The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-12-18
By RENE ARGOS.

paIeu 1oE Sucn war ana >Oefmany
had hurled against it 100000 men,
among whom were many troops of
extraordinary merit as regards both
courage and training. In contrast to
our incomplete and imperfect equip
ment, Germany brought forward an
organization whose excellence has been
recognized by the whole world.
"Yet General Joffre succeeded in his
formidable task. With troops a good
part of whom already considered them
selves beaten beyond hope, with insult
icient equipment, this cool, determined
man was able to win the decisive VIC
tory of the Marine. He restored every
ones confidence, he reawakened every
ones energy, he held all the forces of
the nation in his hand and hurled them
VIGOROUSLY against the invader. Be-
heve me, Napoleon in all his career
never did anything so great"
Rent Offices for Three Years.
There were several other persons in
the same compartment, each Of whom
had his bit of information to con-
tribute. The trains just now are ex-
cellent news centers. There was, for
instance, an English officer who talked
at great length about the portentous
preparations which England is max
ing.
eve already know something about
it," said I, "for your country has sent
over large numbers Of troops"
"That is nothing" he answered.
"Those who have arrived are only the
feeble advance guard. Not until July,
1915, will England be ready to begin
it's serious effort. We have lots of
time. The offices we have rented at
Havre for our administration have
been taken for three years. We are at
the disposition of our friends, the
Germans, at any time it suits them"
Bridge Gone; Autoists Die.
Just then the train passed through
Trilport, a village on the Marine. I
noticed the bridge, which had been
destroyed and repaired. A fellow trav-
eler, who lived near here, told me of
the tragic accident which took place
on this bridge some weeks ago.
1t was the French army which blew
up the bridge in the course Of the re-
treat from Charleroi. Not long after
ward a German automobile carrying
four officers sped on to the bridge in
the darkness of night and made ter
rible leap into space. The four officers
were killed and the machine smashed
to bits. The debris still lay there on
the river bank.
The train went forward slowly over
the bridge, which had been temporar-
lily repaired by French sappers. These
troops stood all along the track greet
ing US gayly and begging for news
papers.
Disasters Concealed By Press.
The man on the next seat to me
plucked my sleeve and said:
"Look! It's over there that the ter
rible accident happened. A whole
train of wounded was going over a
damaged bridge and fell into the
Marne."
The French press has not mentioned
this incident, or several others OF the
same kind. Some Of these were due
to the recklessness of the soldiers,
many of whom had climbed to the
roofs of cars and were decapitated in
passing through tunnels.
Several soldiers rode all the way
from Paris to Dijon astride the coup
lings of cars. They were determined
to 60 at any cost on the same train
as their comrades and it was impos-
sible to make them listen to reason.
Their obstinacy was so touching that
nobody had the heart to oppose it
Aeroplane 'Drover" Is Met.
On another train a few days ago
met one of the new varieties of man
by the war. There already
are cattle drovers and horse drovers.
This man was "drover" of aeroplanes
and travelled back and forth all the
time between Lyons and Paris.
II have two in this train," he told
me. "I,m taking them to the aviation
field at Issy-les-Moulineaux. One is
a Rep, and the other is Gordon.
All other makes have been discarded,
and only these two are being manufac-
tured for the army"