Norwich bulletin., 1915-08-31
THE WAR PRIMER
BY National Geographic Society

"The Government of Minsk, whose
borders German armies are approach
ing on three sides, north from koveL
east from Brest Litovsk, and south
from Wilma, forms the heart of White
Russia and one of the most desolate
regions in the European division OF
the Tsar's empire" says a war primer
graphic Society. The Government of
Wilma, half over-run by Teutonic in
vaders bounds Minsk in the north;
Grodno Government bounds it in the
west and the Government of Volhynia
in the south. With the fall of Brest
Litovsk. there is no other powerful
fortress on the western line until
Bobruisk, a first-class fortress $50
miles northeast of Pinsk or $40 miles
northeast of Brest, Litovsk, is reached.
This fortress lies behind the great
White Russian swamps.
Somewhat rolling and billy in the
northwest, by far the greatest part of
the government, however. is taken up.
by lOwlands and marshes. These dreary
marsh stretches reach far to the north
beyond the borders of the government,
and in the south almost to the fortress
of Rovno, which lies west of Galician
Lemberg. In the west, these marsh
lands reach to Brest Litovsk, and, to
the east, they spread into the govern
ments of Vitebsk, Mogilef, Smolensk.
Chernigef and Kief. Drainage of these
fever-swarnps and useless sponge
lands has been effected to a small ex-
tent by a system of canals and other
works. There still remain, however,
great areas where the floating land lies
altogether waste and quite impossible.
''Minsk has an area of IS, 283 square
miles. The highest point in the gov
eminent, in the northwest. is found
in a narrow range of hills, which, ris-
ing between 500 to 1000 feet, form the
divide between the Black Sea and Bal
tic waters.
THE Pripet River crosses the gov
eminent from west to east, draining its
swamps to the Dnieper, while the
Beresina crosses it from north to
south, passing before the fortress,
Bobruisk, which, with the swamp lands
before, forms the central link in the
Russians new line of defense. The
Beresina now takes the place of the
Bug, and Bobruisk that of Brest Lit
ovsk.
THE marshes often cover hundreds
of square miles of cherries country,
with lakes and muddy ponds inter-
spersed. There are many areas Of
treacherous sands that go to make the
region an unusually dangerous one for
those unacquainted with the paths that
thread its labyrinth. Joined in the
maze of peat-bog, morass, Quicksand,
swamp, pond and lake are vast forests.
These heavy forests have given the
region one of the names by which it
is best known-the- PolYsie, meaning
the Woods" 1t is Estimated that
swampy and morass lands take up
about % per cent. of the governments
area. while 40 per cent of its area
is clothed with water-logged, spongy
forest land. The marshy forest trees,
while very dense, are stunted, and
consist of pine. birch and aspen.
This part of Russia, together with
the parts of White Russia that reach
beyond the border OF Minsk as part of
the marsh and swampy land, is ex-
tremely poor. 1t is a country plagued
with malarias. other fevers and mostly
useless soils. The Russian govern
improved small sections of the country,
but most of this work remaies for
future accomplishment. The climate
Of the land Is severe. There are in
adequate means for communication,
most OF the ways being unmarked
tracks through the marshes. For these
reasons. few towns OF any importance
have developed in the region, which
has remained passive and unknown
beneath its poverty. The Inhabitants
occupy themselves mainly with agri-
culture and their largest city. the cap
ital of their government, does not
number anywhere near a half 9 hun
bred thousand.
The farming population constitutes
20 per cent. of the governments two
million and half Inhabitants. Raci-
ally. the population Is divided into
White Russians. II per cent: Poles,
IL per cent; Jews. Is per ce6t.: Great
Russians. Tartars. Let's and Germans
Bookkeeping. hunting and fishing take
up a large part of the energy OF the
people. A Considerable commerce Is
also done in forest products. timber.
charcoal. wooden dishes. pitch, and
bark products There Is almost no
manufacturing q few saw-mills, tan
neries and Hour mills Is about all The
great fortress that guards the govern
ment lies TO the east, in the rear, so
to speak. and not before the marsh
land in-the-West..