The Washington times., 1914-11-13

We have an escort Of nine men. On
| each of the powerful military automo-
bilcs are two rifles placed where they
can be reached quickest. We CORE
spondents were strongly advised to
carry revolvers, for we are in a country
where dispersed bands of Cossacks are
raiding, and Cossacks make no distinc-
ton between military men and nonco1-
batants.
What contrast between Russian
civilization and German culture and
progress. Perhaps 1t is not fair to
judge Russia by this and other border
towns / have seen.
We left our automobiles at Soldau.
The beautiful roads which thread the
rich east Prussian province in all direc-
tions like the macadam streets of a
city. come to an abrupt end at the Rus-
/ sian border. as if the world ended there.
From Soldau to Illovo, the German Gus
toms station, thence to Mlawa, we went
bv train. The few miles went through
battlefield over which the Germans
and Russians have fought back and
forth again and again. Rife pits hastily
scooped out and little mounds Win
crude crosses marked the route on both
sides Of the track, while bandases'
scraps of uniforms, cartridge boxes
ment were scattered on the ground. Thee
road. or rather the trail that answered
| for a road, running parallel with the
railroad, was nothing but mtry bog.
Typical Border Station.
uIoyo is a typical German border
station. Wide streets. gardens from
| which flowers still smile, all the buiid-
| ings had been of brick, and even the
ruins show the mark of the character
istic German neatness and orderliness.
The Russians have destroyed pracu-
cally every building in town. 1t was
| here that Lieutenant Skopenick,
typical frontier officer, such as L have
known in Arizona and New Mexico.
held an entire regiment of Russian
cavalry in check for four days, from
August I to 4 with only thirty-nVe
| border guards.
We visited his house. The Russians
| had not burned it down, but had de-
| molished every piece OF furniture IN
| IL, even the iron stove had been ham
| mered into pieces. the mattresses ripped
! open. and the crockery broken. From
| the railroad station on the Russian side
to MIawa proper. little over q mile
distant, we walked. The road was
shaded with rows of beautiful trees. but
the ROAD ItSel1 was Il DOB. "A uciuSS
of rain was falling and We probably
saw Russian roads and a Russian
town under anything but auspicious
condition.
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. The market hall,
of brick and stone. and two churches,
were the only respectable looking
buildings in town.
Picture OF Misery.
The Russians razed Illovo. the German
town. 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
fed with the Russian troops. The He
brews. and some of the very poorest
remained, the picture of misery. Tn
kempt, unshorn. ragged and dirty, they
stood about and looked as ambitious as
people afflicted with the "hookworm.
Many OF them had the dropping blood
red eyclids Of the fearful eye disease
''traChoma."
An old rabbi with snow-whitc beard
and finely chiseled, intelligent face. eX-
pressed his pleasure that the Germans