Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-09
THE CHATTING DISH
On the Way to the Party
Nervousness of the Guests
From Our Special Correspondent

| MY LAST dispatch described the progress
AVA OF the Dove Train from Berlin toNhe
| Rhine. and I am now able to satisfy the
public thirst for full information as to the
adventures of the plenipotentaries or par
! lamentaires as they are variously called.
Please discredit all other press dispatches.
This is the only authentic information. We
had intended to make the trip from Berlin
to Namur without stop.over, but when we
crossed the line into the German province
of Neither Flanders tonce erroneously called
Belgium) the envoys confessed ttat they
all felt so faint that unless something
could be done to relieve their migraine,
maaise and extreme chilliness of the ex.
tremities they would be in no condition to
do themselves justice at the delightful little
reception Marshal Foch had so kindly
planned Accordingly we stopped at Spa,
where Erzberger and winterfeld spent the
night in the hot baths Oberndorff and
Won Salow Whose name to Judge by his
complexion just now, should be spelt with
two l's) drank heavily of mineral waters
and matted milk. General Gruenell could
with difficulty be torn away from some
mustard plasters which he found in n
pharmacy. I put them all to be with hot.
water bottles applied where they would do
the most good.
| MOT until yesterday afternoon Thurs.
| ~ day. was I able to get the ENJOYS
under way again. They seemed Ito look
| forward with the utmost misgiving to
Marshal Foch's party, and asked me ner-
| vously whether I thought there would be
any mistletoe concealed aboSit the French
| headquarters. I told them that they were
expected and that the kndest preparations
| had been made for n warm welcome, but
| I think from their behavior that they must
| be unaccustomed to society, for their re-
| luctance increased. do you thin
| presence is really necessary" asked Err
| berger bashfully. "I do hate anything for
NAL. And feel so embarrassed to be the
guest of honor at function of this sort.
| Marshal Foch might feel it necessary to
make a fuss over me, and that would be
| so painful. How would it do IL we just
| sent in our cards?"
! Winterfeld was even more apprehensive.
| Quantity enough. he seemed to fear that
Marshal Foch's reception, being a stag
affair, might prove little unrefned. I'm
proper stories might be told II am so
awfully distasteful to me. ! will con.
gratulate myself in the interests of hu.
manity IL ] get away from this without
| a blush"
| ABOUT 1 o'clock the delegates felt suffi-
| n GENTLY revived to proceed by motor.
| They lay fat in the bottom Of their cars,
| forcing their secretaries to stand on the
| seats waving very large white flags. Our
| progress was rapid for some time, but
! then we reached the ChmayFourmies-la
Capele. Guise road, which had been heavily
| hunned by shellfire. Here road.mending
company joined us to patch UP the high
| way in broken spots. Although the Allied
| fire in this sector had been shut down TO
| permit the passage of the visitors, they
were very 9pprehensive and crouched un-
| happily behind the motors while the road
mendng was going on Gruenell seemed
| to worry whether Foch would supply any
refreshments. II have little packet of
sausage powder that my dear wife gave
| me-" he said; but it makes my uniform
bulge so, Marshal Foch may think it Is
personal affront to him. ] am very anxious
| to make a pleasant impression"
Their demeanor was certainly not that
of men about to be the guests OF honor at
| a carefully arranged social event. Instead
| of a roadmendng battalion the German
High Command should have sent 2irt-
| mending party MY dear chaps" l said,
"Foch has been getting ready for this little
affair for over four years. You may be
quite sure he has thought out all the de-
| tails"
| Iyr>f
manual Of French small.talk, which was
wise, for I felt that he would be called
upon to talk very small indeed.
WE CROSSED the Allied line about 10
w o'clock and were conducted by French
officers to very comfortable house which
had been fitted up for us. 1 am sorry to
have to say that Gruenell rather disgraced
the party by buttonholing one of our escort
and asking if he thought we would be
able to get home in time for breakfast.
With characteristic French tact our hosts
ushered us TO a villa that had obviously
been occupied before by German officers.
You can imagine the delight of the en-
voys on finding German notices scratched
deeply into the mahogany of the grand
piano and beer stains on the rugs. Imme-
diatey they felt at home.
Our conductors left us 10 get a little
sleep, as it was nearly o'clock. They
said that breakfast would be served at Z,
after which we would be taken by motor
to Fochs headquarters. I slept very
heartily, but poor Erzberger sat up all
night writing his will. Gr1enell grumbled
a Bit because he said that breakfast would
probably be on the French Ian. only
coffee and rolls, IF only they would give
us an English breakfast" he moaned
Bacon and eggs and toast and jam and
porridge 1t certainly is rough that we
should have to surrender TO the lightest
eaters in the world" He slept with his
sausage powder under h. pillow.