RUSSIA'S TASK.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1916, Page 5

RUSSIA'S TASK.

THE OFFENSIVE CONTINUES. 115,000 PRISONERS. Petrograd, June 12. Reports from the southern front are limited, as storms are interrupting communications. Reports received show that General Brusiloff's offensive continues. We continue to pursue the defeated enemy in many sectors, although at seme points the enemy is desperately counter-attacking. The total prisoners taken are 1700 officers and 11.3,000 men. One recentlytermed unit captured yesterday 1203 Germans and 768 Austrians. The enemy on the Ivka front, south of. Lutsk, are retreating, and we are pressing them closely. The Austrians near Gliadki and Vorosievka, north of Tarnopol, attacked furiously six times, but were finally repulsed. Our artillery was especially gallant in countering the enemy's murderous lire with fire equally violent. RUSSIAN CHECK CLAIMED. London, June 12. A German communique reports that General Botlimer's Austrians and Germans repulsed Russian detachments which were advancing north-west of Buczacz, taking 1300 prisoners. Otherwise the situation on the Germans' east front is unchanged.

TAKEN BY SURPRISE. LUXURIOUS AUSTRIAN'S. London, June 12. The Daily Telegraph's Petrograd correspondent says that wounded Russians state that an Austrian division was surrounded and almost wiped out. An Austrian Red Cross nurse was taken prisoner for shooting Russians with a revolver. The Russians captured a railway station and surprised the Austrian officials at their posts. A quarter of an hornlater a train full of troops steamed in and was captured. A telegraphist war surprised in the act of summoning more shells. He was allowed to complete 1!: message and the sheHs were sent i. an(l captured. The Russians captured the village r Demidovka, and are now 27 miles soni.: of Lutsk and 20 miles west of Dobnn. Dispatches describe the Austrian dugouts as luxuriously equipped with furniture, pianos, gramophones, pictures, and in some cases domestic kitchens. They had also laid out vegetable and (lower gardens.

APPROACH TO CZERNOWITZ, AUSTRIANS 3LOW UP BRIDGES Received June 13, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, June 12, The Russians on Sunday attacked the bridge head at Zaleshchok, on the Dniester, and approached the suburbs of Cernowitz, where the Austrians have caused many explosions, it is believed by blowing up the bridges. AUSTRIAN LOSSES 400,000. RUSSIANS ON VILNA FRONT. Received June 13, 5.5 p.m. Amsterdam, June 12. Advices from Vienna state that the Russians are at Roshitshe, north of Lutsk, and are now within fifty kilometres of Kovel, Vladimir, and Wolinski. Military circles in Germany estimate the Austrian losses at four hundred thousand. They fear that the Russians in Lublin province will soon threaten the entire front to Vilna

ENEMY REPELLED EVERYWHERE. SOME DESPERATE FIGHTING. Received June 13, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, June 12. Near Bobulikze, north of Buczacz, Jie Austrians, assisted by fresh German forces, desperately countcr-atackcd. Our troops replied with further attacks, but 1 filially were forced to give ground slightly. Fighting continues with ever-increas-ing desperation and the fighting for Czernowitz suburbs has begun. The enemy blew up a bridge east of Czernowitz. General Letehtlzky's troops have now captured twenty-one thousand men, all Hungarian infantry and cavalry. The Germans on the right flank in the Riga sector assumed the offensive north of the Tirul marsh, but were repulsed. The Germans on the entire Jacobstadt front attempted to advance, after violent artillery fire, but were everywhere repelled. Important German forces that assumed the offensive south of Lake Brisvity, and also south of the village of Kooliany, were compelled to retreat.

A FRESH PUSH IN SIGHT. THE AUSTRIAN ROUT, Received June 13, 11.25 p.m. Petrograd, Juno 13. Prisoners continue to arrive at Kieff. They are chiefly Austrians, Germans, and Magyars.- There are no Slavs. The offensive continues steadily. The Russians are building'bridges to enable the transport of big guns on a large scale. Cavalry operations among the Austrian communications continue, and enable the Russian rear to reorganise the troops and prepare for a fresh push. Lutzk was surrounded by nineteen lines of entanglements, but the Russian turning movement led to a hurried Austrian retreat, the enemy abandoning their guns.

A TRAITOROUS MINISTER. SOME REVELATIONS, Received June 13, 11.50 p.m. Petrograd, June 13. The Russ ICoeslovo publishes some revelations about General Suckhomlinoff's responsibilty for the Russian difficulties. It States that he got into the hands of a gang of eleven adventurers, who were habitues of a family circle, who included Bogroff, the murderer of Af. Stolypin (the llussian Premier), NyascedofT, who was hanged in 1915 for betraying Russian plans to Germany, and Kuliabko, who gave Bogroff access to the theatre on the night of M. Stolypin's murder. General Sulcliomlinoir probably was unaware of the character of his associates, and lie reposed the greatest confidence in Kyascedoff, to whom lie communicated many secrets of the War Office. The conspirators made use pf Madame Sukhomlinoff, who is a young and attractive woman, who gladly accepted the obeisances of the frequenters of her salon. General SukhomlinolT was also largely responsible for Russia's linpreparedness for war. Without consulting his office colleagues he formulated a faulty scheme of defence, involving the abandonment of the Polish fortresses. Directly the war was commenced General Sukhomliff was deluged with appeals for a more liberal supply of munitions, but he obstinately refused to consider offers for war material, adopting the standpoint that the manufacture of munitions was only possible in the Government arsenals, and ho told the Generals to try and economise, as the military works could not make more. (General Sukhomlinoff was Minister for War in the Russian Minitsry last year, but he was deposed a few months ago, when it was discovered that he was in league with the Germans. He is now confined in a fortress, awaiting trial.)