WHAT AFTER WARSAW?

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IV, Issue 430, 9 August 1915, Page 5

WHAT AFTER WARSAW?

WAR ONLY JUST BEGINNING.

.Russians Prepared to Make any Sacrifice Vicarious Offensive When Time is Ripe.

German Press Boastful in Misconception of Things.

The Potsdam Antichrist’s Blasphemous Telegram. [YUM ASSOCIATION COPYRIGHT. 1 i Ro <>. <» a. in. ) Lvndun, Aug. 8. Colonel Pcretz, military expert to the Petrograd newspaper *’ Rieteli,” says:—“ Eight months ol comparative quiet on the western front has permitted the Allies to regain their force greatly ami to reinforce their armies. Ihe war js only just beginning. The Russian armies arc prepared to make any sacrifice. Despite temporary checks, ami even it obliged to retreat to the depth of the enormous eastern theatre of war, which is capable of swallowing crowds ol new Huns, we will fiddly assume, when necessary, a general victorious offensive jointly with our friends.” Re< cived <), 9 a.m. , The German press publishes a confident and boastful review of ihe military •ituation m the cast and west. It dei lares that after Warsaw a Russian «>tlnonr will lie impossible in the near future I'he operations l»y the English and French in the west are unable to saw the shattered enemy in the east, and before the new English army is ready f«.r use the English will be swept out of Fram e. Received o. 8. jo a.m. ,i Ani'-terdam, Aug. 8. 'lhe Kaiser, acknowledging die King of \\ urtemburg’s congratulatory telegram, said: “We can sec m the fall of Warsaw a significant step in the road along which the Almighty by His grace has led us. Relying on Him, our glorious troops will continue to fight to an honourable peace.” WILHELM'S PEACE OFFER TO RUSSIA. CZAR’S DR.NiI TED REPLY. .Rece.eit 8.40 a.m.) Petrograd, Aug. 8. The ‘‘Bi >urse Gazette” learns from an unimpeachable source I that the Kaiser made a peace "Her to Russia last week through the King of Denmark. Russia replied that there could be no question of peace at present.

NOTHING LEFT FOR THE GERMANS. EVERYTHING OF VALL E REMOV ED I ROM 11112 CITY. Stockholm, Aug. 7. The corrcspondcml oi the Chirag" “Daily News” has arrived from Warsaw. He states that the first intimation of the evacuation came on July 15th, when the authorities inquired how many passes would be required for the British colony. The evacuation began on July 15th, when thousands of goods wagons already accumulated with good.-., men, women and children were hurried eastwards as fast as they could lie taken. Fully half the papulation went, also hundreds oi thousands of peasants from the villages, whose homes had been burnt and crops gathered or destroyed. Everything of value in Warsaw, telegraph and telephone wires, horses, vehicles, and every scrap of metal, even church bells, was removed. The factories were destroy ed after the machinery had been taken out or smashed. All art or antiquarian treasures, also Chopin’s heart from the Church of the Holy Cross, were sent to Moscow.

For a week prior to the evacuation Warsaw was governed by a committee of public safety and by citizen police.

CALM AND PANICLESS WITHDRAWAL.

FACTORIES STRIPPED OF THEIR MACHINERY. Chicago, Aug. 8. The Chicago “Daily News” gives a vivid description of the systematic evacuation of Warsaw, extending for a. fortnight, and forming a fine tribute to the calm and panicless methods of the Russian authorities. Ute Allied Consuls’ archives have reached Moscow. The American Consul remains at Warsaw. The refugees also include the officials of the law courts with three million sterling of court funds. When the evacuation was announced, the Warsaw’ police visited every house and .sought to induce the inhabitants to leave Poland and go to Russia. While 350,000 citizens were thus departing, almost another 350,000 trooped m from the neighbouring districts, chiefly peasants, though in some cases the men were worth £200,000 a month ago, but are now penniless. Endless lines of tired, dustwhitened peasants, with cattle and portables, thronged the* roads and bridges converging «_>m Warsaw.

