THE CAMPAIGNS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16922, 30 July 1915, Page 6

THE CAMPAIGNS.

There is rather a cheering unofficial message from a Petrograd correspondent this morning claiming that the enemy's offensive is making serious progress at no point, and the official communique, as it happens, also encourages optimism. Hie Russians have been, offering an heroic resistance, both on the Narew and* below Lublin, and the decision has not gone*in the enemy's favour, but that is the best that can bo said. It is reported that fresh forces have been hurried to the support of von Mackenson and tho Austrian Arch-Duke between- the Vistula and the Bug, .and if that is the case a forward move by the enemy will be looked for in that quarter, where, except on one sector, the Russians have been fighting with good prospects of success. It is probable that the Russian failure to check tho Gorman progress north of Grubiesow vitiated the good work done on the" Bug and in the valley of tho Vieprz, but we can do no more thans surmise tho facts, because the details of the big battle have been very scanty. West of the Vistula the position is unchanged, but it is likely that the violent action south-west of Warsaw has continued. From the* enemy's communiques it is to be gathered that the Russians unsuccessfully assumed the offensive on the Narew and west of Ivangorod. The official report from: Petrograd gives a. different version. It is olaimed that the Germans have been! hard hit on the Narew front, while in l Southern. Poland the Russians have assumed the offensive not unsuccessfully. The great decision seems to be depending on the result of the battle that is now in progress on tho* Vistula-Bug front.

Beyond the fact that the big battle on the Isonzo is extending and increasing in intensity we have little fresli' news from tho Italian iromier. The Italians are clearly trying to develop their advance on the .hills south of the. Vippaco, and although the effort is bound' to involve a heavy sacrifice of men it should succeed.. There has been comparatively little activity in France. Tho enemy claim a minor success in fighting for a position north of Arras, but this- is,counterbalanced by a French success in the Tosges.