The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-09-10
M1NsK-IMPORTANT
!" OBJECTIVE OF TEUTONS
National Geographic Society's War
Primer.

Washington, D. c., Sept. 6.-Minsk,
following Riga and Duenaburo, is the
tb;rd most important city toward
u,bich the German forces are moving
and one of the very few cities of any
Consequence in West Russia. The fol-
lowing description of Minsk is con-
aimed in today's National Geographic
society war primer:
"Warsaw, Minsk, Smolensk, Mos
COW are the important points along
the great eastern railway whose line
beyond Brest Litovsk the Teutonic
armies are endeavoring to dominate.
There is little value in the 220-mile
stretch of country between Brest Lit
oysk and Minsk, in the northeast. but
bevond the latter city the industrial
and agricultural development of the
country become rapidly more signih-
cant.
~ arge manufactures of leather,
AGRICULTURAL machinery and tobacco
are produced in Minsk, and these in
dustries are of quite recent growth.
The commerce of the city is of con-
siderable Importance, and is mostly in
grains, potatoes, leather and in pro-
ducts from the vast surrounding for
ests. Without the wonderful water
way advantages enjoyed by most Rus
sian cities, Minsk owes its increase in
prosperity and significance entirely
to the railroads. Before its connection
east and west and north and south by
rail lines, the town was of no standing
and was very poor.
"Minsk lies about ITO miles south
east on Duenaburg, and about 100
miles southeast of Wilma. 1t is 400
miles southwest of Moscow by rail.
the city is situated on the Svislotch, a
tributary of the Berezina, and upon
the junction Of the Warsaw-Moscow
and the Libau-Kharkov railways. The
region around is hilly and we'll wood
ed The town is old, haphazardly
built, and houses population of U.s.
600. About one-third of the inhabit-
ants are Jews, and most of them are
very poor.
"The government of Minsk, whose
borders German armies are approach
ing on three sides, north from. Kovel
east from Brest Litovsk, and south
from Wilma, forms the heart of White
Russia and one of the most desolate
regions in the European divisions o.
the czar's empire. The government O.
d,
vaders, bounds Minsk on the north
Grodno government bounds it in the
west, and the government of Volhynis
in the south. With the fall of Bres
Litovsk, there is no other powerful
fortress on the western line unit
Bobruisk first class fortress Isl
miles northeast of Pinsk or 240 mile
northeast of Brest Litovsk, is reach
ed. This fortress lies behind tn,
White Russian swamps.
Somewhat rolling and hilly in TIL
northwest, by far the greatest part o
the government, however, is taken III
by lowlands and marshes. Thes
drearv marsh stretches reach far t.
the north beyond the borders of TIL
government, and in the south almos
to the fortress of Rovno, which lie
west of Galician Lemberg. In til
west, these marsh lands reach to Bres
Litovsk, and, to the east, they sprea
into the governments of Vitebsl
Mogilef, Smolensk, Chernigef an
Kief. Drainage of these fever
swamps and useless sponge-lands ha
been effected to a small extent by
system of canals and other work'
There still remain, however, grea
areas where the floating land lies a
together waste and quite impossible.
"Minsk has an area of 1928 squar
miles. The highest point in the gov
eminent, in the northwest, is found
a narrow range of hills, which, risin
between 300 and 1000 form the div
ide between the Black Sea and Bait
waters.
"The Pripet river crosses the go
eminent from west to east, drainin
its swamps to the Nnieper, while II
Beresina crosses it from north
south, passing before the fortres
Bobruisk, which, with the swan
lands before, forms the central liz
in the Russians new line of defens
The Beresina now takes the place
the Bug, and Bobruisk that of Bre
Litovsk.
The marshes often cover hundret
of square miles of cherries countr
with lakes and muddy ponds inte
spersed. There are many areas
treacherous sands that go to make Il
region an unusually dangerous one
those unaquainted with the paths tn
thread its labyrinth. Joined in t
maze of peat-bog, morass, quicksan
swamp, pond and lake are vast &c
ests, of dense growth, cavernous al
black. These heavy forests have Civ
the region one of the names by viii
it is best known-the Polysie, meanl
the woods" 1t is estimated til
swampy and morass lands take
about p per cent of the government
area, while 10 per cent of its area
clothed with water-logged, spon
forest land. The marshy forest tire
while very dense, are stunted, a
consist of pine, birch and aspen.
This part of Russia, together W
the parts of White Russia that rea
beyond the border of Minsk as pt
of the marsh and swamp land, is
tremely poor 1t is a country plagu
,...Lh L. rinn ALh.. fnA.nrs and 10