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WITH  THE  RUSSIAN  ARMY 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK  •    BOSTON  •   CHICAGO  •   DALLAS 
ATLANTA  •   SAN   FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  LIMITED 

LONDON  •   BOMBAY  •   CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  LTD. 

TORONTO 


THE  TSAR 


WITH   THE    RUSSIAN 
ARMY 

BEING  THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A 
NATIONAL  GUARDSMAN 


ROBERT  R:  McCORMICK 

MAJOR  FIRST   CAVALRY,    ILLINOIS  NATIONAL   GUARDS 


WITH  MAPS,  CHARTS,  AND  *J  FULL  PAGE 
ILLUSTRATIONS 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 
1915 

All  rights  reserved 


OOPTBIGHT,  1915, 

BY  EGBERT  E.  MoCOEMICK. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.    Published  September,  19x5. 


Nor  too  cti  13«B8 

J.  8.  Cushing  Co.  —  Berwick  <fc  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


tto 


THE  GRAND  DUKE  NICOLAS  NICOLAIEVITCH 

OF   RUSSIA 
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF   OF  ALL  THE   ARMIES 

WHO,  AS  A  SIGN  OF  FRIENDSHIP  FOR  AMERICA,  INVITED  ME  TO  VISIT 
THE  TROOPS  UNDER  HIS  COMMAND,  AND  WHO,  AS  A  FURTHER  SIGN  OF 
FRIENDSHIP,  PERMITTED  ME  TO  SEE  THE  INSIDE  OF  THE  RUSSIAN 
MILITARY  ORGANIZATION  AND  FRONTIER  FORTRESSES,  SO  THAT  OUR 
COUNTRY  MIGHT  HAVE  THE  BENEFIT  OF  RUSSIA'S  UNEQUALLED  EX- 
PERIENCE IN  MILITARY  AFFAIRS  AND  MIGHT  BE  ABLE  TO  ADOPT  SUCH 
OF  HER  METHODS  APPLICABLE  TO  OUR  PARTICULAR  CONDITIONS 


INTRODUCTION 

I  HAD  been  so  long  at  an  office  desk  when 
the  war  broke  over  Europe  that  the  idea  of 
going  into  it  never  occurred  to  me. 

I  had  been  considered  too  young  for  the 
war  of  1898.  Parental  objection  had  stopped 
my  attempting  to  witness  the  war  between 
Japan  and  Russia.  I  had  been  compelled 
to  devote  myself  to  business  affairs  for 
seven  years  to  the  exclusion  of  all  wider 
interests.  It  was  thus  not  due  to  any  initia- 
tive of  mine,  but  to  the  energy  of  my  mother, 
who  planned  for  me  the  experiences  she  had 
forbidden  ten  years  before,  that  I  received 
the  following  invitation : 

THE  PLAZA, 

NEW  YORK, 

Tuesday. 
DEAR  MRS.  McCoRMicK,  — 

I  have  just  received  the  following  telegram  from 
Sazonoff :  — 

vii 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

"Having  preserved  the  best  remembrances  of  the 
last  Ambassador,  Mr.  McCormick,  and  wishing  to  give 
to  the  United  States  a  new  proof  of  his  sympathy,  the 
Grand  Duke  consents,  as  a  unique  exception,  to  admit 
your  Mr.  McCormick  on  the  field  of  active  fighting, 
but  Mr.  McCormick  must  arrive,  not  as  a  war  corre- 
spondent, but  as  a  distinguished  foreigner  personally 
known  to  the  Grand  Duke.  This  will  give  him  an 
exceptionally  prominent  position,  which  is  refused  to 
others,  and  at  the  same  time  it  will  not  prevent  him 
from  sending  to  America  correspondences,  which,  of 
course,  will  have  to  pass  through  the  censor." 

I  am  delighted  it  has  been  settled  that  way,  and  I 
hope  you  are  satisfied,  too. 

We  expect  to  be  back  in  Washington  either  the  day 
after  to-morrow,  Thursday,  or  on  Friday,  and  then  I 
must  have  a  talk  with  Mr.  McCormick. 

Sincerely  yours, 
(Signed)     G.  BAKHMETEFF. 

In  fact,  it  came  as  a  distinct  shock  to  me. 
Ten  years  had  elapsed  since  I  had  taken  any 
extended  journey.  Nearly  that  much  time 
had  passed  since  I  had  absented  myself  so 
much  as  a  week  from  business  occupation, 
and  I  was  loath  to  undertake  the  discomforts 
of  the  one  and  the  idleness  of  the  other.  But 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

most  of  all  I  wondered  whether  I  retained 
the  physical  courage  to  go  upon  the  battle- 
field. 

I  knew  that  physical  courage  was  as  much 
dependent  upon  training  and  practice  as  any 
other  form  of  physical  activity.  For  years 
I  had  had  none  of  this  training,  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  had  been  steeped  as  fully  as  any 
other  in  the  cult  of  cowardice  which  has  been 
such  a  distinct  feature  of  modern  American 
intellectual  thought. 

However,  the  offer  was  one  that  could  not 
be  rejected,  -  -  the  only  stranger  to  be  in- 
vited to  the  Russian  armies.  The  duty  of 
bringing  to  America  the  information  which 
"was  denied  to  others";  above  all,  to  see 
from  within  the  military  organization  of  a 
country  geographically  so  like  ours  and  so 
eminent  in  military  experience,  was  a  call  to 
patriotism  that  could  not  be  refused. 

On  the  day  I  sailed  from  New  York,  the 
10th  day  of  February,  I  received  the  follow- 
ing note  from  the  Russian  Ambassador : 


x  INTRODUCTION 

THE  PLAZA, 

NEW  YORK. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  McCoRMiCK, — 

Here  you  are,  —  I  hope  they  will  prove  useful. 
Good  luck,  good  health,  good  fun,  —  and  use  your 
good  clear  eye  to  see  the  truth  and  your  pen  to  spread 

it. 

Yours  sincerely, 

(Signed)     G.  BAKHMETEFF. 

I  arrived  in  Liverpool  the  18th  of  February, 
the  first  day  of  the  submarine  blockade. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     WITH  THE  BRITISH          ....  1 

II.    THE  EMPEROR  OF  RUSSIA       ...  32 

III.  THE  GRAND  DUKE 46 

IV.  WARSAW 63 

V.     ON  THE  RAWKA  BATTLE  LINE        .        .  76 

VI.     THROUGH  GALICIA 97 

VII.     MILITARY   HISTORY  OF  THE   WAR  TILL 

THE  END  OF  APRIL  .        .        .        .119 
VIII.     THE  RUSSIAN  ARMY        .        .        .        .146 

IX.     THE  KAZAKS 170 

X.     WITH  THE  "CORPS  DE  LA  GARDE"        .  188 

XI.      TRIPS    FROM   THE    CORPS    HEADQUARTERS  207 

XII.     OSSOWETZ 219 

XIII.  UPON  MODERN  FORTIFICATIONS       .         .  230 

XIV.  LEAVING  RUSSIA 248 

APPENDIX  A : 

HISTORY  OF  THE  ACTS  LEADING  UP  TO  THE 

GREAT  WAR 255 

APPENDIX  B  : 

LESSONS  FOR  AMERICA  FROM  GREAT  BRIT- 
AIN'S SHORTCOMINGS  IN  THIS  WAR        .  281 

xi 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Tsar Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

The  Grand  Duke  Nicolas,  Commander-in-Chief  46 

General  Yanouskevitch 50 

With  one  Hand  he  struck  the  Austrians,  with  the 
other  he  dragged  the  Germans  from  the  Gates 

of  Paris 54 

Prince  Toundoutoff 60 

Kazak  Cavalry 66 

Range  Finder  for  Air-gun  Battery        ...  72 

Prepared  Reserve  Trench 98 

The  Front  Trench  in  the  Carpathians,  taken  from 

between  the  Opposing  Lines  ....  98 
One  of  the  Inner  Forts  of  Peremysl  .  .  .104 
Two  Austrian  Children  Singing  Austrian  Hymns 

to  Russian  Soldiers  .  .  .  .  .110 
Kazak  Officer  Playing  with  Austrian  Children  in 

Galicia 110 

Rear  View  of  the  Front  Trench  in  the  Carpathians  112 
General  Gutor,  Commanding  36th  Infantry  Divi- 
sion, Watching  Artillery  Fire  in  the  Carpa- 
thian Mountains 116 

Typical  Russian  Infantry 148 

Russian  Field  Hospital 152 

Field  Chapel 152 

xiii 


xiv  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING  PA.GB 


Typical  Russian  Reservist 156 

Austrian  Prisoners 162 

Kazaks  of  the  Caucasus 162 

German  Prisoners 162 

Red  Cross  Wagon 166 

Siberian  Transport  Ponies 166 

Kazak  Sabre  Exercises 172 

Don  Kazak  Rough  Riders 172 

Don  Kazak  and  Boy  Scout 180 

1.  Grand  Duke  Boris.  2.  General  Bezobrazoff, 

Commander  of  Guards  Corps  .  .  .192 
Grand  Duke  Dimitri  Pavlovitch.  Prince  Peter 

of    Oldenbourg,     Brother-in-law    of     Tsar. 

Grand  Duke  Peter  of  Russia  .  .  .200 

The  Train  used  as  Headquarters  ....  216 

Commander  of  Fortress  of  Ossowetz  .  .  .  222 

Unexploded  German  Shells 222 

Near  View  of  Field  Gun 232 

Firing  a  Field  Gun 232 


WITH  THE  RUSSIAN  ARMY 


WITH  THE   RUSSIAN 
ARMY 

CHAPTER   I 

WITH  THE  BRITISH 

ON  the  steamer  I  met  two  ladies  belonging 
to  that  class  whose  names  are  never  omitted 
from  the  society  columns  of  newspapers,  and 
who  were,  of  course,  very  strongly  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  Allies.  They  were  frankly 
and  unaffectedly  ignorant  of  public  opinion 
in  America,  and  very  much  concerned  to  find 
that  it  was  not  as  universally  sympathetic 
with  England  as  they  were.  They  wanted 
me  to  state  my  opinion  to  the  British  au- 
thorities, and  introduced  me  to  Lady  Essex, 
an  American  woman  married  to  an  English 
peer,  and  by  her  I  was  taken  to  lunch  with  the 
Prime  Minister  of  England. 

To  the  Prime  Minister  I  stated  my  judg- 


2        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

ment  of  American  public  opinion  to  be  that 
the  small  element  known  as  "society"  was 
very  strongly  pro-Ally;  that  the  element  of 
German  ancestry,  and  particularly  that  of 
German  birth,  was  naturally  pro-German; 
and  that  the  bulk  of  the  nation  was  strongly 
pro-American  and  was  inclined  to  be  critical 
of  all  the  nations  involved  in  the  war. 

That  American  public  opinion  could  be 
neutral  was  a  great  surprise  to  Mr.  Asquith. 
He  felt  very  strongly  the  course  of  his  gov- 
ernment, with  special  reference  to  the  achieve- 
ment of  Home  Rule  for  Ireland,  the  assurance 
of  religious  equality  in  Wales,  the  various 
carefully  worked  out  measures  for  the  im- 
provement of  living  conditions,  the  supremacy 
of  the  public  over  the  aristocracy,  entitled  it 
to  the  whole-souled  support  of  the  American 
republic  against  the  German  military  mon- 
archy. 

At  the  time  of  my  visit  Mr.  Asquith  had 
entirely  effaced  himself  in  the  conduct  of  the 
war  and  was  confining  his  efforts  to  bringing 
the  full  force  of  his  authority  to  support  Lord 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  S 

Kitchener,  just  as  some  fifty-odd  years  before 
President  Lincoln  had  effaced  himself  to  sup- 
port General  Grant.  Indeed,  Mr.  Asquith 
reminds  me  very  much  of  the  Lincoln  of  war 
times,  not  the  Lincoln  of  tradition  which 
has  been  built  up  in  recent  years,  but  the 
Lincoln  my  grandfather  described  —  the 
patient,  comprehending  politician,  who  bore 
on  the  force  of  his  personality  the  strains 
of  jealousies,  hatreds,  and  distrusts  which 
threatened  to  wreck  the  machinery  of  his 
government. 

If  the  war  turns  out  well  for  his  country, 
Mr.  Asquith's  name  will  become  immortal. 
If  it  turns  out  ill,  there  will  be  no  more 
democratic  government  in  Europe  for  several 
centuries. 

Through  Mr.  Asquith  I  met  Sir  Edward 
Grey,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs.  In  no 
part  of  my  trip  was  I  so  much  surprised  as  by 
this  Minister.  I  had  thought  of  the  British 
Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  as  about  like 
our  own  Secretaryship  of  State,  —  the  posi- 
tion given  to  the  second  most  important  poli- 


4         WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

tician  belonging  to  the  party  in  power  irre- 
spective of  his  qualifications  or  previous 
experience  in  diplomacy,  and  depending  upon 
the  able  and  educated  counsellor  or  first 
assistant  secretary  for  information,  and  upon 
the  President  for  decisions. 

Sir  Edward  Grey  was  as  fluent  in  talking  of 
foreign  affairs  as  is  nobody  in  the  American 
government  excepting  Mr.  Alvey  A.  Adee, 
the  second  assistant  Secretary  of  State,  and 
he  spoke  with  fully  as  much  authority  as  a 
President. 

My  final  surprise  was  to  learn  that  in 
politics  there  were  at  that  time  at  least 
three  members  of  the  Cabinet  more  powerful 
than  he. 

Sir  Edward  Grey  elaborated  the  state- 
ments contained  in  the  British  White  Book, 
and  he  gave  back  the  life  to  the  negotiations 
of  which  they  had  been  stripped  in  the  formal 
phraseology  of  diplomacy.  I  remember  dis- 
tinctly his  explaining  that  the  problem  as  a 
problem  presented  by  the  murder  of  Sarajevo 
was  much  less  difficult  than  the  one  pre- 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  5 

sented  at  the  close  of  the  Balkan  war,  when 
Austria  refused  to  allow  Servia  to  retain 
Durazzo. 

Solution  was  obtained  in  the  former  case, 
he  said,  because  all  of  the  diplomats  and  the 
Great  Powers  worked  disinterestedly  to  find 
a  basis  on  which  they  could  avoid  war. 
Peaceful  solution  failed  in  the  present  case, 
he  insisted,  only  because  Austria  and  Ger- 
many refused  to  consider  any  form  of  adjust- 
ment other  than  the  imposition  of  Austria's 
sovereignty  upon  Servia. 

I  also  called  upon  Winston  Churchill, 
First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty,  then  at  the 
height  of  his  turbulent  conduct  of  the  War 
Office.  He  was  on  top  for  the  last  time  and 
was  about  to  embark  upon  the  unfortunate 
expedition  to  the  Dardanelles.  He  did  not 
refer  to  his  master  stroke  in  having  the  fleet 
ready  mobilized  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak 
of  war,  but  acknowledged  it  when  I  mentioned 
the  subject. 

He  spoke  of  the  victory  of  the  Falkland 
Islands  as  the  logical  outcome  of  the  Navy 


6         WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Department's  activities,  and  expressed  keen 
regret  that  the  recent  victory  in  the  North 
Sea  in  which  the  Bluecher  had  been  sunk, 
and  which  was  at  that  time  the  cause  of  much 
British  rejoicing,  had  not  been  more  complete. 

Next  to  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  he  is 
the  most  aggressive  person  I  have  ever  met, 
and  I  think  that  if  he  had  had  a  military  in- 
stead of  an  academic  education  he  would 
have  made  a  great  general  or  admiral. 

From  England  I  passed  over  to  France  at 
midnight,  all  daylight  passage  at  that  time 
being  stopped  because  of  the  German  sub- 
marine blockade. 

In  Paris  I  called  upon  the  Foreign  Minis- 
ter, Mr.  Delcasse,  my  father's  old  friend,  a 
man  of  active  intellect  and  rapid  speech,  and 
from  him  heard  much  the  same  point  of  view 
I  had  heard  from  the  British  Minister;  viz., 
that  the  French  Republic  defending  Repub- 
licanism against  Imperial  conquest  deserved 
at  least  the  whole-hearted  sympathy  of  the 
other  great  republic  overseas.  He  made  me 
feel,  although  he  did  not  say  it,  that  France 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  7 

remembered  that  when  America  was  fighting 
for  freedom,  France  had  come  to  her  rescue. 
He  spoke  strongly  of  the  German  methods  of 
making  war,  of  the  shooting  of  citizens,  of 
the  wanton  destruction  of  religious  and  artis- 
tic buildings.  He  was  extraordinarily  sur- 
prised when  I  told  him  that  in  America  there 
was  a  great  deal  of  doubt  as  to  whether  any 
reliance  could  be  placed  on  any  such  allega- 
tions. And  that  is  how  I  came  to  get  to  the 
front  in  France,  because  he  procured  for  me  a 
pass  to  see  the  condition  of  Arras. 

To  Arras,  then,  I  went  a  day  or  two  later, 
experiencing  the  same  emotions  as  affect  all 
Americans  arriving  in  warring  countries.  I 
travelled  by  train  to  Calais,  where  I  was 
arrested  by  a  fussy  petty  official.  Only  in 
France  of  all  the  warring  countries  does  the 
average  traveller  find  oppression  from  petty 
officials.  At  the  time  I  attributed  this  to 
France's  being  in  greater  peril  than  any 
other  contestant,  but  I  have  since  been  in- 
formed that  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that  these 
petty  officials  have  so  much  political  power 


8        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

that  they  can  tyrannize  and  even  graft  at 
will. 

From  Calais  I  went  by  train  to  St.  Omer, 
from  which  point  the  French  commission  at 
the  British  Headquarters  sent  me  to  Arras. 

Of  my  visit  to  the  city  itself  my  diary 
says :  — 

"Left  for  St.  Pol  7.45.  Arrived  about  9. 
Waited  one  hour  for  pass.  Left  for  Arras. 
Report  road  being  heavily  shelled.  Arrived 
division  headquarters  about  eleven.  Noise 
of  bombardment  loud.  Road  reported  dan- 
gerous. Only  one  auto  allowed.  Beat  it 
into  Arras.  Not  fired  at.  Saw  Hotel  de 
Ville  was  deliberately  ruined  and  two  churches 
destroyed.  Considerable  rifle  and  gun  fire  all 
around.  Several  shells  fell  in  town.  One 
was  near  enough  to  feel  shock.  Didn't  see 
anything.  Were  within  forty  yards  of  Ger- 
mans. Didn't  see  them.  People  miserable. 
De  Mas  Latrie  says  his  home  on  Belgian  fron- 
tier destroyed  by  Bochs,  also  factory  of  his 
brother-in-law  was  taken  down  and  shipped 
to  Germany.  Fine  lunch.  General  refused  to 
let  me  see  his  guns,  of  which  he  has  over  100." 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  9 

After  I  had  returned  to  London  the  trip 
appeared  humorous  and  I  wrote  the  following 
article  about  it :  — 

It  has  been  the  part  of  most  war  corre- 
spondents to  have  thrilling  experiences;  it 
remained  for  me  to  have  a  trip  to  the  front 
which  was  funny  from  beginning  to  end. 

My  permit  to  go  to  the  front  of  the  French 
army  came  through  the  intercession  of  the 
great  French  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  Del- 
casse,  about  whom  I  will  write  more  in  an- 
other letter. 

I  believe  this  astute  diplomat  broke  through 
the  rigid  army  regulations  forbidding'civilians, 
and  especially  newspaper  men,  from  going  to 
the  front  by  asking  leave  for  me  to  see  the 
devastation  wrought  by  the  Germans  upon 
religious  edifices  and  historical  monuments. 

However,  I  did  not  know  this  when  I  rose 
at  daybreak. 

My  train  to  the  front  was  not  a  military 
train,  filled  with  soldiers,  or  even  a  supply 
train,  but  an  accommodation,  travelling  with 


10       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

aggravating  nonchalance  a  few  miles  in  the 
rear  of  the  embattled  armies. 

We  detrained  at  Calais  —  military  terms 
are  necessary  in  war  correspondence.  After 
dining  quietly  we  returned  to  the  railway 
station  ten  minutes  before  the  train  was  due 
to  start  for  that  unmentionable  point  that  was 
to  see  the  beginning  of  our  adventure. 

There  we  were  promptly  arrested. 

The  military  pass  looked  so  helpless  I  pro- 
duced my  passport.  Fatal  mistake  !  On  the 
passport  my  profession  was  given  as  a  news- 
paper man,  and  newspaper  men  are  forbidden 
at  the  front !  Fortunately,  the  stamps  on 
my  insignificant-looking  military  passport 
proved  talismans  strong  enough  to  overcome 
any  ill  omen  of  my  unfortunate  profession. 

Finally  we  arrived  at  the  commander's 
office.  The  officers  rose  at  our  entrance.  The 
telegram  from  Paris  had  just  arrived  and 
orders  had  been  given  to  furnish  us  with 
every  convenience  to  visit  the  headquarters 
of  General ,  that  man  who  so  distin- 
guished himself  at  the  Marne  and  whose  rise 
is  one  of  the  features  of  the  war. 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  11 

"Would  monsieur  like  to  start  at  once,  or 
if  not,  by  what  hour  of  the  morning?  Was 
monsieur  alone  or  with  a  friend?  Monsieur 
was  with  a  friend.  Very  well,  then,  mon- 
sieur must  have  two  automobiles,  one  for 
monsieur  and  the  officer  who  would  conduct 
him  and  one  for  monsieur's  friend  and  the 
baggage." 

Monsieur's  friend  looked  quite  angry. 
Monsieur's  desire  to  say  that  monsieur  would 
have  liked  to  have  the  other  automobile  an 
hour  ago  was  resisted,  and  polite  remarks 
that  one  automobile  would  surely  be  suffi- 
cient were  cut  short  with  the  more  polite 
rejoinder  that  of  course  monsieur  was  "  tres 
large"  and  the  automobiles  were  not  over- 
strong. 

Then  home,  bed,  and  up  the  next  morning, 
of  course,  at  the  crack  of  dawn,  a  la  militaire. 
No  one  else  was  awake.  Finally  appears  an 
old  man  who  will  provide  bread  and  coffee. 

Suddenly  arrive  two  enormous  limousine 
automobiles,  each  capable  of  carrying  seven 
people,  each  with  a  military  driver  and  a  foot- 


12       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

man  on  the  box,  and  in  one  an  exceedingly 
kind  and  courteous  French  officer,  dressed  in 
that  new  French  gray,  which  I  am  sure  is  vis- 
ible when  nothing  else  on  earth  can  be  seen. 

Again  arises  the  desire  for  the  thrill  of 
battle,  but  it  is  soon  dispelled  by  the  quiet 
man  in  the  brilliant  gray,  who  says  that  his 
home  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  fighting  lines. 
It  had  been  totally  destroyed,  also  the  home 
of  his  bellemere  and  the  factory  of  his  beau- 
frere,  the  machinery  of  which  he  believes  has 
been  taken  down  and  shipped  to  Germany. 

An  hour's  rapid  running  brings  us  to  the 
headquarters  of  the  army  commander.  We 
will  now  see  the  great  man.  But  no,  the  great 
man  has  business  of  the  republic  to  mind. 
In  reasonable  time  is  produced  a  pass  to  pro- 
ceed to  headquarters  of  the  general  command- 
ing the  division  at  Arras. 

Right  and  left  are  farmers  working  in  the 
fields.  War  is  evidenced  only  by  numbers  of 
trucks  packed  in  rows,  as  they  might  be  be- 
fore a  big  commercial  house  at  home. 

Now  it  is  raining  hard,  a  cold  drizzle,  and 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  13 

rain  and  mud  are  coating  the  chauffeur.  The 
casual  and  not  sufficiently  grateful  guest  is 
comfortably  inside  the  big  limousine.  The 
machine  skids  a  little  and  the  officer  breaks 
out  impatiently. 

"It  is  impossible  to  control  these  chauffeurs ; 
because  they  owned  the  automobiles  before 
the  war  they  think  they  own  them  now." 

The  officer  is  surprised  when  his  guest 
bursts  into  a  roar  of  laughter  that  he,  a 
stranger,  is  sitting  comfortably  inside,  while 
the  rightful  owner  of  the  car  is  being  covered 
with  mud  and  cold  rain. 

A  tire  bursts  and  we  all  descend.  Hark! 
What  is  this  we  hear  ?  It  is  war,  the  greatest 
war,  but  it  sounds  sufficiently  like  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg  at  McVicker's  theatre. 

The  risibility  aroused  by  the  owner-chauf- 
feur will  not  down  immediately,  although  the 
officer,  who,  by  the  way,  has  fought  in  every  bat- 
tle of  the  war  until  two  weeks  ago,  looks  serious. 

"They  are  shelling  Arras  hard,"  he  says. 
"If  they  are  shelling  the  road  also  it  may  be 
impossible  for  us  to  go." 


14       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  guest  is  beginning  to  wish  that  they 
will  be  shelling  it  at  least  that  hard  or  not  at 
all. 

Arrived  at  division  headquarters,  the  roar 
of  cannonading  is  incessant  and  loud,  but 
even  as  we  wait  it  dies  away.  The  officer 
returns  and  with  him  a  captain  who  knows 
the  road.  There  is  no  danger,  he  says,  until 
we  reach  the  top  of  the  hill  before  Arras,  and 
then  there  are  three  miles  of  straight  road 
of  which  they  have  exact  range,  exposed  to 
the  enemy's  fire.  The  party  will  go  in  one 
car  to  minimize  the  target.  Target ! 

I  hear  the  chauffeur  of  one  car  congratulat- 
ing the  chauffeur  of  the  other,  but  whether 
the  man  who  goes  or  the  one  who  stays  be- 
hind is  congratulated,  I  do  not  know.  The 
captain  directs  the  chauffeur  when  he  reaches 
the  top  of  the  hill  to  put  on  full  speed.  "II 
faut  filet,"  he  says.  He  apologizes  for  taking 
the  right  hand  seat,  he  wishes  to  have  the 
speaking  trumpet  at  hand,  but  for  what  pur- 
pose had  never  been  made  apparent. 

Conversation    has    slackened.     Now    even 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  15 

Riley  is  not  talking  about  his  intense  desire 
to  enter  the  front  line  of  trenches.  My  own 
great  fear  is  that  in  the  company  of  three 
professional  soldiers  I  may  act  foolishly. 

We  reach  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  as  the 
spires  of  Arras  come  in  sight  each  man  puts  on 
"the  expression  I  want  to  be  found  with" 
look,  and  then  the  chauffeur  turns  the  car 
loose. 

Hail  Columbia:  The  road  is  absolutely 
smooth,  with  a  strong  down  grade.  I  am  sure 
that  after  the  first  half  mile  no  shell  could 
have  overtaken  us  from  behind,  although  we 
might  have  bumped  into  one  going  our  way. 

The  captain  on  my  right  shouts  in  my  ear, 
"You  will  not  be  able  to  hear  the  shells 
coming,"  and  I  don't  care,  because  I  know  the 
danger  of  the  shells  must  be  less  than  the 
danger  from  the  machine.  We  are  going  over 
eighty  miles  an  hour,  and  a  burst  tire  or  de- 
fective steering  gear  will  prove  as  deadly  as 
a  42-centimetre  projectile. 

I  realize  also  that  it  must  be  difficult  for  a 
gun  three  miles  away  to  hit  the  racing  target, 


16       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

but  I  do  not  appreciate  then  that  our  greatest 
danger  is  from  a  high  explosive  "obus"  burst- 
ing in  the  road  in  front  of  us.  Going  at  this 
speed  it  would  be  impossible  to  stop  the  car 
before  disaster. 

At  last  we  reach  Arras,  and  the  Germans, 
as  is  their  custom  following  the  entrance  of 
an  automobile,  shell  the  town.  Who  can  tell 
but  the  automobile  may  contain  the  com- 
manding general  ? 

It  is  now  we  learn  that  we  have  come  to  see 
the  ruin  perpetrated  by  the  "Boches,"  as  the 
French  universally  call  their  German  neigh- 
bors. 

We  are  led  to  the  hospital,  what  remains 
of  the  once  beautiful  city  hall,  and  the  cathe- 
dral. Since  I  was  brought  here  to  witness 
these  things  I  will  say  that  they  certainly 
went  at  them  with  true  German  thoroughness. 
They  are  still  useful  to  make  concrete,  but  for 
no  other  purpose. 

As  shells  were  occasionally  dropping  in  the 
little  town,  which  covered  perhaps  half  as 
much  ground  as  the  loop  district,  I  was  more 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  17 

interested  in  the  atrocities  the  Germans  were 
then  perpetrating  than  what  they  had  done  to 
artistic  triumphs  or  religious  buildings. 

Bang,  bang,  bang !  about  one  a  minute 
fell  the  high  explosive  shells.  None  fell 
within  vision,  but  one  landed  in  the  next 
garden  while  we  were  standing  in  the  hospital, 
and  the  fragments  rattling  round  the  wall  or 
whirring  overhead  were  decidedly  audible. 

One  of  these  shells  killed  six  French  soldiers. 
I  was  fortunately  spared  that  sight  and  only 
heard  of  it  as  we  were  leaving  the  city. 

Military  authorities  to  the  contrary  not- 
withstanding, I  believe  an  old  French  town  is 
the  best  possible  modern  fortress.  Its  ma- 
sonry work  is  superior  to  anything  in  modern 
times.  A  shell  hitting  a  brick  wall,  for  ex- 
ample, will  cut  a  round  hole  and  leave  the 
rest  of  the  wall  intact.  A  howitzer  shell  will 
fall,  as  one  did  within  fifty  yards  of  us,  and  the 
devastation  of  its  explosion  is  confined  to  a 
small  space.  People  living  in  the  cellars, 
vaulted  masses  of  masonry,  are  safe  except 
against  "Jack  Johnsons,"  those  massive  siege 


18       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

guns  which  destroyed  the  forts  of  Liege  and 
Namur. 

Just  now  the  French  artillery  begins  to 
reply,  the  wonderful  little  75s.  There  seem  to 
be  hundreds  of  them,  but  as  each  gun  can  fire 
over  twenty  shots  a  minute,  there  may  be  only 
a  few  batteries.  There  is  a  little  rifle  firing 
in  the  trenches  30  yards  away,  but  if  any 
bullets  flew  overhead  or  near  us,  I  did  not 
hear  them. 

When  the  time  arrives  for  our  departure 
the  captain  explains  it  will  not  be  possible  to 
go  back  uphill  as  fast  as  we  came  down,  and 
when  I  express  my  heartfelt  thanks  I  believe 
he  thinks  I  am  boasting  of  a  courage  I  do  not 
possess. 

We  return  to  headquarters  unmolested. 

From  a  haystack  on  a  hill-top  we  are  shown 
the  lines  of  the  French  and  of  the  enemy, 
which  in  some  places  are  only  a  few  yards 
apart.  We  have  an  excellent  lunch  at  divi- 
sion headquarters  and  are  politely  sent  on  our 
way. 

We  had  no  inkling  that  even  while  we  were 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  19 

at  table  the  Germans  made  a  bayonet  attack 
on  our  immediate  left  and  took  several  hun- 
dred yards  of  French  trenches,  which  were 
retaken  later.  We  did  not  see  a  single  Ger- 
man, and  not  over  a  hundred  French  soldiers. 

We  were  told  how  many  guns  were  used  in 
holding  this  important  salient  and  we  heard 
the  report  of  many,  some  very  near  us,  but  we 
never  even  guessed  where  a  single  one  was 
placed. 

Of  the  intense  feeling  of  these  men  who  have 
rendered  the  maintenance  of  a  republic  pos- 
sible in  Europe  I  will  write  when  I  have  tried 
to  measure  my  terms.  We  must  learn  from 
them,  if  our  own  republic  is  to  endure. 

My  French  permit  being  limited  to  a  visit 
to  the  ruins  of  Arras,  I  was  not  shown  any 
part  of  the  French  army. 

I  suggested  to  the  general  commanding 
the  division  that  the  Russians  would  ask  me 
particularly  about  the  "seventy -fives." 

:<You  have  heard  them?"  he  replied. 

"Yes,  all  around  me." 

"And  have  you  seen  any  of  them?" 


20       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

"No,  not  a  one." 

"Then  tell  the  Russians  that.  It  will  show 
how  well  we  conceal  our  gun  positions." 

Not  only  were  guns  concealed,  but  men  as 
well. 

We  passed  through  the  greater  part  of  an 
army  of  200,000  men  but  did  not  see  over 
2000  of  them.  This  is  explained  partly  by 
the  fact  that  most  of  the  men  not  in  the 
trenches  were  sleeping  and  that  men  are  pur- 
posely kept  under  cover  to  prevent  aeroplane 
scouts  from  estimating  the  numbers  in  any  one 
place. 

The  enormous  number  of  houses  in  this  part 
of  France  makes  it  easy  to  cover  up  men.  The 
population  has  largely  moved  away,  leaving 
houses,  factories,  and  other  buildings  for  the 
troops. 

An  idea  of  the  closeness  of  the  settlements 
may  be  obtained  when  I  say  that  they  are  more 
thickly  dotted  than  in  the  suburbs  of  Chicago. 
I  asked  an  officer  why  the  houses  were  not  all 
destroyed  by  artillery  fire,  and  he  answered : 

"They  are  too  many." 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  21 

At  home  one  shell  would  start  a  fire  and 
burn  a  whole  town.  Here  buildings  are  ma- 
sonry throughout,  fire,  bullet,  and  shrapnel 
proof.  A  shell  from  a  field-piece  only  knocks 
a  hole  in  a  wall. 

French  officers  and  men  do  not  associate 
with  each  other  when  off  duty,  but  when  oc- 
casion arises  for  intercourse,  such  as  news 
from  the  firing  line,  it  is  upon  a  basis  of 
equality.  On  the  other  hand,  orders  are 
given  in  peremptory  tone  and  rebuke  is  ad- 
ministered savagely. 

Two  German  prisoners,  being  escorted  by 
as  many  cavalrymen,  failed  to  salute  a  French 
colonel. 

He  halted  them  and  made  them  stand  at 
attention  and  then  stormed  at  them  in  a 
manner  that  made  me  fear  he  was  about  to 
order  a  summary  execution.  After  he  left  I 
looked  at  the  Germans'  faces.  They  be- 
trayed anger,  not  fear. 

As  the  motor  raced  on  I  had  an  opportunity 
to  judge  the  comparative  invisibility  of  the 
different  uniforms.  The  Germans  were  in 


22       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

the  new  slate  color,  the  French  escort  in 
old,  old  blue  coats  and  red  trousers,  the  col- 
onel in  the  ringing  steel  gray  just  adopted. 

First  the  Germans  were  merged  with  the 
mud  of  the  street,  then  the  soldiers,  and  after 
all  had  disappeared,  long  after,  the  French 
colonel  was  plainly  seen. 

We  saw  thousands  of  motor  trucks,  thou- 
sands of  wagons,  but  of  the  traditional  picture 
of  war  nothing  —  no,  not  quite  nothing.  Just 
at  dusk  on  a  hill-top  we  saw  a  mass  of  batteries 
limbered  up,  drivers  in  their  seats,  the  officers 
mounted  and  conversing  in  groups.  It  might 
have  been  the  subject  of  a  picture. 

It  was  the  reserve  artillery  waiting  for  dark 
to  advance  to  position  to  shell  the  Germans 
who  had  gained  some  trenches  that  day. 

The  value  not  only  of  discipline  but  of  mili- 
tary bearing  and  even  military  appearance 
is  apparent  at  the  seat  of  war. 

Especially  is  this  needed  in  officers.  Sol- 
diers know  almost  nothing  about  the  progress 
of  the  battle  and  are  encouraged  or  lose  heart 
by  the  appearance  of  their  superiors. 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  23 

If  any  reader  thinks  this  opinion  is  undem- 
ocratic or  foppish,  let  him  stand  an  hour  under 
shell  fire  as  I  did  at  Arras  and  he  will  come  to 
my  way  of  thinking. 

As  we  returned  through  the  army  head- 
quarters we  became  aware  of  an  air  of 
anxiety  and  depression.  An  idea  of  the 
successful  German  attack  had  circulated 
around. 

Suddenly  an  automobile  dashed  in  from  the 
front. 

All  eyes  turned  upon  its  occupants. 

They  saw  two  men  in  that  ringing  gray, 
erect  as  lamp-posts,  with  carefully  trimmed 
square  beards  and  wearing  expressions  of 
theatrical  resolution.  They  would  have 
drawn  eggs  and  oranges  on  South  Water 
Street,  but  they  brought  only  comfort  to  the 
anxious  hearts  in  St.  Pol.  And  I,  moved  by 
some  strange  impulse  of  mob  psychology, 
felt  a  thrill  strangely  akin  to  a  prayer. 

The  French  regained  their  trenches  at  day- 
break. 

Entirely  by  coincidence,  my  pass  to  Arras 


24       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

brought  me  to  St.  Omer,  where  Sir  John 
French  then  had  his  headquarters. 

While  in  London  I  had  asked  Lord  North- 
cliffe  and  Mr.  Asquith  if  permission  could  not 
be  obtained  for  me  to  see  the  British  lines, 
but  had  received  no  answer  up  to  the  time 
of  my  departure.  I  therefore  decided  to 
call  upon  the  Field  Marshal  in  person  and 
see  if  my  request  had  been  granted.  I  had 
taken  with  me  to  wear  in  Russia,  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  the  Russian  Embassy,  my  uniform 
as  colonel  in  the  Illinois  National  Guard, 
and  before  going  to  Arras  I  asked  a  former 
lieutenant  in  the  United  States  army  whether 
I  should  wear  this  uniform  to  the  French 
front.  He  was  emphatic  in  his  refusal,  and 
as  I  had  no  civilian  clothes  suitable  for  out- 
ing purposes,  I  made  up  a  suit  by  grafting  a 
city  coat  and  waistcoat  upon  a  pair  of  army 
breeches  and  topping  it  with  an  automobile 
cap,  giving  a  fine  likeness  of  a  racehorse 
trainer. 

In  this  attire  I  presented  myself  at  Field 
Marshal  Sir  John  French's  headquarters  and 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  25 

presenting  my  visiting  card,  asked  to  see  the 
Commander-in-Chief .  I  did  not  immediately 
see  that  person,  but  was  received  by  an  auto- 
cratic non-com,  with  bristling  mustache  who 
asked,  in  penetrating  tone,  if  it  were  not  a 
fact  that  I  was  a  newspaper  man.  Upon  my 
admission  of  this  damning  fact,  he  proposed 
to  hear  no  more  but  to  assign  me  to  the  special 
limbo  prepared  for  such  beasts. 

From  this  martinet  I  was  rescued  by  a  com- 
missioned officer  who  introduced  himself  as 
Lord  Brook  and  politely  told  me  that  it  was 
impossible  for  anybody  to  see  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief, but  that  on  the  morrow  he 
would  endeavor  to  ascertain  whether  word 
of  me  had  been  received  at  headquarters 
from  the  Prime  Minister.  In  the  meantime 
he  would  see  that  I  had  a  room  at  the 
hotel. 

It  so  happened  that  an  acquaintance  I  had 
made  in  London  knew  Field  Marshal  French, 
and  with  that  quality  of  wishing  to  help 
strangers  that  characterizes  the  English,  had 
promptly  written  me  a  letter  of  introduction 


26       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

to  be  presented  if  I  received  permission  to 
go  to  the  front.  I  now  presented  it.  This 
letter  proving  that  I  was  not  a  fraud,  which 
even  my  polite  officer  believed  up  to  that 
time,  I  was  most  hospitably  entertained,  and 
dined  that  night  with  the  Field  Marshal  and 
his  Staff. 

Sir  John  French's  photograph  has  fre- 
quently been  in  every  newspaper  and  he  has 
been  described  by  many  writers.  I  need  only 
say,  therefore,  that  February  last  he  was 
hard  as  nails,  and  the  fatigues  of  his  cam- 
paign had  made  no  visible  impression  upon 
him.  He  was  preparing  to  fight  the  battle 
of  Neuve  Chapelle,  although,  of  course,  I  did 
not  know  it  at  the  time.  There  was  no  sign 
of  nervousness  over  what  he  had  to  do. 

Sir  John  French,  aside  from  his  great 
military  ability,  is  a  most  interesting  per- 
sonality, a  man  of  very  fixed  opinions  and  of 
fearlessness  in  giving  expression  to  them. 
He  held  the  best  position  in  the  British  army, 
—  Chief  of  the  General  Staff, — and  this  he 
relinquished  rather  than  make  the  plan  to 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  27 

coerce  Ulster  in  the  Home  Rule  matter.  He 
has  a  sister  who  is  a  militant  suffragist,  and 
to  whom  —  to  the  horror  of  law-abiding 
Englishmen  —  he  lent  aid  and  counsel.  In 
refusing  to  take  part  in  any  military  steps 
against  Ulster  he  faced  the  alternative  of 
resignation,  which  was  not  a  simple  thing  for 
him,  as  he  was  a  poor  man. 

Without  means  of  his  own,  and  lacking 
any  government  appropriation,  he  would 
never  have  learned  the  terrain  over  which 
he  has  had  to  fight  were  it  not  that  a  friend 
of  his,  Mr.  Brinsley  Fitzgerald,  took  him  in 
his  automobile  through  Belgium  and  northern 
France  on  all  of  his  furloughs.  Thus  the 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  British  army  was 
educated  partly  at  the  expense  of  a  friend  who 
is  now  his  military  secretary. 

I  described  the  battle  front  at  that  time, 
as  it  has  been  described  by  every  newspaper 
man  that  followed  me,  beginning  with  Fred- 
erick Palmer  of  the  Associated  Press. 

The  newness  is  worn  off  of  that  subject, 
but  I  do  not  believe  that  interest  in  the 


28       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

British  Expeditionary  Force  can  ever  die, 
although  most  of  the  Force  is  dead. 

Without  a  whimper,  without  a  protest,  it 
went  to  its  destruction  in  the  defence  of  the 
nation  which  had  neglected  it,  just  as  our 
regular  army  must  go  some  day  unless  by  the 
grace  of  God  we  may  learn  preparedness  in 
time. 

One  day  Major  Charles  Grant  of  the  Cold- 
stream  Guards  took  me  to  the  front.  He 
was  the  only  one  of  seven  officers  of  his  com- 
pany to  be  on  his  feet  at  the  end  of  a  day  at 
the  Aisne.  He  had  two  bullet  holes  through 
his  arm,  and  his  tunic  had  been  scorched  by 
a  shell  that  had  blown  him  several  yards. 
Only  seven  of  his  men  out  of  two  hundred 
and  thirty  remained.  He  commented  on  the 
fact  that  he  should  be  the  survivor  of  that 
battle,  because  he  was  not  only  the  tallest 
man  in  his  company,  but  one  of  the  tallest 
men  in  Europe. 

From  him  I  received  a  lesson  in  conduct 
under  fire.  He  took  me  among  other  places 
to  a  certain  observation  station  located  in  an 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  29 

abandoned  base,  and  there  we  found  a  new 
officer  unacquainted  with  the  surroundings, 
just  arrived  to  take  the  place  of  one  who  had 
gone  to  join  his  comrades  across  the  Aisne 
and  the  Styx. 

Major  Grant,  with  infinite  detail,  identified 
every  object  in  sight  through  the  little  peep- 
hole in  the  roof,  and  while  he  was  in  the  midst 
of  his  lecture  German  high  explosive  shells 
began  to  burst  near  by.  I  thought,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  we  would  all  run  to  shelter, 
but  the  two  officers  never  moved.  The  in- 
struction went  on  without  hurry,  and  when 
finished  the  pupil  recited  his  lesson  as  though 
in  a  schoolroom.  The  men  were  not  afraid. 
I  was.  I  was  very  much  afraid,  and  did  not 
resist  by  a  large  margin  the  desire  to  ask  my 
conductor  to  move  to  some  safer  place.  This 
confession  is  not  pleasant  to  make,  but  it  is 
put  down  with  a  hope  that  other  boys  will  be 
instructed  in  courage  as  I  never  was.  The 
lesson  I  learned  that  day  was  not  without 
value.  I  never  got  to  enjoy  the  crash  of 
high  explosive  shells  nor  was  I  ever  over- 


30       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

whelmed  with  the  desire  to  rush  into  a  shower 
bath  of  machine  gun  fire.  On  the  other 
hand,  I  never  again  approached  the  point  of 
disgracing  myself  on  the  firing  line. 

Physical  courage  varies  with  the  individual, 
but  the  natural  tendency  in  that  direction 
can  be  improved  like  piano  playing  and  polite 
conversation.  It  is  a  more  desirable  accom- 
plishment for  a  man  than  either  of  these. 

It  was  Lord  Brook  who  conducted  me  to 
Ypres.  I  imagined  Lord  Brook  had  been  too 
comfortably  situated  in  the  world  to  submit 
to  the  discomforts  of  regular  army  life,  but 
he  is  a  soldier  by  choice  and  has  hardly 
missed  a  ruction  in  twenty  years.  He  was 
in  Greece  in  '97,  in  South  Africa  in  1900,  and 
as  war  correspondent  with  the  Russians  against 
Japan. 

I  have  always  thought  the  word  "debo- 
nair" belonged  in  novels,  preferably  of  the 
historical  sort,  but  it  fits  Brook,  and  I  can- 
not otherwise  describe  him  without  many 
words.  He  now  commands  a  brigade  of 
Canadians,  and  I  will  assure  my  neighbors 


WITH    THE    BRITISH  31 

on  the  north  that  their  boys  will  have  every 
comfort,  yes,  every  luxury  which  a  war  forty 
miles  from  Paris  can  afford,  and  that  when 
fighting  comes  they  will  be  directed  not  only 
with  courage  but  with  abandon. 

I  left  the  British  army,  expecting  to  return 
after  my  visit  to  Russia.  I  left  it  very  much 
in  its  debt,  uplifted  by  the  association  of  men 
who  sacrifice  themselves  for  country.  I  had 
been  the  associate  of  very  gallant  gentlemen. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  EMPEROR  OF  RUSSIA 

FROM  there  I  travelled  to  Petrograd  via 
Athens,  Salonica,  Nish,  Sofia,  and  Bucharest. 
This  trip  was  particularly  interesting,  as  it 
brought  me  into  direct  contact  with  the  peo- 
ples and  personages  of  those  turbulent  States, 
whose  activities  brought  on  —  although,  of 
course,  they  did  not  cause  —  the  great  War. 
The  information  I  gathered  on  the  journey 
forms  the  basis  of  the  chapter  on  the  cause 
of  the  war  printed  as  an  appendix. 

I  arrived  in  Petrograd  early  in  April  and 
presented  my  letters  to  the  Baron  Schilling, 
Assistant  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  who 
made  an  appointment  for  me  to  meet  his 
Chief  the  following  day. 

I  was  greatly  interested  to  meet  this  leading 
Diplomat  of  the  world,  Mr.  Sergius  SazonoflF, 


THE    EMPEROR    OF    RUSSIA        33 

as  I  had,  of  course,  read  all  of  his  despatches 
in  the  published  White  Books,  and  in  common 
with  others  had  been  impressed  by  his  im- 
mediate grasp  of  the  situation  presented  by 
Austria's  first  demands  upon  Servia. 

Shaw  did  not  exaggerate  when  he  stated 
that  if  Sazonoff's  advice  had  been  followed 
by  the  Entente  Powers,  war  might  have  been 
averted. 

Mr.  Sazonoff  is  a  product  of  the  Russian 
Diplomatic  system  whereby  candidates  for 
the  Diplomatic  Service  must  satisfactorily 
pass  the  course  of  the  diplomatic  school. 
Afterwards  they  are  sent  on  mission  to  differ- 
ent countries  and  the  younger  men  are  moved 
from  post  to  post  so  as  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  different  peoples  of  the  civilized 
world.  Thus  it  is  that  whomsoever  is  chosen 
as  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  is  not  only 
thoroughly  grounded  in  international  law  but 
has  a  first-hand  knowledge  of  all  the  countries 
with  whom  he  has  relations. 

