The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-22
KAiseT's Army En- Route Is Like
. Travelling City.


| the French regiment pAf1ded through
GemhTeux, Il ripple Of admiration ran
through the almost historical Belgian
populace who had waitEd 50 long for
the promised support Of France With
their bright blue and red uniforms. their
gziety, glitter and song. they made a
coIorfuI entry which quite fulfilled one 5
conception OF the romantic spirit OF
war, but it WIS noticeable that they
did not march in particularly good or
der and the doors OF the wagons en-
their baggage train Tapped and banged
When the Germans appeared on the
outskirts Of Brussels they might have
been mistaken for cloud OF low-lyin&
mist, their. gray green uniforms melt
iEg against neutral background The
entry was not theatrical but it throb-
bed with power and efficiency.
In place Of the romantic French God
of war, there was silent gray cotored
| machine which was complete to, the asst
details. Wagon doors. instead Of flap
piEg- had patented locks and bars. For
three days the gray green soldiers
| marched through Brussels. part OF an
army of over 4 million AMI a half that
pushed their way through Belgium In
| completeness OF equipment it was like a
travelling city It had it's postal service.
| its telegraph corps its provision trains
miles in length which provided for the
soldiers a menu as satisfactory as that
/ which they could have obtained in
| first class restaurant
Six caiSsonS with ammunition. each
drawn by six horses. followed each field
gun, and there were PROFESSIONS OF them
two miles long There were In addi-
ton many trucks and traction engines
tor the heavy siege guns. And in all
this colossal train. not wheel squeak
tve- lot an accident delayed the forward
progress.
/ The efficiency Of the Red Cross de-
parsments Is best Indicated by the fact
that in Following the German army
/, for hundred miles over battlefieids,
at times only 4 few hours behind the
fighting rome OF the small group OF
correspondents discovered a wounded
German soldier uncared for or any
dead.
I Marched 50 Kflon.efers . Day.
I The speed of the army Is attested
| by the fact that the correspondents
with bicycles and carriages found 1T
difficult TIC keep up with the German
/ advance Daily marches OF fifty kIio-
meters were the usual thing and at
/ times they greatly exceeded that dis
| lance
+ At the end Of one Of these exhaus-
| tive marches, I spent the evening IN 4
barrack room. with German soldiers.
/ For three hours they sang and danced.
| without u sign OF fatigue An officer
said he had marched night and day
for three days. but seemed fresh and
anxious to go on. The physical
/ stamina # the men is extraordinary
| At Beaumont. gas lighting system
as effective az electricity, was estab-
Eshed twelve hours after the German
/ entry into the town and not long after
/. their own trains were running on the
tracks to Charierui-
/ Minor evidences of their thorough
ness were seen in the equipment Of
each soldier who carried with him not
/ only every necessity of war but food
enough to sustain him IL he were
separated from the provision trains 1t
was interesting to note that even his
suspeuderS were protected AGAINST
emergencies and that his trousers car
ried an extra set Of buttons in case one
set gave way. No detail seems small
enough to have escaped German study
and preparation
| At Zone-Etat- On the way from
CharieroI to AK In ChapeIle a man
lying at full length IN the station yard
suddenly extricated telephone fnstru-
conversation with headquarters
| Not q 0Gnchine
/ There is no hint OF the fuIdlIueur Of
| the prophecies uttered by French writ
/ ers to the effect that the German SOL
d1ers were victims Of an infiexible sys-
tenn OF rules which were not adaptable
to emergencies. that their SUCCESS was
predicated upon a given set Of coneII-
tions. These German rules. in the
words OF a German officer, go into the
brain of the soldier and he is not
merely the unthinking reflex"
/ The German soldier cannot retreat
or turn back said an orderly during
harrack room discussion at Bear
mont IF he goes forward and is
Killed. then there are others who will
/ take his place but in the vocabulary OF
the German soldier there is no such
4 word as retreat