Guns in the west

No clue for Anxious Enemy

Germany’s Hopeless Eastern Campaign

THERE have been many critical periods during the progress of the great Russian retirement and, if reports are relied upon, another is rapidly approaching.

It will have been been noticed that in the Riga district (where one great peril has been averted but where, as we pointed out at the time, fresh trouble was bound to be eventually experienced) - Von Esseler has reached the Dvina just south of Fredrichstadt.

That is to say that German forces are already in the rear of Riga, 46 miles south-east.

It is clear that if possession of the bridge at Fredertichstadt is secured the enemy would be able to command the railway to Riga, cut the communications and isolate the town.

From unofficial and semi-official reports it has been gathered that the Russians intend to make a stout defence of the crossings of the river, the importance of which, other things being equal, certainly justify determined effort at resistance.

Actually how things are likely to go in this region there is insufficient data to indicate except that in the nature of things we may anticipate some hard fighting.

East of Kovno no great progress has been made but the Germans have passed Olita, have taken Lipsk and have passed or almost passed the great Bialoweiska Forest.

South and East of Brest-Litovsk the Russians fought a stiff rearguard action and German silence concerning this is good enough indication that the enemy had the worst and that the Minsk Railway was protected long enough for the Russian forces to get away.

Indeed, as one authority points out, from the Pripet marshes to the sea the Russian forces have held long enough positions that required to be held and withdraw calmly and methodically in good time to avoid anything like disaster.

And says our authority “since the Russians were not enveloped in Poland, since they have refused to stand on the Niemen-Bug in gravely dangerous conditions Germany has either to acknowledge partial failure or to adopt a new plans.”

That they are so far committed to their eastern campaign as to make its relinquishment impossible on political as well as other grounds, seems manifest and there is plenty of evidence that they have decided to push forward with all the velocity that can be attained in the hope that there long some real crushing success may reward the desperate effort.

Scarcely was Brest-Litovsk abandoned by the Russians than the German pressure began to make itself felt on an around the Pripet region.

To the north of the great marshes an attempt is evidently being made to strike the flank of the Grand Duke’s northern forces.

To the south General Ivanoff is being pushed further and further on Kiev.

After the Zlota Lipa achievement it is plain that hope has not been given up of separating the two groups of Russian armies and perhaps the main effort will be directed to the shepherd herding of the Grand duke into the arms of a south advancing Hindenburg.