New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-21

"
articles by Mr.. Bennett on the general
subject of Into Russia with the Ger
man Army"
BY JAMES O'DONNELL BENNETT.
Posen, Germany, Feb. 1s.-I suppose
that when most Americans say "Posen
Posen? What do | know about
Poscn'" the most they can remember
is the name of an old and not very
good play that fourished on the one
night stands in our country twenty
five or thirty years ago. II was called
"Sam1 OF Posen.' and its principal fig
ure was for many seasons imperson-
ated by Jewish actor who took the
name OF NJ. b. Curtis. and who nearly
got himself hanged after wild esca-
pade in California.
That was about all knew Of Posen
until ] arrived here from Berlin.
The most important fact about the
city that ! know now is that il is the
headquarters OF his eXcellency the field
marshal, General Won Hindenburg, and
that from il as q consequence the stu
pendous operations against the Rus
slams and Warsaw are being directed.
II is full of interesting people Ger
man generals. princes, dukes. CORE
spondents and painters and their
wives. IL is also full of prospective
American citizens of Polish-Jewish ex-
traction, and of pictures and busts of
Hindonburg. Prevalent. too, are the in
fants Paderewski, who run pronounced
~ 10 hair and have temperamental
eyes.
In a fifteen minute walk through the
older part Of Posen you encounter fifty
originals Of David Warfeld's Simon
Levi. and IN the railway station al the
other end % the city you suddenly find
yourself looking into the quiet, specu-
lative eyes of the police of the German
secret service, who wonder why you
have come 10 Posen from Bcrlin-or
from anywhere else and who in an
extremely velvety but definite way
make il their business 10 find out.
Arriving AZ Posen, you pass through
covered ways from the train into the
railway station. but you don't pass out
of the railway station until soldier
has examined your passports and held
brief conference with one of the Sc
cret service men.
Cabs Quickly Taken.
BY the time that is over the German
officers in uniform. who don't have TO
show passports. have taken all the
cabs. SO YOU stand in the outer yard
Of the railway station and yell an in
terrogatory "Frei >" until a cabman.
coming back from the Hotel de Rome
for his second fare, takes pity on you
and says "Jawohl. excellency.' The
"eXcellency" : good tor twenty pfen-
nigs extra in tire cabmans tip, but as
the fare for mile drive is only
mark. the "excellency' is cheap at the
price Besides like it, it being some
what of an improvement on the Amer
lean Sure"
Posen is the only town in the world
that ! know about where you can see
an admirable performance OF Goethe's
Faust" one evening and then be on the
German battle line in Russia the next
evening.
Just now Posen is the headquarters
for all the forms of activity directed
against Russia. The brains are mere
under Won Hndenburg's short pompa-
dour; the taciturn General stan
which works out the devisings of that
train-is around him. and here is tne
principal point of departure for the
new troops daily being sent eastward
into the little valleys and the wood
lands lying between Bolimow and war
saw.
Posen. in other words, is "the works
On the wall of the breakfast room
of the Hotel de Rome hung wooden
shield carved in high relief with coat
Of arms that seemed to me Russian
and 7 could not understand why 1t was
DISPLAYED in this German city.
One of the cadets of the house OF
Bismarck explained. 81 noticed that
YOU were studying that coat OF arms
on the wall of the breakfast room When
YOU arrived here yesterday morning,
said he. Naturally you were puzied.
Well. I must tell you about 1t. You
soc one of our officers took 1t down
from the city hall of a Russian town
we had captured and in frivolous
mood he brought it back here and hung
il up in the breakfast room.
Phrase Sticks in Mind.
That phrase IN a IlNVioU"
has stuck in my mind; | don't kno"
just why. s,t cum.
nose. there have been hung on the walls
of the breakfast room pennants OF req
and blue and green, bearing the dates
of the important German victories won
since the 1st of August-Llege, Tan
nenberg. Namur, Antwerp, Maubeuge'
and so on. -
az suppose Warsaw goes up next;
said the cadet of the house of Bismarck
as he gazed ref1ectively at the remnants
embroidered with oak leaves. He was
wrong. scissors went up next. In the
mean time Posen has made ready Tor
eventualities that might cause its name
TO $50 up" on Russian pennants OF VIC
tory. 1t doesn't anticipate any such
cventualities, but, having been lmpreg-
mated with German caution since 1t be
came a German possession. the ancient
Polish city has taken measures with an
eve TO the uncertainties of war. Inc
floors of its beautiful Emperor FRED
erick Museum have been cleared of stat
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