Preparations for War?

Whilst en-route to a sojourn spent taking the waters at Augusts-Bad, your correspondant had the singular good fortune to fall in with a young Alzheim officer of infantry at the great fortress city of Prenzlau on the River Mur. He was taking a spell of leave and was likewise headed to take the waters. I was delighted to share a berth in the little steamer, one of the many which plies the river, with this most charming young man.

I soon appreciated that he had just terminated a most trying assignment across the border in the Germanies where he had been attempting to ascertain the purpose of recent military manouvers in the region of her northern borders.

Street Scene - whilst on manouvers

One of the new Krupp Siege Mortars

One might readily appreciate Alzheimer wariness. 

After all, Bismarck says Alzheim was ever a feminine city - a natural bride for masculine Berlin. His opposition to Austrian influnce has ever been well-known. He once said that a marriage with Vienna would be a perversion of everything that was natural.