Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-29
LIKE FOOTBALL TEAMS
ON FRONT OF 1870 MILES
hynchburg Man Gives His Ideas Of
Battleflelds In France and
Belgium.
lie is WITH GERMAN TROOPS
Major r. d. Rockenback, Detailed as
Observer With Kaiser's Troops,
Writes Of His Experiences on
Front, Where Fighting Is Fierce.
Especial to Tho Times-Dispatch. ]

Especial to Tho Times-Dispatch.1
LfNCHBURG, VA, March 2S.-Mnjor
r. d. Rockenback. n native OF this city,
who was detailed Just before Christmas
as ono OF the army representatives to
observe the operations OF the German
army. has had most interesting ex-
perience during his ten weeks stay in
the realm of the Kaiser. Within the
last month he visited the battlenelds
from Switzerland to the North Sea. and
ut the time OF tho last advice he was
preparing for an expedition into tho
eastern war zone, where the Germans
are resisting the efforts OF the Rus
sian troops to invade from the east
writing to- his sister, Mrs Walter
u. Campbell. OF Lynchburg, under date
or February Is. Major Rockenback
says:
II am just back from very won
derful trip along tho west front from
switzerland to North Sea. There is
too much OF my trip to go into details.
even it 1t were proper or allowable to
do 30. 30 Will merely give you brief
OF II. We went to Strausburg. Metz,
Charlcvillc. Quinten. Brussels and Ant
werp by rail and then by fast auto
mobiles from each Of these cities to
points on the line. We were in the
firing trenches at distances from the
French trenches varying from so 20 500
Yards. The battlenelds appear to be
absolutely empty. Everything Is con-
cealed from the front, sky and rear
London fog prevailed. SO we could
20 about with some safety. a head
appcars-the snap and hiss OF n bullet,
"a groan and you hear the rush OF an
automobile. or q sound of boy rum
ring and scraping a stick along n paling
fence. and the siZZ OF escaping steam
as the machine gun bullets pass. There
Is terrific explosion. geyser of mud.
a distant boom of gun mile or
eight away, and you are told that your
position has been located. 1t Is like
two giant football teams facing each
other on n front of 100 miles One
team attempts the forward pass; the
hrst rushing team Is cut low as If by
a scythc; tho second and third may
nave the Same fate. or they may reach
the opposing trenches. While this Is
going on the fire OF the numerous guns
is opened and the thundcrs OF HI are
turned loose. The terror Is not all at
The front Most OF the men hit in the
trenches are killed instantly BY n bullet
through the head.
GERMAN PREPARATION
IS WONDERFUL. THING
The German system and preparation
Is so wonderful that l have seen n
wounded man taken into the hospital
twenty miles away from where he was
wounded before the mud dried on his
clothes. The terror Is in the hospital
and the imagination OF the people at
home. The wounded bear up az long
as conscious. but Just as they succumb
TO an opiate Groan OF anguish cs-
capes. that. IL heard around the world,
would mako men so just IN their trad
ing that war would become thing
Of the past.
while we were 1t lunch one day
French she'll fell in front of, and to the
side OF, the house not over thirty feet
away. but we were cafe under the
shelter OF hill, and there was no lull
In eating or conversation. In one place
l had to use an Alpine stick and ice
spurs to get along. I needed rubber
nip boots to keep out Of the mud and
water
The trenches would be terrible but
for the wonderful care the Germans
take Of their men. Hot meals and all a
man wants 10 eat. warm clothes, beer
wine. tobacco. newspapers. letters from
home, charcoal and briquet heaters and
the dugout carpeted with straw. The
mail comes TO the front as regularly as
food. hospital and ammunition trains.
IF this war is q question OF endur-
ance. then tho German Is strong in
body and mind and undisturbed as to
the business Of his cause and of ulti-
mnte success. There is no evidence OF
wear in the German soldier.
I'VE travelled close to 500 miles in
automobiles. 1t was cold riding, as We
went very fast and before daylight or
IN fog or rain to avoid aeroplanes and
their bombs. At Waterloo. viewing the
battlefield Of 100 years ago. and the
wonderful panorama there, ! realized as
never before that the past is gone be-
yond recall. There Is no pomp and
parade to war now 1t Is dig, dig, dig
The battlefield appears empty. General
Lees army at fredericksburg could now
be annihilated from n distance of nine
miles. The men would hardly hear tho
sound of the guns whose shells de-
stroyed them.
GERMANS AS HOSTS
LEAVE NOTHING UNDONE
The Germans now occupy Belgium
and some of the best cantons of France
They could not have been SURPASSED in
their entertainment of us and the free
dom they gave us In going about and
seeing things. In one French town I
was billetted in the house of n we'll
TODD French family. 1t was embarrass-
ing to me, but In spite of my bad French
] made friends with the madam and got
very interesting account of the fight
ing in tho vicinity, and Of the present
situation. 1t was remarkable, as I was
the only officer billetted In the house.
and was allowed absolute freedom to
talk all wanted to with the people
I'm Belgium 1t was little moro I'M
pleasant, as our uniform made us re-
semble the English so much that tho
Germans did not understand It, and the
people wanted to make demonstra-
ton. shouting "Vive les Americans"
You need have no apprehension for
my safety. Like everything else, the
Germans study the situation and Only
take us out when 1t is safe to leave a
protected position. There Is no more
chance Of an accident than there would
be in the streets OF New York City.
I'VE go to Russia next week"