Evening public ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, October 15, 1914, Night Extra, Page 6, Image 6

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EVENING EEDGEK PHIITADEEPHIft, THURSDAY, OOTOPBB IB, 1914.
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DRAMATIC SHIFT
FORCES RUSSIANS
'. TO CHANGE TACTICS
Warsaw Now Scene of Ter
rific Struggle Czar Com
pelled to Defend Own
Cities Because of German
Aggression in East.
WAR OPERATIONS OF DAY
SHOW STROKE BY ALLIES
NEW YOnK, Oct. IS Except for the
sharp turn In fortuno thnt came with the
battle of the Manic, nothlns In the his
tory of the western campalsn can com
pare In dramatic effect with the chanpo
that has come, almost over nlsht, one
may say. In the military situation In
I'olanil and Oollcla. This Is the view ex
pressed by the military eort of the
New York Evening Tost.
It may be summed up In a sentence:
the world was expecting newi of the be
ginning of a battle for the possession of
Cracow and It learns that there Is a Rreat
battle now under way for the possession
of "Warsaw.
On their northern wine the Russians
had won n notable victory over the In
vader from East Prussia whom they had
driven back over the frontier. On their
southern wlntr. they were apparently
pressing the siege of Trzcmysl with vlj;or
and had bent their outposts nt least, as
far as Tarnow, 75 miles east of Crnrow.
On their centre in Poland, to be sure,
thero were fragmentary and Isolated re
ports of collisions with the enemy and
Berlin claimed sucessep there, but so
little attention was paid by the rival
war otllces to the conflict In that region
that one was compelled to assume that
the fighting in southern and central
Poland was merely maneuvering on n
large scale while the Issues were being
fought out north on the East Prussian
frontier and south In Oallcla. Today It
appears that the llgntlng on the wings
has been regarded, on the German side,
nt least, as subsidiary to the preparation
for the main thrust through the heart of
Poland against the capital.
At the same time there Is no reason to
suppose that the sudden change In the
mere aspect of things means an equally
startling change In the actual situation.
If the contest now under way In Poland
Is for the possession of Warsaw and not
of Crpcow, It Is not because Russia has
met with disastrous defeat which has
forced It to suspend aggressive operations
and stand on the defensive. The aban
donment of the siege of Przemysl was not
to all appearances the result of a battle
In which the Russians were beaten, but
was the result of the application of Her
man pressure along another part of the
battle line, which has hitherto remained
In almost complete obscurity. Ominous
though It may seem for Russian pros
pects that the fall of Warsaw should be
spoken of as among Immediate possibili
ties, there Is nevertheless justification for
the Petrograd War Ofllce when It speaks
of the withdrawal from Przemysl as dic
tated by strategical rensons.
What these reasons are will appear
from a brief resume of the eastern cam
paign. Russian Poland is a wedge 220
miles long and 200 miles wide thrust Into
Germanic territory. The Russian plan
for on invnslon of the enemy's territory
natutully demanded an advance on on
cen front So that before the forces In
central Poland were moved against Si
lesia, It was necessary for the Russians
to the north and south to fight their wny
through East Prussia and Gallcla respec
tively till they reach approximately the
longitude of Warsaw. In the north the
Germans were successful In beating off
tre attack. A great victory was won
near Tanenbcrg, and the Russians were
pursued Into their own frontiers, only to
make a stand on the Xiemen and force
back the Invader. In the north the fight
ing has been a draw".
Russian successes on the south In Ga
llcla have been noteworthy, but they have
also been exaggerated In many respects
lis to the damage Inflicted on tho Aus
trian forces and ns to the menace to
Cracow. Even If the Russian ndvaneo
had reached Tarnow, as Is reported. It
would have meant that the Czar's armies
had attained a. point on tho general front
on a line with Warsaw, and that beforo
there could be any talk of a move on
Cracow the forces In central Poland must
be brought Into play. But In central Po
land there had been going on in a silence
favored by the developments of events
elsewhere an extraordinary concentration
of German troops.
