The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1917-01-26
WHAT IS HARDEST
THING IN war?
Sudden Responsibility, Says
Young Teuton Officer:
he MAKES LIGHT Of FEAR

Il Passes, Like ssasieknsss; Fatigue,
Easily Got Rid of-suddsn Call to
Command After Supsriors Have Fall
sn-1hat's the Great Test In This
War, He Says.
German newspapers are publishing
conspicuously long excerpts from a
book by Karl Larsen, the Danish
writer, who. like Sven Hedin and
Bjoern Bjoernson, two other lead
ing Scandinavian authors, spent many
weeks at the German front.
One of the most striking passages Of
Larsen's book is his account of a con-
versation with young German infan-
try officer. ..
The Dane asked the officer: 'sWhat
Is the hardest thing In war? Is it
fear?"
"FearT' replied the officer: Fear
passes like seasickness-that IL, for
those who ever feel either"
''Is it fatigue?"
The officer shook his head. Fatigue
and hardships settle In your limbs like
vermin in clothes. Dry air, bath. a
little rest and you get rid Of both"
|fWell, then, what is the hardest
thing In WARP"
Sudden Responsibilitv.
1.-THE hardest thing as you put It,
is this: Somewhere you, a lieutenant,
and your detachment are in the heat
Of battle under the most terrific drum
fire and suddenly comes the message,
The captain has fallen And a nttle
later comes another message: The first
lieutenant has fallen And now you
have to take command Of the COM
pany and give orders and instructions
in the midst of the continued drum
fire and in the face Of forthcoming
storming attack. That is the hardest
Of all things In war;"
The officer took a letter from his
pocket and said: Its the last letter
from a comrade Of mine who fell few
days ago. Read it."
The Danish author read:
"There is no chance for a furloughl
for me for the present; our situation on
the front is too uncertain to make fur
loughs possible. If the god Of battle
let's me keep my health until Septem-
Der may perhaps figure on three
weeks at home. Do not you, my
friend, believe with me that this is tie
best and most beautiful solution in my
case-to be able to remain with the
rest Of US in this titanic struggle2
'"This is as far as could get yester-
day. I am certain, by the way, that
the heaviest possible fighting is at
hand. Many of those who came back
from furlough brought sad stories
with them to the trenches, but many
others had some very inspiring things
to tell.
Sure Of Confidence.
I'VE here at the front are ready to
stick to the last, and the battles now
heralded by the enemy's fire will find
most of US in the same joyous conn
dence with which we went to the front
on the first day. This I can say as
one who is certainly familiar with the
spirit of the men, because I have
grown up with these men, and I am
one of them, and this in spite of the
frequent change Of my post and the
equally frequent changes within the
ranks.
Zone thing all of US feel-that the
opportunities for the individual man
are different today from what they
were two years ago. Yet the spirit Of
the rank and file is Unchanged. It is
a good spirit. one which will bring us
victory"
The officer added:
"And as long as the English fail to
obtain such q result as this in the
schooling of the spirit of the simple
lieutenant, the young officer who is a