Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-04-28
Curt Fichtner Tells-Of Exper-
fences AT Front, Describes
Fighting, And Writes of
Hardships.

Detailing actual experiences at the front
IN Belgium during the first six months Of
the war, one Of the most interesting let
ters OF the fighting there was recently re-
ceIvcd by Fred ;. Webster of Ennis.
Texas, from Curt Fichtner. who will BE-
remembered by many Brownsville people.
Mr.. Fichtncr spent about seven months IN
Brownsville during the summer of 1913.
having been IN auditor in the employ of the
concern which audited the books of the
city of Brownsville.
Leaving Brownsville Mr.. Fiehtner re-
turned Ia Enni-. from where he later set
san for Germany, III, home aud country.
lie was M Germany when the war broke
out and was among the first To he sent to
the front.
lIis letter was dated January 30. and
reached il destination al Enni, April IL.
1t follows IN full:
Belgium, Jan. 30-Dcar Mr.. Fred: Yes
terday got "A letter from ; l.. Cohn A
Son in Bremen and a copy at a letter sent
from YOU To them. am really a~toni>hcd
that you didn't get amy 81 nay four let
iers and two cards. and wa~ already sur
prIsed that YOU didn't answer them. All
these letters sent OF 10 Wilhclm-haven
10 my parents to be- forwarded "a you.
Furthermore, my parents wrote me that
they delivered them t. you. am ~urc that
YOU will get them sooner or later. 81 they
are DESTROYED ON the border. Ii must have
H.. II.
anything from me. but Il was not my fault.
After | left yon al lIilmann'> hotel. !
took the next train 10 the naval port. AZ
ii O'Clock IN the morning arrived and
about one hour later wa dressed and
ready to start To fight. War was not de-
clared yet. hut everyday knew exactly
that there wa~ only one way left. 10 mobi-
he the army and navy. That day thou
sands and thousands Of volunteers ar
rived. old men of 30 and 80 years. and
Young kids of 10 Ia IL ycar~. But an
these had 20 20 home. ~ We didn't have
any u~c for them. Al about I O'Clock that
same day W heard IL once the bells ot
the churchcs ringing. At the sam time
saw I'm automobile running through all the
streets filed with officers and 4 soldier.
who gave a buglc ~ignal for general
mobilization.
Everybody Running.
Everybody was running a. the ships, ~
the barrack-, ETC.. officers. soldier and
civilians. The same day nearly . hundred
trains filled with soldiers and sailor arr
rived at -- fdcleted hy censor. prob
ably mt Wilhelm~havcn.l IL j. impossible
for YOU To imagine how quickly the mohill-
cation of the German navy took place.
Everything wa> done and ready twenty
four hours after the declaration oi war:
our navy was already 1T sea. think You
know that England has twice a. much
ships 80 We have. Therefore Germany
can't afford IL risk too much. Bui any
how ~ ease the German fleet should hc
destroyed. am sure that the English
fleet don't exist any more. ~ they haze
lost - many ships that TIE famous Eng
li~h fleet don't amount 10 much.
My father and tour ~ hi~ sous arc Eat
IN the navy. am glad thai except mv-rif
nobody got hurt. MN mother and my ~i-
ter. who lust married an officer ~ the navy.
arc working for the Red Gross. The Red
Cross IN Germany y 4 splendid organic
ton: al nice girl~ belong to Il and ARE
now working in the hospitals helping the
wounded. helping the families who have
lost the father or brother.
Alleged CrueIties.
| am sure that you have read 4 whole
lot of the German barbarian h make
me sick io read in French and English
papers and news about thc crucltic- dome
Nv German officers. usually printed viii
hig letters on the front page. Il n 4 Shame
that these newspaper dare tn irll their
reader, such lic-. hclirvc. my-cli. that
in an army 81 hvr ~ six million soldier
there are some bad our~ ready wv ~ amy
thing at any Time. Naul ETY. y rule the Ger
man = too good naturrd and well di~-
crplined tn hurt even an enemy more than
necessary. But articles like ! read ~ the
Graphic where German soldiers killed
little children and old mcn-ihat y moth
ng hut lie.
Since the beginning II September ann
in Belgium. la a little village entered q
hospital a. wish 4 friend ui mluc who lo-i
one leg. Here saw myself four soldier
who have been having III 4 street wounded
and incapable t. help themselves. when
civilians from the same village raIuc and
eat of their ears with q butcher knife
Fighting in Belgium.
Ii the soldiers see that civilians have
.,lt,aat.d THAR comrades like this. n l.