New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-14
,c...,,.,, ,o,. by m. Chicago Ttibuns)

articles by Mr.. Bennett describing
.ctivitie, of the German troops IN
Russia)
Mlawa. Russia, March 81 want 70
make an impression picture lstlm
nungsbild. the Germans call IL OF
/ typical German general ;,
a train that looked like toy traln
WAS waiting for him under the grea'
stesl arches of the station Mt Graudeh|
] The only cars were a baggage car ana
n richly upholstered passenger coach;
An engine crept silently in from inc
switch wards. and without shout or a
} iar was coupled on TO the hrst car by
uniformed railway employees, VINO pore
! themselves like soldiers and VINO d.
| rected their work by signalling or III
, low tones. A sleety snow was sWeepIhg
across the switch yards. 1t was bleak
day. roh;ro
down the platform and swung them
selves into the baggage car There were were
/ several minutes of waiting, the ran,
way hands standing at attention all
the time.
Then there were jingle OF spurs
and a clash of swords along the stone
stairway Of the tunnels leading from
the station to the platform. A big
man wearing the white cross OF the
order of the Red Eagle appeared al
the TOP Of the stairs and advanced rap
idly down the platform. ;,
"John l.. Sullivan, plus refinement
thought |, and waited by the door OF
the compartment to which a German
captain had brought me.
The big man with the white cross al
his throat was accompanied by ms
chief of staff, an adjutant, and pink
blond Young captain. There was much
saluting from everybody on the plat
form. Some chests that looked as II
they might be meant to hold docu-
ments and money and half dozen
small. stout trunks were lifted into an
emptv compartment by military ser
wants.
General Suren Greets Bennett.
Just before the big man reached the
commitment next to mine the adJu-
tant stepped ahead of him and whis-
nerd to me: General Suren wishes TO
greet YOU" Then he turned back TO
the general and mentioned my name.
The general smiled a twinkllng sort
of smile and said in German:
eft pives me great pleasure that you
are accompanying us into Russia. we
hone 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
I thought Of certain muggy August
evening in Beaumont, when a German
officer had said: Don't you gentlemen
realize that this is not a Mexican war,
and that correspondents are not want,
cd here" The remark was followed
by measures which most effectually
proved it.
Truly, war is time Of change.
The general shook hands and stepped
into his compartment, followed by two
of his officers. The adjutant waved
hand to the engineer. the engine gave
an apologize foot, as II saying, 90
hope | am not disturbing anybody and
the train stole out of the yards toward
the Russian frontier, where General
Suren was to join his $4,000 troops at
Mlawa.
Ruined Towns Ghostlike in Snow.
When we got over into East Prussia
the possibilities became actualitles.
I'nroofed towns, their ruins made
cbostIjke by the freshly fallen snow,
pecred gauntly at us out OF the gloom.
Soldau. for example, had been terribly
shot up. and many a cottage and farm
building in that region had been burned
to the ground.
At Ulowo or thercabouts we crossed
the frontier. and after five or SIX miles
Of desperately slow progress reached
Mlawa. where half dozen cleaning
automobiles that looked as If they had
been drawn up for a grand opera crowd
were waiting for the general, his suite
and his baggage.
| was set down at a big white gov
eminent building, where quarters had
been assigned to me with German art
critic who is now an officer IN the I'M
pcrial volunteer automobile corps 1.-THE
X. +. A. H." they call it in the army,
and was told 70 join the general and
his staff at dinner in half an hour.
Dinner an Elaborate Function.
For this function guests are escorted
10 large room in another big white
building, which may once have been
Russian government Offices, and led to
the generals chair at the head OF the
tables He rises and shakes hands,
then turns to the thirty officers seated
at the hollow square of tables and
says: "Meine herren!"
At this the officers rise, and the gen.
eral says: 81 have the honor TO pre-
sent" So-and-So. The length of the
speech depends on whether the guest is
known or unknown. II he is unknown,
and especially if he is an unknown
civilian, it is longer, and includes a few
courtly phrases of Identification.
When the general gives the name OF
the guest all the officers bow, and the
general sits down and the officers sit
down. Then the guest is escorted TO
his place at the table. an ordonnanz
writes the guests name on bit of
hygienic paper, wraps a serviette in IT,
and brings the serviette 10 the guests
place. The Ulcers for three or four
seats around lean forward, bow. and
speak their names, and from that mo-
ment onward you are one of the family.
Almost Every One Speaks English.
No glittering staff surrounds him.
Just grave, strong looking men in uni
forms of field gray. Almost every one
wears the iron cross at his breast and
almost every one speaks English,
though they all deprecate doing that,
saying, you will never get on with
your German il we talk with you in
English"
The meal is Spartan but hearty, and
the furnishings of the dining room and
table are primitive. in one corner
stands a beer keg. Tackled to one OF
the folding doors that open into the
kitchen is a CHEEKY thing in the way
Of German placard that assures you
that cholera is durable and tells you
what you are to do to set about getting
cured in case you are stricken.
an epidemics," says this confident
paper, fright is fatal" and it there