From ‘Warsaw and Russia‘, The Spectator, 7 August 1915:
ON Thursday afternoon the German wireless news announced the occupation of Warsaw. Official confirmation is lacking as we go to press, but in any case it is probable that the city will be evacuated very shortly. Earlier news had encouraged the hope that the determination of the Russians to postpone the evil day as long as possible would prevail, and that the Germans would have to spend another week in hard fighting outside the city. What is, we trust, certain is that the Russian armies have made their position secure, and that there is now no risk of their being caught between the two jaws of the pincers that are closing from the north and south. We cannot repeat too often that the keeping of the Russian armies “in being” is all that really matters. Their destruction would be a shattering blow to the Allies. The evacuation of Warsaw and its occupation by Germany will not be a vital blow from the military point of view, though we admit that it will have considerable moral and political dis- advantages. The occupation of Warsaw raises far more military dangers for Germany than for our Ally. If Warsaw has fallen and the Germans have to undertake the big operation of occupying a city of close on a million in- habitants, they cannot run the risk of allowing a large Russian force to hover close by ready to pounce if anything goes wrong in the Polish capital. The occupation of Warsaw means for the Germans the necessity of pushing the Russian forces far enough away to render them unable to strike quickly. But the further the Russians are pushed away the further must the German Army go in pursuit.
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