Evening star., 1914-12-27
GERMAN SYSTEM"
GETS HARD JOLT
Correspondent Shows How
Easy 1t Is to Reach Teuton
''HoIy of Holes"
PRUSSIANS GUARD WAYS,
BUT WRITER SLIPS IN
Kaiser's Officers Impressed by Amer
lean Writer'S Ability to Get to
the Great Headquarters.
Specisl Correspondence Of The star and the New
York Times.

Special Correspondence Of The star and the New
York Times.
GERMAN GREAT HEADQUARTERS
IN FRANCE, December There is
certain monotony about the "sctentif1c
murder" of the firing line-a routine
repetition of artillery duels. alarms
and excursions which can be (and are
Jeing) vividly described by war cor
respondents" from the safe Vanta ge
ground of comfortable cafes miles
away. The real human interest end OF
this ultra modern war is to be CLEANED
from rambling around the operating
zone in thoroughly irresponsible
american manner. trusting in Provf-
dence and the red American eagle
sealed on your emergency passport and
a letter from Charles Lesimple. the
genial consul at Cologne, to keep you
from being shot.
For instance, you get some interest
ing first-hand knowledge as to how
spies can get away with 1t" in spite
of the perfect German military system
of controls and passes. There is no
spy hysteria' in Germany as there
apparently is i'll England. judging from
the London papers, but none the less
the German authorities know perfectly
well that there are swarTnS of spies un
their midst and are hunting them down
with quiet. typicaily Teutonlc thor
UughueSS.
Hut the very perfection of the Ger
man military machine is its weak spot,
and on this. my second visit to the
German Great Headquarters. wa aole
to give the astonished authorities
personal demonstration as to how any
!, ST.
UP 1T even this holy of holies. The
nocturnal trail led in Il military train
from Luxembourg over IongWy TO
Lo.Syiou, where, at 5 o'clock i'll the
morning, ] met Herman Hertzberger.
a wealthy glove leather manufacturers
vi Berlir well known to the trade i'll
New York and t;loversville.
w hat u coincidence" Mr.. Herzherg-
er remarked i'll good English. Il am
going to the front with my wife to see
Iuy eighteen-year-old son, who is in
a hospital at Nonziers. My son, who
was i'll the high school, enlisted as a
volunteer, with practically the Whole
school, at the outbreak of the war
Travelling With the Troops.
longyion and crawled on through the
night to the front. 1t was a reserve
battalion of q Prussian infantry resi-
work produced the interesting discov-
cry that it was composed of men who
had been wounded, were recovered, and
going back for the second time. They
were delighted to have an American in
their midst. and promptly made me an
where they were going, but eagerly
Hoped they would be back in the
trenches by evening
Many of u.s. said a sergeant, did
not need to come back, because owing
10 having received service wounds the
frSt time we were excused from fur
ther military service, but they all came
back, none the less. Here's one man
who had nine wounds. from bullets and
she'll splinters, and this one was shot
fhrough the lungs, but you're all right
again, aren't you? And this one is going
back, although he has wife and six
children at home.
It was an interesting revelation as to
the morale of the German reinforce
ments.
At o'clock in the morning the troop
transport stopped for refreshments at
the French village OF y, and here a
funny phenomenon was witnessed.
FROM all sides the shrewd inhabitants
o. the village came running, scores of
them. with bottles of wine The' laugh
;ng German soldiers got out and nego-
llating over d picket fence. returned
With the refreshments while the inhabi-
tants made off with German coin. l
saw bottles of champagne change hands
here for 20 cents. In spite of the cheap
ness of wine, however, the German sol
der is we'll disciplined and does not
go the limit: l have never seen an in
toxicated soldier aiield.
One of the soldiers told the following
story to illustrate the iron discipline
enforced in the kaisers army in tn .
case of the inevitable black sheep: a
FrenchWomau who kept = small tav-
eln. came to our commandant and com
In 1fah
Nantonly turned the spigot and allowed
a whole cask of red wine to run out on
the ground. After an investigation the
offender was found guilty and for pun
tShment tied to a tree for two hours. To
be tied fast by your head and legs is
he most dreaded punishment because
YOU are disgraced before all your com.
rades."
apd entered the crosses hautquarter
great headquarters), unchallenged, by
The back door Journalistically it was
Disappointing at first. for it was Sunda y
morning and apparently PruSSian mill.
t;irism keeps the Sabbath holy. There
was no interviewing the kaiser, for lie
. has gone way down east" and with
him his war minister, Gen. Won Falken.
Aayn. The courteous commandant Col
Non Hahnke, was not on the job. Ever
the brilliant chief of the press division
Mai. Nikolai. was out Of town when
called on the great general staff.
A Great Troop Movement.
But there were compensations, for al
4 turn of the road 1 saw Il more i'm
pressive sight than even the motoring
kaiser-a mile of German cavalry com
ing down the straight chausse, gray
horsemen as far the eye could see
and more constantly coming over the
brow of the distant hill. with batteries
OF 6eld artillery Sandwiched between
while on the railroad track, paralleinr
the highway, infantry and heav.
artillery troop trains crawled past ir
endless succession, as closely together
subway trains during the rush houJ
1T home. An allied aeroplane, hoverine
overhead. would have learned some.
thing to its advantage.
l had lnnocently blundered into one
of the most important troop movement.
of the war, but how many and where
they were coming from or where the,
We're going to l pledged myself not t(
disclose. The inevitable company Of
cyclists rode at the head of the Ions
column that was still passing when
went to bed. Next came an imposing
away, then crack guard cavalry regi
ment, proud standard flying, then cav
airy less elite, here and there a pale
faced specialized trooper who looked
like converted theological student
Whole regiments came riding down tn,
pike singing The Red, White ant
Black in unison-a stirring, marchins
song. which for patriotic fervor ant
lighting spirit puts It all over' tn,
British It's Long Way to Tip
perary.'