FIGHT IN THE CARPATHIANS

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12538, 8 May 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

FIGHT IN THE CARPATHIANS

(Bv James F. J. Archibald.) j While at- the front I was impressed bv two things in the Austrian soldier: hk absolute'cheerfulness under all circumstances, and his respect for the enemv There couM not he two more admirable traits in the men of a we - ordered military force. His cheerfulness shows a spirit that is most valuable to a commander, for it will guard off sickness as well as win battles ft the men are yowling and grumbling at everything that goes wrong, then everything docs seem to go wrong: but the note of cheerfulness which I found throughout the entire Austrian army does much toward starting things on the right road to success.^ To belittle and underestimate the en-

emv is undoubtedly the greatest military sin, but every officer and man with whom I talked on the subject, had notiling but praise for the Russian force in e"erv particular. I was told that thcU- artillerr was excellent and that their infantry was as brave as any in the world—and that the dread Cossack was a good sportsman in the game That is the proper spirit and one that will bo of the greatest value to the commanding general. The first action.which I saw was the defence of Dukla Pass through the Carpathians. at the time when Russia drove the Austrian army back intc Hungary as far as Bartrekl, which then cavalrv "occupied eight days before tnej were, diven out again This was a retreat which was heralded throughoul the world as a complete, rout of the Austrians, and I have since seen de ; snatches telling of the wild disorder ol the retreat —how men had refused tc fight and had thrown down, their arms iii terror-, of the great friction betweer the Hungarians and the Austrians. A: a matter of fact. I have never seen f more orderly and well-organised with. drawal of force. There was not tin slightest excitement, and the rear Ward actions kept the advancing ene mv nt a sufficient distance and sum cientlv in check to allow the Austrian: to withdraw every gun and wagon n perfect order. In fact. I have seei many advances which were far mon disorganised than was this retreat. "When I first rode into Dokla Fas: in the Carpathians I felt that I hac been terribly cheated—l had m m; mind a rugged, rocky, narrow pas: through great gorges in the mountain; and pictured how easy it would be tx defend such & pass; but, as n matte: of fact, the passes through the Car pathians are wide, rolling table-lands It is exactly the same as though w< iad to repel'an army advancing througl the Rocky Mountains at the height.' rear Cheyenne. There is a gradual rise nto the mountain passes, but the passes themselves are broad, open rollinsi country, exceedingly difficult to defend, [n most instances they are. heavily vooded, which gives the advancing eneny much opportunity to take valuable jo'ver. The Austrian forces were compiled to build earthworks and defences if a, very permanent character to de'end themselves against the greater jdds. Their trench-work is exceedingly interesting and very well done, as they

use timber for the foundation, so that their men have complete cover from the opposing fire and are able to return it through openings built between the timbers of the works, which are covered with earth.

The campaign in the Carpathians is much more like the old-fashioned war than anything T saw with the German army. The roads are so bad during the winter months that (he motor does not play the great part, in this campaign that it. does in Germany and France. In fact, ] had great difficulty in getting through with ilie motor which had. been

detailed to me for my use at the front, and it .got into serious trouble on several occasions. The lovers of horses and the exponents of the cavalry arm of tho.

service would have found this campaign much more to their liking than the "gasolene war" being waged, in France. The winter has been exceedingly mild —in fact, the mildest that has been known for years: the soft ground has

made the movement of troops, ;irtille.ry, and transport exceedingly difficult. The Austrian* use thousands of native farm wagons for their transportation, each in charge of a peasant driver, and naturally the congestion of transport and troops on the narrow roads makes the problem d\r more difficult in the Carpathians than at other portions of the German and Austrian line. One clay while at the front 1 was exceedingly puzzled when 1 saw a noncommissioned oilicer teaching a squad of men to figure in Chinese. On'an improvised board he had written the various Chinese numeral characters, and their equivalent in Koman numbers. Before the hoard sat a class of a score of soldiers working on the Chinese characters. 1 was frankly amazed, but, upon inquiry to a stafl'-ofiieer who accompanied mo, found that it. was not exactly an educational outburst in the army, but rather a school of necessity. 1 learned that at the outbreak of the war an Austrian linn had just finished a. large order of field-artillery and its supply of ammunition for the Chinese Government. As it is the custom to carry a condition in all contracts of this character that if the government

ill whose territory the arms tire- raantifactured so directs, it may purchase thorn at sun- time before the shipment is made. The Chinese guns :i "d ammunition were just ready lor shipment when the war started, and therefore the entile lot was taken over by the Austrian. Government. All of the range numbers <>u the sights, for distance and elevation, and all of the fuse marks on the shrapnel and shell were in Chinese characters, so it was necessary to (jive the Austrian artillerists a lesson ill the Oriental language t( > enable them to use the batteries then turned over to the defence of Austria.

