RUSSIA'S TASK.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1915, Page 5

RUSSIA'S TASK.

CONTINUED SUCCESSES. RUSSIAN OFFICIAL REPORT. Received Sept. 2fi, 2.5 p.m. • Patrograd, Sept 2a. A communique says: There is a desperate, uninterrupted battle near Novo Alexandrovsk. Our troops, fay a dashing bayonet charge, expelled the enemy from Vileykfcf. We captured eight guns and seven machine-guns, and turned them on the enemy. We defeated the Germans near Loguieime and reoccupied the town. We captured a portion of the enemy's artillery after our cavalry had sabred the gunners. We have dislodged the enemy from several villages south of Pripet. Our operations in the Lutsk region are practically successful. We stormed the enemy's positions north of the town, which we reoccupied, and captured in addition four thousand prisoners, with machine-guns and much equipment. Our troops with great dash seized the Krasho bridgehead, and occupied the villages south-west of Lutslc, killing many Magyars with the bayonet. IWe took one thousand prisoners in the fighting for an entry to Folds, in the same locality, and we drove back the enemy still further south-west of Tremboola.

RUSSIAN REPORT. INTENSE" FIGHTING EVERYWHERE. Received Sept. 27, 12.45 a.m. Petrograd, Sept, 26. A communique states there is another intense cannonade in the Riga region. The Germans are using asphyxiating projectiles. There were repeated desperate attacks on the Dvinsk .front which were repulsed. The enemy at Novo Alexandrovsk gained our trenches, but we dislodged them, They attacked in compact columns, but met our artillery and rifle fire at close range and retreated In disorder. The attacks were twice renewed and were repulsed with enormous losses. Our heavy losses were the result of the desperate nature of the fighting, and was the best proof of the bravery of our troops. During the enemy's disorderly retreat in Loguichinadist we took many prisoners, In a hot fight for two villages in the Dubno Tegion, we captured thirty officers and sixteen hundred men.

IN THE PRIPET MARSHES. VALOR OF THE COSSACKS. AN AUSTRIAN'S TRIBUTE. Received Sept. 2'u, 2.15 p.m. Amsterdam, Sept. 25. An Austrian artilleryman. graphically describes the difficulties in the Pripet marahea. "Despite the terrible conditions of narrow paths and unceasing rain," he says, "a strong line of cavalry and artillery slowly penetrated the fearful region, constantly fighting the Cossacks, who showed great courage am! contempt for death, preferring death to capture.

"Thoy broke through our cavalry lines at the thinnest point, but now we have closed up as mucli as possible, and must search every wood with the utmost vigilance for lurking Cossaoks to prevent an attack on our rear. The Cossacks arc obstinately persevering in their resistance. They charged our batteries so effectively that our guns were powerless, and our artillerymen resorted to revolvers. Our cavalry Surrounded them after a desperate combat, but the Cossacks did not surrender, and all were put to the sword."

A TEN DAYS' HAUL. 35,000 AUSTRIAN PRISONERS. Received Sept. 26, 3.35 p.m. Petrograd, Sept. 26. Between September 10 and 20, 35,000 Austrian prisoners passed through Kieff. RETREAT FROM VILNA. STORIES OF SPLENDID GALLANTRY. Received Sept. 20, 2 p.m. Petrograd,' Sept. 25. Many stories are related of the Russian gallantry in the Vilna retreat. In one instance a regiment of Cossacks was cornered, but extracted itseU by brilliant daring, with small loss. An infantry regiment was cut off, but fought its way to the main body, through the enemy, inflicting heavier loss than it suffered, and bringing baek a battalion of prisoners. EIGHT THOUSAND GERMANS WIPED OUT. The Germans were sometimes heavily punished for their over-confidence. At ono point they advanced needlessly, believing that there would be no opposition because the Russians had no ammunition. But the Russians were well 'supplied, and lay low until the Germans reached over the entanglements in close array. Then everything was let go together and the Germans were practically swept out of existence. Eight thousand corpses strewed the fields ami scarcely one German escaped unwound cd.

Vilna is a considerable city, with well on towards 200,000 inhabitants. Standing at the -confluence of the Yileika and the Vilia it had, anciently, the advantage of a fair river site, but it was less the commercial than the political position that gave it importance. it became tnc Lithuanian capital. In more recent times, with the development of railroads, it advanced rapidly in prosperity, outstripping cities that, situated more conveniently on the great rivers, had formerly outstripped it. Dvinsk has a different character. It stands at a river bend, and has, therefore, great strategic value, though with the development of mpdern means of communication that value has been diminished. It remains, however, the chief strategic position for the defence of the Dvinii front. The Riga line and the Petrograd line meet here. The original town was a dozen miles lower down the river, but the actual elbow was obviously the site for a fortress, and so Dvinsk holds the angle against an army that attempted to turtn the Dvina position from the south. Macdonald stormed the bridgehead in 181-2 after Oudinot had failed, and the town is just as liable to be captured now as it was a century ago. Most maps give the name Dunaburg, but the Russian name of Dvinsk was officially adopted in 1893. 1 |

GERMANS IN THE ISLANDS.

STILL' CONTROLLING TRADE. (WHERE ARE THE PROFITS GOING? BRITISHERS STRONGLY OBJECT. Auckland, Sept. 24. According to the Nukualofa correspondent of the "Western Pacific Herald," there is much dissatisfaction among Britisli traders in the Tongan group over the latitude allowed by the authorities to Germans Resident in the Islands. The correspondent points out that although the German schooner Elfriede, which used to trade in the group and to Niuafou, was taken as a prize, another vessel, flying the British flag, has taken her place. There is some mystery, 'he adds," regarding iier ownership, and implies that German traders are in some way concerned with her. The correspondent also states that the Deutsche Handelsund and Plantagen-Gesellschaft, usually known as "the German firm"—an organisation with headquarters in Apia, has a large part of the trade of the group in its hands. The profits of this firm, he declares, eventually reach Hamburg. Some of the British traders in the group are, it is believed, financed •by German firms.

A gentleman who has recently been in the Tongan group; and has a wide knowledge of Island affairs, told an Auckland Star reporter that.the suspicions of the newspaper correspondent were well founded. Tonga was an independent State under British suzerainty, and consequently was not neutral. Unfortunately, there was no censorship of letters, and German traders, especially the D.H. and P.G., were quite free to communicate - with Germany through neutral channels. It was commonly said that many 0 f them carried on an extensive correspondence with Sweden and Switzerland. The French/ in Tahiti had lost no time in suppressing the Societe Commereiale de ipeeanicj which was a German firm of merchants trading under a Frenoh name and it was contended that a similar course should have been taken lone afro with the D.H. and 'P.G.-a German firm whoso • profits were almost certainly going home to Germany.