Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-02-24


On tho streets of Suwalh there
could be heard yesterday and today
the sound of artillery from a swampy
region to the southeast, where an
isolated Russian division, perhaps ten
thousand men strong, has been com
pleteIy surrounded, but is still offer
ino resistance. Several thousand
more Russians probably still remain
i'm small scattered bands, or are wan
dering as stragglers within the ring
which the German troops nave now
closed around the woods ana sWdnpS
between Suwalki, Augustowo and the
German frontier but the capture OF
these wanderers is expected here, ana
Is regarded as merely an incident in
campaign to which this great success
is called only the prelude.
II is not believed among German
military men at Suwalki that General
Sievers will be able to bring one-flfth
of his troops behind the fortress AT
Grodno-a safety which may not be
of long duration.
The above statement may seem 70
be exaggerated, but correspondent
of the Associated Press motoring
along the line of the Russian retreat
a desolate and swampy country
gained an impression of complete de-
feat and Generalization, which can
scarcely be conveyed in words. ADan-
doned guns and automobiles, wrecked
and overturned wagons, sleds ana am
mUnition caissons encumbered the
way. Rifles blankets, knapsacks and
other equipment had been thrown
away by the fleeing soldiers. DEAD
horses and occasional fallen soldiers
were everywhere along the roadside.
,rhese things showed the conditions
under which the hasty retreat had
been accomplished.
Destroy German Property.
At street corners in Suwalki, Au-
pustowo, Lyck and other towns are
great heaps of abandoned rlrIes anu
bavonets. Large bands of Russian
prisoners. many of them whom sur
rendered without firing shot, were
encountered along the way The Rus
sians in retreat seem to have had only
time enough to burn the houses on
the German side of the frontier, ana
TO destroy the live stock which they
were unable to drive away. rms they
did so thoroughly, that In the l7-miie
ride from Lyck to the frontier VII
lage of Trostken, for example, only
one mousse Will "a lOOl vi II NeS ENN'''
The Russian part of Prostken and the
Russian villages beyond had not been
touched. For days past the cores
pondent 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 or
surround, in which men were the prey.
While the attention of the Russians
was concentrated on the Warsaw line,
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg,
quietly assembling an overwhelming
force in east Prussia behind the Mazu-
rian lakes, suddenly launched 1t In
two columns against the unsuspecting
General Sievers.
Attack From Two Angles.
One, column drove in from the south
and threw back the Russians, who for
months had been besieging the lake
sateways to east Prussia, and the
other column from the north swung
around In wide circles to the east
ward and to the southwark. aiming
10 ioin hands with the southern Ger
man column and cut off the retreat
of the retiring Russians.
The two wings Of the drive closed