During the first weeks of the war the
Germans occupied Lodz, only SO miles
from Warsaw, and virtually htretched
thtmselves In a belt 60 miles wide across
Toland from Thorn through Lodz, Plotr
kov and Klelce to the Vistula. They did
this without resistance because It ap
parently entered into the Russian plans
to permit tho occupation of that part of
Toland, while the Russian advance was
under way on the north anil south flanks
In East Prussia and Gallcla. The Ger
mans, on the other hand, once the men
nee to East Prussia had been shattered
by General von Hlndenburg's victory at
Tannenberg. were content to concentrate
In southwest Poland, confident that the
Russian advance into Gallcla could not
ho pressed dangerously near to Cracow
without the co-operation of the Russian
central armies; and these they were pre
paring to fnco The story of German
army corps rushed to the defense of
Cracow probably has no basis. Cracow
was indirectly but effectively defended
by the powerful German concentration
In southwestern Poland, which must be
Ehattered before the Russian armies of
tho South dared press further Into Ga
llcla. Consequently when we read of the Ger
mans now attacking the lino of the Vis
tula and threatening Warsaw, we must
recall that the situation Is largely one
ct Ryssla'3 own choosing. The march
of the Germans to the Vistula haa been
virtually unopposed, since the first seri
ous righting we hear of occurred about
M miles west of the river. The really
Important question U in what strength
the Russians are now present on the Vis
tula. Large forces have been engaged
In the fighting on the Nlemen. Large
forces Imo been engaged in Gallcla, It
may be that under the veil which has
covered operations In Poland a, third
strong Russian army has been concen
trated on the Vistula, though the falling
back of the Russians from- Przemysl, for
"strategic purposes," would Indicate that
the bulk of the Galician army has been
chitted northward for the defense of the
river.
As to the outcome of the battle of the
Vistula, we have only this fact to go by:
That Von Rennenkampf'a beaten army,
pursued Into Russia by the Germans,
made a fine stand on the Nlemen River,
and beat back the enemy across the fron
tier. The Russians now confronting the
Germans and Austrians In Poland are
jnade up of troops that have been vic
torious over the Austrians and of fresh
troops. With the stimulus of previous
victory, on ground of their own choos
ing, the Russian should give a good
account of themselves along the middle
Vistula, between Warsaw and the Ga
Jiclan frontier.
Expert Finds German Effort to Cut Off Belgians and
British a Failure Von Bochn's Left Threatened.
Kaiser Seeks to Pierce Verdun-Toul Lines.
By J. W. T. MASON
NEW YORK, Oct. 15 -General von
Hor hn has failed to block the retreat to
th south of the Allied forces who havo
bfen resting at Ostcnd. The French
victory at Yptes shows the wny Is clear
at present for the escape of tho solely
fatigued Belgian army and Its British
reinforcements. Ypres Is 23 miles Bouth
of Ostcnd and commands the Junction of
thlee of the four main hlghwa8 that
run from Ostcnd south to the French
military lines.
The retention of Ypres by tho French Is
threatening to the southern flank of Von
Boseler's army, which Is marching across
Belgium with the object of driving the
Anglo-Belglnn forces Into the sea. If
the French can strike from Ypres to
ward the Lys River, which Von Bcselcr
Is now using to protect his left wing, he
wljl bo forced to rctrent or have his lank
turned.
A series of other .simitar counter strokes
is threatened by both sides throughout
the battle area In western Belgium and
northwestern Franco. From the glve-and-
tnke which Is occurring the rival strengths
appear to bo about equal. Each of the
contistant3 has divided forces. Von
Boseler's victorious army from Antwerp
hns not unlt-d with Von Boehn's force
to tho south, nnd the allied army that
reti cated from ntwerp has not, so far
as Is known, et Joined tho rescuing
French corps.
Tho union of the Aligto-Uelglon forces
with tho French at Ypres might permit a
sudden attnek In overwhelming numbers
against cither of tho two German com
mands If the British nnd the Belgians
were not exhausted. Thero Is every Indi
cation, however, that tho defense of Ant
werp nnd the rapid retreat toward the
North Sea have put tho Anglo-Belgian
army In urgent need of rest for recupera
tion. There undoubtedly Is a reserve of
defensive strength loft, but tho spirit
necessary for a determined offensive must
wait for recovery from tho fatigue of
tienrlj n. fortnight's Incessant fighting.
