East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-11-13
TRAIN OF RUIN LEFT
BY RUSSIAN TROOPS
CORRESPONDENT TELLS SIGHTS
IN TOWNS WHERE FIGHT
ING OCCURS.
(By Karl II. Won wiegand. United
Press Staff Correspondent


Courier via Insterburg Berlin and
Rotterdam to New York. To-day /
crossed into Russia without a pass
port-probably the first American
that has done this in many years. l
am ip the German lines here Is miles
beyond the German border. This
afternoon l was close to the Russian
outposts which are about three miles
beyond Malba. This town was garri-
soned by regiment of Russian Hus-
sars and is quite an important point
i on the railroad that leads to Warsaw.
/ Through the courtesy of the war Of
flee and general staff at Berlin I am
making a tour OF the Russian bor-
der, the first American correspondent
in fact the first foreign correspond
ent. TO come here since the war be-
gan. Captain Kliewer of the general
staff at Berlin and First Lieutenant
Skopenik Of the goth army corps
headquarters at at Allensteln, have
! been detailed to accompany me and
! a number Of other correspondents OF
neutral countries. We have an es-
cort OF nine men. On each Of the
powerful military automobiles are
two rifles placed where they can be
reached the quickest. We correspond
ents were strongly advised to carry
revolvers for we are in a country
where dispersed bands OF Cossacks are
raiding and Cossacks make no dis
tinction between military men and
noncombatants.
What a contrast between Russian
civilization and German culture and
progress Perhaps 1t is not fair to
Judge Russia by this and other bor-
der towns I have seen. We left our
automobiles at Soldau. The beauti-
full roads which thread the rich East
Prussian province In all directions
like the macadamized streets OF a
city. come to an abrupt end at the
Russian border as II the world ended
there. From Soldau to nlovo. the
German customs station, thence to
Mlaba, We went by train. The few
miles went through a battlefield over
which the Germans and Russians have
fought back and forth again and
again. Rifle pits hastily scooped out
and little mounds with crude crosses,
marked the route on both sides of
the track while bandages, scraps OF
uniforms. cartridge boxes. Russian
caps and other pieces OF equipment.
were scattered on the ground. The
road" rather the trail that answered
for road. running parallel with the
railroad. was nothing but a miry bog.
Illovo is a typical German border
station. Wide streets, gardens from
which flowers still smile-all the
buildings had been Of brick-and
even the ruins show the mark of the
characteristic German neatness and
orderliness. The Russians have de-
stroyed practically every building in
town. 1t was here that Lieutenant
Skopen!ck. a typical frontier officer
such as have known in Arizona and
New Mexico held an entire regiment
Of Russian cavalry in check for four
days from August l TO 4. with only
S5 border guards.
We visited his house. The Russi-
ans had not burned it down but had
demolished every piece of furniture
in it. even the iron stove had been
hammered into pieces, the mattresses
ripped open, the crockery broken and
the house befouled from garret to
cellar in an unprintable manner.
From the railroad station on the
Russian side to Malba proper, a lit
tie over a mile distant, we walked.
The road was shaded with rows of
beautiful trees but the road itself was
a bog. A deluge Of ran was falling
and we probably saw Russian roads
and a Russian town under anything
but auspicious conditions.
In contrast to the German side of
the line. the buildings were Of wood.
dirty and dilapidated. No flowers
smiled from little balconies as they
did even on the ruins in Illovo. Many
OF them reminded me Of the ram
shackle affairs that many negroes
live in our Southern states. The
market hall-of brick and stone-and
two churches. were the only respect
able looking buildings in town. The |
Russians razed Illovo, the German |
town. to the ground The Germans
hadn't touched the Russian town. A |
German shell had brought down the |
tower Of the market hall and two or
three other buildings showed the |
marks Of shot and shell. Aside from
these no damage had been done.
The greater part Of the population
had fled with the Russian troops.
The Jews and some Of the very poor
est remained-picture Of misery.
Unkempt, unshorn, ragged and dirty,
they stood about and looked as am
bilious as the people afflicted with
the "hookworm" disease | have seen 1
In the Southern states. Many of them /
had the dropping blood-red eyelids l
Of the fearful eye disease "trachoma."
An old Rabbi with snow-white beard
and finely chiseled intelligent face.
expressed his pleasure that the Ger
mans were in town MAY God give
hat they remain" he remarked. An
other aged Jew said Zach Gott, IL the
var was only over. Business is so
bad"
Major Won Held Riedllnger, COM
mandant at Malba. rode up. He said
hat the Russians were showing
great activity again all along the line.
ihey nearly got my two batteries
yesterday" he laughingly remarked
~ he described the hard work OF the
Germans to extricate themselves from
a I