Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-01-14


idea of the coming war as
S@zfS anyone else, and even when
~ 3 the clouds swept dark
Ns across the horizon, did not
really believe the storm would break.
We arrived in Bad Kissingen on the
day before the troops were modified.
People stood in excited groups.
Germans were preparing to leave for
their homes, while Russians and other
foreigners were wondering what
would become of them if it came to
war. The mobilization proclamation
came the following day and suddenly,
on Sunday, war was declared.
Dismay and CONSERVATION were
written upon every face. The strange
tales of other wars came fleeting to
our minds, and we conjured up thou
sand thoughts of hunger and discom-
fort. We were sure that within a
few days not an ablebodied man
would be left at home Quite natu-
rally we did not anticipate the sys-
tematic regulation which eliminated
all danger of famine in spite of the
know that an army is so organized
that millions of strong young men
are not called into the service until
absolutely needed.
Bad Kissingen was the gathering
place for the reservists from all the
surrounding countryside. Early Sun
day morning the troops came pouring
in. They assembled in the famous
kurgarten and in place of the usual
gayly dressed throng there were now
thousands of stern-looking men in
rough clothes. Here they were SOL
diers in name only, for their uniforms,
guns, and other equipment awaited
them at Bamberg an hour distant.
In the larger cities where fully
equipped soldiers leave for the front
it is most inspiring sight to see
them march away to the strains of
military music, their caps and Iapels
bedecked with flowers. Here in this
little country town the sight was not
thus inspiring. 1t was only inexpres-.
sibly sad.
Most of the men were accompanied
by their wives and sweethearts. and
had come to bid farewell which per-
chance would be the last. Nothing
has impressed me quite so much as
the spartan way in which these ger
man women say good-by to their men.
have seen the soldiers leaving for
the front from town and city, in
companies or by twos and threes. and
] have never seen woman shed a.
single tear until her husband. son or
lover had vanished from sight.
1t is not that they do not realize
to the fullest extent the danger their
men go off to face-alas. they know
that full well-but they seem to feel
1t their duty to make the parting as
cheerful as possible. So dry-eyed and
smiling, they wave their handker-
chiefs until they can see no longer.
For two weeks Kissingen assumed
quite a military character. The men
came struggling in and their short
stay was made as comfortable as pos
sible by liberal portions of hot cof-
fee, cigars and chocolate. Then the
mobilization ended and the town set
tied down to strange quiet, { quiet
that seemed more uncanny because
we realized so acutely that in France,
Belgium and Russia the cannons were
laundering and men were falling by
the thousand.
shall never forget the sultry, quiet
weeks / spent in Kissingen during
the summer of 1914. The days dragged
by, one like the other, except for the
preparations which were being made
to care for the wounded when they
should come. Some of the hotels
were turned into hospitals and every.
one-I as well as the rest-sewed all
day long on garments and bandages
Mails came irregularly, and newspa.
pers, too, arrived at odd intervals, be.
cause the trains were being used for