The Ogden Standard

Russian Army Being Destroyed by Forces of Kaiser

London, July 20. The German and Austrian armies have been victorious all along the whole 1000-mile Russian line. The city of Radom, capital of the province of that name and fifty-seven miles south of Warsaw, was occupied by the Austrian troops today.

Allied cavalry is astride the important railroad from Radom to Ivangorod. Lubin has either been captured or is on the verge of being evacuated, the Russian commander in chief having issued an order that in case of retreat the male population of the city is to attach itself to the end of the retiring army.

The Lubin-Cholm railway, an important line which leads to Warsaw, is still believed to be held by the Russians, but it is scarcely possible that they will be able to hold it for any number of hours.

Warsaw's fall seems certain. Nothing but a miracle can save the Polish capital from the Austro-German hordes that are surging forward upon it from north and south. It is not now a question of whether the city will fall, but of how soon.

Riga's Fall Near.

In the extreme north the army of General von Buelow has taken Takum, within thirty-eight miles of the important seaport of Riga. The fall of the latter city seems as certain as that of Warsaw.

With Riga in the hands of the Germans it will afford them a most important naval base and permit them to sweep the gulf clear of mines.

Following the great semicircle southward the Germans have met with great successes to the northeast of Warsaw. Here the army of General von Gallwitz has captured the fortress of Ostrolenka, about twenty miles from Warsaw, and one of the great defenses that was confidently counted upon to block the German invasion.

Less than twenty miles southwest of the city the army of General von Mackensen has captured the city of Blonie.

All of this news is borne out by official reports from Berlin and Vienna, partly confirmed by Petrograd and none contradicted.

Despite the fact that the Austro-Germans are fighting in a marshy and woody country, which affords every advantage to the Russians, the Slav rout seems complete. Berlin reports that she is using fresh troops, the landsturm, many of whom have never been on the battlefront before, and that they are distinguishing themselves with remarkable valor.

Czar Uses Best Troops.

At the same time reports from Petrograd admit that the St. Petersburg and Moscow imperial household troops, which have been held for an emergency, had been hurled to the front in the hope that they would be able to stem the tide.

Enormous numbers of prisoners are being taken by the Germans. Within the last two days, say the Berlin and Vienna reports, more than 50,000 men, 110 officers and 23 machine guns have been taken. Of these von Gallwitz took 28,760 men in one day's fighting on the Narew.

With the victorious allies pursuing the Russians across the battlefields between the Vistula and the Bug rivers, great numbers of additional captives are being taken. Fifty officers and 3000 men were taken in one lot yesterday and 3000 in another lot were captured near Sokal, according to the Austrian official report.

The fact that so many Russian prisoners are being taken and that so few guns have been captured is taken as an illustration that the Russian artillery cannot maintain their positions long enough to cover the retreat, and must leave the defense to the infantry, which is extremely costly.

In Petrograd, despite the censorship, the hints of Russian defeat are preparing the public for the astounding news of defeat, which seems scarcely veiled. Already the newspapers are becoming pessimistic and inevitable.

That all the governments consider the present fighting as the most important of the war is evidenced by the frequency and length of official reports issued yesterday and today.