Meanwhile the factories were Iwmg feverishly stripped. The owners were granted free I ransport lor their plant eastwards. Tiie noise of dynamiting plant embedded in concrete could be heard day and night in all parts of the city. Every fragment of dynamited metal was. immediately railed eastwards. The newspapers made final then the linotypes were uprooted and carted away . 7he police visited every printing office and dismantled the presses, and took the type. Hardly a ton of copper lit tings was 101 l in Warsaw. Only’ a group of soldiers with legs dangling from sacks could be distinguished. Peasants took their lielongings from the banks, which with millions of roubles <>f paper money were hastily thrust into potato sac ks. Two thousand hackney carriages,’driven by the owners, traversed the thousand miles to Moscow. Throughout the churches were open and crowded with weeping Poles and Russians putting up their final pray ers. All the crops were destroy ed where no troops could be spared to garner.

The bridges, including the new Praga, a mile long, which cost £1,200,000, were lined with sandbags and wire sset in readiness to explode land mines as the Germans entered. About 3000 wounded were left behind, as their condition wa.» too serious for removal. The only Britisher was Miss Kennedy , who was m hospital with pleurisy. Ihe Russian police hastily trained many civilian Poles in their duties, supply ing them with revolvers and rifles. Pro-German Poles prepared a list of pro Russian Poles and handed them to the Germans. As the German generals signified their intention to hang the leading antiGerman Poles, well-to-da Russian Poles accordingly fled to the police at the last moment, who shot five pro-Germans found brandishing a rope and jeering outside the house of a proRussian. AUSTRO-GERMAN PLANS FOR POLAND’S FUTURE. VAIN HOPE OF SECT RING POLISH SYMPATHY. Amsterdam, Aug. 7. The “Tyd’s” Cologne correspondent states that AustroGermany will make an announcement synchronising with the meeting of the Reichstag creating an independent Poland, whereby thev expect to secure rhe sympathies of the Poles and 'Poland a buffer State. No King will be oppointed at present, but a Polish Governor with a council whereon German-. Austrian- and P<>!»■-, will sit

FLAG-WAVINC ill'fcWEMT CAPITAL.

AN I'Ml’lY IHIC.MI‘II. Amsterdam, Aug. 7. Berlin continues the orgy of Hag.'waving and revelling. Crowds at Vienna paraded with an effigy of the King of Italy' inscribed, “He brought l.is enemies luck and his friends illluck.” Better informed circles realise that the people are flaunting an empty triumph and display irritation because they expected Warsaw’s fail a week ago, and know that they have missed their real aim, the destruction of the Russian armies. Zurich, Aug. 7. ihe jubilation m Vienna is the greatest since the war. The demonstrations in the streets lasted till the morning. Lisbon, Aug. 1 7. Thirty-seven detained German vessels hoisted flags in honour of the fall of Warsaw. Berlin, Aug. 7. The “ \ ossidie Zcitung ” deprecates excessive rejoicing over Warsaw, and points out that the principal object of the campaign is the destruction of the Russian armies, not the capture of Polish cities.

THE ENEMY’S PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.

A SHORTENED FRONT TO FREE TROOPS FOR ELS’EWHERE

Berlin, Aug. 7.

I he “ Vossischc Zvitung " say s Germany has now reached the result of the lung-prepared Austro-German plan of a. great offensive on both banks of ihe Vistula rolling up the Russian front. I ron 1 a military point of view it was important to shorten the front. They will now be able to form several strong lines 111 the rear to secure the east front against till Russian attempts, freeing important troops for action elsewhere.

HUCE ENVELOPING MOVEMENT.

