The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-18
proved that to be true. The division
only just arrived In time to save the
day.
AUSTRIAN TRAP AGAIN FAILS

AUSTRIAN TRAP AGAIN FAILS
General Won Conrad intended envelop-
| ing the Carpathians. In order to make
this plan possible, he had considerably
thinned his front. in the eventful bat
| tie for Limanova and Sapanov, from
the Srd to the 14th OF December, he
succeeding In beating the Russians
west of the river Dunajec. 1t was a
| triumph for the Austro- Hungarian
army after the many reverses they had
| suffered since the beginning of the
war.
in Poland and iSalicia, the Russians fell
back behind the Bzura-R awka sector
the upper Pilica, the Nida and the Dun
alec.
The eDveloping forces of General
Boroevic from the Carpnthinns soon
came upon very superior enemy which
attacked them without hesitation. The
Austro- hungarian troops which were
trying TO enve1Op the enemy were
forced back into the Carpatbians. Here
| n state OF affairs was developing which
was destined to exercise influence of
the utmost Importance upon the plans
| for 1915.
| In the bend of the vistula some local
| fighting occurred, especially on the
front of the Ninth army which ought
not to have taken place. We were still
| inexperienced in trench warfare There
was too much pickering. l Should have
: pursued a holder policy from the start.
! The danger was that the gam would
not be commensurate with the loss. 1t
was the duty of leadership to guard
against this,
! During the operations we had great
trouble in getting the railway lines,
which we had ourselves previously COM
pletely destroyed, into working order
again. We worked now with might
ma afv hl1f G H.
cradle time elapsed before the railway
: communications we're really in order.
J The troops, who were everywhere
exhausted. suffered much on account
of this. 1t was particularly regret
able that we were not able to get
their Christmas parcels delivered in
time. This gave considerable work to
the railways. for at THAI time these
marks of affection flowed in very
/ freely. Leave, too. could not be gran
ed to the extent we desired.
DEFENDS SACKING OF POLAND
The measures for The government
of the Poles in the occupied territory
took up great deal of line They are
now OF no interest. The country had
no reason to complain, even IL the situa-
ton compelled to remove valuable
war rnw material. poland was strip
] ped OF articles useful TO the Germans.)
We negotiated with Austria-Hun-
gary on the questions of the new
boundaries of our respective jurisdie-
+ tons. Naturally, the agreements made
by me in September, under other con-
! ditions, now needed alteration. I'm
fortunately, G. II. Q. and Berlin now
interferred in the negotiations, proba-
bly, at the instigation of Austria-Hun-
gary.
This did not help matters, as the
authorities in question were not ac-
quainted with the actual facts. But
/ this also is now of no account. In the
course of my duties, I was obliged to
! occupy myself with a number of mill
/ tary- political questions which brought
me more annoyance than satisfaction.
! shadow fell on the proud salts
faction with which we contemplated
| the development of events on the east
ern front. The Austrian army had
/ fought without final success in Serbia
At the end of December it had pene-
trated far into that country Belgrade
had been carried on December , JOY
reigned in Austria Hungary Yet, as
early as the days of the capture OF
| LODI and the battle of Iinanova, the
! Austrian troops were retiring from
Serbia. defeated
! They were no long vigorous
| fighting instrument. drst they had
under estimated their opponents, now
| they went to the other extreme ana
I OVer-eStlnateQ tnen.
numbers alone terrified them. That
| superstition, hound up with certain
feeling of impotence in the face of the
| adversary, the once brave army has
never overcome.
UNDER THE KAISERIN'S PALM
! We of the staff lived a harmonious
life in the castle at Posen. Common
care and common glory united us. II
| became the custom for us to sit to-
gether awhile after dinner al night
| We used to sit at a round table on
which stood palm. the gilt of III. M
| our Kaiserin, a true German woman
| OF whom I always think with the
greatest admiration. This short little
hour was a relaxation for me in the
midst of the almost crushing work ot
those four months of wa.
A great battle had been fought and
won. Germany and Austria Hungary
had been saved from the Russian dam
ger All the Grand Duke plans we're
| shattered. His attack on the East
Prussian frontier his advance on the
west bank of the yistula, ana. with
this. all the Entente's hope of victo
rious finish of the war in the year 1914.
1 had fallen to the ground. The sur
render of the eastern portion of East
{ Prussia and Of large part Of Galicia.
hard as il was, was OF no consequence
compared to these results.
l The second part of the campaign in
Poland was. too, an achievement. There
is little in military history that can
compare with 1t.
Our troops, which had been ccn-
stantly fighting or. on the move since