The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-12-12
PREPARING FOR
WINTER CAMPAIGN
tContinued from page l.

ton was forestalled. according to Ru-
manian citizens. Russian advice to
the Rumanian army was to retreat 10
the east OF Bucharest. burning all
supplies and all towns SO as to Gre
ate a yeritable death zone-just as the
Russians did in Poland during the last
Hindenburg offensive when they de-
stroyed four thousand towns But
the Rumanians in great many IN
stances, refused to make such sacri-
fees of their property. In Craiova'
citizens related how before the Ger
mans appeared, the Rumanian govern
ment at Bucharest ordered the Graf
ova police to destroy all food sup
plies. even those which were the pri-
vate property OF inhabitants the
citizens held public mass meeting
and sent word back to Bucharest tina.
unless these orders were recalled
there would be civil war the next
day. Bucharest withdrew the order
by telegraph.
In such a movement as that through
Rumania, the-soldiers sleep In towns
every night, living in stables. houses
and schools while the officers are
housed with prominent families. While
each army carries sufficient provisions.
the soldiers like little extras, with the
result that all stores do big business.
In a death zone" such as the Rus
slams advised, the advancing army
would be forced to provide shelter.
which is an enormous handicap. FOR
supplies would also be lacking.
Working with the German troops is
a new military monster. 1t is an
armored automobile, which attains
speed of thirty miles an hour; carries.
machine guns and has crew OF one
officer and nine men. In the very frst
action in which this new monster was
used--the soldiers call it "the armored
dewitt killed 900 men and wounded
$50. This was directly in front OF
Bucharest. The car returned safely.
Nothing invented in this war. not
even the British tanks" can compare
with the success of this new engine OF
destruction. In small railway sea-
ton one night, met a nrst lieutenant
who was leader of the armored car
squadron and returning to Berlin to
superintend the building of these mar
wells. I learned that the first models
of the present machines were used at
yerdun during the offensive. then In
Alsace and also a few times in Russia.
. nen came the new model in Rumanfa.
Its operation has been SO successful
that it has literally been run to
death lately and is now being repair
ed after exploits in the battle of Turnu-
Jul. where the Germans broke the Ru-
manian line, opening the way to Grail
oya. 1t was here that the "armored
devil played its first big role.
On Somme Battlefield.
BERLIN, Dec. u. Via wireless
to Sayville. Jon the battlefield OF
the Somme the fighting activity Of
our artillery which since the end OF
November had considerably diminish
ed. was temporarily increased again
in the afternoon" said today's Ger
man offlcial statement.
Along the east bank OF the Mouse
and near MoselIe there was strong
carmen and mine thrower firing
without infantry activity.
Two More Towns Taken.
BERLIN, Dec H. Cvia wireless to
SaYville. )-Occupation OF Urziceni
and Mill by German forces under
Field Marshal VonMackensen, was
announced in todays official state
ment OF the Rumanian campaign
The army group of Field Marshal
VonMackensen-especially the Ninth
army, in the last three days captur-
ed from the Rumanians more than