The march of the Germans to the sea
will glse them no military ndvantnge If
the retreating Allies escape. Almost,
from a strategic standpoint, the gain will
be n forced change of one of the BrltlRh
supply bases on the northern French
const.
There can be no thrent against England
by a German occupation of any of the
North Sen or Channel ports.
So long as the Rrltloh navy commands
the sea no German transports could be
nssembled anywhere along the Belgian
or French coast for Invasion of England,
while yenboiml Zeppelin stations would
be subject to destruction by tho Allies'
warships.
Permnncnt occupation of the French
and Belgian coast towns will seriously
lengthen and thus weaken the German
bottle line, unless it coincides with a re
tirement from the present southern posi
tions near the Alsne. Diplomatic rea
sons mav demand this change In strategy
If Gjrman statesmen can enter a peace
conference while their troops hold French
or Belgian forts, more advantageous
terms might be obtained than If French
interior towns were held. In the first
case, England as well as France would
bo vitally concerned: In the second, only
France.
By HILAIRE BELXOC
PARIS, Oct. 15 One of the most vital
points In this 120-mlle battle line Is the
eastern end, toward the fortified line
Verdun-Toul. This region Is both hilly
and thickly wooded. It Is a country
not only of deep ravines and considerable
forests, but of pasture lands cut up by
hedges and full of spinneys and copses
as well as woods To tho north stretches
the long, low ridge of tho Argonne, a
lump of clay, crossed by five or six main
roads, but only two railways
ine main German effort to break the
of this wooded, ravlned and difUcult coun
try, for to the west of It He plains, at first
very open and bnre; nnd oven fnrther
east there Is easy rolling ploughed nnd
henlh country with wide horizons, such
as Is suitable to the maneuvering of great
forces.
It Is across this open country the plains
which take their name from the town of
Chalons and the great wheat district that
lies to the south and east of those plains
that the main German effort to plerco
the French line, now In progress, Is di
rected. Cpon the success or failure of this
effort will largely turn the fate of France.
Both armies are occupying country which
has been throughout nil recorded history
me oniucuein or the Gauls.
It Is the first time, I think, In history,
that the parallel Eastern obstacles which
cover France have been turned, or that
an Invader has been npproachlng from
the North, hut, save for this anomaly,
history hero repeats Itself In astounding
fashion. South of the great camp at
Chalons is the half-starved rolling plain
of the ChampaBnc-Poullleuse, utterlv
bare, save for dwarf lines of newly
planted firs. That mournful country,
which Is llko a tumbled sea of hlllockn
nnd rounded dips, with the dull, low lino
of Argonno crossing the eastern horizon,
was tho scene of the triumphs nnd the
death nnd Is now the resting place of
Jveuerman nna valmy. Goethe lived
there and found this plain like "the be
ginning of a new world."
A German army triumph thero would
mean that today.
In that same lost and barren region o'
the huge Catalaunlnn plain, along the
Roman road, which skirts the Camp of
.-ait'.ie, ui mo runipans or mat amaz
ing thing still called the Camp of Attlln.
It Is a huge oval bank, reminding one In
Its shape of those modern tracks whero
automobile races nre run, nnd also In Its
size for It Is many hundred vnrds In
length. But It Is piled much hlgncr than
the banks of these modern racing tracks,
and In Its bulk and Isolation it Is the
most lmpressivo thing a man may see In
the whole course of Europenn travel.
This camp, tradition alllrms, was the
fortification wherein the Huns secured
themselves before they marched south
1400 years ago, nnd wero broken to pieces
at last by the discipline of the Roman
people, nnd by that power there Is In the
Latin blood to digest and to bring Into
utoful service the bnrbarlans.
The Invader is thus marching over
sacred ground. Not far nway, a day's
march behind the defending line. Is tho
house that nourished Danton. If that
line is pierced the Invader may burn
the house, still standing, where Joan of
Arc was born.
Such, then. Is the nature of the ground,
nnd such the position of tho opposing
forces at tho most critical point In this
campaign.
