Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XVII. Two More Days on the Channel Coast
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
TWO MORE DAYS ON THE CHANNEL COAST 295
memory of dangers happily survived. Then off I went at the
usual break-neck speed.
At Ghistelles I stopped for three-quarters of an hour to
see Colonel-General von Beseler, one of my old friends from
the Gesellschaft fiir Erdkunde (Geographical Society) in Berlin.
We had much to talk about, and he related many episodes
from the last few days’ fighting on the Yser Canal. Of the
result he had as little doubt as anyone else and reiterated
time after time :
" We must win !
" von Beseler is one of
the finest generals of the German army. It was he who took
Antwerp and he was now commanding the extreme right flank
nearest the sea. As a man he is congenial and fascinating.
I continue my journey. A convoy of French prisoners is
being taken into the interior—marine infantry, my chauffeur
tells me. The road hereabouts abounds in inns and public-
houses, I wonder how many. It would have given me some-
thing to do to count the inn signs by the roadside. At Bruges
we did not stop ; at Ghent we drove up to the Base Com-
mandant’s office, in a narrow street, flying the German flag.
A couple of obliging officers immediately offered to assist me,
but for the moment all I wanted was to get to Brussels ; if
possible, I added, I should be very grateful for the loan of a
car to the capital. Yes, there would be no difficulty about that,
they assured me. General Jung would be sure to arrange it
for me. So my name was taken in to the General and a minute
later he came dashing out and greeted me with the utmost
warmth, for he remembered me well from a fete in Posen
where I had lectured in February, 1910.
" But there cannot be any question of your starting off just
yet," said the General. " You must first sup with us at seven
and a car will be ready for you at nine."
I did not need much pressing and spent a couple of delight-
ful hours with these officers. At nine to the minute the car
stood ready. It was a covered car, which was thought safer
at night, and had a couple of exceptionally powerful head
lamps. And, best of all, I had a delightful Austrian lieutenant
to keep me company—one of those in charge of the Austrian
30.5-cm. mortars in use on the western front. It was sur-
passingly interesting to listen to all that he had gone through.
The ninety minutes which separated us from Brussels were all
too quickly over.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
