THE NORTHERN THRUST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8209, 5 August 1915, Page 5

THE NORTHERN THRUST.

CONSIDERED VERY IMPORTANT. ENEMY'S STRENGTH IN THE ; „ .; EAST. PETROGRAD, August 4. .War. critics are coming, to the conclusion tlia-t the centre of-gravity on the Rnssi;ui front has shifted definitely from south to north. It now seems that the German attack on the Niemen and Ihvina fronts is the real'-thine. The Germans reached Ponievesz over a week ago, but have only advanced one /march, showing that the Russians were quite .'prepared to meet their movements. One bundled and fifty euns were recently "onrontrated at a single point in the advance against the Pctroerad ifiil»o,v. The Russians were obliged 'to retire hut they , countprnttockod bofoi" ihc big guns wore able to follow up iho ndvinre. forcing the Germans to fall book 10 versts.

The German transport which was sunk in the Baltic by a British submarine was carrying, reinforcements from Libau for General yon Billow's hard-pressed army. The importance of the! feat lies less in the" fact that a German regiment was. sent to th§ bottom than that maritimereinforcements must cease or be carried out wiili extreme caution in future.

The Russians are. strongly opposing i any attempt to advance on Riga. Russians state that there are 35 German army corps between the Baltic and the Bukovina, of which 10 have been brought from the West' since May 1, and three since July 1 ; these being required to make good th« serious losses of General yon Mackensen'. and Marshal yon Bindenburg. The Germans on the \Vyzkow. front include 131 active battalions, which are considered to be the best of Germany's remaining army. Russian officers who faced -the German artillery; drive express the opinion^ that the best of dealing with such a drive.is to attack withotit giving the en«yny a chance of selecting a spot on which to mass his artillery. Experience shows that an unsuccessful attack is less costly than an attempt to hold positions. Russia .has - already farmed 1 and equipped . between 6.000,000 and 7,000.000 men, and has the same number available. "■ . .. . ■ I .-..-.. LONDON, August 4.

The "Daily Telegraph's" Petrograd I correspondent "says that, recent operations show'that thj3 : ; withdrawal to tlio.'-'l Vistula/was decided weeks ,■ a go, and will? probably ,be. reve.iled! latfir ns a, | master-stroke of generaMiip. The only reason for the Aaistro-Germnri advance northward ofthe Lublin-Cholm railway on' Sunday was that the ground was suitable for entangling the Russians in a general engagement 1; hence the Rus- | sians preferred to fall back. 1