Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-27
| we had suggested. it is impossible for

me to say.
The 9th. 18th and Sth armies con-
tinued TO advance on the same lines
as before ana in the strength settled
by general headquarters. Prepare
tons for the attack Of Novo Georg-
ievsk were begun. At the same time
we decided to take Kovno and the
Niemen army continue its attacks if
all went we'll
AS l had expected the operations of
| the allied armies in Poland to the
| east of the Nistula meant purely from
| tai pressure on the enemy and inces-
SAINT fighting. Repeated efforts to en-
velop the Russians ended in failure.
| The Russian armies We're certainly
| kent on the move, but they escaped.
They frequently made force counter
attacks with strong forces, and again
and again took advantage of the many
marshy areas in the neighborhood of
rivers and streams to rally and offer
prolonged resistance.
Owing to the continuous movement
| for many weeks on bad roads and,
| generally speaking, in bad weather,
| the strain on our troops was tremend-
Gus. Clothing and boots were in rags
and tatters. supply was difficult. 1t
was almost impossible to find billets,
as the Russians Systematically de-
| stroyed or burned stores and villages.
| They drove the cattle before them
and left them to die on the high
road.
The population which they carried
off with them were driven into the
swamps at the sides of the road, If
| they blocked the way. Many scenes
| ~,
| indelibly imprinted on my memory
The supply and transport conditions
became more unfavorable from day
to day, especially with the 18th army,
which was getting further and further
away from its railhead, Communica-
tons with the rear were improved for
the 8th army after the capture of
! Iomza- Osowiec. 1t was then posi-
BILE, but still very difficult, to send
supplies from that side.
Could Not Help Exhaustion.
What vehicles we had were prin-
cipally employed in bringing up am
munition. In attack our exhausted
infantry required more support from
the artillery the further east they got
| AS the distances increased, the diff
Guilty in bringing up ammunition in
/ GTtdSGu pIDpOEllpIldtelN nus ing
movement slowed down and lost its
sting
After the conclusion of peace with
Russia, a. highly placed Russian of
ficer told me he had never been able
to understand why we had not pushed
on with greater vigor. as if we had
the Russian army would have gone
to pieces. Officers and men did
everything IN their power to bring
about that result, but when perfect
discipline, the greatest enthusiasm
and the most strenuous efforts on the
part of everv individual cannot stave
off the stage Of exhaustion. the viii
of the commander is equally power.
less.
The lines of communication became
longer and longer: they far exceeded
the one hundred and twenty kilomo
! ters 800 miles) which we bad re
garded as the extreme limit. The en-
tente were better off during their bis
attacks in the summer of 1918 They
had numerous railway connection
running direct from behind thei
front line, and were able to bring III
. their enormous supply of munition
continuously, and thus support thei
infantry effectively. Motor transpor
enabled the infantry to recuDerate II
good, well-furnished hillets, and re
turn to the line again and again will
renewed vieor.
Aries Taken From Him.
Operations continued in accordanc,
with the plans of the general staff
lat the end of July, Cholm aud Lublil
. fell into our hands. Further cast W,
were not making much progress, ant
} thus gave the Russians time to with
draw troops from the salient we wer'
making in their line. and send then
south to form q new front.