May 8, 1915. 
LAND AND SBATEB, 
(r'C. 
*■•-- -- ' / ^'h 11/ *-. ••• 
^liZKOWICE 
o 
To Gorlice 
10 Miles. 
5 
-I 
Contotirvy oF lOO feet. 
Cl. 
We are similarly ignorant as to whether if 
this decisive effect has been produced the falling 
back of the line has been sufficient to endanger the 
positions on the Carpathians. 
It is unfortunately certain that behind the 
line there is no immediate further position to be 
easily taken up. After the line of the Dunajec 
Warsaw^ 
and the Biala the next defensive position is that 
of the Wisloka river, which passes through Jasno 
CHI its way to the Vistula. But the River Wisloka 
\& a long way behind the Dunajec-Biala line, peri- 
lously near the Dukla, and at Jaslo actually across 
the communications of the Polyanka Pass. 
It will hardly be possible, while hanging on 
to the Wisloka line, to protect the hold upon the 
Carpathians which the Russians now have. It is 
too far retired. The accompanying little sketch D 
shows the proportion of distances involved and the 
relation of the old line to the new, supposing that 
new one to be taken up upon the Wisloka. 
There is a further very unpleasant effect fol- 
lowing upon this blow if it is nearly as decisive as 
the enemy pretend, which is that the line north of 
theVistula will also be partly bent back. At present 
— or, rather, just before this blow was delivered — ■ 
the relation of the line to Warsaw and Russian 
Poland was roughly what is shown marked with 
dashes upon the accompanying sketch E, and in 
that the portion south of theVistula A B represents 
the Western Galician front, which the enemy has 
just been hammering. But if it is necessary to 
fall back even further than the Wisloka line it 
would mean that all the northern part A C beyond 
the Vistula would have to fall back very heavily, 
and very hurriedly, as along the line of dots, into a 
position probably not prepared, abandoning the 
important town of Kielce, and leaving too narrow 
a belt altogether between the foremost positions of 
our ally and the Vistula river. But, I repeat, 
6* 
