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©  International  News  Service. 

1.  Belgian    Riflemen    on   Road    to   Louvain,   Awaiting  Coming   of   Germans. 

2.  Mealtime  for  Belgian  Defenders  in  the  Field  near  Diest. 


Copyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood.  N.  Y. 

1.  Servian  Soldiers  in  the  Trenches. 

2.  British  Grenadier  Guards  Off  for  the  Front. 


Most  Terrible  Conflict  in  History 


THE  GREAT  WAR 
in  EUROPE 


Graphic  Account  of  the  Causes,  Issues,  and  Operations   of  the  Mighty 

Struggle  for  National  Existence,  Racial  Independence,  and 

Commercial  Supremacy,  Which  Has 

Paralyzed  Civilization. 


By 
Thomas  H.  Russell,  A.  M.,  LL.  D. 

Noted  Historical  and  Military  Writer,  Member  American  Historical  Association,  etc. 


With  Introduction  By 


Bishop  Samuel  Fallows,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 

Famous  Civil  War  Chaplain,  Chairman  of  the  World  Peace  Movement, 
Chaplain  Blue  and  Gray  League,  etc. 


Thrilling  Stories  of  Modern  Battles 
Involving  Armies,  Fleets   and   Aircraft 


Illustrated  With  Nearly  100  Actual  Photographs  from  the  Scenes  of  Strife. 


Copyright,  1914, 

BY 

J.  R.  PEPER 


NOV  -9  1914 


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To  the  Cause  of  World-wide  Peace,  in  rji 

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of   national   resources   by  methods  that 
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T  H  E>     COLORS. 


ICODyrlcM:   ISM:    By  John.T.  McOutoIieoo.) 


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Black  are -the  Fields  when  the  cannons  ceaser 


And  White  for  evenawe, 

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-Chicago  Tribune 


PREFACE 

In  these  days  of  tremendous  action  in  Europe  the  public 
is  eager  for  all  forms  of  information  regarding  the  momen- 
tous events  that  crowd  the  days — too  eager  to  be  content  to 
await  the  conclusion  of  peace  before  studying  the  underlying 
causes  of  the  widespread  war  and  the  records  of  its  progress 
at  every  stage. 

It  is  therefore  timely  to  present  a  volume  like  this,  dealing 
with  the  conditions  that  have  produced  the  European  crisis 
of  1914,  with  the  mighty  issues  at  stake  for  almost  every  Old 
World  country,  and  with  the  developments  of  the  military  and 
naval  operations  throughout  the  territory  affected.  In  doing 
so,  due  regard  has  been  had  to  the  super-seriousness  of  the 
subject  from  every  standpoint. 

In  warfare,  as  in  most  other  human  affairs,  there  are 
always  two  or  more  sides  to  every  story.  The  endeavor  has 
been  so  to  present  the  various  sides  in  this  book  as  to  enable 
the  reader  to  arrive  at  a  fair  judgment  of  the  present  situation 
and  of  the  possibilities  which  the  future  has  in  store  for  the 
nations  now  locked  in  the  deadliest  struggle  of  ancient  or 
modern  times. 

Under  the  new  modern  conditions  of  warfare  it  is  a  task  of 
vastly  greater  difficulty  than  ever  before  to  record  its  vicissi- 
tudes, especially  those  of  a  war  so  colossal  in  its  proportions 
and  so  tremendous  in  its  import  as  that  which  has  shaken  the 
powers  of  Europe  to  their  foundations  and  threatens  more 
than  one  mighty  throne,  more  than  one  national  existence. 

But  far  sooner  after  the  beginning  of  hostilities  in  1914 
than  in  any  former  struggle  between  great  world  powers  the 

7 


8  PREFACE 

contending  forces  came  into  actual  contact  with  each  other 
and  the  tale  of  horror  began  to  pierce  the  double  veil  of  mili- 
tary secrecy  and  censorship.  The  first  bloody  engagements 
in  Belgium  were  reported  within  a  few  days  after  the  German 
advance  began.  The  French  forces  were  active  in  their  lost 
provinces  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine  within  a  week,  and  Serb- 
Austrian  engagements  were  of  daily  occurrence.  Before 
thirty  days  had  elapsed  stories  of  the  actual  occurrences 
behind  the  screen  came  from  a  multitude  of  sources  besides 
the  official  reports.  From  the  wounded  and  the  escaping  strag- 
glers, from  the  home  letters  of  officers  and  soldiers  in  the  field, 
from  correspondents  permitted  to  visit  the  blood-stained 
battlefields,  from  the  victors  in  the  various  engagements,  from 
fleeing  peasants  and  other  non-combatants,  and,  above  all, 
from  the  triumphant  parades  and  onward  pressing  of  the 
early  conquerors,  it  became  possible  to  gather  and  piece 
together  the  actual  story  of  the  war.  And  as  the  days  went 
by  and  the  mighty  forces  engaged  in  the  east  and  in  the  west 
of  the  vast  arena  fought  and  bled  and  died  in  continuous  strife, 
the  material  needed  by  the  chronicler  came  rapidly  to  hand,  so 
that  it  could  be  acceptably  presented  in  a  shape  of  permanent 
value. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  subject  is  of  absorbing  interest 
to  all  the  people  of  the  American  Continent,  no  matter  what 
their  origin  or  nationality  may  be,  this  record  of  the  events  of 
the  world's  greatest  war  is  therefore  put  forth  with  some  con- 
fidence that  it  will  meet  with  wide  acceptation  and  approval. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 


PAGE 

Introduction 13 

I.     Causes  of  the  War 19 

National  and  Race  Prejudices— The  Triple  Alliance— The 
Triple  Entente — Teuton  vs.  Slav — Influence  of  Russian 
Diplomacy — Russia  vs.  Austria — Control  of  Balkan  Sea- 
ports— England's  Commercial  Supremacy  Challenged  by 
Germany — Assassination  of  Archduke  Fran'cis  Ferdinand 
of  Austria  by  a  Serb. 

II.    How  War  Was  Declared 31 

Ultimatum  by  Austria  to  Servia— War  Declared  by  Austria 
— Russia  Mobilizes— Germany  Declares  War  on  Russia — 
France  and  England  Involved— Germans  Enter  Belgium- 
Scenes  in  European  Capitals. 

m.    Armed  Forces  Involved 47 

Strength  of  the  Opposing  Armies  and  Fleets— Millions  of 
Men  Under  Arms— Attitude  of  Italy,  Turkey  and  Greece- 
Organization  of  an  Army— Heavy  Artillery  Used  in  the 
War. 

IV.    The  Nations  at  War 53 

Rulers  and  Heirs  Apparent  of  Countries  Engaged— Areas  and 
Populations— Their  Exports  and  Imports,  Principal  Cities, 
Etc.— Europe's  Map  Often  Changed— The  Franco-Prussian 
War  of  1870-71 — Japan  Enters  the  War. 

V.    Invasion  of  Belgium 69 

Belgians  Rush  to  Defense  of  Their  Frontier— Towns  Bom- 
barded and  Burned— The  Defense  of  Liege— A  German 
Officer's  Experience — An  Englishman's  Story— The  Terri- 
ble Krupp  Siege  Guns — Destruction  of  Louvain — Fall  of 
Namur — German  Proclamation  to  Inhabitants. 

