The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1919-03-27
CHAPTER VII.
The kalser's Confidence Of Victory.


Lieynitz. In Silesia, having been in
vited by some journalistic friends OF
mine to accompany them In the motor
allowed the press. The military repre-
sentatives OF England. France, Amer
lea and other countries were there
with the kaiser's staf to witness the
display of Germany's military power.
Apparently they were very much I'm
pressed, for l heard afterwards that
n of the French officers who had
been present had written n book In
which he said: "With such nm army,
Germany could annex France In six
months! !"
l happened to mention this fact to
the kaiser shortly afterwards and his
significant comment was:
six months! l should hope SO. 1t
wouldn't take that long!"
The confident belief that when Der
Tag'-"the day"-finally arrived, Ger
many would crush her enemies and ac-
complish her object within n few
months at the outside was held not
only by the kaiser but by the people
generally and their conduct when the
war broke out clearly disclosed It..
When Germany's man power was
modified, 10 one in Germany believed
it would be very long before they
would all be back and every effort was
made to make their few weeks of ac-
tive service as little irksome as pos
slble. "L~iebesgaben," gifts Of love,
consisting Of clothing and food of
every description, were forwarded to
them by their relatives and friends IN
the most lavish manner, although, OF
course, at that time the German CON-
mlssary was able TO satisfy all the sol.
dicrs' requirements.
One of my patients told me that she
had sent seventeen hundred pounds Of
sausages to one regiment within II
week, and when / asked her why h
had been so generous she replied that
her chauffeur was Il member of the
regiment!
The extent to which the country's
our were squandered In those
early months Is evidenced by the fact
that the soldiers had such an excess
Of ill-fltting wooden wearing apparel
that they used many of the knitted ar
ticles as %earpieces and covers for their
horses. No one had the slightest idea
that the time might come when the
whole nation would be clothed In pa
per!
At this late day 1t can hardly be
necessary to establish how thoroughly
prepared the Germans were for the
war, but an incident which occurred In
the early days OF the conflict may not
be u Of place to show the self-satis-
fed and confident attitude which all
the Germans assumed.
Two officers sitting at a table In an
out-of-door cafe shortly after the war
began overheard one of several ladies
who were passing remark: Look ut
those officers sitting there drinking.
Why are they not ut the front fight
ing?" Cse of the officers got up and,
approaching the ladies, said: "Our
work was completed month, ago. We
worked from early morning til late at
night on plans which our armies are
now carrying out. 1t Is our time to
rest"
The resistance that France would be
able to put up was always very lightly
estimated, and II the Intervention Of
England was at all taken into consld-
GRAFTON, the comparatively small army
she could place In the field was re-
garded as but Il drop In the bucket com
pared with the well-traincd German
horde that was ready to sweep across
the border. How could England's 10000
men cope with Won Kluck's 100000 or
the hastily modified French armies re-
sist the thoroughly prepared, equipped
and well.discipllned German warriors?
1t Is really not 10 be wondered ut
that the Germans firmly believed that
they would bring the allies to their
knees within a comparatively few
weeks and that the conqucring Ger
man armies would celebrate Sedan
day. September 2. In Paris. What ac-
tually happened is, of course. too well
known here to require recital, but |
know that the Germans were kept In
absolute ignorance of the marvellous
resistance the allies were able to put
up In those critical days Of August and
September. 1914, and to this day the
majority of Germans have not heard
Of the battle Of the Marine!
Just after the English passed their
CONSUMPTION law i was called to see
the kaiser at the great army headquar'
tiers, which at that time were at Pless,
Although the war had then lasted two
or three times as long as the Germans
had expected, tho kaiser masked the
depression he nus have felt by put
} ting on a bold front.
How foolish for England to start
CONSUMPTION now" he declared. "Sht
thinks she can accomplish In a few
months what 1t has taken Germany
, hundred years to attain, Armies ant
officers cannot be developed over night
We have never stopped preparing since
: the days of Frederick the 0reatI"
"Yes, your majesty, but the North
ern states In our OWL war put In con
scription two years after the begin
, ming Of the war" I suggested.
"But lust look how long your va