The Denison review., 1914-12-09
CRAWFORD MAN
WITH GERMANS
Gene Weber, Of chirter Oak, Writes
interesting Letter, Telling His
Experience In German Army
WITH THE AVIATION CORPS
As Magnetic ExRstt NJ. Weber Soon
Placed Wheee His Services
Would Be of Benefit.

Vv0SCO "uSSC I1IS 0STvlCSS
Would Be Of Benefit.
Mr.. Gene Weber, a former resident
of Charter Oak, but who has been liv
ing in Germany FOR the past year, is
now serving in the army. being one OF
the very first to volunteer. MIR. Weber
secured position with the Moscl
Manufacturing company. who manu-.
facture the Bosch magnetic, which is
used on so many automobiles in this
country When war was declared he
volunteered and was placed in the
automobile corps.
The Charter Oak Times of last
week contained most interesting let
ter from Mr.. Weber. which we print
in this issue of the, Review as it con.
tains much that will be OF interest to
people In this locality.
Darmstadt, Germany. Nov. l. 1914
Friend Sturges. with All Friends in
Charter Oak;
Your letter OF October 5th at hand
First | want to ask all OF you your
pardon for not writing sooner. but
surely had hard time. War news
will bring in as soon as have told
you my first experiences over here.
landed safe, III Stuttgart. Decem.
her 7th. but found my dear mother
very sick. After Christmas | had to
take her to the hospital and my sister
to a sanitarium. Well the next thing
went after was a job, which found
with tho RnSrh ho For trr
that makes the most magnetoes for
the automobiles. l,htil the war broke
out my position there was as trav-
cling mechanic, to install electric
light machines Oh automobiles and air
craft. Well, everything went along
nicely. was alsQ sharp on the look
out for q you knOw--when the war
broke out.
was just spending my vacation,
when, on the end OF the same. the war
proclamation was made public. This
was Saturday iistt, Sunday went
to watch the soldiers going to the
front. Monday morning saw me in
the. factory Strengthening out matters.
and by 10 O'Clock went to the5're.
cruiting office, Offering my services us
volunteer. The mob was 80 great
that.l had to 60 to q cousin OF mine,
who is a lieuteafht IN the army. in Or
der to get adriilssiDil to the Office.
They accepted ME and put me in the
automobile corps, where | first drove
q truck, and then was made clerk
of my company after six weeks OF
service. had to do duty as a clerk
and in my spare time was instruct
ed as o marksnlah and guard. They
did send me to Darmstadt to the avia-
tion corps as q magnetic expert, but
soon enough ! had a little accident.
and at present am laid up with a
spraineG. ankle.
So far about MY own experiences.
Now | believe the next thing OF in
terest will be the war itself. for you.
Roosevelt, your friend and mine.
bull moose, has told whole lot al
ready in the Chicago Daily News. and
did give facts, but to make long
story short, Austria had to demand
of Servia certain, satisfaction, which
Servia never would give, because Rus
sia was backing the Servian govern
ment Now Austria is our govern
ment's friend. and, naturally, the kRis.
er did try to arrange matters. but
Russia had already ordered the mo.
bilization against Us, Wires were
sent across, but no answers were Civ.
en-, On this account, when Germany
mobiized, France went to help Rus
sia and we were then also in war with
France. Nf.lt 81" '-
On account of our knowledge of the
French war preparations we went
through Belgium, at the same time Of
fering Belgium our protection and
indemndcation for damaging her
property by passing through said coun
try. but it was not accepted. England
also declared war against Germany.
After our troops had passed through
Belgium, in other words, had taken
their forts (Namur, Brussels, etc.D we
found there stocks of English mate
rial for war purposes, also machines
to manufacture dunn dun bullets.
We'll. a whole lot of things like that
were found in territory we took. With
every step forward were the signs
surer that England, France and Bel
GUM. with Russia as friend, had
the war uFTiiSeu sSa'S oiSt'".
In the mountains on the frontier be-
tween Germany and France we found
marksmen's bitches not only all ready.
but finished with cement; and officers
taken as prisoners OF war made vol
unfairly the statement that they were
living there for three months before
the war.
A major from the reserve OF the
French army, who also was prisoner
of war, spoke to me and told me that
after this war is over lie will never
return to France, but will seek coun-
try that is able to tell him the truth.
.Why all this?" ! asked him.
well, three months ago | was or
dered to France from Morocco for q
military exercise. and now know
why we had to make all this running
and digging" was his answer.
Another officer taken as a prisoner
made the statement that he is the on
ly officer who stuck to his regiment.
Savings unbelievable did l overhear.
Trains after trains passed through
Sya n.< xul,n I