RUSSIA'S DEFENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 15899, 3 September 1915, Page 3

RUSSIA'S DEFENCE.

THE NIEMEN LINE AND CALBGSAN FLANK. SUCCESS ALONG DNIESTER. PETROGRAD, September 2. A communique states: Wo captured f oux guns' ' on the right bank of the VOica ('.' Vi'ia). The enemy occupied Orany. Dtsptrate fighting continues. A Russian regiment which was surrounded by the enemy broke through, annihilating a German battalion. We repulsed a, series of vigmovjs repeated German attacks to the west of Grodno. We aie holding the enemy in the Lutzk .* region and in Galicia, and while withdrawing to a less extended front are inflicting beavy losses. The total AustroGermara taken prisoner is 7,000, with 100 offerers. The enemy's most "stubborn attacks are in the Radziechow, Zloczow, Zborow, and Bourkanow districts. Everywhere thev were rspidsed with enormous losses. The. : fighting in tho districts of Bourkanow and Borrtchatch was remarkably fierce. We repulsed numerous attacks by rifle fire and bayonet. The enemy at some points were uaabie.jto stand the band-to-. Thand fighting, and retreated to the trenches, leading prisoners. [The places named in the last paragraph are in Eastern Galicia, along the' line of the Stiypa, which flows south into the Dniester.] THE RETREAT. ITS DIFFICULTIES OUTLINED. London 'Times* and Sydney 'Sun* Services. LONDON, September 1. 'Tho TimesV correspondent at Petrograd says: "The war is fluctuating day by day. The enemy's northern movements • at pment have been diverted from the direction o: Riga, and attention is concentratediiponFriedrichsiadt. The vital point is sitrated not far from the railway, opening a path to both-Riga and Dvinsk. The stiznre of the Mitau to the Ivreuzguig section of railway, 45 miles long, -enables the Germans to bring up reinforcements from Mitau. On the other hand, in the Dvinsk region we assumed the offensive. • I' The enemy's crossing the Niemen at Olita and their advance on Oranv (further disclose their intention to isolate - our Villa and Grodno groups, hindering our retreat from the" JS'iemen line. It is -. hoped that the enemy operating in the region of -Bialystok and Bielsk will not l , succeed in intercepting our retreat from •m Grodno to the trunk lin- in the vicinity '<•- of Mosty and Russian rearguards are offering desperate resistance on a 20-mile front between Breloaiezh and . buprasegorod, in ordei J to afford time foj . regrouping hi the rear. "Serious importance is attributed to "the events on the front from Vladimir-Volvn-ski to Lutzk, where the enemy are operating in neat force. Apparently General Von MEckeneen's army has been transferred to there, to undertake an important oflensive against the trunk line, Kovel- ' Aazatm-hieff." THE HIGHER COMMANDS. SEVERAL CHANGES. PETROGRAD, September 2. , General Russky has been appointed Com-mander-in-Chief of the armies for the defence of tho northern region. General "nwlAfntch, the Grand Duke Nicholas's Uriet ol {staff, has been appointed assistant Viceroy of # the Caucasus, and the Grand JJul:e A,exis will .succeed.,. General ghkevitch..AUSTRIAN CLAIM. A i /}KTERDAM, September 1. An Austrian communique states • We • have captured Lutzk (south-east of Vladi-jnix-volynski)., THE COAL SETTLEMENT. xne rniners' conference accepted the dktoSy hfl Mttlemeilt almost unani- - - 1 * conference passed a resolution thanking the leaders "for their able conduct 0 f the negotiations. 4 -i-fl j me , ts struck cm-Tuesdavnight justmea t. ne i r ac(ion ljv ifc was *? j ° witll the'decision arrived au some days ajzn, and. they were not officially informed that a settlement had teen reached. It j s expected that all the collieries v,ill rcsume work on Thursday.

NO PREMATURE PEACE.

. . LmDo\ September 2. u. i!Pi feelers, it is ae&erted on tne pest^authority that there is no change in the feeling i n Britain on the subject of peace negotiations. Few of the >Social•A. eVe ?' * avor ending hostilities, and - -n«"her m official circies nor with the great mass of the public is there anv inclmation for p ea C e, either "honorable" or