Evening journal., 1915-02-24
Kaiser On The Firing Line
When Won Hindenburg' S Army
Sweeps Russians From Prussia

ser's troops this time or when they
retreated from Russia many weeks
ago.
At Crajevo | met Won HAhnlorf
who, ever since October. with a bril-
gade Of $4,000, had defended Loet1en,
in the centre Of the MasuTiaa lakes re-
gion, against a Russian force esti-
mated at 40 600. HIS army is now part
of the German right wing.
General Won Hahndorff told me
that the Russians sent part
of the imperial guard with other
troops. from the fortresses Of Osso-
wetz, Lomz Ostrolenka, in an en-
deavor to turn the German right wing,
but were defeated
| reached Augustof 4 few hours
after the Germans took the town, MAX
ing 5000 prisoners. The forces in a
Russian barracks, three miles from
/ Augustof, had been taken by surprise
and the barracks stormed the night be-
4 fore. The dead were lying every
where.
In one barracks. dead and wounded
we're still lying together. A German
captain told me that the Russian
wounded chung SO piteously TO their
dead comrades it was difficult TO re-
move them. One Russian, his clothes
partly torn off and weltering In
blood. said he had been wounded IN
the fighting three days before and
had been without medical attention.
Il am not guilty of anything he
moaned ''Why let me die this way2'
Owing to the, fearful pace Of the
pursuit. no physicians were left be-
hind The wounded were told that
they would be removed to a hospital
within a few hours Outside the bar
racks. l saw countless bodies, partly
covered by snow and scattered about
beneath the trees and around the bar
racks itself and nearby church
Numerous German divisions which
concentrated concentrically on Au-
eustof converged on a single road in
places, marching three to tve col
umns deep through the frozen swamp'
and lake region. As | arrived, tho
work of disentangling them and set
ting them at new operations was be
ing begun.
Between Crajevo and Suwall5i,
PASSED more than twenty miles o
solid columns OF troops, marching
through binding snowstorms. Horses
were continually falling on the ic'
/, roads. Every piece of artillery AM
wagon was accompanied by sleigl
runners to be used under the wheels
when it became necessary. This end
less snake Of human units, wendini
! its way in marvellous order and organ
ization through the swamps and for
osts. formed a most impressive an
imposing sight
: The long columns of Russian pris
. oners which saw made a remarkabl
z good impression. The men We're wei
: fed and we'll equipped. Generally
they were of splendid physique
4 The Russian commander Of Az
! gustof. who was compelled at the las
i moment to abandon his wounded {
I the railway station. also left behin
the German wounded, who were lie
4 at Augustof by the Germans whe
they gave up the city several montl
!, ago after the fighting along the Ne
! men. With one OF the Germans
! left this note TO be handed TO I'll
Kaiser's forces entering the town:
Il am compelled TO leave my wount
!. ed in your hands They are no long'
4 enemies. but helpless human being
s | beg Of you to treat ours as we di
!, yours"
y The German wounded spoke in II
= highest praise of the care and after
u tion given them by the Russians
Needless to say, this kindness wa
: reciprocated