VI.    Surrender  of  Brussels 91 

Belgian  Capital  Occupied  by  the  Germans  Without  Blood- 
shed—Important Part  Played  by  American  Minister 
Brand  Whitlock— March  of  the  Kaiser's  Troops  Through 
the  City— Belgian  Forces  Retreat  to  Antwerp— Zeppelin 
Attacks  on  Antwerp — Dinant  and  Termonde  Fall. 

9 


10  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

VII.    At  the  German  Front 109 

Remarkable  Story  by  American  War  Correspondent  of  His 
Visit  to  General  von  Boehn's  Headquarters  in  the  Field — 
The  German  Fighting  Machine — The  General's  Version  of 
Alleged  German  Atrocities. 

VIII.     Britain  Raises  an  Army 121 

Earl  Kitchener  Appointed  Secretary  for  War — A  New  Volun- 
teer Army — Expeditionary  Force  Landed  in  France — Field 
Marshal  Sir  John  French  in  Command — Colonies  Rally  to 
Britain's  Aid — The  Canadian  Contingent — Indian  Troops 
Called  For — Native  Princes  Offer  Aid. 

IX.     Early  Battles  of  the  War 137 

Belgian  Resistance  to  the  German  Advance — The  Fighting  at 
Vise,  Haelen,  Diest,  Aers'chot  and  Tirlemont — Mons  and 
Charleroi  the  First  Great  Battles  of  the  War — Allies 
Make  a  Gallant  Stand,  but  Forced  to  Retire  Across  the 
French  Border. 

X.     Official  German  Reports 161 

Dispatches  of  the  Wolff  Telegraphic  Agency,  as  Given  to  the 
German  People  During  the  March  on  Paris — Reports  of 
Military  and  Naval  Operations  from  the  Standpoint  of  the 
German  General  Staff. 

XI.     German  Advance  on  Paris 174 

Allies  Withdraw  for  Ten  Days,  Disputing  Every  Inch  of 
Ground  with  the  Kaiser's  Troops — Germans  Push  Their 
Way  Through  France  in  Three  Main  Columns — Official 
Reports  of  the  Withdrawing  Engagements — Paris  Almost 
in  Sight. 

XII.     Battle  of  the  Marne 184 

German  Plans  Suddenly  Changed — Direction  of  Advance 
Swings  to  the  Southeast  when  Close  to  the  French  Capital 
— Successful  Resistance  by  the  Allies — The  Prolonged  En- 
counter at  the  Marne — Germans  Retreat  with  Allies  in 
Hot  Pursuit  for  Many  Miles. 

XIII.     The  Russian  Campaign 205 

Slow  Mobilization  of  Troops — Invasion  of  German  and  Aus- 
trian Territory — Cossacks  Lead  the  Van — Early  Successes 
in  East  Prussia — "On  to  Berlin" — Heavy  Losses  Inflicted 
on  Austrians — German  Troops  Rushed  to  the  Defense  of 
the  Eastern  Territory. 


CONTENTS 


11 


CHAPTER 

XIV. 


PAGE 


The  Austro-Servian  Campaign 228 

Declaration  of  War  by  Austria — Bombardment  of  Belgrade — 
Servian  Capital  Removed — Seasoned  Soldiers  of  Servia 
Give  a  Good  Account  of  Themselves — Many  Indecisive 
Engagements —Servians  in  Austrian  Territory. 

XV.     Military  Leaders  of  Europe 236 

Army  Commanders  and  Staff  Officers  of  the  Nations  at  War 
— The  Kaiser  and  His  Family — Earl  Kitchener  of  Khar- 
toum— Field  Marshal  Sir  John  French — King  Albert  of 
Belgium — The  French  Commander-in-Chief — Others  in 
High  Command. 

XVI.     Americans  in  Europe 252 

Thousands  Stranded  in  Belligerent  Countries  When  War 
Came — General  Shortage  of  Funds — Much  Suffering  and 
Hardship — Exciting  Scenes  in  London,  Paris  and  Berlin — 
Uncle  Sam  Sends  Relief  Ships  and  Funds. 

XVII.     Typical  Experiences  of  Wartime 258 

Scenes  in  the  Fatherland — Conditions  in  Rural  France — An 
Eyewitness's  Story  of  the  German  Advance — Slaughter 
Fails  to  Stop  Germans — Stories  of  American  Visitors  in 
Warring  Countries. 

XVIII.     Attitude  of  the  United  States 277 

President  Wilson's  Plea  for  Calm  and  Impartial  Behavior  of 
Citizens — Proclamation  of  Neutrality — Early  Offer  of 
Mediation — Reception  of  the  Belgian  Commission — The 
National  Day  of  Prayer  for  Peace. 

XIX.     The  Mystery  of  the  Fleets 289 

Movements  of  British  Battleships  Veiled  in  Secrecy — German 
Dreadnoughts  in  North  Sea  and  Baltic  Ports — Activity  of 
Smaller  Craft — English  Keep  Trade  Routes  Open — Several 
Minor  Battles  at  Sea. 

XX.     Submarines  and  Mines 302 

Battleships  in  Constant  Danger  from  Submerged  Craft — 
Opinions  of  Admiral  Sir  Percy  Scott — Construction  of 
Modern  Torpedoes — How  Mines  Are  Laid  and  Exploded 
on  Contact. 

XXI.    Aero-Military  Operations 309 

Aerial  Attacks  on  Cities — Some  of  the  Achievements  of  the 
Airmen  in  the  Great  War — Deeds  of  Heroism  and  Daring 
— Zeppelins  in  Action — Their  Construction  and  Operation. 


12 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXII.     Battle  of  the  Aisne 318 

Most  Prolonged  Encounter  in  History  Between  Gigantic 
Forces — A  Far-Flung  Battle  Line — Germans  Face  French 
and  British  in  the  Aisne  Valley  and  Fight  for  Weeks — 
Armies  Deadlocked  After  a  Desperate  and  Bloody  Struggle. 

XXIII.  Fall  of  Antwerp 345 

Great  Seaport  of  Belgium  Besieged  by  a  Large  German  Force 
— Forts  Battered  by  Heavy  Siege  Guns — Final  Surrender 
of  the  City — Belgian  and  British  Defenders  Escape — 
Exodus  of  Inhabitants — Germans  Reach  the  Sea. 

XXIV.  The  Wounded  and  Prisoners 359 

Typical  Precautions  Used  by  the  German  Army — The  Sol- 
dier's First-Aid  Outfit — System  in  Hospital  Arrangements 
— How  Prisoners  of  War  Are  Treated — Regulations  Are 
Humane  and  Fair  to  All  Concerned. 

XXV.    The  Christmas  Ship 367 

Plan  to  Send  Santa  Claus  Gifts  From  America  to  War- 
Stricken  Children  of  Europe — A  Widespread  Response — 
Movement  Indorsed  by  Press,  Pulpit  and  Leading  Citizens 
— Approved  by  Governments  of  Contending  Nations. 

