The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-27

SERIOUS GAME OF WARS
GERMAN MANEUVERS VIEWED FROM
A BRITISH STANDPOINT.
The Kaiser as a GeneraI--HOwever He
Yields His Army Like Master.
G. w. Stevens. in London Mail.


them information concerning the maneu-
vers. To each he distributed an account of
the forces engaged, a summary of the pre-
ceding days operations, map showing the
position of the troops, and a sketch of the
idea governing the operations of the day.
Each journalist had his pass, enabling him
to wander as he liked over the whole
ground when he had got his information
from the herr major he could act upon it
as he deemed best. The arrangement gave
him plenty of discretion; the country COW
cred by the maneuvers was fifty miles by
twenty-five, the force engaged four army
corps-two Prussian, two Bavarian-of three
divisions apiece, with three Independent cav
airy divisions. Say, roughly, country the
size of wiltshire and a force equal to the
British army in Britain.
Substitute ball cartridges for blank and
the two armies were operating exactly UNI
der the conditions of war.
The generals commanding knew roughly
the strength of the enemy where he was
and what he was doing each had to find out
fer himself. That was the exercise of the
first day. 1t had beeen raining since mid
night; at $50, as l climbed slowly up the
high ground northeast of Frankfurt, the
roads were already like rice pudding; the
plowed fields chung to boots and horseshoes
till they felt like the leaden soles OF diver;
the pastures were like soaked sponge, and
the heavens were opened like a sieve The
beautiful red-and- blue-marked maps were
pulp in my pocket before l saw the hrst
soldier. Then, trotting along the streaming
road, 1 came up with string OF wagons
the baggage of the advance guard. The IN
fantry escort had covers over their helmets;
how their
lington boots by the bucket; they mao peen
on the road since in the morning, yet tney
were lighting cigars with cheerfuness, ana
grinned as they asked me II L had seen
anything of the BaVarlanS.. :
As the broad-faced peasant asked tne
question came the mutt1ed thud OF guns
away on the right; rode up long hill OF
stubble, and looked out over a gray nalI,
county of hill and valley, wood, ana muQ
and water, to see what it was. Miles away
on the left a wisp of smoke was just melt
ing into the drizzle; miles away IN Iront
came a couple of sparks, washed OUT asalil
in an instant, and then, minute dltei,
couple of thuds. That was the oeEinnlng.
That was the horse artillery attached 10 the
accommodating cavalry they had Iou mo the ne
enemy and were trying shot or two 10
tempt him to reply and show his hand
deserted in the direction of the fire churcn
steeple apparently just being washed OIL
the sky line of a bare hill, and rode toward
it, When ! got there l found infantry,
knapsacks and cooking pans oyercoats ana
water bottles, rifles and Cartridge pouches,
these boys of twenty had been scrunchlng
through slush and gravel since l;5O IN the
morning. 1t was now ~; but, nent a n ni.n
forward under the weight on their PACKS,
with tight belts and pale races ana hpS
gripped together, they scrunched heavily on.
However, the operations OF the oay wete
already almost over. Presently L came TO
the leading battalions of the Prussian force;
they had piled arms on either SIDE OF a roau
that ran through WOOD; they mao got tn tsl
packs off and were soaking plac1dly on the
ground Generals and adjutants and UNI ;
pires in long mauve-gray overcoats,
sploshed up and down, saluting rigidly Just
in front the cavalry were feeling Tor the
enemy At each turn in the road, at each
break in the trees you came on little
clump of half a dozen or dozen Uhlans.
walk Then the clump would split up. One
man disappeared down grass
ridge through the wood; another
rode cautiously to cottage,
stole round it silently, and brushed
the drops from his helmet as he peered
through the rain; another rode up to a lit
tie knoll and did his best to obliterate him.
self under tree; from time to time each
returned and reported to the lieutenant or
sergeant in command. / rode past them, and
then suddenly met a couple of riders prying
stealthily through the trees; TINS was the
beginning of the Bavarians. Next moment
there was heavy tramping along the road
and up swung battalion of blue Bavarian
infantry. Without moments pause they
wheeled to the right, breaking in the in
slant into companies in line and then, bent
a little forward, rifles ready, moved swiftly
toward the trees where the Prussian bat
talions had piled arms. A crack two cracks.
a rattle-the armies were in touch, and the
fight had begun.
SHELTERING 10000 MEN.
And for that day it was over. The days
work was to get in touch with the enemy
a race for position. 1t had been done thor
oughly, cautiously, strenuously, exactly as
in war. And now, what next? The men
had been eight hours on the march in a
never-ceasing alienation of drzzle and
downpour. To make them bivouac in two
inches of water would be to invite the
country's defenders to die of Inflammation
and rheumatic fever. So they were billeted.
From house to house, over 1900 square
miles, went soldiers with little bits of pa
per quarterlng the troopS-in this house five
men, in that an officer or two, here four
horses, there a gun. The possibility had
been fOreSeen but until the last moment it
had been intended to bivouac. Yet in four
hours 100000 men, and heaven knows how
many horses, guns and wagons, were safely
under shelter. No confusion, no perplex-
itv. no hitch! That is the German army.
The fourth day was even more eloquent
1t had been arranged that the Prussians
were in retreat, and the days exercise was
for cavalry to break them up The Kaiser
himself took command of the cavalry. and
to give him a force worthy of a Kaiser the
divisions of both sides were combined into
one corps. But then the retreating Prus-
slams must have cavalry too. So somebody
said a woodland at dawn a new cavalry
ulVlSlOn nad appeared in the field. Six
thousand men, fully horsed, fully accoutred
for war, had been called up from some
where at a moments notice, and there they
were, ready. don't know where they came
from = perhaps from Metz. perhaps from
Magdeburg, it does not matter. At the word
of command there they instantly were,
ready That, again, is the German army.
There had been three days of heavy. fight
ing in between. No one man could have
seen the whole of it, for the line was ten
miles long-but it was presumably all the
Same-infantry lying down in line, hostile
infantry lying down opposite them, lively
crackle of fire. and the guns booming be-
hind. Then one side a harsh yell of
command; one line springs up and makes
rush over the field or through the tree
trunks at the other Halfway they lie
down, and their fire rings out again. as
that of the opposite line slackens. Then
UP spring the aSsailantS again and rush
on; Lively fire." yells the captain in the
defending line; Lively fire." roar the SER
geants after him. The guns are suddenly
hushed as the attacking line makes its last
rush; the captains and sergeants' whistles
scream on the other, and the blank cart
tridges spit out a breathless rush of fire.
Then the two lines stand painting and grin
ming at each other ten yards apart. How's
that, umpire? Successful charge, says
the umpire and the defenders troop back
to a new position. Or else, "Unsuccessful
and the defending peasants guffaw as the
assaiants troop back to begin over again.
The Ksiser's day was different. l stood
on q long hill and watched the PruSSianS
in retreat. Down at the bottom on one side
the last battalion was marching in solid
column along a valley road; at the other
side were stealing up the blue uniforms of
a weak RaVarian bicycle corps. Suddenly