Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-04
GERMANS CHEERFUL
IN FACING LOSSES
People Underrated Size of
Task, But Are Willing to Pay
Cost, However Great.
MOBILIZATION EXECUTED
IN WONDERFUL MANNER
Confidence in Reports Of General
staff Is Complete-Financial
Situation Gratifying.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.


BERLIN. August 22.-The departure
of Emperor William "in the direction
Of Mayence" Chat Is as much as the
press was permitted to know or re-
port about it) may be said to mark
the beginning of this great European
war, SO far as Germany is concerned.
As in 1870. the more important of the
emperors advisers went to the front
with him. The party included Chan
cellor Won Bethmann Hol1weg, Secre-
tary Of State Won Jagow. War Minis
ter Won Falkenhayn and other high
governmental and army omcials.
The plan of campaign is that thought
out many years ago and never since
departed from-to bend all energies at
the very outset to the smashing of
Germany's western neighbor. Russia is
to be left to Austria until France shall
have been disposed Of.
No one can come in daily contact
with the officers of the general staff
without being Impressed with their
confidence in an eventual and absolute
victory. There Is no boasting. no dis
position to underrate the ability OF
the enemy. but there is grim de.
termination to win at any cost That
this cost will be terrifcal1y high Is
not for q moment doubted, but the
men in charge Of operations are de-
termined to make any sacrifices, no
matter how appalling, to reach their
goal.
People Ready to Pay Cost.
The people are inclined to underrate
the size Of the task before the German
arms. They are. however. ready to
pay the cost Of victory. however great
It may be. The man in the street,
however. will not even admit that a
single German defeat IL possible.
A marked feature of the situation
has been the wonderful manner in
which the German mobilization was
carried out Everything was prepared
In advance. Remarkably enough. there
was not during the whole period Of
mobilization a single question from any
work. Not one instruction had been
misunderstood. An Illustration of the
thorough preparedness Of the general
stan Is the experience of Americas
military attache. NAL Langhorne. who
hayn in the midst of the mobilization.
Mai Lanehorne began to excuse him.
self for intruding at such busy time.
Come IN; major" said Won Fall ralken1
haven't anything to do"
The Associated Press correspondent
6ined with Gen. Won Falkenhayn the
eleventh day of mobilization. The din
II, and in the whole time there was
but one interruption. that by an
ofiicer with whom the general ex-
changed q few words and who then
left.
No System in Presswork.
A striking thing about the organiza-
ton OF the general stan Is the fact that
one department has absolutely no
knowledge OF what Is going on In the
others. Each ofIicer has his particular
work to do, and nothing else. Many
Of the busiest high officers in the
stan know less about the course OF
affairs to date than IL known by the
general public.
The only department of the general
stan which was not systematized in
advance was the press department
which is even yet not working smooth
understanding among the dozen differ
emit officers in charge OF the distribu-
ton of news and Its censorship. and
one is disposed to admit dispatches
OF which the other will not hear. Tho
working arrangements. too. are SO
clumsy that Unnecessary delays of
many hours are caused which could
have been avoided.
Tho enthusiasm OF the people Tor tne
war passes all bounds, and continues
TO increase II that be possible. There
are no longer any parties. In times OF
peace the ruler has often called the
country" together with less pleasant
names The sale Of socialist newspa-
pers at the railroad station newsstands
has long been prohibited. but this pro-
hibition now has been revoked, and the
vorwaerts lies side BY side with the
semi-official Lokal-Anzeiger and CO.
logne Gazette
satirical Paper suspenda.
Simplicissimus. the widely known sa-
tirical paper. which sharply caricatures
pretty nearly all existing state inatitu-
lions in times of peace. has suspended
publication. because II feels. as II an
Eounced. that the present Ii no time
to carfcature internal affairs: besides,
nf "a II IA