The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1915-09-10
KAISER UNDER FIRE
OF RUSSIAN GUNS
In High Spirits He Smacks Generals
ON the Back and Chats With Sol
dierS,

From the New York Times
"a picture of the Kaiser On the
firing line is given in an extract from
a letter from an artilleryman at The
front, which IL published in a recent
issue Of the Hamburger Fremdenblatt.
The writer tells of the victory at Ja-
now, 20 kilometers northeast of Lem
berg, which was won on June 10.
The battle was opened by great ar
tillery bombardment of the hostile
positions, which began about 2
o'clock.
Promptly at A. the letter goes on,
THE firing ceased, and the infantry
advanced to the charge. Suddenly
there was running and shouting ev-
erywhere. What il the matter2 Your
Kaiser, shouted a couple Of Austri-
ans, who were running forward to-
ward clearing in the woods.
-.At first We did not believe III. Ills
Majesty 50 far to the front, where the
Russian shells and shrapnel still
poured in2 But when soldiers stream
ed past III from every side We no
longer held back. As we were in shirt
sleeves, without caps, we ran to the
clearing a hundred PAGES away,
where the Kaiser stood, surrounded
by his generals. The yellow and black
Imperial standard tapped merrily in
the wind, and several field police
stood on guard. But they let the rank
and file come nearer without hind
rance, that they might &c. their ~
preme war lord.
The Kaiser made a splendid ap-
pearance and was in the best of hui
NOR. He talked particularly with the
commander of our army, EXcellency
Won der Merwitz, in the liveliest man
ner, now and then slapping him
laughingly on the shoulder and sew
eral times putting his arm around
him in joking, whimsical way.
From time to time he bent over map
table, to examine the incoming re-
ports with the chief Of the General
STAFF, Won Falkenhayn, to follow On
the map the progress Of our army
and to give new orders.
What surprised VI most and in
spired in u most respect was The
calmness which he. preserved when
the enemys shells struck. The Rus
slams had ceased firing shortly before
his Majesty's arrival, and when they
took up the cannonade again and the
enemy's shrapnel and even some high
explosive shells came with uncanny
shrieks and began to burst danger
ously near we were all firmly con-
WINGED that the staff and his Majesty
would leave this dangerous spot as
quickly as possible. So we were not
little surprised when his Majesty
did not even turn around at the
shrieks and reports of the enemy's
shells, and went on talking with his
generals al if nothing had happened.
Any soldier knows the feeling that
comes over one at the approach of
hostile shell. The cold-blooded calm
which the Kaiser maintained could b.
taken for an example by every sol
der What a splendid Emperor you
haven said our Hungarians to me. ali
OF them and many OF us had never
supposed that the Kaiser would come
to visit his troops 20 far to the front
that he would share their dangers.
Finally there even came in sight a
Russian airman, which seldom hap
pens here Fired ait from all sides,
he first drove on toward our posi-
ton, and then suddenly turned off to
the right, to disappear in the distance
The Kaiser, with his telescope at his
eye, followed the movements of the
airman with intense interest, and we
all followed hi example In the
meantime the number OF soldiers
standing in a half circle around the
Kaiser had suddenly increased. They
came from the batteries from the re-
serve positions, from all sides; Ger
mans and Austrians, Hungarians,
Czechs and Poles; they all hurried in
and without hindrance every one had
time and leisure to see the Kaiser.
Suddenly the Kaiser pointed to our
position, and the next moment came
toward US with rapid strides. Back
to your position, Rhinelanders!' cried
general to ~ The Kaiser il com
ing to see you Then how we ran
through the bushesi We had barely
time to put on our coats and set our