I  was  quite  ready  to  find,  as  I  did,  that  Mr. 
Sazonoff  was  much  better  acquainted  with 


34       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

the  situation  in  the  countries  through  which 
I  had  just  passed  than  I  was,  but  I  was  not 
prepared  for  the  extent  of  his  knowledge  of 
American  conditions.  Later,  when  we  dis- 
cussed the  causes  of  the  Republican  landslide 
in  Chicago  in  the  mayoralty  election,  I  was 
surprised  again. 

Mr.  Sazonoff  was  especially  emphatic  in 
explaining  the  opportunities  now  open  in 
Russia  for  American  trade.  Germany,  he 
said,  had  long  acted  as  a  middleman  between 
Russia  and  the  rest  of  the  world.  Patrioti- 
cally, German  middlemen  preferred  German 
manufacturers,  and  when  they  found  it  neces- 
sary to  purchase  their  materials  for  the  Rus- 
sian market  were  clever  in  allotting  to  them- 
selves the  greater  part  of  the  difference  be- 
tween the  actual  cost  of  production  and  the 
highest  price  that  the  consumer  could  be 
forced  to  pay. 

Russia,  he  said,  is  almost  entirely  an  agri- 
cultural country  and  by  the  instinct  of  its 
people,  its  political  system,  and  the  state  of 
its  natural  resources,  must  remain  almost 


THE    EMPEROR    OF    RUSSIA        35 

purely  agricultural  for  a  long  time.  The 
Government  wishes  the  largest  possible  mar- 
ket for  Russian  buyers.  It  is  particularly 
anxious  to  prevent  any  one  country  from 
obtaining  the  same  commercial  ascendancy 
over  it  as  Germany  had  before  the  war. 

I  am  convinced  that  the  Russian  Govern- 
ment will  go  a  long  way  to  meet  America, 
but  it  cannot  carry  the  whole  burden  of 
diplomatic  negotiation.  For  instance,  Russia 
is  willing  to  make  a  new  commercial  treaty 
with  the  United  States,  but  the  American 
business  men  must  take  it  upon  themselves  to 
see  that  the  American  Government  meets  the 
Russian  advances. 

Russia  will  do  fully  her  share  towards  es- 
tablishing direct  steamer  lines  between  Rus- 
sian ports  and  America  and  will  protect 
American  shippers  in  Harbor  Rights  and 
Railroad  Rates,  but  the  American  exporters 
must  equal  the  business  acumen  of  their 
competitors.  They  must  make  up  their 
packages  according  to  Russian  measures  and 
weights,  they  must  adapt  themselves  to  the 
Russian  terms  of  payment. 


36       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  largest  market  in  the  world  is  open 
to  us,  but  we  must  make  the  necessary  effort 
to  get  it. 

Typewritten  letters  in  general  terms  will 
not  obtain  any  business,  nor  can  a  drummer 
with  a  trunk  full  of  samples  and  a  grip  full 
of  cigars  expect  any  orders.  Permanent 
Agencies  must  be  established,  such  as  the 
Singer  Manufacturing  Company  has  estab- 
lished. Probably,  before  any  large  part  of 
Russian  trade  can  be  obtained  we  must 
have  a  change  on  the  part  of  the  Gov- 
ernment attitude  to  permit  business  men 
to  cooperate  in  the  extension  of  foreign 
markets. 

It  was  Mr.  Sazonoff  who  arranged  that  I 
should  be  presented  to  the  Emperor,  to  tell 
him  directly  my  impressions  of  the  war  on 
the  western  front.  Accordingly,  the  Court 
Chamberlain  sent  a  notice  to  the  American 
Ambassador  stating  that  I  was  to  wear  full 
evening  dress  with  white  necktie,  to  take 
the  one  o'clock  train  to  Tsarskoie  Selo  and 
return  train  at  three-seven. 


THE    EMPEROR    OF    RUSSIA        37 

The  train  started  on  time  and  shortly  after 
the  conductor  came  for  the  tickets. 

He  was  preceded  and  followed  by  a  gen- 
darme. 

Looking  out  of  the  window,  I  saw  a  separate 
track  on  a  separate  embankment.  On  each 
side  of  it  and  on  the  left  of  our  train  many 
sentries  were  walking  and  every  hundred 
yards  gendarmes  were  stationed.  The  gen- 
darmes saluted  our  train,  but  the  sentries, 
who  were  trudging  in  thick  snow  on  each  side 
of  the  track  instead  of  walking  the  ties,  paid 
no  attention  as  we  passed. 

Gilded  church  domes  came  into  view  and 
we  drew  into  the  station  of  Tsarskoie  Selo. 
A  footman  dressed  in  imperial  red  with  a  cloak 
of  the  same  color  trimmed  at  the  bottom  with  a 
broad  ribbon  upon  which  many  eagles  spread 
double  heads  and  golden  wings  against  a  black 
background  picked  my  silk  hat  out  of  the 
crowd  and  asked  if  I  were  Mr.  "  Cormick." 

That  fact  admitted,  he  led  me  to  a 
brougham  drawn  by  two  handsome  bays  and 
driven  by  another  figure  in  royal  red,  gold, 


38       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

and  black.  Red,  gold,  and  black  hats  were 
on  the  men's  heads. 

The  footman  wore  his  hat  fore  and  aft, 
but  the  coachman's  peaks  were  on  either 
side  to  denote  that  royalty  was  not  in  the 
carriage. 

The  gates  of  the  royal  grounds  were  open, 
and  we  drove  up  a  medium  incline  to  the  steps 
of  the  right  wing  of  the  palace,  a  building 
somewhat  longer  than  the  White  House  but 
similar  in  appearance. 

A  confusing  number  of  police  saluted  as  I 
climbed  the  twelve  steps  to  the  palace  door, 
which  was  opened  by  an  official,  again  in  royal 
red,  but  wearing  a  headdress  that  was  neither 
turban  nor  hat,  narrow  where  it  circled  his 
brow;  higher  it  increased  to  the  size  of  a  sofa 
cushion. 

A  footman  took  my  things,  insisting  upon 
my  coat  before  my  hat. 

A  dozen  other  men  stood  bareheaded  in 
various  garbs.  I  had  no  time  to  note  the 
character  of  their  attire,  but  was  conscious 
of  a  predominance  of  heavy  beards  as  I  was 


THE    EMPEROR    OF    RUSSIA        39 

ushered  up  a  short  stair  to  the  waiting-room 
on  the  right. 

It  was  then  twenty  minutes  to  two,  so  I 
had  time  to  look  around  the  room.  Beside 
the  door  was  a  remarkable  portrait  of  a 
beautiful  woman  whom  I  took  to  be  the 
Czarina. 

The  background  of  the  portrait  was  of  a 
pearly  gray,  and  the  frame  of  carved  silver 
reflected  the  same  pearly  hue.  Next  in  the 
corner  came  a  fireplace  in  which  a  fire  had 
recently  burned  out.  On  the  adjoining  wall 
were  hung  two  oil  paintings  of  a  little  king 
and  his  court.  In  the  first  he  was  held  aloft 
in  the  arms  of  a  soldier  in  green.  In  the 
second  he  was  standing  dressed  in  light  blue 
at  the  top  of  a  stone  staircase  and  receiving 
the  salute  of  the  same  soldier. 

The  presence  of  a  respectful  cardinal  in 
both  pictures  and  the  clothes  of  king  and 
courtiers  pointed  out  that  the  boyhood  of 
Louis  XIV  was  depicted.  Between  the  two 
pictures  was  a  painting  of  peasants  sickling 
the  golden  grain.  Beside  the  door  to  the 


40       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

audience  room  was  a  water-color  of  a  steam- 
boat navigating  a  crooked  river,  and  a  map  of 
the  stream,  the  whole,  I  suppose,  illustrat- 
ing a  distant  possession. 

At  the  end  were  two  French  windows  and 
between  them  a  steel  engraving  of  the  Em- 
peror's father  presented  to  "their  Majesties" 
by  the  students  of  Paris. 

Here  I  was  struck  by  the  care  taken  to  regu- 
late the  temperature  of  the  palace.  Outside 
the  double  windows  were  hung  thermom- 
eters. In  the  room  was  still  another  ther- 
mometer. The  thermometer  outside  regis- 
tered 8°  Centigrade,  those  between  the  double 
windows  12°,  and  the  one  in  the  room  15°. 

I  was  just  taking  in  a  picture  of  a  death-bed 
scene  in  Spain,  —  probably  the  death  of  a 
king,  the  presence  of  many  candles,  priests, 
and  knee-breeched  courtiers  seemed  to  indi- 
cate, —  when  my  eyes  lit  upon  two  horse's 
hoofs  upon  a  near-by  desk. 

Investigation  showed  that  one  was  shod 
with  the  ordinary  horseshoe  and  the  other 
was  a  shoe  built  with  a  sliding  joint,  apparently 


THE    EMPEROR    OF    RUSSIA        41 

a  humane  contrivance  which  the  Czar  was 
investigating. 

In  the  centre  of  the  room  was  a  regular  re- 
ception-room table  covered  with  books.  One 
was  a  present  commemorating  a  visit  to 
Rheims ! 

Another  concerned  hydraulic  engineering, 
a  third  related  to  military  automobiles,  so  the 
pictures  showed. 

All  were  printed  in  Russian,  so  my  attention 
wandered  to  a  large  carved  egg-shaped  decora- 
tion in  the  middle  of  the  table,  to  the  Turkish 
carpet  on  the  floor,  to  the  dark  oak  panels 
on  the  walls. 

As  the  clock  struck  two,  the  door  opened, 
and  first  one  and  then  another  officer  entered. 

Both  were  in  scarlet  uniform,  both  wore 
many  overlapped  gold  medals,  both  stood  as 
straight  as  ramrods. 

Both  were  so  utterly  foreign  to  anything 
my  life  knew  and  yet  so  perfectly  at  home  here 
that  I  felt  for  a  moment  as  Marco  Polo  must 
have  felt  in  the  great  and  strange  court  of 
China. 


42       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  first  of  these  apparitions  bowed  gravely 
without  speaking,  but  the  second,  to  my  in- 
tense surprise,  said  in  the  most  perfect  English, 
"I  cannot  remember  just  what  year  it  was 
your  father  left  us." 

I  was  saved  the  embarrassment  of  admit- 
ting I  was  equally  uncertain,  when  the  man 
with  the  enormous  headdress  who  had  first 
received  me  at  the  palace,  opened  the  farther 
door  and  addressed  me  in,  I  am  sure,  excel- 
lent Russian.  "The  Emperor  is  waiting"  ex- 
plained the  English  scholar,  and  as  neither  he 
nor  his  companion  offered  to  move,  I  walked 
through  the  door  alone. 

The  Emperor  was  standing  at  the  farther 
window  of  a  room  similar  in  every  respect 
to  the  one  I  had  left,  except  that  there  was 
a  large  black-oak  writing  desk  against  the 
farther  wall  and  no  table  in  the  centre.  With 
a  "I  am  very  pleased  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Mc- 
Cormick,"  he  walked  forward  and  shook 
hands. 

Why  describe  a  so  much  photographed  and 
portraited  man  ? 


THE    EMPEROR    OF    RUSSIA        43 

One  feature,  however,  was  so  striking  as  to 
demand  comment.  He  had  the  largest  eyes 
I  have  ever  seen  in  living  mortal.  He  asked 
pleasantly  about  my  father,  expressed  pleas- 
ure that  an  American  newspaper  man  had 
come  to  seek  the  truth  about  the  war. 

In  reply  to  a  direct  question  he  said  that 
he  had  no  doubt  the  Grand  Duke  would 
allow  me  to  see  the  extreme  front. 

One  significant  thing  he  said,  —  "The  war 
was  very  sudden  and  very  unexpected." 

I  knew  that  my  time  was  short,  and  I  was 
busy  trying  to  live  up  to  the  standard  of  a 
justly  celebrated  local  room.  I  noticed  the 
hair  was  thinning  at  the  crown,  that  it  was 
only  slightly  gray,  the  complexion  clear  with 
health,  the  beard  brushed  somewhat  wider 
than  the  earlier  pictures,  suggesting  a  Slavic 
style.  The  olive  uniform  with  a  colonel's 
insignia  was  covered  with  many  little  loops  to 
hook  medals  in,  but  the  only  medal  worn  was 
strange  to  me.  The  trousers  were  of  dark 
blue  with  a  red  stripe  and  the  knee  boots  were 
blackened  but  not  shined.  A  complimentary 


44       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

reference  to  the  British  army  drew  my  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  his  accent  was  less 
marked  than  that  of  former  King  Edward  VII. 

The  interview  had  only  proceeded  this  far 
when  a  pretty  girl  popped  her  head  in  the 
door  behind  the  Emperor  and  said  in  all  prob- 
ability—  the  language  being  Russian  —  that 
luncheon  was  ready.  The  Emperor  said,  "I 
am  very  sorry  I  must  go  now,"  which,  as  he  did 
not  move,  was  taken  to  mean  that  the  visitor 
must  take  his  departure. 

Two  doors  connecting  with  the  anteroom 
had  been  closed,  which  I  believe  was  not  an 
accident  or  coincidence,  but  a  part  of  the 
imperial  formula  designed  so  that  a  visitor 
might  back  out  of  the  royal  presence,  turn 
between  the  doors  and  walk  forward  into  the 
waiting-room.  The  gorgeous  gentlemen-in- 
waiting  had  disappeared  but  the  small  army 
of  attendants  stood  in  the  hall.  The  hat  was 
handed  first  to  the  visitor,  then  the  coat,  and 
last  the  cane.  Erect  on  the  box  sat  the  coach- 
men of  the  imperial  carriage,  but  as  the  news- 
paper man  passed  into  the  station  his  trained 


THE    EMPEROR    OF    RUSSIA        45 

eye  did  not  fail  to  detect  that  the  footman 
was  counting  the  tip  which  custom  has  de- 
creed is  due  the  man  who  rides  before  the 
guest  of  Majesty. 

I  lunched  in  the  station  restaurant.  As 
the  menu  was  written  in  Russian  and  the 
waiter  could  not  understand  me,  I  marked 
four  dishes  at  random.  The  waiter  brought 
two  kinds  of  caviar,  a  cheese  sandwich,  and  a 
bottle  of  quass.  I  was  somewhat  upset  at 
the  collection,  but  reflecting  that  it  was  an 
order  suitable  to  a  man  wearing  a  dress  suit 
at  three  P.M.  ate  it  and  took  the  three-seven 
train  back  to  Petrograd. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  GRAND  DUKE 

THE  night  after  my  presentation  I  took 
the  train  to  the  town  where  the  Grand  Duke 
was  then  maintaining  his  Headquarters  and 
found  myself  within  the  Russian  Lines. 

Hotel  life  in  Petrograd  is  very  much  like 
hotel  life  in  New  York  or  Chicago,  and 
Petrograd  itself  is  very  little  different  from 
Paris  or  Berlin  or  Stockholm.  It  is  a  cosmo- 
politan city  like  New  York,  and  like  New 
York  as  much  representative  of  the  foreign 
elements  in  the  country  as  of  the  country 
itself. 

The  arrival  at  Headquarters  was  my  first 
entry  into  entirely  Russian  atmosphere.  It 
was  also  an  augury  of  the  pleasant  times  to 
follow,  for  while  I  was  gathering  together 
my  outfit  consisting  of,  among  other  things, 

46 


THE  GRAND  DUKE  NICOLAS,  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 


THE    GRAND    DUKE  47 

a  camp  bed,  rubber  boots,  and  fur  overcoat, 

—  only   the   last   of   which   I   ever   used   in 
Russia,  —  a  young  officer  arrived  and  in  a 
moment  took  possession  of  me  and  all  my 
possessions.     This   officer   became   my   chief 
friend  and  companion  during  my  whole  stay 
in  Russia. 

When  I  first  saw  him  and  learned  that  he 
was  the  aide-de-camp  of  General  Yanous- 
kevitz,  noted  his  Oriental  appearance,  and 
heard  him  addressed  as  "Mon  Prinz,"  I  as- 
sumed that  he  was  a  Japanese  Prince  attached 
to  the  Russian  Army,  through  some  system 
of  military  interchange.  It  was  not  until 
some  days  later  that  I  learned  his  actual 
identity,  which  is  very  much  more  interest- 
ing. 

Dimitri  Toundoutoff  is  the  hereditary 
prince  of  the  Kalmuk  race,  which  has  been 
incorporated  in  the  Russian  Empire  for  over 
two  hundred  years. 

The  native  customs  and  religions  have  not 
been  interfered  with,  and  Prince  Toundoutoff 

—  conveniently  for    him  —  is   not  only   the 


48       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Prince  but  the  God  of  his  people.  From 
early  times  his  family  entered  heartily  into 
the  Russian  regime.  They  have  been  for 
two  hundred  years,  father  and  son,  officers 
in  the  same  Cavalry  regiment  of  the  Russian 
Imperial  Guard.  The  father  of  the  present 
Prince  rose  to  the  rank  of  General  Governor 
in  the  Russian  service,  one  of  the  highest 
points  of  distinction  in  the  Empire. 

Toundoutoff  was  one  of  the  Russian  team 
in  the  Riding  Contest  in  Vienna  that  won  the 
first  prize  a  few  months  before  the  war.  He 
told  me  that  the  announcement  of  Russians 
winning  the  first  prize  was  received  by  the 
audience  in  absolute  silence,  but  the  second 
and  third  prize  winners  were  cheered  to  the 
echo,  —  an  indication  of  the  Viennese  public 
opinion  before  the  assassination  of  the  Arch- 
duke Francis  Ferdinand  which  was  missed 
by  the  foreign  press.  He  is  also  the  proud 
—  but  modest  —  owner  of  a  sword  of  honor 
received  for  carrying  important  despatches 
under  heavy  fire  during  one  of  the  desperate 
battles  in  East  Prussia. 


THE    GRAND    DUKE  49 

He  was  a  strong  example  to  me  of  the 
beneficial  influence  of  military  training  upon 
young  men  born  to  powerful  positions.  It 
could  have  been  no  fun  for  him  to  take  around 
the  Army  a  total  stranger,  —  ten  years  older 
than  himself  and  to  whom  he  was  not  united 
by  any  tie  of  race  or  interest,  —  to  get  his 
railroad  tickets,  his  hotel  accommodations,  to 
rise  sometimes  at  dawn,  go  on  trips  for  twenty- 
four  hours,  returning  the  following  dawn  see- 
ing sights  that  were  not  new  to  him,  to  undergo 
from  time  to  time  more  or  less  danger  of  shell 
and  rifle  fire  for  no  purpose  which  could 
interest  or  benefit  him ;  above  all,  drag 
around  a  heavy  trunk  filled  with  moving 
picture  equipment,  sometimes  in  contraven- 
tion of  the  railroad  regulations ;  but  never  at 
any  time  did  I  perceive  in  him  any  indication 
that  he  was  performing  a  distasteful  duty. 
In  explaining  Russian  customs  to  a  stranger 
he  was  extremely  tactful  and  on  all  occasions 
treated  me  as  though  I  were  a  military 
superior  of  his  own  nation. 

Such  is  the  man  who  conducted  me  in  one 


50        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

of  the  Headquarters  automobiles  to  the  train 
which  served  as  Headquarters,  and  it  was  he 
who  introduced  me  to  General  Yanouskevitz, 
Chief  of  Staff  of  all  the  Armies  of  Russia. 

General  Yanouskevitz,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
four,  holds  the  second  military  position  under 
the  Czar.  This  high  rank  he  owes  to  great 
native  ability  developed  under  the  eye  of  the 
Russian  Emperor  himself,  for  as  a  young 
officer  he  was  in  the  same  regiment  as  the 
heir  to  the  throne.  He  was  not  sent  to  Man- 
churia during  the  Japanese  War,  so  that  unless 
he  was  in  some  border  skirmish  he  had  never 
taken  part  in  war  before  he  received  his 
present  high  position. 

Of  the  most  polished  manners,  sitting  at 
his  desk  upon  which  were  photographs  of  his 
wife  and  children,  he  made  a  different  figure 
from  the  prevalent  military  idea  presented 
by  the  equestrian  statue. 

When,  however,  he  took  down  a  map  to 
suggest  an  itinerary  for  my  travels  through 
the  armies  and  ran  over  their  positions  and 
movements,  it  was  plain  to  see  that  he  had  a 


GENERAL  YANOUSKEVITCH 


THE    GRAND    DUKE  51 

natural  turn  for  military  dispositions,  just 
as  some  people  have  good  heads  for  mathe- 
matics, some  have  the  art  of  expression,  and 
some  are  natural  athletes. 

During  his  conversation  he  told  me  of  the 
German  system  of  strategic  farmhouses.  For 
years,  he  said,  the  strategic  points  —  not  only 
in  East  Prussia  but  in  Poland  —  had  been 
bought  by  German  farmers  and  paid  for 
through  the  military  appropriation.  Dwellings 
were  erected  that  overlooked  long  stretches 
of  territory  in  the  direction  of  Russia,  they 
were  built  with  thick  fort-like  walls  on  the 
eastern  front  with  small  loophole  windows, 
but  with  wide  doors  and  windows  and  with 
thin  walls  towards  the  west.  Many  of 
these  houses  were  connected  by  underground 
telephones,  so  that  in  the  early  stages  of  the 
war  farmers  could  telephone  from  within  the 
Russian  lines  to  the  German  Headquarters. 
Early  in  the  war  Russian  batteries  carefully 
concealed  would  be  struck  by  the  first  shell 
from  a  German  gun. 

The  picture  printed  in  this  volume  is  a 


52        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

good  likeness,  and  is  chosen  —  as  the  one 
shown  of  the  Czar  —  because  it  gives  a 
particular  expression  which,  to  me  at  least, 
indicated  the  Slav,  or  possibly  the  East.  I 
had  been  with  him  perhaps  an  hour  and  had 
begun  to  feel  the  enormous  admiration  for 
the  Russian  military  which  was  to  grow  on 
me  throughout  my  whole  stay,  when  he  said 
it  was  time  to  present  me  to  the  Grand  Duke. 

After  seeing  how  able  was  the  Chief  of 
Staff  I  was  perfectly  ready  to  find  in  the  Grand 
Duke,  Commander-in-Chief,  a  figure  head, 
but  if  I  had  come  even  with  a  fixed  notion  of 
that  kind,  I  would  have  been  jarred  out  of  it 
in  the  first  moment  of  conversation. 

The  man  who  rose  to  meet  me  was  taller 
than  I,  exceedingly  spare,  but  with  the  hand- 
clasp of  a  young  man  twice  his  weight. 

Nicolas  Nicolaiovitch  Romanoff,  grandson  of 
the  Emperor  Alexander  I,  and  cousin  of  the 
present  Czar,  is  in  his  fifty-ninth  year.  In 
appearance  he  is  ten  years  younger,  due,  I 
suppose,  to  his  fondness  for  out-of-door  exer- 
cise which  his  position  allows  him  to  indulge. 


THE    GRAND    DUKE  53 

There  was  no  question  of  my  telling  him 
what  I  wanted  to  do.  He  had  passed  on  that 
subject. 

He  asked  a  few  questions  about  the  morale 
of  the  English  and  French  Armies  and  then 
led  the  way  to  the  dining  car.  On  the  way 
he  introduced  me  to  "mon  frere,"  the  Grand 
Duke  Peter  of  Russia. 

History  will  not  do  justice  to  this  charm- 
ing man,  who  may  be  compared  to  Aaron 
bearing  up  the  arms  of  Moses. 

He  is  not  commander-in-chief.  He  is  not 
even  a  member  of  the  Staff.  He  lives  in  the 
confinement  of  the  train  on  its  wayside  track 
with  no  duties  to  occupy  his  mind.  Victory 
will  erect  no  statues  of  him  in  enduring  bronze. 
But  who  will  say  that  he  has  not  played  a 
valuable  part  in  the  work,  supporting  his 
great  brother  in  his  trials,  and  spreading  an 
atmosphere  of  kindliness,  the  Russian  per- 
sonality, among  the  overworked  Staff  and 
unoccupied  attaches. 

I  surprised  a  fraternal  scene  one  day  when 
the  army  was  retreating  from  Tarnow  to 


54        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Peremysl.  At  risk  of  stretching  hospitality 
I  must  relate  it. 

The  Grand  Duke  Peter  was  sitting  in  the 
shade  of  the  Headquarters  building  reading 
when  the  Commander-in-Chief  came  out  and 
started  towards  his  armchair  some  fifty  feet 
in  the  sun.  Immediately  the  Grand  Duke 
Peter  sprang  up,  brought  the  Commander  his 
cane,  and  then  carried  the  chair  to  a  place 
in  the  shade.  I  do  not  recount  this  as  a 
remarkable  thing  for  a  Grand  Duke  to  do, 
not  being  familiar  with  their  habits ;  I  call 
attention  to  the  personal  devotion  of  one 
brother  to  another.  Jealousy  is  a  microbe 
that  knows  no  station.  History  and  the 
experience  of  all  of  us  tells  the  rarity  of  such 
a  spirit  as  I  saw  revealed. 

At  table  the  Commander-in-Chief  sits  at 
one  side  of  a  dining-car  table  facing  the  room. 
Opposite  to  him  are  the  chief  of  Staff  and  the 
Headquarters  chaplain.  A  particularly  dis- 
tinguished guest  has  a  position  on  the  Grand 
Duke's  right.  General  Sullivainoff,  captor 
of  Peremysl,  had  it  while  I  was  at  the  Head- 
quarters the  first  time. 


THE    GRAND    DUKE  55 

On  the  Grand  Duke's  left  is  the  table  of 
the  Grand  Duke  Peter,  with  General  Williams, 
General  La  Guiche,  English  and  French 
military  attaches,  and  Prince  Galitzin.  Next 
in  precedence  come  the  Prince  Oldenbourg, 
brother-in-law  of  the  Czar,  with  the  chief  of 
tactics,  the  Japanese  and  the  Belgian  attaches, 
both  Generals.  The  fourth  and  last  table  in 
the  Commander's  party  is  occupied  by  the 
Grand  Duke  Dimitri  Pavlowitch,  the  Major 
General  representing  Montenegro,  and  the 
Colonel  representing  Servia. 

Here  as  a  compliment  to  America  I  was 
placed,  my  commission  as  Colonel  A.D.C. 
to  the  Governor  of  Illinois  making  me  junior 
to  all  the  General  Attaches. 

Beyond  a  partition  were  six  tables  of  Staff 
officers,  the  senior  being  the  Cossack  Gen- 
eral commanding  a  regiment  of  the  Guards 
attached  to  Headquarters. 

The  officers  breakfast  at  different  hours 
according  to  their  duties.  Lunch  is  at  12.30. 
The  company  assembles  and  waits  standing. 

The  Commander-in-Chief  enters,  followed 


56        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

by  the  Grand  Duke  Peter,  the  chief  of  Staff, 
and  guests  in  order  of  rank.  The  chaplain 
blesses  the  chief,  and  the  chief  kisses  the  chap- 
lain's hand.  Then  he  walks  through  the 
car,  shaking  hands  with  all  those  he  sees  for 
the  first  time  that  morning.  He  does  this 
again  at  dinner  at  7.30  with  perfect  memory 
for  those  he  has  and  has  not  seen.  Con- 
versation is  generally  confined  among  the 
officers  at  each  table,  with  interruptions  when 
the  Grand  Duke  addresses  some  polite  remark 
to  one  of  his  guests. 

Upon  the  day  of  my  arrival  I  was  pouring 
Narzan  water  into  a  glass  half  full  of  claret 
when  I  heard  a  deep  voice  say,  "Ce  n'est  pas 
bien  que  vous  faites  la."  My  eyes  were  on 
my  glass,  but  I  had  no  more  doubt  about  the 
remark  being  addressed  to  me  than  twenty 
years  ago  when  the  Rev.  Endicott  Peabody 
would  surprise  me  in  some  school  occupation 
not  according  to  his  ideas.  Upon  looking 
up  I  was  told  that  Narzan  water  and  claret 
mixed  badly. 

This  instance  will  give  you  an  idea  of  the 


THE    GRAND    DUKE  57 

Grand  Duke's  personal  care  for  his  guests. 
At  Christmas  the  whole  staff  had  roast  beef 
and  plum  pudding  in  honor  of  General  Wil- 
liams. 

Tea  is  served  from  4  to  5.30  and  from  10 
till  11.  These  repasts  are  strictly  informal. 

The  Commander-in-Chief  sits  at  table  until 
he  sees  that  every  one  has  finished,  when  he 
rises  abruptly  and  strides  into  his  office, 
followed  by  the  Staff  officers. 

The  work  of  the  Staff  is  continuous,  of 
course,  but  the  hours  are  made  as  regular 
as  possible,  and  opportunity  for  exercise 
is  deliberately  afforded,  so  that  the  force  will 
maintain  its  high  state  of  efficiency  during 
the  long  war  that  is  expected. 

The  work  of  the  attaches  is  irregular. 
For  days  they  may  have  no  occupation. 
Then  they  are  given  important  despatches, 
and  for  days  and  nights  they  have  no  rest. 
Given  a  mission,  they  must  perform  it  or  die, 
and  not  a  few  have  done  the  latter.  Among 
the  former  is  Prince  Cantacuzene,  who  is 
known  to  Americans  as  the  grandson-in-law 


58        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

of  General  Grant.  He  was  desperately 
wounded  at  the  outbreak  of  war,  but  is  back 
at  the  front  ready  for  more.  Headquarters 
life  would  appear  to  be  tedious  for  these  men, 
but  they  get  their  excitement  in  such  allo- 
pathic doses  that  a  few  days  of  quiet  are  wel- 
come. 

It  was  the  season  for  the  Russian  wood- 
cock, a  bird  of  the  partridge  species  as  large 
as  a  turkey,  and  this  was  the  subject  of  most 
of  the  conversation.  The  bird  is  only  shot 
at  sunrise,  and  my  eye  detected  dust  on  the 
Commander's  boots  in  the  early  morning. 

His  pictures  show  a  stern  face,  and  stern 
it  is  in  repose,  but  my  recollection  will  be  of  a 
man  in  a  laughing  exchange  with  his  brother, 
or  a  smiling  conversation  with  one  of  his 
guests. 

Once  I  saw  him  in  a  fury.  It  was  the  day 
I  came  to  say  good  by.  He  had  just  heard  of 
a  seventeen-year-old  sister  of  mercy  who  had 
been  assaulted  by  an  entire  raiding  detail 
and  who  was  then  suffering  from  peritonitis 
and  syphilis. 


THE    GRAND    DUKE  59 

His  aids,  while  sharing  his  feelings,  were 
awed  by  their  intensity. 

He  strode  up  to  me  as  I  approached,  saying, 
"J'ai  une  priere  particuliere  pour  vous." 
It  was  that  the  perpetration  of  this  horror  be 
made  known  to  the  world. 

The  longest  talk  I  had  with  the  Grand  Duke 
was  after  my  journey  through  the  Armies, 
when  he  asked  particularly  about  what  I  had 
seen  of  the  food  the  men  were  eating  and  of 
the  sanitary  arrangements.  I  was  very  glad 
to  be  able  to  make  a  satisfactory  report  as 
to  both.  The  Grand  Duke  then  talked  about 
the  War,  about  the  difficulty  from  the  lack  of 
railroads,  of  the  advantages  which  came  from 
the  simple  style  of  living  of  the  Russians, 
whereby  the  men  needed  less  equipment  and 
commissariat  than  their  adversaries.  To  a 
man  of  his  temperament  Headquarters  far 
from  the  front  is  galling.  He  suffered  acutely 
at  losses  which  must  be  suffered  to  make  di- 
versions. 

I  consider  him  the  great  soldier  that  the 
war  produced.  Certainly  he  is  the  unknown 


60        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

quantity  that  threw  out  the  forty  years  of 
methodical  calculations  of  the  German  Gen- 
eral Staff. 

In  the  first  month  of  the  war  he  struck 
down  Austrians  with  one  hand  and  with  the 
other  dragged  back  the  Prussians  from  the 
gates  of  Paris. 

He  has  always  been  actively  employed  in 
military  affairs,  in  the  cavalry  arm.  Why  he 
was  not  sent  to  Manchuria  I  do  not  know 
and  cannot  imagine. 

However,  after  its  conclusion  he  became 
under  the  Czar  the  leader  in  military  re- 
organization, working  in  perfect  accord  with 
the  Czar's  selection  as  chief  of  Staff,  General 
Yanouske  vitch . 

I  have  an  idea  that  while  the  Grand  Duke 
built  up  the  Army  and  taught  it  battle  tactics, 
General  Yanouskevitch,  who  had  been  chief 
instructor  in  the  War  College,  worked  out  the 
plans  of  campaigns,  the  details  of  the  great 
strategic  moves  that  have  made  the  Russians 
the  dictators  of  the  course  of  the  war  since 
the  middle  of  August. 


THE    GRAND    DUKE  61 

Time  past,  those  in  military  authority 
realized  the  serious  hardship  imposed  by  lack 
of  railroads  in  Poland  and  called  for  remedy. 
The  war  came  before  this  work  was  begun. 

Thus  it  is  that  while  in  the  campaigns 
Germany  has  had  the  use  of  all  the  railroads 
that  military  foresight  could  devise,  Russia 
has  had  less  even  than  was  needed  for  serving 
the  territory  in  time  of  peace. 

All  summer  and  fall,  the  Kaiser's  objective 
was  to  crush  France,  the  Grand  Duke's  to 
pull  back  the  attack  until  time  and  a  plethora 
of  factories  should  permit  France  and  Eng- 
land to  supply  the  serious  military  deficiencies 
which  the  war  discovered. 

Look  up  the  dates  of  the  Russian  offensives 
and  you  will  find  that  they  come  at  the 
moments  when  the  Franco-English  armies 
are  in  critical  condition. 

Remember  that  these  offensives  involved 
the  advance  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
men  into  positions  where  they  could  be 
attacked  by  greater  numbers,  and  you  will 
realize  on  how  gigantic  a  scale  Nicolas  Nicolai- 


62         WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

ovitch  makes  his  diversions.  Only  once  before 
in  history  has  war  been  played  on  a  similar 
grand  and  self-sacrificing  scale.  That  was 
when  Grant  pinned  the  Army  of  Virginia  to 
the  ground  by  the  assaults  of  that  under  his 
direct  command  and  turned  the  flank  by  the 
advance  of  the  armies  of  the  Cumberland  and 
Tennessee  under  Sherman. 

Once  the  reader  has  realized  the  fact  that 
at  the  Marne  and  again  at  the  Yser  the  Ger- 
man attack  was  stopped  by  the  Russian 
advance,  and  he  will  appreciate  whose  initia- 
tive has  governed  the  war. 

In  support  of  his  allies,  the  Grand  Duke 
has  made  two  offensives  against  Germany 
and  has  suffered  large  local  defeats,  the  second 
less  than  the  first. 

Hindenburg  has  undertaken  two  offensives 
against  Russia  to  cripple  her  long  enough  to 
get  time  to  finish  France.  The  first  time  he 
was  glad  to  get  across  the  frontier  with  his 
army,  the  second  he  met  a  far  more  bloody 
repulse  than  Cold  Harbor. 


CHAPTER  IV 

WARSAW 

AT  the  Great  Headquarters  called  by  the 
Russians  "Stavka"  I  remained  several  days 
waiting  for  the  cinema  machine  which  I  was 
given  permission  to  use  to  present  an  accu- 
rate picture  of  the  Russian  Army  to  America. 
When  this  "modern  war  correspondent" 
arrived  I  was  despatched  en  tour,  my  first 
destination  being  Warsaw,  where  I  was  asked 
to  photograph  a  soldier  named  Ignatoff  Panat- 
suk,  whose  ears  had  been  clipped  with  scissors 
by  German  staff  officers  to  compel  him  to 
reveal  the  whereabouts  of  the  Russian  forces. 

The  train  we  boarded  was  one  running 
from  Moscow  to  Warsaw.  Service  was  dis- 
arranged by  the  war.  There  were  none  of 
the  luxurious  state  sleeping  cars  nor  "wagon 
lits,"  but  there  were  compartments  for  every 

63 


64         WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

two  people, --the  seats  made  up  into  beds, 
and  our  overcoats  had  been  made  with  an 
eye  to  their  use  as  blankets. 

There  were  signs  of  war  on  every  hand,  — 
trains  of  troops  going  to  the  front,  trains  of 
prisoners  going  to  prison  camps,  but  what 
impressed  me  more  was  the  number  of  civilian 
passengers.  Certainly  the  war  had  made 
less  impression  here  than  upon  the  civil  popu- 
lation in  France. 

I  arrived  at  Warsaw  in  the  afternoon. 
The  surprise  I  felt  in  the  first  few  minutes 
grew  through  my  entire  stay  into  a  feeling 
of  almost  boundless  admiration. 

A  few  weeks  before  I  had  found  Paris 
deserted.  The  German  Army  was  nearer  to 
Warsaw  than  it  was  to  Paris,  and  had  been 
much  nearer  than  it  had  ever  approached  to 
the  French  capital. 

I  expected  to  find  Warsaw  desolate.  I 
knew  that  there  would  be  movements  of 
troops,  policemen  on  the  street  corners,  and 
watchmen  in  the  houses.  I  was  sure  the 
streets  would  be  empty. 


WARSAW  65 

The  sight  that  met  me  was  of  a  city  living 
as  in  time  of  peace.  The  streets  were  as 
crowded  as  in  any  other  metropolis,  and  as 
rules  of  the  road  are  unknown  in  Poland, 
they  were  twice  as  congested. 

However,  it  is  very  hard  to  believe  things 
can  be  different  from  what  you  expected  them 
to  be,  so  when  that  night  I  found  a  party  of 
fifty  men  of  Warsaw  dining  at  the  Sports- 
men's Club,  I  put  them  down  as  property 
owners  who  had  sent  their  families  away  and 
had  remained  behind  to  look  after  their 
affairs,  not  appreciating  that  it  is  customary 
in  that  country  for  the  men  to  dine  together 
very  much  as  it  is  customary  with  us  for  them 
to  lunch  together. 

Later  at  a  reception  when  I  met  the  ladies 
of  Warsaw  playing  bridge  not  many  miles 
from  the  firing  line  I  felt  my  first  real  thrill, 
but  when  the  following  day  I  found  these 
same  ladies  in  the  hospitals,  not  superin- 
tending and  directing  and  fussing,  but  doing 
the  actual  work  of  nursing,  handing  the  in- 
struments to  the  doctors  with  their  own 


66        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

hands,  bandaging  ghastly  wounds,  when  I 
saw  one  woman  sitting  at  the  bedside  of  a 
dying  Mongol  boy  and  expending  a  passion 
of  tenderness  to  save  that  strange  life,  I 
realized  that  I  had  come  upon  something 
that  was  worth  travelling  twelve  thousand 
miles  to  see.  No  one  who  has  visited  Warsaw 
in  time  of  war  can  doubt  women's  mission  in 
the  world. 

If  you  turn  to  the  map,  you  will  see  that 
Warsaw  is  the  centre  of  a  semicircle  of  fight- 
ing armies.  From  it  radiate  railroads  to 
several  battle  fronts,  and  hence  into  it  are 
brought  a  large  proportion  of  the  wounded 
in  this  greatest  of  wars. 

I  wish  many  American  Red  Cross  officials 
could  come  to  Warsaw  and  see  how  it  rose 
to  meet  the  cataclysm. 

Of  course,  the  existing  hospitals  were 
totally  insufficient  to  meet  the  demands  for 
aid.  The  citizens  of  Warsaw  immediately 
organized  a  hospital  with  two  thousand  beds 
under  the  direction  of  Madame  De  Bispang. 
They  took  the  Cadet  barracks,  put  in  elec- 


<*'* 


WARSAW  67 

trie  light  throughout,  rounded  all  the  corners 
of  the  rooms  and  halls,  painted  white  the  walls, 
collected  cots  and  linen  and  blankets.  They 
equipped  in  the  most  complete  manner  ten 
operating  rooms  for  major  operations,  two 
more  for  gangrenous  cases,  one  for  dentistry, 
and  one  for  operations  on  nose  and  throat. 
They  found  surgeons  to  operate  in  all  of 
these.  They  installed  a  complete  bacterio- 
logical laboratory,  and  in  it  are  preparing 
serum.  Cholera  serum  was  being  made  whilst 
I  was  there,  in  anticipation  of  the  possible 
epidemic  with  the  coming  of  summer.  Never 
at  any  time  have  they  been  short  of  anaes- 
thetics or  antiseptics. 

Another  hospital  that  I  went  through  was 
that  of  the  Grand  Duchess  Maria  Pavolova, 
also  completely  and  scientifically  equipped 
throughout,  and  there  are  many  more,  the 
largest  being  a  hospital  of  six  thousand  beds, 
as  needs  must  when  a  single  battle  furnished 
thirty  thousand  wounded  Russians  alone. 

Those  with  large  houses  to  give  have  cheer- 
fully turned  them  into  hospitals.  At  Vilanof, 


68        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

the  former  home  of  the  King  Jan  Sobieski, 
Count  Branitski  maintains  forty  beds;  a 
relative,  the  Countess  Branitska,  opened  her 
city  residence  to  wounded  officers  and  later  to 
wounded  soldiers,  living  herself  in  a  lodge 
next  door.  The  Countess  Joseph  Potocka 
nursed  wounded  soldiers  in  her  home,  while 
her  two  sons  were  on  Red  Cross  duty  at  the 
front.  And  these  are  not  all,  but  merely  a 
representative  few.  Under  the  same  skilful 
management  evacuation  hospitals  have  been 
created  in  the  railroad  stations,  where  the 
less  seriously  wounded  are  taken  from  the 
trains  to  rest  on  their  way  to  their  final 
lazarettes.  So  absorbed  are  these  people  in 
their  work  of  mercy  that  they  hardly  heed 
the  daily  bombs  from  air  men  —  baby  killers 
they  call  them. 

Anybody  would  have  been  surprised  at 
such  an  extraordinary  accomplishment,  but 
I  was  the  more  surprised  because  I  had  heard 
in  the  hotel  lobbies  in  Petrograd  a  lot  of 
rumors  of  a  shocking  lack  of  hospital  facili- 
ties and  attendants.  Such  stories,  I  suppose, 


WARSAW  69 

are  current  in  hotel  lobbies  back  of  all  the 
battle  lines  and  receive  ready  credulity  from 
those  who  are  unable  or  unwilling  to  ascertain 
the  truth. 

In  addition  to  all  this  there  are  committees 
large  and  committees  small  from  the  central 
organization  in  Warsaw  to  the  little  hamlet 
committees  in  rear  of  the  battle  line. 

How  much  work  there  is  for  these  com- 
mittees to  do  is  hard  to  explain  to  peace- 
blessed  America.  We  have  our  unemploy- 
ment problems,  but  our  unemployed  are 
largely  of  the  transient  class  well  able  by 
nature  and  practice  to  look  out  for  them- 
selves, but  here  the  idle  are  largely  land- 
owners or  tenant  farmers,  at  the  least  driven 
from  their  homes  by  stress  of  war  and  quite 
unable  to  fend  for  themselves  under  new 
conditions. 

Food  must  be  found  for  them  and  roofs  and 
work.  It  is  heartbreaking  labor  for  the  com- 
mittees, but  it  is  invaluable  discipline  and 
experience  for  the  future. 

After    witnessing    for    several    days    these 


70        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

monuments  of  mercy  I  was  delighted  to  learn 
from  Chamberlain-Squire  Lysyczynski,  aide- 
de-camp  to  General  Governor  Engalitcheff, 
that  arrangements  were  in  progress  to  re- 
store Home  Rule  to  Poland. 

The  election  for  municipal  offices  of  War- 
saw was  about  to  be  held  while  I  was  there, 
and  ways  were  being  discussed  of  organizing 
a  Polish  Parliament,  even  while  hostile  armies 
were  fighting  on  her  soil,  and  while  a  portion 
of  it  was  occupied  by  the  enemy. 

On  Poland's  past  I  am  no  historian  and 
certainly  not  a  critic,  but  I  do  not  doubt  — 
and  no  one  who  has  seen  the  power  of  organi- 
zation developed  in  caring  for  the  wounded 
can  doubt  —  Poland's  power  of  self-govern- 
ment. 

It  is  in  the  hospitals  that  the  horrors  of 
war  are  found.  I  do  not  know  how  the  people 
of  Warsaw  have  stood  them  for  so  many 
months.  I  could  not  have  done  so. 

Once  I  was  taken  to  the  bedside  of  a  patient 
who  spoke  English.  He  said  that  he  had 
worked  in  the  Steel  Mills  in  South  Chicago. 


WARSAW  71 

Thinking  to  cheer  him  up,  I  said  we  would 
be  glad  to  see  him  in  Chicago  after  the  war, 
and  he  replied,  —  "Oh,  I  can  never  go  back 
to  America."  "Why?"  said  I,  and  in  an- 
swer he  lifted  the  bedcovers,  showing  two 
stumps  where  his  legs  had  been  and  over  his 
face  came  an  expression  that  I  would  not 
describe  if  I  could. 

There  is  nothing  that  money  and  in- 
genuity can  do  that  has  not  been  done  by 
the  people  of  Warsaw  for  these  wrecked 
lives.  The  most  modern  artificial  limbs  are 
supplied  to  all  who  can  use  them,  and  the 
pleasure  of  those  simple  people  in  finding 
that  they  will  be  able  to  move  again  is  pathetic. 

Harrowing  as  are  all  these  sights,  the  blind 
are  the  worst.  One  man  I  saw  and  stopped 
spellbound  at  his  misery.  I  was  told  that  I 
might  photograph  him,  as  he  would  not 
know  it.  Nothing  could  have  made  me  do 
so.  It  is  enough  that  his  expression  should 
be  seared  upon  my  memory  for  ever. 

Oh !  you  who  forbid  means  of  defence  to 
our  country,  what  agony  are  you  storing  up 


72        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

for  your  countrymen  who  will  have  to  fight 
without  preparation  and  suffer  without  limit 
when  we  are  invaded ! 

I  made  Warsaw  my  headquarters,  motoring 
out  from  there  to  the  armies.  The  trips 
themselves  were  full  of  interest,  for  they 
crossed  the  battle  fields  of  the  German  high 
tide  in  September. 

By  following  the  trenches  and  rifle  pits 
one  could  get  a  good  idea  of  the  minor  tactics, 
the  size  of  the  protections  indicating  how 
long  any  position  had  been  occupied,  the 
thickness  of  the  graves  showing  the  stub- 
bornness of  the  fight.  The  roads,  too,  were 
full  of  transport,  artillery  and  Red  Cross 
trains. 

Additional  interest  was  added  by  our 
chauffeur.  This  man  was  selected  apparently 
because  he  was  too  small  for  the  army. 
He  was  not  the  best  chauffeur  in  the  world 
and  it  is  possible  that  he  was  not  the  worst. 
He  had  no  idea  of  the  relation  between  the 
speed  of  vehicles  and  the  distance  between 
them.  He  could  not  reach  his  footbrake,  but 


WARSAW  73 

that  did  not  matter,  as  the  brake  was  out  of 
order  all  the  time. 

Two  things  he  did  know  :  that  it  takes 
speed  to  cover  long  distances  and  that  a 
staff  officer's  car  has  the  right  of  way  ;  so 
whenever  his  engine  was  in  shape  ran  a  mile 
a  minute,  or  better. 

He  taught  me  that  the  danger  of  auto- 
mobile accidents  has  been  greatly  exagger- 
ated. He  would  tear  past  miles  of  terrified 
transport  horses  that  would  rear  and  plunge 
and  threaten  to  back  into  our  side  of  the 
road,  but  none  ever  did,  although  I  saw  one 
Siberian  pony  jump  into  an  empty  wagon. 

We  travelled  over  five  hundred  miles  to- 
gether and  only  had  one  accident,  when  we 
knocked  over  a  carriage  and  two  officers. 
The  collision  was  so  outrageously  the  fault 
of  our  chauffeur  and  might  easily  have 
proved  serious  that  I  looked  for  an  outburst 
of  temper.  None  came.  It  would  have  been 
a  confession  that  the  collision  had  disturbed 
the  officers. 

