The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-09-18
REPLY TO G. B. SHAW FIGHT WITH ENERGY
Russian Troops Need Restrain
ing, Says an Officer.
Go Into Battle FearIessiy, but Display
No 6rutallty-How They Routed
PsnIc-stricken German
Battery.
BY ALEXIS JEPlOFF,
international News Service.

iNCWo oSFSfSC.
Petrograd.-I have just had an In
terview with Russian officer invalid
ed home from East Prussia.
I'VE were sure from the first Of the
morale OF our soldiers" he said. hut
this war has opened our eyes, for all
that. Usually it is the duty of Of
tcers TO urge their troops to advance
TO victory. What We officers had to
do, however, was to hold them back
in their impetuous onslaughts on the
enemy. The fact that unlike in the
Japanese war. the men know what
they are fighting for seems to give
them the needed energy and dash.
What l especially discovered in
our men in this campaign is the great
improvement in initiative and inde-
pendent thinking. Our soldiers, too.
are displaying an utter lack of bru-
tality. / have seen German prisoners
blue with terror at the prospect OF
tortures they had been taught to ex-
pect at our hands, and seen them
again after a few hours among our
men with smiles of confidence and
contentment. The attitude Of the Rus.
sian soldiers toward Germans may be
described as that Of good-natured toll
erance and mild contempt, the atti-
tude OF good-tempered grown-up to
a little schoolboy who badly misbe-
hAves himself.
In the beginning of August we were
sent out to dislodge Q German battery
from an intrenched position defended
by infantry. l might say that In
spite OF rumors to the contrary. my
experience is that the fire Of the Ger
man artillery Is rather good. They
find their range rather quickly and
maintain a steady fire. Their mus
kerry at long range is poor.
Our advance guard OF cavalry at
tackled the enemy's trenches; German
artillery and rife fire played havoc
with them, but nothing stopped them.
The nearer we got to the village oc-
cupied by the Germans the weaker
became their resistance. They rallied
somewhat when we approached with
in 200 PAGES. and their artillery. fire
| Their infantry shot at us almost point.
blank, but our men did not finch
Meanwhile a squadron OF our cav.
airy boldly attacked the German bat
terry, surrounded 1t and In q minute the
issue was decided.
Here l witnessed scene Of panic
| the like of which l had never seen
in the Japanese war. The Germans
ran as II driven by prairie fire. Not
only did the rank and file throw down
| their rifles, but even the officers
showed every sign of a panic. AS they
ran they feverishly unfastened their
sabers, helmets, tunics-everything
which hampered them In their wild
career.
In few minutes we entered the
village. Here the Germans gave US
a backhander. firing at us from win
dows and cellars. When we had dis
posed of them the village presented q
deserted appearance; the whole pop
ulation seemed to have fed In cot
tages we found recently opened let
ters in which the villagers had been
warned that If the Russians came
none would be spared. A few peas
ants whom we unearthed were ter
ror stricken.
1T is curious what our soldiers
think Of the Germans; they think
them rather harmless and coarse com.
rades. / must say, however, that We
have not experienced any of those
German atrocities of which we heard.
I'm all cases for which I can per-
sonally vouch, their losses were con-
siderably greater than ours"