The Topeka state journal., 1916-12-12
Is UNLI OIHhIEU
German Drive in Rumania Goes
on Thru Winter.
Soldiers Given SnOWShOeS and
Wagons Can Become Sleds.
RUSSIANS WANT DEATH ZONE
Rumanians Refuse to Destroy
Homes and Supplies.
TeutOns Use New ArmOred Gar
in Big Offensive.
RUSSIANS WANT DEATH Zone
RY CARL w. ACKERNIAN.

with the German Army at Bucha-
rest Field Marshal Won MackehsSii
Headquarters, by courier ~ D.
Dec. 12.-Germany's campaign III ~ ~
mania has only started. ENy 80.
man soldier is fitted with sho" siioI1
Tor The winter campaign-and an
wagons are so devised that IHey osih
be transformed into sleds- FaNoIe4 9 pS
ideal weather. the forces OF flelu MAI MAR
sbaI Won Mackensen and General Won
E'allxenhayn have acquired such
momentum with the fall of Bucharest
that they will surge on farther INTO
Field Marshal Won Mackensen, by
Ruckarest's fall, is in a position to
swing masses of men and aruIiery
north. south east and west, with clear
lines of communication;
The complete decentralization OF the
Rumanian forces has permitted Won
Mackensen's troops to advance with
insignificant losses.
AS General Won Kluck once de-
"One cannot postpone the oppor-
tunity to fight, if one expects TO win win
the battle" and it is on this theory
that Won Mackensen is operating IN
Rumania. -,
There is every indication that the
Russians will have to fight Tor thelr
lives this winter-instead OF heAO
spring. as General Brusiloft mas oe-
clared.
For the first time since Belgium
was crossed, newspaper correspond
ents were permitted to follow the Ger
man army without restrictions; al
lowed permission TO live with the
troops and to watch bombardments.
Refuse to Destroy Food Supply.
Apparentlv acting under the influ-
ence of Russia. the retreating Ruman-
ians attempted to burn all cities ana
villages which they evacuated but the
German advance was so SWIFT IN many
instances that this plan of destruction
was forestalled. According to prisoner
Rurnauians Russia's advice to the
Rumanian army was to retreat to east
of Bucharest, burning all supplies and
all towns. so as to create VerltaDle
death zone-just as the Russians did
in Poland during the last Hlndenburg
offensive when they destroyed four
thousand towns. But the Rumanians
in a great many instances. refused to
make such sacrifices of their property.
In Craiova citizens related how be-
fore the Germans appeared there, the
Rumanian government at Bucharest
ordered-the -GrafUva police to destroy
all food supplies, even those which
We're the private property or the IN
habitants. The citizens held public
meeting and sent word back to Buch-
Arrest that unless these orders were re-
called. there would be a civil war the
next day. Bucharest withdrew the
order by telegraph.
In such movement as that thru
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 provi-
slons. the soldiers like little extras,
with the result that all stores do big
business.
New "Armored Devil
In a death zone" such as the Rus
slams advised, the advancing army
would be forced to provide shelter,
which is an enormous handicap. Food
supplies would also be lacking.
Working with the German troops is
a new military monster. 1t is an
armored automobile which attains a
speed of 80 miles an nour, carries ma
chine guns and has a crew of one
officer and nine men. In the very
first action in which this new mon
the armored devil. 1t killed 800 men
and wounded $50. This was directly
in front of Bucharest. The car re-
turned safely.
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 sta
ton one night, met a first lieutenant
who was leader of the building of
these marvels. l learned that the
first models of the present machines
We're used at Verdun during the Of
fensive, then in Alsace and also few
times in Russia. Then came the new
model in Rumanfa. Its operation has
been so successful that it has liter
ally been run to death" lately and is
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