Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-28
starvation STALLS
AMONG SOLDIERS
sERviAN SUPPLY DEPARTMENT
UNABLE TO MEET
DEMANDS.
GREAT SUFFERING AMONG
TROOPS is INDICATED

trians Ragged, Cold and Half
Starved - American Committee to
Continue Relief Work in London
Emperor Sends Thanks to America.
Correspondence Of Associated Press.l
stated here that the supply department
of the Servian army has proved unable
to meet the demand on it and in conse-
quence the troops have suffered the
greatest hardship. These statements
seem to be borne out in the condition
of 500 Servian prisoners standing today
in the market place of Mitrovicza, 1t
was a pitiable- spectacle-500 men in
rogs, unwashed and unshaven. Tho the
ground was frozen score of them had
no boots and were busy trying to avoid
contact with the cold earth by lifting
one foot after the other. Most of the
men wore contrivances of rags and
leather peculiar to the peasants of the
Balkans. and these had become useless
from marching. Want was written on
every face. Many of the men were so
weak they had to be assisted. The
younger men were in worse physical
condition than the older ones.
An Austrian officer said it was his
experience that young men were more
easily affected and broken down by
lack of food than those who had
reached middle age.
Somebody handed cigarets to the
Serbs. Expression Of gratitude were
many and the men frightened up.
"Too much war;" said one thru an
interpreter. I'VE have been fighting
three years now"
mo conversation with those men"
admonished an Austrian officer. "Ab-
solutely prohibited"
Long Struggle Under Ground.
The southern theater Of the Euro
pean war had its User canal and
west Flanders"-a terrain the posses
sion Of which meant much to the ad-
yersaries. Before the Anstro- Hun
garian army could make .headway
against Sefvia It was necessary to
make the Macva district. and before
this could be invaded the Parasnica
pGNIHSuAd III CIlc save uOTINl tuS
Drina's mouth. had to be taken.
The Austro- -Hungarians who first
attacked the Servian positions in the
Parasnica early in August discovered
that the undertaking was too costly.
and for over a month contended them.
selves with what may be called siege
Of the position. BY the end Of Sep
tember it became more apparent than
No
would have to be cleared of Servian
troops. and operations against the in
trenchments and redoubts on the
peninsula were resumed.
Peninsula Taken in October.
The determination Of the Austro-
Hungarians to take the Parasnica was
no less fixed than the realization of
the Serbs that with this position gone
the fate of the Macva, Servia's richest
district, would be sealed. The struggle,
therefore. continued with unabated
bitterness, and finally was carried into
the open country beyond the penin-
sula.
Towards the end of October the Par
asnica was finally occupied, after
desperate struggle, and from that time
on the advance of the Austro-Hun-
garian troops, while slow, made steady
headway until Valjevo and Kragu-
jevac, the last fortified position of.the
Serbs, was in their hands.
Battle Over Small Area.
The area of the Parasnica is ap-
miles. Today it's level surface is fur
rowed by intrenchments. redoubts.
bomb proofs, and covered and open
RI QYnfhar
The whole locality having the appear
ance of a tremendous maze, and In
some parts the impression is conveyed
that a whole underground city had ex-
listed there at one time. Not few of
the trenches have been used as graves
f.r men and animals.
In many places the trenches are fif-
teen yards apart, and in only few in
stances are they separated by more
than fifty yards-eloquent testimony of
the severity of the struggle for their
So well constructed were
the trenches, shelter bitches. and bomb
proofs that field artillery was useless
and SO well defended were they by the
Serbs that every attempt by the Austro
to take them by infantry
resulted in terrible slaughter.
Engage in Underground Warfare.
In the end q practice common in the
wars OF the middle ages had to be re-
sorted to-countermining. The Serbs
had entrenched themselves to a depth
of from five to nine feet, had dug tun-
nels from one position to another, and
the field artillery Of the Austrians was
useless. But the Austrians sappers dug
deeper tunnels at right angles to the
Servian trenches and parallels thru
which their infantry would advance
under cover Of night. In this manner
ground was gained on one day to be
lost again, perhaps, the following day
by similar maneuver Of the Serbs
For about six weeks this subterran-
can war continued. Il was ended by
the bringing up Of heavy mortar bat
teries by the Austrians. Many Of the
Austrian shells fell into the Servian
trenches and killed or manned every
soldier in them. fR
Men Make Trenches Comfortable.
Everywhere the men adopted efforts
to make themselves comfortable. Ad-
joining the trenches one finds small
caves whose hoosD axe still Uttered with
straw and hay. ON which the mon slept.
While during the day 4 was fatal to