Such  calm  seemed  extreme  to  me,  but  I 


74         WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

was  told  that  it  is  impossible  to  be  too 
unaffected  by  danger. 

Speaking  of  danger,  —  I  came  to  know  the 
chief  aviator  of  the  Warsaw  camp  very  well. 
Before  the  war  he  was  not  a  member  of  the 
aviation  corps  of  the  army,  but  a  rich  young 
man  who  made  flying  his  hobby.  Now  he 
was  able  to  turn  his  hobby  to  the  service  of 
the  nation.  He  had  frequently  attacked 
hostile  airmen  in  the  sky. 

He  asked  me  if  the  rich  young  men  of 
America  did  not  make  flying  a  hobby  with 
the  same  object  in  view.  When  I  replied  in 
the  negative,  he  asked  me,  "Why?"  I 
hesitated  for  a  while,  and  then  with  a  very 
red  face  replied,  "It  is  considered  too  dan- 
gerous." 

There  were  soldiers  in  Warsaw  from  all 
parts  of  the  Empire  and  in  different  kinds  of 
attire.  One  night  we  found  at  table  one 
Pole  in  full  dress  evening  suit,  one  private 
volunteer  soldier  in  blouse,  one  officer  in  full 
dress,  Prince  Toundoutoff  in  the  field  uni- 
form of  the  Horse  Guards,  one  Cossack  of  the 


WARSAW  75 

Caucasus  in  flowing  robe,  fur  cap  and  inlaid 
sword,  one  American  national  guardsman 
in  field  uniform  with  khaki  shirt  and  knee- 
high  surveyor  boots.  Somebody  thought  of 
a  photographer  to  make  a  picture  of  this 
company  of  extremes,  and  I  sent  for  my 
campaign  hat  to  make  the  types  more  dis- 
tinct. Everybody  refused  to  believe  it  could 
be  part  of  the  uniform,  calling  it  a  Panama, 
and  insisted  that  I  should  not  make  a  joke  of 
a  picture  that  would  be  of  permanent  in- 
terest ! 

In  Warsaw  I  met  the  famous  war  corre- 
spondents Stanley  Washburn  and  John  Bass, 
and  also  the  American  military  attache 
Lieut.  Sherman  Miles.  They  were  the  only 
Americans  in  evidence  and  as  a  consequence 
the  reputation  of  Americans  is  exceedingly 
good  there. 

Warsaw  is  a  delightful  city  inhabited  by 
charming  people  and  I  am  going  back  there 
after  the  war  is  over  —  or  before. 


CHAPTER  V 
ON  THE  RAWKA  BATTLE  LINE 

THE  following  are  accounts  of  two  trips 
from  Warsaw  to  the  Rawka  front  written 
at  the  time.  I  reproduce  them  here,  as  they 
were  written  then  "to  save  the  growth  of 
time." 

The  size  and  number  of  shells  fired  in  one's 
direction  in  a  given  battle  have  a  growth  as 
steady  as  a  century  plant.  Only  the  dis- 
tances by  which  they  missed  one  shrink ! 

From  these  articles  perhaps  may  be  gath- 
ered the  psychological  effect  of  living  in  the 
atmosphere  of  war  upon  a  "civilian  soldier" 
of  rather  phlegmatic  temperament. 

GENERAL  SMIRNOFF 

Saturday,  April  18th,  was  a  hodgepodge 
day.  It  began  with  a  visit  to  the  castle  of 

76 


ON    THE    RAWKA    BATTLE    LINE    77 

Vilanof  built  by  the  Polish  king,  John  Sobieski, 
who  saved  Vienna  from  the  Turks.  Here 
Count  Braniski  conducts  a  private  hospital 
for  wounded  men,  among  whom  is  a  Polish 
peasant  sixty  years  of  age,  shot  through 
the  breast  by  direction  of  a  Prussian  officer 
for  objecting  to  the  burning  of  his  home. 
He  was  left  where  he  fell,  and  remained  two 
days  and  two  nights  until  the  Russian  ad- 
vance from  Warsaw.  Better  for  him  if  he 
had  died  where  he  lay,  as  under  the  circum- 
stances of  his  life  tuberculosis  is  almost  in- 
evitable, and  besides,  an  arm  paralyzed  from 
the  wound  will  keep  him  from  the  cultivation 
of  his  little  farm,  whereby  he  earns  his  bread. 
From  Vilanof  on  through  fields  sown  thick 
with  graves,  where  the  decisive  battle  of  the 
Fall  campaign  was  fought.  On  past  line 
after  line  of  covered  trench  and  breastworks, 
past  labyrinths  of  wire  entanglements,  the 
new  forts,  stronger  than  stone  or  concrete. 
On  over  the  road  worn  deep  in  ruts  by  Ger- 
man heavy  cannon,  past  rows  of  trees  stripped 
naked  of  their  branches  to  make  artillery 


78        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

cover.  They  looked  so  queer  and  bare  in 
the  morning  sunlight  that  I  stopped  to  pho- 
tograph them  and  the  crowds  of  Polish  refu- 
gees, who  find  in  road  repairing  much  needed 
work  while  the  stranger  furrows  their  lands 
with  intrenching  ploughs.  And  so  we  came 
to  a  pleasant  country  house,  remarkable  only 
in  an  astounding  number  of  telephone  wires 
running  from  an  open  window.  This  is  the 
headquarters  of  the  second  army,  inherited 
in  all  its  thoroughness  of  equipment  from  the 
beaten  enemy. 

From  the  road  it  seemed  as  though  the 
general  had  been  careful  to  find  comfortable 
quarters,  but  an  inside  inspection  showed  that 
the  entire  house  was  given  up  to  the  business 
of  the  army  and  that  the  general  in  command 
contented  himself  with  one  small  combined 
bed  and  sitting  room. 

In  this  unpretentious  salon  he  received  us 
and  then  led  the  way  into  the  flower  garden 
to  show  where  a  German  aerial  bomb  had 
fallen  a  few  hours  before.  The  explosion 
had  shattered  the  neighboring  windows  and 


ON    THE    RAWKA    BATTLE    LINE    79 

steel  fragments  had  melted  the  pickets  of 
an  iron  fence  like  cheese.  The  "visit"  was 
about  to  be  returned,  so,  after  tea,  we  fol- 
lowed the  general  to  the  aviation  field. 

Approaching  this,  I  saw  the  familiar  sight 
of  field  artillery  cocked  up  on  end  as  anti- 
air-craft  guns.  I  had  seen  the  same  scheme 
at  Neuve  Chapelle  in  France,  but  there  was 
a  difference  in  detail  of  method. 

In  France  the  trail  is  lowered  into  a  hole 
and  the  wheels  are  skidded  around  for  aim- 
ing on  two  small  concentric  iron  tracks. 
Range  is  established  by  a  telescopic  field 
range  finder. 

In  Russia  the  cannon  wheels  rest  on  a  cen- 
tral wooden  platform,  and,  to  get  the  requi- 
site elevation,  the  trail  is  let  down  into  a 
circular  excavation  cut  around  the  platform. 

To  obtain  the  exactitude  of  range  neces- 
sary for  wing  shooting,  a  "jack-knife" 
method  has  been  devised  indicative  of  a 
high  state  of  originality  in  the  Russian  artil- 
lery arm. 

We  were  still  a  little  early  for  the  depar- 


80        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

ture  of  the  bomb  droppers,  as  the  general 
planned  to  time  their  trip  so  that  they  would 
have  daylight  by  which  to  aim  their  bombs 
and  nightfall  to  protect  their  return.  In 
the  meantime  he  held  a  practice  drill  of  the 
air  battery,  and  to  make  the  spectacle  more 
realistic  sent  up  a  repaired  German  aero- 
plane shot  down  by  this  same  battery  a 
while  before. 

Around  sailed  the  airship,  around  the  Rus- 
sian gunners  swung  their  guns,  giving  evi- 
dence of  the  tremendous  physical  strength, 
which  is  a  distinctive  feature  of  this  army. 
I  stood  with  one  of  the  range-finding  officers 
and  was  impressed  with  the  superiority  of 
his  contrivance  over  the  automatic  range 
finder  used  in  France. 

As  the  general  approached  the  flying 
machine,  mechanics  and  air  men  alike  came 
to  a  rigid  attention.  For  from  the  adven- 
turers of  the  air  is  required  the  same  degree  of 
discipline  as  from  the  soldiers  in  the  trenches. 

We  were  introduced  to  Poirret,  the  French 
Beachey,  and  to  the  famous  Creusot.  I 


ON    THE    RAWKA    BATTLE    LINE    81 

snapped  a  picture  of  the  latter's  smiling  face. 
When  it  reaches  America,  may  it  not  appear 
as  an  obituary ! 

The  final  bombs  were  being  loaded  as  we 
arrived. 

Oh !  the  tenseness  of  that  atmosphere.  Six 
fine  young  men  were  starting  out  to  kill  or 
be  killed.  One  realized  how  thin  is  the  veneer 
of  civilization  to  breathe  that  electrified  air. 
I  think  the  dignified  old  general,  veteran  and 
hero  of  many  wars,  would  have  given  one 
of  his  stars  to  take  that  voyage. 

Poirret,  the  looper  of  loops,  was  plainly 
excited,  but  Creusot  discussed  engines,  steer- 
ing devices,  and  airman's  clothes  with  ap- 
parent unconcern,  only  in  his  eyes  could  be 
seen  the  fire  that  burned  within. 

I  wonder  what  occupation  that  gallant  will 
find  if  he  survives  the  war. 

Up  rose  the  graceful  destroyers,  circling 
to  the  heights.  Small  targets  they  pre- 
sented when  they  turned  their  beaks  toward 
the  foe. 

We   dined  in  Russian   style,   with  all  the 


82        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

delightful  appetizers  that  country  affords, 
and  we  drank  in  light  wine  to  the  safe  return 
of  the  voyagers.  Colonel  "Billy"  (Nicholas 
Billaeff,  Colonel  de  la  Garde)  of  the  artillery 
and  professor  of  metallurgy  in  peace,  inter- 
preted for  the  general,  but  had  little  work 
to  do  until  report  came  of  the  airmen's  safe 
return. 

After  dinner  we  left  for  home  and  found 
Warsaw  dark  in  expectation  of  Zeppelin 
attack. 

In  my  diary  of  April  llth  is  written  the 
name  of  a  Russian  general,  Pierre  Sakharoff, 
who  gave  us  a  day  of  days  because  of  his 
friendship  for  America.  Thank  Heaven,  we 
rose  early  that  day. 

Our  way  lay  straight  west  over  the  road 
the  Germans  had  marched  to  attack  War- 
saw and  again  on  the  retreat. 

They  came  within  eight  miles  of  the  city 
and  were  expecting  to  crown  a  prince  of 
Saxony  as  king  when  the  Russian  guard 
arrived  —  but  that  is  history,  not  reminis- 
cence. 


ON    THE    RAWKA    BATTLE    LINE    83 

Down  this  road  we  came  bumping  in  the 
German  ruts  and  wondering  whether  the  aero- 
plane flying  high  above  would  expend  a  shell 
upon  so  small  an  object  as  an  automobile. 
It  did  not,  and  we  came  to  the  corps  head- 
quarters. 

Here  we  met  Mr.  Goutschkoff,  former 
chairman  of  the  Duma,  and  his  wife,  a 
delightful  pair  of  warriors.  Mr.  Goutschkoff 
gained  experience  fighting  with  the  Boers, 
and  his  wife  is  a  Red  Cross  veteran  of  the 
Japanese  and  Balkan  wars.  They  showed 
us  the  corps,  division,  and  field  hospitals, 
splendid  examples  of  medical  efficiency. 

The  corps  hospital,  in  a  whitewashed  house, 
was  complete  to  operating  table  and  chloro- 
form. The  division  hospital  had  been  in- 
stalled in  a  church,  but  was  now  in  tents, 
bricks  from  the  shell-demolished  structure 
serving  as  a  floor.  Polish  boys,  high  school 
boys  we  should  call  them,  acted  as  orderlies, 
and  women,  true  to  their  heaven-sent  mis- 
sion, were  patiently  suffering  in  mind  for  the 
wounded  in  body. 


84        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

A  light  tramway  had  been  constructed 
from  the  division  hospital  to  the  corps  head- 
quarters to  save  the  wounded  the  bumping 
over  the  roads,  an  indication  of  the  care 
given  to  Russian  wounded  and  also  of  their 
number. 

Polish  peasants  were  being  fed  with  the 
soldiers'  food  —  poor  victims  of  a  war  not 
theirs. 

Hospital  sights  are  very  depressing,  and  I 
was  glad  when  we  had  finished  our  investi- 
gation. 

What  is  the  strange  psychology  that  causes 
the  mind  depressed  by  the  sight  of  wounded 
men  to  be  cheered  by  the  sound  of  the  cannon 
that  wounded  them,  the  popping  corks  of 
the  wine  of  death? 

What  is  it  causes  the  drunkard  to  gladden 
at  the  sight  of  liquor,  the  drug  victim  to  smile 
at  the  poisonous  needle?  Is  it  that,  born 
to  die,  we  have  an  affinity  for  what  destroys 
and  draw  back  only  when  too  late? 

Whatever  the  explanation,  our  party  bright- 
ened as  the  guns  began  to  sound  above  the 


ON    THE    RAWKA    BATTLE    LINE    85 

carriage  wheels  which  bore  us  on  the  third 
stage  of  our  journey. 

A  shell  hole  blocked  the  road  before  the 
general's  door,  a  chance  visitor  which  had 
killed  a  sentry  at  the  rear  one  day  while  the 
general  was  on  the  firing  line. 

The  general  himself  was  in  the  garden,  a 
kindly  man  who  welcomed  us  with  a  short 
speech  as  representatives  of  the  great  Ameri- 
can nation,  in  which  he  has  spent  delightful 
hours  and  which  he  delighted  to  honor.  The 
division  was  ours  to  command. 

A  cavalry  drill  was  arranged  and  a  review 
of  infantry.  He  was  about  to  bombard  a 
German  sap.  Yes,  and  if  we  wanted  to  very 
much,  we  could  enter  the  trenches.  But  we 
must  be  careful.  He  would  never  forgive 
himself  if  we  should  be  hurt  while  his  guests. 
Then  interested  questions  as  to  the  success 
of  the  San  Francisco  exposition,  and  before 
we  knew  it  we  were  among  a  sotnia  of  Cos- 
sack cavalry.  Called  sotnia  from  the  num- 
ber sot  —  100  men. 

The    Cossacks    are    humpy    looking    men 


86        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

with  round  fur  caps  and  sheepskin  coats  ? 
They  never  wash  or  shave  ?  Also  they  have 
more  wives  than  teeth? 

Yes,  I  have  been  to  Buffalo  Bill's  and  seen 
them,  too.  Apparently  Buffalo  Bill  has  got 
them  all.  At  least  I  have  not  seen  any  of 
that  kind  in  Russia. 

The  Russians  know  something  about  this 
reputation.  When  I  first  came  to  Head- 
quarters the  Grand  Duke  asked  me  as  a  pleas- 
antry to  pick  out  the  Cossack  officers.  This 
was  puzzling,  as  no  one  present  could  come 
within  my  preconceived  opinion  of  them, 
least  of  all  the  three  blond,  close-cropped 
young  men  who  always  smiled  so  affably  at 
my  confusion. 

When  the  soldiers  were  dismounted  there 
was  nothing  to  indicate  the  Cossack,  unless 
it  was  that  the  horses  seemed  too  nervous  to 
drill.  But  when  they  mounted  and  swung 
into  line !  Sons  of  Castor  and  Pollux  !  Noth- 
ing but  international  polo  can  equal  it. 

They  wheeled,  and  they  countermarched, 
and  they  charged. 


ON    THE    RAWKA    BATTLE    LINE    87 

They  formed  a  skirmish  line  on  foot,  and 
they  leaped  back  on  their  mounts.  I  can- 
not describe  it,  but  the  cinema  can  —  cinema, 
the  modern  war  correspondent. 

My  admiration  for  the  horses  was  so  un- 
bounded that  an  officer  lent  me  his  mount, 
a  velvet-mouthed  animal  with  a  trot  that  one 
could  either  sit  or  rise  to ;  and  thus  we  came 
to  a  regiment  of  infantry  drawn  up  for  review. 

This  regiment  contained  3060  men  as  we 
saw  it.  It  had  already  lost  6000  killed  and 
wounded.  I  wondered  how  many  of  the 
original  number  remained. 

The  general  greeted  his  men  heartily. 

"Good  morning,  boys." 

"Good  health  to  your  excellency,"  roared 
back  the  regiment. 

I  had  already  learned  that  the  general 
loved  his  men.  The  tone  of  the  men's  reply 
showed  that  they  loved  their  general. 

And  how  they  stood  at  attention !  Devel- 
oping that  cohesion  of  mind  that  will  hold 
them  together  when  the  next  great  trial 
comes. 


88        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

I  had  a  good  chance  to  look  them  over  as 
we  rode  up  and  down  the  line.  I  saw  that 
the  officers  set  good  examples  in  bearing  to 
their  men.  In  particular  I  noticed  a  red- 
bearded  captain  holding  a  great  curved  sword, 
a  splendid  type. 

The  regiment  turned  into  column  and, 
band  leading,  passed  before  the  general. 

The  Russian  quick  step  is  three  and  one- 
half  miles  an  hour.  The  stride  is  slow  and 
long.  It  gives  the  sense  of  the  inevitable, 
and  of  those  hordes  which  have  been  so  often 
advertised  at  the  expense  of  the  remarkable 
organization  and  military  preparation  through 
which  Russia,  alone  of  the  Allies,  was  able  to 
cope  with  Germany  at  the  outbreak  of  war. 

The  men  marched  to  their  cantonments 
in  the  trees  a  furlong  away,  broke  ranks,  and 
gathered  along  the  edge  of  the  wood  to  look 
at  the  man  with  the  camera  and  the  officer 
in  the  strange  yellow  overcoat.  Then  I 
noticed  how  well  their  uniforms  blended  with 
the  background.  If  they  had  taken  cover, 
not  a  man  could  have  been  seen. 


ON    THE    RAWKA    BATTLE    LINE    89 

Still  on  horseback,  we  continued  to  the 
battery  that  was  to  shell  the  sap.  I  have 
seen  batteries  well  hidden  in  straw  stacks 
and  in  woods  and  dug  into  the  ground,  but 
this  one  was  like  a  bug  in  a  rug.  Fifteen 
feet  away  not  a  gun  could  be  seen,  except 
along  the  line  to  the  rear,  upon  which  the 
sighting  point  was  established. 

In  this  glade  we  set  the  moving  picture 
machine  to  make  a  scenario  of  a  Russian 
battery  in  action,  but  our  picture  was  short; 
the  second  shell  landed  in  the  sap  itself. 

We  in  the  peaceful  glade  had  seen  what 
appeared  to  be  a  fire  drill.  Yet  it  had  brought 
death  to  men  and  widowhood  to  women. 

Now  we  are  to  visit  the  place  where  the 
wine  of  death  is  spilled.  A  hard  gallop  over 
a  natural  bridle  path,  a  visit  to  a  battery  of 
heavy  artillery  of  the  type  the  French  have 
recently  copied,  a  lighter  and  faster  shooting 
type  than  the  German  or  English,  another 
little  ride,  and  we  are  dismounting  before  a 
platoon  of  infantry  at  the  edge  of  a  wood. 

An    embarrassed    round-faced    boy    with 


90        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

sergeant's  stripes  and  a  cross  of  St.  George 
on  his  chest  steps  forward  and  shouts 
a  report  to  the  general,  quite  drowning  the 
report  of  rifles,  which  have  been  growing 
louder  as  we  approach. 

An  agile  middle-aged  colonel  steps  out  of 
the  woods  like  Robin  Hood,  and,  after  intro- 
ductions, we  advance  on  foot. 

The  colonel  is  explaining  that  the  outbreak 
of  war  found  him  in  a  garrison  on  the  Afghan- 
istan border  as  we  reach  the  communication 
trenches  and  Thompson  shouts  from  the  rear : 

"I  suppose  that  this  is  the  wine  cellar, 
colonel,"  stealing  my  stuff. 

Cellar  of  the  wine  of  death  it  is,  and  even 
as  we  later  proceed  to  the  firing  trench 
shuffling  feet  and  tender  hands  bear  to  the 
rear  all  that  was  mortal  of  a  soldier  of  the 
Czar. 

Ivan  Ivanovitch  had  survived  the  fifty 
days'  butchery  from  Lodz  to  Warsaw  and 
back  to  the  Rawka  to  fall  before  a  sniper's 
bullet. 

Brave,  patient,  uncomplaining  Ivan !     He 


ON    THE    RAWKA    BATTLE    LINE    91 

has  pushed  the  Czar's  borders  from  the  Baltic 
to  the  Pacific,  and  now  his  steady  walk  is 
driving  it  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  this  time 
to  remain. 

A  large  army  has  preceded  him  where  he 
has  gone ;  a  larger  one  will  follow  before  the 
war  is  over. 

But  now  to  lunch. 

The  trench  winds  continually  to  prevent 
enfilading  fire  and  to  limit  the  effect  of  a 
fortunately  placed  shell.  Around  one  of  the 
curves  we  find  a  cave  opening  to  the  rear. 
In  the  cave  is  a  table  and  on  the  table  all 
kinds  of  good  things  to  eat.  Caviare,  sar- 
dines, cheese,  canned  lobster,  cake,  more 
caviare,  radishes,  cold  meat,  and  to  drink 
tea,  weak  tea,  sweet  tea,  only  tea.  Like 
other  Europeans,  the  Russians  do  not  drink 
water.  How  often  have  I  longed  to  turn  on 
the  faucet  and  get  one  real  cold  drink  of 
water ! 

We  eat  heartily  to  the  smattering  fire  of 
rifles  and  the  occasional  burst  of  a  near-by 
shell.  Soon  music  comes  to  wait  on  appetite ; 


92        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

a  soldier  with  an  accordion  plays  the  lays  of 
the  Russian  peasantry.  From  elsewhere  in  the 
ground  appear  two  mustached  soldiers,  face 
each  other,  and  begin  to  dance. 

The  "lady"  partner  is  bespangled  with  a 
cross  of  honor  won  in  light  housekeeping 
with  a  bayonet  (on  outpost  duty).  "She" 
shows  a  nice  proportion  of  embarrassment 
and  coquetry  to  her  partner,  who  has  this 
post  of  distinction  because  he  is  one  of  the 
few  men  of  the  company  who  have  lived 
through  the  whole  of  the  war  to  date. 

I  realize  now  that  I  should  have  brought 
a  recording  talking  machine  as  well  as  a 
cinema.  The  sounds  of  modern  war  are 
more  impressive  than  the  sights,  even  as  they 
are  in  the  hospitals.  The  film  will  show  the 
dancing  men,  the  dreamy  musicians,  the 
noble  general  and  his  officers,  but  memory 
must  supply  the  music,  the  rifle  fire,  and  the 
bursting  shells. 

I  linger  over  the  meal.  It  is  my  great 
hour :  to  them  only  a  break  in  the  monotony 
of  trench  warfare. 


ON    THE    RAWKA    BATTLE    LINE    93 

Luncheon  over,  we  advance  again  —  our 
party  reduced  by  the  general's  orders  to 
himself,  the  colonel,  Thompson,  Toundoutoff, 
Captain  Lyszczynski,  and  me ;  ah,  yes,  there 
also  is  our  good  friend  Colonel  "Billy"  in 
the  lead. 

We  pass  through  a  labyrinth  of  communi- 
cation and  supporting  trenches  filled  with 
curious  soldiers  thronging  to  see  the  strangers, 
and  so  into  the  firing  trench. 

This  is  a  splendid  affair,  with  a  shrapnel- 
proof  head  cover  and  loopholes  about  two 
feet  apart.  By  means  of  a  step  cut  in  the 
bank  a  second  line  of  men  can  fire  above  the 
roof.  The  Germans  are  firing  freely,  but 
the  Russians  with  admirable  discipline  are 
not  returning  a  shot  or  "rubber-necking." 

Through  the  loopholes  little  can  be  seen, 
as  it  is  not  safe  to  look  from  one  for  more  than 
a  moment.  A  periscope  is  therefore  pro- 
duced, and  I  am  enabled  to  take  a  deliberate 
look  over  the  battlefield. 

I  see  —  nothing.  Yes,  I  see  an  occasional 
puff  as  of  vapor,  where  the  snipers  are  work- 


94        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

ing,  then  by  focussing  a  field  glass  into  the 
periscope  I  detect  about  fifty  yards  away 
the  wire  entanglements  of  the  German  army, 
and  behind  that  a  line  in  the  earth  where  lies 
the  firing  trench. 

Crack  —  bluck ! 

I  have  been  too  deliberate.  A  good  glass 
has  detected  the  periscope  and  a  sharpshooter 
has  hoped  to  find  a  weak  spot  where  the  offi- 
cer's head  is  revealed.  "Fooled  again,"  I 
think  with  unreasonable  spite  as  I  move  on. 

Now  Thompson  has  the  machine  up  and 
is  grinding  away  at  a  real  battle  scene.  The 
Germans  are  firing  fast,  the  crack  of  their 
rifles,  the  bluck  of  the  bullets  in  the  parapet, 
and  the  strange  crack-whistle  of  those  flying 
overhead  being  continuous. 

Shells  are  falling  to  our  left.  It  is  as 
noisy  as  a  battle  scene  in  a  theatre  and  no 
danger  of  fire.  No,  nor  panic  here. 

Our  general,  however,  has  not  been  on  the 
stage.  He  smiles  quietly  and  says  "boom" 
when  a  shell  explodes  near,  and  "ping"  as  a 
bullet  whistles  by.  The  soldiers  are  stolid 
and  keep  well  away  from  the  loopholes. 


ON    THE    RAWKA    BATTLE    LINE    95 

Thompson  wants  to  climb  out  of  the  trench 
to  take  the  smoke  puffs  across  the  way,  but 
meets  a  smiling  refusal.  It  would  be  cer- 
tain death.  So  he  has  to  turn  his  camera  and 
take  the  bullet-torn  trees  behind  to  show  he  is 
at  the  front. 

The  "show"  over,  we  review  the  rest  of 
the  regiments  in  the  trenches  standing  beside 
their  loopholes,  as  on  parade.  One  young 
giant  is  so  much  on  parade  that  a  well-fed 
stomach  half  blocks  the  passage.  The  colonel 
pokes  it  playfully  and  the  recruit  straightens 
up  with  a  delightful  and  embarrassed  grin, 
very  anxious  to  please  the  regiment's  father. 
Where  else  is  found  this  particular  relation- 
ship between  officer  and  man? 

Again  we  zigzag  through  the  approaches, 
the  drunken  staggerings  of  the  wine  of  death. 

The  regimental  volunteer  meets  us,  a  twelve- 
year-old  typical  kind.  His  face  is  wet  with 
honest  sweat,  from  carrying  our  presents,  two 
empty  shrapnel  cases  and  fuses.  He  is  freckled 
and  sunburnt.  He  has  a  speech  to  make, 
but  has  forgotten  it.  And  there  is  not  an 


96         WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

American    boy    alive    who    does    not    envy 
him. 

To  horse,  and  the  reserve  battalion  roars 
a  hearty  farewell.  A  hospitable  battery  fires 
a  salute  and  as  an  echo  resound  the  shells 
exploding  in  the  German  trenches. 

Ten  miles  of  glorious  sunset  back  to  dinner 
and  a  real  surprise  —  drinking  water  —  not 
iced,  but  boiled  and  cooled. 

The  regimental  band  plays  through  the 
meal,  and  the  officers  stand  as  "My  Country, 
'tis  of  Thee"  swells  through  the  darkening 
forest. 

The  guest  from  far-off  Illinois  tried  to 
utter  a  word  of  thanks,  but  compromises 
with  a  vigorous  use  of  his  handkerchief.  A 
strange  fog  is  around  the  flickering  candles. 
I  would  like  to  have  companions  like  these 
in  the  event  that  —  the  event  that  — 

I  look  through  the  shattered  window  and 
as  in  confirmation  of  my  thought  see  the  sun 
set,  flashing  like  a  battle  flag  from  across  wire 
entanglements. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THROUGH  GALICIA 

WE  returned  from  Warsaw  to  the  town 
which  was  occupied  as  Headquarters  because 
we  heard  that  the  Emperor  had  come  there, 
but  when  we  arrived  at  the  railroad  crossing 
hamlet  we  found  the  "palace  on  wheels/' 
as  I  had  named  it,  gone. 

The  Emperor  had  departed  for  Galicia  by 
express.  We  followed  by  freight.  Toun- 
doutoff  had  the  excellent  idea  of  travelling 
by  automobile  and  even  ordered  one,  only 
to  learn  that  all  the  automobiles  had  been 
taken  by  the  Imperial  party. 

We  traveled  to  Brody  and  then  changed  to 
the  train  on  the  Austrian  railroad. 

When  Russia  adopted  the  wide  gauge  she 
showed  great  economic  foresight,  but  handi- 
capped her  military.  It  is  a  simple  thing  to 

H  97 


98         WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

narrow  gauges,  but  a  military  impossibility 
to  widen  bridges  and  tunnels. 

The  trip  was  absorbing  to  me  as  we  were 
travelling  with  Russian  troops.  Certain  of 
my  observations  are  better  reserved  for  the 
chapter  on  the  Russian  Army,  but  the  human 
side  is  best  told  as  I  saw  it. 

The  soldiers  sat  and  stood  around  the  doors 
of  their  cars  and  looked  with  mild  interest 
on  what  they  considered  Russia  Irradenta. 
When  they  sang  they  sang  in  low  voices  and 
mostly  in  minor  key.  There  was  no  boister- 
ousness. 

There  were  no  beggars  for  food  along  the 
way,  but  crowds  of  children  came  to  the 
track,  apparently  in  quest  of  sugar,  because 
this  is  what  the  soldiers  gave  them. 

The  great  treat  of  the  trip  was  the  spec- 
tacle of  two  little  Austrian  children,  hand 
in  hand,  singing  as  best  they  could  the  Aus- 
trian national  hymn.  Apparently  they  had 
found  this  a  favorite  with  the  Austrian  soldiers 
when  they  were  here  and  had  never  learned 
the  difference  between  friends  and  enemies. 


PREPARED  RESERVE  TRENCH 


THE  FRONT  TRENCH  IN  THE  CARPATHIANS,  TAKEN  FROM 
BETWEEN  THE  OPPOSING  LlNES 


THROUGH    GALICIA  99 

My  camera  caught  a  Cossack  of  the  Cau- 
casus playing  with  them,  and  many  other 
pictures  of  similar  nature. 

When  the  first  prisoners'  trains  were  met 
there  was  a  crowding  around  the  cars.  I 
hurried  over  to  see  how  the  prisoners  were 
treated  and  found  the  soldiers  giving  them 
cigarettes. 

At  one  stop  a  prisoner  heard  me  speaking 
to  Thompson  and  hailed  me  in  German- 
American.  There  was  no  doubt  in  his  mind 
as  to  my  nationality. 

"How  are  you  getting  on?"  I  asked,  and 
he  replied,  "I  ain't  got  no  complaint  to  make." 
I  would  have  liked  to  ask  him  a  hundred 
questions,  but  his  train  pulled  out  and  I  had 
to  step  back  to  make  room  for  the  cigarette 
givers,  who  ran  along  beside  the  train  to  share 
their  small  store  of  comforts  with  the  prisoners. 

We  arrived  at  Lemberg  about  midnight. 
The  station  —  a  far  better  one  than  any  in 
Chicago  —  was  crowded  with  refugees  sleep- 
ing on  the  floor,  the  window  seats,  —  every- 
where. 


100       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Thompson  very  properly  wanted  to  take 
a  flashlight  of  the  scene,  but  the  station  master 
objected  that  it  would  disturb  the  sleepers. 
I  think  he  was  right. 

An  automobile  the  next  morning  took  us 
to  Peremysl.  We  happened  to  be  following 
in  the  wake  of  the  Emperor,  and  I  had  a  fair 
idea  of  the  way  in  which  his  person  is  guarded. 

All  along  the  way  —  fifty  miles  or  more  - 
mounted  policemen  were  stationed  at  each 
side  of  the  road  at  intervals  of  about  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile.  Automobiles  of  the  Imperial 
suite  passed  both  ways,  but  these  were  more 
likely  travelling  on  business  than  protection. 

We  entered  Peremysl  by  a  road  that  did 
not  run  near  any  of  the  great  forts  but  did 
pass  between  two  of  the  ancient  fortifications 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  They  were  so 
small  and  so  clearly  outlined  as  to  be  value- 
less against  heavy  artillery  fire,  but  with 
their  moats  strengthened  by  barbed  wire  and 
chevaux  de  frise,  and  with  their  ,  ancient 
cannons  replaced  by  machine  guns,  they  were 
doughty  obstacles  to  infantry  attack. 


THROUGH    GALICIA  101 

In  vthe  city  I  saw  nothing  to  show  that  a 
siege  had  taken  place.  The  streets  were  well 
filled  with  people  going  about  as  in  time  of 
peace.  The  stores  were  opened  and  there 
appeared  to  be  as  much  activity  as  one  would 
expect  in  a  city  of  that  size. 

It  was  only  when  we  came  to  the  river  that 
we  saw  any  signs  of  war.  All  the  bridges 
had  been  broken  down.  The  light  Russian 
transport  was  easily  crossing  on  pontoons. 
One  of  the  broken  spans  had  been  utilized 
for  a  foot  passage  and  work  was  going  on 
apparently  to  make  permanent  repairs  to 
another  bridge. 

While  taking  moving  pictures  of  the  bridge, 
a  policeman  asked  for  our  permit,  —  the 
only  occasion  upon  which  this  was  required 
while  I  was  in  Russia. 

Returning,  I  stopped  to  photograph  a  large 
park  of  position  artillery.  Most  of  it  was 
mounted  on  wheels  for  transportation  over 
the  roads,  and  I  saw  a  few  heavy  pieces  on 
special  carriages  on  the  narrow-gauge  railroad, 
which  the  investing  army  had  built  around 


102       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

the  city  the  better  to  transport  ammunition 
and  supplies  to  the  soldiers.  The  heavy  guns 
had  only  arrived  from  Japan  on  the  eve  of 
surrender  and  had  not  even  been  put  in  posi- 
tion. 

On  the  way  back  to  Lemberg  our  automo- 
bile broke  down,  —  a  fortunate  accident, 
because  we  were  able  to  stop  and  enter  one 
of  the  Imperial  machines  that  was  preceding 
the  Emperor  to  Lemberg.  It  was  by  far  the 
most  perfect  automobile  I  have  ever  seen. 
Of  course,  the  tires  and  springs  of  the  machine 
were  of  the  best  make.  In  addition,  the  seats 
were  separate  armchairs  specially  designed 
to  absorb  the  shock  of  rough  roads. 

There  was  a  collapsible  top  which  when 
raised  in  place  made  a  perfect  limousine  with 
glass  windows  on  all  sides,  but  which  could 
be  taken  down  in  its  entirety,  leaving  an  open 
touring  car. 

We  arrived  in  Lemberg  at  night  and  found 
the  sidewalks  thronged  with  people  waiting 
to  see  the  Emperor  return.  He  must  have 
dined  at  the  fortress,  for  it  was  some  time 


THROUGH    GALICIA  103 

after  I  was  in  bed  that  the  cheering  of  the 
crowds  told  me  of  his  arrival. 

The  first  person  I  met  on  the  street  the 
next  day  was  General  Danieloff ,  —  one  of 
the  highest  ranking  generals  in  the  Russian 
Army.  The  second  man  I  met  was  General 
Yanouskevitch,  Chief  of  Staff  of  all  the  Rus- 
sian armies.  These  important  officers  were 
entirely  alone.  The  first  was  out  to  look  at 
the  city;  the  second  was  shopping  to  buy  a 
few  presents  for  his  family. 

I  was  surprised  to  find  such  high  officers 
strolling  around  a  captured  town  unguarded. 
They  would  have  been  easy  victims  for  any 
persecuted  civilian  nursing  revenge.  I  there- 
fore assumed  that  they  knew  there  had  been 
no  persecution  to  call  for  revenge. 

I  spent  the  day  walking  round  the  city, 
looking  at  the  handsome  architecture  and 
talking  with  such  shopkeepers  as  could  under- 
stand French  or  English. 

The  city  was  not  booming,  —  at  the  same 
time,  it  was  far  from  desolate.  The  greater 
part  of  the  stores  were  open,  but  they  were 


104       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

not  doing  much  business,  as  the  wealthier 
residents  —  Poles  —  were  away. 

I  told  all  the  storekeepers  that  I  was  an 
American,  and  bringing  the  subject  round  to 
the  war,  asked  about  the  conduct  of  the 
Russian  soldiers.  There  was  not  one  com- 
plaint of  brutality  or  robbery  or  extortion. 
One  man  objected  to  the  prohibition  of  the 
sale  of  alcohol,  which  is  absolute. 

The  General  Governor  Bobrinski  obeys  the 
rule  he  enforces.  He  has  not  tasted  wine  since 
the  war  began,  although  before  that,  he  told 
me,  he  invariably  drank  it  with  his  meals. 

The  same  night  I  attended  a  variety  show 
of  the  Cafe  Chantante  variety,  where  liquid 
refreshments  were  served.  The  bulk  of  the 
patronage  was  composed  of  officers,  —  very 
young  officers.  It  occurred  to  me  that  young 
men  of  that  age  in  a  captured  city  would 
undoubtedly  get  out  of  hand  sometimes  if 
liquor  were  available,  and  that  the  prohibition 
of  the  sale  of  liquor,  to  which  the  inhabitant 
had  objected,  was  the  only  way  to  insure  him 
from  insult  or  assault. 


THROUGH    GALICIA  105 

Most  of  the  artistes  were  Poles,  but  one 
girl  sang  the  "Grisly  Bear"  with  an  unmis- 
takable American  accent. 

During  the  day  permission  had  been  ob- 
tained from  the  Grand  Duke  for  me  to  visit 
the  front  in  the  Carpathians. 

War  on  the  flats  I  had  seen  in  France  and 
Belgium  and  on  the  Rawka  and  Narew  fronts 
in  Poland.  So  much  greater  therefore  was 
my  pleasure  in  being  allowed  to  look  at  the 
war  in  the  mountains. 

By  motor,  therefore,  we  started  early  the 
next  morning,  and  took  the  course  that 
General  BrousilofTs  army  followed  after  the 
battle  of  Gnila-Lipa. 

The  Austrians  had  been  fighting  in  retreat 
and  had  trenches  dug  for  them  by  the  popu- 
lation in  the  rear.  On  every  crest  facing  to 
the  east  were  trenches  varying  in  complete- 
ness from  kneeling  trenches  to  finished  field 
works. 

The  successive  steps  of  the  Russian  advance 
could  be  seen  by  the  little  mounds  that  had 
been  dug  with  intrenching  tpols  in  irregular 


106       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

lines,  spaced  50  to  100  yards  apart.  As  our 
road  wound  around  the  ends  of  the  Austrian 
front  we  found  similar  mounds  where  the 
Russians  had  attacked  on  the  flank  and  facing 
them  hastily  improvised  protections  where 
the  Austrians  had  thrown  out  flank  guards. 

The  fields  were  thickly  dotted  with  graves 
that  showed  to  us  hurrying  by  no  sign  of 
distinction  between  friend  and  foe. 

What  the  relative  mortality  of  the  pursu- 
ing and  the  pursued  is  in  warfare  of  this  kind 
it  will  take  impartial  investigation  after  the 
war  to  determine,  but  I  gathered  the  impres- 
sion that  if  the  retreating  troops  are  not  dis- 
organized, and  if  they  leave  their  successive 
shelters  soon  enough,  they  must  inflict  greater 
losses  than  they  receive. 

If  there  had  been  any  monotony  in  our 
journey  it  would  have  been  relieved  by  the 
countless  herds  of  cattle  which  had  been 
collected  and  were  being  driven  to  supply  the 
troops  in  the  field.  The  war  butcher  cannot 
discriminate  in  his  meat.  We  saw  blooded 
bulls  and  cows  in  milk,  and  calves  of  all  sizes. 


THROUGH    GALICIA  107 

The  transport  trains  showed  the  signs  of 
an  invading  army.  There  were  not  only 
captured  Austrian  army  wagons,  larger  and 
heavier  than  the  Russian,  and  Galician 
farmers'  wagons,  but  carts  and  carriages, 
some  of  them  very  good  ones,  loaded  down 
with  provisions  and  ammunition.  There  was 
a  considerable  sprinkling  of  Austrian  horses 
among  the  Russian  ponies,  from  large  farm 
horses  that  were  worn  out  with  the  distance 
that  the  ponies  marched  daily  to  blooded 
carriage  horses. 

We  came  upon  long  trains  of  Austrian 
prisoners,  most  of  them  happy  and  well,  but 
some  footsore  and  ill.  There  was  about  one 
guard  for  every  100  prisoners,  and  the  sick 
and  sore-footed  were  allowed  to  sit  down  on 
the  roadside  at  will  to  wait  for  returning 
wagons  to  carry  them.  Evidently  there  was 
no  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  prisoners  to 
escape. 

There  is  a  standing  joke  among  the  Rus- 
sians of  a  non-commissioned  officer  coming 
into  camp  with  his  consignment  of  prisoners 


108       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

and  being  told  that  the  men  counted  did  not 
correspond  with  the  number  delivered  him. 

"What?"  he  asked,  "am  I  short?"  In 
reply  the  officer  said,  "No,  you  have  ten  more 
men  than  you  started  with." 

I  can  account  for  the  attitude  of  the 
prisoners  only  on  two  grounds,  —  many  of 
them  are  of  the  Slav  race  and  feel  as  much 
or  more  at  home  among  the  Russians  as 
among  the  Austrians.  Others  are  from  the 
cities  and  would  have  no  idea  how  to  escape 
or  how  to  live  in  the  mountains  if  they  did 
escape.  Such  a  paucity  of  escorts  could 
never  have  kept  Siberians,  or  men  from  the 
Caucasus,  or  Kazaks,  or  cowboys. 

We  stopped  for  lunch  at  Sambor,  the  head- 
quarters of  the  army.  There  I  found  a  double 
interest  in  the  strong  personality  of  the  Com- 
manding General  and  in  a  meeting  of  officers 
of  the  Order  of  St.  George,  called  to  award 
medals  to  such  officers  as  had  deserved  them. 

The  cross  of  St.  George  for  officers  is  not 
awarded  by  a  commanding  general  or  even 
by  the  Czar  himself.  When  a  conspicuous 


THROUGH    GALICIA  109 

act  has  taken  place,  or  from  time  to  time,  the 
officers  of  this  Order  in  each  army  are  called 
together  to  propose  to  the  Emperor  for  re- 
ward such  officers  as  they  think  are  particu- 
larly deserving. 

This  has  three  effects.  First,  no  officer 
can  obtain  the  insignia  by  influence  in  high 
place,  —  with  us  it  would  be  politics.  Second, 
the  officers  conferring  the  reward  will  not  give 
it  to  one  less  deserving  than  themselves. 
Third,  the  Order  being  the  property  of  the 
members,  is  greatly  cherished  by  them,  and 
a  member  of  the  Order  always  feels  the  obli- 
gation of  preserving  its  reputation. 

Shortly  before  our  arrival,  two  companies 
of  Cossacks  of  the  Imperial  Guard  had  per- 
formed an  extraordinary  piece  of  heroism  in 
fighting  six  companies  of  the  Prussian  Im- 
perial Guard.  The  Czar  in  person  had  handed 
the  Cross  of  St.  George  for  soldiers  to  every 
surviving  member,  but  the  surviving  officer 
had  to  wait  until  the  Council  of  the  Officers 
judged  him  worthy.  It  was  just  to  pass  on 
this  particular  case  that  the  conference  which 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  was  called. 


110     WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  act  in  question  was  the  ambushing  of 
six  companies  of  Prussian  Guards  by  two 
companies  of  Cossacks  of  the  Russian  Imperial 
Guard. 

The  Muscovite  commander  had  held  his 
little  force  hidden  until  the  enemy  approached 
within  fifty  yards  and  then  opened  fire  with 
machine  guns  and  rifles.  When  the  enemy, 
surprised  and  decimated,  retreated  into  a 
ravine,  he  followed,  and  with  hand  grenades 
and  bayonets  destroyed  or  captured  the  whole 
force. 

During  the  meal  I  studied  this  man's  face 
carefully  to  see  the  expression  of  such  a  crafty 
and  dashing  warrior.  The  features  were  not 
marked,  the  expression  was  studious,  the 
manner  mild.  He  hardly  spoke  through  the 
meal,  and,  when  introducing  him  the  general 
mentioned  his  exploit,  he  was  plainly  em- 
barrassed. 

There  are  four  Orders  of  the  Cross  of  St. 
George  for  officers. 

The  fourth  Order,  to  which  officers  are  first 
elected,  is  a  small  white  enamelled  cross  hung 


Two  AUSTRIAN  CHILDREN  SINGING  AUSTRIAN  HYMNS  TO 
RUSSIAN  SOLDIERS 


KAZAK  OFFICER  PLAYING  WITH  AUSTRIAN  CHILDREN  IN 
GALICIA 


THROUGH    GALICIA  111 

on  a  yellow  and  black  striped  ribbon  and  worn 
over  the  heart. 

The  third  Order,  somewhat  larger,  is  hung 
from  the  second  button  of  the  tunic. 

The  second  Order,  of  which  the  Grand  Duke 
Nicolas  Nicolaiovitch  is  the  only  possessor 
at  present,  is  worn  at  the  throat. 

The  first  Order  is  only  given  to  the  com- 
manding general  finishing  a  successful  cam- 
paign. I  am  told  it  is  a  large  six-pointed 
star  sown  on  the  tunic  over  the  heart. 

When  in  Moscow  I  visited  the  Hall  of  the 
Order  of  St.  George.  The  name  of  every 
member  of  the  Order  is  engraved  on  the  walls. 
I  did  not  ask  any  questions  about  the  nature 
of  the  Order,  but  I  gathered  that  it  is  organ- 
ized along  the  lines  of  the  Templars  and  of 
Masonic  organizations. 

The  railroad  up  from  Sambor  runs  through 
many  tunnels  and  over  many  bridges  and  the 
wagon  road  crosses  the  river  frequently. 
Two  of  the  railroad  bridges  are  more  than 
three  hundred  feet  high  and  a  half  mile  long. 
Just  one  span  of  one  of  these  has  been 


112      WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

destroyed;  not  a  single  blast  of  dynamite 
was  exploded  in  a  railroad  tunnel.  I  failed 
to  notice  from  the  plains  to  the  mountain 
crests  any  point  where  the  highroad  had 
been  damaged. 

We  know  now  that  these  had  been  left 
intact  to  be  used  in  the  advance  which  has 
recently  taken  place. 

The  villages  along  the  way  were  mostly 
ruins,  but  this  was  due  to  retreating  and 
advancing  artillery  fire  and  to  hand  bombs, 
but  not  to  deliberate  destruction  by  either 
army. 

My  voyage  up  the  mountain  road  occurred 
on  Sunday,  which  was  interesting,  as  the 
natives  were  in  their  Sunday  clothing,  re- 
sembling for  all  the  world  the  chorus  of  a 
light  opera.  Their  relations  with  the  soldiers 
were  extremely  cordial.  Girls  chatted  with 
the  young  soldiers  at  the  roadside  and  re- 
spectable citizens  smoked  amicably  with  non- 
commissioned officers. 

As  I  had  found  it  in  France  so  I  found  it  in 
Galicia.  The  citizens  who  had  been  in  the 


THROUGH    GALICIA  113 

immediate  theatre  of  war  were  ruined,  but 
those  near  by  were  getting  rich  selling  supplies 
to  the  soldiers. 

Zigzagging  up  the  mountain  road  we  came 
upon  a  novelty  of  this  war,  a  bath  train.  In 
permanent  positions  bath  rooms  can  be  fitted 
out  in  houses  or  bath  huts  can  be  built.  In 
warm  weather  soldiers  can  bathe  in  rivers 
and  in  lakes,  but  for  soldiers  advancing  and 
fighting  in  winter  time,  baths  are  not  easy  to 
provide. 

