Their
retreat, which, during the past week, has been rapid, has been well
protected by heavy rear guard actions, which have temporarily delayed
the pursuing Austrians at various points. At the same time, however, but
little respite was given to the Russians.
German and Austrian reports as to the number of prisoners and amount of
booty will bear scrutiny, and, taken into consideration with recent
disturbances in Italy, may safely be discounted. The surrender of such
large bodies of troops, even in the Russian Army, cannot be forced when
the lines of retreat are open or when sufficient notice is given that
such lines are dangerously menaced. It is only when troops are
surrounded or when a large hostile force is thrust in between units, as
happened some months ago with the Tenth Russian Army in the Masurian
Lakes district, that such surrenders occur.
This does not apply, of course, to the wounded, and in the present case
the Russians, through the enforced rapidity of their retreat, must
necessarily in many instances have left their wounded on the field of
battle to fall into the hands of the pursuing enemy.
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