WAR- CHRONICLE

of the railway or the requirements of military operations. The skill
displayed by the officers and officials in the "railway section"
has led to the most brilliant results in East and West and reaped
its greatest reward in the achievement of the recent victories in
Galicia. The first conditions for this mobility in the handling of
the "railway marching columns" (Eisenbahnmarschkoloune) is a well
developed railway system. This brings us to the last great task of
the railway administration in times of peace the control of the
railways. The difficulties of this can be accounted for in the fact
that the German trade lines are often different from the lines to
our enemies in the east and west. With prudent foresight, the
military wants as well as the development of industry, trade and
agriculture regarding the building of railways, had to be considered
and the necessity mutually balanced. Military interests involved
in lesser enterprises had likewise to be considered.
When our troops had been drawn up at the frontiers and the
advance march began, the chief of the railway section and his staff
went with the Kaiser's suite to the battlefield as "Chief of the
Railway Department'' (Chef des Feldeisenbahnwesens).
Since the first day of mobilization, the position of the military
railway authorities has completely changed regarding the German
railway authorities. All the German railways since then, are subject
to military orders, i. e. the railway authorities are subject to
arrangements made by the Director of the railway department
in all matters regarding the arrangement, continuation, cessation,
and reorganization of railway traffic. Traffic arrangements relating
to military matters are made known by the line commanders and
the General Staff in Berlin assists in the regulation of home traffic*
Very soon railways in conquered territory were to be added
to the home systems. Our troops speedily advanced far into the
enemy country, but before retreating the enemy found time on almost
all the theatres of war to blow up most of the bridges and
block many of the tunnels. The railway lines had to be kept close
to the advancing troops, as otherwise their advance might easily be
arrested. This necessitated the speediest reconstruction and recommencement
of traffic on the enemy lines.
According to the demands of the mobilization two military railway
administrations had been told off for this task, which were to
regulate the railway system in the conquered territory on the same
lines as the home direction.
One of these military railway administrations waited in Aachen
for the moment at which it was to proceed to Belgium. The officers
belonging to the engineering detachments, advancing with their
men in the front lines, ascertained the amount of damage and destruction
on the completely forsaken railway line, at" first in the
direction of Hasselt-Lôwen-Namur-Marloie. Irrespective of several
smaller obstacles, such as torn-up rails, overturned engines, etc.
they found 13 bridges that had been blown up, and one tunnel
4*
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