Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-23
STATIONARY WARFARE
AS SEEN ON P|Nsk FRONT
Wonderful Strength OF German Lines
Renders All Russian At
tempts Futile.
PRACTICALLY NO FIGHTING
IL Has Been MiIiest Winter i'm
Years, and This Has Made Easy
Work OF Teutons in Building I'M
pregnable DefenscS.

PlNSk, RUSSIA (by courier 10 Ber-
iih' February II; via london. Fcbru-
iary 22-The miidcst winter of decades
along tho present German lines IN IN,
east has been an important factor i'm
,ehherlnE futile, in this section Mt
least, all Russian efforts to regain tbcir
lost territory.
All associated Press CORRESPONDENT
inc hrst to have the opportunity to-
view 'hc machine-gun front" i'm and
ABOUT the Pripct swamps since tho
'Teutons took up their positions In Sow
temher and October. has just returned
rom Il TRIP along several miles OF the
swamp lighting line. Every mile NJ
'his front fairly bristles with deadly
,".nlne guns. which cover every inch
loi terrain. Though the corrcspondcnt
MAD no means of ascertaining how
many mon defend the PinsIl sector. tho
multitude of rapid firing guns gives
the impression that even a small num-
Der of mon should be able to hold tho
line indefinitely
MiLtiOSS OF RUNNING FEET
OF WIRE ENTA IMPLEMENTS
In addition to the guns. millions or
running feet Of barbcd wire entanrlc-
mcnts. transforming each village and
mouse into reritablc fortress. render
the German positions from Il layman's
standpoint imprcgnable-which tho
arc.
This impression is heightened bv tho
fact that the swamps. from two TO ten
miles wide in the region Of Pinsk have
not once boon frozen over entirely
during the winter. In fact the mild
weather with the resultant open
swamp land between the German and
Russian lines has made extraordinary
fortification unnecessary thus far
Probably nowhere on any front is tho
term stationary warfare" moro appli-
cable than in tho Pinsk district, where
lonely outposts in blockhouscs erected
on tiny islands in tho swamp lands. and
rowing patrols give the only real touch
of lighting.
The German lines at pinsli protrude
farthcSt cast OF any along the whole
front from tho Baltic TO Cialicia. The
project in Il semioval form. The great
est danger to tho forces at Pinsk there
fore is a Ranking movement from the
north; the swamps afford protection
from the south. In consequences. the
northern lines have been. made cx-
trcmely strong. Not only is every yard
OF this front fenced in with cntanEle-
ments 100 to 100 feet wide. but there
are supporting points at very short
intervals which are veritahle fortresses
themselves They are surrounded by
star-shapcd barrcades OF wire.
Each OF these supporting points is
subdirided into barricadcd sections.
with bomb-proof shelters. and with
machine guns to fire along both sides
OF each point OF the stars. AS final
precaution each supporting point is
surrounded by Il single wire, stretched
knee-high. on which hang ten pair OF
empty bottles. which clink the alarm
the moment the wire IS touched BY
any person who approaches.
TROOPS ARE COMPOSED
OF CRACK CAVALRY.
y novel feature of the German de-
Tense in this section is that the troops
arc composed almost entirely Of crack
cavalry regiments. numbering high
mobiles among their officers. \ short
time ago they would have scoffcd at
the idea OF being dismounted, but now
they live cheerfully In part or wholly