Whether  from  home  instruction  or  military 
training  the  Russian  soldiers  are  most  cleanly, 
but  men  cannot  keep  clean  in  the  firing 
trenches.  Hence  the  bath  train  close  behind 
the  advance  positions,  to  which  the  men  were 
brought  as  often  as  practicable. 

There  are  lice  in  all  the  armies  of  this  war, 
and  lice  are  believed  to  be  the  carriers  of 
typhus.  The  Austrian  army  is  infected  with 
typhus  and  the  Russian  armies  in  the  Car- 
pathians were  constantly  taking  Austrian 
trenches  and  Austrian  prisoners;  thus  the 
danger  of  a  typhus  epidemic  was  ever  present. 


114      WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

To  combat  this  the  bath  train  was  especially 
devised.  Every  soldier  was  given  hot  steam 
and  then  a  shower  bath  and  furnished  with 
clean  clothes.  His  own  clothes  were  washed 
and  disinfected  and  passed  on  to  another  sol- 
dier of  equal  size.  When  sickness  appeared 
in  any  company,  this  company  was  given  a 
special  trip  to  the  bath  train. 

We  spent  the  night  at  a  corps  headquarters 
and  the  next  day  advanced  to  a  division  on 
the  firing  line. 

In  modern  warfare,  even  the  corps  com- 
mander is  located  well  in  the  rear ;  the  general 
of  the  division  is  the  officer  of  highest  rank  to 
appear  at  the  scene  of  fighting.  I  was  for- 
tunate in  arriving  just  as  the  general  of  this 
particular  division  was  starting  out  to  look 
over  a  battlefield  recently  won  from  the 
enemy,  and  to  plan  for  the  morrow. 

Mountain  warfare  is  the  only  warfare 
these  days  where  anything  can  be  seen. 
Heights  can  be  selected  which  if  not  out  of 
range  are  at  least  out  of  the  zone  of  artillery 
fire,  and  if  an  attack  happens  to  be  raging  in 


THROUGH    GALICIA  115 

the  neighborhood,  a  good  pair  of  field  glasses 
will  let  the  spectator  in  on  the  fight.  I  had  a 
very  pretty  show. 

A  mile  away  a  Russian  battery  was  planted 
in  the  open  to  cover  some  strategic  ground. 
The  Austrians  were  firing  upon  it  with 
shrapnel,  and  other  Russian  batteries  firing 
to  protect  it.  The  horizon  was  fairly  dotted 
with  puffs  of  darkened  smoke,  but  my  neigh- 
borhood was  in  the  sleepy  quiet  of  a  spring 
noonday. 

Modern  guns  are  protected  with  armored 
shields  and  modern  gunners  are  quick  to 
build  shrapnel-proof  homes ;  so  that  while 
the  Austrians  have  shelled  this  battery  until 
more  bullets  than  grass  can  be  seen  in  its 
vicinity,  its  losses  for  a  month  have  not 
much  exceeded  one  man  a  day. 

Before  us,  on  a  mountain  whose  almost 
perpendicular  top  make  it  impregnable  to 
bayonet  assault,  lay  the  most  advanced  Aus- 
trian position.  But  this  very  position,  so 
secure  against  infantry,  was  a  particularly 
good  mark  for  artillery.  The  Russians  had 


116      WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

extended  their  positions  to  three  sides  of  the 
hill.  While  we  were  there  the  incessant 
workers  were  building  roads.  Artillery  would 
be  brought  at  night  and  the  enfiladed  fortress 
turned  into  a  shell  trap. 

In  the  meantime  all  was  peace  in  our 
vicinity.  The  enemy  positions  ran  in  zig- 
zagged shape,  the  nearest  Austrian  firing 
trench  was  not  three  hundred  yards  away. 
From  there  it  ran  to  a  sandy  valley,  a  good  half 
mile  off.  Trees  and  undergrowth  had  been 
removed  except  for  an  occasional  lonely 
sentinel  whose  range  measured  to  the  defend- 
ing batteries  would  aid  the  gunners  to  fire 
against  the  Russian  advance.  The  Austrian 
trenches  were  clearly  visible  through  the 
glasses.  They  were  of  the  covered  type, 
built  with  loop-holes,  and  exceedingly  strong 
against  shrapnel  and  rifle  fire.  Another  half 
mile  beyond  lay  the  supporting  trenches,  and 
around  these,  lounging  in  full  view,  were 
groups  of  Austrian  soldiers  clearly  visible  in 
their  blue  gray  uniforms  so  badly  adapted  to 
modern  warfare. 


THROUGH    GALICIA  117 

Before  the  Austrian  trenches  were  intricate 
wire  entanglements,  sturdily  constructed  on 
tree  stumps  and  posts  in  the  ground.  In 
comparison  to  them  the  Russian  entangle- 
ments appeared  flimsy.  There  was  no  firing 
where  we  were,  so  I  stepped  out  of  the  trench 
and  walked  to  the  wires.  Just  as  I  thought ! 
Not  built  to  keep  the  enemy  out,  but  to  let 
our  own  men  through,  while  appearing  to  the 
hostile  officers  that  we  were  on  the  defensive. 

As  everything  remained  quiet,  I  sent  for 
Thompson  and  the  moving  picture  machine 
and  took  pictures  of  the  Russian  trenches 
from  the  front.  I  hardly  expected  we  would 
be  suffered  to  remain  there  long,  as  the  camera 
might  be  mistaken  for  a  machine  gun  or  a 
range  finder  or  some  new  and  mysterious 
engine  of  war,  but  not  a  single  shot  was  fired 
in  our  direction. 

The  lens  of  the  cinema  described  a  com- 
plete circle,  recording,  I  believe,  the  first 
panorama  of  a  battlefield  taken  from  between 
the  hostile  lines. 

As  we  rode  back  to  Headquarters  a  deer 


118       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

bounded  from  a  thicket  and  took  up  the  moun- 
tain side.  He  would  have  been  a  pleasing 
variety  to  camp  fare  and  I  expected  every 
minute  to  see  him  fall  before  some  sharp- 
shooter's bullet.  But  Russian  discipline  is 
rigid,  and  no  man  would  fire  without  orders 
from  a  superior,  which  were  not  forthcoming. 
We  made  all  the  run  from  Turka  to  Lem- 
berg  between  dinner  time  and  morning  period, 
and  twenty-four  hours  later  we  were  back  at 
the  Headquarters  of  the  Commander-in-Chief . 


CHAPTER  VII 

MILITARY  HISTORY  OF  THE  WAR  TILL  THE 
END  OF  APRIL 

WHILE  at  the  Headquarters  I  was  told  the 
history  of  the  war  by  a  staff  officer  assigned 
to  me  for  that  purpose.  The  history  as  I 
reproduce  it  here  begins  with  the  declaration 
of  war  and  runs  to  the  time  of  my  visit. 

When  the  Czar  determined  to  reject  the 
Kaiser's  ultimatum  and  to  accept  war,  his 
first  action  was  to  appoint  the  Grand  Duke 
Nicolas  Nicolaiovitch  Commander-in-Chief, 
and  General  Yanouskevitch  Chief  of  Staff, 
of  all  the  Russian  armies.  The  same  night 
the  corps  of  the  Imperial  Guard  was  en- 
trained for  the  fortress  of  Grodno,  which  is 
at  once  the  key  to  the  line  of  communications 
between  Petrograd  and  Warsaw  and  the 
north  corner  of  the  secondary  line  of  de- 
fences. 

119 


120       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

In  peace  the  Russian  army,  active  and  re- 
serve, was  divided  into  military  districts, 
covering  a  country  as  big  as  North  America 
and  but  thinly  connected  with  railroads. 

The  German-Austrian  armies  were  similarly 
organized  by  districts,  but  owing  to  the 
denser  populations  as  many  army  corps 
as  the  Russians  could  raise  could  be  formed 
in  a  territory  one-tenth  the  size  of  Russia 
and  ten  times  as  well  supplied  with  railroads. 
It  was,  therefore,  a  simple  matter  for  the 
Austrians  and  Germans  to  collect  a  large 
army  long  before  the  Russians  could  mobilize. 

The  German-Austrian  army,  once  mo- 
bilized, could  choose  between  an  offensive 
against  France  and  an  offensive  against 
Russia.  To  avoid,  therefore,  being  caught 
in  the  process  of  mobilization,  as  in  the  event 
France  was  caught,  the  main  Russian  army 
was  mobilized  well  back  from  the  frontier 
along  the  line  Grodno-Brest-Litovsk-Rowno- 
Kiev.  German  and  Austrian  forces  crossed 
the  frontier  near  Thorn,  Kilisch,  and  Krasnik, 
but  no  attentipn  was  paid  to  them. 


Heavy  lines  indicate  Russian  movements. 

Shaded  lines  indicate  Germ  an- Austrian  movements. 

1  —  40,000  of  the  Imperial  Guards  entrain  on  the  night  of  the  declaration  of  war  from 
Petrograd,  for  Grodno.  2  —  Germans  cross  frontier  at  Thorn.  3  —  Austrians  cross 
frontier  near  Lublin.  4  —  Russian  army  mobilizes  along  Brest-Litovsk-Rovno  Railroad. 
5  —  Russian  army  at  Lublin  advances  to  Krasnik.  6  —  Samsonoff  advances  from  line 
of  River  Narew  into  East  Prussia.  7  —  Renenkampf  crosses  frontier  at  Eydtkuhnen 
and  wins  battle  of  Gumbinnen,  the  first  of  the  war.  8  —  250,000  German  troops  fall  on 
Samsonoff  at  Tannenberg.  9  —  The  Austrians,  leaving  a  covering  force  along  the 
Gnila  Lipa  River,  to  hold  the  Russian  advance  from  Tarnopol,  strike  with  the  bulk  of 
their  troops  at  Krasnik,  and  force  the  Russians  to  retreat  to  Lublin.  10  —  Samsonoff 
defeated  —  August  28th.  11  —  Pleve,  with  all  mobilized  reinforcements,  advances 
to  Chelm.  12  —  Brusiloff  and  Rouski  are  sent  to  drive  back  Austrians  on  Gnila  Lipa 
positions.  13  —  Dimitrieff  hurls  back  Austrians  near  Lemberg.  14  —  Lemberg 
occupied  by  Russians  —  September  3d.  15  —  Rouski  advances  from  Lemberg  to 
Rawa  Ruska,  the  rear  of  the  main  Austrian  advance.  16  —  Brusiloff  moves  on  Grodek, 
west  of  Lemberg.  17  —  Austrians  rush  reinforcements  to  defeat  Brusiloff.  18  — Aus- 
trians before  Chelm  turn  to  face  Rouski  at  Rawa  Ruska.  19  —  Pleve  falls  on  Auffen- 
berg  in  the  rear.  20  —  Brusiloff  attacks  at  Grodek.  21  —  Austrian  army  at  Grodek 
retreats  to  Carpathians ;  that  at  Lublin  retires  to  Cracow.  22  —  Auffenberg,  caught 
between  Pleve  and  Brusiloff,  falls.  23  —  Przemysl  invested  by  Russians.  24  —  Ren- 
enkampf, meanwhile,  advances  through  East  Prussia  to  beyond  Konigsberg. 
-  Hindenburg  turns  victorious  army  of  Tannenberg  against  Renenkampf,  in  an 
effort  to  pin  him  against  the  Baltic  Sea.  26  —  Renenkampf,  however,  retreats  safely 
to  Suwalki. 


MILITARY    HISTORY  121 

The  German  invasion  of  Belgium  revealed 
the  plan  of  campaign  of  the  Kaiser's  General 
Staff,  and  the  power  and  speed  of  its  advance 
towards  Paris  becoming  very  evident  every 
day,  the  Grand  Duke  did  not  wait  for  the 
mobilization  of  his  army,  but  to  make  a  diver- 
sion in  favor  of  his  allies,  pushed  two  armies, 
themselves  not  fully  organized,  into  East 
Prussia. 

General  Samsonoff  with  nearly  four  army 
corps  crossed  the  frontier  to  the  east  of 
Mlawa.  General  Renenkampf,  with  three 
army  corps  and  one  division,  crossed  the  fron- 
tier at  Eydkuhnen,  on  the  main  line  between 
Kovno  and  Koenigsberg,  and  won  the  first 
battle  of  the  war  at  Gumbinnen. 

The  purpose  of  the  invasion  was  to  compel 
the  Germans  to  detach  troops  from  the  forces 
invading  France.  The  plan  of  campaign  was 
for  the  two  armies  to  join  each  other  at  Hils- 
burg  for  mutual  support. 

At  the  same  time  the  Grand  Duke  advanced 
an  army  from  Lemberg  to  stop  the  Austrian 
invasion  and  despatched  two  armies  based  at 


WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Rowno  and  Kiev,  entering  Galicia  from  the 
east. 

Having  forced  all  the  barrier  fortresses  of 
Belgium,  having  defeated  the  French  in  Al- 
sace at  Charleroi  and  the  English  at  Mons, 
with  apparently  an  open  road  to  Paris  and 
another  Sedan  before  them,  the  Germans 
withdrew  six  army  corps  of  the  active  army 
from  the  west  front  and  sent  them  to  join 
Hindenburg  in  East  Prussia,  where  they 
joined  the  troops  that  had  been  mobilized 
in  that  territory. 

General  Samsonoff  had  succeeded  in  his 
object  in  causing  a  diversion  from  the  west- 
ern front,  but  in  doing  so  he  had  advanced 
ahead  of  Renenkampf.  His  four  corps  were 
attacked  by  Hindenburg  between  Allenstein 
and  Tannenberg  with  double  his  forces  and 
were  overwhelmed  on  the  28th  August. 

At  this  stage  of  the  war  the  Austrians  as 
well  as  the  Germans  were  attempting  to  use 
Napoleonic  tactics.  Placing  a  force  along 
the  Gnila-Lipa  to  hold  back  the  main  Russian 
advance,  the  main  part  of  the  Austrian  army 


MILITARY    HISTORY  123 

attacked  the  Russians  at  Krasnik  and  threw 
them  back  upon  Lublin  on  the  26th  day  of 
August. 

Germany  was  very  close  to  winning  the 
war  at  that  time.  It  took  the  decisive  action 
of  a  great  general  to  save  the  situation. 
Abandoning  Samsonoff  to  his  fate,  the  Grand 
Duke  forwarded  his  newly  arriving  corps 
under  General  Pleve  to  Cholm,  and  with- 
drew the  Guards  Corps,  which,  by  this  time, 
had  been  moved  to  Warsaw  through  Ivan- 
gorod  to  Lublin.  At  the  same  time  he 
ordered  the  armies  of  General  Rouski  and 
Brousiloff  to  defeat  the  Austrian  forces  on 
the  Gnila-Lipa  River  at  all  costs.  These 
generals  obeyed  the  order  literally,  putting 
into  the  fight  all  their  reserves,  even  to  the 
transport  drivers. 

The  numbers  engaged  were  not  unequal. 
Eleven  times  the  corps  under  the  Bulgarian 
General  Radko  Dimitrieff  took  the  moun- 
tain which  was  the  key  to  the  Austrian  posi- 
tion and  eleven  times  the  Hungarian  infantry 
took  it  back.  The  twelfth  time  Dimitrieff 


124       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

advanced,  and  all  the  other  corps  moving  in 
echelon  put  the  Austrian  army  into  complete 
rout.  Lemberg  was  evacuated  and  occupied 
by  the  Russians  on  the  3d  September,  four 
days  before  the  battle  of  the  Marne. 

General  Rouski  passed  through  Lemberg 
without  stopping,  aiming  for  the  rear  of  the 
Austrian  army,  which  was  fighting  along  the 
line  Lublin-Cholm.  General  Brousiloff  ad- 
vanced to  the  strong  position  of  Gorodok, 
upon  which  the  defeated  Austrians  had 
stopped  and  where  they  were  being  reenforced 
as  rapidly  as  possible. 

The  Austrian  army  of  General  Auffenberg 
now  attempted  to  leave  a  screen  before  that 
of  the  Russian  General  Pleve  and  advanced 
against  Rouski  at  Rawa  Ruska.  But  Pleve 
was  not  to  be  deceived.  Advancing  rapidly, 
he  pinned  Auffenberg's  army  between  his 
army  and  that  of  General  Rouski  and 
captured  it. 

The  Austrians  before  Lublin  at  this  time 
were  joined  by  the  German  army  corps 
which  had  crossed  the  frontier  at  Kalisch  at 


MILITARY    HISTORY  125 

the  outbreak  of  war  and  had  been  manoeu- 
vring through  Poland  in  an  unsuccessful  at- 
tempt to  confuse  the  Russian  commander- 
in-chief.  They  arrived  in  time  to  partici- 
pate in  the  general  defeat  and  to  assist  in 
the  retreat  to  Cracow. 

The  army  before  Gorodok  retired  over  the 
Carpathians,  leaving  a  garrison  in  Peremysl. 

Even  after  Samsonoff  s  defeat  Renenkampf 
continued  to  advance,  either  from  a  misun- 
derstanding of  the  situation,  or  deliberately, 
to  prevent  Hindenburg  from  striking  for 
Warsaw.  Upon  him  Hindenburg  turned  the 
victorious  army  of  Allenstein,  and  passing 
four  army  corps  through  the  Massourian 
Lakes,  attempted  to  force  Renenkampf 
against  the  Baltic  Sea. 

Renenkampf  was  quick  in  retreat,  as  in 
advance,  and  the  German  soldiers  were  ex- 
hausted after  their  forced  marches  through 
Belgium  and  their  fighting  at  Allenstein. 
Renenkampf  was  able  to  establish  a  flank 
guard  near  Korschen  and  to  retreat  to  the 
fortress  of  Suwalki,  losing  a  portion  of  the 


126       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

artillery  of  the  territorial  division.  Thus 
came  to  an  end  the  first  phase  of  the  war. 

Of  these  manoeuvres  and  battles  the  west- 
ern public  has  heard  little  beyond  the  actual 
fight  of  Tannenberg.  To  be  sure,  judged 
by  the  standard  of  other  wars,  it  is  one  of  the 
most  complete  victories  in  history,  but  as  a 
fragment  of  the  strategy  of  this  great  cam- 
paign it  assumes  a  different  aspect. 

How  much  must  General  Von  Kluck  be- 
fore Paris  have  yearned  for  the  six  corps 
d'armee  with  which  Hindenburg  won  his 
marshal's  baton  before  Allenstein,  as  he  saw 
the  French  reserves  debouch  from  Paris  and 
take  in  flank  the  army  with  which  he  had 
planned  to  force  the  French  back  upon  the 
mountain  barrier  of  Switzerland ! 

How  much  the  Austrian  generals,  as  they 
lost  the  three  great  battles  of  Gnila-Lipa, 
Rawa  Ruska,  and  Lublin,  must  have  wished 
for  the  help  of  these  same  army  corps  as 
these  were  driving  Renenkampf  through  East 
Prussia ! 

How  valuable  to  General  Joffre,  in  decid- 


MILITARY    HISTORY  127 

ing  to  stop  his  army  on  the  Marne,  to  learn 
that  six  army  corps  of  his  opponents  had 
been  withdrawn  from  before  him  and  that 
the  Austrian  army  had  been  entirely  over- 
thrown and  all  Germany's  reserves  for  some 
time  to  come  would  be  needed  on  her  eastern 
front ! 

It  was  the  Grand  Duke's  movements  in 
East  Prussia  and  Galicia  that  decided  the 
campaign  in  France. 

The  end  of  the  Galician  campaign  found 
the  victorious  armies  of  Gnila-Lipa,  Rawa 
Ruska,  and  Lublin  very  closely  concentrated 
in  the  triangle  Peremysl-Tarnoff-Sandemir, 
to  which  they  had  come  in  pursuit  of  their 
various  enemies.  A  reorganization  was  im- 
mediately necessary.  The  Corps  de  la  Garde 
was  directed  upon  Ivongorod.  The  infantry 
corps  advanced  into  the  Carpathians  in  a 
general  continuous  line  from  the  Dukla  Pass 
to  Cracow. 

Hindenburg  now  left  four  army  corps  be- 
fore Suwalki  to  face  Renenkampf  and  came 
back  with  the  rest  of  his  army  by  use  of  the 


128       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

great  German  system  of  military  railroads  to 
Kalisch,  striking  for  the  Russian  right  flank 
and  rear.  Immediately  the  exposed  corps 
were  withdrawn  under  cover  of  the  Vistula 
River  to  Ivangorod,  while  the  Austrians  de- 
bouching from  Cracow  advanced  along  the 
other  bank.  The  siege  of  Peremysl  was  raised. 

Hindenburg  had  six  army  corps.  Three 
of  these  he  directed  to  Ivangorod  and  three 
upon  Warsaw. 

Ivangorod,  garrisoned  by  the  Corps  de  la 
Garde,  the  elite  of  the  Russian  army,  was 
easily  held,  but  Warsaw  was  only  saved  by 
a  narrow  margin.  Its  defending  force  was 
heavily  outnumbered  and  in  dire  straits 
when  the  Siberian  corps  arrived  for  the  first 
time  upon  the  theatre  of  war.  The  defend- 
ers were  still  in  the  minority,  and  were  fall- 
ing back  when  the  regiments  of  the  Corps 
de  la  Garde,  relieved  at  Ivangorod,  began  to 
come  in  by  the  Ivangorod- Warsaw  railroad. 
There  was  no  time  to  form  the  corps  as  a 
corps,  but  as  each  regiment  detrained  it  was 
marched  into  the  battle. 


Heavy  lines  indicate  Russian  movements. 

Shaded  lines  indicate  German- Austrian  movements. 

1  —  Russian  field  army  advances  to  line  between  Dukla  Pass  and  Tarnow. 
2  —  Hindenburg,  leaving  4  corps  before  Renenkampf  at  Suwalki,  moves  with  6  corps 
through  Silesia.  3  —  Russians  remove  3  armies  nearest  Tarnow  and  rush  them  to 
Lublin- Warsaw  line.  4  —  Hindenburg  forces  3  corps  upon  Warsaw,  and  3  upon  Ivan- 
gorod.  5  —  Siberian  troops  arrive  and  save  Warsaw.  6  —  Hindenburg  defeated 
and  repulsed  before  Warsaw.  7  —  Hindenburg  retreats  to  Rawka  River,  drawing 
Russians  after  him.  8  —  Then  taking  force  before  Ivangorod,  he  hurls  them  at  pur- 
suing Russian  flank.  9  —  Austrians  arrive  too  late  to  occupy  trenches  left  by  Germans. 
10  —  Hindenburg  again  defeated.  11  —  Hindenburg  retires  to  line  between  Cracow 
and  Kalisz,  and  Austrians  retreat  over  Carpathians.  12  —  Przemysl,  relieved  in  the 
advance,  re-invested  by  Russians.  13  —  Russians  debouch  from  Lodz  upon  Cracow 
and  Silesia.  14  —  Sievers  moves  from  Augustowo  into  East  Prussia.  15  —  Hinden- 
burg, leaving  Austrians  to  attack  front,  dashes  from  Thorn  upon  Russian  flank.  Rus- 
sians repulsed.  16  —  Renenkampf  driven  into  Warsaw,  and  army  at  Lodz  out- 
flanked on  both  flanks.  17  —  PI  eve  rushes  reinforcements.  18  —  Renenkampf, 
from  Warsaw,  falls  on  German  left  flank.  19  —  Troops  rushed  from  France  by  Hinden- 
burg arrive  too  late  to  affect  Russian  victory  at  Lodz,  but  attack  near  Lowicz. 
20  —  Rouski,  commanding  this  front,  considers  his  line  strategically  weak,  so  with- 
draws to  positions  along  Bzura,  Rawka,  and  Nida  rivers.  21  —  Austrians  attack 
Russians  in  Galicia,  but  are  repulsed.  22  —  Sievers  invades  East  Prussia  to  a  line 
between  the  Mazurian  Lakes  and  the  Kuriches  Haff , 


MILITARY    HISTORY  129 

A  member  of  the  guards  corps,  pride  shin- 
ing in  his  eyes,  told  me  how  two  regiments 
of  the  guard,  totalling  eight  thousand  men, 
arrived  as  the  Siberian  corps  were  reeling 
back  before  the  German  onslaught,  and  with 
flags  flying  and  band  playing  marched  into 
the  thickest  of  the  attack.  After  the  battle 
only  hundreds  remained  where  thousands 
had  been,  but  the  tide  was  turned.  Russian 
reinforcements  continued  to  arrive  until  seven 
corps  opposed  the  three  of  Hindenburg. 

Once  stopped,  the  Germans  could  not  long 
hold  their  position,  as  the  Russian  reenforce- 
ments  continued  to  arrive  until  at  Warsaw 
the  Russians  had  seven  army  corps  —  or  what 
was  left  of  them  —  to  oppose  the  remnants 
of  the  three  corps  of  Hindenburg.  Hin- 
denburg, however,  would  not  give  up  without 
a  last  desperate  struggle.  Withdrawing  his 
three  army  corps  from  before  Warsaw  to 
the  Rawka  River  in  order  to  draw  the  Rus- 
sians after  him,  he  took  the  other  three  army 
corps  from  before  Ivangorod  to  throw  upon 
the  advancing  Russians'  flank.  It  was  his 


130       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

intention  that  the  advancing  Austrians  should 
fill  the  German  trenches  before  Ivangorod 
and  keep  the  Russian  army  there  in  check. 

Either  the  Austrians  arrived  too  late,  or 
the  Germans  left  too  soon.  The  Russians, 
wide  awake,  came  pouring  through  the  gap 
at  Ivangorod,  as  before  they  had  done  at 
Cholm,  and  met  the  advancing  Austrians  to 
the  surprise  of  both  parties.  The  Russians 
thought  they  were  pursuing  the  retreating 
Germans;  the  Austrians  thought  they  were 
advancing  into  a  position  held  by  their  ally. 

The  fight  was  confused  and  largely  hand 
to  hand,  which  was  to  the  advantage  of  the 
heavier  Russians.  The  Austrians  were  com- 
pelled to  retreat  again  to  Cracow. 

Hindenburg's  manoeuvre  proving  unsuc- 
cessful, his  flanking  force  being  stopped,  and 
his  own  left  wing  driven  in,  he  retreated 
precipitately  to  Silesia.  Peremysl  was  rein- 
vested. 

In  the  meantime  on  the  western  front  the 
Germans  had  retreated  to  the  river  Aisne 
and  there  had  stopped.  The  British  Expe- 


MILITARY    HISTORY  131 

ditionary  Force  had  been  withdrawn  from 
its  position  in  the  line,  and  together  with 
reinforcements  from  England,  was  advanc- 
ing through  the  Pas  de  Calais  with  the  in- 
tention of  rolling  up  the  German  right  or  at 
least  of  connecting  with  the  Belgian  army  in 
Antwerp. 

Just  at  this  time,  when  the  German  situa- 
tion seemed  as  bad  as  it  had  appeared  good 
at  the  end  of  August,  the  tremendous  German 
"second  wind"  began  to  make  itself  felt. 

From  the  defensive  at  Lille  Germany 
rapidly  passed  to  the  offensive.  A  direct 
attack  on  Antwerp  captured  the  place  with 
scarcely  more  trouble  than  the  earlier  at- 
tacks on  Liege  and  Namur.  The  Belgian 
army  retreated  to  Ostend,  and  the  Germans, 
coming  with  increasing  forces,  threatened  to 
break  the  Allied  line,  to  occupy  the  Channel 
ports,  to  cut  off  England  from  France ;  in- 
deed, to  win  a  decisive  battle  there  and  then. 

The  situation  became  desperate;  every 
equipped  man  in  France  was  in  the  firing 
line.  The  British  Expeditionary  Force  had 


132       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

used  up  its  reserves.  Kitchener's  army  was 
only  in  the  form  of  preliminary  enlistment. 

Another  Russian  diversion  against  Prussia 
became  necessary. 

Generals  Brousiloff  and  Dimitrieff,  who 
had  succeeded  in  command  of  Rouski's  army, 
with  about  eight  army  corps  held  the  moun- 
tain passes  of  the  Carpathians.  General 
Sullivanoff  with  two  army  corps  blockaded 
Peremysl.  General  Baron  Sievers  with  eight 
army  corps  was  ordered  into  East  Prussia 
from  the  neighborhood  of  Suwalki,  and 
General  Rouski,  commanding  the  rest  of  the 
Russian  arm,  advanced  along  the  line  from 
Cracow  to  Kalisch,  placing  General  Renen- 
kampf  with  an  army  of  three  corps  on  his 
right  as  a  flank  guard.  * 

Leaving  the  Austrians  to  engage  with  the 
front  of  the  Russian  advance,  Field  Marshal 
Hindenburg  concentrated  his  troops  near 
Thorn  and  struck  for  the  Russian  right  flank, 
which  extended  as  far  north  as  Warta.  This 
flank  was  immediately  drawn  back,  and  one 
flank  had  reached  Lodz  and  faced  north  by 


MILITARY    HISTORY  133 

the  time  Renenkampf  s  flank  guard  was 
driven  into  Warsaw.  Hindenburg  managed 
to  arrive  in  sufficient  numbers  to  attack  this 
army  on  three  sides,  and  had  nearly  sur- 
rounded it  when  General  Pleve's  army  came 
to  its  assistance,  taking  post  on  both  flanks. 
The  fight  was  still  in  favor  of  the  Germans 
when  Renenkampf,  with  his  reorganized  force 
and  with  reinforcements  from  Sievers,  struck 
out  from  Warsaw  and  cut  General  Mackensen 
from  the  rest  of  the  German  army. 

The  tables  were  turned,  and  on  22d  October 
Field  Marshal  Hindenburg  telegraphed  to  in- 
stantly stop  the  attack  on  the  river  Yser  and 
to  forward  all  available  reinforcements  to  him. 

These  troops  in  leaving  Belgium  prevented 
a  victory  upon  that  front  and  arrived  in 
Poland  too  late  to  be  of  effect  there.  General 
Mackensen  had  cut  his  way  back  to  the  Ger- 
man army,  leaving  10,000  prisoners,  but  the 
momentum  of  the  German  attack  was  stopped 
and  it  was  upon  a  reformed  and  intrenched 
line  that  the  army  from  France  attacked  in 
the  vicinity  of  Lowitsch. 


134       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  diversion  successfully  accomplished, 
the  Russian  army  occupied  positions  along 
the  Bzoura,  Rawka,  and  Neida  rivers,  Tarnow 
and  the  Carpathian  passes. 

During  the  battles  around  Lodz,  the  Aus- 
trians  had  attacked  in  the  Carpathians. 
They  were  driven  back,  leaving  50,000  pris- 
oners. 

Stopping  his  advance  to  send  four  army 
corps  of  reinforcements  to  Lodz,  General 
Baron  Sievers  fortified  himself  in  a  position 
between  the  Baltic  Sea  and  the  Massourian 
Lakes. 

The  second  phase  of  the  war  then  ended  with 
the  conquest  of  Belgium  completed  by  Ger- 
many, with  the  English  and  French  attempt 
to  flank  the  German  army  thrown  back,  and 
the  German  counter-offensive  stopped  by  the 
Russian  attack  on  Silesia,  and  a  bloody  but 
indecisive  combat  around  Lodz. 

The  third  phase  is  concerned  with  the  first 
German  offensive  against  Russia.  This  came 
at  the  time  of  the  height  of  the  diplomatic 
attempt  to  bring  the  Balkan  States  into 


MILITARY    HISTORY  135 

alliance  with  the  Triple  Entente,  and  shortly 
before  the  attack  on  the  Dardanelles  began. 

The  first  effort  was  to  take  Warsaw  by 
direct  assault.  Six  hundred  pieces  of  artil- 
lery of  all  calibres  were  massed  upon  a  line 
six  miles  long  between  Souchaczew  to  Boli- 
mow.  Here  for  the  first  time  the  Germans 
used  asphyxiating  gases.  For  ten  days  and 
ten  nights  the  bombardment  continued  and 
for  ten  days  and  ten  nights  the  Germans 
advanced  in  close  order  and  in  columns,  — 
as  is  their  habit  when  they  are  determined 
to  take  a  position  at  all  costs. 

The  Russians  were  thoroughly  intrenched, 
fully  equipped  with  artillery,  ammunition, 
and  machine  guns,  and  held  doggedly  to  their 
trenches,  although  they  suffered  over  30,000 
casualties.  When  satisfied  that  no  sacrifice 
of  men  could  take  this  position  General  Hin- 
denburg  ceased  the  attack,  and  putting  eight 
army  corps  on  the  strategic  railways,  came  sud- 
denly upon  General  Baron  Sievers,  who,  with 
three  and  a  half  corps,  was  intrenched  between 
the  Massourian  Lakes  and  the  Baltic  Sea. 


136       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

The  army  of  General  Baron  Sievers  was 
badly  defeated  and  retreated  in  various  di- 
rections, the  principal  part  taking  refuge  in 
the  fortress  of  Olita.  The  Germans  then 
tried  to  carry  Grodno  by  assault,  and  also  the 
fortress  of  Ossowetz,  the  forts  that  covered 
the  passes  into  Russian  Poland,  as  Liege  and 
NamuT  covered  those  into  Belgium.  Unlike 
the  latter,  the  Russian  forts  withstood  the  heav- 
iest bombardment  and  most  ferocious  assaults. 

As  a  counter-attack  the  Russians  ad- 
vanced from  Prasnysz  upon  Mlawa,  and  as 
a  consequence  the  Germans  withdrew  one 
army  from  before  Grodno  and  rallied  at 
Mlawa,  and  resorted  to  their  favorite  man- 
oeuvres, swinging  around  the  Russian  right 
flank,  which  was  at  Prasnysz.  This  move 
was  anticipated,  and  the  Russians  advancing 
from  Pultusk  took  the  flankers  in  reverse. 
This  battle  is  called  by  the  Russians  the  vic- 
tory of  Prasnysz,  and  was  fought  during  the 
week  of  February  22d-28th,  and  marked  the 
end  of  the  German  offensive. 

During  this  time  the  Russians  continued 


Heavy  lines  indicate  Russian  movements. 

Shaded  lines  indicate  German-Austrian  movements. 

1  —  Sievers'  line. 

2  —  Hindenburg  attacks  Warsaw  with  artillery  from  line  from  Sochachew  to  Bolimow, 

but  is  repulsed. 

3  —  Thereupon  Hindenburg  moves  against  Sievers,  turns  the  Russian  flank,  and  over- 

whelms him. 

4  —  Hindenburg  attacks  Grodno,  but  is  repulsed. 

5  —  Russians  in  counter-attack  along  Ossowetz-Pultusk  line. 

6  —  Germans  recover  themselves  at  Mlawa,  and  try  to  turn  Russian  flank. 

7  —  Russians  debouching  from  Pultusk  outflank  the  German    flankers   at  Przasnysz, 

February  22-28. 


MILITARY    HISTORY  137 

to  advance  into  the  Carpathians.  There 
was  no  great  battle,  but  a  number  of  corre- 
lated engagements,  in  which  the  Russians 
were  almost  invariably  successful,  taking 
over  100,000  prisoners.  The  great  event  in 
this  theatre  of  the  war  was  the  surrender  of 
Peremysl  on  March  17th  with  120,000  men. 

Before  the  surrender  the  Austrians  com- 
pletely destroyed  the  forts,  and  blew  up  the 
bridges  and  railroad  yards,  so  as  to  make  the 
place  valueless  to  the  captors.  All  cannons 
and  small  arms  were  destroyed  as  far  as 
possible. 

During  the  week  of  April  24th  the  Emperor 
of  Russia  visited  Lemberg,  Peremysl,  and 
the  Headquarters  of  the  Galician  armies, 
and  announced  "The  delivery  of  Red  Russia 
from  the  German  oppressor."  This  point 
marks  the  highest  tide  of  the  Russian  advance 
into  Austria. 

The  campaign  of  last  year  was  made  by 
the  armies  which  had  been  organized  in  time 
of  peace.  The  campaign  of  this  year  is  being 


138       WITH   THE   RUSSIAN   ARMY 

made  by  what  is  left  of  those  armies,  and  by 
the  forces  which  the  different  nations  have 
been  able  to  put  in  the  field  to  assist  them. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  Russia  has  an 
abundance  of  trained  men.  Her  army  is 
limited,  however,  by  a  lack  of  arms.  Abun- 
dantly prepared  as  she  was,  she  suffered  in 
comparison  with  her  chief  enemy  through  her 
losses  in  the  Japanese  war  and  through  the 
quantities  of  arms  furnished  by  her  to  the 
Balkan  States  in  the  year  1913. 

Russia  had  enormous  government  arsenals, 
but  no  private  arms  plants,  and  very  few 
factories  which  could  be  converted  into  mak- 
ing war  supplies.  Now  the  wastage  of  rifles 
in  war  is  about  as  great  as  that  of  men. 
When  a  man  is  captured,  his  rifle  generally 
goes  with  him.  A  wounded  man  almost  in- 
variably drops  his  gun,  and  then  many  guns  are 
being  broken  every  day.  Thus  it  is,  according 
to  the  best  information  I  have  been  able 
to  obtain,  that  Russia  had  in  the  field  on  the 
1st  of  May  only  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
divisions  of  fifteen  thousand  men  each.  Of 


MILITARY    HISTORY  139 

these,  fifteen  divisions  were  in  the  Caucasus 
Mountains,  leaving  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  divisions  on  the  German  and  Austrian 
fronts.  The  advantage  that  lay  with  Russia 
was  that  these  were  all  first-line  troops. 

Germany  and  Austria  had  not  only  gov- 
ernment arsenals,  but  great  corporations 
whose  business  was  making  war  material  to 
sell  to  other  countries.  They  had  also  a  great 
number  of  factories  which  could  be  adapted  to 
this  work.  As  a  result  there  have  been  ample 
arms  for  all  the  men  that  could  be  put  into  the 
field.  The  information  in  Stockholm  was  to 
the  effect  that  Germany  had  two  hundred 
divisions  of  fifteen  thousand  men,  and  that 
Austria,  even  after  her  tremendous  losses,  had 
been  able  to  put  seventy -five  divisions  in  the 
field.  Among  these  were  many  troops  who 
had  passed  the  flower  of  young  manhood, 
but  who  could  do  good  service  in  the  trenches. 
Furthermore,  because  of  the  splendid  system 
of  strategic  railways,  Germany  and  Austria 
have  not  had  to  put  such  demand  upon  their 
troops  as  Russia. 


140       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

In  1914,  Germany  attempted  to  use  her 
strategic  railways  to  make  quick  movements 
from  one  front  to  the  other,  but  the  move- 
ments were  not  executed  with  genius  and 
resulted  less  well  than  a  simpler  plan  might 
have  done.  Therefore,  in  1915,  she  gave 
up  attempting  to  duplicate  Napoleon,  and 
following  the  example  Grant  decided  to 
batter  away  at  one  enemy  until  issue  was 
reached.  Germany  left  the  defence  of  the 
Italian  frontier  to  fifteen  or  twenty  Austrian 
divisions  of  landwehr,  left  sixty  divisions  of 
mixed  German  troops  on  the  French-English 
front,  and  with  the  rest  marched  against 
Russia.  Forty  divisions  were  concentrated 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Cracow  and  thrown 
at  the  Russian  salient  in  Galicia,  held  by  about 
ten  divisions. 

Early  in  the  war,  the  Russian  Commander- 
in-Chief  had  realized  the  disadvantage  under 
which  he  suffered  from  lack  of  railways,  and 
had  established  a  system  of  strategic  reserves. 
Under  this  system,  he  kept  rather  a  thin  line 
at  the  front  and  heavy  forces  massed  at  road 


MILITARY    HISTORY  141 

and  railway  junctions  in  the  rear,  ready  to 
reenforce  the  troops  attacked,  which  were 
under  orders  to  fall  back  upon  the  reserves. 

In  the  first  clash  near  Tarnow,  the  Ger- 
man attack  was  better  manoeuvred  than  the 
Russian  defence,  and  the  army  of  General 
Radko  Dimitrieff  was  badly  cut  up.  There 
were  some  days  of  anxiety,  as  I  well  know, 
having  been  at  that  time  a  guest  at  the 
Russian  Headquarters.  The  Russians  de- 
stroyed the  railways  as  they  retired  and 
found  safety  in  their  greater  mobility.  The 
Russian  infantry  can  outwalk  anything  in 
Europe. 

When  the  campaign  developed,  the  Rus- 
sians made  no  attempt  to  stand  in  Galicia. 
They  fought  only  such  actions  as  facilitated 
the  removal  of  stores  and  equipment  and  in- 
flicted the  greater  loss  upon  the  enemy, 
while  suffering  the  less  loss  themselves. 

True  to  their  theory  of  tactics,  they 
abandoned  Peremysl  without  a  siege.  In 
this  way  they  retired  to  the  end  of  the  Aus- 
trian railway  line  and  did  not  offer  battle 


142       WITH    THE   RUSSIAN   ARMY 

until  they  were  in  front  of  the  Russian  rail- 
road connecting  Lublin  with  Cholm. 

The  English  and  French  allies  attempted 
in  May  to  come  to  the  assistance  of  the 
Russians.  The  French  made  the  heaviest 
attack  which  they  have  made  in  this  war  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Arras,  and  the  English 
advanced  in  the  neighborhood  of  Ypres. 
The  French  made  considerable  gains  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  their  light  artillery  was  not 
well  adapted  to  the  taking  of  such  heavy 
defences  as  the  Germans  had  constructed, 
the  English  rather  less ;  not  because  of  lack 
of  willingness,  but  because  they  had  been  un- 
able to  equip  or  train  their  new  army  suffi- 
ciently to  take  the  offensive.  Thus  the  Ger- 
mans were  enabled  to  continue  their  offensive 
against  the  Russians  without  reenf  orcing  their 
west  front. 

In  accepting  battle  on  the  Lublin-Cholm 
line,  the  Russians  were  compelled  to  draw 
troops  from  other  points  and  abandon  all 
their  trenches  before  the  permanent  lines  of 
defence,  allowing  the  Germans  to  come  against 


MILITARY    HISTORY  143 

Novo  Georgievsk  and  the  prepared  trenches 
of  Warsaw. 

The  position  now  is  like  that  of  two 
wrestlers,  of  whom  one  is  on  the  mat,  the 
other  trying  for  a  fall.  The  Germans  in  the 
ratio  of  about  20  to  13  are  striking  here  and 
there,  trying  to  find  a  weak  spot  in  the 
Russian  line.  The  Russians,  on  the  de- 
fensive, are  reenforcing  the  weak  spots  and 
watching  for  opportunity  to  make  a  vigorous 
offensive  if  the  German  generals  blunder. 
There  is  distinct  chance  that  the  Germans  will 
break  the  Russian  line  at  some  point,  com- 
pelling a  general  retirement  with  loss.  There 
is  a  chance,  also,  that  one  of  the  German 
columns  of  attack  may  be  cut  off  and  an- 
nihilated. 

The  German  advance  between  the  fortresses 
of  Ossowetz  and  Novo  Georgievsk  is  a  bold 
but  dangerous  stroke.  If  the  attackers  can 
remain  in  greater  strength,  they  may  cut  off 
Novo  Georgievsk  and  Warsaw  with  the  troops 
therein  and  compel  a  capitulation.  On  the 
other  hand,  they  are  advancing  with  both 


144       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

flanks  exposed.  If  the  Russians  can  come  in 
greater  strength,  they  may  be  able  to  cut 
off  this  advance  as  they  did  that  of  General 
Mackensen  in  October. 

In  the  absence  of  such  a  manoeuvre  as  will 
cause  heavy  loss  to  one  side  or  the  other,  the 
battle  will  develop  into  a  general  butchery. 
Austro-German  superiority  in  numbers  is 
such  that  it  can  expect  to  push  the  Russian 
line  back,  and  back,  and  back,  but  only 
under  the  penalty  of  suffering  much  heavier 
loss  than  the  Russians.  Ground  gained  in 
this  way  cannot  seem  to  be  worth  the  cost. 
Russia  can  fill  her  loss  much  better  than 
Germany.  In  time,  she  can  expect  to  arm 
and  equip  a  larger  force  than  she  now  has  in 
the  field.  It  does  not  look  as  though  Ger- 
many will  be  able  to  raise  a  larger  force  than 
she  is  now  fighting  with.  Sooner  or  later, 
and  to  be  sure  later  rather  than  sooner,  the 
English  new  army  will  be  organized  and 
armed  so  that  it  can  take  the  field;  so  it 
would  appear  that  even  though  Germany 
occupies  Poland  and  fortifies  herself  along  the 


MILITARY   HISTORY  145 

north  and  west  banks  of  the  Bug  and  Narew 
rivers,  as  she  has  done  through  France  and 
Belgium,  another  year  will  see  the  Allies  in 
superiority  and  on  the  offensive  all  along 
their  front. 

The  recent  despatches  from  France  and 
Italy  even  indicate  that  their  advance  in 
Alsace  and  along  the  Isonzo  may  compel 
Germany  and  Austria  to  detach  troops  in  the 
near  future. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  RUSSIAN  ARMY 

I  HAVE  found  such  unwillingness  to  accept 
the  estimate  I  have  placed  upon  the  Russian 
army  that  I  think  it  well  to  preface  a  discus- 
sion of  its  qualities  by  a  generalization  of 
history. 

Russia  at  the  beginning  was  a  nation  with- 
out any  natural  protective  boundary.  Far 
from  having  oceans  or  English  Channels  to 
protect  her,  she  had  not  even  a  mountain 
range  or  a  great  river.  In  the  years  during 
which  there  have  been  white  men  settled  in 
America,  Russia  has  warred  with  all  the 
greatest  and  most  warlike  peoples  of  the 
earth,  and  warred  with  each  of  them  in  the 
height  of  its  power. 

She  has  fought  the  Mongols  and  the  Turks, 
the  Prussians  under  Frederick  the  Great,  the 

146 


THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY  147 

Napoleonic  Empire  under  the  greatest  general 
the  world  has  ever  seen,  the  three  allied  na- 
tions of  England,  France  and  Piedmont,  the 
Turks  again,  and,  lastly,  the  Japanese. 

As  a  net  result  of  all  these  wars  Russia 
holds  more  territory  in  Europe  and  Asia 
than  all  the  others  combined.  Why,  then, 
this  unwillingness  to  concede  to  Russia  an 
army  equal  to  —  if  not  superior  to  —  any 
other?  The  facts  speak  for  themselves. 
However,  in  military  affairs  facts  invariably 
yield  to  preconceived  opinions,  and,  above 
all,  to  national  vanity. 

The  Russian  army  was  first  made  into  a 
regular  force  by  Ivan  IV.  It  was  thoroughly 
reorganized  by  Peter  the  Great;  it  was 
destroyed  in  destroying  the  Napoleonic 
Grande  Armee  and  again  rebuilt.  In  1873 
it  was  remodelled  by  taking  all  that  was  ap- 
plicable to  Russia  of  the  Prussian  military 
system. 

Critics  who  did  not  have  political  reasons 
for  underestimating  its  qualities  agreed  upon 
its  splendid  efficiency  against  overwhelming 


148       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

obstacles  in  the  Japanese  War.  It  has  much 
improved  since  then.  In  one  respect,  and 
in  one  respect  only,  has  Russia  lagged  behind 
her  western  neighbor,  and  that  is  in  rail- 
roads. The  Russian  military  authorities  real- 
ized the  serious  military  handicap  thus  en- 
tailed, but  they  were  unable  to  obtain  a 
remedy.  Russia  planned  no  offensive  in 
Europe,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  the  ab- 
surdity of  driving  against  the  stone  wall  of 
German  resistance,  when  an  infinite  terri- 
tory incapable  of  self-defence  was  open  to 
the  eastward,  if  it  should  ever  be  wanted. 

