stern theatre interest still centres in the battles in Galicia.
In Western Galicia, between the Dunajec and the San, the Russian forces
are steadily giving way before the attacks of the Germanic allies. Their
retreat, which, during the past week, has been rapid, has been well
protected by heavy rear guard actions, which have temporarily delayed
the pursuing Austrians at various points. At the same time, however, but
little respite was given to the Russians.

German and Austrian reports as to the number of prisoners and amount of
booty will bear scrutiny, and, taken into consideration with recent
disturbances in Italy, may safely be discounted. The surrender of such
large bodies of troops, even in the Russian Army, cannot be forced when
the lines of retreat are open or when sufficient notice is given that
such lines are dangerously menaced. It is only when troops are
surrounded or when a large hostile force is thrust in between units, as
happened some months ago with the Tenth Russian Army in the Masurian
Lakes district, that such surrenders occur.

This does not apply, of course, to the wounded, and in the present case
the Russians, through the enforced rapidity of their retreat, must
necessarily in many instances have left their wounded on the field of
battle to fall into the hands of the pursuing enemy. Certainly the
Russian losses were heavy. Equally certain is it that the battle for the
Carpathian passes is now history.

This is evident from a brief review of the Russian position on the
Carpathian front, with particular reference to the necessary lines of
communications and an outline of the present Russian position as
accurately as it can at present be determined. It must be stated at this
point, however, that this position is a matter of doubt, as reports
from Vienna and from Petrograd are greatly at variance as to what has
been accomplished.

It was noted last week that the Russian line formed a huge crescent, the
longer arc of which (and this was the Carpathian front) extended from
Bartfeld north, then east along the Carpathian crests, north of Uzsok to
a point on the Stryi River. This line is over 100 miles long. It was
dependent for supplies on five roads, three of which were fairly good
dirt roads, the other two railroads; of the latter one runs through
Uzsok, and is so far east that only a small section of the line was
reached by it.

The main line, however, has been supplied from the remaining four, al