A smaller man with his back against the sandbags disagreed. There was a trench argument.
"No, we're going to the Rhine," he said. "The Russians are going to
Berlin." (This was in March, 1915, remember.)
"How can they when they ain't over the Balkans yet?"
"The Carpathians, you mean."
"Well, they're both mountains and the Russians have got to cross them. And there's a place called Cracow in that region. What's the matter of a pair of mountain ranges between you and me, Bill? You're strong on geography, but you fail to follow the campaign."
"The Rhine, I say!"
"It's the Rhine first, but Berlin is what you want to keep your mind on."
Then I asked if they had ever had any doubt that they would reach the Rhine.
"How could we, sir?"
"And how about the Germans. Do you hate them?"