Russian  authorities  as  long  ago  as  1900 
(see  General  Kuropatkin's  report  through 
the  Minister  of  War,  1900)  realized  the 
possibility  of  an  Austro-German  offensive. 
After  the  annexation  of  Bosnia  and  Herze- 
govina this  possibility  grew  larger  and  larger. 
The  military  authorities  did  not  underesti- 
mate the  power  of  this  offensive,  nor  did 
they  forget  the  strategy  whereby  a  similar 
offensive  was  destroyed  a  hundred  years  ago. 
Therefore,  the  multiplicity  of  factors  — 


TYPICAL  RUSSIAN  INFANTRY 


THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY  149 

(1)  Inability    through    lack    of    railroads    to 
make  an  offensive  into  Germany; 

(2)  Lack  of  any  incentive  to  make  an  offen- 
sive into  Germany ; 

(3)  A  traditional  policy  of  defence  by  fight- 
ing  a   western    European    army    in   the 
surroundings  of  Eastern  Europe;   and 

(4)  —  not  touched  on  before  —  an  absence  of 
factories  to  make  automobiles,  the  kind 
of   equipment   best   adapted   to   fighting 
in  Western  Europe,  pointed  to  a  form  of 
equipment  for  the  Russian  army  entirely 
different  from  that  chosen  by  the  German 
General  Staff. 

Beginning  with  the  transport,  we  find  an 
almost  total  lack  of  the  great  automobile 
trucks  used  by  the  Germans,  French,  and 
British.  These  trucks,  which  can  carry  from 
one  to  five  tons  each,  and  can  run  up  to  20 
miles  an  hour,  can  average  100  miles  a  day, 
and  on  special  occasion  can  cover  200  to  250 
miles  in  a  day,  are  infinitely  superior  to  any 
kind  of  horse-drawn  wagon  on  the  perfect 
turnpikes  of  Germany,  France,  Belgium,  and 


150       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Austria.  They  would  be  as  unserviceable  in 
Russia  as  on  the  unpaved  roads  of  the 
Mississippi  bottom  lands. 

Russia  has  developed  a  system  of  trans- 
port easy  for  her  to  produce  which  can  travel 
on  any  kind  of  roads  and  can  be  supplied 
indefinitely.  She  has  for  the  front  line  work 
small  two  and  four  wheel  wagons.  The  two- 
wheel  wagons  drawn  by  one  pony,  like  a 
mustang  pony,  have  covered  watertight  boxes 
about  4  ft.  square.  The  four-wheeled  wagons, 
on  four  large  wheels,  have  boxes  about  7  ft. 
X  3  ft.,  and  are  drawn  by  two  ponies.  How 
many  of  these  wagons  there  are  in  the  Rus- 
sian army  I  cannot  say,  —  certainly  over 
one  hundred  thousand. 

These  wagons  are  of  specially  wide  tread 
and  are  almost  uncapsizable.  In  case  of 
catastrophe  they  are  easily  destroyed  by  fire. 
Incidentally,  they  are  so  individualistically 
Russian  that  no  enemy  can  make  adequate 
use  of  them.  These  army  wagons  are  not 
nearly  sufficient  for  the  needs  of  the  enormous 
number  of  troops  engaged  in  this  war.  In 


THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY  151 

addition  many  thousands  of  peasants'  wagons 
have  been  commandeered. 

The  Russian  peasants'  wagons  are  of  a 
unique  type.  The  horses'  collars  are  fast- 
ened to  the  front  end  of  the  shafts.  From 
the  same  point  a  rope  is  stretched  to  the 
outside  of  the  hub  of  the  front  wheel,  so  the 
danger  of  breaking  the  axle  is  minimized. 
There  is  generally  a  brace  from  the  body  of 
the  wagon  to  the  outside  of  the  rear  wheel, 
which  frequently  runs  upon  a  wooden  axle. 
All  of  these  vehicles  are  drawn  by  small 
hardy  Russian  horses,  but  these,  unlike  the 
well-trained  cavalry  mounts,  are  hardly 
broken. 

The  great  advantage  of  this  system  of 
transport  is  that  it  can  go  over  any  kind  of 
road  or  no  road.  The  two-wheel  carts  are 
almost  as  mobile  as  pack  horses.  The  loss  of 
any  unit  is  also  comparatively  insignificant. 

The  distances  covered  by  these  apparently 
primitive  transports  are  enormous.  Columns 
several  miles  long  are  made  up  and  marched 
day  and  night.  The  horses  are  exceedingly 


152       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

tough,  and  when  worn  out  can  be  renewed 
indefinitely.  The  drivers  are  endowed  with 
Asiatic  placidity;  sleeping  contentedly  on  the 
moving  wagons,  they  demand  no  time  off. 
They  never  fret  or  irritate  their  horses. 
I  do  not  remember  seeing  a  single  whip  in 
the  hundred  or  more  miles  of  transport 
wagons  I  must  have  seen.  On  good  roads, 
of  course,  they  cannot  cover  anything  like 
as  much  ground  as  motor  trucks,  but  they 
can  go  where  motor  trucks  cannot  move. 
They  can  go  very  much  faster  than  any 
other  horse  transport  the  world  has  ever 
seen,  excepting  that  of  their  Mongolian 
prototypes.  When  the  roads  begin  to  be 
bad  they  soon  catch  up  with  their  machine- 
driven  competitor.  Apparently  it  takes  an 
enormous  number  of  men  to  work  this  kind 
of  transport,  but  relatively  to  other  methods 
the  number  may  not  be  so  high.  There  are 
no  repair  shops,  no  extra  mechanics  or  carry- 
ing of  complicated  spare  parts.  Each  man 
repairs  his  own  wagon  and  shoes  his  horse, 
and  when  either  becomes  substantially  worn 


RUSSIAN  FIELD  HOSPITAL 


FIELD  CHAPEL 


THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY  153 

out,  the  horse  goes  to  pasture,  the  wagon 
to  the  camp  fire. 

On  the  outbreak  of  war  the  Russians  had 
only  horse-drawn  artillery.  It  would  be 
absurd  to  say  that  where  the  big  nine  or 
eleven  inch  guns  can  be  brought  and  man- 
oeuvred field-pieces  are  their  equals.  But 
great  guns  cannot  be  brought  into  Russia 
although  they  can  be  brought  into  France. 
There  appears  to  be  no  dispute  that  the  French 
and  Russian  field  artillery  are  superior  to  all 
others.  France  has  had  to  fight  in  her  own 
country  against  the  big  gun  she  does  not 
possess,  and  Russia  will  never  have  to  do 
this. 

The  Russian  field  artillery  is  extraordinarily 
good.  I  speak  with  knowledge  because  I 
have  frequently  seen  it  in  action.  At  the 
outbreak  of  war  it  was  said  to  be  composed 
of  six  thousand  pieces,  divided  into  batteries 
of  eight  guns.  These  guns  were  in  general 
3"  field  pieces  modelled  after  the  famous 
French  75's,  4j"  and  6"  field  howitzers,  and 
the  great  Russian  6"  field  artillery  gun. 


154       WITH   THE   RUSSIAN   ARMY 

This  is  much  the  best  field-piece  in  the  world 
and  has  been  copied  by  the  French  army. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  uninitiated  I  will 
explain  that  howitzers  and  the  heavy  field 
artillery,  firing  at  different  ranges,  use  different 
charges  of  explosive. 

These  are  so  ordered  that  with  the  smallest 
charge  the  guns  will  shoot  to  a  certain  dis- 
tance at  their  maximum  elevation.  They 
will  shoot  the  same  distance  with  the  second 
charge  at  the  minimum  elevation.  The 
maximum  range  of  the  second  charge  is 
reached  by  the  third  charge  with  the  mini- 
mum elevation  and  similarly  with  the  full 
charge.  Each  charge  is  put  up  in  a  sealed 
packet,  one  packet  making  the  first  charge, 
two  the  second,  three  the  third,  and  four  the 
full  charge. 

It  is  probably  known  to  everybody  at  this 
time  that  guns  are  seldom  sighted  at  the 
enemy.  A  horizontal  line  is  established  by 
a  spirit  level,  and  the  range  being  approxi- 
mately ascertained,  the  gun  is  elevated  a 
given  number  of  degrees.  To  establish  direc- 


THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY  155 

tion  a  point  is  chosen  as  nearly  as  possible 
directly  back  from  the  gun,  such  as  a  pine 
tree,  or  a  spot  blazed  on  a  near-by  tree,  or  a 
church  steeple,  and  the  gunner  is  instructed 
to  point  his  gun  so  many  degrees  to  the  right 
or  to  the  left  of  the  reflection  of  this  sight  in 
an  object  glass. 

The  commander  of  the  battery  establishes 
himself  in  some  point  of  vantage,  —  a  hill- 
top, or  tree  top,  or  possibly  in  an  advance 
trench,  and  by  telephone  instructs  his  gunners. 
Automatic  range-finders  are  sometimes  used 
for  the  first  shot,  and  I  have  seen  a  base  line 
established  and  the  range  found  by  trigo- 
nometry, but  after  the  first  shot  the  range  is 
corrected  by  the  sight  of  the  exploding  shells. 

The  enormous  numbers  of  the  Russian 
artillery  have  been  completely  equipped  with 
all  the  most  modern  instruments  of  precision, 
such  as  the  above-mentioned  range  finders 
and  binocular  glasses  of  twenty  powers  of 
magnification  mounted  on  tripods  and  built 
in  the  form  of  periscopes  for  the  better  pro- 
tection of  the  observing  officers,  and  tele- 


156       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

phones.  The  uninitiated  will  appreciate  how 
splendid  an  achievement  this  was  when  they 
learn  that  the  little  British  Expeditionary 
Force,  hardly  twice  the  size  of  the  regular 
American  army,  and  about  one-twentieth 
of  the  force  which  fought  on  the  Allied  side 
at  the  battle  of  Marne,  was  almost  entirely 
lacking  in  these  modern  appliances. 

The  Russian  foresight  will  also  be  better 
appreciated  when  it  is  understood  that  none 
of  these  instruments  are  made  in  Russia, 
and  therefore  could  not  have  been  supplied 
after  the  outbreak  of  war,  any  more  than  they 
could  be  supplied  in  America.  Foresight 
stored  up  an  enormous  quantity  of  ammu- 
nition, so  that  through  the  early  months  of 
the  war,  according  to  the  Allied  plan,  Russia 
was  able  to  maintain  a  vigorous  offensive 
all  along  the  line.  It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind 
that  she  maintained  this  offensive  from  August 
until  April  and  never  received  a  cartridge 
from  overseas. 

The  observer  who  wishes  to  understand  the 
Russian  infantry  must  be  willing  to  set  aside 


TYPICAL  RUSSIAN  RESERVIST 


THE   RUSSIAN   ARMY  157 

his  preconceived  notions  and  his  race  preju- 
dice, both  as  to  men  and  methods. 

In  the  first  place,  the  Russian  regiment 
consists  of  about  four  thousand  men  and  is 
divided  into  three  battalions,  each  approxi- 
mately as  large  as  our  regiments.  This 
system  would  appear  to  be  the  best  and  is 
used  by  the  best  armies. 

The  Russian  infantry  is  equipped  and 
trained  to  make  the  most  of  the  Russian 
temperament  and  the  Russian  physique. 
Now  the  Russian  physique  is  far  ahead  of 
any  other  in  Europe.  This  is  a  difficult 
statement  for  any  other  nationality  to  admit. 
The  Germans  and  Austrians  have  not  made 
the  statement,  but  they  have  acted  upon  the 
fact. 

Back  in  the  time  that  Suvaroff  led  the 
Russian  army  all  the  way  to  Italy,  and  I  do 
not  know  how  much  farther  back,  the  Russian 
has  had  a  tradition  of  fighting  with  the 
bayonet.  Perhaps  he  has  always  shot  less 
well  than  his  enemy,  but  has  certainly  been 
his  physical  superior.  I  have  been  through 


158       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

the  English,  French,  and  Russian  armies  and 
I  have  seen  thousands  of  Austrian  and  Ger- 
man prisoners.  The  average  Russian  soldier 
averages  half  a  head  taller  than  other  sol- 
diers, weighs  25  pounds  heavier,  and  is  more 
athletic  in  build.  What  reason  there  may  be 
for  this  I  am  not  prepared  to  say,  but  state 
the  fact  as  I  saw  it.  Furthermore,  the 
Russian  does  not  think  of  rifle  fire  as  we  do 
and  as  the  English  do.  He  is  trained  in 
marksmanship  and  shoots  the  long  range  as 
well  as  any  trained  soldier,  but  to  fire  at  a 
man  ten  feet  away  would  not  occur  to  him. 

The  Russian  morale  is  based  on  the  theory 
of  bayonet  fighting,  just  as  the  military  ideas 
of  Frederick  the  Great  turned  upon  the 
effect  of  fire.  The  Russian  soldier  lives  and 
marches,  retreats  and  charges  and  fires,  with 
his  bayonet  always  fixed  on  his  rifle  and  fixed 
in  his  mind.  Other  nations  remove  the 
bayonet  during  fire  fighting,  as  it  interferes 
with  aiming,  both  by  weighting  down  the 
muzzle,  and  throwing  a  reflection  in  the 
soldier's  eyes.  The  Russians  have  minimized 


THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY  159 

these  effects,  however,  by  making  the  bayonet 
short  and  light  and  bluing  it  like  the  barrel 
of  the  gun.  It  is  almost  invisible  a  few  yards 
away  and  thus  loses  much  of  the  moral  effect 
attributed  to  1'arme  blanche.  The  Russians, 
however,  look  upon  the  bayonet  as  an  arm 
of  execution  and  depend  upon  the  terror 
caused  by  the  use  of  it  for  effect. 

There  is  no  possible  question  but  the  bayo- 
net is  frequently  used  in  this  war.  How  dif- 
ferent from  the  experience  of  General  Fun- 
ston,  who  records  in  his  memoirs  of  two  wars 
that  he  has  seen  only  one  man  struck  down 
by  a  bayonet ! 

Tradition  and  temperament  have  every- 
thing to  do  with  fighting.  They  assert  them- 
selves in  the  face  of  all  conditions. 

It  is  very  pretty  to  see  a  battalion  of  Russian 
infantry  practising  an  attack.  Their  physi- 
cal perfection  is  such  as  to  remind  one  of 
signal  drill  of  a  football  squad ;  indeed,  they 
run  forward  in  squads  of  thirteen  men,  then 
throwing  themselves  down,  with  their  in- 
trenching tool,  —  a  one-handed  shovel,  — 


160       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

they  dig  a  hole  for  their  elbows  and  pile  up 
the  excavated  earth  in  a  mound  before  them, 
so  that  in  a  few  minutes  only  their  eyes  and 
foreheads  over  the  tops  of  the  rifles  are  exposed 
to  horizontal  fire. 

If  the  bayonet  is  the  Russian  infantryman's 
chief  reliance,  the  intrenching  tool  is  his  best 
friend. 

When  it  comes  to  intrenching,  nothing  can 
be  compared  to  the  Russian  regiment  except- 
ing the  Roman  legions  of  old.  The  Russian 
soldier  is  a  laboring  man,  accustomed  to  work- 
ing in  the  earth  and  forest.  One  night  will 
put  him  safe  underground  with  a  roof  to  stop 
the  fragments  of  shells  bursting  overhead,  j 

In  the  Carpathians  I  came  to  a  position 
which  had  been  occupied  only  forty  hours 
before.  Along  the  whole  front  was  a  kneel- 
ing trench,  with  perfect  head  cover  and  loop- 
holes every  two  feet.  At  the  back  of  the 
trench  was  an  opening  so  that  the  troops  could 
swarm  out  quickly  to  meet  an  attack. 

When  I  was  on  the  western  front  I  saw  no 
such  head  covering.  The  front  side  of  the 


THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY  161 

trench  was  frequently  excavated  and  shored 
up  with  wood  to  furnish  protection  from 
shell,  splinters,  shrapnel,  bullets,  and  weather. 
An  occasional  loop-hole  was  provided  for 
watching  and  sniping,  but  rifle  fire  was  in- 
variably directed  over  the  top.  I  asked  par- 
ticularly about  covered  trenches  under  which 
fire  could  be  maintained  and  was  told  that 
the  English  did  not  believe  that  from  under 
them  fire  could  be  heavy  enough  or  could  be 
well  enough  directed. 

The  conditions  of  war  in  the  two  theatres 
differ.  There  is  an  abundance  of  natural 
cover  in  Poland  and  Galicia  to  conceal  the 
more  visible  type  of  trenches  employed  there. 
There  is  more  and  heavier  artillery  on  the 
western  front  and  high  explosive  shells  are 
more  frequently  used,  therefore  it  is  more 
desirable  to  construct  narrow  open-topped 
trenches,  which  are  harder  to  see  than  the 
wider  covered  type. 

Another,  and  perhaps  more  controlling 
reason,  is  that  the  English  soldier  puts  a 
greater  reliance  on  the  bullet  and  the  Rus- 


162       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

sians  ask  nothing  better  than  to  get  to  work 
with  the  bayonet. 

The  Russians  are  also  very  fond  of  the 
grenades  and  appear  to  have  made  better  use 
of  them  than  their  allies. 

I  have  seen  them  under  fire  in  their  trenches 
and  can  add  a  word  to  the  high  praise  for 
steadiness  given  to  them  by  the  German 
General  von  Morgan,  who  commands  a  Ger- 
man army  corps  before  Warsaw. 

Railroads  are  few  in  Russia  and  the  peas- 
ant does  his  travelling  afoot ;  no  wonder,  then, 
that  he  can  outwalk  any  other  infantry  man. 

The  equipment  of  the  Russian  soldier  is 
the  result  of  the  experience  of  two  hundred 
years.  It  is  an  extraordinary  combination 
of  usefulness  and  economy,  and  certainly 
shows  up  the  equipment  of  the  western  armies 
for  what  it  is,  —  the  product  of  theorists 
and  amateurs. 

The  Russian  has  his  rifle  and  his  fixed 
bayonet;  he  carries  160  rounds  of  ammuni- 
tion; unless  the  weather  is  cold  he  carries 
his  overcoat  and  his  one-third  of  a  shelter 


AUSTRIAN  PRISONERS 


KAZAKS  OF  THE  CAUCASUS 


GERMAN  PRISONERS 


THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY  163 

tent  in  a  roll  over  his  shoulder,  and  his  in- 
trenching tool  is  on  his  hip.  His  knapsack 
is  a  pack-sack  in  which  he  carries  his  black 
bread,  tea,  and  sugar.  He  has  also  an  allow- 
ance of  extra  clothes,  and  being  extraordi- 
narily cleanly,  he  generally  violates  the  Arti- 
cles of  the  war  by  carrying  more  clean  clothes 
than  are  prescribed.  His  uniform  consists 
of  a  cap  with  a  visor  in  summer,  a  fur  cap  in 
winter,  a  blouse  like  our  flannel  shirt,  breeches, 
underclothes,  socks,  and  boots.  In  winter 
he  has  additional  foot  and  leg  cover  and  a  fur 
overcoat. 

Before  going  to  Russia  I  had  always 
imagined  that  the  Russian  soldier's  boot  was 
a  clumsy  affair  and  a  hindrance  to  marching 
and  activity.  Nothing  could  be  farther  from 
the  case.  The  leather  is  as  flexible  as  kid, 
and  the  upper  part  more  like  the  leather  we 
use  for  gloves  than  for  boots.  Unques- 
tionably, it  is  a  better  protection  against 
dust,  mud,  and  water  than  any  form  of  gaiter 
used  in  other  armies.  It  has  one  fault,  — 
its  color.  When  a  line  of  men  in  their  olive- 


164       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

green  uniforms  are  invisible  in  the  woods  or  at 
a  distance  in  the  open,  a  black  line  of  boots 
sometimes  will  reveal  their  position.  I  believe 
a  new  war  will  see  the  Russian  army  in 
"Russian  leather." 

On  the  march  the  Russian  soldier  is  fed 
from  the  field  kitchen,  —  a  huge  cauldron  in 
which  the  national  soup  or  stew  is  cooked. 
This  is  composed  of  a  ration  of  meat  and 
grain  and  potatoes  for  each  man  with  what- 
ever other  vegetables  the  cook  can  lay  his 
hands  on.  There  is  a  specific  ration  for 
each  man,  but  in  practice  during  this  war 
the  limit  has  been  as  much  as  each  man 
desired. 

Three  advantages  of  this  method  of  cook- 
ing are  immediately  apparent.  Troops  can 
be  fed  on  the  march.  After  the  march  supper 
is  served  to  them  without  their  having  the 
further  effort  of  cooking  their  meals,  and  hot 
soup  can  often  be  brought  up  on  wheels  to 
the  actual  firing  line  or  to  places  in  its  im- 
mediate proximity.  In  the  mountains  the 
kitchen  cannot  always  follow  the  troops  and 


THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY  165 

there  an  excellent  canned  stew  is  substituted. 
Where  the  soldiers  are  for  any  length  of  time 
in  a  secure  position  the  kitchen  is  given  a  rest 
and  the  men  cook  their  own  food.  "The 
food  is  not  as  good,"  explained  a  staff  officer, 
"but  the  cooking  relieves  the  tedium  of  life 
in  the  trenches." 

These  field  kitchens  are  kept  at  a  high 
state  of  cleanliness  and  efficiency  and  are 
constantly  inspected.  One  day  when  I  was 
at  the  front  the  inspector  general,  Ci  Roberti, 
tried  a  sample  from  every  pot  of  a  regiment. 
Since  a  Russian  regiment  consists  of  four 
thousand  men  and  every  company  has  its 
individual  kitchen,  the  general  had  plenty 
of  soup  that  day. 

This  special  kitchen  is  an  innovation  which 
has  been  copied  by  other  armies.  Some  say 
that  the  German  kitchen  is  better,  being 
divided  into  compartments  and  cooking  sev- 
eral kinds  of  food.  This  may  be  necessary 
to  satisfy  the  standard  of  living  of  the  German 
soldier,  but  the  extra  weight  must  prove  a 
serious  handicap  on  bad  roads.  It  is  the  aim 


166       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

of  the  Russian  army  to  give  the  soldiers  good, 
and  better  food,  than  they  are  accustomed  to 
at  home.  There  is  certainly  a  military  ad- 
vantage in  being  a  simple  people. 

Every  Russian  army  regiment  has  a  home 
town,  after  which  it  is  named,  and  from  which 
at  least  a  large  proportion  of  its  soldiers  are 
drawn.  This  gives  it  the  advantage  of  hav- 
ing "people  back  home"  to  take  a  special 
interest  in  its  welfare,  to  make  special  pres- 
ents to  its  wounded,  and  to  fire  its  soldiers 
with  letters  of  praise. 

Some  of  the  Guard  regiments  are  named 
after  the  largest  cities,  as  of  Petrograd,  and 
after  provinces,  as  of  Finland,  with  the  same 
result. 

The  Russian  regular  army  thus  gets  the 
same  popular  support  that  comes  to  our 
volunteers  in  time  of  war,  but  not  to  our 
regulars ;  at  the  same  time  it  has  the  training 
of  regular  soldiers. 

Any  one  can  see  the  advantage  of  giving 
soldiers  both  training  and  popular  support 
over  our  system  of  giving  training  to  some 


RED  CROSS  WAGON 


SIBERIAN  TRANSPORT  PONIES 


THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY  167 

and  popular  support  to  others  and  both  to 
neither. 

Every  Russian  regiment  has  a  f£te  day, 
which  is  a  day  set  apart  to  celebrate  either 
its  creation,  or,  more  likely,  to  commemorate 
some  deed  of  great  valor  under  arms.  It 
should  not  be  necessary  to  point  out  the 
value  upon  troops  of  calling  to  their  attention 
the  great  exploits  of  those  who  have  gone 
before  and  the  demand  for  emulation.  Bril- 
liant feats  in  history  also  are  recalled  in  name 
and  equipment. 

There  is  a  Siberian  regiment  which  stood 
in  battle  until,  tradition  says,  blood  flowed 
up  to  the  boot  tops.  This  regiment  is  dis- 
tinguished by  a  red  band  on  the  tops  of  the 
boots.  There  is  a  division  which  stood  against 
odds  of  4  to  1,  and  checked  General  van 
Damme  after  the  battle  of  Dresden,  con- 
tributing more  than  any  other  single  feat 
of  arms  to  the  overthrow  of  Napoleon.  The 
Prussian  king  gave  to  each  of  the  survivors 
the  Iron  Cross.  There  are  regiments  famed 
for  battles  against  the  Turks,  against  the 


168       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

Kirghiz,  feats  of  arms  as  great  and  as  un- 
known to  us  as  the  sacrifice  of  the  Alamo  is 
to  Europe. 

The  Russian  regimental  officers  are  very 
good,  and  upon  this  point  I  have  not  only  my 
opinion,  but  those  of  professional  American 
soldiers,  who  have  had  also  an  opportunity 
to  see  them  in  action.  The  relations  between 
the  officers  and  men  are  patriarchal. 

The  Russian  army  has  the  staff  principle 
developed  in  great  detail.  There  is  a  great 
general  staff,  the  staffs  of  commanders  of 
groups  of  armies,  staffs  of  army  commanders, 
corps  commanders,  division  commanders,  bri- 
gade commanders,  and  a  regimental  staff. 
I  have  visited  all  of  these  except  the  staff 
of  commanders  of  army  groups.  Everywhere 
I  saw  evidence  of  a  high  state  of  military 
education.  I  could  perceive  also  that  infor- 
mation of  the  military  situation  was  inter- 
changed among  the  smaller  and  larger  head- 
quarters in  such  a  way  that  no  catastrophe 
or  interruption  of  communications  would  leave 
a  unit  paralyzed. 


THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY  169 

It  is  just  this  extraordinary  ability  to 
manreuvre  in  action  that  has  offset  the  Ger- 
man's superiority  of  railway  facilities,  —  this, 
and  probably  a  superiority  of  division  and 
corps  commanders  because  of  the  experience 
gained  and  selections  made  possible  by  the 
Japanese  war. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  KAZAKS 

I  have  eaten  your  bread  and  salt. 

I  WENT  to  Russia  with  the  popular  con- 
ception of  the  Kazaks,  namely,  that  they  were 
a  nomad  tribe  from  Central  Asia,  that  they 
dressed  in  skins,  that  when  they  went  to  war 
they  took  their  women  with  them ;  in  a  word, 
that  they  were  in  approximately  the  same 
state  of  civilization  as  the  Mexicans. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  grand  Headquarters 
I  was  several  times  asked  to  pick  out  Kazak 
officers,  but  was  unable  to  do  this.  On  my 
first  trip  to  the  front  I  was  given  an  exhibi- 
tion drill  by  two  sotnia,  or,  as  we  would  call 
it,  two  troops,  of  Kazaks,  and  as  I  was  at  that 
time  unfamiliar  with  the  details  of  the  Rus- 
sian uniform,  I  could  not  distinguish  any  dif- 
ference between  the  Kazaks  and  other  soldiers. 

170 


THE    KAZAKS  171 

That  there  was  no  apparent  difference  be- 
tween the  Kazaks  and  other  soldiers  was  such 
a  surprise  to  me  that  in  my  despatch  to 
America  describing  the  trip  I  used  the  fol- 
lowing language :  — 

"The  Cossacks  are  humpy  looking  men 
with  round  fur  caps  and  sheepskin  coats? 
They  never  wash  or  shave  ?  Also,  they  have 
"more  wives  than  teeth"  ? 

The  Commander-in-Chief  was  interested 
to  know  what  impression  I  had  received  of 
the  armies  under  his  command,  and  as  he 
did  not  read  English  asked  me  to  have  my 
writings  translated.  Unfortunately  I  did  not 
have  the  translation  made  into  French,  which 
I  could  have  read  myself,  but  into  Russian. 
The  translator  left  out  the  question  marks, 
and  my  statement  of  the  prevailing  American 
opinion  of  the  Kazaks  was  written  as  my  own 
recently  formed  opinion  of  them  !  The  docu- 
ment passed  through  several  hands  and  the 
joke  was  too  good  to  keep. 

One  day  at  luncheon  I  found  myself  at  a 
different  table  from  usual,  and  in  the  com- 


172       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

pany  of  a  gentleman  in  brown  uniform,  whom 
I  had  at  first  taken  for  the  Belgian  Military 
attache,  and  two  as  clean-cut  young  men  as 
any  university  could  produce.  The  con- 
versation shifted  round  to  Kazaks,  and  to 
my  article  referring  to  the  Kazaks.  It  then 
came  out  that  my  three  companions  were  all 
Kazaks,  —  one  a  general  commanding  a  regi- 
ment of  the  Guards,  and  two  lieutenants. 
The  lunch  was  followed  by  a  visit  to  their 
barracks,  where  I  saw  a  perfectly  ordered 
camp.  Some  of  the  men  were  engaged  in 
correcting  the  sights  of  their  rifles,  which  had 
suffered  during  the  campaign.  Others  were 
practising  a  new  method  of  using  machine 
guns. 

The  officer  in  charge  of  the  detachment  was 
called  upon  to  explain  this  to  me,  but  his 
command  of  French  was  limited,  and  another 
officer,  not  attached  to  the  machine  guns, 
took  up  the  tale  and  showed  entire  familiarity 
with  the  subject. 

From  Kazak  officers  I  received  the  fol- 
lowing outline  of  Kazak  history :  — 


KAZAK  SABRE  EXERCISES 


DON  KAZAK  ROUGH  RIDERS 


THE    KAZAKS  173 

After  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Moscow  had 
become  strong  enough  to  throw  off  the  Mongol 
yoke,  the  country  was  continually  invaded 
by  bands  of  Mongol  and  Turkish  raiders, 
who  came  in  quest  of  plunder  and,  in  par- 
ticular, in  quest  of  slaves  to  be  sold  in  the 
Crimean  market. 

The  roads  of  invasion  followed  the  rivers 
Ural,  Volga,  Don,  and  Dnieper. 

Against  them  the  kings  of  Moscovy  and 
Poland  built  regular  fortifications  and  named 
their  garrisons  "Kazaks."  Around  and  be- 
yond these  forts  along  each  of  the  rivers 
communities  grew  and  took  the  name  "Free 
Kazaks."  These  Kazaks  were  at  once  men 
whose  temperaments  led  them  to  the  wild 
life  of  guerilla  warfare  and  who  objected  to 
the  restraints  of  life  near  the  centre  of  gov- 
ernment. The  substance  of  these  communi- 
ties were  Russians,  but  all  nationalities  were 
admitted,  history  pointing  to  the  presence 
even  of  a  few  Englishmen. 

For  years  the  Kazaks  of  the  Dniester 
acknowledged  the  king  of  Poland  as  overlord. 


174       WITH   THE   RUSSIAN   ARMY 

The  Kazaks  of  the  Don,  the  Volga,  and  the 
Ural  always  acknowledged  the  Czar,  from 
whom  they  obtained  arms  and  ammunition, 
and  who,  in  turn,  was  glad  to  avail  himself 
of  these  professional  warriors. 

Nowhere  did  the  Kazaks  pay  any  land 
taxes.  In  the  early  years  they  acknowledged 
no  law  but  their  own. 

Elections  of  officers  were  held  every  year. 
Every  Kazak  was  eligible  to  become  a  Captain 
of  a  sotnia;  every  Captain  was  eligible  to 
become  a  colonel.  The  Ataman  (headman) 
was  elected  for  life,  which  was  a  precarious 
tenure,  as  he  always  led  in  battle. 

The  Kazaks  were  exhorted  to  obedience 
on  the  ground  that  some  day  each  one  might 
become  the  Ataman. 

At  one  time  the  king  of  Poland  attempted 
to  organize  a  regular  body  of  Kazak  troops, 
giving  them  the  privileges  of  Polish  nobility, 
but  this  plan  proved  unsuccessful. 

The  Kazaks  of  the  Dnieper  had  a  central 
organization,  which  is  the  most  picturesque 
feature  of  Kazak  history.  A  celibate  organi- 


THE    KAZAKS  175 

zation  resembling  somewhat  the  Knights  Tem- 
plars and  somewhat  the  Turkish  Janissaries, 
this  band  lived  in  an  intrenched  camp  in  the 
marches  of  the  Dnieper  River  called  the 
"Setch." 

The  warriors  of  the  Setch  were  a  form  of 
regulars  or  permanent  force  of  Kazaks,  while 
the  other  Kazaks  living  in  their  own  villages, 
or  even  in  the  villages  with  other  Russians, 
were  like  minute  men  to  be  called  to  action 
at  a  moment's  notice. 

The  Setch  lived  on  the  booty  of  warfare, 
and  allowed  outside  merchants  to  trade, 
exchanging  great  quantities  of  plunder  for 
small  quantities  of  wine  and  the  necessities  of 
life. 

To  this  body  of  free  companions  any  man 
might  come  by  acknowledging  the  supremacy 
of  the  Czar  and  the  Orthodox  Church. 

Hilarious  fellowship  was  the  rule  of  life 
in  the  Setch;  rigorous  discipline  and  total 
abstinence  the  rule  in  campaign.  A  drop 
of  wine  or  a  sign  of  fear  in  war  were  offences 
immediately  punished  with  death. 


176       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  Kazaks  had  the  same  warning  signal 
by  fire  to  announce  the  invasion  of  an  enemy 
that  has  been  prevalent  on  all  border  com- 
munities in  ancient  times,  If  the  permanent 
force  was  not  strong  enough  to  check  the 
enemy,  it  made  a  counter-attack  into  his 
country,  while  troops  were  gathered  in  the 
interior  to  repel  the  invasion. 

As  may  be  expected,  the  Kazaks  did  not 
confine  themselves  to  the  defence  of  Rus- 
sian territory,  but  made  many  an  invasion 
across  the  Black  Sea  into  Turkey.  These 
were  repudiated  and  supported  by  the  Czar, 
very  much  as  the  exploits  of  the  English 
buccaneers  were  repudiated  and  supported  by 
Queen  Elizabeth  at  the  same  period. 

In  the  war  between  Charles  XII  of  Sweden 
and  Peter  the  Great  the  Kazaks  remained 
neutral,  although  the  Ataman  Mazeppa  sided 
with  the  invader.  In  punishment  for  this 
Peter  the  Great  razed  the  Setch  to  the  ground. 

In  the  reign  of  Catherine  II  a  peasant  of 
the  Don  Cossacks,  Pugacheff,  declared  him- 
self to  be  the  Czar,  Peter  the  Third,  and  led 


THE    KAZAKS  177 

a  revolt.  He  was  overcome  and  beheaded 
and  Catherine  undertook  the  re-organization 
of  the  Kazaks. 

The  Kazaks  of  the  Dnieper  and  Volga 
were  removed  to  the  Turkish  frontier  between 
the  Black  and  Caspian  seas.  They  are  now 
known  as  the  Kazaks  of  the  Caucasus,  and 
are  the  only  Kazaks  to  wear  a  different  uniform 
from  other  Russian  troops.  They  wear  the 
long-skirted  coat  of  the  Circassians,  caps  of 
the  shape  of  the  Turkish  fez  made  of  lambs' 
wool.  The  swords  may  be  as  ornate  as 
the  Kazak's  purse  can  buy,  and  he  can  use 
his  own  taste  in  the  color  of  his  uniform. 

Catherine  also  ended  all  powers  of  self- 
government  of  the  Kazaks  of  the  Don  and 
the  Ural  and  incorporated  them  under  the 
bureaucracy.  As  a  recompense  she  gave 
wide  and  rich  lands,  including  the  larger 
part  of  the  rivers  from  which  caviar  is  pro- 
duced. 

While  the  government  of  the  Kazaks  is  now 
autocratic,  their  habit  of  life  is  socialistic, 
the  sources  of  income  being  held  in  common. 


178       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

Lands  are  allotted  in  rotation  to  each  family 
according  to  its  need,  and  the  individual 
can  have  private  property  only  in  his  savings 
from  the  crops.  As  the  Kazak  lands  are 
wide  and  rich,  the  entire  community  is 
wealthy.  Every  Kazak  is  well  off  and  aside 
from  military  service  is  not  hard  driven  for  a 
living. 

In  1873  the  Prussian  system  of  military 
training  was  adopted  amongst  the  Kazaks 
with  modifications,  there  being  three  years 
training,  twelve  years  in  the  active  army,  and 
the  balance  of  the  Kazak's  life  in  reserve. 

The  Kazak  is  more  of  a  trained  soldier  now 
than  other  trained  soldiers  of  military  Europe 
from  his  habit  of  mind,  whereby  he  considers 
himself  a  soldier  always,  and  not  merely  dur- 
ing his  term  of  service,  and  from  the  fact 
that  he  knows  himself  to  be  better  off  than 
his  neighbor,  and  knows  this  advantage  comes 
from  his  military  superiority  and  can  be  re- 
tained only  by  continued  superiority. 

Kazak  officers  must  graduate  from  the 
cavalry  schools  just  as  other  cavalry  offi- 


THE    KAZAKS  179 

cers,  and  thus  they  add  all  that  modern  mili- 
tary science  can  give  to  their  home  training. 

While  I  was  visiting  the  Guards  Corps 
the  officers  of  a  Kazak  battery  of  Horse 
Artillery  gave  a  party. 

First  were  mounted  games.  Fences  had 
been  erected,  ditches  dug,  among  other  things 
a  most  severe  in-and-out  obstacle.  This  was 
something  with  which  I  was  familiar.  The 
performances  of  horses  and  men  were  splendid. 

Next  followed  a  competition  with  the 
sabre,  which  consisted  in  cutting  willow 
branches,  slicing  potatoes,  and  picking  up  on 
the  point  a  bag  of  straw  representing  a  man 
lying  on  the  ground.  If  the  drill  had  been 
one  of  a  few  picked  men,  it  might  not  have 
been  remarkable.  The  fact  that  all  the  men 
of  a  battery  of  artillery  who  had  not  recently 
practised  this  particular  exercise  showed  a 
universal  excellence  was  an  indication  of  the 
value  of  the  soldiers. 

Then  came  rough  riding,  beginning  with 
such  simple  things  as  standing  upon  the  saddle 
at  full  gallop  and  Roman  riding,  and  two 


180       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

men  picking  up  a  third  dismounted  comrade, 
and  a  dismounted  man  leaping  behind  a  gal- 
loping companion. 

This  was  followed  by  such  gymnastics  as 
I  have  never  seen  in  any  circus,  the  men 
swinging  from  the  pommels  of  their  saddles 
while  the  horses  were  in  full  gallop  and  leap- 
ing from  one  side  of  their  horses  to  the  other 
side,  and  turning  somersaults  on  the  backs 
as  on  parallel  bars,  and  —  the  greatest  feat  of 
all,  —  a  six  foot,  one-hundred-eighty-pound 
sergeant  with  a  breast  covered  with  decora- 
tions and  crosses  of  St.  George  performed  all 
these  things  with  a  sabre  clenched  in  his 
teeth.  The  last  feature  was  picking  up  a 
handkerchief  from  the  ground  at  full  run. 
The  Kazaks  do  not  withdraw  one  foot  from 
the  stirrup  and  take  the  stirrup  leather  in 
the  hand  as  we  do  in  this  trick,  but  fasten 
the  stirrups  together  under  the  horse  and 
lower  themselves  and  pull  themselves  back 
in  the  saddle  entirely  with  their  legs.  The 
trick  of  picking  up  the  handkerchief  was 
very  badly  done  until  the  colonel  of  the 


DON  KAZAK  AND  BOY  SCOUT 


THE    KAZAKS  181 

battery  took  the  hint  and  put  five  roubles 
in  each  handkerchief,  after  which  there  were 
no  more  failures. 

After  the  athletics,  we  proceeded  to  the 
company  kitchens  to  sample  the  soldiers' 
food,  which  was  good  enough  for  anybody, 
and  then  we  proceeded  to  the  battery,  which 
was  cocked  up  on  end  to  attack  aircraft,  in 
the  same  manner  as  described  in  a  previous 
chapter. 

We  also  looked  at  the  officers'  mounts. 
These  were  all  of  thoroughbred  stock  which 
had  been  introduced  into  the  Kazak  country 
some  years  before.  I  was  surprised  when 
the  Colonel  told  me  that  these  horses,  which 
had  been  acclimatized  to  Kazak  life,  stood 
the  hardships  of  war  as  well  as  any.  They 
could,  of  course,  run  circles  around  the 
average  cavalry  mount. 

Every  Kazak  soldier  provides  his  own 
uniform  and  his  own  horse,  of  which  he 
naturally  takes  the  best  care,  and  which  he 
has  trained  beyond  anything  within  my 
experience. 


182       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

No  Kazak  uses  the  curb  bit  or  spurs,  but 
if  encouragement  is  necessary  it  is  given  with 
a  whip,  much  like  the  quirt  of  our  Western 
plains. 

At  dinner  we  had  caviar  from  the  Volga 
and  fish  that  had  been  caught  in  the  Narew 
River  that  day  and  many  other  good  things 
to  eat. 

Just  as  the  meal  started  the  giant  sergeant 
marched  into  the  room  with  about  twenty 
picked  voices  from  among  the  soldiers,  while 
the  rest  of  the  battery  stood  outside  and 
joined  in  the  choruses. 

The  sergeant  in  a  remarkable  tenor  carried 
the  air  of  the  chorus  songs,  but  men  with 
even  better  voices  than  he  sang  the  solos. 

We  listened  to  many  tales  of  the  adven- 
tures of  Stenka  Rasin,  the  Robin  Hood  of 
the  Volga,  and  followed  his  career  up  to  the 
point  when,  having  fallen  in  love  with  a 
Circassian  princess  he  had  taken  prisoner, 
he  was  content  to  float  down  the  Volga,  rob- 
bing no  more;  but  being  reproached  by  his 
companions  for  his  lack  of  enterprise  he  re- 


THE    KAZAKS  183 

covered  his  spirit  and  threw  the  young  lady 
into  the  river. 

At  the  end  of  this  tragic  tale  the  singers 
filed  out,  and  other  soldiers  carried  into  the 
room  and  laid  on  the  floor  what  appeared  to 
be  the  body  of  a  man  entirely  swathed  in 
Uankets.  I  was  beginning  to  wonder  what 
strange  rite  this  might  be  and  whether  a  vic- 
tim of  the  day's  sharp-shooting  was  being 
brought  before  us,  when  the  arms  of  the  body 
under  the  blankets  were  raised,  displaying 
two  manikins  made  up  in  the  costume  of  a 
Kazak  man  and  woman. 

The  play  was  a  domestic  sketch.  A  flirta- 
tion was  followed  by  a  quarrel.  The  lady 
slapped  the  gentleman's  face,  and  he,  with 
great  presence  of  mind,  immediately  knocked 
her  down.  The  lady's  clothes  were  sadly 
disarranged  by  the  fall,  which  evidently  was 
not  part  of  the  play,  for  the  sergeant,  who  was 
stage-managing  the  performance,  stepped  for- 
ward and  modestly  pulled  down  the  skirt. 
On  the  floor  the  injured  wife  lay  and  refused 
to  move  until  her  spouse,  leaning  over,  set 


184       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

her  upon  her  feet.  He  then  insisted  that 
she  kneel  and  apologize,  to  which  she  replied 
with  a  vigorous  shake  of  the  head,  but  upon 
his  threatening  a  further  chastisement  she 
thought  better  of  it,  and  not  once  but  twice 
bowed  herself  in  humility.  Whereupon  he 
bowed  in  his  turn.  The  reconciled  couple 
embraced,  and  four  soldiers  carried  out  both 
actors  and  "stage." 

Then  came  in  a  dancer,  —  a  man  on 
rubber  legs,  who  danced  to  the  music  of  an 
accordion.  I  was  told  he  was  the  best  dancer 
in  the  battery,  and  was  willing  to  concede 
he  was  the  best  dancer  in  the  army. 

Once  I  was  put  out  of  countenance  by  the 
request  that  I  should  show  the  officers  the 
national  dances  of  America.  Ideas  of  a  cake 
walk  floated  through  my  mind,  but  were  not 
expressed,  and  to  my  further  surprise  the 
colonel  himself  announced  that  he  would 
dance  in  my  honor. 

The  colonel  was  past  the  half-way  mark 
to  threescore  and  ten,  and  probably  could 
not  have  danced  so  long  as  the  young  soldier, 


THE    KAZAKS  185 

but  faced  by  a  lieutenant  he  went  to  work, 
and  while  he  kept  it  up  danced  better  than 
the  battery  champion. 

I  was  asked  to  address  the  troops,  but,  of 
course,  was  unable  to  do  so,  and  Colonel 
Englhart,  Colonel  of  the  Staff,  steeplechase 
rider,  and  member  of  the  Duma,  spoke  in  my 
stead.  I  do  not  know  what  he  said,  but 
apparently  the  speech  was  a  success;  for 
both  he  and  I  were  lifted  upon  the  shoulders 
of  the  gunners  and  cheered  while  we  emptied 
a  glass  of  Kazak  wine. 

Following  this  a  bearded  trooper  imitated 
in  voice  and  gesture  a  popular  music-hall 
comedienne,  and  the  entertainment  was  closed 
with  a  chorus,  one  hundred  voices  joining  in 
the  war  song  of  the  Kazaks  of  the  Don. 

It  was  a  band  of  Kazaks  which  took  pos- 
session of  Siberia  and  gave  it  to  the  Czar, 
and  also  which  discovered  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
As  the  Empire  has  pushed  into  Asia,  Kazak 
communities  have  been  established  all  along 
the  frontier.  They  are,  indeed,  bands  of 
organized  frontiersmen. 


186      WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Their  prowess  in  war  is  attested  by  the 
fear  of  them  spread  in  other  countries  which 
have  warred  on  Russia.  The  tradition  of  the 
Kazaks  is  still  among  the  Swedes.  Napoleon 
said,  "Europe  will  be  all  republican  or  all 
Kazak." 

After  my  return  from  Russia  I  was  as- 
tounded to  hear  from  a  European  military 
officer  that  the  Kazaks  were  an  irregular 
body  of  guerillas,  useful  to  harry  a  defeated 
army,  but  unable  to  contend  with  regular 
troops. 

The  truth  about  this  is  that  they  are  to 
regular  troops  what  regular  troops  are  to 
militia.  Fortunately  I  have  brought  from 
Russia  more  than  my  opinion ;  whoever  is 
unwilling  to  depart  from  his  preconceived 
notions  should  see  the  moving  pictures  I  have 
taken  of  a  Kazak  charge  and  of  the  English 
General  Paget  reviewing  the  Kazaks  of  the 
Guard. 

The  Kazaks  are  frontiersmen.  We  know 
the  superiority  of  frontiersmen  over  all  other 
troops  of  equal  training.  In  addition  to  this 


THE    KAZAKS  187 

the  Kazaks  are  an  hereditary  military  organi- 
zation like  the  Samurai  of  Japan.  Where 
other  European  troops  are  trained  for  three 
years  these  are  trained  from  childhood.  They 
bring  to  the  army  more  personal  military 
knowledge  than  the  average  soldier  takes 
with  him  when  he  leaves  after  three  years. 
They  then  undergo  as  much  training  as  is 
given  to  the  ignorant  recruits. 

The  result  is  that  the  Kazaks  are  a  body 
of  soldiers  such  as  exist  nowhere  else  in  the 
world.  I  speak  with  confidence,"  for  I  have 
been  to  see  all  the  Allies'  armies,  I  have  been 
a  horseman  for  twenty-five  years,  and  have 
played  polo  constantly  in  the  last  twelve. 

There  is  no  considerable  body  of  troops  in 
the  world  that  can,  mounted,  offer  any  serious 
resistance  to  the  Kazaks. 


CHAPTER  X 

WITH  THE  "CORPS  DE  LA  GARDE'* 

I  WAS  ten  days  putting  on  paper  my  obser- 
vations upon  the  Russian  army  and  in  com- 
piling the  information  from  which  I  wrote  the 
history  of  the  war  to  date. 

The  completion  of  this  work  was  contem- 
poraneous with  the  beginning  of  the  Austro- 
German  advance  upon  Tarnow. 

