RUSSIA REJUVENATED

Nelson Evening Mail, 30 March 1916, Page 2

RUSSIA REJUVENATED

NOW STRONGER THAN EVER. CONFIDENT OF. VICTORY. , For the second time the Petrograd cor- ' irespondent of the London Times., spent tlie Russian Christmas with the army m the field. He savs that- Russia has renewed her fighting strength, and is_ as ' determined as her • Allies to press torward to victory over the l Teutonic loe. /A,-year ago the whole .Array as reduced to one shot per gun per "fTThe'contrast between in the iriatter of shells affords matter' f6r_ the 'heartiest congratulations to our ; ALies. Moreover,. the magnificent armies assembled on the Austro-Cerman- frontare evidence-bf"the* recuperative -power of Russia—a pow.et' , which the;. Germans boasted they Ifiad brpk6n.v The Germaiis : declared; tbiii. the Russian- Ai-my would remain inactive at least six months: they deceived theniselves, and' . tlie mistake • will cost rtlieih ">deaiv Russia has inflicted , enormous damage on her foe. ' -On a conservative estimate three or four millions of the inhabitants of Galicia migrated eastward before and during the ratreat. The population of Lemberg""• alone fell from 300.000 to 3d.000. These "Galician millions Were safely shepherded through the southwestern armies, thanks to the ;admir-, able care and Aforethought of' General Ivanoffs Staff. Something like two mil-', licins of working men and farm hands were thus added to Russia, not counting the prisoners ?of -war; Thanks to .them's ' i Russian inditstries are tltfrrHhg and asrri : ■culture prospers; while, oil- the other hand, the enemy is hard pressed for labour, and'is actually, resorting to the forcible and illegal employment of Russian prisoners Of war to act as drivers bf transport' and stretcher-hearers, because the whole male population, including; old / men,| have been conscripted. ■ I " General Ivan off "recently issued, the fol- ! lowing message :—".We • can - : go on _as ' lonff '-as- we are wanted. Our ' technical I services are'constantly improving.- Withi in' a r year our output if munitions -will ; have doubled. It does not' matter so J much where the fighting line extends, •because the' -outcome' of; the war will be I settled; not by the occupdion of' territory; but ■by the destruction! of • the Enemy's -armies ; and resources. We - are resuming the process of attrition on alarger scale, undeterred by • the . mud,-. : and are calmly arid patiently confident ■ in-i our'strength and in the: readiness of the country to endure anv trials that i may cornel .At the same time.'we doubt i not for" a-n instant that our Allies share i our view's and will exert themselves to ! the ■uttermost to utilise the wonderful j technical .resources and determirfation' Of • their people to vanquish the inveterate j Teutonic'foe." . 1