PORTUGAL EAGER
TO TAKE UP ARMS
FOR ALLIES' CAUSE
Congress Prepares for Mo
bilization of 1 50,000 War
Strength and Martial Law
Is Proclaimed in African
Colonies.
French line must be made to the west , several places hae gained
By E. ASHMEAD-BAE.TLETT
LONDON, Oct. 15. It seems as If tho
struggle haa reached such n complicated
stage that even tho most highly organized
General Staff Is Incapable of exercising
even general control over the movements
of any particular group of armies, and
in various quarters of the field the gen
erals are acting more or less indepen
dently. The principal fact Is that both
armies have executed an almost complete
change of front since the battlo of the
Marne. They are now holding nstly
more extended lines, running almost north
and south.
Tho Allies' line stretches from Ghent
or Its environs to Solssons. For the last
ten days the Germans have concentrated
their main efforts on breaking through
the centre of tho allied line at two points,
between Arras and Albert and between
Roe and Lasslgny.
Their object has been to reach Amiens
and thus control the railroads running
north, hut they have entirely failed In
the main object.
As a whole, the situation of the Allies
daily becomes more favorable. Evnrv.
where they have held their own, and in
a town.
10,000,000 Czar's War Strength
AMSTERDAM. Oct. IS -Russia has
more than W.OOOooe mn lex than 43
years oW who have served under the
colors and who are available for military
service, according t tha Berliner
NEW ITALIAN ENYOY
DECLARES COUNTRY
WILL NOT GO TO WAR
Count di Cellere, in Wash
ington Interview, An
nounces Only Attack Will
Force His Nation Into
Great Conflict.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 15.-That Italy
will remain neutral in the European war
unless by gome unforeseen development
here vital interests be threatened, was
the statement today of Count dl Ccllers,
the new Italian Ambassador to the United
States, in the first Interview granted by
the en-oy since he presented his creden
tials at the White House.
"We have remained strictly neutral
thus far," he said, "and at the time of
my departure from Italy there appeared
no reason to believe that we would
abandon that policy. I have heard noth
ing from my Government since my ar
rival In America which leads me to
think that we shall take part In hostili
ties. "The only situation which would bring
us Into the war would be an r.ttack upon
our national defenses, or some other
development, unforeseen at present, which
might endanger our vital interests "
The Ambassador stated that the with
drawal of about 40.000 Italian troops from
Cvrenacea. and Tripoli was due to the
creation of a colonial Volunteer force,
which had been determined upon long
before the European war began. The
men returned to Italy, he said, were
chiefly those whose two-year term of
tervtre was about to expire. He declined
to comment on the Turkish and Balkan
situation.
PRZEMSYL STILL BESIEGED;
LEMBERG IN CZAR'S HANDS
Petrograd War Office Denies Vien
na's Claim of Recent Successes.
PETROGRAD, Oct. 15.
In view of the great battle raging along
the Vistula, the Galician campaign has
become Insignificant. The "War Depart
ment, however, claims successful con
tinuance of the siege of Przemysl and de
nies the Austrian reoccupatlon of Lem
berg. The news agency, by authority of the
War Offlce, Issued a denial of claims of
i victories In Gallcla, as announced in
Vienna, saying:
"The Austrian announcement of the
rout of the Russians at Przemysl and the
recapture of Lembers Is wholly untrue.
The operations at Przemysl are progress
Ins successfully and the fall of that
fortress may be expected at any time
It Is reported that cholera has broken
out In the garrison there. Part of tho
main forts have been silenced by the
Russian artillery.
"The statements issued In Vienna may
recall tho fact that when the Russians
were overwhelming the Austrians In Ga
llcla and advancing westward rapidly,
the Austrian General Staff explained the
retreat of their forces as a strategic
withdrawal,
BERLIN, Oct 15.
The War Offlce has Issued the follow
ing statement:
"The Russians have been defeated near
Schlrwindt with a loss of 1500 prisoners
and 20 cannon.
"The German forces have repulsed the
Russians south through Southern Poland
back to Warsaw and to the Vistula "
LISBON, Oct. 15.
