The Washington times., 1916-12-13
Invading Army Prepared to
Campaign In Winter
Shows.
FEW TOWNS ARE DESTROYED
foes Decentralization Leaves
Germans Free to Advance
With Small Losses.
NJ CARL w. AcKERMAN.

United Press, Dec. 12).--Germany's
Ampaign in Roumsnia has only
tarted. Every German soldier is fit.
ed with snowshocs for the winter
hmpaign-end al wagons are 30 dc.
liscd that they can be transformed
INTO sleds. Favored by ideal weather,
Pie forces of Field Marshal Won
fsckcnsen and General Won Falkcn-
layn have ACQUIRED such. a momen.
hey. viii surge on farther into Rou'
Field Marshal Won Mackensen, by
eucharest's fall. IL in q position to
wing masses OF men and artillery
horth, south. east, and west, with
Near lines of communication
Completely DemersIised.
The complete Generalization OF the
Roumanisn forces has permitted Won
ltsckensen's troops to advance with
Iusignifcant losses.
As General Won KIuck once declared
h an interview: "One cannot post
bone the opportunity to night, ~ one
bn this theory that Won Mackensen Is
operating In Roumania.
There In every indication that the
Russians will have to night for their
kves this winter-instead OF next
!prtns, as General Brusilon has de-
Csrrespesdents Resn Free.
For the first time since Belgium
was crossed, newspaper correspond.
ents were permitted 20 follow the Ger
man army without restrictions: al
lowed permission to liye. with the
troops and to watch bombardments.
Apparently acting under the infiu-
ence of Russia, the retreatfng Hou-
manians attempted to burn all cities
but the German advance was SO swift
in many instances that this plan OF
was forestalled. Accord.
Ing TO prisonered Roumanians, Rus
aia's advice TO the Roumanian army
was 70 retreat to east Q, snehsrest' ,a
20 a. TO create n veritable death zone
Just as the Russians did In Poland
during tho last Hindenburg Offensive
when they destroyed 1000 towns. But
s:ns u. aSu%aSsa' rsS to make SUCH S"ns sscr
nces OF their property. o.
TeId 10 Destroy Feed.
N Craiova citizens related how, be.
fore the Germans appeared there, the
Roumanian government at Bucharest
ordered the Craiovs police TO destroy
all food supplies, even those which
were the private property Of the In
The eitizens held a pueiie
that unless these orders
wsre recalled there would be q civil
wsr tho next day. Bucharest with
drew the order by telegraph,
Army Lives Wen.
In such a movement as that through
Reumania 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 ex.
tras. with the result that all stores do
a big business.
In ga death zone" such as the Rus.
SLAMS >advised, the advancing army
would be forced 20 provide shelter,
which In an enormous handicap.
Working with the German troops 10
o new military monster. IL II an
armored automobile, which attains a
speed OF thirty miles an hour, car.
ries machine guns, and has a crew
very first action In which this new
monster was used--the soldiers call IL
Tho Armored Dewitt killed 800
men and wounded $50. This was d.
reetiy IN front OF Bucharest. The car
.
First Used at verdun.
Nothing invented In this war, not
even the British tanks" can compare
with the success OF this new engine
of destruction. In a small railroad
station one night ] met a frst lieu.
tenant who was leader OF tho armored
car squadron. and returning to Berlin
10 superintend the building OF these
I learned that the first models OF the
present machine were used at Verdun
and also n few times In Russia. Then
rsme the new model In Roumania. It's
operation has been so successful that
II has literally been run, to death,
ls,s,y and Is m,~,,. nov bs,nS rsp:,,sed; p,,,s q;
'rurnu Jul. where tho Germans broke
The Roumanian line opening the way
10 Craiova. IL was here that 'sthe arm
ored devil" played Its nrst big role.
ed through the country-dynsmited
railroad bridges so that the entire
railroad system west OF
craivoa was crippiec.
Feted By Villages
It's second feat was to rush ahead
of the German cavalry into a Rou-
nsnian village back OF the Roufnanian
line near Bucharest. There the lieu
tenant and his crew stepped out OF
the machine and told tho villagers
they were Russians. The inhabitants
wine and flowers.
Then the "armored devil" departed,
blew up the railroad bridge, charged
the railroad station, fired at and do
stroyed three locomotives and then
turned back into the village. where
the now fear-stricken Inhabitants sur.
rendered the town. Its third exploit
was when IL sped through the Ron
lines to point where the
enemy was digging trenches and
erecting entanglements, firing and
putting the Roumanisns to rout.
Kills 500 In Minute.
Fourth. the same machine rushed
upon marching Roumanians under
open machine. gun fire. and killed 800
and wounded 100 In the space OF one
.
These monsters weigh $1,000 pounds
each--being about as large as the
biggest of automobile trucks, They
are lighted electrically, armed with
guns and armored with
heavy plate, so that only the heavi-
est shell, hitting car full, will destroy
II.
The engine is 1OO.horsepower and
the wheels hard rubber. A periscope
permits an officer to view the field
without danger. although there are
also slits In the armor- through which