The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-04
Graphic Picture of Way the German War Activities Are Being Handled
 by Officers
CAMPAIGN PLANS WERE THOUGHT OUT
 MANY YEARS AGO
Whole Nation Prepared and Mobiliza- ton Moved With Clocklike Pre- cision--Nation Ready to Pay
 Cost to Attain Goal

Correspondence of the Associated Press)
 Berlin, August 22.-The departure of Emperor William "in the direction of Mayence" dhat is as much as the press was permitted to know or report about it. may be said to mark the beginning of this great European war, so far as Germany is concerned.
 As in 1870, the more important of the Emperor's advisers went tc the front with him. The party included Chancellor Won Bethuann- Holwegg, Secretary of State Won Jagow, War Minister Von Falken- hays, and other high governmental and army officials.
 The plan of campaign is that thought out many years ago and never since de- parted from-to bend all energies at the very outset to the smashing of Ger rany's western neighbor Russia is to be left to Austria until France shall have been disposed of.
 Confident of Victory
 No one can come in daily contact with the officers of the general staff without being impressed with their confidence in an eventual and absolute victory There is no boasting, no disposition to under rate the ability of the enemy, but there ss a grim determination to win at any cost. That this cost will be terrihcally high is not for moment doubted put the men in charge of operations are deter- mined to make any sacrifice, matter how appalling, to reach their goal
 The people are inclined to under-rate he Si of ha f.acl hp ui1 arms. They are, however, ready to pax the cost of victory, however great 1t may be. The mansin the street, however. will not even admit that a single German de- feat is possible.
 A marked feature of the situation has been the wonderful manner in which the German mobilization was carried out. Everything was prepared in advance. Re- markedly enough, there was not during the whole period of mobilization a sin gle question from any person in charge of any branch of the work. Not one in- struction had been m1sunderstood An illustration of the thorough preparedness of the general staff is the experience of Americas military attache. Major Lang horne, who called on War Minister Von Fa1kenhayn in the midst of the mobiliza- tion. Major Langhorne began to excuse himself for intruding at such busy tlme
 Come in, major" said von Eallen- hayn; I'm not particularly busy. l haven't anything to do."
 Dimes With General
 The Associated Press correspondent dined with General Von Falkenhayn on the eleventh day of mobilization. The dinner lasted from o'clock until after Il. and in the whole time there was but one interruption, that by an officer, with whom the general exchanged a few words and who then left
 A striking thing about the organization of the general staff is the fact that one department has absolutely no knowledge Of what IS going on in the others. Each officer has his particular work to do and nothing else. Many of the busiest high officers in the staff knew less about the course or apairs to date than is known by the general public
 The only department of the general stair which was not systematized in ad- vance was the press department which IS even Yet not working smoothly
 There IS no understanding between the dozen different officers in charge Of the distribution of news and it's cen sorship and one is disposed to admit dispatches of which the other/ will not near. The working arrangements, too, are so clumsy that unnecessary delays of many hours are caused which could have been avoided
 The enthusiasm of the people for the war passes all bounds and continues to Increase, If that be possible There are no longer any parties. In times of peace the ruler has often called the social democrats fellows without a countrv'' Together with less pleasant names The sale of socialist newspapers at the