I  asked  to  be  attached  to  the  army  of 
General  Dimitrieff,  which  was  receiving  the 
first  assault,  but  was  told  that  the  forces  in 
that  theatre  of  the  war  had  instructions  to 
retire,  and  that  they  would  be  much  too 
occupied  between  fighting  and  retreating  to 
have  time  to  look  after  a  stranger. 

As  compensation  I  was  given  leave  to  visit 
the  Corps  de  la  Garde  on  another  front. 
This  invitation  was  thankfully  accepted,  as 

188 


THE    "CORPS    DE    LA    GARDE"    189 

it  would  give  me  further  time  to  study  the 
Russian  army  from  within,  and  I  hoped  that 
on  a  further  acquaintance  I  might  some  day 
be  allowed  to  accompany  an  active  force  upon 
the  march. 

And  so  I  went  to  the  headquarters  of  the 
Guards  Corps  in  a  good-sized  town  that  could 
easily  have  furnished  luxurious  quarters  for 
all  the  officers  if  these  were  desired.  The 
headquarters  proper  were  in  a  school  house. 
One  room  was  given  over  to  the  disposition 
of  troops,  maps  papered  the  walls,  and  the 
officers  employed  on  this  work  slept  several 
to  a  room  in  the  building,  so  as  to  be  imme- 
diately available  in  any  emergency.  They 
all  slept  on  the  regulation  camp  beds,  differ- 
ing only  in  detail  from  ours. 

General  Bezobrazoff ,  commanding  the  corps, 
was  the  only  officer  to  have  a  room  for  him- 
self. He  slept  in  his  office. 

Another  room  was  used  for  the  Provost 
Court. 

While  I  was  there  the  trial  of  an  alleged 
spy  took  place.  Every  one,  including  the 


190      WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

official  defender,  was  convinced  of  his  guilt, 
but  the  court  held  the  evidence  insufficient 
for  conviction,  so  the  man  —  an  Austrian  - 
was  sent  to  a  detention  camp. 

The  case  against  him  was  that  he  had 
entered  Russian  territory  after  the  outbreak 
of  war  without  a  passport  and  had  come  into 
the  lines  of  the  army  without  giving  notice 
of  his  nationality,  without  having  any  friends 
in  the  neighborhood,  without  any  reasonable 
excuse  for  so  doing.  He  was  acquitted  be- 
cause no  act  of  espionage  was  proved.  I 
am  curious  to  know  what  courts-martial  of 
the  other  warring  armies  have  done  in  similar 
cases. 

The  room  over  the  staff  office  is  used  as 
dining-room.  Here  at  two  long  oilcloth- 
covered  tables  sit  all  the  officers  from  the 
general  commanding  down  to  sixteen-year- 
old  Count  Zamoiski.  The  youngster  has  the 
rank  of  a  non-commissioned  officer.  He  is 
personal  aide  to  the  general  and  has  won  the 
St.  George  Cross  for  soldiers  of  the  second 
Order  for  courage  under  fire. 


THE  "CORPS  DE  LA  GARDE"  191 

The  commander  lunches  at  twelve  and 
dines  at  seven-thirty,  but  as  duties  bring 
officers  in  at  all  hours  of  day  and  night,  some 
one  can  be  found  in  the  dining-room  at  almost 
any  time. 

The  procedure  at  table  is  a  mixture  of 
formality  and  informality.  Whenever  the 
commander  addresses  any  officer,  that  per- 
son rises  and  remains  standing  during  the 
conversation.  This  applies  as  much  to  major- 
generals  as  to  lieutenants. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  young  end  of  the 
table  is  as  hilarious  as  an  American  college 
dining-room.  At  an  unusual  burst  of  laughter 
the  general  stops  his  conversation  and  smiles 
down  the  table.  Sometimes  he  asks  the  sub- 
ject of  amusement.  He  says  it  helps  him  to 
renew  his  youth. 

Upon  one  occasion  he  asked  me  if  I  was 
not  reminded  of  a  big  school.  It  is  a  school, 
—  the  school  of  the  Russian  army. 

How  young  those  officers  are,  and  how  like 
our  college  sophomores  as  they  pour  their 
milk  from  wine  bottles  supplied  by  a  solemn- 


192       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

looking  old  orderly  who  played  the  same  joke 
upon  their  fathers  in  the  war  of  '77. 

When  will  some  far-seeing  college  president 
furnish  a  similar  training  for  our  youth,  so  we 
will  not  be  without  officers  when  the  time 
comes  that  we  have  to  fight  for  our  institu- 
tions and  our  firesides? 

Some,  not  all,  of  the  older  officers  take 
wine  with  their  meals,  sometimes  a  glass, 
sometimes  two,  never  much. 

The  war  has  called  back  to  the  colors  many 
retired  officers.  One  of  them  is  a  member  of 
the  Duma  and  also  a  celebrated  steeplechase 
rider.  Another  who  served  in  the  Turkish 
war  retired  later  to  manage  his  personal 
affairs.  It  was  hard  for  him  not  to  return 
for  the  Japanese  war,  but  his  children  were  of 
such  an  age  he  could  not  leave  them.  Now 
that  he  has  a  boy  of  twenty-two  to  take 
charge  at  home,  he  is  back  at  the  front  in  his 
sixty-third  year,  cheerfully  serving  with  less 
rank  than  the  sons  of  some  of  his  former 
comrades  in  arms. 

The  first  officer  I  met  I  had  seen  before. 


THE  "CORPS  DE  LA  GARDE"  193 

He  was  Colonel  Rodanko,  the  first  prize 
winner  at  Madison  Square  Garden  two  years 
ago. 

It  was  my  pleasure  to  spend  a  week  in  this 
company.  Two  officers  moved  out  of  a  room 
and  one  left  his  bed  for  me.  Protests  that 
the  hotel  was  perfectly  good  were  unavailing 
and  I  never  learned  the  identity  of  my  bene- 
factors. The  general  assigned  one  of  his 
orderlies,  an  African  from  Abyssinia,  to  take 
care  of  me,  saying  truthfully  that  it  would 
make  me  feel  at  home. 

General  Bezobrazoff  at  his  dinner  table  is 
like  an  indulgent  parent.  But  stories  are 
still  told  of  his  dash  as  a  young  officer.  And 
the  way  he  put  his  regiments  into  the  fight 
at  Warsaw  will  command  a  chapter  in  the 
permanent  military  history  of  the  war. 

Both  he  and  the  Duke  of  Mecklenburg, 
chief  of  artillery,  were  more  than  kind  in 
furnishing  me  with  military  instruction  and 
the  new  lessons  learned  in  this  war. 

Fortunately  the  Seminovski  regiment  held 
its  fete  while  I  was  at  Lomza,  and  General 


194        WITH   THE   RUSSIAN   ARMY 

Bezobrazoff  was  kind  enough  to  invite  the 
British  artillery  attache,  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Ellershaw,  and  me  to  the  ceremony. 

The  morning  of  the  fete  we  went  to  the 
front  to  see  the  practice  of  a  new  type  of 
field  artillery.  We  were  so  interested  in  its 
performance  as  to  fail  to  note  the  passage  of 
time.  Thus  we  missed  the  assembly  of  the 
troops.  When  we  arrived  the  regiment  was 
already  drawn  up  in  hollow  square  for  a 
Solemn  Mass. 

In  an  orchard  had  been  erected  the  two 
altars  which  the  Greek  service  requires.  One 
was  in  a  line  of  the  troops,  the  other  in  the 
centre  of  the  square.  Near  the  first  were  the 
choir,  chosen  singers  from  the  regiment;  at 
the  second,  the  priests  with  their  high  collars 
and  flowing  robes,  some  of  white,  some  of 
yellow.  In  the  centre  of  the  square  stood  the 
general  commanding  the  corps,  and  behind 
him  his  staff  and  the  commander  of  the  regi- 
ment. Beside  him  on  his  left,  upon  a  spirited 
thoroughbred  racehorse,  sat  a  grave  man  with 
pointed  beard  and  thinning  hair.  It  was  the 


THE  "CORPS  DE  LA  GARDE"  195 

Grand  Duke  Boris,  who  had  visited  the 
United  States  as  a  young  man  twelve  years 
ago.  The  change  these  years  had  wrought 
in  him  reminded  me  forcibly  of  the  lapse  of 
time. 

At  a  word  of  command  the  troops  grounded 
arms,  at  another  word  they  removed  their 
caps.  The  service  began.  The  service  was 
intoned  throughout,  and  was  assisted  from 
time  to  time  by  the  voices  of  the  choir.  The 
soldiers  neither  sang  nor  prayed  audibly,  but 
their  ardent  participation  in  the  ceremony 
could  be  seen  from  their  moving  lips  and  the 
devout  way  in  which  they  made  the  sign  of 
the  cross. 

The  service  was  conducted  in  Russian,  and 
therefore  was  unintelligible  to  me  except  that 
I  could  tell  when  prayers  were  being  made 
for  the  Emperor  by  the  intoned  "Nicolas 
Alexandrovitch,"  and  for  the  Commander-in- 
Chief  from  the  words  "Nicolas  Nicolai'itch." 
Prayers  were  also  made  for  the  Grand  Duke 
Constantine  Constantinovitch,  who  was  on 
the  point  of  death  and  who  has  since  died. 


196        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

I  had  attended  military  Masses  before, 
notably  at  the  headquarters  of  the  5th  Army 
and  at  the  Great  General  Staff,  where  the 
Grand  Duke,  Commander-in-Chief,  partici- 
pated in  the  royal  box  and  where  the  congre- 
gation consisted  of  the  staff  and  all  the  Cossack 
Guard. 

The  Cossacks  are  said  to  be  the  most 
devout  of  the  Russians,  but  I  have  been  im- 
pressed by  the  unanimity  of  the  religious 
feeling  which  permeates  the  whole  army. 

At  the  close  of  the  service  the  chief  priest 
advanced  with  a  golden  crucifix  to  the  com- 
mander general,  but  he  indicated  the  Grand 
Duke  Boris,  who  was  first  to  kiss  the  crucifix, 
and  the  priest  kissed  his  hand.  Next  it  was 
presented  to  officers  in  order  of  rank,  and  each 
was  blessed  by  the  priest  with  holy  water. 

It  being  impossible  for  the  entire  regiment, 
or  as  it  often  happens  an  entire  army  corps,  to 
be  blessed  individually  at  public  Mass,  the 
chief  priest,  followed  by  the  General  and  Staff, 
marched  round  the  inside  of  the  hollow  square, 
carrying  a  small  pine  branch.  This  he  dipped 


THE    "CORPS    DE    LA    GARDE"     197 

in  a  bowl  of  holy  water  carried  by  an  assistant 
and  threw  the  spray  over  the  bowed  heads  of 
the  soldiers. 

Following  the  final  blessing  the  altars  were 
removed,  the  choir  members  resumed  their 
places  in  the  ranks,  the  commandant  of  the 
day  took  station  in  the  middle  of  the  square. 
Caps  were  resumed,  troops  came  to  attention, 
the  shout  of  the  battlefield  replaced  the  in- 
toning of  the  church  service. 

Followed  ceremonies  particular  to  the  regi- 
ment. At  some  of  these  only  the  troops 
came  to  the  salute;  at  others  troops  and  the 
officers;  at  others  the  officers  alone.  Being 
in  the  front  rank  of  the  visitors,  I  found  my- 
self somewhat  lost  when  to  salute  and  when 
not.  Stepping  back  and  turning  to  the  left,  I 
hoped  to  model  my  conduct  after  that  of  the 
British  attache,  to  find  that  officer  had  been 
copying  my  mistakes  in  the  same  manner.  A 
Russian  officer  perceiving  our  embarrassment 
took  station  where  we  could  see  him  to  model 
our  conduct  upon. 

The  commandant  in  the  centre  called  for 


198        WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

cheers  for  various  men  and  things,  which  were 
heartily  responded  to  by  4000  throats,  and 
he  called  for  cheers  for  the  Emperor,  to  which 
the  woods  resounded  until  my  arm  grew 
tired  from  maintaining  the  salute,  while  the 
band  played  the  National  Hymn  not  once 
but  several  times. 

A  review  followed. 

I  suppose  readers  will  become  weary  of  my 
constant  allusion  to  the  military  exercises 
which  seemed  to  me  foolish  formalities  before 
I  came  to  war.  They  do  look  foolish  at  home, 
but  in  sound  of  the  enemy's  guns,  even  the 
strut  step  has  its  value.  The  straightened 
back  and  lifted  head  react  favorably  upon 
the  nervous  system  of  the  man  about  to  go 
under  fire.  The  eager  response  to  orders  is 
to  a  regiment  what  snap  is  to  a  football  team. 
A  regiment  that  has  learned  its  drill  feels  a 
thrill  of  conscious  strength  as  it  wheels  into 
line,  and  is  built  up  to  resist  the  terrors  which 
the  individual  courage  could  not  withstand. 

The  parade  of  a  Guard  regiment  is  a  remark- 
able sight.  The  officers  are  the  average  size 


THE    "CORPS    DE    LA    GARDE"    199 

of  man,  but  the  soldiers  are  a  head  taller  and 
full  fifty  pounds  heavier  to  the  man.  This  is 
in  marked  contrast  to  the  English  regiments, 
where  I  have  remarked  that  the  officers  are 
notably  taller  than  the  men  —  a  fact  which 
the  German  sharp-shooters  have  not  been 
slow  to  discover,  and  which  similarity  of  uni- 
forms cannot  hide. 

I  noticed  that  many  of  the  officers  were 
very  young,  and  that  not  a  few  walked  with 
a  limp,  which  could  not  be  hidden  before  the 
reviewing  stand.  Small  wonder !  The  regi- 
ment had  seventy  officers  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  war,  and  has  suffered  seventy -four  casual- 
ties. 

After  the  review  there  was  a  reception  for 
the  officers  at  which  I  snapped  a  photograph 
of  the  Grand  Duke  Boris  and  General  Bezo- 
brazoff.  Then  while  the  regiment  picnicked 
under  the  trees,  a  birthday  dinner  was  held 
indoors.  The  table  was  not  large  enough  for 
all,  so  only  the  officers  of  higher  rank  were 
seated;  the  captains  and  lieutenants,  except 
a  foreign  attache,  stood. 


200       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

This  fete  formed  the  occasion  of  meeting 
between  friends  whom  war  had  separated, 
and  was  pleasant  to  see.  Those  who  had 
received  promotion  or  decoration  for  distin- 
guished service  were  the  recipients  of  hearty 
congratulations  in  which  no  appearance  of 
jealousy  was  visible.  In  particular,  General 
Ettor,  a  native  of  Finland,  received  news  that 
he  had  been  appointed  aide-de-camp  to  the 
Emperor. 

Various  toasts  were  drunk,  beginning  with 
the  health  of  the  Czar  and  ending  with  the 
toast  to  England,  the  king  of  England  and  the 
British  army,  in  honor  of  the  British  military 
attache.  Then  as  he  stood  the  band  played 
"Rule  Britannia."  Noticing  that  an  Ameri- 
can was  present  word  was  hurriedly  sent  to 
the  toast-master  to  include  our  country, 
and  similar  hurried  instructions  were  sent 
to  the  band.  The  Toast-master  gave  the 
toast,  "America,  President  Wilson,  and  the 
American  Army."  And  while  I,  the  sole 
American,  stood,  the  young  officers  shouted 
with  fellowship,  and  the  band  outside  strained 
to  the  tune  of  the  "Star-spangled  Banner." 


THE    "CORPS    DE    LA    GARDE"    201 

As  we  drove  back  to  our  headquarters,  we 
saw  the  regiment  at  play.  Some  were  play- 
ing Two  Villages,  the  Russian  ninepins,  some 
were  swinging  on  the  parallel  bars  and  the 
horizontal  bar,  while  the  new  recruits  had 
procured  the  services  of  non-commissioned 
officers  and  were  spending  their  holiday  in 
practising  the  attack,  which  little  fact  would 
have  given  me  an  insight  into  the  morale  of 
the  army  if  at  this  stage  of  the  war  I  had 
needed  any. 

Such  an  organization  as  the  Imperial  Guard 
would  be  impossible,  of  course,  in  a  republic. 
It  is  the  heart  of  the  army  in  Russia,  and  very 
similar  organizations  hold  the  same  positions 
in  Prussia  and  Japan. 

The  idea  of  an  Imperial  Guard  in  Russia 
originated  with  Peter  the  Great,  who  enrolled 
the  first  regiment.  Other  Emperors  have 
added  to  it  until  it  comprises  a  corps  of  three 
infantry  divisions  with  artillery,  and  a  divi- 
sion of  cavalry  with  horse  artillery.  Among 
the  cavalry  are  certain  regiments  and  batteries 
of  Cossacks  of  the  Guard. 


202       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  soldiers  of  the  Guard  are  the  picked 
men  of  the  entire  Empire.  Once  assigned  to 
the  Guard,  they  are  divided  among  the  differ- 
ent regiments  according  to  certain  physical 
characteristics. 

For  instance,  all  the  snub-nosed  men  belong 
to  the  regiment  of  the  Emperor  Paul,  who  was 
snub-nosed. 

One  regiment  gets  the  biggest  of  the  Guards- 
men, it  is  a  regiment  of  giants ;  to  another  all 
the  darkest  men  are  given,  and  so  on. 

The  officers  of  the  Guard  are  the  most 
privileged  men  of  the  Empire. 

Most  of  them  are  graduates  of  the  Corps 
des  Pages,  the  school  of  Court  pages.  The 
pupils  of  this  school  are  the  Knights  of 
Malta.  That  order  elected  the  Emperor 
Paul  to  be  their  head,  and  he  carried  on 
the  formula  of  the  ancient  institution  in  this 
way. 

Entrance  to  the  school  is  restricted  to  — 

(1)  Sons  of  Knights  of  Malta,  former  pupils. 

(2)  Sons    of    generals    and    of    lieutenant- 

generals  —  but  not  of  major-generals. 


THE  "CORPS  DE  LA  GARDE"  203 

(3)    Boys  of  families  which  have  been  noble 
for  one  hundred  years  or  more. 

The  pupils  are  pages  of  the  Imperial 
family.  The  two  highest  in  studies  are  pages 
of  the  Emperor,  the  next  are  pages  of  the 
Empress  Dowager,  the  next  pages  of  the 
Empress,  the  remainder  pages  of  the  Grand 
Dukes  and  Duchesses,  those  of  highest  rank 
in  scholarship  being  attached  to  the  Grand 
Duke  of  highest  rank,  and  so  on. 

The  Corps  des  Pages  is  the  best  military 
school  in  Russia.  Its  course  is  seven  years, 
during  the  first  of  which  the  pupil  may  live 
with  his  parents  if  they  are  in  Petrograd,  but 
the  older  boys  must  live  in  the  barracks. 

Any  graduate  of  the  Corps  des  Pages  has  the 
requisite  education  to  become  an  officer  of 
the  Guards.  He  then  makes  application  for 
membership  in  one  of  the  regiments.  If  his 
father  has  been  a  member  of  the  regiment, 
he  enters  by  right ;  if  not,  the  officers  of  the 
regiment  decide  whether  they  want  him. 

In  some  regiments  the  system  of  election 
by  balls  is  used.  When  a  name  is  presented 


204       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

each  officer  of  the  regiment  casts  a  white,  a 
red,  or  a  black  ball.  The  candidate  must 
have  at  least  twice  as  many  white  balls  as 
black  balls.  The  red  balls  are  not  counted. 

The  regimental  officers  also  have  the  right 
to  expel  a  member  for  any  act  deemed  in- 
jurious to  the  dignity  of  the  regiment,  or 
even  for  being  an  unpleasant  comrade.  The 
commonest  reason  for  expulsion  is  for  marry- 
ing a  woman  of  low  rank.  In  one  case  a 
Guard  officer  was  expelled  for  marrying  the 
daughter  of  a  colonel  of  police.  In  some 
regiments  wives  must  be  elected  in  the  same 
way  as  their  husbands. 

A  Guards  officer  leaving  the  Guard  in 
this  way  has  the  option  of  retiring  or  of  ac- 
cepting the  next  higher  grade  in  the  army. 
There  are  no  majors  in  Russia  and  no  lieu- 
tenant-colonels in  the  Guard,  battalions  of 
the  Guard  being  commanded  by  colonels. 
The  regiments  of  the  Guard  are  commanded 
by  major-generals,  there  being  no  brigadiers 
in  Russia.  The  regimental  commander  is 
usually  taken  from  a  different  regiment,  as  it 


THE    "CORPS    DE    LA    GARDE"    205 

is  considered  difficult  for  an  officer  to  exercise 
regimental  command  over  his  comrades. 

An  exception  is  in  the  distinguished  family 
of  Ettor,  where  both  father  and  son  have  com- 
manded the  Seminovski  regiment  in  which 
they  served  as  junior  officers. 

The  regimental  commander  has  charge  of 
all  military  regulation,  serious  matters  coming 
before  a  court  martial. 

Social  matters  are  regulated  by  an  officers' 
meeting  under  the  presidency  of  the  senior 
colonel.  The  exception  is  in  the  question  of 
a  duel,  where  the  permission  of  the  regimental 
commander  is  required  —  and  is  hard  to  get. 

Promotion  in  the  Guard  is  entirely  by 
seniority,  but  as  the  law  requires  a  certain 
proportion  of  the  regiments  of  the  army  to  be 
commanded  by  colonels  of  the  Guard,  promo- 
tion is  rapid.  Whenever  one  encounters  a 
young  army  regimental  commander,  he  may 
be  nearly  sure  that  the  officer  is  from  the 
Guard. 

Before  assuming  new  rank  every  officer 
must  pass  an  examination.  He  may  even, 


SOS        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

by  study  in  the  proper  school,  pass  from  one 
arm  of  the  service  to  another. 

With  the  advantage  of  superior  early  edu- 
cation, of  more  rapid  promotion  in  the  lower 
grades,  with  easier  access  to  those  in  power, 
the  Guardsmen  have  great  advantages  over 
the  officers  of  the  army.  As  a  result  the  one 
Corps  de  la  Garde  produces  a  large  majority 
of  the  generals.  The  advantage,  however,  is 
only  the  advantage  of  opportunity.  Unfit  men 
are  not  consciously  promoted.  If  appearance 
of  merit  procures  high  rank,  demonstration  of 
lack  of  fitness  leads  to  instant  dismissal.  Of 
this  fact  the  fate  of  the  erstwhile  famous 
General  Renenkampf  is  a  fair  example. 

The  four  ranking  officers  in  the  Russian  army 
to-day  are  a  Grand  Duke,  an  untitled  noble- 
man from  the  Guard,  and  two  peasant  sons 
from  the  army.  No  one  denies  that  each  of 
these  is  the  best  man  obtainable  for  his  place. 

Two  divisions  make  an  army  corps,  four 
army  corps  an  army;  six  armies  a  group. 
A  brother  of  the  Czar  commands  a  division  in 
a  group  generated  by  the  son  of  a  peasant. 


CHAPTER  XI 

TRIPS   FROM   THE   CORPS   HEADQUARTERS 

WHEN  I  first  arrived  at  the  Guards  Corps 
there  was  some  doubt  whether  I  was  to  be 
allowed  to  visit  the  front.  I  took  advantage 
of  the  time  it  took  to  get  specific  permission 
to  visit  the  organization  back  of  the  line.  My 
investigation  impressed  me  with  the  great 
advantage  of  an  organized  nation  at  war 
over  a  nation  defended  by  a  professional 
army.  The  first  frees  all  its  fighting  men  for 
action  while  the  second  must  devote  numbers 
and  energy  to  the  work  of  the  rear. 

Furthermore  the  work  of  the  most  com- 
petent people  offered  freely  is  more  efficient 
than  that  of  salaried  employes. 

To  the  fact  that  Russia  is  a  nation  at  war, 
not  a  nation  with  only  its  army  at  war,  may 
be  attributed  the  extraordinary  completeness 

207 


208        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

of  its  organization  back  of  the  fighting  line  - 
an    organization    not    carried    in    the    army 
manuals  and  whose  existence  is  unknown  in 
Petrograd,  even  in  Warsaw. 

Members  of  the  Duma  are  largely  engaged 
in  this  work,  as  are  a  great  part  of  the  busi- 
ness men  and  landowners,  whose  age  or  lack 
of  experience  keeps  them  from  serving  in 
the  active  army.  The  larger  part  of  these 
serve  along  the  principal  lines  of  communi- 
cation, from  dressing  stations  to  division 
hospitals  or  corps  hospitals,  on  the  hospital 
trains,  in  the  big  cities.  There  are  as  many 
more  employed  among  the  relief  stations 
along  the  rear  of  the  armies. 

In  back  of  the  firing  line  is  a  vast  traffic 
of  ammunition,  of  supplies,  of  soldiers  and 
horses  arriving  to  fill  the  losses,  of  slightly 
wounded  going  to  the  rear  on  foot  or  in 
emptied  transport  wagons,  of  convalescents 
returning  to  the  front. 

To  care  for  these  are  a  number  of  rest 
stations  dotted  about  five  miles  apart.  At 
every  one  of  these,  an  immense  kettle  of 


TRIPS    FROM    HEADQUARTERS    209 

soup  and  a  mountain  range  of  black  bread 
awaits  the  hungry.  For  soldier  and  civilian 
alike,  for  transport  driver  and  for  refugee, 
but  one  requirement  is  asked  —  "Wash." 
At  each  of  these  places  is  provided  a  trough, 
soap,  and  towel.  In  the  larger  posts,  a  bath 
has  been  set  up  and  the  night-bound  traveller 
can  take  a  bath  if  he  wants  to,  if  he  doesn't 
want  to  he  must.  At  the  larger  posts  also 
are  found  hospitals  of  a  few  beds  where  casual 
invalids  are  cared  for  and  sent  to  the  main 
hospitals. 

In  the  ones  I  visited,  the  equipment  was 
complete,  even  to  newspapers. 

Chapels  are  generally  erected  in  buildings 
when  these  are  available,  otherwise  in  tents. 
I  took  a  good  picture  of  one  chapel  made  from 
pine  branches. 

One  day  I  visited  six  of  these  stations  in 
company  of  Colonel  Simond  Norzimoff  of 
the  Seminovski  regiment. 

When  I  was  ready  to  stop  I  was  asked  to 
visit  a  few  more  so  that  I  could  testify  to 


210        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

their  existence  to  the  representative  of  one 
of  the  world's  most  perfect  armies  who  had 
expressed  a  belief  that  some  that  he  had  seen 
were  "planted"  to  impress  the  military 
attaches  on  their  tour. 

The  most  pretentious  station  I  saw  that 
day  was  at  the  rail  head.  Here,  in  addition 
to  the  structures  heretofore  described,  was  an 
officers'  club  house.  There  were  cots  for 
the  benighted  and  stacks  of  illustrated  news- 
papers. Here  was  a  buffet  of  every  known 
kind  of  cold  food. 

Here  also  was  a  tea  urn  presided  over  by  a 
pretty  girl,  who  doubtless  holds  the  world's 
record  of  cups  of  tea  poured  in  a  single  day, 
both  grand  total  and  served  to  one  man. 
The  lieutenant  that  we  found  and  left  there 
took,  to  my  actual  count  —  but  that  is  not 
your  business  or  mine  either. 

The  number  and  the  service  rendered  by 
these  young  girls  should  be  the  subject  of  a 
poem.  There  are  older  women,  too,  many 
officers'  wives,  and  many  officers'  widows. 
The  lady  who  is  in  charge  of  their  work  took 


TRIPS    FROM    HEADQUARTERS    211 

us  to  the  evacuation  hospital  where  wounded 
were  kept  for  shipment  to  the  rear.  It  is  in 
an  old  freight  shed  and  has  been  the  target 
for  many  bomb  attacks. 

Fortunately  there  have  not  yet  been  any 
casualties  among  the  women. 

The  lady  who  has  given  up  the  drawing- 
room  for  the  dressing  room  and  says  that 
she  will  never  return  to  the  former,  was 
emphatic  in  her  denunciation  of  the  bomb 
attacks  on  hospitals. 

"Why  don't  you  concentrate  the  prisoner 
wounded  here  ?  "  asked  a  man  present. 

"Oh,"  she  replied  with  a  visible  shudder, 
"God  would  not  like  that." 

My  last  night  at  the  front  was  made  de- 
lightful by  an  invitation  to  dine  with  the 
regimental  mess  of  General  Ettor  and  ac- 
ceptance was  made  possible  by  the  Red  Cross 
putting  an  automobile  at  my  disposal. 

I  arrived  at  the  beautiful  Polish  villa  which 
the  general  used  as  his  headquarters  just  at 
sunset,  and  came  upon  a  scene  more  suggestive 
of  the  Louis  XVI  pictures  than  of  grim  war. 


WITH    THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

Before  the  villa  was  a  wide  lawn,  and 
flowering  bushes  dotted  its  surface.  The 
owner  in  departing  had  left  behind  a  number 
of  Polish  collie  dog  puppies  that  gambolled 
over  the  ground  and  fawned  upon  the  visitors. 

The  general  was  sitting  under  the  trees 
as  though  he  were  at  his  own  home  in  peace 
times;  indeed,  my  visit  reminded  him  of  a 
previous  occasion  when  some  Americans  had 
dined  at  his  home,  and  the  smallness  of  the 
world  was  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  visitors 
had  included  Sheldon  Whitehouse,  now  Secre- 
tary to  the  American  Legation  at  Athens,  —  a 
college  mate  of  mine. 

When  I  had  last  visited  the  General  his 
regiment  was  occupying  a  different  position 
and  his  headquarters  was  in  a  peasant's  hut. 

The  pictures  I  had  had  taken  of  him  on 
that  occasion  all  failed,  so  now  I  tried  my 
amateur  luck  in  the  uncertain  light,  and 
obtained  a  splendid  likeness  of  the  man  who 
originated  the  idea  of  using  his  prisoners  as 
reserves. 

The   dinner  was   to  me  like  meeting  old 


TRIPS    FROM    HEADQUARTERS    213 

friends  ;  for,  although  I  had  only  seen  these 
men  once  before,  acquaintances  ripen  rapidly 
at  the  front. 

On  my  right  at  table  was  the  officer  com- 
manding the  cavalry  of  this  regiment;  for, 
as  an  innovation  of  this  war,  each  regiment 
of  the  Guards  has  sixty  mounted  men.  At 
the  outbreak  of  war  this  dashing  soldier 
was  a  professor  of  philosophy  in  a  univer- 
sity. He  had,  however,  the  benefit  of  a 
military  education  and  exchanged  his  gown 
for  a  tunic  with  enthusiasm. 

He  was  the  fourth  civilian  in  time  of  peace 
to  whom  my  attention  was  called,  the  other 
three  being  Colonel  Nicolas  Beaieff,  professor 
of  metallurgy,  who  had  been  kind  enough  to 
act  as  interpreter  for  me  when  in  the  second 
army;  the  commander  of  the  256th  Regiment 
of  Infantry,  whose  name  I  have  forgotten, 
but  who  was  pointed  out  to  me  by  General 
Zakharoff,  an  engineer  graduate  of  a  mili- 
tary school  who  had  retired  to  private  life, 
but  joining  the  army  at  the  outbreak  of  war, 
he  showed  such  distinct  ability  as  to  mount 


214       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

rapidly  to  command  of  a  regiment.  There 
was  also  Colonel  Englhart,  to  whom  I  have 
frequently  referred  in  this  book. 

The  dessert  that  evening  was  particularly 
delicious,  and  was  nothing  but  plain  milk 
warmed  for  an  hour  in  an  oven  and  then  al- 
lowed to  sour  for  three  days. 

News  of  the  declaration  of  war  by  Italy 
came  during  the  meal  and  was  a  welcome 
break  in  the  bulletins  of  the  retreat  from 
Tarnow,  which  had  been  arriving  steadily 
more  than  a  week. 

After  dinner  I  paid  a  last  visit  to  the 
trenches.  The  night  was  clear  but  moonless, 
so  the  Germans  were  sending  up  the  beautiful 
rockets  called  "flares"  to  light  up  their 
enemies'  trenches. 

As  we  approached  the  firing  line  we  came 
upon  all  that  was  left  of  a  village.  Every  wall 
was  down,  every  chimney  was  down;  it  could 
almost  be  said  that  not  a  stone  remained 
upon  another.  Only  by  the  foundations  out- 
lining some  big  building  could  I  see  where 
a  rich  manufacturer  had  been  ruined. 


TRIPS    FROM    HEADQUARTERS    215 

Wherever  cellars  had  been  built  these  were 
being  used  as  dwellings.  We  visited  one 
vaulted  structure  20  feet  long  by  15  feet 
wide  used  as  a  company  office.  It  was  very 
comfortably  fitted  up  and  in  one  corner  were 
a  stock  of  tins  that  the  captain  had  laid  in 
to  supplement  the  regimental  fare.  Our  host 
even  had  a  bottle  or  so  of  wine,  which  might 
have  been  found  in  the  village  or  may  have 
come  from  his  home.  Nothing  but  a  shell  of 
the  heaviest  calibre  could  have  penetrated 
to  this  retreat,  a  safety  which  was  of  more 
value  to  the  company's  books  than  the  com- 
pany commander,  because  his  position  was 
on  the  firing  line  during  a  bombardment. 

As  we  left  the  village  and  walked  along 
beside  the  communicating  trenches,  German 
machine  guns  started  to  rattle  in  our  front. 

The  machine  gun  is  the  most  deadly  in- 
strument of  this  war,  and  divides  honors  with 
the  high  explosive  shell  for  moral  effect. 
Rifle  bullets  are  quite  as  deadly  as  machine- 
gun  bullets  and  shrapnel  probably  scores 
more  hits  than  lyddite,  but  when  high  ex- 


216       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

plosives  or  machine  guns  are  being  used  one 
takes  little  notice  of  the  shrapnel  or  the  rifle 
fire. 

Officers  in  the  Carpathians  told  me  that 
the  crack  of  the  explosive  bullets  used  by  the 
Austrians  is  exceedingly  disconcerting,  es- 
pecially to  the  new  troops,  but  I  never  ran 
across  any  of  these  in  my  experiences. 

This  last  visit  was  given  a  special  interest, 
however,  by  the  sight  of  a  German  soldier,— 
the  only  one,  other  than  prisoners,  that  I  saw 
in  Poland,   Galicia,  France,  or  Belgium. 

Our  regiment  had  a  splendid  searchlight, 
or  projector,  as  they  called  it.  It  was 
mounted  on  a  collapsible  structure  that  could 
be  put  up  or  taken  down  and  transported 
without  difficulty.  While  I  was  standing 
looking  through  a  loop-hole  the  light  was 
turned  on,  and  quite  halfway  between  the 
opposing  trenches  I  saw  a  German  scout. 
He  was  less  than  100  yards  away  and  as 
clearly  defined  as  a  shooting-gallery  bull's- 
eye.  I  shrank  a  little,  as  I  do  not  like  to  see 
men  killed,  and  this  scene  was  as  dramatic 


TRIPS    FROM    HEADQUARTERS    217 

as  a  play.  As  the  seconds  passed  my  nervous- 
ness increased ;  I  felt  that  some  sure  marks- 
man was  drawing  a  steady  bead. 

No  shot  was  fired  and  the  man  was  suf- 
fered to  withdraw  to  the  shelter  of  a  rifle  pit. 

I  could  not  understand  why  the  man  was 
allowed  to  escape.  If  he  had  been  picked 
up  by  the  searchlight  during  a  period  of  abso- 
lute calm,  failure  to  shoot  might  have  been 
explained  on  the  ground  of  a  desire  not  to 
start  a  fusilade,  but  at  this  time  the  enemy 
were  firing  not  only  with  rifles  but  with 
machine  guns. 

As  we  returned  to  the  regimental  head- 
quarters I  mentioned  the  subject  to  one  of 
the  officers.  His  answer  was  "A  quoi  bon 
tuer  le  pauvre  malheureux?" 

There  is  a  strange  psychology  about  the 
Russians  that  is  hard  to  fathom.  Their  mili- 
tary tradition  and  their  military  success  are 
founded  upon  an  ability  to  undergo  a  greater 
butchery  than  their  enemy,  and  yet  they 
would  not  take  a  life  as  clearly  forfeited  as 
the  one  I  had  just  seen.  I  do  not  believe 


218        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

any  other  nationality  of  men,  under  the  same 
circumstances,  would  have  allowed  an  enemy 
to  escape. 

I  left  the  trenches  with  a  real  regret  and 
I  parted  from  my  new-found  friends  with 
sorrow.  Only  once  more  was  I  to  hear  guns 
sound  and  see  shells  break,  and  that  was  on 
the  morrow  in  the  fortress  of  Ossowetz. 


CHAPTER  XII 

OSSOWETZ 

WHEN  Liege  fell  after  ten  days  of  attack ; 
when  Namur  surrendered  in  two,  when  the 
French  fortress  of  Maubeuge  ended  its  re- 
sistance in  two  weeks,  the  western  world 
said  that  modern  siege  howitzers  had  turned 
fortresses  into  curious  antiques.  When  we 
heard  stories  of  Russian  forts  holding  out 
and  throwing  back  the  invaders  we  put  them 
down  as  "Belgian  victories."  I  remember 
writing  something  on  the  subject  myself. 

The  story  of  Peremysl,  which  I  heard  from 
General  Sullivanoff ,  who  captured  it,  was  not 
encouraging  to  fort  builders. 

After  Hindenburg's  first  defeat  before  War- 
saw, the  Austrian  army  retreated  to  the 
Carpathian  Mountains,  leaving  a  garrison  of 
120,000  men  in  Peremysl. 

219 


220        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

As  Russia  lacked  heavy  guns,  it  could  not 
attempt  to  storm  the  forts.  Instead  it  threw 
an  army  of  70,000  men  around  the  fort  and 
advanced  into  the  Carpathians. 

Peremysl  had  been  fortified  in  the  most 
modern  manner.  In  addition,  elaborate  field 
works  had  been  made  before  the  siege.  Such 
labyrinths  of  trenches  as  I  saw  there  I  had 
never  believed  existed.  Before  and  between 
the  forts  the  Austrians  had  put  up  veritable 
jungles  of  barbed  wire. 

They  must  have  expected  vigorous  attack, 
and  they  must  have  expected  an  early  Austro- 
German  advance  from  Cracow,  because  they 
left  twice  the  normal  garrison  of  the  place 
and  during  the  first  weeks  of  siege  made  no 
attempt  at  economizing  on  food. 

When  they  finally  realized  that  the  Rus- 
sians were  merely  blockading  them  and  that 
their  relief  was  delayed,  they  made  sorties, 
but,  hemmed  in  by  their  own  barbed  wire 
and  subject  to  shell  and  machine-gun  fire 
from  all  sides,  they  were  unable  to  advance. 
They  became  demoralized,  and  finally  sur- 


OSSOWETZ  221 

rendered  with  three  weeks  of  food  still  left. 
Even  their  destruction  of  forts  and  bridges 
was  not  complete. 

This  failure  increased  the  impression  made 
upon  me  by  Liege,  Namur,  Maubeuge,  and 
Antwerp. 

When  I  was  visiting  the  Guards  Corps  I 
asked  General  Bezobrazoff  one  day  whether 
the  experience  of  this  war  did  not  show  that 
forts  had  become  obsolete.  The  veteran 
replied  that  forts  have  certain  moral  disad- 
vantages. They  tend  to  influence  a  nation 
to  trust  to  stone  and  iron  for  the  defence  that 
can  only  come  from  a  capable  army,  and 
they  tempt  generals  to  leave  garrisons  to  be 
captured  when  they  should  take  all  their 
men  with  the  field  army. 

On  the  other  hand,  they  are  of  inestimable 
value  as  a  refuge  for  a  defeated  army  to  rally 
under,  as  a  defense  to  communications,  as  a 
protection  to  the  flank  of  an  army,  as  a  threat 
on  the  flank  or  rear  of  an  advancing  foe. 

He  instanced  how  the  armies  retreating 
from  East  Prussia  had  taken  refuge  in  Osso- 


222       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

wetz,  Grodno,  and  Olita ;  how  the  English 
had  rested  under  the  guns  of  La  Feree ;  how 
his  own  corps  had  stopped  Hindenburg  at 
Ivangorod  and  gained  time  for  the  troops  to 
arrive  and  defeat  him  at  Warsaw ;  how  Paris 
had  been  a  vital  factor  at  the  Marne;  how 
the  Germans  had  used  Koenigsberg  against 
Renenkampf. 

"But  when  the  great  artillery  comes  up,  the 
fort  becomes  a  liability,  not  an  asset  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Certainly  not,  if  both  fort  and  men  are 
good,"  he  replied.  "Go  and  see  Ossowetz." 

So,  with  some  misgivings  as  to  the  pro- 
priety of  my  request,  I  wired  the  great  Head- 
quarters that  I  wished  to  visit  Ossowetz. 
In  three  days  came  back  the  reply  that  the 
governor  had  been  given  orders  to  show  me 
the  fort,  but  I  must  be  careful  not  to  tell  any 
military  secrets. 

Thus  it  was  that  I  arrived  at  the  fortress 
of  Ossowetz  early  one  morning  before  bom- 
barding time  and  breakfasted  in  a  casemate 
which  a  42-centimeter  shell  had  struck  but 
not  penetrated;  saw  but  could  not  tell  the 


COMMANDER  OF  FORTRESS  OF  OSSOWETZ,  WITH  CHIEF  ENGI- 
NEER AND  CHIEF  OF  STAFF  AT  FRONT  WALL  OF  OUTER  FORT 


UNEXPLODED  GERMAN  SHELLS.  THE  LARGEST  is  FROM  THE 
16-iNCH  SIEGE  GUN,  THE  NEXT  LARGEST  FROM  THE  H-INCH 
FIELD  HOWITZER 

The  largest  shell  used  in  the  American  army  is  4.7,  smaller  than  the 
smallest  in  the  picture. 


OSSOWETZ 

extent  of  the  dent  it  made,  and  then  with  the 
general  commanding  inspected  the  defences. 

Ossowetz  is  situated  on  the  only  ridge  of 
dry  ground  that  crosses  a  forty-mile-long 
marsh.  From  a  near-by  hill-top,  General 
Skobeleff  chose  its  location,  and  the  hill  bears 
the  name  of  Skobeleff  to  this  day. 

I  give  no  information  to  the  besiegers  when 
I  say  that  the  forts  are  built  among  a  group 
of  hills  and  that  forests,  some  natural,  some 
planted,  conceal  the  batteries  and  casemates 
even  from  hostile  aircraft. 

Ossowetz  was  first  built  in  1888  and  re- 
construction was  commenced  in  1910  with 
the  experience  of  Port  Arthur  to  go  by.  It 
was  a  part  of  the  Russian  scheme  of  army 
reorganization  which  was  not  complete  when 
the  war  came  —  the  fort  itself  was  not  com- 
plete when  first  attacked. 

Hostile  fire  was  opened  upon  it  on  February 
9.  The  defenders  occupied  advance  trenches 
under  protection  of  the  fortress  guns,  and 
most  of  these  they  hold  to-day,  the  fourth 
month  of  the  siege. 


224       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

After  a  few  days'  siege  a  spy  entered  the 
Russian  lines,  and,  approaching  the  com- 
mander, offered  him  500,000  rubles  (more 
than  $250,000)  and  a  home  in  Germany  to 
surrender  the  fort,  saying  that  the  guns  which 
had  reduced  the  forts  of  France  and  Belgium 
were  now  in  position  and  would  smash  the 
fortress  in  thirty-six  hours. 

The  spy  was  shot. 

The  bombardment  which  followed  was  the 
severest  in  history.  Two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  shells  of  various  sizes  were  fired 
into  the  fort,  including  those  of  28  and  42 
centimeter  calibre.1  To  this  fire  the  concealed 
batteries  constantly  replied. 

During  every  respite  the  band  paraded, 
and  while  the  tired  artillerymen  rested,  the 
infantry  swarmed  out  and  repaired  the  dam- 
age. First  the  defences  were  remade,  then 
other  evidence  of  the  bombardment  was 
obliterated. 

The  general  explained  that  the  appearance 

1  The  American  army  possesses  only  about  fifty  thousand  shells 
of  the  smallest  size  and  has  no  facilities  for  making  more  in  war  time. 
It  is  also  almost  without  artillery. 


OSSOWETZ  225 

of  a  fort  in  siege  greatly  affected  the  morale 
of  the  troops.  He  ought  to  know,  as  he  was 
on  the  outside  of  Plevna  and  the  inside  of 
Port  Arthur.  Of  the  trees  blown  down  he 
made  abatis. 

"It  comes  from  Csesar's  time,  and  is  still 
the  best,"  he  said.  "Besides,  since  the  enemy 
cut  it,  courtesy  requires  its  use." 

He  was  an  ideal  old  warrior,  with  a  roar  of 
laughter  like  the  explosion  of  a  shell.  If  he 
had  not  been  a  teetotaler,  I  would  compare 
him  favorably  with  King  Cole !  He  was  the 
very  man  to  encourage  troops  in  the  thank- 
less task  of  defending  a  fort. 

I  learned  from  him  that  the  way  to  defend 
a  fort  was  to  fight  from  the  utmost  range  of 
your  guns,  continually  shelling  the  advancing 
trenches,  countermining  and  counterattacking. 

Dispersion  and  concealment  are  the  cardi- 
nal points  of  modern  forts.  When  a  garrison 
is  driven  behind  its  parapets  the  enemy's 
fire,  being  more  concentrated,  becomes  more 
deadly.  No  longer  can  the  defender  depend 
upon  the  security  of  a  wall. 


WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

"The  soldier  must  never  get  the  idea  that 
the  fort  is  to  keep  him  from  contact  with  the 
enemy,"  the  general  said.  "It  is  only  to 
equalize  the  enemy's  superiority  in  numbers." 

Indeed,  in  a  modern  siege  the  man  in  the 
front  trench  is  not  necessarily  the  worst  off. 
He  faces  bullet  and  bayonet  and  hand  bomb, 
but  he  is  saved  the  concussion  of  the  great 
shells. 

The  Belgian  forts  were  a  little  old,  but  the 
real  trouble  was  that  the  army  was  too  young. 
It  would  not  stand  a  bayonet  attack  outside 
the  fort.  It  would  not  stand  the  shell  fire 
within.  Belgium  is  now  paying  the  price  of 
being  bellicose  and  unmilitary.  If  Liege  and 
Namur  had  held  like  Ossowetz  there  would 
be  a  different  history  of  the  war  in  the  west. 

At  Ossowetz  I  have  seen  the  ground  dug 
up  like  a  garden  spaded  by  a  giant  spade 
and  foot-thick  trees  sprawling  like  wheat 
cut  by  a  drunken  Titan.  I  have  also  reeled 
under  the  concussion  of  high  explosive  shell 
and  can  imagine  the  grandeur  of  Ossowetz 
under  attack. 


OSSOWETZ 

The  advance  infantry  is  in  comparative 
safety,  as  the  shells  zizz  overhead,  expecting 
a  bayonet  charge  of  greater  numbers,  yet 
confident  in  its  own  superior  physique.  The 
reserve  infantry  remains  in  the  casemates, 
unhurt,  but  never  sure  that  one  of  the  giant 
shells  will  not  find  a  weak  spot  in  the  roof 
and  throw  their  riven  bodies  high  above  the 
tree  tops. 

The  artillery  in  its  concealed  batteries 
fires  by  compass  and  level  at  an  enemy  as 
well  concealed  as  itself.  Some  artillerymen 
are  out  under  fire,  without  the  comfort  of 
action,  their  guns  trained  on  the  ground 
across  which  the  hostile  infantry  must  ad- 
vance. The  old  general  is  riding  from  point 
to  point  in  his  automobile  and  bursting  into 
his  heartening  laugh  as  the  shells  break 
near  by. 

The  smoke  of  bursting  shells  has  risen 
above  the  forest.  The  surviving  observers 
in  the  tree  tops  can  no  longer  direct  the  fire 
of  their  own  batteries.  The  time  has  come 
for  the  German  assault.  The  smoke-colored 


228       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

battalions  advance  in  the  same  formation 
Napoleon  used  at  Borodino. 

