The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-06
General Who Won First Vic tory Over French Has a Busy Time Holding the
 Line Intact
SAYS GERMANS HAVE LEARNED THAT MASS
 FORMATION USELESS
British Troops Toughest of All, Declares Former War Minister-They Have
 Won Admiration

Field Headquarters Of the German Army, a Place in France, December P. Correspondence of the Associated Press, by Courier to Holland )-This important section of the battle line, guarded by the army of Gen. Von Heeringen, to which belongs the credit of the first consdera ble victory of the war-defeat of the gust lois the scene each day cf an ar gust 10, is the scene each day of an ar tillery duel, sometimes ferocious, some- times almost perfunctory. The infantry in the advance trenches Is engaged in tunnelng and trenching operations, in terrupted by minor but frequently sharp contacts. This week, however, has seen no heavy fighting and the lull has en- abled the correspondent of the Associated Press, guest of headquarters mess for i, the greater part of the week, to have many conversations with General Von Heeringen.
 Physically, Gen Won Heeringen is far from the generally conceived idea of a German commanding officer. He is 65 years old. with silky white beard, mild eyes, pleasant voice and a courteous consideration for all with whom he comes
 
 uniform, with the black and white ribbon and the iron cross upon his breast, to re- veal the man who, as war minister put through the Reichstag the billion mark levy for increasing the army last year, and who as commander of that army hastily concentrated in the first 10 days of mobilization. broke up the French in- vasion of southern Alsace and drove the invaders back upon Belfort.
 AS general staff officer, minister of war, army Inspector, and prospective commander if war should come, Gen. Von Heeringen has been in close touch with the modern theory of war, but he admits all did not come out as the experts had supposed
 Secure Extended Field
 Take the laying out of trenches for example" he said. The first principle to be observed, according to our Ideas be- fore the war, was to secure as extended field of fire as possible, so as to sorce an attacking enemy to advance q long distance under the fire of the defenders. Now we have learned that the first essen tial is to have them concealed and pro- tected from artillery fire even if the field of fire does not extend more than 5C yards before the trenches That i. enough, with modern weapons, to stop any attack.
 Tn number of places our men and the French occupy opposite slopes of the same ridge, with the crest of the ridge between them, so that neither side car see the other In the old days it would have been thought that the side seizine the crest could drive out the others bu, now neither side dares show a head above the crest.
 Another lesson we have learned m re- gard to occupation of cities in an ad- vance. We now march our column. around the city instead of through it sending only reconnotering parties into it, until we have established that it i. clear of the enemy
 Hand grenades we find are the bes weapons for street and house to hous, fighting. A couple of hand grenades thrown into a house occupied by the en. emy will clear it more quickly than any. thing else, and with far less ,nss of life than by the use of the bayonet. Our mer all carry them now In the trenches W. are using with remarkable effect no only hand grenades, but large mines containing great quantity of explosive and thrown by special gun. These ex, plode with tremendous effect
 Shown Hand Grenades
 The correspondent was shown c mum Der of hand grehades. They are about