The Note Book
Of An Attaché
Seven Months in the War Zone
By Eric Fisher Wood
With Illustrations from Photographs
A. L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers New York
Published by Arrangements with The Century Company
Copyright, 1915, by
THE CENTURY CO.
Published, June, 1915
MR. MYRON T. HERRICKFOREWORD
When the war-storm suddenly loomed over Europe at the end of July,1914, I was quietly studying architecture in the Ecole des Beaux-Artsat Paris. When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 24th,the atmosphere of the city became so surcharged with excitement thatto persist in study was difficult. Within a week I myself had beenswept into the vortex of rushing events, from which I did not emergeuntil seven months later.
I became Attaché at the American Embassy in Paris under the regime ofMr. Herrick, and as such lived through the first exciting months ofthe great war. During the months of September, October, and November,I made four different trips to the front, covering territory whichextended along the battle-line from Vitry-le-François in the east to apoint near Dunkirk in the west. I saw parts of the battles of theMarne and the Aisne, and the struggle for Calais.
The months of December and January I spent as a bearer of specialdispatches between the American Embassies and went several times toFrance, England, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Austria, and Hungary.I have seen French, British, Belgian, and German troops in action. Ihave seen French, Swiss, Dutch, German, Austrian, and Hungarian troopsin manœuvres. I spent the first week of February in Paris, leavingthere for America on February 10th.
The following account of what I saw and heard is compiled from lettersand diaries which I wrote day by day on the spot. Some of myexperiences have had to be omitted for diplomatic reasons, and it hasbeen necessary, in some cases, to give information without mentioningmy authority. The higher the rank and the greater the reputation of myinformant, the less right have I to mention his name.
Although my personal sympathies are with the French, I tried toobserve dispassionately and accurately, and have scrupulously aimed topresent my facts uncolored by preference or prejudice. In war,exaggeration and misrepresentation play an accepted part in thetactics of [Pg viii]belligerents, but it should be the aim of a neutral toobserve with an unbiased mind, no matter what the state of hisemotions may be. Otherwise, the data he collects can have no value ashistorical material.