South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-10-20
DUCHESS WRITES
Of EXPERIENCES
Says First Line of German
Army Is ImpreSSiVe-But
Other Lines Are Less Robust.
No Heart for Fight.

LONDON. oct. 20. - Millicent,
Duchess Of Sutherland. half sister of
Lady Warwick, has written book
on her experiences in Belgium as the
head Of an ambulance corps. she was
present at the siege of Namur and
describing the entry of the Germans
says:
Now the German troops are fairly
marching in. l hear them singing as
they march. They sing wonderfully.
1t seems almost cowardly to write
this, but for a few minutes there was
relief to see them coming and feel
this awful firing would soon cease.
ION they marched, fine, well set-up
men with gray uniforms. They have
stopped shooting now. I see them
streaming into the market place. A
lot of trembling artillery horses gallop
by with Belgian guns. on one of the
limbers still lay all that was left of a
man.
1T is too terrible. What can these
brave little people do against this
mighty force? Some of the Germans
have fallen out and are talking to per
terly relieved at the cessation of the
bombardment that in their fear they
actually are welcoming the Germans.
/ saw some women press forward and
wave handkerchiefs."
Very lifelike are some Of the small
circumstances she relates concerning
the German invaders. She went To
the hotel to see the commander.
7 sent a message in to say 1 wish
ed 70 speak to the commander. He
came out from the dining room with
an aide de camp.
I must apologize duchess said the
aide de camp in English. for the
growth OF my beard l felt very in
different about his beard, but asked
him why did he not get shaved by a
Belgian He exclaimed, Why they
would cut my throat
The Duchess of Sutherland had
many opportunities of seeing the Ger
man soldiers and her opinion Is inter-
esting.
The first line of the German ar
my is impressive, brave, l should say
and fierce, and conveyed all the moral
affect TO Belgium that the Germans
intended. After the first line the
physique of the men is inferior. They
seem TO have no heart for war and
would always be coming TO me to
speak of their wives, their homes and
work.
They respected the Red Cross in
those early days. They said they
would far rather work than fight, but
Germany was winning SO early that
the war would not take long. They
didn't know why they were fighting
and brought forward the most ride
ulous reasons.
During one Of our halts a station
master wanted to talk to me about the
war / told him the Red Cross made
q rule never to talk about war. But
he persisted and said it was dreadful
we were fighting against the Germans
and were allied with the Russians.
u pointed out 10 him that which
ever way the war went, whether you
win or we win. England was fighting
for the righteous cause. protection of
small countries and TO give people,
whether German or English a chance
of self-expression freed from military
despOusm.
I'm spite Of this do not See he
grumbled. why / should be eXiled
here when my wife is expecting her
sixth child in a month
But when he turned away a Ger
man noncommissioned officer, who
had been writing at a table and lis
tening 10 my enunciatiOns leaned for
ward and said in a low voice. You
are quite right. fraulein, you are
quite right.
All the proceeds from the sale Of
the book viii be used for the duchess
ambulance corps.