764 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Photo by Inter national News Service 



Russian Outpost in Galicia 



trees are cut down and posts made from them for the purpose of erecting the wire entanglements 

 with which all the contending armies protect themselves against infantry attacks 



fairly drove Austrians and Germans 

 from positions of great strength around 

 the quaint Httle Polish town of Kozien- 

 ice. From this place, for perhaps 10 

 miles west, and I know not how far 

 north and south, there is a belt of 

 forest of fir and spruce. I say forest, 

 but perhaps jungle is a better term for 

 it, for it is so dense with trees and 

 underbrush that one can hardly see 50 

 feet away. Near Kozienice the Russian 

 infantry, attacking in flank and front, 

 fairly wrested the enemy's position and 

 drove him back into this jungle. The 

 front was itself bristling with guns, 

 and I counted in about a mile position, 

 forty-two guns. The taking of this 

 line was in itself a test of the mettle of 

 the Russian peasant soldier. 



"But this was only the beginning. 

 Once in the wood, the Russian artillery 

 was limited in its effect upon the enemy ; 

 and in any event, the few roads through 



the forest and the absence of open 

 places made its use almost impossible 

 The enemy retired a little way into this 

 wilderness and fortified. The Russians 

 simply sent their troops in after them. 

 The fight w^as now over a front of 

 perhaps 20 kilometers. There was no 

 strategy. 



"It was all very simple. In this belt 

 were Germans and Austrians. They 

 were to be driven out, if it took a month. 

 The carnage began. 



"Day after day the Russians poured 

 troops in on their side of the wood. 

 These entered, were seen for a few min- 

 utes, then disappeared in the labyrinth of 

 trees and were lost. Companies, regi- 

 ments, battalions, and even brigades 

 were absolutely cut off from each other. 

 None knew what was going on anywhere 

 but a few feet in front. All knew that 

 the only thing required of them was 

 to keep advancing. This they did, 