XXVI.     Stories  from  the  Battlefield 375 

Thrilling  Incidents  of  the  Great  War  Told  by  Actual  Com- 
batants— Personal  Experiences  from  the  Lips  of  Survivors 
of  the  World's  Bloodiest  Battles — Tales  of  Prisoners  of 
War,  Wounded  Soldiers,  and  Refugees  Rendered  Homeless 
in  the  Blighted  Arena  of  Conflict. 


XXVII.     Later  Events  of  the  War 

Results  of  the  Battle  of  the  Rivers — Fierce  Fighting  in 
Northern  France — Developments  on  the  Eastern  Battle 
Front — The  Campaign  in  the  Pacific — Naval  Activities  of 
the  Powers. 


409 


INTRODUCTION 

By  Bishop  Samuel  Fallows,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  Famous  Civil  War 
Chaplain  and  Chairman  of  the  World  Peace  Movement. 

"Too  long  o'er  this  fair  blooming  world 
The  Hag  of  blood  has  been  unfurled, 

Polluting  God's  fine  day: 
Whilst,  as  each  maddening  people  reels, 
War  onward  drives  his  scythed  wheels, 
And,  at  his  horse's  bloody  heels, 

Shriek  murder  and  dismay." 

I  arraign  war  in  the  name  of  the  ghastly  armies  of  the 
mangled  dead;  of  the  countless  devastated  and  desolate 
homes;  of  the  millions  of  broken-hearted,  wailing  widows 
fighting  a  grim  and  losing  battle  for  bread;  of  helpless  or- 
phans knowing  no  father's  providence  and  care;  of  aged 
parents  left  without  the  strong  hand  of  loving  sons  on  which 
to  lean. 

I  arraign  it  in  the  name  of  the  sacks  and  outrages  and 
massacres  which  accompany  it  in  so-called  Christian  lands; 
of  unspeakable  brutalities  to  innocent  women  and  children; 
of  the  wanton  destruction  of  venerated  structures;  of  altars 
desecrated ;  of  sacred  landmarks  wiped  out ;  of  art  treasures 
rifled  and  ruined.  I  arraign  it  in  the  name  of  our  common 
Humanity;  in  the  name  of  the  Christianity  of  the  Prince  of 
Peace. 

Israel  Zangwill,  in  stirring,  comprehensive  lines,  attacks 
the  well-known  aphorism,  "In  peace  prepare  for  war."  He 
approaches  it  mainly  on  the  commercial  side : 

"To  safeguard  peace  we  must  prepare  for  war" — 
I  know  this  maxim ;  it  was  forged  in  hell. 
This  wealth  of  ships  and  guns  inflames  the  vulgar 
And  makes  the  very  war  it  guards  against. 

13 


14  INTRODUCTION 

The  God  of  War  is  now  a  man  of  business, 
With  vested  interests. 

So  much  sunk  Capital,  such  countless  callings, 
The  Army,  Navy,  Medicine,  the  Church — 
To  bless  and  bury,  Music,  Engineering, 
Red-tape  Departments,  Commissariats, 
Stores,  Transports,  Ammunition,  Coaling-stations, 
Fortifications,  Cannon-foundries,  Ship-yards, 
Arsenals,  Ranges,  Drill-halls,  Floating  Docks, 
War-loan  Promoters,  Military  Tailors, 
Camp-followers,  Canteens,  War-correspondents, 
Horse-breeders,  Armorers,  Torpedo-builders, 
Pipeclay  and  Medal  Vendors,  Big  Drum  Makers, 
Gold  Lace  Embroiderers,  Opticians,  Buglers, 
Tent-makers,  Banner-weavers,  Powder-mixers, 
Crutches  and  Cork  Limb  Manufacturers, 
Balloonists,  Mappists,  Heliographers, 
Inventors,  Flying  Men,  and  Diving  Demons, 
Beelzebub  and  all  his  Hosts,  who,  whether 
In  Water,  Earth  or  Air,  among  them  pocket, 
When  trade  is  brisk,  a  million  pounds  a  week ! 

This  is  true  for  the  world  at  large.  Were  there  Universal 
Peace,  there  would  be  no  need  to  prepare  for  War.  But 
swords  are  not  yet  beaten  into  plow-shares  nor  spears  into 
pruning  hooks.  The  Savage  in  the  human  breast  has  not  yet 
been  obliterated.  The  millenium  is  not  yet  here.  We  have 
not  yet  among  the  peoples  of  the  earth  the  sentiment  voiced 
by  James  Bryce,  former  Ambassador  of  Great  Britain  to  the 
United  States,  that  "Our  country  is  not  the  only  thing  to 
which  we  owe  allegiance.  We  need  a  spirit  which  will  not 
only  hate  war  because  it  is  hideous  and  hellish,  but  will  love 
and  seek  peace  because  it  desires  the  welfare  of  the  peoples." 
Christian  Nations  have  not  yet  come  around  to  Lowell's 
Philosophy : 

"Ez  for  war,  I  call  it  murder, 

There  you  have  it  plain  and  flat ; 
I  don 't  want  to  go  no  further 

Than  my  Testament  for  that." 

This  very  hour  nearly  the  whole  European  world  is  at 
war.     Christian  Kings  are  hurling  millions  of  men  against 


INTRODUCTION  15 

each  other  in  one  of  the  bloodiest  wars  of  the  ages.  "The 
whole  orb  of  the  earth,"  as  Cicero  averred  of  the  Roman 
Civil  War,  "is  shaken  by  the  tramp  of  contending  hosts." 
But  that  orb,  convulsed  to  its  core  to-day,  is  another  orb  than 
that  of  ancient  times.  Interlocked  and  interrelated  are  the 
interests  of  every  man  and  woman  and  child  in  the  whole 
round  globe  with  that  gigantic  conflict  across  the  seas. 

The  whirligig  of  time  brings  about  marvelous  changes. 
If  "politics  makes  strange  bedfellows,"  so  does  war.  Eng- 
land and  Prussia  were  fighting  together  during  the  Napo- 
leonic Wars,  and  Waterloo  was  won  by  their  joint  forces. 
During  the  Crimean  War,  England  and  France  were  fighting 
against  Russia. 

It  was  of  the  English  and  Scotch  and  Irish  soldiers  in  that 
War  that  Bayard  Taylor  wrote : 

"They  lay  along  the  battery's  side, 
Beneath  the  smoking  cannon, 
Brave  hearts  from  Severn  and  from  Clyde, 
And  from  the  banks  of  Shannon." 

To-day  England  and  France  and  Russia  are  arrayed 
against  Germany  and  incidentally  against  Austria.  Every 
pocket,  pantry  and  palate  in  the  United  States  is  affected. 
Our  medicines,  our  clothing,  as  well  as  our  iood,  feel  its  bane- 
ful influence.    Truly  the  world  is  one  as  never  before. 

