The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-10-11

By EUGENE J. YOUNG. CNar Editor of the New York World.) Now was Rennenkampf's chance to intervene. But the Nieman army did not advance"
 Ludendorff thus completes his revela- tion of one of the greatest acts of treachery of all the ages. Rennen- | 20th A c. were assembled along the road from Allenstein to Hohenstein and | the army command had thus again at 1 least two corps at its disposal. 1 RUSSIANS PRESS RING HARD '. 1 The battle was drawing to a conclu- sion. The Third Reserve Division had l broken through the enemy lines and reached Muschaken, east of Nei- denburg. The Russians, retiring | through the thick woods, tried to break l through the German ring at several very heavy fighting took place on the 30th, but without in any way influenc- l ing the issue of the battle.
 General Samsonoff shot himself and was buried near Willenberg without being recognized. His widow who was in Germany in connection with matters concerning prisoners of war was able to trace his grave by locket which had been taken for identification pur- poses from the body of the fallen gener- al when he was buried.
 The Russian generals who were talk en prisoner arrived al Osterode and re- ported to General von Hindenburg. The number of prisoners taken and the amount of booty captured are al- ready well known.
 The enemy losses in killed and 1 wounded, too, were extremely heavy. The widely circulated report that thousands of Russians were driven into the marshes and there perished is myth; no marsh was to be found any where near.
 NAMED IT FOR OLD BATTLE One of the most brilliant battles in
 the history of the world had been fought It haG been the achievement of troops which had been fighting for weeks. sometimes unsuccessfully. To the training of our army in peace time, alone, did we owe this feat. The bat tie was a glorious triumph for the gen erals and their troops, indeed, Tor every officer and man, and the whole country.
 Germank and Austria Hungary re- joiced--the world was silent.
 At my suggestion. the battle was named the Battle of Tannenberg, in
 memory of that other battle long ago in which the Teutonic Knights defeated the united Lithuanian and Polish hosts, Is any German, as then, ever going to let the Lett. and more especially the Pole. take advantage of our misfortune to do us violence? Are centuries of old German culture to be lost?
 STILL PROUD OF HIS IRON CROSS
 I could not rejoice whole -heartedly at our mighty victory, for the strain imposed on my nerves by the uncer- tainty about Rennenkampf's army had been too great All the same, we were proud of this battle. The victory had been brought about by break through an encircling movement firm resolu- ton to win and intelligent limitation of aims Despite our inferioriry on the eastern front we had succeeded in assembling on the battlefield force nearly as strong as that of the foe. 1 thought of General Count von Schlief- fen, and thanked him for his teaching.
 Tn the Protestant church at Alien stein General von Hindenburg and rendered thanks to Almighty Cod TOT this victory
 was decorated with the Iron Cross. Second Class, of which was exceeding Iy proud Even now, when l think or Lege and Tannenberg, my heart swells with pardonable satisfaction. The value of the Iron Cross. Second Class dwindIed in the course Of the war That is quite natural although re- grettabIe. Bht the order should he worn with pride by anyone who has honorably won it.
 I had not moment to spare TOT relaxation. I had to work out the re- grouping of the army for further op erations. It was an uncommohiy uil ficuIt task simultaneously to finish one battle and make plans for the next Innumerable other matters had to De attended to between whiles. One urg ent matter was the removal of the prls- oners Having regard to the uncer- taintv of the situation their numbers alone was heavy burden.
 On the western front the victorious nroeress of the German arms was still nncbecked. Accordingly General Head quarters considered that they could reinforce Nthe Eighth Army with three arrov corps from the west. The tele- gram announcing the proposed rem Agreements arrived just at the com mencement of the battle or Iahhen- hers. Later I was asked Whetner one arrev corps could be retained Tn the wasf and as I had not asked for rein forcements I assentcd. So only two army corps arrived. the Guard Ite serve corps. the 11th corps and the sth Cavalry divsion
 FATAL ERROR IN FRANCE
 Tbe decision to weaken the forces m the western front was premature, hn+ of course we in the east could not know tndl ioi eic the west were favorable. Hut II was rarttcuIarIy Hateful that the reinforce m>uts destined for the eastern front were drawn from the right wing. when vxa. fighting for a decision, instead or fron, th~ left wing, which was strong er than was necessary after the Dattie |, Lorraine had been fought. The corps which was to have been the third TOT the eastern front was left in Lorraine.
 Tt was the Crown Princes Army which he says was left too strong al inc expense of the armies which were later defeated at the battle or the Marne. The battle of Lorraine was t,a vain attempt to take Nancy, whlch vvas watched by the Kaiser all pre- nared to enter the city in triumph.)
 The situation in Galicia had already become threatening. The Russiah main forces had hurled themselves on the Austro- Hungarian armies ana beaten them east of Lemburg at the end of August.
 The critical condition of the Austro- army at the end of Au- guest. opposed by greatly superior Russian forces was not to be misun- General von Conrad Cniei of the Austrian General staff, insisted ! quite proper,y.~from his point of view that we should cross the river Nare"' 1,
 Rut seeing that the Eighth army was s+iu inferior in numbers to that or General Rennenkampf 1t was lmpos- sible to accede to this request An aa7