Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-27
The Emperor Shows His Generalship
in the Maneuvers.
REALISM OF A MIMIC BATTLE
Situations That Put Officers and
Men to the Test.
THE CONDITIONS OF WAR

From the London Mall.
The gentleit en- of the press assembled In
the railway station of Frankfurt at $50
each morning; there they met the officer of
the great general staff appointed to give
them information concerning the maneu-
yeFs. To each he distributed an account
of the forces engaged, a summary of the
preceding days operations. a map showing
the position Of the troops. and sketch OF
the idea governing the operations for the
day. Each journalist lad his pass, ena-
bling him to wander he liked over the
whole ground. The country covered 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 cavalry d.
visions. Say, roughly, force equal to the
British army in Britain.
Substitute ball cartridge for blank and
the two armies were operating exactly I'M
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
nrst day. 1t had been raining since mid
night; at $50. as 1 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 gestures were like soaked
sponge, and the heavens were opened like
sieve The beautiful red-and- blue-marked
maps were pulp in my pocket before 1 saw
the first soldier. Then, trott1ng along the
streaming road, i came up with a string
Of wagons-the baggage of the advance
guard. The Infantry escort had covers over
their helmets: they were squeezing water
out of their Wellington boots by the buck
ct; they had been on the road since 3 in the
morning. yet they were lighting cigars with
cheerfulneSs. and grinned as they asked
me if 1 had seen anything of the Bavar-
f2nS.
Mumed Thud of Guns.
As the broad-faced peasant asked the
question came the mufled thud of guns
away on the right; rode up long hill of
stubble. and looked out over a gray half
county of hill and valley wood and mud
and water. to see what 1T was. Miles away
on the left wisp of smoke was Just melt
ing into the dr:zzle; miles away in front
came couple of sparks. That was the be-
ginning. That was the horse artillery at
tached to the accommodating cavalry; they
mad found the enemy, and were trying
shot or two to tempt him to reply. I
descrled In the direction Of the fire a church
steeple. apparently just being washed of
the skyline of bare hill. When 1 got
there 1 found infantry. knapsacks and cook
ing pans. overcoats and water bottles, rifles
ana cartridge pouches; these boys of twen-
ty had been scTunching through slusn and
gravel since hah-past 1 in the morning It
was now 10; but bent a little forward un-
ger the weight on their backs. with tight
Delts and pale faces and lips gripped to-
gether, they scrunched heavily on.
however. the operations of the day were
already almost over. Presently l came to
the leading battalions of the Pruss:an force:
they had piled arms on either side of a
road that ran through a wood; they had
got their Jacks off. ard were soaking placid
ly on the ground. Generals and adiutants
and umpires. 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 a
little clump of half dozen or a dozen
Chlans- They would be moving along at
wary walk Then the clump would split
up one man disappeared down q grass
ride through the wood; another rode eau
tiously TO a cottage, stole round it silently.
and brushed the drops from his helmet as
he peered through the rain: another rode
up to a little knoll and did his best TO Oh
nterate himself under a tree; from time to
time each returned and reported to the lieu
tenant or sergeant in command.
Race for Position.
1 rode past them. and then suddenly met
a couple of riders prying stealthily through
the trees; this was the beginning of the
Bavarians. Next moment there was a
heavy tramping along the road, and I'D
swung battalion of blue Bayarian in
Iantry 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 TIE trees where the Prussian bat
talions had piled arms. A crack two
cracks, rattle-the armies were in touch,
and the fight had begun.
And for that day it was over. The days
work was to get in touch with the enemy
race for position. 1t had been done thor
oughly, cautiously, strenuously. exactly az
In war. And now. what next? The men
had been eight hours the march in a
neve--ceasinS alienation Of drizzle and
downpour To make them bivouac in two
inches ha
country's defenders to die Of Inflammation
and rheumatic fever. So they were billeted
From house to house. over 100 square
miles. went soldiers with little bits of pa
per quartering the trcops-in this house 1--WE
men. in that an officer or two, here four
horses. there gun. The possibility had
been foreseen but until the last moment In
had been intended to bivouac Yet in four
hours 10000 men, and heaven knows how
many horses. guns and wagons. were safe
unoer shelter No confusion. no perplex-
lily. no hitch! That Is the German army
The fourth day was even more eloquent
II mad been arranged that the Prussia ns
We're In retreat. and the days exercise was
1or 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 word-and at dawn a new cavalry
division lad appeared In the field.
Heavy Fighting.
There had been two days Of heavy fight
ing in between No one man could have
seen the whole Of 1t. 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 a lively
crackle of fire. and the guns booming be-
hind Then on one side a harsh yell Of
command: one line springs UP and makes a
rush over the field or through the tree
trunks at the other. Half way they lie down
hat
The opposite line slackens. Then up spring
the assaiiants again and rush on: Lively
fire." yells the captain in the defending
line: Lively fire." roar the sergeants 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 cartridges spit
out a breathless rush of fire. Then the
two lines stand painting and grinning 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 the as