The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-10-09
The KQiSerS Memoirs

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From the start l concerned myself
with the completion OF the railway
sytsm. From the reports relating
4, rttIonal defense and the COM
,4.uf of the general staff, as well as
rr.f porsonal observation, 1 knew
~ the absolutely incredible neglect
suffered hy east Prussia in the mat
ter pf railways. The state OF affairs
vle absolutely dangerous, In view
of the steady. though gradual, re-
enforcing Of the Russian troops fac
inr our frontier. and the develop
mont of the Russian railway system.
puring the last years OF his roign
I..usr0r william the Great had
commanded Field Marshal Moltke
ta report on the situation, since the
Ir Ian armies. under the Influence
al France. were being posted ever
fU.. t0uspicuously on the eastern
frontier OF Prussia, arousing appre.
lM.Iun as 10 the possibility OF irrup.
tuH4 OF great masses, OF Russian
rpyaIry into Prussia, Posen and
gl,4,a. Quartcrmaster General
count Waldersec and | were pres-
emit at the reading OF this report.
Frum IL came the resolve TO shift
, pu.sinn troops eastward and to push
toward completion tho neglected
railway system.
The measure ordained by Emperor
william l. and hcgun by him re-
WIsd time particularly as the new
railway bridges over the Nistula and
No.lt had to be built by the military
nuuorities in the teeth Of strong
cfnclal opposition tNayhachD. since
thc railways were considered ma
tIoral pocketbook there was n de-
sire TO build only paying" lines.
which caused prejudice against out
lays for military lines designed for
the defense of the fathcrland. since
Il diminished the fine surplus funds
by which such great store was laid.
Not until my reign were the plans
Of Emperor william |. brought to
realization Any one taking up a
railway map Of 1883 will he amazed
al the lack OF railway connection
lin tho east. particularly In east
Prussia. especially ~ he compares it
with 1914 map showing the de-
,ciopment I'm the intervening years.
j. wp had had the old network, we
should have lost our eastern terri
tory loo 1914
Iuuucstionably Minister Won May
lHUh rendered valuable service in
the promotion ana development OF
the railway system. He had 10 take
into account the wishes and de-
maUls of the rapidly developing in
dustriJl sections OF western Ger
many. I'm doing which he naturally
u.
Far as he could. But during his
regime eastern Germany was very
badly treated with regard to rail-
way lines. bridges and rolling stock.
Had there been mobilization at that
time, 10 would have been necessary
90 transfer hundreds OF locomotives
tn the east In order to maintain
schedules capable Of meeting even
part Of the requirements OF the gem
oral staff. The only means OF COM
muuication with the east were the
two autiquated trestle bridges at
Drschau and Marenburg. The gem
eral staff became insistcnt, which
brought quarrels between It aud
Mayiuch.
Not until Minister Thielen came
Into office was there n change occa-
stoned by his sacrificing work,
Tor which thanks are due him. Real
izng correctly what the military re-
quirements were, lie pushed forward
the completion OF the eastern rail-
ways. Thielen was an able, diligent,
thorough reliable official OF the old
Prusslan type. faithful to me and en-
ioyIng my high esteem. In common
with Miguel, he stood faithfully by
the side Of his sovereign in the fight
for the Central canal Characteristic
Of him the words which he said in
my presence, before a big assembly
of people atthe opening OF the Elbc-
tr1ve canal. The Central canal
must and will be built" Relations
between him and me remained har-
monious until his retirement.
Despite the railway construction
work in the western part of Ger
many, there were in that region like
wise serious gaps in the network
nt railways, from the point of view
or mobilization and deployment OF
fuoops, which had long since needed
remedylng. The Rhine, as far up
as Mainz, was crossed by one rail-
way bridge only; the Main could be
crossed only at Frankfort. For
long time the general staff had been
demanding the remedying of these
conditions. Fortunately general
'''AAfN llibNNd III Alit SdllAt ulItNllbI
for Instance. II traveller coming
from the west wished to reach one
OF the watering places In the Taunus
mountains, or some place on the
railway along the right bank OF the
Rhine, he had to go as far as
Frankfort. and then return in the
same direction, whence he had come,
6llhough at Mainz he had almost
been opposite Niesbaden.
Minister Budde was the man
chosen for the accomplishment Of
thls work. AS chief of the railway
department OF the general staff he
had long since attracted my atten-
Ilon by his extraordinary capacity
Tor work, his energy and his prompt
ness IN making decisions. He had
\ olen reported to me on the gaps In
yuf railway system, which would
hamper quick deployment of troops
on two fronts. and always pointed
OUT the preparations being made by
russia and France, which we were
~ uuty bound TO meet with prepara-
uons OF equal scope, in the interests
OF national defense.
The first consideration, OF course,
w railway construction had been the
Improvement and faciiitation OF in
uustry and commerce, but IT had not
peen able TO meet the immeasura-
Ply increased demands OF these, since