Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-15
WAR A TERRIBLE:
THIN RESERVE
OFFICER WRITES


Der IT, throws an Illuminating light on
subsistence conditions in the German
forces now in France. 1t is instructive in
a number OF other respects
1T Is a hot morning, the men are busy
digging trenches, and now the crash Of
artillery which kept up all morning Is no
longer heard. I am sitting under a tree
reading again and again your dear letter
and the remainder of my mail. Indeed
dear mother, if 1t could he done | would
telegraph you every day. But tina. is i'm
possible; SO now, while | have the time
I will write YOU as long a letter as posi-
BILE. One never knows what the future
will bring.
This Is a very idyllic spot am dis
turbed now and then in a most agreca BIZ
manner. Ripe pums fall from the tree
most conscientiously eat them. I have
hreakfasted we'll and the company bar
Der gave mo shave-which was urcNet
badly. In addition | have managed to get
som washing done, and now feel again
like a gentleman.
LAS I already told you the commissary
officer Of our battalion and went to the
same college. | have been obliged to pay
for this happy coincidence with many
bite | needed myself But yesterday he
told me that he had managed to get two
honest to- goodness. real and otherwise
bona tide hams. ! lost no time accepting
my sharo--Tt WIS fine and will last until
tonight. To tho great surprise of the cap
tain | managed to get Is pound of butter
from a farm COMM ssary bread ham
ana butter-what Lusculan feast ! had
last night. But there is nothing to smoke
Kindly send me a few cigarettes and some
pipe tobacco
THE owner Of the farm whore ! got
the butter is a woman; - wars old and
rather wealthy. She left the place. not
because she feared tho Germans. but the
French, as her manager told nc | wish
these people had sense enough tn remain
on their farms We do them no injury
and pay for everything we take. while the
property of those who run away is natur-
ally without owner and thus not pro-
| tected.
There is no evidence hero Of volks-
krieg (war carried on by the population
as in Belgium). The people are rather
afraid and do everything TO get along with
us. Everything is upside down nowadays,
dear mother, Master alone is the soldier.
/ right and wrong aie matters which NJ
/ rules on. all power and responsibility
has been placed on his shoulders. | thank
God that our hands are clean and that our
officers conduct Is beyond criticism. In
| X I asked woman whether sh,
had a complaint to make against our sol
diers, and she said NO, the German sol
diers are good lads
But with this the burning of Villages
has nothing to do. Most of them are ST
afirc by artillery shells, and when they a..
burned down purposcly it is done be-
cause the inhabitant. have fired upon o''
soldiers, In the villages Y and y
--- no stone remained In place. Son
Of our hussars entered Thorn and we
treacherousy shot down. The examp,
has brought good results We regr0tt,
that We had to do it, and now that Il.
people have been brought to their sense
further measures of that sort have bee.
prohibited
I'm the village Of " | saw a.
old man sit In house which had been Il
Stroyed, In front of him stood a vencr
able gray old mantle priest-who sur
veyed the remnant of his congrcgatio,
wit sorrow. | entered the village at tn
head Of two hattalions and when the oil,
priest saw me he looked at me In "A wa
cut into my very soul. Then with tn
sudden motion OF fear he took off his ha
and held II in his hand, until the last mar
had passed him, think he feared that
refusal to greet us would be taken as al
offense. What went on in the mind o
the old priest would be interesting t,
know. But this is war, ana We did no
want the lndescribahlc misery which +
has brought on.
Last night at roll call We heard tn
news of the German victory over III
English French and BelGians We es
pecially appreciated the news conccrnin,
the English. our hate for these pcrfidiou
fellows is universal and much create
than our feeling against the French
Everybody wants chance to get at them
and God have mercy on them should the,
get before our rifes--frOm us they nee,
expect none.
AT seven in the evening we heard tn
news OF the Russian defeat. hope tina
the good tidings will be- confirmed w
are advancing everywhere.
1T is a beautiful evening. and | wi
have to do field duty tonight The entir
, village had prepared itself for defense, bu
in the last moment they lost heart. Jus
now they brought in a French soldie
who has been In hiding five days in
chicken house.
AT my side the captain is cutting up
cucumber-oil and vinegar have been ST
cured after n long search"
While the officer is on outpost duty h
continues the letter.
We'll, I am out in the field. In front q
J us the territory is occupied by the enem,
. War Is terrible thing, This noon Will
= was inspecting the outposts five Frenc
y chasseurs on patrol work advanced tc
wards our position We We're in the woods
Fire was opened on them at 90 meters
r regretted having to give the commanC
e The officer, o6 years old and married tw
e days before the mobilization, as | learne
Q afterwards was killed. The others wer
wounded and taken prisoners We did No
aim at the horses-they and the saddle
are hrst-cass and now five of ue' wi
ride. To have to do that sort of this
distressing, hut what is 30 be done C'es
. In ruerro'
y, ~ have received mail twice so far. an
every time the post arrives | imagln
" there must be something for me Wha
u. has become of the letters? We are her
= far from human aid-have no tents an
.re not permitted to make fire NJ