Year: 1870

the policy of the defenders was to re-
tire and draw the enemy toward the
Rhine. Then there is full seventy
miles of hostile territory to march
through before reaching the Rhine,
and the Prussians have three sets of
men that they could bring success
sively against the invaders. The
Prusslan policy just now seems to be
to bring the three divisions of the
army, the actives, the reserves, and
the landwehr, into the very best
order, and to have them give their
whole attention to the coming battles
that Is, to have almost every efec-
tive man In Prussia constantly ready
with gun on shoulder to Join In the
defence of his country. Every man
is by no means ready In France. The
confidence in the regular army is so
great there that if the whole people
were called out there would be al
most panic. Here the whole people
is a6eld to-day.


THE PHLEGMATIC PRUssIANs


show here, above all, their utter con-
tempt for any strong excitements.
The men going to the front go quietly,
smiling or singing, as if their gun
were spade, and they were going to
till the earth instead of to drench it
with their blood. One might imagine.
to have landed in Coblentz, as I did
yesterday, among the thousands OF
soldiers thronging the narrow streets,
that there was some grand reunion or
Schutzenfest. or a beer drinking tour
nament. The long line of blue
bloused workmen, dusty and tired,
marching to report to headquarters, OF
course gave a somewhat serious char
transformed after their visit to the
storehouse. where arms and uniforms
were distributed, into easy-gosng. bat
strong and valiant soldiers, marching
without murmur or alamor directly to
their destination. As every man is a
soldier here, there is not so much
chancs for that "Bravol my heroP +
enthusiasm which the French cock
ney shouts for his countryman in uni
form. Do | dwell too much on this
point2 It seems to me that it is the
great one of the war.


Knock at my doorI Bite. It is
the burly form of soldier bringing a
dispatch from a friend in Berlin.
Dispatch written in Berlin one hour
ago. Distance from here to Berlin
half way across Middle Europe. Yet
the Government has full possession
of the lines and is using them day and
night. In France our dispatch would
have been kept day or two, and then
delivered 10 me by some semi-spy,
who would have suspected me be-
cause l received a telegram in war
time. But Prussia does things in a
more open handed manner.


The cool headed pluck of the Prus-
SLAMS IS really amusing. They have
absolute confidence In their own re-
sources. Although Coblentz is only
two days and a half march from the
French frontier, and the general
opinion OF Europe is that the French
are going to win the first battles, eve
rythIng is serene In the town. The
walks by the river were crowded last
evening with beauty and fashion, the
officers were dressed as if for a holi-
day, and the French were not even
talked about. There is more excite
ment In Berlin, it is said, than here.
There the populace are excited for
news; here they hardly care to hear
from Treves. ia" said an old gem
tleman In our hotel this morning, II
believe there are some troops up at
Saarbourg." Some! evidently. But
ne didn't wish to acknowledge any
excitement. We may fnd them less
phlegmatic further on.