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1 68 WITH THE GERMAN ARMIES IN THE WEST
troops. The great mobility of the German Army, the rapidity
with which its various units can be thrown backwards and
forwards, according to requirements, the scientifically de-
veloped marching powers of the infantry—there we have a
few of the reasons which contribute to make this army the
finest in the world.
On our way eastward we just skim the zone which may at
any moment be reached by the French fire. But we get past
safely and all that we see is a column of yellow smoke ascending
from the burning village of Sevron, set alight by German
shells. Thenceforward we are on familiar ground and are
soon home again after a thoroughly successful trip.
At half-past seven I was invited to supper with the Com-
mander of the 4th Army, Duke Albrecht of W^iirttemberg.
The guests included the Minister of War, Lieutenant-General
von Falkenhayn, the Chief of Staff, General Use and the Duke’s
three sons, all fine-looking and talented young men, the eldest
twenty-one, the second eighteen and the third seventeen years
old. They performed their duties with their units like any
other officer and had already on numerous occasions shown
commendable ability and courage. We Swedes remember
what the Wiirttemberg Princes are like from the time of
Charles XII., when Prince Max, not yet fourteen, arrived in
the King’s camp at Okuniev east of Warsaw and subsequently
shared our hard and scanty bread as well as the plentiful
fare of more prosperous da^/s, until he died at twenty as Colonel
and Chief of the Scanian regiment of Dragoons.
At the end of the meal the son of seventeen rose to go.
His duties took him to another part of the front and he had
to return. He now walked round the table and said good-bye
to all, and last of all to his father. The Duke took his head
between both hands and kissed him, but said nothing. No
scenes, no tears, no exhortations not to expose himself need-
lessly to the fire and other dangers. It was like an ordinary,
" Good night, I shall see you to-morrow." And yet, how
many officers and soldiers are there not in this war for whom
there is no such thing as " to-morrow " ? How many families
on parting from their dear ones do not see them for the last
time ? How many bonds have not been severed for ever ?
One of the Red Cross nurses had twenty-four relations in the
war, and I was told about a father who had eight sons in the
field and a ninth of sixteen who longed to follow their example.
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