El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-22
IVi5I0H Of
GERMANY
EASY TASK
fences of German From
tier Are Strong and
Well Watched.
RUSSIANS ARE NOT
FIXED FOR ATTACK
ONDON. Eng. Aug. 22.-Roustam
Bell, a wen known military ex-


Bell, a wen known military ex-
pert, believes a Russian invasion
the heart Of Germany or Austria is
most impossible. He was attached TO
be staff Of Gen. StOessel through the
eye Of Port Arthur and was military
correspondent for the Russian general
taft in the Greco-Turkish war Of 1897.
he says:
From Cape Polagen, on the Baltic
boast, TO the mouth Of the Danube, in
he Black sea, Russia is faced for 73S
niles by Germany, and for 76l miles by
the Austria-Hungary.
The northern and southern extremi-
tess Of this frontier line are straight
In the middle, from RaigrOd to Ito
merJ, it runs due west, and, bending
round, continues for 500 miles to Myslo-
wiz along the southern and eastern
frontier OF Germany, and thence for
213 miles along the northern frontier
Of Austria-Hungary
''he northern and southern extrem-
tiles Of this frontier line are STRAIGHT
In the middle, from Raigrod to Ito
merj, it runs due west, and, bending
round, continues for $50 miles to Nv
slOwitz, along the southern and eastern
frontier Of Germany, and thence for
zlS miles along the northern frontier
OF Austria-Hungary.
The part OF Russia between these
states forms the Warsaw military dis
trict, the most important as well by its
position as by its strategic signific-
ance.
What Russia Might Do.
By holding this area the Russians
can enVelOp the southern frontier Of
eastern Prussia and the northern from
tier OF Galicia- Operating from this
theater, the Russians could cut off
these provinces from their neighbors
Dy advancing towards the Baltic sea
on the north, or the difficult Car
pathian range on the south
on the other hand, the district is
itself liable TO be cut off by offensive
movements from north and south, di-
. rected on the fortress of Brest-
oLltOWsk, which is the most important
strategic point, and fortified in an ex-
tremely modern way. From extremely
good sources OF information il is pos
lble 70 say that Russia is thoroughly
vel prepared 70 repulse the invasion
Germany on her second line Of de-
5nce, but the outer line still requires
nuch strengthening.
Russia with the greatest difficulty
an advance against Austria
Difficult to Invade Germany.
The German frontier, 73S miles in
ength, follows no natural feature. At I
ne present time about seven separate !
ines Of railway connect different parts /
! Russia with Germauy's Baltic ports /
nd with Berlin The majority OF the /
Dads are very bad and most OF the /
Iountry offers the greatest obstacles /
p the movement Of troops, and espe-
fially for the transport Of artillery 1
md cavalry.
Germany, on the contrary, made i
ready TO march rapidly across the Rus
ban borders with an army Of more 4
Than 100000 men She has about % 4
lines OF railway leading TO the Russian 4
Frontier, which opens TO her the pos I
sibility Of sending to the front more l
than 500 troop trains daily.
she can concentrate the greater
part Of her armed forces (abOut II /
army corpsl, on. the Russian frontier
within a few days.
f'The Russians know very well that
Germany possesses far greater tech
meal resources, such as Light rail-
ways, artillery, ordinance, and engi-
neering stores, particularly for tele- /
graphs mobile siege equipment than |
the Russians have.
Eastern Prussia is strongly de-
Tended The first class fortresses like
Thorn, Konigsberg, and Posen can be
called models OF foEtification for the
whole world Nearly every German
town. and many villages are prepared !
for defence, and all the roads Of the
empire were built with strategic uses
Prussia cannot say the same thing.
Everybody knows that in Russia there
is hardly a single good road, and that
though the Russians, after the Cri-
mean war. worked very hard to pre- /
pare the Wilma and Warsaw areas for
hostilities, they must confess, as gen
erals DragOniszom and kuropatkin did, !
that Germany in 80 years did i'm
more than Russia in so.
$50 Russia, unable to concentrate |
her troops quickly on the German
frontier for defence. cannot make any
offensive march within Germany. In
the case Of invasion by the German
army. therefore, Russia must sacrifice !
her Warsaw region and defend her
self on the other side Of the river Wis
tula- This already practically has been
done
'aThe lack Of railway communication
which is the weakest point for Russia |
in comparison with Germany and Aus
tria- in Offense, is her safeguard in |
case Of invasion.
THE want of roads and the great
natural obstacles. such as sands, /
marshes, and forests. paucity Of food,
and so on. have given Russia a chance
10 concentrate the necessary forces to !
sxpel the invaders from the occupied
region II is incredible that 10000 /
Russians would ever become recon
ciled to the loss of territory which is
bound to the fatherland by historical /
ties
Berlin is 200 and Vienna 215 miles
from the Russian frontier. If Russia
should be successful in the campaign, 4
and sought TO expand the empire :
further, military considerations would /
point TO the annexation Of the whole
0f eastern Prussia up TO the Vistula."