The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-26
MESSINES RIDGE
(Continued Prom Page oneD

commander less wise than tho Grand
Duke Nicholas would have battl"d des-
pera,ely for Cracow. lost a million men
and AT the end Of tho year been farther
away from it than in September. But
as il was tho first great advance was
promptly recalled when Won Hehocn-
burg threatened Warsaw. and the sec
ond also was abandoned when II was III
| the very gates of tho city.
The first hattie of Warsaw and tho
battle OF kazimirjcr were StratcGlcallE
admirable. and the subsequent tghtlnE'
from Kozienice westward. showed inc
stubborn yalor Of the Russian soldier
Not less brilliant was the long retire
ment from the Warta. There was some
! blunder of timing in the fighting be-
tween LODI and Lowicz, for which Rem
nenkampf was held responsible. but
there was no flaw In the retreat TO the
| Bzura or the holding of the river line.
The Grand Duke Nisholas proved that
he possessed that highest Of military
Kifts-the power of remuneration. or
! cutting losses" of sacrificing the less
| essential for the more. We must re-
member that in all these first i've
i months OF war the united strength Of
tho Teutonic league outnumbered the
! Russians by at least half million Lo-
! cSlly. as at the first battle Of Warsaw.
the latter may have had the superiority.
/ but in all the retreat from the Warta to
! the Bzura the Russian front was mark
| edly inferior in weight OF men to Won
Mackensen's forces When we remem-
Der this we can do justice not only to
J the excellence Of the generalship. but
, also to the stamina and courage Of the
rank and file Let il be added that re-
| ports are unanimous as TO the behavior
/ Of the Russian troops at that time,
! their chvalry toward the foe their
| good humor. their kindness towards
each other and their devotion 10 their
| commanders.
In a decade tn miracle Of miracles
had happened. Russia had found her
self and her armies had become an ex-
preston Of the national will. There
IL as much difference" wrote one cor
respondent. in organization. morale
and efficiency between the armies which
! some Of US saw in Manchuria ten years
ago. and which crumplcd up before the
Imperial Guards Of Japan at the battle
Of the Yalu. and tho military machine
that these past few weeks has been
| steadily and surely driving back the
| armies of Germany and Austria as
! there was between tho raw American
recruits who stampeded at the battle
Of the Bull Run in 1861 and the vet
Grams who received the surrender Of
Lee at Appomatox."
II, then. am asked upon what I
based my hopes during October, 1914.
that is my answer.
On October 81 the First Corps came
into line, and after hard fighting held a,
night the line Zonnebeke-Lange-
marck-Bixschoote. the left Of the First
Division being on the User canal.
Some confusion and friction were
caused by the withdrawal of de Mtry's
| Cavalry Corps TO the west bank OF the
canal. thus uncoverinE the flank OF the
| First Corps. who were also considerably
1 delayed in their advance by French Ter
! ritorial troops blocking the road. In
spite Of this. however. the First Corps
delivered some powerful attacke with
| the bayonet. and in the afternoon the
| artillery Of the Corps was in action Ior
long time against retreatiug hostile
masses. They were splendid targets for
| one brigade In particular, which did trc-
| mendous execution.
The inevitable evils Of divided COM
mand are clearly shown when allied
troops are mixed. and the limits Of con-
troll cannot be properly defined. As will
appear later.I made the most strenuous
attempts to minimize this very serious
drawback. either until rectifed or con-
siderabfy reduced by arrangements be-
tween the two governments but all in
vain. could get no hearing.
was so strongly impressed with the
danger Of the confusion and congestion
which the divided command was caus-
| ing in the north that I went myself on
the evening Of the 21st to Ypres. where
| I was met by HaiS.. Rawlinson. dc
Mitry. and Bidon (who commanded a
French Territorial Division). Arrange
ments were there made by which, tho
town was to be at once cleared Of the
French troops, and the left flank Of the
First Corps properly covered.
On the 21st received a visit from
General Joffre, who told me he was at
once bringing UP the Ninth French
Army Corps to Ypres.
Two battalions Of the Lahore Divi-
sion were sent at night in motor omni-
buses to Wulverghem. to come under
| AllenbyS orders In support OF the cav
airy.
The Third Cavalry Division was
moved from the left to the right Of the
Seventh Division to be in a position TO
assist Allenby's Cavalry Corps. which
was being hard pressed on the left at
Zonaebeke.
A fine piece Of work was done by the
Fourth Division under Wilson on the
morning of the 21st. The Germans had
advanced and captured lie Cheer. Tho
Fourth Division retook II by a brilliant
counter attack and secured 200 prison
ers.
arsd TIE close Of the first phase OF the
Battle Of Ypres as the night Of Oct
ober 26. BY the morning Of the eth
the Ninth French Corps had settled
down in the trenches which they had
taken over from the First Corps in the
northern part Of the Ypres salient.
Speaking generally. 1t may b" said
that, In the last days Of this. tho open
ing period Of the battle. the northern
portion Of our line progressed slowly
but surely. Very heavy losses beng in
fieted On the enemy and many pris-
oners were captured.
To the south. however. between Zon-
nebeke and La Bassee, a certain amount
OF ground was lost. but the troops held
.tanchly to their position and there was
never any break OF a serious nature
made in the line.
On to 99d the enemy, who had
thrown a number Of pontoon bridges
across the Yys. opposite the cavalry
coros appeared TO be massing troops
against that part OF our line. The La
hore Division having then reached Bail
leul, sent Egerton's brisad" to sup
port the cavalry. I found there was no