The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-31
BY STANLEY wAsHBuRN.

ents in this war to bemoan their
i fate and to abuse the respective
Governments TO which they are at
tached, or trying to be attached, for
lack Of perspicacity in Withholding them
from the firing line. For some weeks
now there have been eleven Of us re-
ccived as accredited correspondents by
the Russian General Staff, and during
this period we have been personally
conducted on a tour through Galicia
and given an opportunity to observe
what has been done there by the Rus
sian army.
We were given two special cars and
placed in the charge Of Col. Assono-
witch, who for two weeks has been our
guide and superintendent. The cable
and quick news end OF the war CORE
spondence game is certainly a thing Of
the past, but we at least have been
given a fair opportunity to study the
war a few weeks after it has passed,
The Russians are engaged in a life
and death struggle and 1t is their point
~ view that the possible value Of such
publicity as cable news from the front
sent by journalists ahead of the official
reports is far less than the chance of
injury to the cause that may result
from information obtained by some
overzealous correspondent getting out
news that may be of value to the enemy.
This they have planned to avoid, and I
think they have done 1t very effectively.
As far as the Galician theatre of war
Is concerned, a journalist has as much
chance there without a permit as has
the proverblal camel in passing through
the eye of the Biblical needle Per-
sonally think that the Government
has made an extraordinary effort in
our behalf At a time when transports
and locomotives are worth almost their
weight in gold we have been travelling
In special trains and with our own cars
through country only a few miles in
the rear OF the actual fighting.
That our trip has been unspectacular
is certainly true but that 1t has been
extremely interesting is also beyond dis
pute. We are the first foreign observ-
ers TO be officially admitted within the
zone OF this particular country since
the Russian operations began, and we
have travelled up and down and across
the theatre Of the Galcian campaign
and can, think, give fairly accurate
evidence as to the behavior Of the Rus
sian troops in that territory.
In writing of such a trip one must
invariably be under suspicion of the
reader of being Influenced in favor Of
the side that is entertaining one and
obviously trying to show its best side.
Under these conditions It is true that
wen the most conscientious and fair
minded correspondent finds it difficult to
keep his perspective absolutely free
from the subtle influence which cordial
and friendly relations with his hosts
are apt, in spite of himself, to color
his writings
ON such trip as we have made the
evidence falls into two classes, namely,
what we have actually seen and what
We have been told by our guides, off,
Gals and by the inhabitants. The for
mcr may be taken as absolutely true,
while the latter may be discounted by
he reader. The writer is a believer in
the future Of Russia and the Russians.
but IN spite of this fact has tried to
preserve fairness of mind in dealing
with the material that has come to his
notice He believes that the country
through which he has travelled is "A fair
and typical section Of the theatre of war
l. GaliCia and that his observations
rs TO the conduct of the invaders will
prove approximately correct.
The first important place to which
We We're taken was the city Of Lem
berg itself, which, by the way, is one
II the most beautiful and up to date
places in eastern Europe. The Russians
occupied the city, previously the head
quarters Of the Austrians, after a
pitched battle almost at its gates which
lasted for more than two weeks. We
are not allowed to mention their
,nsses, but that they were extremely
heavy is generally admitted.
The Austrians with wisdom made no