The greatest, danger lies in I lie information system, which has evidently been, cleverly prepared by the Russians in Galicia and Hungary. It has.been suspected that the priests of the Greek Church have organised the peasants of their various districts into corps o? spies, ;ind, in consequence of the perfection of thai organisation, there is scaroelv a move of the Auslro-Hmi garian'anny made that is not immediately communicated to the enemy. It, is a difficult system to break up find a,

nost dangerous one with which to cope. it has been discovered thai hands of muggier* who operate in time of peace n the Carpathian-: have secret trails cross the mountains, and now in war hoy double their ill-gotten gains by gliding parlies of the Hu-isirtns across hese secret nails to attack the Ausriiins in the rear. The unity of the many dill'eiviu. faeions under the dua-1 monarchy is very •eniarkable, and I found a perfectly ;ood .spirit Jimong the people througllnit the war zone, and the corps _ of pies are simply made up of a. portion if the peasants'who are open to bribery md have no real relation to the na-

tional spirit of the people. I. have received the English and American newspaper regularly during the time I have been with the German and Austru-Hungarian forces, and have been, -surprised at the misconception which seems to prevail regarding the determination on the pari of the Austrian and Hungarian people. In nearly every paper I read di -patches telling of tlie 'discontent among the people, of riots and famine, but I have yet to litid a. single one of these .-lories that proved to be true. It has been the habit in this war to fasten unfounded stories of cruelty and savagery upon the Germans, and stories of dissatisfaction, and unrest upon the Austrian* and Hungarians. It has been reported time after time that Hungary was about to make a separate peace, and that there was much friction between the two peoples. I personally know many influential men of both Austria and Hun-

Gary, and 1 have friendships amoug them that inspire confidence, and I believe th.-it. 1 do not exaggerate in the least when 1 say that the dual monarchy is an absolute unit I'or the con'finuanep of the war.

Whatever happens in the future, the Austro-Hungarian armies should he given the highest credit I'or their magnificent, work during the First five mouths of this titanic struggle in holding back the great hordes of Russian regiments pouring through every roadwav and mountain pass into their territovv. It has heen a struggle .against overwhelming- odds, a struggle that has tested the mind and muscle, of every

man from the aged Emperor down to the last recruit. That portion of the public in foreign lands which has criticised the operations of the Austrian forces, or which has gained an idea that their armies were weak and demoralised, that their commanders have, not been sufficient, and that their retreats have meant disaster, has not realised in the slightest, degree the immensity of the problem which has confronted the Austrian army from the very heginning or the war. The Austrian people -are a happy, care-free, peace-loving people, and they had great difficulty in bringing to themselves the. reality of the horrors of war. Tt must also be remembered that there does not seem to be the slightest animosity or hatred between the Austrians and the Russians. Thev both go about the business of killing each other as a disagreeable, temporary incident that must he attended to i'or the good of their respective countries, but they go about it with no rancor whatever in their minds. There has always been diplomatic rivalry, and many incidents have brought the two countries to the verge of hostilities but with it all there is always a good .word for the Russians from' every Austrian.

Austria, lias, been beset on every side by enemies actual and by enemies who .are steadily preparing and each: day threatening more openly. At the commencement of the campaign the Servian armies were undoubtedly the most dangerous part of the entire line arrayed against Germany and Austria, for the Servian army was made up of more

than four hundred thousand veterans of three Years' hard fighting. Their leaders hail mastered the game and. the, men had learned all of the smaller detail of war which can only be learned by experience in the field. The Servian armies commenced their operations at a state of efficiency which is just now being attained by most of the other 001111 tries after .several months' continual fighting. I except the German armies, because their organisation has proved to be such a marvellous thing even from the vorv beginning that it was in a class bv itself. But nil of the rest, from France to Montenegro, had to learn their lesson from the beginning. In this respect. lam inclined to believe Austria was the least prepared of any of the belligerent, nations. Her naval* defence, although small, was ot the first order, but the trend of events lias proved it to be useless up to the present time. Russia had learned many lessons in Manchuria, and thousands of her soldiers to-day wear the ycllo\v-and-black campaign ribbon of the struggle .against Japan ; the British had recently been schooled in South Africa, and the French in Morocco ; but of the present generations of Austrians and Hungarians but few knew anything of actual warfare. I do not mean that they were unprepared for war, for they had a truly splendid force, but there is only one' place to learn .actual warfare in all its hideous branches, and that is in the field in time of war; and that is why I say that Austria was the. least prepared of any nation. Her strength is growing each day, and earlv in.the year'she will have almost a million new men in the field; and I am inclined to thing 1 she will acquit herself well with the opening of the spring ' campaign.