The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-08-12
REST CURE FOR SOLDIERS.
Kaiser's Men Get Relief From the
Trenches ny Long Trip.


aroused by an outbreak OF robust
cheering and the hasty opening OF
windows all a,ong the corridor. We
had just over;aken troop train. also
going east.
The variety Of articles that were
produced from nowhere in the course
of the next shor; moments and tossed
across into the open doors OF the
freight cars was astonishing. Cigars.
cigarettes. books. sandwiches. news
papers. a business-like looking flask
or bottle here and there-all with a
careless accompaniment; OF cheers.
greetings and good wishes.
In the wide doorwsys of the freight
cars sat soldiers. with booted legs or
thickly stockinged feet swinging into
space: further back, inside the car.
more men. lying asleep on the heavy
bed of straw which covered the floor
ing, or scrambling to their feet and
fastening to join their comrades in
the open doorway and TO answer to
our greetings. All were unshaven.
unkempt. muddy, obviously worn and
weary. but responding to the calls
and cheers Of the passing passengers
with a vim and enthusiasm too hearty
and spontaneous to be other than
thoroughly genuine and convincing. 1t
did not need the terse comment OF the
army doctor at my elbow, Just out OF
the trenches" to tell me that these
were troops who had been, perhaps
only the night before, at the actual
front and who were now simply
changing to another locality of fight
ing and without worrying
about the matter in the least.
A half hour later We saw another
train of the same kind-but this time
we could catch only feeting glimpses
as it passed, for this second train was
travelling in the wrong direction. Ger
many had evidently changed her mind
and was now engaged in strengthen
ing the west quite regardless of the
necessity of her threatened eastern
frontier.
Along in the afternoon We arrived
at - Chose marvellous and mys-
terious institutions, the German and
British censorships, have their con-
yeniences once in a while. When one
forgets the name of place or how to
spell it, it is only necessary to write
and let it go at that, secure in
the knowledge that it will be blamed
on the censor.) A troop train was
standing on the siding. No guns this
time. but hundreds of the same type
of war worn men in more or less shah
By uniforms. | approached an officer
and explained that was a Journalist
thirsting for information. ct is
hardly necessary to say that an in
curing foreigner who asks German
officer or soldier for information on
military matters is extremely likely,
if he is afterward discovered to be a
Journalist disguised as respectable
tourist, to get himself into trouble }
/ INQUIRED whether there was any OBJ
lection to my being told why a num-
ber of troops were being sent east
at the same time that others were
being hurried west.
mo objection whatever" he an
swered. I'VE are giving all these
men a sorely needed rest. They are
travelling for health and pleasure. It's
a great scheme Works like a charm. -
/ had to board my train again just
then, and did so with distinct i'm
preston that l had been guilty OF
an indiscreet inquiry and that it had
been adroitly and courteously par
ried.
A day or two later came across an
article in a Berlin morning paper,
commenting on the good results aris-
ing from taking tired men and send
ing them by train across the country
from one front to the other, or send
ing them off. at any rate, for a long
trip before calling them into the fight
ing lines again. The idea was orig
inally suggested, it was stated, by the
discovery that men who had been
transferred direct from the trenches
on one frot to the trenches on the
other had resumed fighting in mott
cesbly better shape than men who had
been given a week or more of idleness
in close proximity to their own fight
ing lines.
1t is all very simple and logical
when one comes to think of it, and my
apologies are hereby rendered to my
unknown and temporarily doubted
informant of -. The physical
strain of fighting for days and nights
in the trenches is bad, but the mental
strain, the strain on the nerves, is a