It  is  with  august  sorrow  that  all  true  Christians  must  view 
this  unhappy  and  unholy  War.  I  do  not  try  to  analyze  its 
causes,  they  may  be  deep  and  widespread.  Racial  feeling, 
territorial  boundaries,  competitive  commerce,  may  be  among 
them.  Very  clearly  the  maxim,  "Live  and  let  live,"  has  been 
disregarded.  It  would  appear  as  though  solemn  treaties  be- 
tween the  great  contending  nations  were  but  cobweb  con- 
tracts, to  be  crushed  in  the  mad  caprice  of  the  hour. 

The  carrying  on  of  the  hideous  conflict  has  been  with 
weapons  of  destruction  never  used  before.  Human  ingenuity 
has  been  put  on  the  rack  to  devise  them. 

In  our  great  Civil  War  I  saw  brave  men  biting  off  their 
cartridges  and  loading  their  muskets  at  the  muzzle. 


16  INTRODUCTION 

To-day  the  rapid-firing  guns  can  mow  down  scores  and 
even  hundreds  at  a  single  discharge.  Cannon  in  which  a  man 
can  hide  himself  belch  forth  their  ponderous  bolts  of  death. 
God's  pure  upper  air  has  been  made  the  scene  of  deadly 
combat.  Huge  monsters  of  destruction  traverse  that  aerial 
sea  and  drop  down  their  explosive,  mangling  bombs.  And 
to  the  everlasting  disgrace  of  the  twentieth  century,  it  has 
been  stated  that  bombs  have  been  hurled  in  the  dead  of  night 
upon  a  peaceful,  sleeping  city  in  the  wide  encircling  zone  of 
the  present  war,  and  have  torn  in  pieces  men  and  women  and 
children. 

I  have  just  been  reading  in  an  old  English  chronicle  of  the 
barbarities  practised  in  the  eleventh  century  by  the  Danes 
and  Scots  and  Picts  and  Saxons  and  Britons,  the  progenitors 
of  many  of  these  warring  soldiers  across  the  sea.  I  dare  not 
rewrite  the  horrible  story  for  American  eyes.  But  a  cele- 
brated chieftain  by  the  name  of  Oliver,  who  had  some  hu- 
manity in  him,  gained  the  contemptuous  surname  of  Burnakal, 
or  the  " Preserver  of  Children,"  from  his  dislike  to  the  fa- 
vorite amusement  of  his  soldiers — that  of  tossing  infants  on 
the  points  of  their  spears.  "Women  were  maltreated  and 
mangled. 

One  of  my  religious  periodicals  has  just  recited  the  horrors 
of  taking  a  town  by  storm  a  hundred  years  ago.  "The  blood 
of  the  most  virtuous  husbands  and  fathers,  of  the  best  moth- 
ers, of  gray-haired  ancients,  of  tender  infants,  stained  the 
walls  of  the  peaceful  habitations  and  streamed  out  of  the 
houses  into  the  streets."  I  forbear  going  further  with  the 
terrible  tale.  This  massacre  took  place  in  the  village  of 
Woerden  in  Holland.  The  victims  were  Dutch ;  the  murderers 
were  soldiers  of  France. 

But  in  the  most  advanced  century  in  the  world's  history, 
with  its  Peace  Congresses,  its  Hague  Tribunals,  its  far-flung 
banner  of  Missionary  effort,  its  tens  of  thousands  of  Christian 
Pulpits,  its  world-wide  humanitarian  impulses,  its  refined 
art,  its  enlightening  literature,  the  barbarous  mutilating  mis- 
siles are  hurled  from  the  skies,  tearing  and  rending  a  defense- 
less#  people.  And  this  is  done  by  a  Christian  Nation  to  a 
Christian  Nation.    This  is  twentieth-century  warfare.    Shame 


INTRODUCTION  17 

upon  every  world  Power  for  permitting  it!  General  Sher- 
man said, ' '  War  is  Hell. ' '  But  it  was  of  war  that  had  nothing 
of  this  character  in  it.  For  this  is  cool,  deliberate,  demoniacal 
murder.  It  has  not  one  single  redeeming  feature  in  it.  Let 
it  be  stopped,  and  stopped  forever! 

In  its  relations  to  these  Old  "World  nations,  the  United 
States  occupies  a  unique  and  peerless  position.  She  is  the 
commanding  neutral  Power.  The  result  of  our  stupendous 
Civil  conflict  has  been  the  welding  together  of  every  portion 
of  our  common  country,  for  we  are  one  as  we  were  not  before 
the  days  of  strife.  An  indissoluble  unity  of  ideas  binds  us 
together,  one  flag  of  supremacy  and  glory  waves  above  us. 
For  its  honor  every  drop  of  American  blood  and  every  dollar 
of  American  money  are  pledged. 

This  "Mountain  of  the  Lord's  house,  established  in  the 
top  of  the  mountains  and  exalted  above  the  hills,"  has  seen 
all  nations  flow  into  it,  as  beheld  thousands  of  years  ago  in 
Isaiah's  prophetic  vision.  Every  nation  warring  to-day  had 
its  representative  fifty  years  ago  fighting  * l  to  keep  our  coun- 
try on  the  map  of  the  earth,  and  our  flag  in  heaven. ' '  Millions 
of  them  have  come  since  to  our  shores.  We  have  given  them 
a  cordial  welcome.  They  are  being  fused  into  one  mighty 
homogeneous  whole.  Events  have  proved  that  while  they 
have  not  lost  sympathy  with  the  land  of  their  nativity  and 
with  their  kin  now  fighting  in  the  European  War,  they  are 
Americans,  first  and  last. 

They  are  heeding  the  President's  appeal  not  to  break  the 
American  Nation's  solidarity  as  a  neutral  Power  by  over- 
zealous  advocacy  of  the  position  of  any  of  the  contending 

hosts. 

•    #    • 

One  of  the  most  gladdening  and  practical  conceptions  for 
the  happiness  of  the  children  who  are  sufferers  from  the  great 
European  war  now  raging,  is  the  Christmas  ship  to  sail  from 
our  loved  America  to  the  lands  beyond  the  sea. 

It  is  to  go  freighted  with  the  gifts  of  love  and  sacrifice,  to 
cheer  the  hearts  and  homes  of  the  many,  many  thousands 
made  desolate  by  this  terrible  conflict. 


18  INTRODUCTION 

The  movement  began  as  a  purely  local  one  in  the  city  of 
Chicago.  It  has  now  become  national  and  international  in  its 
scope.  It  has  not  only  been  enthusiastically  received  by  the 
pulpit  and  press  throughout  the  land  and  by  various  human- 
itarian and  benevolent  organizations  representing  all  faiths 
and  shades  of  opinion,  but  by  other  neutral  nations  besides  our 
own.  The  idea  is  an  epoch-making  one.  It  is  fully  carrying 
out  the  Spirit  of  Him  Who  came  as  a  littie  child  among  men, 
Who  took  little  children  up  in  His  arms  and  blessed  them, 
Whose  advent  in  the  world  was  heralded  by  the  Angelic  (Jhoir 
with  songs  of  ''Peace  on  earth  and  goodwill  to  men." 