Now  the  defending  general's  foresight  is 
rewarded.  His  artillery,  ranged  long  before 
to  cover  the  open  ground,  needs  no  instruc- 
tions, but  drives  its  shrapnel  through  the 
smoke  pall.  As  the  charging  lines  waver, 
the  tired  German  gunners  redouble  their 
efforts  and  fairly  pump  high  explosive  into 
the  wooded  hills.  But  they  do  not  know 
where  their  targets  lie,  and  ninety-five  out 
of  a  hundred  shells  are  harmless. 

Confused  and  broken,  the  advantage  of 
numbers  gone,  the  Germans  reach  the  ad- 
vance trench. 

As  they  approach,  the  Russian  rifle  fire  dies 
away.  The  issue  is  decided  by  blade,  and 
fists,  and  front  teeth,  as  in  the  centuries  past. 

Again  and  again  has  this  performance  been 
repeated.  But  still  the  front  line  keeps  the 
enemy  far  from  the  fort;  still  the  artillery 
breaks  the  momentum  of  the  infantry  attack 
on  the  outer  trenches. 

Ossowetz  is  a  much  smaller  fort  than  Liege, 


OSSOWETZ  229 

and  Namur,  and  Maubeuge,  and  Antwerp, 
but  it  has  stood  much  more  punishment  than 
all  of  these  combined. 

When  I  commented  on  this,  an  old  officer 
said,  "You  could  not  expect  such  untrained 
troops  as  the  Belgians  to  stand  high  explosive 
shells,  and  you  know  there  is  no  instance  of 
untrained  men  stopping  a  bayonet  attack 
in  the  open." 

I  wonder  if  we  should  be  able  to  hold  the 
line  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

UPON  MODERN  FORTIFICATIONS 

/  HOPE  that  nobody  who  has  purchased  this 
book  will  fail  to  read  this  chapter  on  forts. 

The  information  contained  therein  was  ob- 
tained in  Russian  forts  and  from  Russian 
officers,  who  have  had  the  greatest  experience  in 
building  and  the  greatest  success  in  defending 
fortifications. 

This  opportunity  has  never  been  given  to  any 
one  else,  and  was  given  to  me  not  as  a  personal 
matter,  but  as  an  evidence  of  friendship  of  the 
Russian  government  for  the  American  people. 

I  consider  it  particularly  desirable  that  I 
should  publish  it  because  our  government  has 
forbidden  American  army  officers  to  educate 
the  American  people  in  military  affairs. 

The  principles  governing  the  construction 
of  forts  are  as  follows:  — 

230 


MODERN    FORTIFICATIONS    231 

The  fort  must  be  built  across  important 
lines  of  communication.  It  is  desirable  to 
build  them  at  railroad  centres,  but  against 
this  is  the  disadvantage  that  most  railroad 
junctions  are  the  sites  of  large  cities,  which, 
for  reasons  of  humanity,  it  is  undesirable  to 
render  liable  to  siege. 

The  point  along  the  main  line  of  railroad 
communication  should  be  chosen  which  is 
naturally  defensible.  The  best  defence  is 
now,  and  it  always  has  been,  a  stream  run- 
ning through  marshy  banks.  Mud  is  the 
greatest  obstacle  for  troops  to  pass,  and  in 
winter  time  when  the  mud  is  frozen,  running 
water  is  the  strongest  obstacle.  It  is  not 
only  hard  to  cross,  but  it  is  hard  to  mine 
under. 

The  principles  of  Brialmont,  namely,  a 
number  of  separate  forts,  is  still  the  correct 
plan,  but  the  forts  must  be  much  larger  than 
the  ones  he  built,  and  the  gun  positions  must 
not  be  exposed  on  turrets  but  concealed  in 
trees. 

The  central  fort  consists  of  about  600  acres. 


232        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

This  is  built  in  a  group  of  hills,  natural  or 
artificial.  It  is  surrounded  by  an  embank- 
ment which,  in  the  absence  of  natural  features, 
is  built  about  forty  feet  high. 

The  slope  of  the  ground  is  that  at  which 
earth  will  lie,  namely,  about  a  45 -degree  angle, 
except  at  the  extreme  top  where  a  concrete 
wall  is  built  almost  perpendicular  for  ten 
feet,  and  painted  the  color  of  grass. 

Such  an  embankment,  when  properly  con- 
structed, is  indistinguishable  from  the  back- 
ground at  a  distance  of  1000  yards. 

On  the  top  of  the  embankment  is  an  infan- 
try trench,  with  a  covered  top  upon  which 
grass  is  grown.  This  top  is  strong  enough 
to  stop  bullets  and  shrapnel,  and  it  is  possible 
to  build  it  strong  enough  to  stop  the  shells  of 
field  guns. 

The  structure  is  built  without  loop-holes, 
so  that,  when  desirable,  troops  can  stand 
shoulder  to  shoulder  and  fire  without  hin- 
drance, but  steel  shields  are  provided  so  that 
the  opening  may  be  closed,  leaving  apertures 
just  large  enough  to  look  and  snipe  through. 


MODERN    FORTIFICATIONS    233 

Brackets  are  provided  at  frequent  inter- 
vals, so  that  machine  guns  may  be  placed  at 
will. 

The  firing  trench  is  interrupted,  at  inter- 
vals of  a  battalion  deployed,  by  emplacements 
constructed  for  field  artillery. 

Immediately  back  of  the  embankment  and 
10  feet  below  the  level  of  the  outside  is  an 
asphalt  roadway  60  to  80  feet  wide,  down 
the  middle  of  which  runs  a  railroad  track. 
In  this  manner  everything  from  troops  to 
heavy  guns  can  be  brought  to  any  desired 
spot  with  the  least  delay,  and  troops  in  par- 
ticular can  be  manoeuvred  as  on  a  parade 
ground. 

The  entire  ground  covered  by  the  fort  is 
planted  with  trees,  preferably  of  the  pine 
variety,  as  these  do  not  lose  their  leaves  in 
winter. 

Concealed  among  these  trees  are  a  great 
number  of  gun  positions  for  guns  of  various 
kinds  and  calibres,  from  six  inches  in  diameter 
up  to  the  largest  which  modern  artillery 
science  affords. 


234       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  fort  must  have  many  guns,  but  four  or 
five  times  as  many  emplacements.  The  em- 
placements consist  of  a  concrete  platform, 
probably  only  five  in  an  arc  of  20  degrees, 
but  is  surrounded,  except  at  the  point  of 
egress,  by  an  embankment  ten  to  fifteen  feet 
higher  than  the  floor.  Naturally  howitzer 
emplacements  may  be  sunk  deeper  than  the 
emplacements  of  guns. 

Each  gun  has  a  shrapnel-proof  shelter, 
and  beside  each  gun  and  as  close  as  possible 
is  a  covered  roof  capable  of  stopping  every- 
thing but  heavy  shells. 

These  gun  emplacements  are  made  as  small 
as  artillery  experts  deem  possible,  so  as  to 
limit  the  space  in  which  a  shell  can  fall. 

The  guns  used  in  these  emplacements  are 
not  mobile  in  the  sense  of  field  artillery,  but 
are  on  small  wheels  and  can  be  moved  along 
the  perfect  roads  of  the  fortress.  Thus  when 
the  enemy  locates  a  battery  of  this  kind,  it  is 
moved  by  motor  transport  to  another  con- 
cealed position. 

In  time  of  siege  the  infantry  live  in  redoubts 


MODERN    FORTIFICATIONS    235 

made  of  reenforced  monolithic  concrete.  These 
redoubts  are  made  either  by  burrowing  into 
an  existing  hill,  or  in  the  absence  of  such  a 
hill,  the  concrete  building  is  covered  over  with 
earth,  then  grass  and  shrubs  and  trees  are 
planted  on  the  sides  and  tops  so  as  to  render 
it  indistinguishable  to  enemy  telescopes  and 
enemy  aeroplanes.  Only  on  its  inner  face 
and  concealed  in  the  trees  are  the  casemates 
perpendicular,  with  windows  for  natural  venti- 
lation. During  the  bombardment  these  win- 
dows are  closed  with  steel  doors,  much  like 
those  used  on  office  vaults,  only  heavier, 
which  keep  out  shell  splinters  and  the  concus- 
sion of  exploding  shells. 

It  appears  that  the  casemates  of  the  Bel- 
gians were  not  heavy  enough  to  stop  the  shells 
of  the  German  great  howitzers.  They  were 
built  when  the  six-inch  howitzers  were  the 
heaviest  known. 

In  the  same  way  the  casemates  of  a  better 
fort  —  Port  Arthur  —  were  penetrated  by  the 
Japanese  eleven-inch  guns. 

The  modern  Russian  forts  were  built  with 


236       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

the  lesson  of  Port  Arthur  as  a  model,  and  I 
have  seen  dents  where  the  big  German  shells 
struck  and  failed  to  penetrate. 

When  tales  of  the  effect  of  German  bom- 
bardment on  Belgian  forts  first  reached 
America,  it  was  popularly  supposed  that 
nothing  could  be  built  strong  enough  to 
withstand  them.  Sheer  nonsense  !  The  pen- 
etrative power  of  any  gun  and  any  projectile 
has  its  specific  limit,  and  it  is  no  difficult 
matter  to  build  a  defence  sufficiently  strong 
to  withstand  it. 

Personally  I  believe  that  a  six-inch  steel 
plate  on  top  of  the  brick  of  Brialmont's 
forts  would  have  kept  out  the  shells. 

When  the  fort  is  under  bombardment  and 
the  windows  of  the  casemates  are  closed,  the 
air  is  supplied  by  a  ventilating  system. 

With  the  use  of  asphyxiating  gases  it 
becomes  apparent  that  the  ventilating  system 
might  become  more  of  a  danger  than  a  safety. 
Defence  must  be  found  in  the  storage  of 
compressed  air  or  in  oxygen  tanks  to  be  used 
until  the  asphyxiating  gases  have  blown  away, 
—  a  simple  matter. 


MODERN    FORTIFICATIONS    237 

When  the  worst  arrives,  the  bombardment 
of  the  forts  will  be  so  general  and  cover  the 
ground  so  thoroughly  that  it  will  be  no  longer 
practicable  to  use  the  batteries  before  alluded 
to,  in  open  emplacement  and  which  depend 
upon  concealment  for  their  security. 

Fire  then  will  be  opened  from  the  turret 
guns,  which  have  not  yet  spoken,  and  which 
are  not  used  except  in  this  emergency,  because 
when  spotted  by  the  enemy  they  cannot  be 
moved,  and  in  time  must  fall  victim  to  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  hits. 

The  modern  turret  guns  are  not  mounted 
in  the  open  as  Brialmont's.  They  are  con- 
cealed as  carefully  as  ingenuity  will  permit. 
The  dome  of  the  turret,  which  should  be 
shaped  like  an  overturned  dinghy,  rises  only 
the  diameter  of  the  gun  above  the  imitation 
hill  in  which  it  is  sunk. 

The  hill  is  planted  with  bushes  and  trees 
and  grass.  The  turret  and  such  parts  of 
the  muzzle  as  protrude  are  painted  the  exact 
color  of  the  verdure  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
and  in  addition  are  strewn  with  fresh-cut 
twigs  and  bushes. 


238       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  turret  top  is  strong  enough  to  stop  at 
least  one  shell  of  the  largest  calibre  known  at 
the  time  the  turret  is  built. 

This  turret  is  hermetically  sealed.  The 
men  at  the  gun  do  nothing  but  load.  The 
elevation  of  the  gun  and  the  direction  are 
controlled  electrically  by  an  officer  in  an 
observation  station. 

When  the  gun  is  firing  the  turret  becomes 
frightfully  hot  and  a  constant  current  of  air 
must  be  pumped  into  the  loading  chamber 
to  keep  the  gun  crew  alive. 

Observation  stations  are  many. 

The  actual  station  controlling  the  gun  is 
either  in  a  steel  chamber  located  towards  the 
top  of  a  near-by  mound,  with  revolving  open- 
ings for  the  use  of  the  sighting  officer,  and 
little  peepholes  to  look  through.  Even  these 
peepholes  must  give  place  to  the  use  of  a 
periscope  as  in  battleships. 

At  one  of  the  forts  I  visited,  a  shell  of  the 
largest  calibre  had  struck  upon  one  of  these 
steel  observation  chambers.  It  had  failed 
to  penetrate,  but  the  heat  generated  was  so 


MODERN    FORTIFICATIONS    239 

great  and  so  instantaneous  that  the  head  of 
the  observer  was  burnt  to  a  cinder. 

The  actual  directing  of  the  gun  may  be 
done  as  on  battle  ships  in  a  deep  chamber 
far  from  danger  of  shell  penetration,  and  in- 
structions for  the  laying  may  come  by  tele- 
phone from  other  observers.  These  observers 
may  be  in  tree  tops.  They  may  be  in  the 
most  advanced  trenches.  Before  the  fort 
is  entirely  surrounded  they  may  be  in  farm- 
houses or  hayricks  miles  away.  They  may 
be  in  aeroplanes  communicating  by  wireless. 
In  fact,  it  is  a  rare  thing  that  the  man  who  lays 
the  gun  ever  sees  the  point  he  is  shooting  at. 

The  fort  is  built  to  take  advantage  of  such 
natural  defences  as  may  be  found,  —  ravines, 
streams,  precipices,  etc.,  —  but  in  addition  to 
these  certain  normal  defences  must  never  be 
omitted. 

Immediately  outside  of  the  embankment 
must  be  a  moat.  It  must  be  so  wide  that 
no  beams  which  men  can  carry  can  reach 
across,  and  be  made  as  deep  as  possible. 

On  the  bank  on  the  outside  of  the  moat, 


240       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

concealed  from  the  enemy,  is  a  most  complete 
assortment  of  barbed  wire  and  other  forms  of 
abatis. 

On  the  inner  side  for  a  short  distance  above 
the  water's  edge  are  planted  steel  spikes  like 
those  used  in  bear  pits. 

At  the  corner  of  the  moat,  on  the  enemy 
side,  machine  guns  are  placed  to  fire  on 
the  enemy  when  an  attempt  is  made  to  cross 
the  moat  by  pontoon  bridge  or  any  other 
means. 

These  machine  guns  are  protected  by  heavy 
concrete  roofs  which  are  intended  to  keep  out 
hostile  shell  fire  and  also  to  stop  sapping 
operations.  They  are  connected  with  the 
inner  fort  by  a  passage  running  under  the 
moat  which  is  always  so  constructed  that 
when  the  machine-gun  emplacements  must 
be  abandoned,  it  will  be  flooded  by  water  from 
the  moat  so  as  not  to  furnish  a  doorway  to 
the  fort. 

•  Behind  the  roadway  just  inside  of  the 
embankment  surrounding  the  fort  is  a  second 
moat,  identical  with  the  first,  and  inside  of 


MODERN    FORTIFICATIONS    241 

that  '•another  embankment  commanding  the 
former  and  in  every  respect  similar. 

Where  the  country  is  rising,  line  may  be 
built  behind  line  as  far  as  the  skill  of  engineers 
and  the  parsimony  of  appropriation  will  permit. 

Around  the  central  fort  are  a  series  of 
lesser  forts.  From  the  central  fort  to  each 
of  these  sub-forts  runs  a  roadway  40  to  80 
feet  wide,  sunk  10  feet  below  the  natural 
surface  of  the  ground.  The  excavation  is 
used  to  build  an  embankment  on  each  side, 
like  the  embankment  of  the  fort  itself.  Much 
care  is  taken  to  make  the  road  as  safe  as 
possible  from  enemy  artillery  fire. 

The  embankment  also  must  be  laid  in  such 
fashion  as  to  enfilade  the  ground  between 
each  of  the  roads  running  from  the  central 
fort  to  the  ring  forts  by  rifle,  machine-gun 
and  field-gun  fire. 

The  outer  ring  of  forts  must  be  placed  with 
regard  to  the  natural  condition  of  the  ground, 
and  if  possible  should  be  within  2000  yards 
of  each  other.  In  other  words,  they  leave  no 
spot  safe  from  machine-gun  fire. 


WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

These  forts  are  built  like  the  central  fort 
with  moat,  embankment,  turrets,  hidden  gun 
emplacements,  casemates,  and  should  never 
have  less  than  two  lines  of  defence,  because 
if  the  first  is  taken  by  sudden  assault,  the 
garrison  of  each  fort  should  hold  the  inner 
defence  while  reinforcements  are  hurried  along 
the  protected  roads. 

It  is  inevitable  that  between  the  forts  there 
must  be  dead  ground,  also  there  will  be  points 
particularly  adapted  to  defence.  To  cover 
the  first  and  take  advantage  of  the  second, 
special  field  works  will  be  constructed  and 
connected  with  the  forts  and  the  roadways  by 
trenches  which  the  engineer  will  try  to  build 
in  such  a  fashion  that  men  in  either  are  pro- 
tected from  enemy  fire  but  are  open  to  fire 
from  fortress  positions. 

If  not  relieved,  forts  usually  fall  eventually 
to  infantry  attack.  Except  in  case  of  cow- 
ardice, treachery,  or  lack  of  training  of  the 
garrison.  They  never  fall  to  bombardment. 
Thus  everything  must  be  done  to  hold  back 
the  hostile  infantry. 


MODERN    FORTIFICATIONS    243 

Barbed  wire,  used  first,  I  believe,  by  the 
Spanish  army  in  Cuba,  is  the  commonest 
form  of  infantry  obstruction,  although  the 
army's  use  of  stakes  and  holes  and  of  trees 
laid  top  end  toward  the  enemy,  are  still  much 
in  vogue.  Pointed  steel  fences  have  certain 
advantages  and  disadvantages.  All  forms  of 
entanglement  are  used. 

In  the  first  place  a  general  wall  of  wire  is 
put  around  the  entire  circumference  of  all  the 
forts.  Then  each  fort  has  its  own  wire  fence. 
There  is  a  wire  fence  on  the  outside  of  each 
moat,  and  there  is  wire  on  the  enemy  side  of 
the  embankments.  Every  little  field  work 
has  its  special  protection.  In  addition  to 
this,  running  through  the  territory  between 
the  forts  and  the  roads  connecting  the 
forts  with  the  centre,  are  carefully  plaited 
wire  defences  so  laid  as  to  confuse  the  attack 
of  the  enemy  and  to  herd  him  into  corners 
where  he  will  be  mowed  down  by  machine 
guns,  and  with  carefully  placed  openings 
through  which  the  advancing  infantry  can 
manoeuvre. 


244       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Such  in  brief  is  the  construction  of  the 
modern  fort.  But  the  main  defence  of  the 
fort  must  be  made  from  1000  to  2000  yards 
beyond  the  front  wall  of  the  attack  side. 
Here  in  natural  field  works  the  infantry  must 
stay  as  long  as  possible.  As  long  as  the 
infantry  can  stay  here,  it  is  not  likely  that 
the  hostile  artillery  observers  will  locate 
many  of  the  defensive  batteries. 

Anybody  who  wishes  to  test  this  may  take 
his  field  glasses  and  go  into  the  country  and 
endeavor  to  see  what  he  can  make  out  of  a 
wooded  hill  a  mile  away. 

While  the  defensive  artillery  is  concealed 
from  view,  it  in  turn  can  bombard  the  hos- 
tile infantry,  with  perfect  knowledge  of  the 
range  and  with  great  effect.  It  can  also 
search  the  likely  gun  positions,  and  will 
score  a  great  number  of  hits,  particularly  on 
the  enemy  heavy  guns. 

At  Ossowetz,  for  instance,  the  Russians 
struck  and  destroyed  a  German  42  centimetre 
which  they  had  never  seen,  but  which  was 
located  in  a  likely  spot  known  to  the  defence. 


MODERN    FORTIFICATIONS    245 

However,  in  war,  numbers  must  eventually 
tell.  The  infantry  will  finally  be  driven  into 
the  front  fort.  Enemy  observers  will  plot 
on  maps  the  location  of  batteries  in  this  fort : 
they  will  also  plot  its  exact  dimensions.  In 
due  time  tremendous  fire  will  be  opened  on 
it,  —  a  certain  proportion  of  shells  being 
aimed  at  the  known  artillery  positions  and 
others  sent  to  search  every  nook  and  corner. 
This  fort  will  be  able  to  make  but  little  reply. 
Its  parapet  will  be  knocked  to  pieces;  its 
wire  entanglements  blown  to  bits.  The  other 
forts  will  reply,  and  in  particular  will  sweep 
the  faces  of  its  embankments  with  shrapnel 
fire.  The  enemy  troops  will  leap  to  the 
assault,  and  its  artillery  will  play  upon  the 
road  leading  from  the  central  fort  to  the  one 
attacked.  Reinforcements  will  be  rushed  into 
the  defended  fort.  It  will  be  taken  and  re- 
taken several  times,  but  eventually  will  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  attackers. 

With  one  fort  taken,  the  second  is  attacked 
with  greater  advantage  and  the  process  will 
be  continued. 


246        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

History  shows  that  eventually  most  forts 
surrender.  There  is  a  limit  to  the  endurance 
of  most  men  and  it  is  not  often  that  the  mil- 
lionth man  remains  in  command  of  a  fort 
until  it  has  been  stormed  to  the  last  defence. 

However,  the  principle  should  be  established 
in  every  soldier  that  a  garrison  once  isolated 
and  unable  to  retreat  to  strengthen  its  own 
army  in  the  field,  should  never  abandon  the 
valuable  strategic  point  intrusted  to  its  care, 
while  a  single  gun  remains  serviceable  or  a 
single  point  untaken. 

I  take  it  as  a  matter  generally  admitted 
that  in  the  event  of  war,  if  any  military 
power  should  obtain  command  of  the  sea, 
it  would  be  impossible  to  attempt  to  hold 
our  seacoast  States.  Our  whole  object  would 
be  to  keep  the  hostile  army  from  the  centre 
of  the  nation  during  the  years  that  it  would 
take  us  to  organize  a  sufficient  force  to  retake 
the  lost  provinces  and  buy  arms  and  ammu- 
nition abroad. 

It  is  a  military  possibility  that  the  use  of 
our  regular  army,  our  militia,  and  the  organi- 


MODERN    FORTIFICATIONS    247 

zation  of  naturalized  Americans  who  received 
military  training  before  they  left  their  home 
country,  and  such  troops  as  could  be  made 
available  in  a  hurry,  could  stop  the  enemy  on 
the  natural  barriers  which  have  been  fought 
over  since  the  white  man  came  to  America. 

For  instance,  there  should  be  built,  and 
always  kept  up  to  the  latest  developments, 
forts  at  Albany,  Buffalo,  Pittsburg,  Atlanta, 
Vicksburg,  Houston,  and  the  passes  of  the 
Sierra  Nevadas  and  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

With  such  points  in  our  hands,  it  would 
be  possible  to  manoeuvre  our  less  mobile  and 
less  effective  troops  against  an  invading 
enemy. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
LEAVING  RUSSIA 

FROM  the  fortress  of  Ossowetz  I  went  by 
motorcar  to  Bielostock  and  spent  the  night 
in  an  excellent  little  hotel,  having  missed  the 
express  train  for  Petrograd. 

The  next  day  I  took  an  accommodation 
train  to  Petrograd,  in  company  with  Colonel 
Wischniakoff,  who  will  be  known  to  American 
army  officers  as  the  commander  of  the  Rus- 
sian sharpshooters  at  the  Olympian  Games 
held  in  Stockholm  in  1912.  It  was  largely 
upon  his  advice  that  I  visited  Moscow,  where 
I  called  upon  the  General  Governor,  Major- 
General  Prince  Youssoupoff,  who  was  kind 
enough  to  invite  me  to  lunch  to  meet  the 
officers  of  a  Kazak  regiment  that  was  sta- 
tioned at  Moscow  to  guard  the  ammunition 
factories. 

248 


LEAVING    RUSSIA  249 

Princess  Youssoupoff  told  me  the  following 
story :  — 

She  and  her  husband  and  son  and  daughter- 
in-law  were  taking  the  cure  at  Karlsbad  in 
company  with  General  Broussiloff,  when  the 
diplomatic  situation  became  strained.  Gen- 
eral Broussiloff,  who  was  alone,  immediately 
took  the  train  across  the  frontier,  but  the 
declaration  of  war  caught  the  Youssoupoff 
family  in  Berlin.  The  same  day  Berlin 
police  arrested  and  took  to  the  police  station 
all  the  menservants  with  them,  and  young 
Youssoupoff  was  put  under  arrest  and  told 
not  to  leave  his  room.  His  wife,  a  Grand 
Duchess  of  Russia,  immediately  telephoned 
to  her  cousin,  the  Crown  Princess  of  Prussia, 
who  was  greatly  pained  at  what  had  taken 
place,  and  said  she  would  come  immediately 
in  her  own  carriage,  to  apologize  and  to 
free  them  from  any  further  restraint. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  telephone  bell  rang ; 
it  was  the  Crown  Princess,  more  agitated 
than  before.  She  had  been  to  her  father- 
in-law,  the  Emperor,  and  he,  so  far  from 


250       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

indorsing  his  daughter-in-law's  action,  had 
instructed  her  to  notify  Prince  Youssoupoff 
and  his  entire  suite,  women  as  well  as  men, 
that  they  were  under  arrest.  This  was  before 
the  Russian  Ambassador  left  Berlin. 

The  Youssoupoff  family  escaped  to  Den- 
mark by  a  ruse  de  guerre,  and  the  Emperor, 
learning  of  their  departure  from  Berlin,  sent 
special  instructions  to  the  frontier  for  their 
arrest,  which,  however,  arrived  too  late. 

During  the  luncheon  I  was  startled  to  see 
a  Kazak  captain  crying  freely.  He  had  been 
explaining  that  his  company  had  been  kept 
in  Moscow  guarding  the  ammunition  fac- 
tories during  the  whole  course  of  the  war,  and 
that,  up  to  the  present,  there  was  no  promise 
of  his  being  allowed  to  proceed  to  the  front. 
The  recital  had  been  too  much  for  his  feelings. 

In  Russia  no  stigma  attaches  to  the  fullest 
expression  of  any  proper  and  lofty  emotion. 
It  is  evidently  proper  to  cry  because  one  is 
not  allowed  to  die  for  one's  country,  but  it 
would  never  do  to  betoken  irritation  at  hav- 
ing been  thrown  from  a  carriage  by  an  auto- 


LEAVING    RUSSIA  251 

mobile  where  such  irritation  would  indicate 
fear. 

After  a  short  stay  in  Moscow  I  returned  for 
the  last  time  to  the  great  Headquarters  to  say 
good-by. 

The  Grand  Duke  was  kind  enough  to 
invite  me  to  return  again  at  any  time.  Leav- 
ing the  Commander-in-Chief,  I  made  my 
farewells  to  General  Yanouskevitch,  told  him 
of  the  Grand  Duke's  invitation  and  asked, 
partly  in  jest,  if  it  would  be  convenient  for 
me  to  return  the  same  time  next  year,  to 
which  he  replied  in  all  seriousness,  "  Certainly, 
or,  if  you  prefer  it,  the  year  after." 

People  who  are  unwilling  to  accept  my 
opinion  that  we  are  only  at  the  beginning  of 
a  long  war  may  give  greater  credit  to  this 
authority. 

From  Petrograd  I  travelled  to  Stockholm 
and  Christiania,  and  saw  how  the  war  was 
affecting  these  two  countries.  I  also  visited 
the  great  Arctic  explorer  Amundsen. 

From  Norway  I  went  to  London,  when 
Lord  Kitchener,  learning  of  my  trip  through 


252       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Russia,  asked  me  to  call  on  him.  I  went  and 
told  him  what  is  in  this  book  and  but  little 
besides. 

From  London  I  went  to  Paris  and  from 
Paris  to  the  Headquarters  of  General  Joffre, 
and  from  there  I  returned  direct  to  America. 

ENVOI 

And  here  I  am  home  again  at  my  desk, 
where  the  first  thing  I  see  each  morning  is 
yesterday's  balance  sheet,  same  as  it  used 
to  be  before,  and  I  have  written  a  book,  not 
phrasing  it  as  a  wise  man  should  with  a  single 
eye  to  sales,  but  with  no  higher  aim  than  to 
serve  my  country,  and  as  I  look  over  the 
daily  balance  sheets  I  know  that  this  is  stupid 
and  will  not  pay. 

But  I  have  tasted  of  the  wine  of  death, 
and  its  flavor  will  be  forever  in  my  throat. 
The  great  debauch,  which  periodically  affects 
mankind,  will  come  to  us  again,  as  it  has 
come  before,  and  when  it  comes  I  know  that 
a  million  men  must  fall,  while  we  are  striv- 
ing to  learn  in  the  stress  of  war,  with  the  best 


LEAVING    RUSSIA  253 

men  gone,  the  lesson  that  so  easily  could  have 
been  taught  in  peace. 

If  my  book  serves  to  minimize  the  crime  of 
unpreparedness,  what  matter  a  few  kopecks 
more  or  less  ? 


APPENDIX  A 

HISTORY  OF  THE  ACTS  LEADING  UP  TO  THE 
GREAT  WAR 

THE  early  history  of  this  controversy  was  ob- 
tained, for  the  most  part,  from  standard  works; 
the  recent  developments  from  active  participants. 

The  cause  of  this  war  is  found  in  the  move- 
ments of  the  different  races  of  Europe  toward 
the  formation  of  governments  coextensive 
with  their  separate  identities.  This  move- 
ment impinging  against  the  existing  order  of 
things  is  in  this  century  what  the  movement 
of  liberalism  against  the  existing  order  of 
things  was  in  the  last  century,  what  the 
hatred  of  monarch  against  monarch  was  in 
the  eighteenth  century,  what  the  movement 
for  religious  change  was  in  the  century  before, 
and  the  movement  against  feudalism  was 
the  century  before  that  —  each  one  the  great 
motive  force  of  its  age. 

255 


256       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Each  of  these  conflicts  involved  in  sub- 
stantial degree  all  the  nations  of  Europe,  each 
ended  in  certain  changes  in  boundaries,  of 
religious  and  political  predominance  and  of 
the  reestablishment  of  peace  by  the  regroup- 
ment  of  powers  in  such  fashion  as  to  prevent 
any  one  monarch,  religion,  or  political  school 
from  dominating  the  whole.  This  group- 
ment was  called  the  Balance  of  Power.  Such 
a  balance  was  established  in  1815  upon  the 
ashes  of  the  conflict  lit  by  the  French  Revo- 
lution. 

Surviving  the  last  assault  of  liberalism  in 
arms  in  1848,  overcoming  Russian  attack 
on  Turkey  in  1854,  and  the  Italian  wars  for 
independence,  it  was  thrown  off  its  balance 
by  the  formation  of  Bismarck's  Empire  in 
1870.  It  had  inertia  enough  to  deprive 
Russia  of  the  fruits  of  her  victory  over  the 
Turks  in  1877,  and  to  remand  several  mil- 
lions of  Christian  population  to  Turkish 
misrule  and  to  sow  the  seeds  of  the  present 
struggle  by  turning  over  the  Orthodox  Slavs 
of  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  "to  be  adminis- 


APPENDIX    A  257 

tered  by  Catholic  Austria  in  the  interest  of 
the  peace  of  Europe." 

Let  us  take  up  a  history  of  this  event. 

The  Christian  peoples  of  the  Balkans,  in- 
cluding Greece,  were  never  entirely  subjugated 
by  the  Turks.  They  were  always  agitating 
for  war  and  breaking  into  rebellions. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Turkish  rule 
of  aliens  was  on  the  whole  less  oppressive 
than  the  alien  rule  of  the  races  of  Western 
Europe,  but  it  was  oppressive  none  the  less, 
and  when  resented  took  the  same  measures  to 
enforce  its  dominance  that  other  conquerors 
have  taken,  and  are  taking  to-day.  In  other 
words,  it  massacred  the  subject  populations. 

These  massacres  were  resented  mildly  by 
all  the  peoples  of  Christian  religion,  but  they 
were  resented  fiercely  by  the  peoples  related 
in  blood  as  well  as  in  sect  with  the  massacred; 
namely,  the  Orthodox  Russians. 

Russia  tried  hard  to  persuade  the  other 
Christian  nations  of  Europe  to  join  her  in 
freeing  the  Christians  of  the  Balkans  from 
the  Turks  and  to  put  an  end  to  the  Bulgarian 


258       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

atrocities.  Failing  to  obtain  any  coopera- 
tion, the  Czar  notified  them  that  he  would 
act  alone,  and  accordingly  fought  the  Turkish 
war  of  1877.  This  bloody  and  hard-fought 
contest  ended  in  complete  victory  for  the 
Russians,  who  marched  to  the  very  gates  of 
Constantinople  and  there  dictated  a  peace 
providing  for  the  complete  independence  of 
Servia,  Montenegro,  and  Roumania,  and  made 
certain  cessions  of  territory  to  the  two  former 
states.  The  main  feature  of  the  treaty  con- 
cerned Bulgaria,  which  was  made  a  self- 
governing  state,  tributary  to  the  Sultan, 
including  nearly  all  of  European  Turkey, 
between  Roumania  and  Servia  to  the  north, 
and  Greece  to  the  south.  Only  a  strip  of  the 
peninsula,  from  Constantinople  west  to  the 
Adriatic,  was  to  be  left  to  Turkey. 

This  peace,  which  freed  the  Christian 
population  from  the  Turks  after  four  cen- 
turies of  oppression,  frightened  the  other 
Great  Powers,  namely,  Great  Britain,  Ger- 
many, and  Austria,  who  feared  that  Russia 
would  gain  thereby  at  their  expense. 


APPENDIX    A  259 

Accordingly,  a  Congress  of  the  Powers  was 
called  to  meet  at  Berlin  under  the  presidency 
of  Bismarck. 

Partly  through  the  strength  of  the  German 
army,  partly  through  his  own  overbearing 
personality,  partly  by  his  superior  mental 
ability,  Bismarck  entirely  dominated  the  Con- 
gress, which  decided  that  Russia  should 
receive  from  Roumania  the  province  of  Bes- 
sarabia, Roumania  should  receive  compensa- 
tion from  Turkey  to  the  south,  that  the 
principality  of  Bulgaria  should  be  made 
autonomous,  but  under  the  sovereignty  of 
the  Sultan ;  Roumania,  Servia,  and  Montene- 
gro to  be  entirely  free.  Thessaly  and  Epirus 
were  afterwards  ceded  by  Turkey  to  Greece 
under  pressure.  The  provinces  of  Bosnia 
and  Herzegovina,  which  Russia  had  also 
freed  from  Turkey,  were  given  to  Austria,  as 
before  mentioned. 

This  was  Bismarck's  great  leap  into  the 
future  and  the  parent  of  the  present  war. 

Austria  had  been  hostile  to  France  since 
1859,  and  Prussia  had  humiliated  her  in  1866 


260       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

and  had  compelled  her  to  cede  territory  to 
Italy.  By  giving  Austria  a  partial  foothold 
in  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina,  Bismarck  com- 
pensated Austria  for  the  Italian  provinces, 
which  he  had  taken  from  her  in  1866,  and 
made  her  a  permanent  enemy  of  Russia,  and 
thus  entirely  dependent  upon  himself,  as 
Austria  alone  could  never  hope  to  retain 
Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  from  Russia. 

Of  the  various  Balkan  peoples,  the  Rou- 
manians consider  themselves  Italians,  and 
are  chiefly  Catholic.  Bulgarians  and  Ser- 
vians are  Slav  and  chiefly  Orthodox.  Greeks 
are  Greeks,  and  Orthodox. 

All  these  countries,  excepting  Servia,  which 
had  not  one  but  two  royal  families,  selected 
princes  with  more  or  less  "assistance."  Rou- 
mania  chose  a  Catholic  Hohenzollern  of  the 
same  family  as  the  Emperor  of  Germany. 
Bulgaria  selected  a  German  Catholic  of  the 
family  of  Saxe-Coburg,  who,  as  part  of  the 
arrangement,  agreed  to  have  his  son  brought 
up  in  the  Orthodox  church,  for  which  he  was 
excommunicated  by  the  Pope.1  The  Greeks 

1  The  ban  has  been  withdrawn  since  the  outbreak  of  war. 


APPENDIX    A  261 

selected  a  German  prince,  but  afterwards 
expelled  him  and  took  a  Protestant  Dane, 
whose  son  —  the  present  king  —  was  married 
to  a  sister  of  the  Kaiser. 

Thus  came  into  existence  four  independent 
little  states  with  national  ambitions  and  with 
ruling  houses  of  alien  race,  dependent  more 
or  less  upon  their  relatives  who  ruled  in  the 
big  nations  of  Europe. 

Of  all  these  countries  Servia,  who  in  ancient 
times  was  by  far  the  most  powerful  of  them, 
was  the  only  one  that  did  not  have  direct 
access  to  the  sea. 

Her  only  products,  pigs  and  sheep,  had 
no  market  in  Greece,  Bulgaria,  or  Roumania, 
which  countries  raised  a  quantity  of  these  for 
themselves.  There  was  a  market  in  Austria 
and  also  oversea,  but  Austria,  controlling 
the  railroad  to  the  sea,  imposed  prohibitive 
freight  rates  in  order  to  buy  from  Servia  at 
her  own  price. 

She  looked  upon  the  Servians  as  a  savage 
and  inferior  people.  She  exploited  the  Ser- 
vians in  Servia  and  oppressed  the  Servian 


WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Slavs  in  Austria-Hungary,  as  she  had  done 
in  times  past  to  the  Italians. 

After  the  treaty  of  Berlin  in  1878,  the  Great 
Powers  ceased  to  interest  themselves  actively 
in  Balkan  affairs,  "the  Near  East  problem," 
as  English  statesmen  called  it. 

Russia  embarked  upon  her  Asiatic  adven- 
tures, Germany  devoted  herself  to  industry, 
Great  Britain  took  up  a  series  of  internal 
reforms.  Austria  busied  herself  relieving 
many  of  her  internal  strains,  in  an  effort  to 
recreate  the  strong  Empire  which  was 
stretched  to  its  utmost  by  Solferino  and 
Sadowa.  France  stormed  and  threatened, 
gesticulated  and  ejaculated,  appeared  to  be 
on  the  verge  of  anarchy,  but  nevertheless  made 
enormous  strides  in  industry  and  military  re- 
organization. She  introduced  universal  mili- 
tary service,  which  among  other  effects  has 
enormously  increased  the  physical  strength 
of  the  people.  She  never  forgot  Sedan,  and 
the  loss  of  Alsace-Lorraine  rankled  night  and 
day. 

Surprised  and  alarmed  at  France's  recovery 


APPENDIX    A  263 

from  the  catastrophe  of  1870,  Germany  seri- 
ously considered,  in  1875,  making  war  to 
destroy  her.  Germany  was  deterred  by 
world  public  opinion. 

The  fact  that  her  failure  to  use  her  power 
without  mercy  at  that  time  gave  her  enemy 
the  opportunity  to  recuperate  and  thwart 
her  ever  afterward,  accounts  for  the  pre- 
dominance to-day  of  the  school  that  puts  all 
considerations  of  humanity  and  existing  laws 
of  war  and  peace  beneath  the  national  welfare. 

The  year  1883  recorded  another  of  Bis- 
marck's diplomatic  triumphs.  Crispi  —  a  low- 
class  politician  —  came  into  power  in  Italy  and 
was  persuaded  by  Bismarck  to  bring  Italy 
into  a  triple  alliance  with  Germany  and  her 
old  oppressor,  Austria. 

In  1897  a  Greek  attack  on  Turkey  was 
badly  beaten  and  only  England's  interven- 
tion saved  Greece  from  destruction. 

The  years  of  peace  following  1878  built  up 
the  resources  and  animosities  of  this  war. 

Immediately  after  the  foundation  of  the 
German  Empire  the  freedom  of  intercourse 


264        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

between  its  component  parts,  and  wise  social 
legislation,  caused  unprecedented  prosperity. 
Emigration  ceased.  Soon  a  momentum  of 
business  demanded  foreign  markets,  and 
Germany  began  to  push  out  for  world's  trade 
at  a  time  when  English  business  men  and 
English  workmen  were  slacking  up. 

England  controlled  so  much  overseas  terri- 
tory, so  many  of  the  naval  strategic  and 
commercial  centres,  and  so  much  of  the  seas' 
commerce  as  well  as  military  control  of  the 
sea,  that  she  neither  felt  nor  feared  any 
competitor. 

On  the  other  hand,  Germany  —  newly  con- 
stituted a  nation,  as  a  military  power  the 
strongest  in  the  world  —  found  herself  bat- 
tling for  world's  trade  against  heavy  odds, 
became  conscious  of  the  uneven  distribution 
of  the  earth's  wealth,  and  determined  to  get 
her  share  of  this  as  a  nation,  just  as  the  un- 
favored elements  of  some  nations,  aware  of 
the  uneven  distribution  of  the  wealth  in  the 
nation,  have  become  determined  as  a  class 
to  get  their  share. 


APPENDIX    A  265 

She  turned  hungry  eyes  upon  South  America, 
Africa,  and  Asia,  the  continents  which  other 
European  nations  had  taken  as  easy  prey  for 
their  need  to  expand. 

Africa  could  be  reached  to  the  south  only 
by  using  France  as  a  vassal  state.  Asia 
could  be  reached  through  the  ally  Austria, 
the  Balkan  States  and  Turkey,  only  at  the 
expense  of  Russia.  China  could  be  reached 
by  sea.  Japan  was  opposed  to  Germany's 
expansion  in  that  direction.  South  America 
could  be  reached  by  sea.  The  Monroe  Doc- 
trine interfered.  Germany  wanted  what  she 
considered  her  share  of  all  these,  and  she 
wanted  it  in  the  Prussian  imperial  way. 

Why  was  she  to  be  bound  by  treaties  and 
rights  established  before  her  birth  and  with- 
out her  sanction? 

Her  mistake  was  that  she  moved  in  all 
these  directions  and  excited  all  the  nations 
who  had  contrary  interests  or  principles. 

Germany  embarked  on  superman  mili- 
tary preparations,  including  strategic  rail- 
roads to  concentrate  against  France,  Russia, 


266        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

and  Belgium.  Germany  also  engaged  in  the 
building  of  a  navy  that  might  challenge  Eng- 
land on  the  sea. 

Her  situation  was  aggravated  when  the 
Spanish-American  war,  to  the  surprise  of 
everybody,  including  America,  plumped  the 
Philippine  Islands,  territory  which  Germany 
might  easily  have  purchased  from  Spain,  into 
the  lap  of  the  United  States. 

All  nations  had  been  willing  for  a  cen- 
tury to  trade  abroad  under  sufferance  of  Eng- 
land and  to  arm  only  against  each  other. 
This  imperial  Germany  was  not  content  to 
do.  Supreme  on  land,  she  wished  to  be  su- 
preme as  well  at  sea.  "I  am  admiral  of  the 
Atlantic,"  wrote  the  Kaiser  to  the  Czar. 

Now,  England  depends  upon  her  supremacy 
at  sea  not  only  for  her  riches,  for  her  empire, 
but  for  her  very  existence.  Let  another  rule 
the  waves,  and  Britannia  may  starve. 

Not  long  after  the  excitement  caused  by 
Admiral  Diederich  in  Manila  Bay,  German 
marines  were  landed  in  Venezuela,  at  that 
time  the  most  turbulent  and  viciously  mis- 


APPENDIX    A  267 

governed  state  in  South  America.  The 
marines  were  withdrawn  only  after  a  most 
vigorous  representation  by  the  American 
government,  which  then  had  —  or  thought  it 
had  —  a  fleet  equal  to  Germany's,  and  what 
was  more  effective,  the  whole-hearted  sym- 
pathy of  Great  Britain. 

At  about  the  same  time,  German  diplo- 
macy took  advantage  of  the  assassination  of 
the  German  ambassador  at  Pekin  to  follow 
the  example  of  other  European  nations  and 
take  forcible  possession  of  a  portion  of  the 
Chinese  Empire,  adding  to  the  offence  given 
to  the  Japanese  by  her  participation  with 
Russia  and  France  in  the  note  demanding 
Japan  give  up  Korea  and  the  Liao-tung 
Peninsula  occupied  in  the  Japanese-Chinese 
war  of  1894. 

Shortly  after  the  Russian-Japanese  war 
and  the  attempted  revolution  in  Russia, 
occurred  the  revolution  in  Turkey,  whereby 
the  Young  Turks,  for  the  most  part  educated 
in  Germany,  overthrew  the  Sultan  —  and 
assumed  charge  of  the  government. 


268       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

Advantage  was  taken  of  this  discord  by 
Ferdinand  of  Bulgaria  to  declare  himself  the 
king  of  the  Turkish  Empire,  and  by  Austria 
to  annex  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina.  Austria 
was  seconded  in  this  by  the  full  force  of  the 
German  Empire. 

Russia  was  at  that  time  powerless  to  object, 
and  England  and  France  could  do  nothing 
more  than  protest  and  refuse  to  sanction  it. 

The  next  diplomatic  strain  came  between 
Germany  and  France,  this  time  over  the 
Agadir  incident  in  Morocco.  Now  Great 
Britain  came  vigorously  to  the  assistance  of 
her  new  ally,  and  Germany  yielded. 

During  all  the  years  between  1878  and 
1908  the  various  Balkan  States  were  as 
jealous  of  each  other  as  they  were  hostile  to 
the  Turks ;  they  could  never  combine  against 
a  common  foe. 

The  Austrian  aggression  into  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina  had  bitterly  offended  Servia,  the 
Balkan  state  with  the  least  to  fear  from 
Turkey  and  likewise  the  least  to  gain  from 
Turkey  by  war. 


APPENDIX    A  269 

There  came  into  power  in  the  Balkan 
States  at  this  time  three  very  exceptional  men, 
—  Mr.  Pasitch,  Prime  Minister  of  Servia ;  Mr. 
Gueschoff,  President  of  the  Council  of  Minis- 
ters of  Bulgaria;  and  Mr.  Venezalos,  the 
predominant  figure,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
and  Premier  of  Greece. 

These  men  agreed  jointly  to  make  war 
upon  Turkey.  In  the  event  of  victory  the 
principal  spoils  were  to  be  —  for  Servia 
a  seaport  through  Albania,  the  port  of 
Durazzo  upon  the  Adriatic  Sea;  for  Greece, 
the  Turkish  islands  in  the  Mediterranean ; 
for  Bulgaria,  the  larger  part  of  Macedonia 
up  to  the  walls  of  Constantinople. 

It  was  agreed  between  the  Balkan  States 
that  in  the  event  of  disagreement  upon  the 
exact  division  of  the  Turkish  spoil,  the  Czar 
of  Russia  would  act  as  arbitrator  between 
them. 

The  European  powers,  excepting  Russia, 
were  opposed  to  the  revolt  against  the 
Mohammedans.  However,  they  could  not 
agree  among  themselves  how  to  make  Tur- 


270       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

key  reform  or  how  to  keep  the  Christian 
nations  from  war. 

When  it  came  to  making  peace,  Austria 
positively  refused  that  Servia  should  have  a 
port  on  the  Adriatic  Sea. 

From  what  we  now  know  of  the  relative 
fighting  efficiency  of  the  Balkan  and  Austrian 
troops  it  appears  that  the  Balkan  alliance 
could  have  held  the  territory  against  Austria. 

But  this  idea  does  not  seem  to  have  occurred 
to  it. 

Servia  yielded  her  heart's  desire,  not  without 
protest,  but  without  effort  to  hold  it.  Instead 
she  demanded  as  a  recompense  that  part  of 
Bulgaria's  share  of  the  spoils  which  her  troops 
occupied. 

The  Turkish  war  had  given  Bulgaria  enor- 
mous prestige  as  well  as  a  substantial  increase 
in  territory.  There  was  talk  the  world  over  of 
Bulgaria  forming  an  empire  of  the  Balkans 
with  the  king  of  Bulgaria  as  Emperor  just  as 
forty  years  before  the  Empire  had  been 
formed  under  the  king  of  Prussia.  Bulgaria 
was  in  a  dominating  position  and  the  other 


APPENDIX    A  271 

Balkan  States  were  jealous.  Roumania,  which 
had  not  undergone  the  hazards  and  hard- 
ships of  war,  demanded  not  even  Turkish 
territory  but  Bulgarian  in  order  to  preserve 
the  Balkan  balance  of  power ! 