Lisbon Is greatly excited by the belief
that soon the Republic's army will bo
fighting side by side with the French
and British In France, and that tho
Portuguese navy will Join the patrol
of the European coast with the British
and French warships.
The President and the Cabinet have
called a special session of Congress on
Friday for the purposo of authorizing
the complete mobilization of Portuguese
troops.
It Is not likely there will be an nctual
declaration of war until after Congress
meets tomorrow, Tho order for mobiliza
tion Is considered hero tantamount to
a declaration of war,
Portugal Is unanimous In Its determina
tion. The lenders of alt parlies have
been in conference with the President
nnd tho Cabinet, and the decision to
call Congress was the result.
Thero Is gicat enthusiasm for war In
the army and among tho people.
Martial law has been declared In tho
Portuguese Congo, which Is bordered on
the south by German Southwest Africa,
according to dispatches received here
from Loandn. This is Interpreted as
meaning that already there have been
clnshcs between the German and Portu
guese forces there, perhaps similar to
that caused by the effects to spread re
volt through the British Union of South
Afrlcn.
Tho Portuguese possessions In western
Africa, known as the Portuguese Congo
and Portuguese West Africa, llo Just
north of German Southwest Africa. To
the north nre the French Congo and tho
Belgian Congo, and on the cast Is
Rhodesia, part of tho British posses
sions. On the west Is the Atlantic
Ocean.
German residents nre already fleeing
from Lisbon, many of them having stnrted
for Madrid In anticipation of a declara
tion of war by Portugal against Germany,
The German Minister Is prepared to leave
th capital at a moment's notice.
Numerous British steamships have been
In the harbor for several weeks, to be
ready to move the Portuguese army when
war Is declared, and It hns been confident
ly expected thnt such a declaration would
bo made as soon ns Portugal was thor
oughly prepared. Portugal Is the ally
of Great Britain, the entity of the young
republic being guaranteed by a treaty
with Great Britain. England has been
representing to Portugal the need of her
troops In the battle line of the Allies
against Germany and has indicated that If
Germany Is the victor Portugal's national
Identity will be lost,
WAR FOOTING 150,000.
While the peace strength of the Portu
guese army Is less than 30,000 men, provi
sion Is mnde for an active army of 150,000
at war strength. The country Is divided
into eight military zones, from each of
which can be recruited one active divi
sion nnd two brigades of reserve Infantry.
The islnnds form three special districts.
The annual conscription is fixed at
17,000 men. From the regular army are
taken the men of the Republican Guard
nnd the Tlscal Guard.
Tho actlvo army consists of eight di
visions, each containing four regiments
of infantrv of three battalions each, one
section of machine guns, one regiment
of three battalions of Held artillery, one
regiment of cavalry of four squadrons,
one company of engineers, with pontoon
trnin, and signal, sanitary and train
troops. Besides this there Is an inde
pendent cavalry brigade of three regi
ments of four squadrons each, with ma
chine gun battery; one park of pontoons,
a battalion of field telegraph, a com
pany of garrison telegraphers, one of
wireless telegraphers, one of aeronauts
and two railway companies. There also
are two regiments of mountain artillery,
one battalion of horse artillery, two bat
talions of siege artillery and three extra
batteries of mountain guns, besides bat
teries of machine guns and engineer and
fortress troops. For tho Islands there are
three regiments of Infantry.
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Spanish Parliament Convenes Oct. 30
MADRID. Oct 15 -The Spanish Parlia
ment will convene on October 30, accord
ing to royal decree.
'JaseUfhe Kundicbau,
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One of Herbert Johnson's Cartoons on tho War, Which Will Appear Weekly
'. Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo
By E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM
A novel of international intrigue, leading up to the great
war, in which an adventurous young American first falls in
love, then into trouble, and becomes a part of events that
are making history.
dlt
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By IRVIN S. COBB
A vivid story of the wake of war, written day by day in
the ruined villages of Belgium and France through which
Mr. Cobb followed the German Juggernaut.
Liberty
A Statement of the British Gaseby Arnold Bennett, the famous
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In This Week's Issue
The One Dated October 17th
Murder Will Out
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