Surely  the  angels  will  help  convoy  this  vessel  to  its  destina- 
tion !  What  untoid  expressions  of  gladness  and  thankfulness 
will  rise  from  the  hearts  to  the  lips  of  the  saddened  ones  who 
shall  receive  the  benefactions!  Rainbows  of  hope  and  trust 
shall  gleam  from  the  widow's  tears,  and  Heaven  itself  shall  be 
reflected  in  the  sparkle  and  glow  of  childish  eyes. 

Fill  the  vessel  then  to  the  full  with  timely  gifts.  With  them 
send  the  fervent  prayer  for  Peace  founded  upon  righteousness. 
Let  it  be  a  prayer  for  a  world-wide  peace  that  the  prophecy  of 
our  own  beloved  Longfellow  may  be  fulfilled  among  every 
nation,  kindred,  people  and  tongue : 

"Peace,  and  no  longer  from  its  brazen  portals, 
The  blasts  of  war 's  great  organ  shake  the  skies ; 

But  beautiful  as  songs  of  the  immortals, 
Love's  holy  melodies  arise. 


^»awgg^^gg»«*g 


?£,*£" 


Copyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood,  N.  Y. 

1.  Servian   Red  Cross  Nurses  Ministering  to  the  Wounded. 

2.  German  Ambulance  Corps  at  Work  After  a  Battle. 


©  International  News  Service. 

1.  French  Cuirassier  Being  Fed  by  Belgian  Woman. 

2.  Major   Richardson    of   the    British   Army   and   Two   of   His   Bloodhounds 

Used  to  Find  Wounded  Soldiers  on  Belgian  Battlefields. 


Copyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood,  N.  Y. 


BELGIAN  SOLDIERS  IN  DEEP  TRENCHES  AT  HOFRTADE— MANY  MILES  OF  SIMILAR 
TRENCHES  WERE    OCCUPIED  BY  THESE    GALLANT  DEFENDERS  OF  THEIR  COUNTRY 


(c)  Sun  Printing  and  Publishing  Assn. 


HIGHLANDERS,  HOLDING  ON  TO  THE  STIRRUPS  OF  THE  SCOTS  GREYS,  CHARGING 
WITH  THE  CAVALRY  IN  THE  BATTLE  AT  ST.  QUENTIN 


CHAPTER  I 

CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR 

National  and  Race  Prejudices — The  Triple  Alliance — The 
Triple  Entente — Teuton  vs.  Slav — Influence  of  Russian 
Diplomacy — Russia  vs.  Austria — Control  of  Balkan 
Seaports  England's  Commercial  Supremacy  Chal- 
lenged by  *ermany — Assassination  of  Archduke  Fran- 
cis Ferdl     nd  of  Austria  by  a  Serb. 

WITHIN"  tJue  space  of  less  than  a  week  from  August  1, 
1914,  five  of  the  six  "great  powers"  of  Europe  became 
involved  in  a  war  that  quickly  developed  into  the 
greatest  and  most  sanguinary  struggle  of  all  time.  The 
European  conflagration,  long  foreseen  by  statesmen  and  diplo- 
mats, and  dreaded  of  all  alike,  had  broken  out. 

Beg^ning  with  the  thunder  of  Austrian  guns  at  Belgrade, 
the  revei  "ations  of  war  were  heard  in  every  capital  of  the 
Old  World.  Austria's  declaration  of  war  against  Servia  was 
followed  by  the  alignment  of  Germany  with  its  Teuton  neigh- 
bor against  ti,  forces  of  Russia,  France  and  England.  Italy 
alone,  of  the  sL\  great  powers,  declined  to  align  itself  with  its 
formal  allies  a-id  made  a  determined  effort  at  the  outset  to 
maintain  its  neutrality. 

Soon  tb"  v'"?hways  of  Europe  resounded  with  the  hoof- 
beats  and'the  uamp  of  marching  hosts,  with  the  rattle  of  arms 
and  the  rumble  of  artillery.  Of  such  a  war,  once  begun,  no  man 
could  preset  the  end.  But  the  world  realized  that  it  was  a 
catastrophe  of  unparalleled  proportions,  a  failure  of  civiliza- 
tion in  its  stronghold,  a  disaster  to  humanity. 

For  more  than  forty  years  the  great  powers  of  Europe  had 
^een  at  peace  with  one  another.  Though  war  had  threatened 
now  and  then,  diplomacy  had  avoided  the  actual  outbreak. 
Br.t  that  the  dreaded  conflict  was  inevitable  had  long  been 

19 


20  CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR 

recognized.  For  its  coming  immense  armaments  had  been  pre- 
pared, until  the  burdens  of  taxation  laid  upon  the  people  had 
become  in  themselves  a  source  of  danger.  But  behind  it  all 
and  the  cause  of  all  was  the  thirst  for  aggrandizement  of 
empire,  political,  military,  and  commercial,  and  the  mutual 
fear  and  jealousy  of  kings.  Ranged  on  opposite  sides  and 
thus  striving  to  maintain  the  ''balance  of  power,"  stood  the 
Triple  Alliance  of  Germany,  Austria-Hungary  and  Italy,  and 
the  Triple  Entente  of  Russia,  France,  and  England,  watching 
each  move  of  the  other  with  suspicion,  and  ominously  greeting 
each  attempt  to  acquire  new  territory  or  to  better  commercial 
and  strategic  facilities  by  the  control  of  a  port  or  a  trade 
route,  with  the  savage  rattle  of  the  sword  in  the  scabbard. 

THE  CONTROL.  OF  SEAPORTS 

For  generations  Austria  and  Russia  have  struggled  in  an 
intricate  diplomatic  game  for  the  control  of  Balkan  seaports 
on  the  Mediterranean.  The  Balkan  States  have  been  the 
pawns  and  have  moved  at  the  will  of  their  masters.  Lying 
directly  across  Austria's  commercial  route  to  the  iEgean  by 
way  of  the  Sanjak  of  Novi  Bazar  to  Salonica,  Servia  inter- 
poses a  bitter  curb  to  Austria's  dream  of  commercial  and 
political  aggrandizement.  For  this  reason,  Russia  is  Servia 's 
ally  and  supports  it  in  every  move. 

The  destruction  of  Servia  by  Austria  would  mean  the 
political  and  military  control  by  Austria  of  the  great  route 
to  Salonica  and  Constantinople.  This  could  not  be  counte- 
nanced by  Russia  without  war.  Allied  with  Austria  stood  Ger- 
many and  Italy,  both  with  great  interests  in  the  Balkans,  and 
ready  at  any  cost  to  exclude  Russia  from  the  Mediterranean. 
With  Russia  in  the  Triple  Entente  were  France  and  England, 
France  eager  to  leap  at  the  throat  of  Germany  to  regain 
Alsace-Lorraine  and  to  wipe  out  the  bitterness  of  defeat  in  the 
Franco-Prussian  War  of  1870-71,  and  England  seeking  but  a 
pretext  to  check  the  growing  power  of  Germany,  which  threat- 
ened her  supremacy.  Thus  Europe  stood  with  drawn  sword 
watching  the  conflict  beyond  the  Save. 


CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR  21 

AMBITIONS   OF   SERVIA 

Then  came  the  recent  Balkan  Wars,  and  their  outcome  was 
viewed  with  alarm.  Austria  uneasily  watched  the  approach 
of  Servia  to  the  Adriatic  and  the  .ZEgean.  The  formation  of 
the  new  new  autonomous  state  of  Albania,  between  Servia  and 
the  Adriatic,  was  all  that  prevented  Austria  from  attacking 
Servia  during  that  crisis.  The  terms  of  peace  left  the  situa- 
tion, as  it  concerned  Austria  and  Russia,  practically  as  it  had 
been.  Austria  made  no  further  progress  toward  the  sea,  and 
Russia  remained  the  ally  of  Servia.  Bulgaria  had  failed  in 
its  efforts  to  reach  Salonica. 

At  this  stage  another  element  exerted  its  influence.  Servia 
awoke  to  the  possibility  of  a  Greater  Servia.  An  Empire  of 
the  Slavs  had  long  been  dreamed  of.  In  Austria-Hungary 
itself  millions  of  Slavs  were  dreaming  of  it  and  awaiting  the 
disruption  of  Austria-Hungary,  held  together  now,  as  they 
argue,  only  by  the  indomitable  will  of  the  old  Emperor, 
Franz  Joseph.  The  hatred  between  the  Slavs  and  the  Teutonic 
Austrians  is  intense.  The  annexation  by  Austria  of  Bosnia 
and  Herzegovina,  in  which  Servians  predominate,  increased 
the  Servian  hatred  and  the  indignation  of  the  whole  Slav 
world  to  the  point  of  violence.  A  conflict  was  avoided  with 
difficulty.  These  principalities  had  hoped  to  form  part  of  a 
Greater  Servia.  Had  not  Russia  been  exhausted  by  the  war 
with  Japan,  Servia  would  have  called  upon  her  ally  and  the 
crisis  would  have  come  then.  As  it  was,  the  Balkans  teemed 
with  plots  and  counterplots  against  the  Austrians,  culminating 
in  the  assassination  of  the  Arch-Duke  and  heir-apparent  to  the 
Austrian  throne,  Francis  Ferdinand,  known  for  his  anti-Slav 
principles,  and  therefore  feared  and  hated  as  the  king  to  be. 
The  assassination  occurred  at  Serajevo  in  Bosnia,  where  Serv- 
ian disaffection  was  seething.  Austria  immediately  laid  the 
crime  on  the  Servian  government. 

AUSTRIA  DECLARES  WAR 

Failing  in  her  peremptory  demands  for  satisfaction,  Aus- 
tria declared  war,  July  28,  1914,  apparently  for  revenge,  but 
behind  her  righteous  indignation  she  still  held  in  view  her 


22  CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR 

traditional  ambition,  a  port  on  the  Mediterranean,  to  be  se- 
cured by  the  complete  control  of  the  Novi  Bazar  route  to 
Salonica,  a  route  which,  besides  its  commercial  importance, 
is  of  tremendous  strategic  value  to  the  nation  which  com- 
mands it.  The  treaty  of  Berlin  of  1878,  after  the  Russo- 
Turkish  War,  had  given  Austria  the  military,  political,  and 
commercial  control  of  the  route  within  the  Sanjak  of  Novi 
Bazar,  then  a  part  of  Turkey. 

But  now,  in  the  division  of  spoils  following  the  Balkan 
Wars,  Servia  gained  control  of  Novi  Bazar,  Pristina,  Uskub, 
and  Istip,  or  practically  the  entire  route  to  a  short  distance 
north  of  Salonica,  where  the  new  boundaries  of  Greece  had 
been  extended.  This  meant  that  Austria  saw  herself  shut  out 
from  the  Sanjak,  and  only  by  the  destruction  and  subsequent 
occupation  of  Servia  could  Austria  regain  her  ascendancy 
over  the  route.  Victory  would  mean  a  long  step  by  Austria 
toward  the  sea. 

PLOTS  AND  COUNTERPLOTS 

The  " balance  of  power"  among  European  nations  has 
hitherto  been  maintained  because  the  formation  of  a  single 
nation  out  of  the  Balkan  States  has  not  been  possible.  Al- 
though the  people  of  these  states  have  similar  pursuits,  and 
live  much  alike  in  all  regions,  they  have  preserved  their  orig- 
inal racial  differences.  A  village  of  Albanians  may  be  within 
a  few  miles  of  a  village  of  Greeks.  Yet  through  centuries 
both  have  remained  racially  distinct.  Here  and  there  the  bar- 
riers have  given  way  somewhat,  but  in  general  the  races  per- 
sist side  by  side,  sometimes  peaceably,  more  often  in  mutual 
distrust  or  open  feud.  Such  division  has  been  fostered  by 
the  great  nations,  and  new  states  have  been  created,  as  re- 
cently Albania,  since  the  formation  of  a  great  state  in  the 
Balkans  by  the  union  of  all  or  the  absorbing  greatness  of 
one,  would  overthrow  the  balance  of  power,  and  besides  inter- 
pose an  insurmountable  obstacle  between  Austria  and  Russia, 
and  the  sea. 

Thus  the  states  have  been  played  against  each  other. 
Sometimes  the  game  has  been  one  of  diplomacy,  or  one  of 
force,  hurling  the  states  at  each  other's  throats.    Sometimes 


CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR  23 

the  game  has  been  one  of  treachery  and  assassination.  Who 
can  surmise  the  intricate  plots  and  counterplots,  or  the  insidi- 
ous influences,  the  fostering  of  hatred,  the  failure  of  hopes  and 
ambitions,  that  led  to  the  assassination  at  Serajevo? 

RACE  AND  RELIGIOUS  PREJUDICES 

Religious  conditions  in  the  Balkans  are  as  complicated  as 
racial  relations.  In  Bulgaria,  a  branch  of  the  Bulgarian  race 
is  Mohammedan,  as  are  half  a  million  Turks  and  col- 
onists of  the  Eastern  lowlands.  The  Albanians  are  largely 
Mohammedan.  The  bulk  of  the  population  of  the  Balkans, 
however,  professes  the  Greek  Orthodox  faith.  Even  more  than 
the  Mohammedan  labors  for  the  spread  of  Islam,  all  good 
Greek  Catholics  pray  for  the  day  when  Constantinople,  sacred 
city  of  their  faith,  shall  be  rescued  from  the  infidel,  and  the 
cross  shall  again  be  raised  over  the  mosque  of  St.  Sophia. 
Along  the  western  coast  of  the  Balkan  Peninsula  Roman 
Catholics  are  numerous. 

On  the  one  hand  pride  of  religion  and  prejudice  of  race, 
on  the  other  mountain  barriers,  harbors  and  sounds,  hill  pas- 
tures and  lowland  plains — these  are  the  internal  conditions 
that  have  shaped  the  history  of  the  Balkan  states.  From  with- 
out the  intrigues  and  ambitions  of  the  great  nations  of  Eu- 
rope have  played  upon  or  profited  by  these  conditions,  and  of 
all  the  complex  interrelations  the  present  war  is  the  outcome, 
and  Europe  is  aflame  with  a  great  conflagration. 

