form, not of a steam roller, but of a
"tidal wave of cavalry."

"It will dash against a wall of loyal flesh and blood, barbed with
steel--if it comes," he said simply.

My impression, growing increasingly stronger the more I have seen, that
German military success had been to no small extent made possible by
American inventive genius and high-speed American methods, received
interesting partial confirmation from the Field Marshal, whose keen,
restless mind, working over quite ordinary material, produced the new
suggestive combination of ideas that, while "America might possibly be
materially assisting Germany's enemies with arms, ammunition, and other
war material, certain it was that America, in the last analysis, had
helped Germany far more."

"But for America, my armies would possibly not be standing in Russia
today--without the American railroading genius that developed and made
possible for me this wonderful weapon, thanks largely to which we have
been able with comparatively small numbers to stop and beat back the
Russian millions again and again--steam engine versus steam roller. Were
it for nothing else, America has proved one of our best friends, if not
an ally.

"We are also awaiting with genuine interest the receipt of our first
American guns," the Field Marshal added. How was Germany expecting to
get guns from America? He was asked to explain the mystery.

"I read somewhere in the papers that a large shipment of heavy cannon
had left America for Russia," he said with dry humor, "in transit for
us--for if they're consigned to the Russians, we'll have them sooner or
later, I hope;" adding, with his habitual tense earnestness, "the
Americans are something more than shrewd, hard-headed business men.
Have they ever vividly pictured to themselves a German soldier smashed
by an American shell, or bored through the heart by an American bullet?
The grim realism of the battlefield--that should make also the business
man thoughtful."

"Shall you go west when you have cleaned up here in the east?" I
suggested.

"I can't betray military secrets which I don't know myself, even to
interest the newspaper readers," he said. He gave me the impression,
however, that, east or west, he would be found fighting for the
Fatherland so long as the Fatherland needed him.

"Now it means work again. You must excuse me," he concluded,
courteously. "You want to go to the front. Where should you like to go?"

"To Warsaw," I su