RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 157, 28 November 1914, Page 6

RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.

MAGNITUDE OF CAMPAIGN. OPEN ROADS TO VIENNA AND BERLIN. "Thfs war is becoming so stupendous in Its magnitude," says Mr AshmeadBartjett, in the "Daily Telegraph," the numbers of men who are taking part in it are so great, that it is daily becoming more and more difficult to follow the movements of the armies or to grasp exactly what victory or defeat will mean.

"One fact is certain: The result of the struggle round Cracow will have a most vital effect on the future campaign in Western Europe. A great Russian victory will open the road to both Vienna and Berlin. It will be easier for the Russians to reach the Austrian capital than the German, because Germany is such a network of fortresses and armed positions, and h»r organisation is so perfect, that the Russian advance must necessarily be slow. On the other hand, a decisive victory and the fall of this fortress will force the Germans seriously to reconsider their - position. IF RUSSIA WINS AT CRACOW. "Already we know, from the tone of the German papers, that there is a growing despondency* in official circles over the eventual outcome of this desperate gamble on which the military clique has embarked. A defeat before Cracow will place the German armies permanently on the defensive, both in the east and the west. We have every reason to hope that the allied armies in France, assisted as they will be shortly by Indian troops, will be able to force the Germans to abandon their present positions, and to retire on Luxembourg and to the Belgian frontier. Such a result can only be obtained by much hard fighting and corresponding sacrifices. "A victory in Galicia will force the German armies to retire from France without the slow process of a kind of regular siege of one fortified position after another, such as we are now witnessing.

A DIFFICULT TASK.' ■ "There are many critics," adds Mr Ashmead-Bartlett, ''who hoped for more immediate results from the Russian offensive against German. Such hopes were based on no reasonable understanding of the difficulties the Russian armies have had to overcome The campaign in; Eastern Prussia forced Rennenkampf to retire, in spite of bis victory at Gumbinnfn, and Eastern Prussia ia clear of Russian troops. The direct advance on Berlin from Warsaw, via Posen, had to bo postponed in order to meet the threatened Austrian flank attack, which was checked at the battles round Lublin. "It became more and more evident that no real offensive could bo undertaken against Germany until the huge Austrian armies posted right- on the left flank of- any such movement had been ■ completely disposed of. This task the | Russians have accomplished with extraordinary success.

I t "In fact, the only decisive victories which we have witnessed in this war have been gained by them in Galicia and by the Servians on the Drina. They have captured Lemberg, thus cutting off Germany's only oil supply—a most vital factor in the modern war. They have masked the fortress of Przemsyl, and are now in front of Cracow, the junction of the ways to the two hostile capitals. _ "This is a great achievement, but it is only the beginning of this truly Homeric struggle, which transcends everything in the history of the world. In the battle which is now commencing, the Russians will not have the Austrian armies to deal with alone. They will also be confronted by the flower of the German corps which have been forming on the eastern frontier since the outbreak of war."

THE RIVAL FORCES. "The Times's" military correspondent saya that "Russia has to face the fem"a"<; of the Austrian armies assembled in the Cracow region. These have lost about 400,000 killed, wounded, and prisoners besides 1000 guns, and may tentatively be set down at 600,000 worn and dispirited men. Servia continues to hold up four and a-half Austrian army corps and though an Emnire like Aus-tria-Hungary will make desperate efforts to recover herself her hope is mainly in German arms. The Duplice may have 1,800,000. to 2,000,000 men for the grelt contest m Poland, but we cannot now assign to thees members the same value that we -.-.light have done at the opening of the wor." °

FIERCEST BATTLE OP THE WAR.

J' T l\ e b , attle wiU Probably be long and the bloodiest of the war," says Mr is" mead-Bartlett. "Nevertheless, Th"v „ '° U i d FT e e( l ual t0 their task. They are flushed with victory, with an aunost fanatical hatred of their JLny, Brussiloff and Radko Dimitrieff. The latter Is the famous Bulgarian general who won the battle of Lule Burgf l Z whose successful march was subsequently checked by the Turks at Chatalja. There 18 another factor of great importance The Austrians and Germans have practically no reserves on which to call, wliereas, in addition to the 1,000000 men whom the Russians are reported to have m the field, immense reserves are forming behind, and can be sent forward, if any space ean be found for their B P t7tt enV ' Conclud, < 3 Mr Ashmead-