New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-24

touched. For days past the CORE
spondent has seen no living animals
except those in the German columns,
and dogs and cats in villages. The
bodies of sheep and cattle killed by the
Russians have been left to decay by
the roadside.
The first phase of the campaign-the
phase resulting in the destruction Of
the Russian northern army-may be
compared to a gigantic rabbit drive, in
which men were the prey.
German Drive Sudden.
While the attention Of the Russians
,yas concentrated on the Warsaw line
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg, quietly
assembling an overwhelming force in
Fast Prussia behind the Mazurian
lakes. suddenly launched it In two col
umns against the unsuspecting General
Sievers.
One column drove in from the south
and threw back the Russians, who for
months had been besieging the lake
pnteways to East Prussia, and the
other column from the north swung
round in wide circles to the eastward
and to the southwark, aiming to join
hands with the southern German col
umn and cut off the retreat of the re-
firing Russians.
The two wings of the drive closed to
the east of Suwalki and Augustowo
only a few hours too late to catch the
entire army. Most Of the units of the
Russian force, however, were bagged.
The delay which enabled the rem
nant TO escape was due to nature. The
line Of advance of the southern column
Law through the belt of swamps which
form a natural defence of the Russian
frontier. Il is almost without roads.
and troops attempting to use tho
'cross-country trails become almost
Lopelessly begged. The correspondent
saw columns of infantry many OF
whom had passed through mires more
than ankle deep. Detachments Of SOL
diers assisted An dragging the guns
forward through the mud, but their
proCress was extremely slow.
Mature" said the commander of
one of the German corps engaged to
the correspondent, always helped the
Russians. 1.-TWO days of hard frost
and we should have had every man."
March Forty Miles a Day.
the correspondent accompanied the
right wing oil the German armies en-
gagged, and it was TO these troops that
the heaviest part OF the fighting fell.
The left wing, sweeping down from the
north, was called upon mostly for leg
work to accomplish marches of forty
miles daily in pursuit of the Russians,
who fed after the four days engage
ment on the Mazurian Lakes, and
thereafter the soldiers of the German
left army were chiefly interested IN
getting away. The battle in the south
was of unique character. Again nat
ire aided the Russians. II was fought
in a driving snowstorm. a fierce, cut
ting wind driving the fakes into the
faces and eyes Of the advancing Ger
mans until they could scarcely see.
When the Germans came to grips
with the Russians they found their
rifles so covered with ice and the muz-
zles so choked with snow that the
weapons could not be fired The troops,
and these were young troops of one
Of the newly formed corps, were left
only with their bayonets, but they
stuck to their work despite heavy
losses.
The Russians were assuming the Of
fensive when German artillery, which
hitherto had been unable to get up
through the forests to the south of the
Mazurian Lakes, arrived just in time
and turned the scale. The troops Of
this column pressed forward along the
fairway, only a dozen miles wide, be
tween the Mazurian Lakes ard the
Russian frontier, driving the Russians
before them, but they were forced TO