Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-12-23
GEN. YON HEERTNGEN
LOOKS FOR VICTORY
Commander Of One Of West Front
Armies Confident Fstherland
Will Win.
CANNOT 1MPRov1sE ARMIES
ENGLAND Cannot Hope TO Accom-.
PlisA In Few Months what Ger
masy Has Taken Cen
tury 60 Do.

(Copyright. 1919. by Press Publishing co..
GERMAN FRONT IN FRANCE, Dec
2.-(special Cabiegram from a Staff Cor
respondent OF the New York World and
The Omaha Bee. III have Just spent three
days with General Won Heeringen's army
In the field. and have seen nothing half
so interesting as the fine old patriarch
who lie it's comnander-in-chief.
The English first line troops are spien-
did soldiers, experienced and very tough,
especially on the defensive. There would
be no credit in beating them II they were
not he said. making It clear that he
referred only to the English regulars.
The conversation turning on Kitcheners
recruits. he said significantly:
You cannot improvise armies. Eng
land cannot hope TO accomplish In a few
months what took Germany 100 years TO
build up
Nothing Feases Them.
Coming back TO the English regulars,
he told the following anecdote:
AT one point we used a minenwerfer
(mne thrower) against one Of their
trenches. These mortars go off with
frightful noise calculated to shake the
courage OF the stoutest. After the tenth
shot our mon advanced with loud
'hurrah.' expecting TO find the British
groggy; but-will you believe it-those
tough scotsmen crawied out Of their
trenches and actually attempted coun-
ter bayonet charge. The French-they
also fought bravely."
But he was not handing out bouquets
exclusively; he had also few hard raps
for the English, or rather. for what he
chaIacertlzed as certain features OF their
method Of warfare. One was for the
alleged misuse OF the Red Cross nag.
FLAGS Used without Right.
I'VE had taken their trenches under
heavy artillery fire. he said. when
suddenly the Red Cross flag was hoisted
from every one OF their trenches. Our
people stopped firing and telephoned to
ask what they should do. telephoned
back; start firing again 1t was fragrant
misuse OF the Red Cross flag. You can't
hoist whenever you are tired OF fighting
and want to go home. l dare say they
sent out stbries that / was a barbarian"
The general laughing remarked that
the Germans were not entirely dependent
for news on the German official bulletins
with our wireless installation" no
said, I'VE can hear the Eiffel Tower talk.
One day 1 was interested 10 overhear
that two Of my own batteries, had been
annihiiated' by the French at a certain
point. It was certainly news to me. They
were still in working order when called
them up on the telephone"
What Is the one bravest deed. that has
come to your knowledge. your ex-
cellency?" asIeed: 81 .,E -, ,T
Charge OF Young Troops.
shall give YOU bombastic answer
he replied. good humoredly We'll, then.
there have been 80 many brave deeds
that no one OF them stands out pre-
eminently. but in the retrospect the finest
thing, TO my mind. was our young troops.
charging for the first time In the face OF
murderous fire, singing Deutschland,
Deutschland Uber Alles.,"
Some idea OF the position Of the Ger
AARns In the west can be gathered from
the fact that the general had time to
smoke and chat with me for something
like ten hours In two days as"l
Let tho people know in America that
we are not barbarlans; that everything is
quiet and in good order with US, and that
we are looking forward with calm,
energetic confidence to victory" he said
earnestly, on speeding the parting CORE
spondent "t.. .'.