_By Hamilton Fyfe, Correspondent of The London Daily Mail._
PETROGRAD, March 23.
Advance detachments of Russian troops entered Przemysl last night. The
business of collecting the arms is proceeding. I believe the officers
will be allowed to keep their swords.
Great surprise has been caused here by a statement that the number of
troops captured exceeds three army corps. Possibly on account of the
snowstorm no further telegram has been received from the Grand Duke
Nicholas, and no details of the fall of the garrison have yet been
officially announced. I have, however, received the definite assurance
of a very high authority that the force which has surrendered includes
nine Generals, over 2,000 officers, and 130,000 men. In spite of the
authority of my informant, I am still inclined to await confirmation of
these figures.
The leading military organ, the Russki Invalid, says that the garrison
was known to number 60,000 men and that it had been swelled to some
extent by the additional forces drafted in before the investment began.
The Retch estimates the total at 80,000, and a semi-official
announcement also places the strength of the garrison at that figure,
excluding artillery and also the men belonging to the auxiliary and
technical services.
There is an equal difference of opinion regarding the number of guns
taken. The estimates vary from 1,000 to 2,000. What is known for certain
is that the fortress contained 600 big guns of the newest type and a
number of small, older pieces.
The characteristic spirit in which Russia is waging war is shown by the
service of thanksgiving to God which was held immediately the news of
the fall of the fortress reached the Grand Duke's headquarters. The Czar
was there to join with the staff in offering humble gratitude to the
Almighty for the great victory accorded to the Russian arms.
The first crowds which gathered here yesterday to rejoice over the great
news moved with one consent to the Kazan Cathedral, where they sang the
national hymn and crossed themselves reverently before the holy,
wonder-working picture of Kazan, the Mother of God. In spite of the
heaviest snowstorm of the Winter, which made the streets impassable and
stopped the tramway cars, the Nevski Prospekt rang all the afternoon and
evening with the sound of voices raised in patriotic song.
Przemysl is admitted to be the first spectacular success of the war on
the side of the Allies. It is not surprising that the nation is proud
and delighted, yet so generous is the Russian mind that there mingle
with its triumph admiration and sympathy for the garrison which was
compelled to surrender after a long, brave resistance. Popular
imagination has been thrilled by the story of the last desperate sortie,
which will take a high place in the history of modern war.
When toward the end of the week the hope of relief, which had so long
buoyed up the defenders, was with heavy, resolved hearts abandoned,
General Kousmanek resolved to try to save at all events some portion of
his best troops by sending them to fight a way out. From the ranks,
thinned terribly by casualties and also by typhus and other diseases
caused through hunger and the unhealthy state of the town, he selected
20,000 men and served out to them five days' reduced rations, which were
all he had left. He also supplied them with new boots in order to give
them as good a chance as possible to join their comrades in the
Carpathians, whose summits could be seen from Przemysl in the shining,
warm Spring sunshine.
It was a hopeless enterprise, pitifully futile. It is true that the
Austrian armies sent to relieve the city were only a few days' march
distant, but even if the 20,000 had cut a way through the investing
force they would have found another Russian army between them and their
fellow-countrymen. General Kousmanek, before they started, addressed
them. In a rousing speech he said:
Soldiers, for nearly half a year, in spite of cold and hunger,
you have defended the fortress intrusted to you. The eyes of
the world are fixed on you. Millions at home are waiting with
painful eagerness to hear the news of your success. The honor
of the army and our fatherland requires us to make a
superhuman effort. Around us lies the iron ring of the enemy.
Burst a way through it and join your comrades who have been
fighting so bravely for you and are now so near.
I have given you the last of our supplies of food. I charge
you to go forward and sweep the foe aside. After our many
gallant and glorious fights we must not fall into the hands of
the Russians like sheep; we must and will break through.
In case this appeal to the men's fighting spirit were ineffective
threats were also used to the troops, who were warned by their officers
that any who returned to the fortress would be treated as cowards and
traitors. After the General's speech the men were told to rest for a few
hours. At 4 in the morning they paraded and at 5 the battle began. For
nine hours the Austrians hurled themselves against the iron ring, until
early in the afternoon, when, broken and battered, the remains of the
twenty thousand began to straggle back to the town. Exhausted and
disheartened, the garrison was incapable of further effort.
In order to prevent useless slaughter General Kousmanek sent officers
with a flag of truce to inquire about the terms of surrender. These were
arranged very quickly.
In spite of the local value of the victory, and the vastness of the
captures of material as well as of men, it must not be thought, as many
are inclined to think here, that the Novoe Vremya exaggerates
dangerously when it compares the effect likely to be produced with that
of the fall of Metz and Port Arthur.
It certainly brings the end of the Austrians' participation in the war
more clearly in sight. But the Austrians will fight for some time yet.
What it actually does is to free a large Russian force for the
operations against Cracow or to assist in the invasion of Hungary.
What is the strength of this force it would be imprudent to divulge, but
I can say that it certainly amounts to not less than an "army,"
(anything from 80,000 to 200,000 men.) Those who are anxious to arrive
at a closer figure can calculate by the fact that the Russians had a
forty-mile front around Przemysl which was strong enough to repulse
attacks at all points. Another very useful consequence is that all the
Galician railway system is now in Russian hands. It makes the transport
of troops much easier.
One further reflection was suggested to me last night by a very
distinguished and influential Russian soldier, holding office under the
Government. "The method which prevailed at Przemysl was as follows:
Instead of rushing against the place and losing heavily, we waited and
husbanded our forces until the garrison was unable to hold out any
longer. That is the method adopted by the Allies. It must in the course
of time force Germany to surrender also.
"Up to now we have held our own against her furious sorties. Soon we
shall begin to draw more closely our investing lines. Only one end was
possible to Przemysl. The fate of Germany is equally sure."
Now all eyes are fixed on the Dardanelles. The phrase on every lip is:
"When the fall of Constantinople follows, then Prussia must begin to see
that the case is hopeless." But we must not deceive ourselves, for even
when her allies are defeated Prussia will still be hard to beat.
Przemysl must not cause us to slacken our effort in any direction or in
the slightest degree.