As  the  situation  became  more  and  more 
strained,  the  Czar  of  Russia  telegraphed  to 
the  contending  sovereigns,  offering  to  act  as 
mediator  between  them.  The  king  of  Servia 
promptly  cabled  a  complete  acceptance,  while 
King  Ferdinand  of  Bulgaria  returned  an 
evasive  answer. 

Gueschoff,  a  much  travelled  and  highly 
educated  man,  saw  that  Bulgaria  was  over- 
matched, and  urged  that  Russia,  the  liberator 
and  life-long  friend  of  all  the  Balkan  States, 
arbitrate  between  them. 

His  advice  was  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the 
hour,  so  after  vainly  counselling  prudence  he 
was  forced  to  resign. 

His  successor  in  office,  Dr.  Daneff,  when 
sobered  by  the  responsibility  of  government, 
reached  the  same  conclusion  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  start  for  St.  Petersburg  when  the  war 
party  began  hostilities. 


272        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  Bulgarian  army  had  overwhelmed  the 
Servians  in  1885,  it  had  just  decisively 
beaten  the  Turks,  who  had  easily  defeated 
the  Greeks  in  1897.  It  was  confident  of  its 
superiority  over  the  combined  Servian  and 
Greek  armies. 

A  plan  was  in  existence  to  take  Belgrade 
within  five  days  of  the  outbreak  of  war  and 
to  surprise  Salonika.  As  no  railroad  ran 
from  Salonika  south,  the  taking  of  Athens 
would  be  a  slower  matter. 

In  order  to  force  war  General  Vasoff,  with- 
out the  knowledge  of  the  government,  caused 
troops  to  attack  both  Servians  and  Greeks. 

The  Daneff  government,  which  had  brought 
about  the  resignation  of  Gueschoff  because  of 
his  unwillingness  to  fight  the  other  Balkan 
States,  refused  to  back  up  the  general. 

It  ordered  the  army  to  cease  operations 
and  called  upon  Russia  to  interfere. 

While  the  Bulgarian  army  was  paralyzed 
the  Greeks  and  Servians  took  the  offensive. 
The  Turks  seized  arms  again,  and  Roumania 
mobilized. 


APPENDIX    A  273 

Prince  Constantine  of  Greece,  who  had  been 
accused  of  cowardice  in  the  Turkish  war  of 
1897,  and  who  had  subsequently  studied  in 
Germany,  developed  real  military  ability. 
Finding  himself  in  superior  numbers  at  Kil- 
kish,  he  harangued  his  troops,  turned  the 
Bulgarian  right  flank,  and  as  the  enemy  began 
to  withdraw  attacked  the  centre  with  the 
bayonet.  His  victory  was  overwhelming  and 
he  evinced  great  power  in  following  it  up, 
never  giving  the  Bulgarians  time  to  reor- 
ganize. Servia  entered  from  the  west,  Rou- 
mania  from  the  north,  and  Turkey  retook 
Adrianople. 

Bulgaria  was  prostrate. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Sir  Edward  Grey, 
British  foreign  minister,  a  Peace  Confer- 
ence was  held  in  London  and  a  truce  patched 
up,  which  satisfied  no  one  but  Austria. 

The  hostility  of  the  Servians  towards  the 
Austrians,  which  was  started  in  1878,  when 
Austria  occupied  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina, 
became  violent  when  she  annexed  these 
provinces  in  1908,  and  boundless  when  she 


274        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

blocked  the  road  to  the  Adriatic  which  Servia 
had  cut  for  herself  through  Albania. 

The  Servian  attitude  towards  Austria,  both 
official  and  unofficial,  became  exactly  what 
that  of  Piedmont  had  been  before  the  libera- 
tion of  Italy.  There  were  nationalistic  soci- 
eties, some  of  them  public  and  some  of  them 
secret,  winked  at  by  the  government. 

The  Archduke  Franz  Ferdinand  was  the 
embodiment  of  the  Austrian  aggression  and 
the  chief  object  of  hatred  of  the  Slavs.  Op- 
portunity was  taken  of  his  visit  to  Sarajevo 
in  May,  1914,  to  assassinate  him. 

What  steps  followed  in  Austria  and  Ger- 
many have  not  been  made  known  and  prob- 
ably never  will  be  made  known. 

To  what  extent  monarchial  horror  of  the 
assassination  of  an  hereditary  ruler  governed, 
and  to  what  extent  the  feeling  that  vigorous 
steps  must  be  taken  to  prevent  Servia  from 
dismembering  Austria,  as  Piedmont  leniently 
treated  in  the  past  had  done,  controlled;  to 
what  extent  the  crime  was  looked  upon  as 
an  opportunity  for  a  Germanic  advance  in 


APPENDIX    A  275 

the  East  in  the  manner  that  Bismarck  had 
found  excuses  for  war,  will  probably  remain 
disputed  points. 

His  death  was  brought  about  by  a  Servian 
cause.  Its  time  and  manner  were  most  oppor- 
tune for  the  German  advance. 

In  the  first  place,  it  was  unquestionably 
an  overt,  aggressive  act  on  the  part  of  the 
pan-Servians. 

In  the  second  place,  it  was  an  assault  on 
monarchy. 

In  the  third  place,  it  came  before  France 
and  Russia  had  completed  their  contemplated 
army  reorganizations. 

In  the  fourth  place,  it  found  Russia  in  the 
midst  of  industrial  disorder,  France  in  po- 
litical anarchy,  England  on  the  verge  of 
civil  war. 

In  the  fifth  place,  Germany,  winning  a 
quarrel  in  which  Austria  alone  was  helpless, 
could  expect  to  give  Austria  a  place  in  the 
Empire  analogous  to  Bavaria,  Saxony,  and 
Wurtemberg. 

Turkey  was  almost  a  dependency.     Bui- 


276        WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

garia  had  been  conciliated  with  a  needed  loan 
-  had  a  German  king,  Greece  a  German 
queen.  Let  Servia  be  conquered  and  the 
overland  route  to  the  East  was  open ! 

There  will  be  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  un- 
prejudiced people  that  the  ultimatum  to 
Servia  was  one  that  could  not  possibly  be 
accepted  in  its  entirety,  and  was  phrased  with 
a  deliberate  purpose  of  finding  an  excuse  for 
war. 

It  came  at  a  time  when  Russia  was  greatly 
disturbed  by  labor  troubles,  and  apparently 
helpless. 

However,  it  enraged  the  Russian  people 
and  brought  about  such  expressions  of  public 
opinion  as  the  Empire  had  never  before 
witnessed.  If  the  Russian  government  had 
been  unwilling  to  make  war,  it  might  have 
faced  a  war  with  its  own  people. 

The  Dual  Alliance  between  France  and 
Russia  had  been  taken  as  a  counter-measure 
to  the  Austro-German  Dual  Alliance  of  1879. 
It  was  military  in  form  and  also  economic,  in 
that  a  large  amount  of  free  French  capital 


APPENDIX    A  277 

was  sent  to  develop  Russia's  enormous  latent 
resources. 

In  fact,  it  was  an  alliance  more  binding  on 
France  than  upon  Russia,  because  in  the  event 
of  war  with  Germany  or  Austria,  Russia  could 
exist  without  France,  but  France,  in  the  face 
of  these  enemies,  could  not  exist  without 
Russia. 

When  Germany  made  plain  her  intention 
to  back  up  the  Austrian  assault,  France  saw 
painfully  that  she  would  have  to  fight. 

At  the  time  that  King  Edward  VII  came  to 
the  throne  at  mature  age,  English  parliamen- 
tarians had  been  too  long  in  control  of  the 
government  of  the  country  to  allow  any 
interference  on  the  part  of  the  king.  They 
recognized,  however,  with  the  continuing 
astuteness  in  foreign  affairs  which  has  marked 
almost  all  English  governments,  that  in  foreign 
affairs  royalty  is  an  influence  in  itself. 

In  addition  to  his  royalty,  King  Edward 
had  tact  and  charm  and  worldly  wisdom  far 
beyond  the  ordinary. 

He  charmed   the  French  people  with   his 


278        WITH    THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

"gracious  manner."  He  dealt  with  the 
Czar  of  Russia  as  one  sovereign  with 
another. 

Bismarck  and  the  Kaiser  had  put  German 
princes  or  princesses  on  nearly  every  throne  in 
Europe. 

As  the  price  of  England's  support  of  their 
revolution  the  Norwegians  gave  up  their 
preference  for  a  republic  and  put  a  very  clever 
young  man,  King  Edward's  son-in-law,  upon 
the  throne,  naming  him  Haakon  VII. 

King  Edward,  or  those  under  him,  had  the 
original  idea  of  forming  an  alliance  with 
Japan. 

He  humored  the  passion  of  rich  Americans 
for  presentation  at  Court  as  an  offset  to  the 
propaganda  of  the  Irish  Nationalists  in 
America, 

He  realized  the  full  strength  of  the  Ger- 
man army,  realized  that  it  threatened  the 
supremacy  of  the  country  of  which  he  was 
king,  and  he  negotiated  the  Triple  Entente. 

The  war  broke  over  Europe  far  too  suddenly 
for  Englishmen,  absorbed,  above  other  things, 


APPENDIX    A  279 

with  the  Irish  question,  to.  learn  what  was 
going  on. 

The  party  in  power  contained  all  the 
doctrinaires  in  the  country.  It  was  hard  for 
them  to  recognize  war  as  a  fact;  indeed, 
some  of  them  do  not  recognize  it  now. 

There  was  a  small  party  in  England  desiring 
war  with  Germany  years  before  the  Sarajevo 
murder. 

There  developed  a  much  larger  element 
which  favored  war  for  the  reason  that  France 
and  Russia  were  at  war. 

No  one  can  tell  whether  this  element  would 
have  been  in  control  if  Germany  had  not 
thought  it  a  military  necessity  to  invade 
Belgium. 

Now  Belgium  was  not  only  a  military  gate- 
way to  France.  It  was  a  state  artificially 
constructed  by  the  Powers  in  Europe,  its 
integrity  had  been  guaranteed  by  them,  and 
it  had  been  constructed  at  the  behest  of  Eng- 
lish statesmen  as  a  guarantee  that  no  Great 
Power  should  occupy  the  Channel  ports  across 
from  England.  To  England  the  German  in- 


280       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

vasion  of  Belgium  was  not  only  a  violation  of 
a  treaty  but  a  direct  military  threat  at  her 
own  independence. 

War    followed    as    a    matter    of    national 
necessity. 


APPENDIX  B 

LESSONS    FOR   AMERICA    FROM    GREAT 
BRITAIN'S  SHORTCOMINGS  IN 
THIS  WAR 

THE  situation  in  which  Great  Britain  finds 
itself  in  this  great  war  is  so  similar  to  that  in 
which  war  would  place  America  that  a  study 
of  it  is  of  special  interest. 

To  be  sure  the  difficulties  under  which 
Great  Britain  is  laboring  are  not  as  great  as 
ours  would  be,  and  she  has  the  use  and  pro- 
tection of  her  extraordinary  navy,  which  we, 
in  like  circumstances,  would  not  have.  How- 
ever, the  points  of  similarity  are  many  and 
striking. 

War  came  upon  England  under  a  liberal 
government.  This  government  had  been  in 
power  seven  years.  It  stood  for  all  that  is 
best  in  our  Progressive  and  in  the  liberal  side 
of  our  Democratic  parties. 

281 


WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

It  passed  a  home  rule  bill  for  Ireland.  It 
had  brought  to  the  front  religious  equality 
in  Wales.  It  passed  a  series  of  measures  for 
the  subdividing  of  land-ownerships.  It  stood 
at  the  very  front  in  its  enactments  for  the 
benefit  of  workingmen.  It  found  means  for 
increasing  revenue  by  taxing  those  best  able 
to  pay.  It  was,  to  be  sure,  not  free  from 
the  leaven  of  those  who  believed  imprac- 
ticableness  and  progress  to  be  the  same 
thing,  but  it  was  able  to  retain  the  support 
of  this  element  without  seriously  yielding  to 
its  demands.  To  its  permanent  credit,  it 
maintained  the  supremacy  of  the  national 
fleet.  It  thought  necessary,  however,  to  neg- 
lect the  army  in  many  essential  details  in  order 
to  provide  funds  for  its  altruistic  purposes. 

Parsimony  was  especially  shown  toward 
the  artillery  arm,  in  the  battery  organization 
adopted,  and  in  the  guns  themselves.  The 
field-pieces  in  use  were  greatly  inferior  to  the 
French  75's,  which  could  have  been  obtained 
by  paying  the  cost  of  reequipment ;  the  field 
howitzers  were  inexact  in  shooting ;  but  more 


APPENDIX    B 

damning  to  the  makers  of  the  budget  was  a 
lack  of  high-power  field  glasses,  range  finders, 
field  telephones,  etc. 

Parsimony,  backed  by  aristocracy,  was  re- 
sponsible for  such  small  pay  to  officers  that 
only  men  with  some  independent  means  could 
afford  to  be  officers,  and  hence  from  these 
was  required  less  technical  skill  than  is  de- 
manded of  officers  in  the  continental  countries. 

The  British  army  recognized  its  own  weak- 
ness, and  for  years  had  preached  reorganiza- 
tion upon  the  Prussian  system. 

War  found  the  English  regular  army  at 
home  only  150,000  strong.  It  found  terri- 
torial troops,  semi-recruited  and  semi-organ- 
ized regiments,  which,  however,  could  not  be 
called  into  foreign  war  without  their  consent. 

However,  lest  the  casual  reader  pass  too 
harsh  judgment  upon  the  parliamentary  poli- 
ticians who  sent  to  their  death  soldiers  less 
trained  and  equipped  than  their  enemy,  let 
us  give  them  credit  for  greater  patriotism  and 
foresight  than  the  American  Congress  has  ever 
shown. 


284       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  English  army  was  not  divided  into  a 
number  of  small  army  posts,  in  order  to 
furnish  "pie"  to  as  many  congressmen  as 
possible,  but  was  kept  in  units,  so  battle 
tactics  could  be  learned. 

With  all  Europe  organized  in  comprehen- 
sive fashion,  the  reason  for  Great  Britain's 
backwardness  is  to  be  found  in  the  heredi- 
tary opposition  to  a  standing  army,  which, 
incidentally,  we  inherited  along  with  other 
English  customs ;  in  a  false  sense  of  security 
behind  the  barrier  of  the  Channel  and  in  a 
sense  of  racial  superiority  and  self-content, 
and,  more  influential  than  the  rest,  in  recent 
years,  a  group  which  found  mental  and  sen- 
suous pleasure,  as  well  as  financial  and 
political  profit,  in  preaching  a  propaganda  of 
national  atavism. 

Shortly  before  the  war  broke  out  came  the 
army  crisis  over  home  rule.  Sir  Edward 
Carson  organized  a  military  force  to  resist  it. 
When  the  government  began  military  steps 
to  enforce  it,  the  army  balked  ;  Field  Marshal 
Sir  John  French  resigned  the  position  of  chief 


APPENDIX    B  285 

of  staff;  other  officers  resigned  their  com- 
missions. 

The  secretary  of  war  tried  to  find  a  middle 
ground  between  the  home  rule  people  and  the 
army,  failed,  and  resigned  his  portfolio. 

The  radical  party,  which  saw  no  farther 
than  the  seashore,  demanded  the  instant  dis- 
missal of  the  army  and  the  "immediate" 
organization  of  a  "democratic  force"  to 
coerce  Ulster. 

The  Prime  Minister  is  the  keystone  of  the 
arch  of  the  British  parliamentary  system. 
Upon  him  devolves  the  responsibility  of  pre- 
venting the  structure  from  tumbling  to  the 
ground. 

It  must  be  said  of  Mr.  Herbert  Asquith 
that  under  these  terrible  times  he  has  held 
together  the  most  antagonistic  elements  ever 
present  in  a  government.  Following  the 
attitude  which  has  allowed  England  to  exist 
as  a  democracy  for  centuries  in  a  continent 
of  autocracies,  he  put  nation  before  party 
and  retained  the  army,  his  personal  and 
political  enemies. 


286       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

In  addition  to  his  other  cares  he  took  on 
the  ministry  of  war.  A  more  partisan  course 
would  have  destroyed  his  country. 

Then  the  crash  came.  Nothing  was 
farther  from  the  minds  of  Britishers  than 
war.  Why  the  country  was  at  all  prepared 
demands  a  word  of  explanation  to  Americans. 

The  members  of  the  English  Cabinet,  even 
more  than  the  American,  are  selected  for 
their  political  strength  rather  than  special 
fitness.  But  the  members  once  selected,  the 
portfolios  are  divided  with  the  idea  of  giving 
to  each  member  the  work  for  which  he  is 
best  fitted,  instead  of  giving  the  offices  in 
order  of  their  dignity  to  the  Cabinet  members 
in  the  order  of  their  political  importance,  as 
with  us. 

Not  the  most  important  politician  but  the 
politician  most  informed  on  foreign  affairs 
is  made  minister  of  foreign  affairs.  That 
member  of  the  Cabinet  most  capable  of  assist- 
ing the  navy  is  made  secretary  of  the  navy. 

Thus,  while  Sir  Edward  Grey  is  a  less 
gifted  man  than  Mr.  Bryan,  he  is  a  more  effi- 


APPENDIX    B  287 

cient  minister  of  foreign  affairs;  and  while 
Mr.  Churchill  —  if  tried  by  a  hundred  tests 
—  might  show  less  all-round  ability  than 
Mr.  Daniels,  he,  in  contrast  to  the  latter, 
added  to  instead  of  detracted  from  the  work 
of  the  naval  experts  under  him. 

Also,  Sir  Edward  Grey  and  Mr.  Winston 
Churchill  put  the  duties  of  their  offices  above 
politics. 

When  all  British  eyes  were  on  the  crisis  in 
Ireland,  Sir  Edward  Grey,  a  politician,  was 
watching  the  hand-sized  cloud  over  Belgrade. 

Churchill,  still  more  a  politician,  but  a  pa- 
triot, held  the  great  fleet  mobilized,  ready  for 
the  rupture,  and  concealed  his  readiness  under 
cover  of  the  domestic  excitement.  He  even 
had  the  courage  and  patriotism  to  order,  with- 
out sanction  of  Parliament,  the  supplies  that 
would  be  necessary  for  the  beginning  of  war. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  point  out  that  in 
neither  our  foreign  or  naval  branches  were 
we  so  manned  as  to  take  the  steps  which, 
taken  by  the  British  radical  ministers,  saved 
their  nation. 


288       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

The  first  military  preparations  were 
splendid.  Lord  Kitchener,  the  most  widely 
known  British  general,  was  made  secretary 
of  war.  Sir  John  French,  considered  the 
greatest  British  tactician,  was  given  com- 
mand of  the  active  force,  although  he  was  a 
well-known  opponent  of  the  government. 

The  army's  preparedness  was  such  that 
an  army  of  150,000  men  was  landed  in 
France  with  more  equipment  per  man  and 
with  less  effort  than  Funston's  brigade  had 
been  transported  to  Vera  Cruz  three  months 
before. 

I  dwell  upon  this  fact  now  so  that  when 
the  reader  sees  later  how  hopelessly  inferior 
to  Germany,  Russia,  France,  and  Austria 
England's  land  power  turned  out  to  be  he 
may  realize  in  some  measure  the  desperate 
condition  of  our  own  unpreparedness. 

Landed,  the  British  army  advanced  to 
Belgium,  was  caught  in  the  collapse  of  the 
French  offensive,  fought  splendidly  in  retreat, 
using  effectively  its  only  superiority  over  the 
Germans,  —  rifle  shooting,  —  turned  at  the 


APPENDIX    B  289 

Marne,  and  fought  its  way  back  to  Ypres, 
where  all  that  is  left  of  it  now  is. 

How  was  it  that  even  in  face  of  a  hostile 
government  this  army  from  the  outset  of 
war  has  been  able  to  do  what  no  English  or 
American  army  has  ever  before  been  able  to 
do  at  the  outset  of  war? 

The  answer  is  twofold.  First,  the  army 
had  been  kept  in  large  units  and  manoeuvred 
in  large  units.  Second,  the  initiative  of  the 
officers  had  not  been  dulled  by  the  perse- 
cution that  exists  in  our  army  and  which 
seems  unavoidable  when  civilians  who  have 
never  lived  under  military  discipline  are 
given  military  power  over  others.  I  refer 
not  so  much  to  presidents  and  secretaries  of 
war  and  navy,  although  none  of  these  are 
guiltless,  as  to  chairmen  of  Senate  and  House 
military  and  naval  committees  and  to  the 
membership  of  both  houses. 

Returning  to  the  British  army.  It  has 
not  been  able  to  advance  a  foot  since  the 
battle  of  Ypres  was  ended  by  the  Russian 


290       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

diversion  against  Cracow  in  October.  Ad- 
vance has  been  impossible. 

To  appreciate  why  it  has  been  impossible, 
it  is  necessary  to  summarize  modern  English 
history. 

After  obtaining  supremacy  at  sea  she  pro- 
ceeded to  conquer  all  the  territory  of  the 
world  that  was  unable  to  protect  itself. 
Contemporaneously  came  the  development 
of  steam  and  steel  and  there  was  found  in 
the  islands  the  greatest  deposits  of  coal  and 
iron  in  Europe. 

This  brought  about  two  conditions  —  an 
enormous  increase  in  the  national  wealth  and 
the  transformation  of  the  nation  from  an 
agricultural  to  a  manufacturing  country. 

Land  was  held  in  England,  as  elsewhere  in 
Europe,  in  a  few  large  ownerships. 

France,  Prussia,  and  Russia  at  various 
times  had  divided  the  land  among  the  in- 
habitants. This  was  too  unconstitutional  for 
England.  She  therefore  repealed  the  corn 
laws,  giving  the  people  cheap  food,  rendering 
the  cultivation  of  English  land  unprofitable, 


APPENDIX    B  291 

and  rendering  the  nation  dependent  for  food 
upon  importation,  and  hence  upon  a  con- 
tinued control  of  the  sea. 

It  had  also  rendered  her  dependent  to  a 
marked  degree  upon  America  for  her  food 
supply.  The  great  fleet  which  she  has  main- 
tained in  consequence  has  made  the  English 
feel  that  a  modern  army  was  unnecessary. 
The  great  fleet  also  interested  in  preserving 
the  American  wheat  production  for  the  Eng- 
lish market  has  interfered  more  than  once 
between  the  military  European  nations  and 
the  United  States,  affording  us  a  temporary 
and  hazardous  security. 

Wealth  has  poured  in  upon  England.  The 
accident  of  ownership  as  well  as  the  laws  of 
taxation  and  inheritance  have  tended  to  great 
inequality  in  its  distribution.  Hence,  politi- 
cal activity  for  half  a  century  has  centred 
around  the  distribution  of  existing  national 
wealth,  not  its  increase.  It  has  been  more 
like  America  during  the  last  ten  years  than 
America  during  the  preceding  decade. 

Workmen  have  listened  to  the  preaching 


WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

of  a  world-wide  union  against  employers,  not 
realizing  that,  in  the  Empire  adjoining,  em- 
ployers and  workmen  were  cooperating  to 
seize  the  advantageous  trade  position  of  Eng- 
land, and  employers  and  employed  alike  take 
from  the  English  the  advantage  that  nature 
and  the  forefathers  had  given  them. 

It  was  upon  a  people  thus  preoccupied 
that  the  war  burst  in  August,  1914. 

The  government  did  all  that  a  democratic 
government  could  do.  It  put  its  best-known 
general  in  charge  of  the  war  and  gave  him  a 
free  hand. 

Lord  Kitchener  had  conquered  the  Mahdi 
of  Egypt  and  had  done  capable  work  in 
the  conquest  of  South  Africa.  After  Earl 
Roberts,  he  was  the  chief  military  figure  of  a 
nation  given  to  worshipping  the  men  who 
bring  distinction  to  it. 

He  was  hailed  as  possessing  all  the  ability 
that  Wellington  had  possessed  and  even  as 
much  as  Englishmen  had  been  taught  to 
believe  Wellington  had  possessed. 

That  Kitchener  is  a  far-sighted  man  and 


APPENDIX    B  293 

a  strong  man  was  shown  by  his  insistence 
upon  an  army  of  a  million  men  and  adequate 
training  before  taking  the  field,  something 
England  was  unprepared  to  consider. 

He  came  to  power  with  all  an  English 
or  American  officer's  unfamiliarity  with  his 
nation. 

He,  like  these,  denied  all  opportunity  to 
work  out  a  scheme  of  war  adapted  to  the 
habits  and  interests  of  his  people,  had 
swallowed  whole  the  best  ready-made  plan  — 
the  Prussian. 

Thus,  when  in  the  first  panic  of  war  Eng- 
land practically  turned  the  government  of 
the  country  over  to  Kitchener  and  asked 
him  to  perform  a  miracle,  one  of  his  first  acts 
was  to  attempt  to  direct  the  press,  in  emula- 
tion of  the  Prussian  principle. 

In  Prussia  the  press  is  a  weak  estate  held 
in  contempt  and  the  governing  hand  is  strong 
and  able. 

The  English  press  is  the  chief  element  of 
national  strength. 

The  English  publicists,  who  have  substan- 


294       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

tially  dominated  world  public  opinion  for  a 
century  in  the  interest  of  the  British  Empire, 
were  put  under  the  governance  of  men  who 
knew  nothing  of  journalism  and  were  con- 
sidered too  weak  to  work  at  their  own  pro- 
fession —  war. 

Of  course  the  English  nation  lacked  any 
comprehensive  military  system,  lacked  mili- 
tary knowledge  and  knowledge  of  military 
needs.  Her  immediate  need  was  education, 
which,  with  a  little  intelligent  help,  the 
British  press  was  eager  to  give. 

Such  education,  the  bungling  censors, 
puffed  up  by  sudden  authority,  venting  at 
last  pent-up  resentment  against  government 
and  press,  refused  to  allow. 

But  before  detailing  this  let  us  examine 
England's  facilities  for  making  an  army  and 
what  she  has  accomplished. 

Although  the  country  had  refused  to  follow 
the  army's  far-seeing  advice  and  introduce 
universal  service,  it  had  been  far  from  ignor- 
ing all  warning. 

A  system  of  "territorials"  had  been  intro- 


APPENDIX    B  295 

duced,  composed  of  18,000  cavalry  and  over 
200,000  infantry,  which  met  in  annual  ma- 
noeuvres with  the  regulars  every  year. 

As  graduates  of  the  Boer  war  were  a  num- 
ber of  semi-trained  troops  and  semi-educated 
officers. 

The  rudiments  of  military  education  had 
been  taught  in  the  colleges  and  public  schools 
in  recent  years. 

This  gave  England  a  start  which  we,  for 
instance,  cannot  equal.  The  disadvantage 
was  that  the  amateur  soldiers  did  not  appre- 
ciate the  short  distance  they  had  travelled  on 
the  road  of  soldiering. 

The  territorials  volunteered  very  well  and 
many  battalions  of  them  have  been  already 
sent  to  the  front,  where  they  have  behaved 
gallantly  but  not  successfully. 

It  was,  perhaps,  the  salvation  of  the  coun- 
try that  a  radical  government  was  in  power 
when  the  war  came. 

Extreme  members  of  the  Cabinet  resigned  ; 
some  were  unwilling  to  attack  their  former 
colleagues;  others  who  did  were  largely  dis- 


296       WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

credited  as  they  would  not  have  been  if  they 
had  attacked  the  conservatives. 

The  Opposition  became  the  leaders  in  sup- 
port of  the  government's  war  policy. 

Old  soldiers,  sacrificing  all  personal  in- 
terests, turned  out  to  a  man. 

The  veterans  of  the  African  campaign  re- 
turned to  the  army.  The  leisure  class  was 
delighted  to  find  occupation,  especially  occu- 
pation in  support  of  their  country. 

Volunteers  flocked  to  the  colors,  and  they 
did  so  without  any  idea  that  they  were  going 
to  a  picnic. 

They  went  to  work  to  learn  to  become  sol- 
diers. They  realized  from  the  casualty  list 
of  the  regulars  that  this  war  was  no  African 
campaign.  Enlistments  were  made,  not  for 
sixty  days  or  six  months,  but  for  the  whole 
war. 

But  to  raise  a  volunteer  army  of  1,000,000 
men  and  not  disturb  business  —  the  first 
idea  in  England  —  is  impossible.  A  number 
of  expedients  were  tried.  Posters  were  put 
up  all  over  England  calling  for  volunteers, 


APPENDIX    B  297 

while  the  Press  Bureau  was  busy  sending  out 
stories  —  false  ones  —  giving  the  impression 
that  volunteers  were  not  needed. 

Kitchener  had  said  that  the  new  arm^ 
would  be  ready  in  May.  In  August,  1914, 
and  again  in  October  the  Russian  army 
sacrificed  itself  to  reduce  the  pressure  on  the 
French-English-Belgian  front.  Now  in  August 
the  Austrians  and  Germans  are  massing 
against  the  Russians,  but  Kitchener's  army  is 
not  ready. 

In  March,  Sir  John  French  attempted  an 
advance,  but  was  unsuccessful.  In  May  the 
Germans  attacked  with  gas  and  almost  broke 
through  to  Calais.  Only  the  extraordinary 
courage  of  the  Canadians  prevented  them. 

To  all  soldiers  the  fact  had  become  plain  that 
as  a  military  factor  Great  Britain  was  negligible. 

The  military  in  control  of  the  press  forbade 
telling  the  people  the  truth  that  the  Germans 
knew  well  enough.  Without  educating  the 
people  it  was  impossible  to  make  such  a  mili- 
tary organization  as  could  count  in  this  war. 
England  was  struck  on  a  dead  centre. 


298        WITH   THE    RUSSIAN   ARMY 

At  this  time  Lord  Northcliffe,  proprietor 
of  The  Times,  The  Daily  Mail,  and  other 
papers,  undertook  a  patriotic  role. 

"Friend  of  my  heart,  is  it  meet  or  wise  to 
warn  a  King  of  his  enemies?" 

The  people  have  been  king  of  England  for 
long  and  have  become  so  accustomed  to 
flattery  as  to  resent  unpleasant  truths. 

Northcliffe  began  to  print  a  part  of  the  truth 
about  the  situation.  He  began  to  criticise 
the  men  who  were  popularly  supposed  to  be 
doing  the  impossible.  People  who  were  "too 
patriotic"  to  face  facts,  or  who  were  afraid  to 
do  so,  publicly  burned  The  Times. 

The  bigoted  Press  Bureau  promptly  prose- 
cuted Northcliffe  upon  a  trumped-up  charge, 
and  an  English  judge,  following  up  the  custom 
which  makes  an  Englishman  the  only  man  in 
the  world  safe  from  both  official  malice  and 
popular  outcry,  dismissed  the  case. 

Northcliffe  continued  his  campaign,  and 
not  without  animus. 

The  expedition  to  take  the  Dardanelles 
failed.  The  Lusitania  was  torpedoed. 


APPENDIX    B  299 

Winston  Churchill  had  ridden  roughly  in 
his  career,  and  became  the  first  sacrifice  to 
the  situation. 

His  administration  of  the  Admiralty  since 
the  outbreak  of  the  war  must  be  judged  after 
the  lapse  of  time.  No  one  outside  of  the 
department  knows  to-day  whether  it  was 
good  or  bad. 

But,  as  a  man  largely  responsible  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  power  of  the  British  navy 
in  the  face  of  the  opposition  of  many  of  those 
upon  whom  he  depended  for  political  life, 
he  should  have  more  charity  than  the  British 
public  gives  him. 

He  has  acted  the  part  of  patriot  that  Sec- 
retary Garrison  is  acting  with  us. 

The  dismissal  of  Winston  Churchill,  while 
it  has  soothed  some  irritated  nerves  and  may, 
or  may  not,  have  improved  the  efficiency  of 
the  Navy  Department,  could  not,  and  did 
not,  change  the  military  situation,  which  was 
that  Great  Britain,  by  far  the  richest  and 
greatest  manufacturing  country  in  the  war, 
was  turning  out  less  than  one-tenth  of  the 


300       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

munitions  turned  out  by  any  of  the  other 
contestants,  and  was  unable  decently  to 
supply  her  army  in  the  field,  so  far  from  pro- 
viding for  the  new,  great  army  in  training. 

The  fault  is  partly  due,  no  doubt,  to  the 
military  authorities,  who  had  had  no  oppor- 
tunity of  becoming  acquainted  with  affairs 
on  a  large  scale,  and  who,  in  the  first  glow  of 
new-found  authority,  were  unwilling  to  asso- 
ciate with  themselves  competent  business  men. 

It  was  due  in  a  greater  part  to  the  work- 
men, who  insisted  on  limiting  the  output  per 
man,  as  they  had  become  accustomed  to  do 
during  the  many  years  of  easy  peace  Eng- 
land's advantageous  position  had  brought 
them.  They  were  never  told  how  serious 
was  the  situation  of  the  nation ;  on  the  con- 
trary, they  were  entirely  deceived  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war,  and  have  been  given 
only  a  small  part  of  the  truth  to  date. 

The  government  is  now  fully  awake  to  the 
seriousness  of  the  situation.  The  War  De- 
partment officials  have  learned  that  they 
cannot  do  all  the  work  themselves. 


APPENDIX    B  301 

The  plan  is  forming  to  make  Great  Britain 
a  nation  at  war  in  the  same  sense  that  Ger- 
many, Austria,  France,  and  Russia  are  at 
war;  but  with  no  governmental  machinery 
to  do  this  with  and  with  a  public  mind  un- 
accustomed to  such  discipline,  the  task  is 
herculean. 

Leading  politicians  have  sounded  warning 
in  the  most  rousing  speeches  and  in  the  same 
issue  of  the  paper  that  these  warnings  have 
been  produced  the  military  Press  Bureau  and 
headline  writers  have  discounted  the  speeches 
by  representing  some  minor  skirmish  as  a  sub- 
stantial victory  and  by  announcing  a  sub- 
stantial defeat  as  a  strategic  retirement. 

The  most  forceful  radical  politician  in 
Great  Britain,  Lloyd  George,  has  taken  upon 
himself  the  leadership  in  bringing  the  union 
workingmen  under  martial  law. 

Patriotically  he  put  all  the  popularity  he 
had  acquired  in  leading  the  laborers  against 
their  employers  and  all  his  sublety  as  a  polit- 
ical campaigner  in  the  service  of  the  nation. 

Many  of  his  former  colleagues  were  unable 


302       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

to  see  the  necessity  of  the  measure  he  intro- 
duced; some  were  of  a  type  of  mind  that 
could  not  have  seen  it  if  the  Prussian  Impe- 
rial Guard  was  goose-stepping  in  Trafalgar 
Square.  They  intrenched  themselves  upon 
the  unstormed  heights  of  union  rules  and 
awaited  his  attack. 

Lloyd  George,  too  skilful  to  be  drawn 
against  such  a  barrier,  marched  by  the  flank 
and  blamed  all  England's  ills  on  —  drink  ! 

He  broke  the  tension,  he  confused  the  issue. 
Followed  Babel,  and  from  Babel  such  a  law 
is  being  enacted  as  the  Czar  of  Russia  has 
not  decreed.  Everybody  is  busy  blaming 
everybody  else,  and  they  are  working  to  an 
agreement  to  place  the  blame  on  the  army, 
most  of  which  has  died  fighting  for  a  nation 
that  had  answered  its  warnings  with  insult. 

It  will  take  a  strong  combination  of  tact 
and  firmness  to  make  the  law  work  without 
causing  civil  discord ;  indeed,  at  the  moment 
of  writing  a  strike  of  the  South  Wales  coal 
miners  threatens  the  nation  with  defeat. 

However,  the  nation  is  on  the  right  track 


APPENDIX    B  303 

in  handling  the  munitions  question;  that  is, 
all  of  it  excepting  the  Press  Bureau. 

The  more  serious  problem  which  confronts 
the  nation  is  the  formation  of  an  army  large 
enough  and  at  the  same  time  efficient  enough 
to  meet  the  Germans  in  the  open  field. 

Where  small  armies  suffice  it  is  evident 
that  voluntary  armies  are  better  than  armies 
trained  by  universal  service,  because  the 
more  adventurous  volunteer  and  men  not 
up  to  the  physical  requirements  may  be  re- 
jected, but  where  a  substantial  portion  of  the 
nation  is  needed  for  the  war  the  voluntary 
system  must  collapse  utterly,  as  it  has  in 
England. 

In  collecting  a  large  volunteer  army,  men 
must  be  tempted  in  every  way.  They  must 
be  allowed  to  form  special  regiments  of 
different  classes,  so  that  while  one  regiment 
may  contain  over  one  hundred  men  fit  to  be 
officers  another  regiment  may  contain  less 
than  ten. 

Men  of  ages  varying  from  twenty  to  forty 
may  be  in  the  same  regiment  and  men  from 


304       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

the  strongest  to  the  weakest  in  physique 
may  be  put  in  the  same  regiment,  with  a  result 
that  a  group  of  such  regiments  is  worth  about 
half  as  much  as  an  equal  number  of  men 
grouped  according  to  the  Prussian  system. 

Eyewitnesses  who  were  present  at  the  re- 
occupation  of  Peremysl  by  the  Germans 
speak  of  the  fact  that  the  active  troops  occu- 
pied the  fortress,  and  that  as  soon  as  it  was 
in  their  possession  the  landwehr,  or  older 
men,  took  their  places  and  the  young  men 
were  again  put  in  the  field  to  attack. 

In  occupying  fortresses  and  lines  of 
trenches,  middle-aged  men  are  substantially 
as  good  as  the  youngest.  Germany  uses  her 
middle-aged  men  for  this  kind  of  work,  and 
the  young  men  for  active  work. 

Under  the  voluntary  system,  where  old 
and  young  are  mixed  together,  half  regiments 
of  young  men  are  immobilized  in  fortifica- 
tions, and  regiments  composed  in  half  of 
oldish  men  are  sent  on  long  marches,  with  the 
result  that  half  of  each  regiment  is  left  on 
the  roadside.  It  must  be  plain  that  the 


APPENDIX    B  305 

latter  form  of  organization  can  never  defeat 
the  former. 

Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  Great  Britain 
has  organized  a  voluntary  army  infinitely 
better  than  a  voluntary  army  has  ever  been 
organized  before,  and  has  allowed  less  politics 
to  interfere  than  had  been  thought  possible. 

It  has  exceeded  every  standard  of  a  volun- 
teer army  that  has  ever  been  imagined,  and 
yet  has  demonstrated  just  one  thing  —  that 
a  large  voluntary  army  cannot  compete  with 
universal  service  troops. 

How  can  it,  when  a  major  commanding 
500  men  has  less  military  education  than  a 
sergeant  commanding  thirty  men;  yes,  and 
often  less  military  education  than  a  private 
commanding  only  himself? 

Kitchener's  army  has,  therefore,  done  one 
great  thing  —  it  has  shown  that  the  whole 
military  system  of  Great  Britain  must  be 
revolutionized,  and  after  such  a  system  has 
been  revolutionized  the  last  year's  training 
will  pay  for  itself  in  measure  in  the  new 
organization. 


306       WITH    THE    RUSSIAN    ARMY 

To  send  the  present  army  to  the  continent 
to  fight  against  a  better  organized,  better 
trained  German  force,  is  to  slaughter  so  many 
thousands  of  men  without  any  possible 
chance  of  victory. 

At  this  point  the  reader  who  is  willing  to 
credit  my  statement  must  think  to  himself : 

"Then  England  is  in  a  very  desperate 
position." 

So  she  would  be  if  it  were  not  for  her  navy, 
which  is  as  efficient  in  personnel  as  it  is 
powerful  in  numbers.  It  has  met  every  test, 
and  barring  accidents,  will  continue  to  do  so. 

It  is  for  Americans  to  bear  in  mind  that 
we  cannot  expect  to  do  better  on  land  than 
Great  Britain  has  done,  and  at  sea,  even  if 
our  naval  authorities  were  free  to  conduct  the 
fleet  according  to  their  best  opinion,  as  they 
would  not  be,  there  are  at  least  three  naval 
powers  that  could  wipe  us  oft  the  seas. 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America. 


'HE  following  pages  contain  advertisements  of  a 
few  of  the  Macmillan  books  on  kindred  subjects. 


The  Pentecost  of  Calamity 

BY  OWEN  WISTER 

Author  of  "  The  Virginian,"  etc. 

Boards,  idmo,  50  cents 

The  author  of  "  The  Virginian  "  has  written  a  new  book  which  describes, 
more  forcibly  and  clearly  than  any  other  account  so  far  published,  the 
meaning,  to  America,  of  the  tragic  changes  which  are  taking  place  in  the 
hearts  and  minds  of  the  German  people. 

Written  with  ease  and  charm  of  style,  it  is  prose  that  holds  the  reader 
for  its  very  beauty,  even  as  it  impresses  him  with  its  force.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  there  will  come  out  of  the  entire  mass  of  war  literature  a  more 
understanding  or  suggestive  survey. 

"  Owen  Wister  has  depicted  the  tragedy  of  Germany  and  has  hinted  at  the  possible 
tragedy  of  the  United  States.  .  .  .  We  wish  it  could  be  read  in  full  by  every  American." 

—  The  Outlook. 


The  Military  Unpreparedness  of  the  United 

States 

BY  FREDERIC  L.  HUIDEKOPER 

Cloth,  8vo 

By  many  army  officers  the  author  of  this  work  is  regarded  as  the  fore- 
most military  expert  in  the  United  States.  For  nine  years  he  has  been 
striving  to  awaken  the  American  people  to  a  knowledge  of  the  weaknesses 
of  their  land  forces  and  the  defencelessness  of  the  country.  Out  of  his  ex- 
tensive study  and  research  he  has  compiled  the  present  volume,  which 
represents  the  last  word  on  this  subject.  It  comes  at  a  time  when  its  im- 
portance cannot  be  overestimated,  and  in  the  eight  hundred  odd  pages 
given  over  to  the  discussion  there  are  presented  facts  and  arguments  with 
which  every  citizen  should  be  familiar.  Mr.  Huidekoper's  writings  in  this 
field  are  already  well  known.  These  hitherto,  however,  have  been  largely 
confined  to  magazines  and  pamphlets,  but  his  book  deals  with  the  matters 
under  consideration  with  that  frankness  and  authority  evidenced  in  these 
previous  contributions  and  much  more  comprehensively. 


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The  World  War: 

How  it  Looks  to  the  Nations  Involved  and  What  it  Means  to  Us 
BY  ELBERT   FRANCIS  BALDWIN 

Decorated  cloth,  izmo,  $1. 


The  present  war  in  Europe  has  called  forth  a  great  many 
books  bearing  on  its  different  phases,  but  in  the  majority  of 
instances  these  have  been  written  from  the  standpoint  of  some 
one  of  the  nations.  Elbert  Francis  Baldwin  has  here,  how- 
ever, brought  together  within  the  compass  of  a  single  volume 
a  survey  of  the  entire  field. 

Mr.  Baldwin  was  in  Europe  at  the  outbreak  of  hostilities. 
He  mingled  with  the  people,  observing  their  spirit  and  tem- 
per more  intimately  than  it  has  been  permitted  most  writers 
to  do,  and  in  consequence  the  descriptions  which  he  gives  of 
the  German,  or  French,  or  English,  or  Russian  attitude  are 
truer  and  more  complete  than  those  found  in  previous  studies 
of  the  war.  Mr.  Baldwin's  statements  are  calm  and  just  in 
conclusion.  When  discussing  the  German  side  he  has  in- 
cluded all  of  the  factors  which  the  Germans  think  important, 
and  assimilated  wholly  the  German  feeling,  as  he  has  done  in 
his  considerations  of  the  other  countries. 


"  The  one  indispensable  volume  so  far  published  for  those  who  desire  a 
comprehensive  survey  of  the  situation.  .  .  .  One  of  the  most  valuable 
contributions  to  the  literature  of  the  World  War."  —  Portland  Express. 

"  The  dramatic  story  ...  is  unusually  calm  and  dispassionate,  after  the 
modern  historical  manner,  with  a  great  deal  of  fresh  information." 

—  Philadelphia  North  American. 

"  Sets  down  without  bias  the  real  causes  of  the  Great  War." 

—  New  York  Times. 


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Russia  and  the  World 


BY  STEPHEN  GRAHAM 

Author  of"  With  the  Russian  Pilgrims  to  Jerusalem,"  "  With  Poor  Immi- 
grants to  America,"  etc. 

Illustrated,  cloth,  8vo,  $2.00 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  present  European  war  Mr.  Graham  was 
in  Russia,  and  his  book  opens,  therefore,  with  a  description  of  the 
way  the  news  of  war  was  received  on  the  Chinese  frontier,  one 
thousand  miles  from  a  railway  station,  where  he  happened  to  be 
when  the  Tsar's  summons  came.  Following  this  come  other  chap- 
ters on  Russia  and  the  War,  considering  such  questions  as,  Is  It  a 
Last  War  ?,  Why  Russia  Is  Fighting,  The  Economic  Isolation  of 
Russia,  An  Aeroplane  Hunt  at  Warsaw,  Suffering  Poland :  A  Bel- 
gium of  the  East,  and  The  Soldier  and  the  Cross. 

But  "  Russia  and  the  World  "  is  not  by  any  means  wholly  a  war 
book.  It  is  a  comprehensive  survey  of  Russian  problems.  Inas- 
much as  the  War  is  at  present  one  of  her  problems,  it  receives  its 
due  consideration.  It  has  been,  however,  Mr.  Graham's  intention 
to  supply  the  very  definite  need  that  there  is  for  enlightenment  in 
English  and  American  circles  as  to  the  Russian  nation,  what  its 
people  think  and  feel  on  great  world  matters.  On  almost  every 
country  there  are  more  books  and  more  concrete  information  than 
on  his  chosen  land.  In  fact,  "  Russia  and  the  World  "  may  be  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  very  first  to  deal  with  it  in  any  adequate  fashion. 

"  It  shows  the  author  creeping  as  near  as  he  was  allowed  to  the 
firing  line.  It  gives  broad  views  of  difficult  questions,  like  the  future 
of  the  Poles  and  the  Jews.  It  rises  into  high  politics,  forecasts  the 
terms  of  peace  and  the  rearrangement  of  the  world,  east  and  west, 
that  may  follow.  But  the  salient  thing  in  it  is  its  interpretation  for 
Western  minds  of  the  spirit  of  Russia."  —  London  Times. 


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German  World  Policies 

(Der  Deutsche  Gedanke  in  der  Welt) 
BY  PAUL  ROHRBACH 

Translated  by  DR.  EDMUND  VON  MACH 

Cloth,  i2mot 


Paul  Rohrbach  has  been  for  several  years  the  most  popular 
author  of  books  on  politics  and  economics  in  Germany.  He  is 
described  by  his  translator  as  a  "  constructive  optimist,"  one  who, 
at  the  same  time,  is  an  incisive  critic  of  those  shortcomings  which 
have  kept  Germany,  as  he  thinks,  from  playing  the  great  part  to 
which  she  is  called.  In  this  volume  Dr.  Rohrbach  gives  a  true  in- 
sight into  the  character  of  the  German  people,  their  aims,  fears  and 
aspirations. 

Though  it  was  written  before  the  war  started  and  has  not  been 
hastily  put  together,  it  still  possesses  peculiar  significance  now,  for 
in  its  analysis  of  the  German  idea  of  culture  and  its  dissemination, 
in  its  consideration  of  German  foreign  policies  and  moral  conquests, 
it  is  an  important  contribution  to  the  widespread  speculation  now 
current  on  these  matters. 

"  Dr.  von  Mach  renders  an  extraordinary  service  to  his  country 
in  making  known  to  English  readers  at  this  time  a  book  like 
Rohrbach's."  —  New  York  Globe. 

"A  clear  insight  into  Prussian  ideals."  —  Boston  Transcript. 

"  A  valuable,  significant,  and  most  informing  book." 

—  New  York  Tribune. 


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