The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-12-22
What GERMANS SAY
CAPTURE OF J0FFRE'S OFFEN=
SIVE ORDER IS UNHAPPY
Shows FAILURE OF MOVE

German Soldiers at the Front are
Highly Elated Over Importance
Which Was Attached to Recent
Offensiye-Cite Its Failure as Evi-
dence Of Their Strength.
James O'Donnell Bennett writes to
the Chicago Tribune from the head
quarters Of the German army in
France:
Next to the pocket diary of the
whining soldier who is captured or
killed-ard in either case searched
the most embarrassing documents
that can fall into the hands of the
enemy are the pre-battle orders Of a
commander with a knacH in making
flamboyant phrases.
Gen. Joffre's order to the troops
preliminary to the great offensive
was specimen of this kind Of thing.
It unfolded in detail the dire conse-
quence which the offensive was to in
flict upon the Germans, indicated the
scope Of the plans, and emphasized
the Importance Of swift and over
whelming following up Of the pre-
liminaries Of The operation.
In the issue of the matter all this
had the worst possible effect for
three reasons: First, it showed how
far short Of the hoped-for results the
offensive had fallen; second, it made
the general ridiculous, and, third,
which was most important Of ali, it
left him no loophole to wiggle out OF
when the French and English, reallz-
ing that the offensive had failed as
to its large purpose, asserted that 1t
never had been meant to do more
than try out and dent the German
lines. That is why the Germans
printed the text Of Joffre's order so
prominently in their own newspapers.
For the same reason Lord Cavan's
order to the grenadiers, which in
cluded the high phrases about the
destiny Of unborn generations OF Eng.
ishmen depending on the issue OF
the impending battle, was made much
Of In the German press. In view OF
CQG SdCI ludI NC1 uCu So1olStS 81 y 0S4iA
strolling about the streets OF Lille OF
an evening buying pretty things for
their wives, the fine phrases had a
tendency to make the noble lord
ridiculous.
Some of the most curious docu.
ments have seen taken from French
and English papers are "bulletins OF
| Information" containing statements
calculated to cheer or inflame sol
diers, or to give them an impression
of the case Of the task confronting
them. For example, French orders
found on prisoners captured in the
Champagne said: eff the Germans
once smell our gas bombs they will
| be overpowered, and you can 60
straight to the trenches to finish the
work"
There was something in that. Not
far from Lille I met joyful German
soldier who had come out Of battle q
few hours before and WHO was still
| in so high a state Of excitement that
he was Communicative. Part Of the
narrative was devoted to a. hearty
tribute to the efficacy Of the Anglo.
French "stink-bomben," as he called
them, but, radiating pride and conf
dence, he ended his story with the
words: 'tThey stink, yes, but not SC
good as We stink
OF the second type Of documents
those intended to inflame soldiers
there are many quaint specimens
Some hint that the enemy are poi
soning wells, others that they have
been shooting prisoners on other
fronts and will do the same in case
they are taken prisoners on the
French front.
Many crazy lie Is thus dis
seminated for its moral effect, or
effect upon morale, and the re-
markable part Of this kind Of pro-
paganda is that commanding Of
ficer can be found who, by issuing
such stuff, confesses that he has
under him soldiers so credulous
and stupid as to believe it..
At first I could not believe that
some Of these bulletins Of informa-
tion' about poisoned wells and shoot
ing prisoners had really been issued.
but finally I came on a bulletin Of
information that had been circulated
among French troops. Here is a
transcription:
Bulletin Of Information.
Information to be Given to the
Troops.
Give Thousand Prisoners Shot by
Germans.
'fPetrograd, July 20.-General
headquarters communicated the fol-
lowing:
Soldiers Of the Seventh Austrian
Corps who were taken prisoners in
the first days Of July in the region of
Cholm state that, according to the
account of the supply troops, the
Germans have shot five thousand
Russian prison ers at Rawa-Russka.
Soldiers add that supply troops with
whom they have spoken have seen a
large cemetery in which the i've
thousand are buried"
Commenting on this, German
colonel said: ''Do they think, or pre-
tend to think, that we Germans are
not only savages but imbecile saw
ages? When we make five thousand
Russian prisoners they mean more to
US alive than dead because we can
not put dead men to work mending
roads"
Childish though the faxed bulletin
Of information is as a means OF in
spiriting troops, it is not more child
ish than the frequent SANDER that
troops are sent drunk into battle. So
far as the German troops are con-
cerned, they are much more likely to
work themselves into battle ardor by
means of a song than drink.