El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-09
V0N HINDENBERG
ADMIRES ENEMY
German War Hero Says Rus
slams Fight Stubbornly, De-
Spite Terrible Losses.

~ @AAAA- A4E1NA q o. O5CAH
East Prussia, Jan. 9.-Admiratfon for
the fighting quality of the Russian
army in the face of enormous losses.
was expressed by field marshal Gen. Won
Hindenberg, commanding the German
army operating against Warsaw, in the
course Of an interview given to a rep
resentative of the Associated Press. He
also said that the Russians, with their
immense territory, could fall back In
definitely, even to VladivOstock, and
that Germany could not follow that
far.
10000 Russians Lost.
Never did the Russians lose so
heavily as in the s%anguinary fighting
Lowicz," the field marshal said. He
added that at least 10000 Russians
had been killed or made prisoners. The
contest, according to Won Hindenberg,
had been proceeding everywhere favor
ably to the Germans and Austrians
, since the fall of LODI and the COM
mencement of the Russian retreat. Yet
field marshal Won Hindenberg declared
that all the fight had not been taken
out of the Russians.
So large of frame is the field mar
shall that he seemed under, instead Of
over, the average height. He has a
large head and rugged shoulders and
wears a heavy, sweeping mustache,
less aggressive in curve than the EN-.
peror's, but equally characteristic.
Anxious to Visit United States.
Won Hindenberg was inclined TO
switch the conversation from the war
to the United States, which, he said, he
had long been anxious to visit. He was
not so much interested in the sky
scrapers Of New York as in the country
west Of the Mississippi. such as Call
fOrnia, the Yosemite, Yellowstone park
and the Grand canyon, Of which he had
evidently read much.
The interviewer, however. turned the
conversation to the war. Won linden
berg said that, while the situation was
very favorable, there was little to JUS
tify the -extravagant hopes based on
the announcement Of the collapse OF
the Russian offensive.
Calls Russians Tough Fighters.
The Russians are tough opponents
and not easily brought into motion" he
aid They have prepared a long series
Of positions. They are falling back
slowly, with all the advantage Of pO-
sition on their side. Yet 1 him they
are hardly able to bring IN mani more
troops Of quality to oppose US.
SIS Bodies on One Little Hill.
Answering another question, Won
H~indenberg said:
"The fall of LODI was the turning
point in the present campaign. The
Russians fought desperately for pos
session Of this city, on which the cen
ter Of their line rests. The Russian
line was bent, not broken, in this bat
tie. The Russian leader, like a wise
man, did not wait for that, but when
he saw how affairs were going, with
drew.
"The battle was the most bitter and
s~anguinary of this war, the Russian
killed and wounded far exceeding h .
figures at T~Annenberg. The dead lay :
in heaps on the battlefield. There were
S7S bodies on one small hill"
Sketches Battle Of TRRnenbeFg.
The mention Of Tannenberg evoked
the comment that little was known Of
this great battle. Won Hindenberg then
took a pencil and paper and drew \
rough sketch map Of the battle
Our army he said, was drawn up
to the north of the Mazurian lakes re-
gion here" Then he sketched the east
Prussian frontier and the position Of
the troops to the north and south OF
the line.
when I took command" the field
marshal continued, the order had al
ready been given to retire. The Rus
sian army, under SamsOnOff, had moved
in here Indicating a line at right an
giles to the German line). 1 withdrew
our troops before Rennenkampfs army
and swung them around to the right
and rear in this fashion: The corps from
the extreme left 1 sent around by the
railroad; the others had to move By
forced marches.
Surrounded samsOnOff.
Had R-ennenkampf followed, We
should have had to turn and face him.
But he did not move from his %entrench-
ments, and so we marched in here, and
here and here drawing a series of ar
rows in a circle with points toward the
doomed Samsonoff), until we had them
completely surrounded. With Rennen-
kampf in action there would AVE been
no T~annenburg."
rs it true that so many thousands
Of Russians persisted in the Mazurian
lake swamps?" Won Hindenberg was
asked.
mot at ALL" came the reply that de-
stroyed another cherished legend Of
the war. There are no swamps in Tan
.nenburg into which we might have
driven the Russians, whose losses were
chiefly in prisoners taken"
Would Give BayOnetB to Cavalry.
The field marshal talked Of the
changed tactics of the cavalry, to whom
he said he would give bayonets; Of the
bravery OF his Austrian allies; Of the
cI-othesbasket full Of letters he re-
ceived daily, some OF them from the
States, and with special amuse.
ment Of the quantities Of gifts that
were being forwarded to him. He has
received 5000 pints Of beer for his per-
sonal use, 1000 cigars Che does not
smoked, an immense cake, which was
brought in during the dinner and which
bore in icing an advertisement of a