THE GERMANS' GREATEST GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 226, 15 June 1915, Page 3

THE GERMANS' GREATEST GENERAL.

HOW RAILWAYS HELP KINDENBURG. The decisive factor in the titanic struggle which is sweeping to and fro over the plains of Poland and East Prussia is not General Von Hindeuburg nor Grand Duke Nicholas, but General Locomotive, says the “Scientific American.” After giving du© credit to the strateical sklil of the German and Russian generals to the vronderful military efficiency of the German Army, and to th e traditional stubbornness and bravery of the Russian infantry, it has become ident during the past six months of the great war that the fundamental determining condition of success, for one side or the other, is the propinquity of the contending armies to the network of military railroads that, approaches and everywhere covers the German frontiers.

_ One of the most illuminating bits of. literature which anyone can read at the present time is the second chapter of General Kouropatkin’s great work,' entitled “The Russian Army and the Japanese War.” General Kouropatkin. as we all know, was the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armies during the greater part of that memorable conflict. At the conclusion of the war he retired to his estates in Russia and devoted his time to writing this voluminous work, the second chapter of the first volume of which is devoted to a, discussion of Russia’s 11,000 miles of frontiers in Europe and Asia. At the close of the chapter he says: “An analysis of the strength and resources of our nearest neighbours forced me to the conclusion that our Western, frontier has never in the whole history of Russia been exposed to such danger in the event of a European war as it is now, and that accordingly the attention of the War Department in the first years of the present century should be confined to strengthening our position on that side and not diverted to aggressive enterprises elsewhere.” Earlier in the chapter, and in explanation of the disadvantageous position of Russia with regard to Germany and Austria, h esays: “The German frontier 73S miles in length, follo-ws nonatural feature. Beyond it lies our nearest neighbour,a nation with whom we have been iu close social and economic touch with European life.” He points out that the principal and practically decisive, superiority of Germany lies in her railways. “To her seventeen lines,” he says, “running to our frontiers, we can oppose only five. This advantage's overwhelming, and gives to her and Austria a superiority which can be counter-balanced neither by large numbers nor by bravery.” As regards Austria, he points out that in the matter of railway development th e Austrians have also an enormous advantage. “While they, by means of eight lines of rail containing ten tracks, can run 2GO trains up to the frontier every 24 hours, wo can convey troops up to the same pointonly on four lines.”