Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-10-08


the territory of the Browns had been
overly invaded, on the pretext of Sc
curing deserter who had escaped
across the line, by Gray colonial
troops who had raised the Gray flag in
place of the Brown flag and remained
def1antly in occupation of the outpost
they had taken.
As yet, the Browns had not attempt
ed to repel the aggressor by arms for
fear of complications, but were relying
on the Gray government to order a
withdrawal of the Gray force and the
reputation of a commander who had
been guilty of SO grave an international
affront. The surprising and illuminat-
ing thing to Westerling was the in
spired statement to the press from the
Gray foreign office, adroitIy appealing
to Gray chauVinism and justifying the
''intrepidity' of the Gray commander
in response to so-called pin-pricking"
eXasperations.
At the door of his apartment, Fran
co.'s, his valet and factotum, gave Wes-
terling a letter.
Important, sir" said Francois.
Westerling knew by a glance that it
was, for it was addressed and marked
PERSONAL in the premier's own hand
writing. A conference for ten that
evening was requested in a manner
that left no doubt of its urgency.
Curiosity made him a little ahead of
I,-X he
ing him in his study, free from inter
ruption or eavesdropping.
In the shadow of the table lamp the
old premier looked his years. From
youth he had been in politics, ever a
bold figure and daring player, but
now beginning to feel the pressure of
younger mems elbows. Ponder even
of power, which had become a habit.
than in his twenties, he saw it slipping
from his grasp at an age when the
downfall of his government meant that
he should never hold the reins again.
He had been called an ambitious dem
agogue and makeshift opportunist by
his enemies, but the crowd liked him
for his ready strategy, his genius for
appealing phrases, and for the gam
bler's virtue which hitherto had made
him a good loser.
"You saw our communiQue tonight
that went with the publication of the
Browns Dispatch" he remarked.
Yes, and am glad that I had been
careful to send a spirited commander
to that region Westerling replied.
SO you guess my intention, l see"
The premier smiled. He picked up a
long, thin ivory paper-knife and softly
patted the palm of his hand with it.
Certainly" Westerling replied in
his ready, confident manner.
I'VE hear a great deal ABOUT the pre-
cision and power of modern arms as
favoring the defensive" said the pre-
mier. Il have read somewhere that it
will enable the Browns to hold US back,
despite our advantage of numbers.
Also, that they can completely man
every part of their frontier and that
their ability to move their reserves
rapidly, thanks to modern facilities,
makes a powerful fanking attack in
surprise out of the question
Some half-truths in that" an
Westerling. Zone axiom, that must
hold good through all time, is that the
aggressive which keeps at it always
wins. We take the aggressive. In the
space where Napoleon depIoyed a d.
vision, we deploy battalion today.
The precision and power of modern
arms require this. With such immense
forces and present-day tactics, the line
OF battle will practically cover the
length Of the frontier Along their
range the Browns have a series of
fortresses commanding natural open
tngs for our attack. These are almost
tmpregnable. But there are pregnabie
points between them. Here. our
method will be the same that the Japa-
nese followed and that they learned
from European armies. We shall con-
centrate in masses and throw in wave
after wave of attack until we have
gained the positions we desire. Once
we have tenable foothold on the
crest Of the range the Brown army
must fau back and the rest will be a
matter of skillful pursuit.
The premier, as he listened, rolled
the paper knife over and over, regard
ing its polished sides, which were like
Westerling's manner of faciie state
ment of program certain Of fulfill
ment.
How long will it take to mobilize?"
Less than a week after the rail-
roads are put entirely at our service,
with three preceding days of scattered
movements" answered Westerling.
Deliberate mobilizations are all right
for a diplomatic threat that creates a
furore in the newspapers and a de-
preston in the stock market, but
which is not 10 be carried out When