Semi-weekly herald., 1915-08-05
ARE THE RUSSIANS BEATEN?

Continued reverses for the Russian
army, with the probability that War
saw will soon fall and the szar's
forces be driven out of Poland com
pietely, have caused the general pub
lie to believe that the Germans will be
able to dispose of the Ru7cians so ef-
fcctively there will be no comebach
within six months at least. If we are
to credit the word that comes from
Vladivostok this will hardly prove to
be the case.
Vladivostok is the Asiatic terminus
of the Siberian railroad and has one
Of the finest harbors in the world. In
this harbor are said to be ships from
al over the world, discharging cargo
es which will come as welcome and
much needed relief indeed to the sore
~ harassed Russian soldiers Corre-
spcndence from Vladivostok, under
date of June 25, sent by mail from
| 00o freight cars and 400 locomotives
we're due to arrive from the United
States within few weeks and as
! soon as they were ready for the track
the task of transporting munitions
and war supplies of all kinds on the
long journey to the harassed armies
of the czar, fighting the Germans in
Poland, will be continued and carried
out on scale never before attempt
| I'd on that railroad, to travel along
which is full fortnights journey.
According to this belated correspon-
denoe armored motor cars are reach
ing Vladivostok in large numbers
from Detroit and Cleveland while cot
ton is coming from New York, via
Panama is such quantities that more
than anything else it has caused the
terrific congestion of supplies there
which forced Russia to place rush
Drdcis for such large quantity of
American locomotives and railroad
cars. The cotton is said to be piled
high on the hills back of the city,
waiting its turn to be forwarded to
Moscow and other cities to be manu-
factured into blankets and uniforms
| for the soldiers of the czar. The cor
respondence adds this interesting in
formation:
From Great Britain have come
guns for the navy. They arrive by
steamer and are then shipped by
railroad to the Black sea to be mount
ed on the warships Russia is building.
From France has come ammunition
From the United States has come sew
eral 9-inch guns-also to find their
place on the Russian warships in the
Black sea, and above all is coming
barbed wire from America-an amaz-
| ing quantity of ito protect the
trenches of the Russian armies Ships
| bringing these vast supplies are ar
riving in such number and with such
rapidity that they cannot be accom-
modated at the docks"
There seems to be no question but
that the continued Russian reverses
o's heN w iaNh VI anu VI
ficers more than anythink else. The
army is large enough, the men are
brave enough; but lacking ammuni-
ton and officers to lead them, the
Russians have been forced back step
by step at great cost to themselves
and the victoriaus Germans it may
be that when the Vladivostok sup
plies reach Russia and the soldiers
are furnished by the long-withheld
munitions they will be able to about
face and be back into the maelstrom
of death long before the Germans
predict.
The Russians have proved their
military valor on many bloody field
in this war. But they cannot defend
their homes with empty muskets. Men
are dying because somebody blund-
cred and shot and shell were not
ready when sorsly needed.