BOTHMER'S PROSPECTS.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14165, 16 August 1916, Page 5

BOTHMER'S PROSPECTS.

RETREAT LATE BUT ORDERLY

RUSSIANS CONVERGING ON

HALICZ

A VITAL POINT.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association)

(Received August 15, 7 p.m.)

Petragrad, August 15

Now that Bothmer, after stubbornly holding his winter linos for ten weeks, has been compelled to fall back under menaces on his flanks, interest centres on his chances of avoiding disaster. Some quarters consider a Sedan possible, but there is no sign of it. His Tetreat is delayed, but is apparently orderly thus far. Bothmer is a clever general, and it is not likely that he held on over long in view of the steady Russian progress on the wings.

One of Pflanzer's forces is retiring north-west from Stanislavoff in an endeavour to cover Bothmer, who has the Tarnopol-Lemberg railway behind him, and also good roads. Moreover, thr,ee parallel rivers protect his southern flank.

Much depends on the enemy's ability to hold Halica and,enable Bothmer's centre to make good- its retreat. The Russians are converging on Halicz from-three directions. .

It now appears that the allusion in the German communique of the 11th to the regrouping of the troops in order to meet'the Russians', altered dispositions was a method of preparing Germany for news of .Bothmer's retreat, but the communiques have not yet mentioned that the retreat has been in full swing for a couple of days.