The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1915-02-05
Tells Of Experisnees on eattlefi lids.

| MISS LuCiiS bdiiSy, III oO'Si"i JN"AS
an instructor in the Owosso high
school:
Seymour Beach Conger Of Grand
Rapids at last has gained the rather
ticklish but distinctive honor Of being
allowed to go to the battle front with
the German forces. After months or
waiting he has been able to bring in
luences to bear which have caused
the German military authorities to let
down the bars and permit American
correspondents to visit the actual
fighting lines.
| Mr.. Conger, former member of the
editorial staff of the Grand Rapids
Press and before that a star track
athlete of the University of Michigan,
is in charge of the Associated Press
bureau in Berlin. Early ip the war he
became an international figure when
he was arrested by the Germans as
a spy when he was trying to make his
way across the border into Russia. 1t
was only through an appeal to high
authorities at Berlin that he was re-
leased from prison.
| To Polish Battle Front.
Mr.. Conger has visited the German
armies in France and Belgium, the
naval base at Kiel, and when last
heard from by letter was planning to
go to the battle front in Poland with
the force of Gen. Won Hindenberg.
He writes as follows of his. expert
ences his letters being automatically
worded so as not to say anything to
which the German censor might OBJ
ject:
This war certainly is keeping me
humping. I didn't have breathing
spell enough after our trip to Kiel to
really write up the story before start
ing for the theatre of war in the west
and today learned that i probably
shall be given an opportunity imne-
diately to go to Poland and see Hin
| denberg in his glory.
II have for months been pounding
away on the authorities here as to the
necessity Of letting correspondents
get to the front where things are do
ing before the glory is cold and they
are, or seem to be, gradually swing
ing around to my point of view.
Spends Christmas With Troops.
81 spent Chrismtas with the troops
in the trenches and / really enjoyed
this, for l have found the German
soldiers at the front a most likeable
and even lovable fellow and have
been royalty entertained every time
have got with him.
"On our trip just concluded we
went to Cologne by train and from
there had automobiles at our disposal
for the rest of the trip. which took us
through Liege and Namur part of
Belgium with which 1 am already
pretty familiar, and then over un-
known country through the picture
sque valley of the upper Meuse. Mag
nificent scenery. Some time when
this cruel war is over we will take an
automobile trip through it.
Sees Kaiser's Headquarters
eve were wined and dined every
where and also shown things very
literally. We visited the emperor's
field headquarters (emperor Beth
mann and Won Falkenhayn were un-
fortunately away and had dinner
with the quartermaster general, Maj.
Gen. Wild Won Hohenborn, who was
in charge during the absence of the
higher personages, entertained us at
dinner and We also had lunch with
some old friends from the foreign Of
fec.
I'VE were Won Wiegand. Jimmy
Archibald, Albrecht of the Stats lei
tung, man named Brown, from the |
New York Times and myself.
I'VE spent three days at the head |
quarters of Gen. Won Heeringen, COM
mandipg the Seventh German army,
dining with the general twice and |
lunching with him once during that |
time at his own table, the other even
ing we dined at the table of the staff, |
this change being due apparently to
the appearance of three German cor
respondents who also were placed at
the staff table. Americans are con-
sidered as persons of first order, you
see.
Won Emmich Much Alive
"One noon we had lunch with Gen.
Won Emmich, who captured Liege at
the beginning of the war. | can as
sure you that the prevalent stories
that he had committed suicide, been
killed in action, shot down by a Bel /
gian franctireur, are thoroughly I'M
true and | am sending you a picture
of your humble servant talking with
his excellency in proof thereof.
Another day we lunched with Gen.
Won Zwehi with 10000 men, who
took Maubeuge and its garrison OF
10000. He told me that at the be-
ginning of the siege he had only o.
900 men to attack an army three
times the size of his and behind for
tifications, too. l am writing this
against time to get it off by Schreiner,
who is returning to Holland tonight
4 A0I1 L