Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1915. THE RECENT ATTACK ON RUSSIA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 15 July 1915, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1915. THE RECENT ATTACK ON RUSSIA.

YESTERDAY we stated briefly some of the possibilities in the broad strategical sense; and it as interesting now to confine attention to the German attack on Russia, which has developed so" violently during the past two | months. One of the essential facts is. that it has not paid the Germans to I fight in Galicia; but concentration there was rendered necessary by the threatened Russian invasion of Hungary, and by the political advantages to be gained if Bulgaria could be induced to believe that ultimate German victory was assured. It will have been observed from the cables that whilst the German attack across the Dniester into Russian territory developed, the Germans had to attack with the forces in Poland to prevent the Russian forces there from striking this advance from the north. But, fortunately for Russia, she maintained her line intact in the retreat from Galicia, and thus has been able to prevent the Germans from swinging their, main force northward upon Warsaw. Simultaneously with the movement from Galicia the Germans have been carrying out a great ihov.e----1 ment in the Baltic provinces of Russia, threatening Riga, and ultimately the communications with Petrograd itself. It will thus be seen that the AustroGernian forces are fighting for big gains; but, fortunately, latest news from the front indicates that the advance of the German troops from their wonderful railway system has added greatly to their troubles, -whereas the Russians, having ■ retired on their cwn railways 'in time to prepare adequate defences, are in strong position. Thcv Germans, it will be remembered, have been repulsed at Udzandow, on a tributary of the Vistula, and north from ' Krasnik, and forced to take up the dei. tensive along the road between Krasnik and the rivers Bystrietza and Kossaievka. The former is a large tributary of the Wieprz, which rises to the east of Krasnik, skirts the city of Lublin, and flows towards the- north-east parallel with the Lublin-Radzyn railway. So far as the campaign in Galicia is concerned, it has, been reported that the Russians have checked the enemy on . the. Kamionka-Gliniany front. This- indicates that the Russians have possession of the Lemberg-Brody railway, which 'will serve- useful purposes in enabling them to counter-attack on the Zlotalipa River. And yesterday there followed the report from Petrograd that the .Russian troops having finished, their counteroffensive, occupied, positions on the heights on the right bank 'of the TJrzendovka River, anil on the Upper Bug near the town of Busk. The message -further states that several enemy battalions attacked, and the -Russians allowed them, to approach to within two hundred paces. Then they dispersed them. The report covers an extensive! area of country, for the positions are widely separated. The message indicates that the Russians have the position well in hand, knowing that the enemy will be unable to make any strong attack such as the Russians experienced in Galicia, for the simple reason that lack of communications and the difficult nature of the country will prevent it.