.-un for fronlie.- defeii ■■; as lliissia. the Carpathians might be a real danger. Natural : v they .tie an impediment to speedy concent ration alo::.: ihe frontier, while', in case of defeat. :i great river, or a great raueee. at the. back of an a 1 my .means that deiial ma-, speedily become destruction. ' RAILWAY COKSTRI'CTPiN. But the Carpathians are no longer a natural barrier. The mountains ' have been pierced by railways at --gilt ill'[ferent points at least. Galhia', which ■ geographically seems so expo-ed. which I once lay open imitinglv lo ..egies-io', lroin line westward, has'become a great armed camp, stocked with supplies am! .'mlmiitions, equally available for the immediate invasion of Russia <,-,■ the defence of Austria. l!y her cigh . lines ■, rail Aus.ria could send iWi trains a d.n- , to the. frontier, while Russia's tianspo-'i j facilities are limited to four. Willi-. a very short time Aus.ria, if not occupied elsewlu'ic— could concentrate a n i lion armed it en along the Rus, : an fr'int:er. Rivers such as the Uniesler hare l.ttU) sl.raigie importance: only four lines of railway, as stited. cross t!ie frontier, these points beiii" (iranitzi. RadzivilolV. VolochisU. and' Xovoselit/.. ( Possibly iino.her line has recently been I'adiled. The Austrian weakm',, is thiL ' ifungiu-ian stntinicut is little, if auv- | thing, more favorable to her than i. s Ito Jtus-ia. The Slav group; of h"r ' people are nearly half her population: traditional iuitred of Russia lies chiellv with the Poles and .-.lie Unitarians. Austria has not tied her bir.ler provLuces so eloselv to lier as Germany Iris done in the vest of Eastern Prussia, -j 1 may be seen that, as far as forethought, preparation for e. deliberate purpos-., backed by a, heavy ami continuous expenditure, drminaU the position, the strategical ailvan.agcs are all with lieGerman allies and against Rus-ia. T!i ',-e has been careful prepa-ation fur j-.u*. such a crisis as that which has no v conn; about.