In the trail of that march the Poles had gathered by the thousands to follow the Russians. fearing the German Army would devastate the country. The Russians in their retreat had burned most of the buildings and had destroyed all the crops and foodstuffs they could not take with them. There were possibly half a million refugees. poor peasants living on the farms along the highway which stretched for about 200 miles from Warsaw to BrestLitovsk. near the border line of Russia. It was estimated by General Falkenhayn. who was then Governor General of Poland. the man who took Antwerp. a great artillery expert who gave me these figures. that probably 300.000 refugees. caught between these two armies. the one retreating. the other advancing. died of starvation along that roadside over a period of about four weeks. Going over that road by motor with a German colonel. we tried to count the little wicker baby baskets which were along the roadside. Those were the baskets in which young children are placed. the baskets swing by a rope from the rafters of the peasants cottage over the dirt floor. swinging back and forth. rocking the baby to sleep.
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refugees