RUSSIA'S TASK.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1915, Page 5

RUSSIA'S TASK.

IN GALICIA. HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES. '"""' Rome, Sept. 14. General von Linsingen's armies in six days in Galicia lost 32,000 prisoners, 60,000 killed and wounded, 73 cannon, and 110 machine-guns. GERMAN REPORT. CONTINUING THE PURSUIT. Received August 15, 5.5 p.m. Amsterdam, Sept. 14. General Hindenburg is progressing between Dunavilia, north-west of Vilna, taking 5200 prisoners, 13 machine-guns, and much baggage. He maintains the pursuit. North-east of Grodno we reached half-way to Lida, and we 'bombed the. railway station at Lida. Prince Leopold and General Maokensen continue the pursuit

THE GERMAN PLAN. | -r DIG IN FOR THE WINTER, ■■■' Received Sept. 15, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 14. The Daily Mail's Petrograd correspondent states that experts are of opinion that the Germans have given up hope of surrounding the Russian armies, and are merely seeking positions to alJow themselves to dig in anH tur|n their attention to the west. They cannot stop where they are without exposing the armies to extreme danger, and they must secure the Dvinslc-Rovno railway, thus gaining possibilities of intercommunication. They must also secure the line against being outflanked on the south, and hold the Dwina river. Time is of the utmost importance to the Germans at the present moment. Captured Germans complain that they were obliged to fight for eighty hours continuously. KING AND CZAR. EXCHANGE OP TELEGRAMS. Received Sept. 15, 10 p.m. Petrograd, Sept. 15.

The Czar has telegraphed King George: "In the serious time my country is traversing I am assuming leadership of my armies, and am convinced that by God's help and the Allies' combined efforts a final victory will crown this bloody war." King George replied: "I am delighted to hear that you have assumed command of your armies in the field, and heartily share your conviction that by God's help you and your brave troops, with the Allies, will finally secure a victory with an honorable and lasting peace. My thoughts will be more than ever with you in these anxious times."

THE RUSSIAN DEFENCE. A SATISFACTORY POSITION. 1 Petrograd, Sept. 15. We captured forty thousand AustroGermans since August 30th. The German pressure continues in the Piksten and Sauken lakes districts. At Rafeiszki, westward of the Jacobstadt line, we repulsed repeated attacks. In the Podbrodze district they w«re especially intense. To the westward there is determined fighting. (Westward of Slonim the enemy's cavalry fell foaok, near the confluence of the Euria and the Pripet. We crossed the Goryn (in the Derajno district) and progressed. We captured a whole Austrian battalion and stopped the enemy's offensive in the Berawno and Dlevan districts with a vigorous counter-stroke. Then wo advanced in the district westward of Klevan, capturing thirteen hundred prisoners. We ejected the enemy with great losses from the villages of Rydomel and Emstoki, and westward of Wyszmewec we took upwards of two thousand prisoners. Our offensive is continued in Gontow and Ditkowec, south-westward of Wysznewec, where we captured 140 officers, 7300 men, one heavy and six light guns, with much booty. We are pursuing the enemy westward of the Sereth front. There are fierce actions westward of Tarnopol. On September 12th we took 35 officers and 2700 men prisoners. A CAVALRY RAID. London, Sept. 15. The Times Petrograd correspondent says that the seizure of a portion of the railway line at Svienbiauy was the result of a cavalry raid, not of a_ general advance.

THE PENALTY OF A SPY. INCIDENT OF GERMAN CORRUPTION London, Sept. 15. Papers detail that detective oflicer Miassayedoff, who was on special duty to watch the Czar's personal safety, asked to he attached to the Grand Duke Nicholas's staff. Documents found on a Bavarian officers' body at the Yser showed that some spy in Russia had communicated information of the Russian movements, enabling these to be countered. The Grand Duke Nicholas suspecting the spy's identity, concocted a military order, care being taken to communicate it only to a small «roup of suspects. The result that was expected happened. Germans showed a knowledge of the order and took military action, whereupon Miassayedoff was cornered by the Grand Duke, and confessed that he betrayed his accomplices. lie had been for a decade in Germany's pay and had revealed every Russian military and political secret, his treason bringing in millions of roubles, whereof an infiniti'stimal fraction went to his subordinates. On on.' occasion he withheld General Rennrkampf's sppcia] order for twenty-four hours, and thus saved the German army from inevitable disaster. AUSTRIAN" REPORT Amsterdam, Sept. 15. An Austrian communique says: —We repulsed an attack on the Strypa front. Russian reinforcements attacked at numerous points and were repulsed with great losses near the Dubno-Stubcl sector. Our troops in Lithuania pursued the enemy acros3 the Grinda Plain.