Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-28

Severe Case of Nerves Just as
His Force Had Won a Decided
Victory-Physical and Psy-
Geological Reaction Following
Tremendous Strain of Battle

ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence
Cologne, Jan. 5-"Yes. I wept as SO
many others have done-wept without
being ashamed of my tears, or regrettins
that l did weep says an officer with
the German army in Poland, in discuss
ing the psychological side of men in ac-
ton He points out that this as rule
is not an outbreak of ''maudlin senti-
mentality but just a sort OF physical
and psychological reaction following the
tremendous strain upon body and mind
in a battle.
THE heavy Russian batteries had been
using poor ammunition and many OF
their pieces had been silenced by our
fire. We had been able, moreover, to
send strong forces against their en-
trenched positions and as these advanced
we took the Russian trenches under
terrific fire with our heavy batteries.
There is no infantry that will withstand
this shock. Here and there the Russians
left their trenches, merely to be cut
down by our machine-guns, or TO be dec
| imated by our shrapnel
And as this day ended and the firing
began to weaken, l wept. Why, don't
know. l lay in the straw and wept. Not
! because We had gained a victory-tnose
were not tears Of JOY There was no
| occasion for tears of sorrow. 1t was
! over quickly.
| ut is said sometimes that this is the
beginning of the end. But that thank
| God, was not the case. l had not slept
in two nights.
! after | had made all necessary ar
rangements l left the battlefield and rode
past smoderng houses and villages to-
ward my quarters, where, without TAX
ing of my belt. greatcoat, or even the
helmet, ! threw myself upon the straw.
I slept from eight in the evening until
| midngh like one dead. When they
| finally managed to bring me to my
senses. ! was absolutely unable to be-
lieve that several heavy shells had drop
ped around the place sheltering us
"A cup OF champagne given me by a
/ comrade helped me to bring my wits to-
gether. After that | sat down beside the
| others at the large farm table covered
with maps and an over active telephone
! instrument, and felt quite fresh.
| Il began to think of my weeping spell.
was il a case of nervous breakdown, or
one OF unsoldierly sentimentalism? |
/ believed in the one as little as in the
/ other. | had been witness to tears be-
! fore Those who wept them seemed TO
/ be as far removed from unstrunS nerves
/ as they were from silly sentiments.
| The experiences of war bring the en-
! tire nervous system and its Physiological
and mental subsidiary functions into
/ sympathetic relations. When one suffers
! the other suffers. The tension of the
miad-caused by continuous readiness to
( act and the sense Of responsibility, the
| hard ships undergone by the body-the
| lack of sleep ana rest and last but not
| least the passions of the battle. the noise
and din. the cruelty OF war. and who
would dare eainsay this, the constant
recurrence of the fear of death and the
worry over the loved ones at home-all
! these are forces 50 terrible that in the
end they will shake even the Will Of the
man of steel to its very foundations.
The causes of tears on the battlefield
are not connected with traits we possess
| in times of peace. Nor has the personal
quality OF the man much to do With
them | believe that the tears shed by
men OF the battlefield are the typical
expression Of 4 mute tragedy Of the
soul"