Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-01
mo WITHDRAWALS
FROM EAST FRONT
Field Marshal Prince Leopold
Denies Russian Line Is
Stripped of Men.
DOES NOT EXPECT PEACE
German Commander Still Con-
WINGED Russia Will Be
Factor in War.

MUNICH, June 30.-Field Marshal
Prince Leopold of Bavaria. the German
commander-in-chief on the eastern
front. recently returned to Munich on
a short furlough. the second one since
the beginning of the war. to spend u
few lays with his family. In his beau
tiful palace. which he has turned into
a home for convalescent wounded Of
fcers, the aged army leader and con-
queror. OF Poland talked quite freely
about conditions in the occupied Rus
sian territories.
Poland has been rapidly rebuilt I'M
der the German administration" the
prince said. 1T cannot be claimed,
however. that the conditions arc en-
ytirely satisfactory. Many of the Poles
arc pro-Russian. and do not consider
us their liberators: we still have TO
act with considerable severity TO keep
order. but the majority of the popu-
lation is friendly and obey the laws.
~ w have had a great deal Of trou-
: BILE with spies. The country actually
swarms with them, and they are. for
the most part, very difficult to detect.
Another danger is the fugitivcs and
deserters, who have formed bands Of
armed robbers in the forests. ON
%tinually raid isolated villages and
farmhouse and commit many murders.
Almost every day some German gen
darme or sentry is shot or stabbed by
them"
w have established hundreds of
schools throughout Poland and stamped
al epidemics." the prince continued.
The courts organized by us are real
temples of justice, and have the con-
fdencc of the people. although at first
they could not believe that a Judge
could be strictly impartial and fair.
The industries have almost fully been
re-established. and in the rural dis
tricts the traces of the war are dis
appearing fast. Every foot of ground
has been titled and planted with the
aid of our soldiers, and the harvest
this year promises to be bountiful."
tEFFEcT OF RUSSIAN
REVOLUTION ON POLES
From the conditions in Poland the
.prince turned TO tho Russian revolu-
ftion and It's effect on tho Poles. In
regard to this. he said:
1T is hard to tell what impression
the events In Russia have made on
the Polish population. Most OF The
Poles did not seem TO understand the
meaning of the u%pheaval. and the
Others kept their mouths shut. There
Is, however. a large revolutionary elc-
ment in Warsaw and other large cities
and industrial centers that sympa-
thizes with the Russian Socialists.
The discipline Of the Russian army
has undoubtedly been badly under
mined by the revolution. From pris-
oners and dcsertcrs we learned that
tens o~f,thousands OF Russian soldiers
left the front and went home. but !
personally do not believe the army Of
the enemy is going to pieces. The de-
~serters will probably all return to the
front when they are ordered to do so
and when they begin to understand the
reinforcement of the Gear does not
mean the end Of the war.
IT do not expect a separate peace
with Russia but believe that a Ions
time will pass before the Russian COM
manders can try a new offensive. The
reports about the alleged withdrawal
from the eastern front are pure inven-
/: lions. Not a man. not a cannon has
been sent to the west, because we do
mot believe that Russia is out of the
uar1