The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-01-27
GERMAN OFF ICER
OF CAMP A|GN
Famous operatic Manager,
Now q Commander, Praises
VaIor of Foes.

speak to the readers of the
4 American newspapers great
change has come in my mill
tary life. | am back again at the
front. am facing the enemy for the last
month as commander Of an infantry
battalion. and this time ii is not in the
west, but il the east" writes Walter
Bloem. the famous German operate
manager TO the International News
Service. He is captain and command
er of battalion now. Continuing, he
says:
During the first year of the war
had 10 fight against Belgians, French
men and Englishmen. white men and
men of all colors In Brabant, Henne-
gau and northern France. Now IL Is
the turn of the Russians.
1T happened this way: ] had very
pleasant position in Brussels as officer
in ordnance 10 Governor General Baron
won Kissing. and | had there large
field for certain activity. But. after
all. il was an activity that. though 1t
was caused and emphasized by war
COIlulllOIS, WIS VI a ptuNNihi 40
ture. and am thorough soldier.
1.-THE easy life In Brussels, the office
work. the bidlng In luxurious drawing
rooms while my comrades were fight
ing on the rough fields and slept In
trenches-I could not stand it perma-
nently. | had to go back ON the field.
Several times my request was denied.
At last l succeeded.
Stages "Iphigenie" For Troops.
''And that. too. came to pass in Pc
culiar way. During the last time In
Brussels had done different little va
cation jobs that were interesting IN
themselves. but only loosely connected
with the mighty life of our titanic
time with the world war
Zone day /. the former stage man
ager and dramaturge of the Court thea
ter in Stuttgart, was given tie task
of staging 'Ipbigenie auf Tauris' i'll
the Royal Park theater the coquettish-
Iy coy playhouse opposite the Paiais
de la Nation.
MARY Dietrich of the Reinhardt the
aters, who two years ago played the
priestess-princess for the first time as
guest under my management in Stutt-
CART, was the most German, the most
fairy like Iphigenie that can be imag-
med. Waldemar Roessier had. with
the scantiest eXpedients, created a
gloomy, fateful landscape 1t was
proud, blessed night And now 'Iphi-
genie was to be played i'll Antwerp.
There we had. instead of the tiny
rocco stage of Brussels. the gigantic
stage of the Vlamish Opera House. One
morning | Travelled the actors to the
metropolis on the Scheldt and in an
extended and lively rehearsal we adapt
ed our production.
Suddenly | was called TO the tele-
phone Colonel Won E.. the commits
sioner for assignments of the governor
general. spoke to me from Brussels
whether | still insisted on my often re-
peated request to go back to the front.
OF course | did!
"fYou can have a battalion iii the
east Immediately, Do you want it,
"'Ever so much delighted
Joins Army In East.
"'All right. then; return to Brussels
at once. The governor general and we
comrades would like to be with you in
cheerful company and to bid you fare
we'll You will leave tomorrow at III
O'Clock.
And so it happened that l went
from 'Iphigenie' to the trenches on the
Narew. In Berlin | embraced my wife
and my eighteen-year-old daughter and
my son, sixteen years old, who Will
join my regiment in a few days to
fight as volunteer.
Again | am living the dreadfully
glorious world story. War. These
lines are written by me in fortified
shelter north of Bielsk. Over my head
the shells from our side and from the
other side meet. and once in awhile
one of them strikes not at all very far
from me and throws clods of dirt over
the board which forms my writing
desk.
"All this is no chapter from>a novel