Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-14


Mlawa. Russia, March G.--l want to
make an impression picture (stllh-
mungsbild the Germans call III Oh
tvpieal German general.
A train that looked like toy tram
was waiting for him under the great
steel arches of the station at Grau-
denz. The only cars were baggage
car and richly upholstered passenger
coach.
An engine crept silently in from
the switch yards and without a shout
or lar was coupled to the frst car
hv uniformed railway employees, VINO
bore themselves like soldiers ana
who directed their work by signal
ing or in low tones. a sleety snow
was sweeping across the switchyards
il was a bleak day.
Like John II. sullivan.
A file Of soldiers came marching
down the platform and swung them
selves into the baggage car. There
were several minutes of waiting, the
railway hands standing at attention
all the time.
Then there was a jingle of spurs
and a clash of swords along the
stone stairways of the tunnels lead
ing from the station to the platform
A big man wearing the white cross
Of the order of the Red Eagle ap-
peared at the top of the stairs ana
advanced rapidly down the plat
form
John L. Sullivan, plus refine
.ment," thought !, and waited by the
door of the compartment to which
German captain had brought me.
l. ttstfh GROSS
at his throat was accompanied by
his chief of staff. an adiutant, and a
pink, blonde young captain. There
was much saluting from everybody
on the platform. Some chests that
looked as if they might be meant to
hold documents and money and hair
dozen small, stout trunks were
lifted into an empty compartment by
military servants.
Introduced TO General.
Just before the big man reached
the compartment next to mine the
adjutant stepped ahead of him ana
whispered to me: Gen. Suren wishes
to greet you" Then he turned back
to the general and mentioned my
name, adding: Tribune, Chicago
The general smiled twinkling
sort of smile and said in German:
"It gives me pleasure that you are
accompanying us into Russia. We
hope that we shall be able to show
you many interesting things. You
must tell us what you most wish to
see, and We will do our best"
| thought of o certain muggy Au-
gust evening in Beaumont, when a
German officer had said Don't you
gentlemen realize that this is not a
Mexican war, and that corresponds
ents are not wanted here?" The re-
mark was followed by measures
which most effectually proved 1t.
Truly, war is time of change.
Start for Mlawa.
The general shook hands ana
stepped into his compartment, fol-
lowed by two Of his officers The ad-
jutant waved a hand to the engineer,
the engine gave an apologize toot,
as If saying, II do hope / am not DIS
turbing anybody" and the train stole
out Of the yards toward the Russian
frontier, where Gen. Suren was 10
Join his 5000 troops at Mlawa.
For five hours we crawled south
east through the early twilight down
to the east corner of West Prussia
and over into the southwest corner
Of East Prussia. At points of vantage
all along the line little groups of men
and women were working on the
frontier intrenchments.
One saw them on the white fields
and at the edges of silent forests
They would straighten up to cheer
as the toy train passed them. anu
sometimes as the engine trundled
softly by We could hear them sing
ing.
The landscape was beautiful in its
Wlhtry way, and sad, too, when one
stopped TO consider how pregnant
every glimpse was with the frightfnl
possibilities of war.
Devastation of War.
When We got over into East Prus-
STA the possibilities became actuali-
Ties. Unroofed towns, their ruins
mace ghostlike by the freshly fallen
snow, peered gauntly at us out of the
sloom Soldau, for example, had been
terribly shot up and many a cottage
ana farm building in that region had
peen burned to the ground.
AT lllowo or thereabouts we cross
ed the frontier, and after five or SIN
miles of desperately slow progress
reached Mlawa, where half a dozen
cleaning automobiles that looked as
II they had been drawn up for
stand opera crowd were waiting. foi
the general, his suite, and his bag
gage.
was set down at a big white gov
eminent building. where quarters
had been assigned to me with a Ger