The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-09-09
RUSSIAN TALKS
ABOUT THE WAR
Chief Of General Staff Does
Not Think Germany Will
be Able to Make
Advance.
NO HELP FROM TURKS
Four Hundred Thousand Men Must b..
Sent 70 the Aid Of Austrians
to save Thorn From
Defect.
NO HELP FROM TURKS

lUnlted Press Leased wire Service.
General Alexieff, chief OF the Rus
sian general staff, known in Petrograd
for his aversion to newspaper cor
respondents, has given to United
Press staff correspondent, the only
representative OF an American press
association or newspapers at the
cars headquarters. the following in
terview regarding the possibilities OF
a great German offensive in the
east.l
[By William Philip simms, United
Press Staff Correspondent
I'M ERI l. HEADQUARTERS
RUSSIAN ARMY, Sept! Germany
must send four hundred thousand to
the aid Of the demoralized Austrians
II she hopes to stjffen their resist
ance, General Michael Alexieff, chief
of staff of Emperor Nicholas lis
armies, told the United Press today.
furthermore. German troops must
provide the driving power II Won
Hindenburg attempts the great east
ern offensive talked about in Berlin.
The AustrO- Germans cannot count
upon the Turks for substantial aid,
said the, man who directs the move
meilta y Raissia;s millions Of troops.
/ 4 x10 AB C0A 0O00 0V AAAOA . sAA1sAs
forty thousand men to support their
Teutonic allies.
General Alexieff received me in a
small, plainly furnished office adjoin-
ing the headquarters of Emperor
Nicholas. A flat top desk, a few
chairs and maps were the only furn-
ishings. The general sat behind the
desk like an American business man
He resembles much the pictures OF
Rudyard Kipling. His hair is begin
ming to turn white over the temples
The long ends OF his white moustache
turn up. slightly above the fighting
law. His eyes are deeply set. small
grey and piercing. He wears silver
rimmed spectacles. In conversing
he habitually pens lines, as II draw
ing rivers and roads, sketching IN
arrows, showing the direction of at
tacks.
/ asked him II he credited the re-
port Of an Austrian German-Turki
combined offensive against Russia.
Despite the encircling ring OF the
allies and the continued pressure
they are exerting on all sides, would
hesitate to say that such an offens-
i've is impos sible," he replied. The
biggest mistake a general can make
is to underestimate the enemy.
Should such an offensive develop, 1t
would be for Us to beat. am most
confident this the Russian army can
do.
"On January 16 the Germans start
ed a counter offensive on the Lfpa.
It failed. Future offensives stand to
meet the same fate"
II will not say that the Austrian
armies on our front have been
crushed. They are, however, badly
demoralized. The Germans nave
filled in the gaps with twenty divi-
sions. thus affecting stiffening, but
the Austrians are still badly disor-
ganized. From the Turks. not moro
than two divisions are available for
the Russian front, SO If the COM
bined offensive comes, the Germans
must carry the principal burden.
..The Russians have shown what
they are capable Of doing when prop
erly equipped. They are now enter
ing the third winter OF the war,
stronger than ever Their defeats at
the start Of hostilities were due to
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