DANGERS FACING HIE RUSSIANS ON THEIR NEW LINE

London, Aug. 7

The “ Daily Mail’s ” Petiograd correspondent say s that the German plan was to lone the Russians to light, and failing that, to surround them. General von Hindenburg’s hope was to drive the Narew army southwards and the troops in the south northwards, and to catih both by j<>ming r the German and Austrian armies eastward of them. That plan may' now be said 10 have failed, but German strategy has another huge enveloping movement proceeding, which is planned to envelop the new' line further eastward. By occupying Riga the Germans would place themselves in a favourable position for working south along the Dwina. At the same time the other half of the pincers would begin to enclose the Russians from the south. NOT REGARDED LIGHTLY IN PETROGRAD. MUCH DEPENDS ON HOLDING THE ENEMY IN BALTIC PROVINCES Petrograd, Aug. 7. Although Russia hopes that tiic German attempt to squeeze the Russians between the forces advancing on the Narew and on the (’holm-Lubhn front has definitely failed, German strategy has a much more ambitious scheme of the same kind in view.

'This is planned to advance in the event ol the Russians leaching the Niemeninirg line. The Germans, by occiioving Riga, will be favourably placed for working down the Dwina, and taking the new Russian position in the rear. The movement will require cnorm"us troops for manoeuvring over a vast area and is liable to many mishaps. Ihe best military opinion at Petrograd reluses to regard the danger lightly . Much depends on the fighting on the extreme German left. The Germans are employing 350,000 men between Kovno and the Dwina. If they break through there before the Russians clear the Narew-Vistula-Bug area, a difficult situation will arise.

PROGRESS OF THE FICHTINC.

DESPERATE BATTLES ALONG IHE WHOLE FRONT

RUSSIANS STUBBORNLY RESISTING

Petrograd, Aug. 7. OFFICIAL.—We victoriously repulsed the Germans between the Dwina and the Niernen. There was desperate fighting on Wednesday’ night and Thursday on the left bank of the Narew, on the Rojan, Ostrolenka and Ostrovv roads. Our counter-attacks held up the enemy on an extended iron!. Violent lighting continues. All is quiet on the Middle Vistula since our crossing. We have evacuated War-aw to save a bombardment. T he enemy’s fruitless attempts to extend the occupation zone continue only in the Maciejowice region, north of Ivangorod. After stubborn battles cn ->t of tiie Trauniki-Wlodavva road (.cast of Lublin), the enemy concentrated the fire of his massed artillery, and wye retired a little northwards. Petrograd, Aug. 8. Ol FILIAL.— Ihe enemy is attacking the first line position of the fortress on the left bank of the Nienien near Kovno. Our heavy flatteries are vigorously bombarding the enemy near Ossowiecc, 32 miles north-cast of Lomza. At dawn the enemy developed an intense lire and launched clouds of asphyxiating gases and assaulted the fortress positions, carrying works near So-ua. Our lire and a. counterattack dislodged them. .Sanguinary fighting is proceeding on the Narew, on the road to Ostrovv, 30 miles south of Lomza. The enemy , after desperate encounter-, increased the ground occupied. We repulsed attacks in the region of Serotsk, on the Bug, north of Warsaw. Heavy artillery on die night of August sth and Oth sunesslally repulsed the enemv’s pontoon parties on the Vistula. Most desperate actions were fought between the Vistula and the Bug from Kodrovo to Kotak, and in the region of Wieprz, north of Leczna. BERLIN COMMUNIQUES. THE CAPTURE OF' IVANGOROD. Berlin, Aug. 7. A wireless message claims that General von Woyrsch at Ivangorod adroitly assailed the Russians massing troops on pontoons and material trains opposite the Novo Alexandraia crossing.

The Russians threw the best troop:, of the reserve info Novo zMexandraia at night. However, twenty pontoons and trains hidden with straw with troops moved down stream. The engineers quickly threw bridge- heavily fortified across the Vistula, and 111 a few hours the Germans crossed and surprised the Russians by encircling Ivangorod to the north and cutting oil connection with Warsaw.

Amsterdam, z\ug. 7. It is expci ted that Ihe Russian..- will defend Novo Georgievvsk to the last.

