Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-04

not possibly send reserves up in time. |
Feared For the Archduke.
In Lemberg | also had few words
with General Won Seeckt, who took a |
serious view of the position of the
Archduke Charles group, especially
south of the Dniester. The Russians
had thrust hard against the line west
of Tlumacz- Ottynia and in places
reached the crest of the Carpathians
between the Tartar Pass and the from
tier of Rumania
The fate of the Archduke Charles
group was a matter of life and death
to us. The grave position in which it
stood was naturally of the greatest
concern to us. If this group retired
any further south of the Dniester the
left wing and then the right of the eX-
tended eastern front would be carried
back with it.
We had continually to allow for the
situation of this group. We gave al
the help we could, although it was not
under our command.
The 1st infantry division which hau
already fought in the Carpathlans IN
the winter of 1915, was now by ofder
of our G. II. O., on it's way through
Hungary to this sector. | should nave
preferred to have 1t north of the car
pathians, as there was little chance
thai the Russians would attempt to
envelope our extreme right wing be-
tween our front and the Carpathians.
Their communications behind their
lines were much too bad, and this
danger could never become serious. 1t
would always be possible to meet 1t in
time, despite the incredible railway
communications in Hungary.
Loud Cries From Austria.
But the Austrian general staff at
Teschen, feared Russian invasion or
Hungary, and their cries for help
proved stronger than military consld-
erations.
On the return journey to Brest-
Litovsk, where We intended to remain
for the present in our train, We dis
cussed matters with General Won der
Marwtz and General Litzman, who
now commanded mixed German ana
Austro- Hungarian troops in Linsing-
ems army group They regarded their
position, if the Russians resumed their
attacks-and this they anticipated-as
very grave, basing their fears on their
experiences in recent actions, Both
General Won der MarwitZ and General
Litzmann were splendid soldiers and
fearless leaders. who had the well-be-
ing and efficiency of their men very
much at heart
We heard the same story every
where The situation in the east re
NAMED as critical as ever. ] had set
myself the double task of consolidat-
ing the front and training the troops
of the Austro- Hungarian army With
what measure of success was doubt
full.
Our headquarters in the train in
Brest -Litovsk station was anything
but ideal. We were really very poorly
housed There was no room to work.
The big maps alone took lot OF
space, to say nothing of our clerical
staff. The way in which Lieut.. Col.
Hoffman made the most of what he
called his salon" was source or
continuous amaZement The other Of
ficers had even less room. and, on top
of all this, the sun beat pitilessly down
on the roofs of the carriages, ana
made our stay uncomfortable.
He Fixes Up Citadel.
I decided, therefore, to leave the
train as soon as possible, and suggest
ed to the field marshal that we should
| Ilnu quarters III bltSl-l<itoNoh 4S5S'A'
| The members of the staff had a mild
shock. The town had been burnt to
the ground and was out of the ques-
ton; the citadel was little prison
The commandment of the fortress hao
made ii his residence and fixed UP his
| officers there, but labor had been toe
scarce for him to make 1t really SUIT
able.
1 mi. 81 1aper1p1tn6 1nI
overgrown, for nothing had been done
| for long time past. Nettles ran WIG
and the air was damp and musty The
| barracks were still there, but there
was not a stick of furniture. But this
was nothing: we had to decide some
thing.
| made arrangements for our head
/ quarters to be established in the cita'
del. OF course, it took a considerable
F! time before everything was ready, anc
we could leave the train.
1 liked being in Brest and did no
| leave the citadel. The remarkably
fine tall windows, with their bough;
dropping into the water which flowed
through the citadel, and the few shor
| avenues gave the whole pleasan
aspect. Desolation reigned outside thu
fortress. The ugly but highly import
ant railway junction and the guttet
town offered few attractions.
| had the barracks cleared of thu
invading creepers, so that the air coult
get to the walls and dry out thu
damp; trees were also felled and the
branches Topped, to allow the sun ano
air to get in. 1 took pleasure in put
ting things to rights.
| German troops were needed to stiff
fen the Austro- Hungarian front. Tit
old front of the commander in chic
in the east in the north) had alread!
been so heavily drawn upon that M
further demands could be made upoi
it for the time being.
We released a few cavalry regi
ments, a mixed division, about three
: battalions strong, and some batteries
! under General Melior We had al
ready promised these to the Austro
Hungarian army, and they were i'm
mediately dispatched.
)! Our only reserve for a front o
about $40 miles now consisted of Du
one cavalry brigade. strengthened b!
artillery and machine guns--certainl,
not an enviable position, considerin,
that we had to prepare at any momen
to send help to any point of an enor
Gus front This is but one further ex
) ample of what we Germans achieved
Other forces were available t.
G. H. Q. for use in the east. Enver hat
1 decided, in view of the critical position
in the east, to send the Turkish 15tl
army corps from the Constantinopl'
district to the east front The Ger
; man G. H Q. intended to strengthen
: Linsingen's group (near KoveD will
this division The billeting officer