A WAR TRAGEDY.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 10 September 1917, Page 6

A WAR TRAGEDY.

The New York World is publishing a series of view's by war correspondent in “The Most Tragic Incident I Saw ia the War.” Th e following is by Herbert B. Swope:—

The sharpest reaction I brought away from my two trips to Germany as a war reporter was an incident typical of many that have occurred in Britain, France, and Germany, where hardly a house is life unmarked by mourning. This is it. At the outbreak of the war a retired Colonel von Koenig, .of the German army, had three sons as .officers in the field and two younger ones at home ; with him and his old wife. In the first advance through Belgium two sons were killed and a third died on the Russian front. Wl(en the “field/ of honour” had claimed the three, the colonel’s house, which had supplied the sons to the colours since before Frederick the Great, was without a scion under arms. The fourth son, though only 19, insisted that he must go “out there” for the honour of his line, and he went—to meet his death two weeks, •later as an “ offizier-aspirant. ” Of five there was now left only one, the lasthorn, aged 17. He demanded the right that had not been withheld from his brothers, and the old people could not deny him. He was ordered- to the operations around Verdun. For three weeks the colonel and his wife stood the strain, until even their Spartan spirits cracked. The old man, obtaining special perirtission visited the Kaiser, then at Great Genera! Headquarters in th e East. He told his story to the Emperor .and begged that the last of his sons be saved by shifting rim from the front to some bureau work within the lines. The Kaiser, much moved at once directed that the boy he SO detailed and. with the order given personally into his hands, the <M man set out joyfully on his trip £5 the division to which his son was. at* tached, first seeking to thank the Kah ser. “Ko” said Wilhelm, “it is I and the country who must thank you for your devotion and the fearful sacrifice you have made. You have done nobly. The colonel sped to the headquarters of his son’s division, and there, with a hand trembling with e'agerness to snatch his son from death, presented the Imperial order to the general commanding. That officer blinked at the paper a moment and then said s 1 owly; “Your son has received other orders.” “What can you mean,” the bid man asked, perplexed, <f The Kaiser’s orders

take precedence over all others.” ‘‘ A 1 bout One,” the commander replied, “and that One no man may ignore —the report has just reached me that your son was killed just one hour ago. ’ ’ It was General von Winnigen, commanding a corps in the army of Crown Prince Euppreeht of Bavaria, who was the commander. I had the story from, him as we stood on an observation platform. watching the British shell Thicpval last September. There were tears in his eyes as he added that the old mother had bccom e insane and the colonel was but little better seven victims in one pf tlic wad's sitY/D tragedies.