New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-27
rr;bune Correspondent
Shows Staff How Its
system May Fail.
TASK is SIMPLY TO
BOARD TROOP TRAIN
u,,,,er Goes TO Headquarters
",,.anuounced and Tells How
He Eiuded Guards.
SAG Correspondent OF The New
York Tricune.l

y CNAh
York Trieune.l
o..nu Great Headquarters IN
v.~,,s, Dec. There Is q certain
rsDO,opy about the scientific muir
S,,s ., the firing iine--a routine repe,
'I,,or az artillery dusls, slarums and
u which can be land are
lag wildly described by "wsr cor
.snA,n,." from the safe vantage
- Of comfortable cafes miles
'-sy, The real human interest end OF
~, vl,rs.mOdern war is to be cleaned
49,, rambling around the operating
-. IN q thoroughly irresponsible
Imsricsa manner. trusting in pr0vi'
lance and the red American eagle
- on your emergency passport
"a ,stter from Charles Lesimpler
,ss genial consul at Cologne to keep
vcu from being shot
For instance, you get some interest
40 srst-hand knowledge as to how
mics can get away with it" in spite
!, the perfect German military sys-
avn Of controls and passes. There IS
10 aspy hysteria" in Germany, as
here apparently is in England juds'
,,s from the London press, but none
~ less the German authorities know
..secilv we'll that there are swarms
sn;ss in their midst, and are hunt
20 them down with quiet, typically
Tsutonie thoroughness.
ant the very perfection of the Ger
man military machine is its weak
.not and on this. my second visit TO
~ German Great Headquarters, ! was
NE "a give the astonished authorities
nersonal demonstration as 70 how
srr smooth tongued stranger could
.,,r nm At even this "holy of holes"
TIL nocturnal trail led in a military
rain from Luxembourg over Longwy TO
Iongvion. where. at 3 O'Clock IN the
morning. I met Herman Herzberger, a
wealthy glove leather manufacturer OF
Berlin, well known to the trade in New
York and Gloversville.
SWbat a coincidence" Mr.. Herr
berger remarked, in good American.
q am going 70 the front with my wife
"a see my eighteen-year-ol son, who
IA in hospital at Vonziers. My son,
Who was in the high school, enlisted
az volunteer. with practically the
whole school. at the outbreak or the
var.
On a Troop Train.
With Mr. Herzberger l boarded s
,soop transport at Longwy and crswled
On through the night 20 the front. II
/ rssa reserve battalion of q Prussian
Infantry regiment of the line, and a
little research work produced the in
,eNs.ing discovery that IL was COM
nosed OF men who had been wounded,
Fsrs recovered and going back for the
second time. They were delighted 70
lave an American in their midst, and
promptly made me an honorary mem
ber. They had no idea where they were
! going, but eagerly hoped they would
. /, back in the trenches by evening
"Msny Of US" said a sergeant, did
not need to come back because, owing
10 having received serious wounds the
I4tL llWts we MEIE tANAcNN 4AbAAA ~AA
/ ser military service-but they al
,sme back, none the less. Here's one
/ nan VINO had nine wounds, rom bullets
! md shell splinters, and this one was
no: through the lungs. but you're all
4 light again, aren't you? and this one
s going back. although he has wife
4 nd six children al home"
i was an interesting revelation as TO
lie morale Of the German reinforce
nsnts.
Az 9 o'clock in the morning the troop
transport stopped for refreshments at
the French village Of V, and here
furry phenomenon was witnessed.
From all sides the shrewd inhabitants
Of the village came running, scores Of
them, with bottles Of wine. The laugh
ing German soldiers got out, and, ne
Eonating over a picket fence, returne
With the refreshments, while the in
tabitsnts made of with German coin.
4 saw bottles CT champagne change
hands here for the sum of 20 cents. In
spite Of the cheapness of wine, how
ever, TIE German soldier is well disci-
pinned and does not go the limit"
4 One Of the soldiers told the following
Nory 70 illustrate the iron discipline
enforced in the kaiser's army in the
case Of the inevitable black sheep: "a
french woman who kept 6 small tav-
en- came TO our commandant and COM
planned because a Bavarian soldier had
Esntonly turned the spigot and allowed
whole cask Of red wine 10 run out on
hs ground. After an investigation the
Gender was found guilty and for pun
n ~ =
10 be tied fast by your head and legs
= the most dreaded punishment, be-
s1use you are disgraced before all your
e'mrades."
From X---I started out on a foot
,our through Nance and entered the
S'osses Hauptquartier Great Head
aarers) unchallenged by the back
uoor Journalistically It was disap-
pOhtng at first, for il was Sunday
morning, and apparently Prussian mill
sflsm keeps the Sabbath holy. There
ss no interviewing the Kaiser, for he
ssa gone way down East" and with
I'm I'm ms War Minister. General Won
aAenhayn. The courteous command
~ Solonel Won Hahnke, was not or
my 700. Even the brilliant chief OF the
| ~ DIVISION, Major Nikolai, was out
General staff.
Movement of Troops.
Dut there were compensations, for al
.urn Of the road ! saw a more i'm.
4 tvisslVe sight than even the motoring
s'Sef-a mile Of German cavalry com.
s Gown the straight chaussee, gray
IA 'eIneh as far as the eye could see
So more constantly coming over the
a. oi the distant hill, with batteries
vha pe'o artillery sandwiched between
s.''s on the railroad track, paralleling
( sr, Ighway. infantry and heavy artil-
H., troop trains crawled past in end
succession, as closely together as
49, trains during the rush hour al
usss ' An allied aeroplane lowering
v,,nesd would have learned something
Ndu usu lnnocently blundered into one
n VIC most inlbOrtapt tvoo,s ,,,o.,o.. ..,, . q,