NATIONS  HURRIED  INTO  WAR 

The  continent  resounds  with  the  tread  of  millions  of 
marching  men,  but  we  cannot  fail  to  hear  too  the  wailing  and 
weeping  of  women  and  children.  One  by  one  the  nations 
leaped  to  the  struggle.  Germany,  striking  at  the  heart  of 
France,  violated  the  neutrality  of  Belgium,  and  aroused  her 
stubborn  resistance.  England,  indignant  at  the  violation  of 
international  treaties,  gathered  her  war  forces  to  support  Bel- 
gium and  her  allies  against  the  German  advance,  and  the  order 
went  out,  ' '  Seek  the  enemy,   and  destroy  him. ' ' 

At  the  present  writing,  battles  rage  on  the  Russian  and 
German  frontiers.    The  roar  of  naval  combat  is  heard  in  the 


24  CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR 

North  Sea.  Little  Servia,  the  cause  of  the  mighty  tumult, 
checks  the  advance  of  the  Austrians.  Italy,  at  first  declar- 
ing her  neutrality,  thus  breaking  the  Triple  Alliance,  watches 
her  hereditary  enemy,  Austria,  and  is  eager  to  avenge  an- 
cient wrongs.  The  Netherlands,  Denmark,  Sweden,  Norway, 
and  Spain  hold  their  forces  in  war  order,  to  guard  their  in- 
tegrity. Everywhere  the  dark  cloud  of  conflict  spreads  its 
terror  and  gloom  over  the  land.  Japan  has  taken  the  side 
of  England  and  therefore  that  of  Russia.  Men,  the  pawns  of 
royal  intrigue,  have  been  forced  to  march  to  the  field  of  slaugh- 
ter, accompanied  by  memory  of  the  weeping  of  their 
women  and  children,  and  the  thought  of  the  misery  to  fall 
upon  them.  A  terrible  toll  of  human  life  and  human  suffer- 
ing is  being  taken  in  the  name  of  ' '  national  honor, ' '  which  is 
too  often  synonymous  with  the  pride  of  kings  or  a  selfish 
desire  for  commercial  gain. 


BRITISH  VIEW  OF  THE  CASE 

Immediately  after  the  general  outbreak  of  hostilities  each 
of  the  contending  nations  sought  to  lay  the  blame  for  the  con- 
flagration upon  the  shoulders  of  some  other.  Thus  the  German 
blamed  the  Russian,  France  and  England  blamed  Germany, 
Russia  blamed  Austria,  and  each  nation,  in  official  documents 
promptly  given  to  the  world,  endeavored  to  justify  its  course 
of  action. 

England's  declaration  of  war  followed  the  invasion  of  Bel- 
gium by  German  troops  en  route  to  France,  and  her  action  was 
upheld  by  the  issuance  of  a  " white  book"  in  August,  contain- 
ing copies  of  the  diplomatic  correspondence  and  "  conversa- 
tions" that  had  passed  between  Sir  Edward  Grey,  secretary 
of  state  for  foreign  affairs,  and  the  chancelleries  of  Europe 
during  the  critical  period  immediately  preceding  the  conflict. 

The  British  view  of  the  immediate  causes  of  war  was  sum- 
marized on  September  12  by  the  Right  Hon.  Frederick  Edwin 
Smith,  K.  C,  M.  P.,  organizer  and  director  of  the  English 
official  press  bureau,  in  a  statement  as  follows : 

"The  British  white  book,  embracing  facts,  not  arguments, 
states  our  whole  case.    The  neutrality  of  Belgium  was  violated 


CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR  25 

by  Germany,  which,  equally  with  France  and  England,  had 
guaranteed  it.  This  was  done  deliberately,  without  an  atom 
of  provocation.  Hence  our  first  and  immediate  occasion  for 
going  to  war.  Germany  had  no  quarrel  with  Belgium,  France 
or  England,  but  made  preparations  to  attack  France  through 
Luxemburg  and  Belgium  and  proposed  to  us  that  we  stand 
aside  and  see  Belgian  neutrality  violated  and  France  crushed 
for  no  reason  except  to  gratify  German  lust  for  power. 

ENGLAND  FIGHTS  FOE  HER  EXISTENCE 

"Belgium  was  invaded  simply  because  it  happened  to  bar 
the  shortest  road  to  Paris.  Before  Germany  sent  a  man  across 
the  frontier  it  knew  that  if  it  violated  Belgian  neutrality  Eng- 
land would  enter  the  field.  Even  when  it  was  evident  to  the 
whole  of  Europe  that  Germany  had  embarked  on  the  enter- 
prise for  which  it  had  been  preparing  for  years,  France,  the 
first  object  of  attack,  kept  its  troops  some  miles  from  the 
frontier  and  waited  for  the  Germans  to  take  the  first  step  in  a 
war  of  pure  aggression.  Germany  took  advantage  of  this 
reluctance  and  pushed  forward  immense  masses  of  troops  into 
Belgium  and  France. 

' '  We  are  fighting  not  only  to  fulfill  our  obligations  to  Bel- 
gium, but  to  preserve  our  own  liberty  and  existence  as  a  nation. 
Had  Germany  found  us  willing  accomplices  in  her  infamous 
scheme,  had  Belgium  in  the  face  of  Germany's  immense  mili- 
tary power  accepted  the  inevitable  and  made  no  resistance, 
France  would  or  might  be  subdued.  While  we  sat  in  disgrace- 
ful safety,  the  French  colonies  and  fleet  would  be  passed  to  the 
victors,  who,  established  within  thirty  miles  of  the  English 
coast,  would  possess  with  their  allies  a  fleet  and  armies  numer- 
ically larger  than  ours.  Then  when  the  time  came  for  our 
downfall  we  should  meet  our  fate  without  a  friend  in  the  world. 

1 '  Even  in  the  short  time  since  the  breaking  out  of  the  war 
Germany  has  made  it  plain  that  its  main  object  is  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  British  army,  fleet  and  empire.  Within  the  last  few 
days  Germany  has  suggested  to  France  that  it  might  secure 
peace  on  easy  terms  if  it  would  join  Germany  in  subduing 
Great  Britain.  The  instant  response  to  that  attempt  was  the 
conclusion  of  an  arrangement  between  France,  Russia  and 


26  CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR 

Great  Britain  binding  themselves  not  to  make  terms  with  the 
enemy  except  by  mutual  agreement. 

"If  any  one  doubts  the  statement  that  the  real  object  of  the 
war  is  the  destruction  of  British  power  let  him  read  the  works 
of  German  leaders  of  thought,  such  as  Reitschke  and  Bern- 
hardt These  writers  made  no  secret  of  their  teachings  or  of 
the  intentions  of  their  country.  But  until  the  Kaiser  gave  the 
signal  and  moved  his  legions  to  attack  Belgium,  France  and 
Eussia,  only  the  most  thoughtful  and  far-seeing  Englishmen 
believed  that  Germany  could  seriously  contemplate  a  crime  so 
colossal  simply  to  gratify  an  inordinate  ambition. 

