Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1916-01-21

- n July. 1914, ! LEFT America
to travel abroad on pleas.
ure bent. | had as little
idea of the coming war MS
StHET anyone else, and even when
w y the clouds swept dark
%S7p 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. whllo Russians and other
foreigners we're wondering what
would become Of them II u came to
war. Tho mobilization proclamation
came the following day and suddenly.
on n Sunday, war was declared.
Dismey ana CONSERVATION were
written upon every face. The strange
tales OF other wars came fleeting to
our minds, and we conjured up a thou.
sand thoughts OF hunger and discOm.
fort. We were sure that within a
few days not an able. bodied man
would be left at home. Quite natu.
rally we did not anticipate the sys.
tematic regulation which eliminated
all danger Of famine ir spite of tine
proclaimed food blockade; nor did we
know that an army Is 80 organized
that millions Of strong young men
are not called into the service until
absolutely needed.
Bad kisslngen was the gathering
place for tho reseryists 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.lookiug 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 tho larger cities whore fully
equipped soldiers leave for the front
It is a most inspiring sight to see
them march away to the strains OF
military music, their caps and lapels
bedecked with flowers. Here in this
little country town the sight was not
thus inspiring, II was only lnexpres.
sibly sad.
Most of the men were accompanied
by their wives and s%weethearts, and
had come to bid u farewell which per.
chance would be the last. Nothing
has impressed me quite 30 much as
the spartan way In which these ger.
man women say good.by 10 their mon.
! have seen the soldiers leaving for
the front from town and city, In
companies or by twos and threes. aud
! have never seen n woman shed q
single tear until her husband. so or
lover had vanished from sight.
II Ia not that they DO not realize
to the fullest extent the danger their
men go on to face alas. they know
that fun well-but they seem TO feel
II their duty to make the parting as
cheerful as possible So dry and
smiling, they wave their handkcr.
chiefs until they can see no longer.
For two weeks kissingon assumed
quite a military character. The men
came Struggling In and their short
stay q made az comfortable ns pos.
siblc by liberal portions OF hot COT.
fec. cigars aud chocolate. Then the
mobilization ended and the town set
tied down 10 a strange quiet. { quiet
that seemed more uncanny because
we realized so acutely that In France,
belgium and Russia the mo were
laundering and men were falling by
the thousand.
I shall never forget the sultry, quiet
weeks | spent In Kisslngon during
tho 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 ! as well as the rest-sewed all
day long IN garments ard handages.
Mails came i%rregularly, and newspa.
pers, too. arrived AT odd intervals, be-
cause the trains we're being used for