The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-23
NO DETAIL TOO SMALL
IN GERMAN PREPARATION
Wonderful Evidence OF Thorough
ness Seen in Army OH Outskirts
Of Brussels.
IN CONTRAST WITH FRENCH
Entry of One Is CoIorful and Bright,
Fulfilling Conception Of Romantic
Spirit Of War, While Other Is Not
Theatric.

Correspondence OF Associated Press.)
BEAUMONT, BELGIUM. August Is
When tho French regiments paradcd
through GcmblcuN II ripple OF admira-
ton ran through the almost hystcrical
Belgian Dopulacc, who had waited so
long for the promised support OF
France. with their bright blue and
rcd uniforms. their gaieiy. glitter and
song, they made :, colorful entry, which
quite fulfilled ones conception of the
romantic spirit of war. hut IL ytas
noticeable that they did not march in
particularly good order. and the doors
OF the wagons in their baggage train
iiapped and banged
But when the Germans appeared on
tho outskirts Of Brussels they might
have been mistakcn for At cloud OF low
lying mist. their gray green uniforms
melting against a neutral BACKGROUND
The entry was not thcatric but IL
throbbcd with power and efficiency
In place of tho romantic French god
of war. theirs was silent, pray-colored
machine, which was complete to the
last detail Wagon doors, instead OF
Tapping, had patent locks and bars.
For three days The gray-green SOL
dicrs marched through Brussels, part
OF an army OF over 100000 that
pushed their way through belgium. In
completeness of equipment il was like
II travelling city. 1t had it's postal SER
vice, It's telegraph corps. it's provision
trains. miles in length, which provided
Tor the soldiers ~ menu as satisfac-
tory as that which could have obtained
in q nrat-clas3 restaurant.
SIX caissonr with ammunition each
drawn by six horses. followed each
held gun. and there were professions
OF them two miles long There were
III addition. many truck and traction
engines for the heavy siege guns And
IN all this colossal train not a wheel
squcakcd. not accident delayed the
forward progress. Tho efficiency OF the
ked Cross departments is best indi-
Gated by tho fact that In following the
German army for 100 miles over battle
ncld9. at times only :, few hours behind
INC nghtinS, none of the small group
of correspondents discovered "a wound
ed German soldier uncared for, or any
dead.
The speed OF the army is n,tcs,cd by
tue fact that correspondents with
bicvclcs found II diificult TO Keep III
with the German advance Daily
marches Of fifty kilomctcrs were the
usual thing, and at tiincs they greatly
a%cecned that distance. The physical
stamina OF the men liz extraordinary.
At Beaumont a gas lighting system
os effective as electricity was cstab-
lishcd twelve hours after tho German
entry into the town ana not long after
their own trains we're running on the
tracks 10 Charleroi
Minor evidences OF their thorough
uess were seen In the equipment OF
each soldier, who carried with him not
only every necessity OF war. but food
enough to sustain him ~ he wcr. sep
nratcd from the provisions. II was i'm
teresting 10 note that even his sus-
vendors were protected against emcr-
Eencirs, and that his trousers carried
an extra set OF buttons IL cage one set
gave way. No detail seems small
enough TO have cscaLcd German study
and preparation
~ Zone Etat. on the way from Char
icroi TO Aix-la Chapelle. \ man. lying
ut full length In the station-yard sud
denly extracted telephone instrument
from a fiowerbed. and began CON
vcrsation with headquarters. There IL
no hint OF fu!flncnt Of the prophcsics
ct French writer's that the German
soldiers. victims OF an inncXible sys-
tom OF rules. would not be adaptable to
emergencies These German rulcs in
The words OF Il German officer. Ego into
the brain" of the soldier and he - no:
merely tho unthink.ng reflex The
German soldier cannot retreat or turn
back said AN orderly durni, n bar
rack room discussion at Beaumont eff
he goes forward and is killed then
there are others who will take his
place. but in the vocabulary OF the Ger
man soldier. there Is no such word
az retreat"