'Flic ‘‘Cologne Gaz.ci.tc” say.- that tin: Ru.-.-iaus left in Ivangorod considerable stocks ol flour. Radom was not damaged, and the factories immediately re-commenccd work. Novo Alexandraia was seriously' damaged by fire. A GERMAN PROGRESS REPORT. Berlin, Aug. 8. Ihe armies of von Scholz mid v< »h Gallwitz, after severe lighting, broke the Russians’ resistance between Lomza and the north Bug, and i.etwecu the qtli and sth captured 85 officers, 14,200 men, vvit.it six cannon and <>() machine guns. The siege guns before Novo Georgievsk advanced from the north to the Narew, capturing the Debie fori. Our troops from the south reached the Vistula near Wienkow. The situation at Warsaw is unchanged. The Russians con Imue the bombardment of lory u from the eastern bank of the Vistula.

Our airships bombarded the railway stations at Novo Minsk (25 miles east of Warsaw) and Siedlocc, further east. The situation north of Ivangorod is unchanged.

T he Germans near Ruskojvala, between the Vistula and the Bug, stormed the Russian positions, and forced a wav through the lake <<unitrv n<>rtl.-east M R«ii>/.

TO-DAY’S BERLIN MESSACE.

RUSSIANS FIRML’y' HOLD HIE WARSAW SUUBURB

(Received 9, 9.5 a.m.)

Berne, Any. 8. A Berlin telegram states that the Russians firmlv hold Praga (the suourb 01-Warsaw to winch they retired after evacuating the city). Artillery duels arc proceeding across the river. ENEMY’S PROGRESS CONTINUES. fßeceived 9, 10.26 a.m.; Amsterdam, Aug. 8. A Berlin communique states: Our forces on the Narew are approaching the road Lomza-Ostrow-Wy szkow, and are meeting with stubborn resistance in some places. We have reached the Bug southward of Wyszkow. We have occupier Sicrock. Wc have captured the fortifications 111 front of Novo Georgicv sk. We have gained ground on the east bank of the Vistula, near Warsaw. Ihe Russians continue to retreat before General von Woyrsch’s pressure. General von Mackenziscn’s left wing between the Vistula and the Bug drove the Russians northwards towards Wieprz. Fhe right wing continues the battle. Amsterdam, Aug. 8. An Austrian official message states:—Wc penetrated south ol Lubartow lon the Wieprz, 12 miles north of Lublin), and the Germans north-west of Lcczna, cast of Lublin, into the cncmv’s lines.

WILL RICA BE LOST ?

POPULACE LEAVING THE Ct I A

Petrograd, Aug. 7. Die exodus from Riga, is proceeding, 10,000 leaving daily. Ihe British Consulate has left its affairs under American protection.

HOPEFUL MESSAGE FROM THE BATTLEFIELD.

‘ THE GERMANS ARE BEING HELD.”

(Received 9, 8.40 a.m.) Petrograd, Aug. 8. A telegram Irom Riga, reports that much excitement was caused by' an officer from the front who galloped through the streets and announced m a crowded park that ihe Germans were being held . GERMANS REPLACE AUSTRIANS. Zurich, Aug. 7. Iwo Hungarian army' corps Irom Eastern Galicia in an extremely exhausted condition arc being withdrawn to the Austrian frontier ,a.nd being replaced by newly trained German Landsturm from the German districts of Bohemia.

GERMAN OUTRAGES.

JAPANESE VOLUNTEER’S EARS CUT OFF.

(Received 9, 8.50 a.m.) , Petrograd, Aug. 8. A Japanese volunteer reached Vihia with both his ears cut off by the Germans.

ABUSE OF THE RED CROSS FLAG. Petrograd, Aug. 8. The Commission investigating abuses at Warsaw record that an Austrian Red Cross party approaching the Russian trenches ostensibly to tend the wounded, suddenly opened fire. The Russians retaliated, killing a, supposed Sister of Mercy, who was found to be an Austrian officer in disguise. SCAREMONGERING PRESS AND THE WAR TRADERS. (Received 9, 9.15 a.m.) Berlin, Aug. 8. The newspaper “ Schaubuchung ” bitterly attacks the Ger, man scare-mongering press for working in the interest of a couple of ammunition firms and causing war