Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-25


first fell i'm with Won Rtsmarcl;
"hen | had to make the seven hour
auto ride from Posen TO Graudenz Ia
view the new intrenchments with
which this town has been half clrcled
since August.
from the city Of Posen we Jared
northwest up the border country. out
OF the province of Posen ana into the
province Of West Prussia, over 130
mues OF good German roads, and I
dont suppose there was an hour of
the seven when We were out of the
nan or civllians working on the In
tfehchments or of soldiers guarding
the finished work.
from Posen to Gnesen, Gnesen to
Iiohensalza, Hohensalza to Thorn
Ihofn TO kulmsee, and Kulmsee TO
Sraudenz-it was the same at all the
strategic points along the line; acres
upon acres of the fields far beyond
the outskirts of the towns cut up with
trenches, and acres of superb mu-
nleipal forests cut away to give the
summers the range or to be converted
into barriers
Route of Journey.
For the sake of its military as well
as its historical significance l give
the route in detail, the distances being
those not by highways but by rail:
From Posen erich city of $1,000
inhabitants, capital of the province,
fortress of the first class. and gate
way of trade with the east) to Gnes-
en-. thirty-one miles. Gnesen. with a
population of $4,000 and more than
l,0OO years of memorable history, Is
the Oldest town in Poland. In the
cathedral is the tomb of St. Adalbert,
first preacher of Christianity in
Prussia, who got killed for his prop
aganda. Here the kings of Poland
used to be crowned
From Gnesen to Hohensalza, thir-
ty-six miles. Hohensalza. population
of $4,000; seat of great salt works.
directly opposite one of which Is
huge beet sugar factory. Both are
working night and day.
From Hohensalza to Thorn, twenty
miles. Thorn, a spacious and beauti-
full city of $1,000 inhabitants and a
heroic history of which the "Thorner
Blutbad' was a pitiful incident.
Founded in the thirteenth century
by the Teutonic knights. 1t was lost
to Germany forty years after the first
battle of Tannenberg U410). IN which
the Slavs overthrew the knights The
loss was one of the numerous dire con-
sequences of victory the shame of
which General Won Hindenburg may
be said to have wiped out last August
IA vengeance that was five centuries
and four years in oyertaking the
Slavs.
Trenches Instead of Trains.
In peace there is a seven and a.
half hour express train from Thorn to
Warsaw. At present there are most
ly trenches.
From Thorn to Kulmsee, thirteen
miles. Kulmsee, 10000 population,
and in the heart of the ancient do
mains of the Teutonic knights. of
whom Carlyle writes so vividiy.
From Kulmsee to Graudenz. twenty
miles, City of 10000 population,
commands a superb sweep of the
Vistula. Contains vast fortress built
by Frederick the Great. now valuable
only for its picturesqueness and as
cummodfous barracks. But
the town is fortified to the hilt by a
far less picturesque, but practically
system of modern field
fortfications. The victorious resist
ance of General Courbiere offered to
the French siege of Graudenz in 1907
forms one of the glorious chapters In
Russian annals
On the latter half Of our journey
we passed the ruins of some OF the
castles and fortified churches Of the
Teutonic knights of St Mary. the be-
ginning of whose order was perhaps
the first extensive application of the
modern Red Cross idea, and Mr.. Won
Bismarck said
''Those fortresses were built for
precisely the same purpose as those !
new entertainments we just passed |
were. built--to keep out the east"
Talks OF Agriculture.
Then Won Bismarck commented on |
agricultural matters. | had noted the |
fact that the fields were In many !
places titled to the edge of the high |
way--no waste or clutter anywhere. |
Yes he said. I'VE German farm |
ars respect the soil too much to
waste it"
He spoke of the great tracts re- |
served for shooting in England and of |
places which their proprietors look |
upon only as luxuries to be enjoyed IN I
he summer.
"We call that degradation of the |
and he said. adding 1T seemed |
o me a dreadful thing when an Eng |
ishman who had lived for fifty years |
II Yorkshire and also had forty farms
II Ireland sold seventeen of those |
arms at stroke of the pen without |
.ver having seen them.
THAT must be a fine country. my
English friend said to me after the |
iale was completed
" But surely you know, ! said.
E No. he replied, i have never
,een there
And yet my friend had been in
Africa, Asia and Canada"
Won Bismarck said the same sci /
nee and system which make German
arming so profitable was applied to
German forestry. The publicly
,wned tracts are a source Of great
evenue to the state and the cutting
,f timber from the privately owned
racts Is controlled by the state. No
,wner is allowed to slaughter the
woods.
Science in Forestry.
AS fast as he cuts he must plant
md each year ne is allowed to cut
,nly certain proportion OF the va
ious growths of timber Thus his
crest is constantly renewing itself,
he rainfall is not diminished and the
qater courses are not dried up.
'eThcre are no potato bugs in Prus-
ia,r said Bismarck.
The same solicitous attention to
minute details, TO the end that great
hings may be accomplished, charac-
erizes the governments direction or
he service TO which Won Bismarck
low belongs.
There is much drifted snow In the
eglon lying between Graudenz IN
serlnany and Mlawa In Russia with |