The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-07
WAR ECHOES

when the word efficiency" is much in i to direct attention to the tremendous ex- ] ample of practical efficiency furnished by the war operations Of the. German government even if the facts were not so vastly important in their bearing upon the great conflict in Europe. The Ger man army is the most efficient organ- ization for it's purpose to be found fin the world. teis efficient in such high degree because the government back of ii is organized and run with remark able efficiency.
 Raymond E. Swing. the Berlin core spondent of the Daily News, has been the first to tell the world the story of how Germany prepared itself for the heavy burden of. the war. The excellence of its management. as MT. Swing sets forth was not confined to the mobilization of troops. It was shown in financial and economic mobilization to an equally re- markable degree. No more fascinating, no more important story of the present struggle has been told than MT Swings
 
 many in preparing it's people to maintain their armies and themselves while the war goes on. 4At Germany's -eminence is largely due l to Germany's recognition of the expert and to it's appreciation of training and experience. University men are more of a factor in the public life of Germany | than in that of any other country, and they have shown themselves practical and efficient to an extraordinary degree. The preparedness of Germany for the strife in which it is now engaged is the result of foresight and arduous plan ming.
 The same military. efficiency that is driving back the allies in front of Paris has, as MT. Swing tells us, established the following maximum war prices for food in Berlin: Rye flour. 51a cents a pound; wheat flour, 6si cents a pound; rye bread A. cents pound; wheat bread, 5 cents pound; salt, cents a pound sugar, S% cents a pound; eggs PIE cents apiece. This is only one example of many given by MT. Swing.
 It will not do to attribute the efficierfcy of the German government to the institu- ton of monarchy, for the cities of Ger many, which are thoroughly democratic, are as efficient in their respective spheres as is the imperial government in it's greater sphere. The example of efficien- cy furnished by the empire in the present situation, based as it is upon recogni- t;o ac;a f of training and experience. should not be overlooked by Americans.
 New York Sun: The often unintellgent treatment by the British censors of ordi- nary business cable messages from the United States to England, as well as from England to the United States. is oc- casioning a delay sometimes amounting to "A hours, and in most cases obviously unnecessary for the protection of the British governments military secrets.
 If the matter were not so serious for all concerned there would be a certain grim humor in the performances of these bureaucratic gentlemen diligently block ing that which it is the main purpose of their government and their navy to pre- serve; namely, normal commercial in- tercourse with the United States and the rest of the peaceful part of the world.
 Washington Evening Star: Until the operations in France and the censorship permits an understanding of the situation in detail only surmise can fill in the gaps of the record of events as outlined in the meager bulletins and deleted dis patches It is evident, however, that in one respect at least this campaign differs from all others in history of warfare. Ill former times military operations were conducted in impulses, with intervals be- tween pitched battles marked by counter marching and maneuvering. In the Ger man advance from Aix la Chapelle to the position about 35 miles north of Paris there has been practically continuous fighting. This has covered a period of month and never before has such con tinuous struggle been maintained between armies.
 Apparently no rest is given to the troops on either side The Germans have pushed forward without remission, bringing up flesh forces to replace the losses in- cured in the advance and perhaps to afford rest to exhausted men. But kevi- dently there has been no long delay for recuperation fora any part of the Kaiser's arniy in the fighting field. Possibly some of the troops have been taken from the firing lines and exchanged for those en- gagged in the protection of the lines of communication. This, however. would ne- cessitate 6 complex and congesting pro- cess leading to possible disaster.
 Nor have the allies been given chance for recuperation. They have been fight ing continuously for weeks, even at night as well as in the daytime. The historian of this war will find it difficult to co-ordi- nate the happenings of the campaign, so unremitting have been the assaults and counter-assaults. SO numerous the actual engagements of large bodies and so close ly related the maneuvers in force.
 This condition has been caused by the Kaiser's urgent need of speed in the prosecution of the war. It was impera- tive from the beginning for him to strike swiftly and to carry on an aggressive campaign in the west in the hope of crushing the relatively smaller French and English forces there in order to be free eventually to turn and defend him l self from the Russian. aggression in the east a necessity increased by the unex-