Evening journal., 1915-02-24
BY KARL II. Won wIEGAND
united press star Correspondent

WITH THE GERMAN ARMY AT /
sUWALKI Russia. Feb. 19.-tBy /
Automobile Courier to Insterburg, /
East Prussia. Thence Via Berlin and /
London, Feb 24)-Kaiser Wilhelm /
was on the actual firing line when
Won Hindenburg swept the Russians /
out of Prussia. He sped into Lyck I
thirty minutes after the Germans, at |
a heavy loss, had stormed the city !
While his troops were rounding up
Russians still hiding in houses there, /
the Kaiser addressed his soldiers in
The market square, giving vent to bit-
ter words over what he termed the
senseless destruction of property by
The Cars troops.
The Kaiser was with his men when
they took Weszczellen, near Lyck, by
bayonet. His staff officers could hard
~ restrain him from taking part in
The fighting. It was impossible for
them to keep him out Of immediate
Danger.
The Kaiser's entrance into Lyck
eemed with the dramatic. II was as
f his arrival had been perfectly timed
IS the climax TO the third great scene
of triumph for German arms in the
eastern theatre Of war. His big auto
mobile rushed into the East Prussian
city just as the Cars armies, after
four days of desperate, bloody resist
3nce. began fleeing the town
Before the Emperor's eyes. Won
Hindchurg and Won Ludendorf de-
livered one Of the mightiest smashes
Of the war once more clearing Ger
man soil of Russians. The Tenth
Russian Army under General Sievers.
IL <f
men. was two-thirds captured or an
initiated
Won Hindenburg's mighty machine
swept through East Prussia with
startling velocity, sending the Slavs
scurrying in retreat The Russian
Tenth Army that since last October
had occupied the narrow strip in
East Prussia, extending from north
of Gumhinnen, southwark to Darkeh-
men, and below Johannesburg, was
rolled out of Germany, crushed and
disastrously beaten as the result Of
desperate battling cast and south Of
the Mazurian Lakes.
Beginning at Darkehmen. / have
been with the German army for the
last six days, following the retreating
Russians. From Goldap south to
Lyck, their retreat became panicky.
This was evident by the abandoned
equipment. the stranded automobiles
and the countless bodies of Russian
dead. The character of the battle
ground and the Toadways over which
this great conflict was waged is best
illustrated by the fact that we made
less than 30 miles a day as we moved
southwark. Our automobile ire
quently stuck in huge snowdrifts.
For four days. there was desperate
fighting at Lyck fifteen miles inside
the Prussian frontier. There thC
Russians made a final stand. Tho
city was defended by the Third si
berian Corps, reputed to be the bes
fighters in the Russian army. Th'
stand they made at Lyck did honor t
their fame as soldiers. The city waI
taken by storm only after the Ger
mans had suffered heavy losses. Blu
the brilliant defense of the Siber
ans enabled part Of the Cars beatel
armies to escape over two roads lead
ng out of Prussia through tn
swamps to Augustof and Suwalki.
While this onslaught was in pro
gress, the Kaisers northern army
iorming the German left wing wa
advancing by forced marches TO ef
fect a iuncture with the central arm.
The Third German army on the righ
wing was swinging in from the soutl
over Crajemo. squeezing in the Rus
sian left.
Despite the most tremendous ef
'orts and the unprecedented endur
lnce of the German troops in max
nging forced marches through snow
storms and vast stretches of marshe
and swamps, the attempt completed
% surround tho Russian army, a
evidently planned. did not who'll
succeed Fully a third Of the Russian
cot past Augustof before the Gel
mans could close up tho gap.
But Yesterday when ! left the arm
1t Auoustof, the Germans were hangil
IN the Hanks and the rear Of the fleeiI
Russians Eight miles east Of the TOW
the Russian rear guard was making
desperate stand to cover the retrea
while Russian rcinforcements, comm
from Grodno, were laundering a canno
ade.
When left. the Germans hoped
surround an entire Russian division
the swampy forests Large bodies
Russians were still surrounded in 7
swamps. while the balance OF tine arm
was fleeing in the direction Of the foi
ross Of Grodno. Il was known ut til
time that the Russian prisoners nu
bcred $4,000; that n guns, over
machine guns. $50 ammunition WACO
and thousands OF roflcs had been taxi
The Russian dead and wounded was
timated at between 10000 and 10000
In their retreat the Russians destrC
ca property ruthlessly. Between ~
and the border they tool, revenge
burning every house aud farm establi
ment In Lyck itself they demolisl
the interiors Of houses, wrecked fur
tnre and smeared the walls with y
filth.
The frontier town Of Prostken,
miles south Of IyclS, appeared as if
had heen cut in two with knife.
Russians destroyed every building on
German side Of the town. They did
touch the buildings on the Russian y
II must be said for the Germans Il
with the exception of half a doz
houses damaged by shell shot. hare
building was destroyed by the X