Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-24
He RETURNS FROM FRONT
As CONVINCED 0PTIM|sT
Herlin Newspaper Correspondent Be-
teves German Fortress in West
Never Can BE Taken.
PREPARATION IS MARVELLOUS
During Long Winter, While Armies
Lie Facing Each Other in France,
Germans Have Devoted Them
selves to Making Positions Secure.

optimist. even n there are some things
which I cannot explain" writes n
'orrespondcnt OF the Frankfurter lei
lung. who has recently been making
round OF the German trenches in Bel
GUM and Northern France. He was
particularly impressed with the work
which tho German authorities have nc
'omplished In the occupied districts OF
both Belgium and France. where, he
says. every conceivable provision has
been made for the time when our
powerful army shall break over the
"orders into the interior OF France"
All tho railways and roads. no OBJ
serves. have been brought TO the
Highest efficiency for that objective.
lie continues:
Tho pause has been used to tho
Utmost advantage. The north or
Franco and Belgium have been trans
formed into German border province,
whose Branaries. ammunition, depots
and bases for tho provision OF war
supplies are OVERLOOKING. and ready, n.
sign. to send thousands OF tons 10
the front. wh!lo the hospitals and
Transports for the wounded arc mar.
velously organized All tho warlke
preparations IN the west have been
placed on new and extraordlnarily
strong footing
PREPARATIONS suRpAss
GERMAN MOBILIZiTION
In many respects these preparations
surpaas even our German mobilization.
mere In the depots you feel how this
preparation for war has been thought
out In the most concentrated way An
unprecedented energy (. devoted to It,
men are being hurled against our wall
Hlts!de-with only IA wave now and
men breaking over the dam while
our trenches are sending the storming
PARTIES home again with bloody cost.
All the time our inner fortress IS being
moro heavily armed until the signal
''r new offensive can be given
Ni;chencrs millions and the new
french army have never alarmed us.
although we must not Underestimate
hem. But II is ono OF our character
sites TO look only to the front, and
% believe only In tho existence Of
what We can clearly perceive
Before I went TO tho front. nil ac-
cunts and stories OF tho war left me
u7convinced. Even when passed
through the trenches In front OF
Ehcims. where the front OF the towers
81 tho cathedral still stand out almost
uninjured: when I walked over the
heights which dominate Arras. that
Junction OF important railways and
roads; when heard the thunder Of the
'"nnon by YDrcs. where the trenches
arc driven right up TO tho town. ! had
lively desire 20 criticize. Why had
we not held on TO these towns a. Ne,
were once IN them. Why had we, not
N hat
and the North Sen in the days when
Antwerp was being taken. so that
Calais and Dunkirk might now he In
our possession? What has happened
In the woods OF the Arconne and ON
tho Marine?
When l began 10 talk about my
doubts and to complain. and began to
question this person and that, in order
10 gain information to convince the
Philistines ut home. they simply nut
map in my hands which was marked
with blue pencil round the broad
plain by Rheims
i was then invited 10 regard with
my own eyes our excellent dispositions
on tho plateau which overlooks the
A'sne. / WAS shown the crest of the
hill in front OF Arras. on which our
'front.' leans: the KemmeiberE. the CEN
ter OF our enemy's position in Flanders:
tho high road in the west In front OF
Ypres, behind tho protection OF which
tho besieged city Is hidden. The whole
position was carefully explained and
was invited to say whether I could
devise any better dispositions which
could render our front moro secure
and moro favorable. In view OF tho
"hole limo OF battle in tho west and
Tia east.
KNOWLEDGE IS WORTH
HIS VISIT TO FRONT
Even this much knowledge was
worth visit TO tho front. But some
ofe will say. What does this dreadfully
long pause mean? 1t would not be
surprising IL some ono in tho trenches
"' ~ tho villages at tho base or In the
pots were to complain OF tho drag
ng OF tho war. Millions OF men, ac-
uusiomed to work with their brains
and hands, who had their roots in their
husy lives and devoted nil their
strength to their work. have become
all at once diverted to other tasks.
The thunder OF the cannon and tho fash
Of the rides are all that hey have to
think about. A mound Of earth or
the face OF companion is their soil
tary company, week after week, and
great desire burns within them. III
only they say, we could como out OF
our holes we should have done with
those fellows opposite They envy
their comrades In tho east, where there
j. movement. marching and storming.
Thcy do not notice that the deeds OF
i'indenburg's army are also, perhaps,
due to Thorn. But they arc all of one
mind: 1T ia our duty to wait and he
patient. and. therefore, we do IT,
should not those at home. safe and
dry and weu-fed, who declare the
waiting to be too long. feel ashamed?
II have seen the trenches, the end
less labyrinths Of underground passages
and refugees. the guns and the obstacles
in front OF them. the mon at their work,
and how. with Incompatible calm and
>eN-possession. they complete and pro-
,ect their labor with every possible
plan and provision. And have como
10 the unalterable conviction that our
fortress In the west can never be