New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-26
The Happiest Man in Europe.

The Happiest Man in Europe.
The man was the German Emperor
Beyond doubt he was this afternoon
the happiest man in Europe.
Won Beseler, the batterlrg ram of
Antwerp and now Of Novo Georgievsk,
last night swept the Russians from
their last foothold in Poland. The
victory was of tremendous significance.
II meant that now the Vistula was open
from flank to flank of the mighty
German ogensive against Russia.
Beseler's aim had been fulfilled and
he had put the Vistula to work for
Germany. No more now of killing the
horses of German ammunition columns
on the vile Polish roads; no more now
of the destruction of the rubber tires
that were more precious than gold
chariot wheels; the Vistula was open.
No man knew better than the En-
peror what all this meant. and last
nights army bulletin announced that
he was rushing across country to meet
and thank the troops.
His face was radiant ard his manner
eager as he stood here in the hollow
square. | never saw a look of more
profound content on any human coun-
tenance.
Kaiser Addresses Troops.
The music of the band that had been
playing while the troops were forming
around died away. Amid churchlke
silence he began to speak. Occasionally
he made a thrusting motion into the
ground with the yellow cane upon
which he leaned in familiar attitude.
This is done when he wishes to empha-
size words.
He spoke very slowly, in firm, clear,
far-carrying voice; every word dropped
cleancut from his lips. He made fire.
quent pauses between sentences, and
when he paused he looked sometimes to
the right, sometimes to the left, his
eyes travelling slowly along the ranks.
Sometimes he let gaze rest on the
blazing fortress that Napoleon found
ed l0S years ago.
He spoke so clearly and slowly that,
remote as | was from him, began to
catch some of the sentences.
81 have hurried here" ne said, TO
give you the thanks of the Fatherland.
God has been with US, and to-day you
wear the undying oak leaves of victory
With the Help of God.
God being still with us you will go
on to more victories. The thanks oil
my heart | give you and we all give
thanks to the Lord of Hosts.
"My comrades, the Fatherland thanks
you, and its prayers go up to God for
you"
Then there were several sentences OF
the fact that the enormous works OF
Novo Georgievsk had been in the main
taken by the Landsturm. That made
him very happy, and with his eyes fixed
on the blazing citadel of the fortress
he paused to dwell on the fact.
Then | caught the words: Farewell,
my troops; farewell. comrades In
response a long, crashing roar broke
from the lines, that shaped itself into
the words, "Adieu, your majesty"
The roar died away and the far
carrying voice of an officer came
cracking across the plain n the COM
mand:
Three cheers for our Kaiser!"
A Surge of Deep Cheers.
he cheers went surging from bat
TALON to battalion like the throb of
artillery and blended grandly into the
strains of the Kaiser anthem from
the massed bands.
All through the anthem the Emperor
stood at salute all alone in the mighty
hollow square of bayonets, and all the
bulwarks of the empire Hindenburg,
Beseler, Falkenhayn and Mueller
stood at salute too, and everybody,
from the humblest Pomeranian srena-
der to the general whose breast was
blazing with decorations, was very still
and had to set his jaws hard to keep
from letting go. -,
Like a brother the Emperor had
spoken, and like brethren his troops
had received his thoughts. 1t had all
been more a rite than a parade, and
the keynote of it was an intimacy so
tender and so sacred that finer fbred
foreigners present felt almost sense
of shame in looking too sharply on.
Iron Crosses for Privates.
The bestowal of honors followed the
anthem. The Emperor gave iron crosses
for perhaps fifteen private soldiers into
the hands of Hindenburg, and linden.
burg pinned them on the soldiers
breasts. There were honors for certain
generals, too, but | was too far away
to catch the drift of all that.
After the bestowal the Emperor
visited with mucn animation with many
officers, devoting much of his time and
solicituGe to Hindenburg, who lowered
above him. Many officers also came 10
pay their respects to Hindenburg, and
il seemed to me that they bent lower
over his hand than they did over the
Emperor's, partly, perhaps, because the
Emperor has way of shaking hands IN
a thoroughly outstanding manner that
gently but firmly prevents an over
obseauious attitude. He is a man.
The Emperor appeared TO be in
splendid condition. His voice was
strong and MS bearing that Of much
Younger man THAI his grandfather
The officer who followed him with a
cry for three cheers had to roar Ike
a hull. vet his words hardly came as
clearly 70 the ear as had the En-
perors.
A Spaniard who stood next to me
said: Ibis majesty seems very joyful,
but Excellenz Hindenburg looks very
Colt Nit Uns."
When the Emperor left the hollow
square the yellow imperial standard,
hearing an Iron Cross embroldered IN
biack and the words Colt Nit Uns,
was horne close behind him by sol
der He crossed the field TO the high
way. where an open automobile stood,
with swinging steps. Beseler walked
beside him. The Emperor swung him
self into the automobile, military
servant wrapped rug around hlm. ne
lit a cigarette, threw himself DscS IN
the car and smoked luxurlously.
He then called Sven Hedin TO the
side of the car. shook hands with MN
and chatted with much gusto' Laughing
long and heartily.
FalGenhayn soon joined the haissI VI
the ar,omobile and the car swept down
the road amid the cheers OF the troops
thar lined the way for more than
a