The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-07-17

spondent to observe or write of
! its defeats and retreats: the
field censor's motto is Nothing
Passes Except Good News.
The staff of the Russian third
army has broken the precedent
in allowing the freedom of its
lines to the British official press
representative during the whole
of its heart-breaking retreat
from the Carpathia slopes, back
across Galicia and even across
the Russian frontier. The cor
respondents first story, covering
a long series of daily fights and
/, daily Russian defeats followed
by the inevitable retreats before
the Austro-Germans' concen-
tated artillery fire, is as follows:
The advance of the Russians
over the Carpathians was sure to
draw counter-stroke, and it
came just where many expected
it, but with tremendous force.
This was because it was no. so
much the work of the tired Aus
TRANS, but rather the biggest eff
fort that Germany has yet put
up in her attempts to bolster her
ally.
In a house standing high by
church ! found the staff Of the
Division. There was hut on
the top Of the hill; sitting in
front OF it one could see for at
least ten miles in either direc-
ton.
The Division was holding
front of eight miles across low
line of wooded heights, of which
the most marked feature was a
village with little church tow
err Against three Russian regi-
ment were nine. mostly German,
and backed by the most formida-
able artillery.
| Beyond each of the tanks OF
the Division one could see at in
tervals black clouds of smoke
one thick stream of smoke that
stretched into the skies came
from some distant petroleum
works. The whole right wing
was being pounded with crash
after crash, sometimes four
; black columns rising almost sim
ultaneously at intervals along it
l under each would break little
angry teeth of sparkling fame
the only thing that seemed mo-
to be hit was the church which
as each cloud died, came out sim
: pie again in the bright sunshine
The right wing was in patches o
. smoke that sometimes disap
peared for time.
What was happening to tn
center was not so clear; so ate
watching for some hours tn
shells and shrapnel burstin.
along the line and on the slope
: we descended by some windin!
gullies, drawing a shrapnel a
q we passed over a low shoulder
q land soon reached the staff of tn
a center regiment.
n Under the nearer wall of a hut
e little groups were working at tn
s telephones. while number o
s soldiers lay on logs around. Til
d Colonel came forward and tool
t me into the opening pointing a
a the ridge some six hundred
e yards away. All his left was a
n grips with the enemy, and OF
a his right his men were fightin!
s at the close range of two hun
i dred yards in the wood beyon,
a the crest.
II The telephones worked inces
a sanity. Each of the battalion
: commanders reported in turn
n one that his machine guns ha'
: been put out of action, anothe
that there was gap in his line
e a third that he was holding goo'
at full strength. The Colone
explained that his last reserve
were engaged. A message cam
that his right flank was ope'
e and was being turned. HI
seized the telephone and calle'
1.-TWO companies forward at tn
: double reporting his action di
rectly to the staff of the Division
2 There was a peculiar human
ness about all these messages; il
form they were Just ordinar,
courteous conversation. Thu
question which brought the mos
disquieting answer was, "Hov
are your connections Thu
Colonel on the left reported thai
his line was penetrated at more
than one point but was holding
out. The right wing telephone
gave no answer at all Life there
was unliveable; and | hearo
from soldiers a report that they
had seen the Austrians in the
Russian trenches.
/ Shells and shrapnel were
. crashing all round us, especially
in our rear: a hut that | had
passed on the wav down broke