Behind the Scenes in Warring GermanyFox, Edward Lyell
History
Behind the Scenes in Warring Germany
Fox, Edward Lyell
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
The Germans admitting English superiority on a military point! Germany,
whom everybody thought was the best prepared nation in Europe, beaten at
its own game. So valuable are these books regarded by the General Staff
that they are locked in a safe.
As I digested the contents of these English books, I decided that if I
had military power behind me, and these books in my pocket, that I could
walk, ride, even fly in Belgium--without ever having been there before.
I could always know precisely where I was at, where I could best be
housed. I saw that each book begins with "roads," and reports the
widths, surfacing and nature of the ground on either side of these
roads. Every conceivable bit of information about the railroads in
Belgium is between the covers, even down to the station masters at small
places and the language each one speaks. Rivers, canals, bridges, dikes,
have all been tested by the unprepared Englishmen. I thought now English
cavalrymen were interested in learning that, "in the village of Eppeghen
there are three forges." On another page I learned that "a kindly
feeling exists for England because of a school for English children." In
Tamines, "a large number of Germans are employed in the electrical
work." On page 17 of Volume Two, I read "the farms ... are large solidly
built structures, the barns usually being lofty with high eaves. The two
storied dwelling houses enclose a barnyard. The Howitzer is the weapon
of attack against them and the folds in the ground facilitates its use."
Under "Monetary Contributions"; I read, "It may be necessary under
certain conditions in an enemy's country to replace supply requisitions
in kind by contributions in money."
And the English blame the Germans for their levies in captured cities.
In the upper right hand corner of Volume Three, I saw what seemed to be
a serial number--349. The other volumes also bore this number. Volume
III declares itself to be a report on road, river and billeting
conditions in Belgium; it gives information for the country between the
river Meuse and the German frontier, going as far south as certain
designated military lines. Glancing over this book, I saw on page 20
that the district near the German frontier was particularly suitable for
billeting soldiers, that three or four men could be housed with every
inhabitant except in Seraing and Liége where only two soldiers could be
put up. On page 232 I learned that the billeting report had been
reconnoitered every year from 1907 to 1913. This means that in the
district covered by this book every dwelling place with a roof over it
had been checked up every year for seven years. Thus were proper living
accommodations for English soldiers in Belgium verified by the skilled
War Office of London.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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