aff quarters of two
or three army groups have to consult with each other about every
action and re-action before they make their various moves, unceasing
activity must be displayed by everyone in order to accomplish all that
each day demands. This activity which at one and the same time
actuates and reports, acts, observes, and accounts, requires the
possession of many manly virtues: the energy of strong nerves,
clearness, wisdom, knowledge, self-consciousness, and decision. Every
commander shares in it. But the greatest demands are made by it on the
few supreme commanders on whom depends the fate of millions.

"Thus the summer months quickly passed by. As they passed, the advance
continued. In spite of this, however, the crops were brought in from
the fields so recently conquered. And what was accomplished in this
direction will some day form a separate chapter in the economical
history of this war.

"Much of the crops, of course, had been destroyed. In many other cases
all the agricultural machines and implements had been carried off or
destroyed. And then there was a great lack of labor. What was there to
be done? Under the leadership of officers with agricultural experience
separate commissions were formed. They gathered up all the implements
and machines that could be found or could be repaired again and then
ordered by the hundred and thousand from the country in the rear what
they still lacked and soon battalions of war prisoners were busy
peacefully gathering in the wheat in the fields. Before long the
harvest had been completed. Threshers and threshing machines were put
to work. Wherever flour mills were in condition to allow of repairs,
mechanics were set to this task. And soon a steady stream of flour
poured forth that enabled the invaders to feed their armies, their
prisoners, and whatever part of the civil population had returned, to
a great extent from supplies raised and gathered in the occupied
region itself, a remarkable success gained from a combination of
German organization, Russian labor, and Polish versatility."

CHAPTER XXVIII

SIDELIGHTS ON THE RUSSIAN RETREAT AND GERMAN ADVANCE

The difficulties which the Austro-German troops encountered in
pursuing the withdrawing Russians were in many instances greatly
increased by the very strong field fortifications which the Russians
had thrown up everywhere to stem the advance of the enemy. How
effective these fortifications were may be readi