POINTS  TO  GREY^S  ATTITUDE 

"Americans  and  other  neutrals  who  take  the  trouble  to 
read  the  white  book  must  be  driven  to  the  conclusion  that  any 
statesman  less  patient  than  Sir  Edward  Grey  and  less  deter- 
mined to  spare  no  efforts  to  maintain  peace  at  any  but  a  dis- 
honorable price  would  have  acceded  to  the  request  of  the 
Russian  prime  minister  and  declared  that  Britain  would  sup- 
port Russia  and  France  with  all  its  resources  should  Austria 
and  Germany  persist  in  a  course  which  must  bring  about  a  gen- 
eral conflagration. 

"So  far  from  doing  this,  Sir  Edward  Grey  told  Herr  Beth- 
mann-Hollweg  that  if  the  German  government  would  make  any 
reasonable  proposals  for  the  preservation  of  peace  he  would 
use  his  personal  influence  to  persuade  Russia  and  France  to 
accept  them,  and  if  the  powers  refused  'the  British  govern- 
ment would  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  the  consequences.' 

"Germany's  reply  was  to  make  a  proposal,  dishonoring  to 
us,  that  we  should  stand  aside  while  it  invaded  Belgium  and 
crushed  France,  and  then,  when  this  offer  was  rejected  with 
scorn,  it  moved  its  armies  across  the  frontier.  To-day  the 
world  is  told  that  Germany  was  forced  into  war  by  rivals  of 
her  progress  in  the  arts  of  peace.  Seeking  peace,  we  have  been 
driven  into  war  in  defense  of  principles  which,  if  they  are  no 
longer  to  be  recognized,  would  make  Europe  a  congeries  of 
brigand  nations  recognizing  might  as  the  only  right. 

"The  justice  of  our  cause  has  set  the  whole  empire  aflame 
with  patriotism  and  raised  in  our  great  colonies  and  in  India, 


CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR  27 

with  its  300,000,000  people  of  different  races  and  languages,  a 
unity  and  enthusiasm  which  will  make  our  ultimate  victory- 
assured. " 


A  WAE  FOR  COMMERCIAL  SUPREMACY — ENGLAND  VS.  GERMANY 

By  Guglielmo  Ferrero,  the  noted  Italian  Historian  and 
Authority  on  Militarism. 

In  this  gigantic  war  the  combatants  are  actuated  by  differ- 
ent motives  and  for  different  interests.  Each  is  acting  with 
different  means  of  offense  and  defense :  each,  in  a  word,  occu- 
pies a  position  peculiar  to  itself. 

Let  us  examine  this  important  point :  For  what  reason  has 
England  taken  the  field  on  the  side  of  France  ? 

In  the  speech  he  delivered  in  the  house  of  commons  on 
August  3,  Sir  Edward  Grey  clearly  denned  England's  position 
among  the  belligerents.  It  was  then  still  free  from  any  obliga- 
tions. The  French  and  English  general  staffs  had  for  some 
time  been  working  out  the  plans  of  the  eventual  military  opera- 
tions that  the  two  governments  might  have  to  carry  out,  if 
they  should  some  day  find  themselves  fighting  side  by  side. 

Everything  was  ready  for  an  offensive  and  defensive 
alliance ;  but  the  two  governments  had  not  yet  assumed  recip- 
rocal obligations  of  any  kind. 

On  the  evening  of  August  3,  England  could  still  declare 
itself  neutral,  and  it  would  seem  that  Germany  was  still  that 
very  day  trying  to  persuade  it  not  to  take  up  arms. 

For  what  reason  did  England  declare  war  on  Germany  on 
the  day  following? 

The  apparent  reason  was  Belgium.  On  that  very  day  the 
chancellor  of  the  German  empire  announced  in  the  Reichstag 
"that  Germany  would  violate  the  neutrality  of  Belgium,  be- 
cause he  who  is  fighting  cannot  heed  international  law. "  And 
the  next  day  England  sent  to  Germany  the  ultimatum:  "Re- 
spect Belgium  or  go  to  war." 

BELGIUM  THE  PRETEXT 

But  Belgium  was  the  pretext  for  the  war  rather  than  the 
reason — the  magnificent  pretext  offered  by  Germany  to  the 


28  CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR 

party  in  England  that  for  long  had  been  wanting  war.  Eng- 
land also  had  guaranteed  the  neutrality  of  Belgium.  By 
violating  it  Germany  was  affronting  England,  whose  honor 
was  now  pledged  to  unsheathe  the  sword. 

In  England  friends  of  peace  and  partisans  of  war  have 
been — and  cannot  fail  to  be — in  agreement  in  recognizing  that 
war  was  inevitable  as  soon  as  the  German  armies  had  crossed 
the  Belgian  frontier. 

But  it  is  to  be  believed  that,  even  if  Germany  had  not  impru- 
dently furnished  England  with  that  splendid  pretext,  England 
would  have  sought  and  found  another. 

England's  real  eeason 

For  a  long  time  the  Conservative  party  and  a  considerable 
section  of  the  Liberal  party  of  England  had  been  agreed  that 
if  Germany  should  attack  France,  England  must  take  the  field 
with  Russia  in  its  defense  in  order  to  prevent  Germany  from 
further  aggrandizement  upon  the  continent  and  from  becoming 
the  arbiter  of  Europe. 

This  is  the  real  reason  why  England  to-day  stands  side  by 
side  with  France  against  Germany,  just  as  a  century  ago  it  was 
directing  the  struggle  against  Napoleon. 

It  is  a  most  potent  reason,  for  Germany  has  now  reached  a 
point  in  its  history  and  development  at  which  it  might  by  fur- 
ther expansion  become  more  dangerous  to  England  than  the 
Napoleonic  empire  was  a  century  ago. 

Whosoever  needs  to  be  convinced  of  it  has  only  to  study  the 
statistics  of  the  production  of  iron,  and  there  he  will  find  the 
key  to  the  Anglo-German  conflict. 

England  is  the  richer,  but  Germany  has  far  the  greater 
population.  With  some  increase  in  territory  upon  the  con- 
tinent and  with  its  natural  rapid  growth  this  population  might 
very  soon  be  double  that  of  England.  So  for  England  this  war 
is  a  matter  of  life  or  death. 

IMPORTANCE  OF  IRON 

In  a  certain  sense  I  should  almost  be  tempted  to  say  that 
the  struggle  between  England  and  Germany  is  fiercer  than  that 


CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR  29 

between  Germany  and  France.  Germany  and  France  are 
enemies  for  historic  and  moral  reasons. 

In  the  last  ten  years  Germany  has  become,  after  the  United 
States,  the  second  metal  working  nation  in  the  world.  In  1912 
the  United  States  manufactured  about  30,000,000  tons  of  iron, 
Germany  about  17,000,000,  England  10,000,000.  These  figures 
explain  everything,  when  we  consider  that  iron  is  today  the 
most  important  agency  in  world  conquest. 

What  can  a  people  that  produce  so  much  iron  do  with  it? 
What  must  it  do  with  it?  It  is  naturally  impelled  to  manu- 
facture machinery,  railroads,  merchant  vessels,  ironclads, 
dreadnoughts.  The  development  of  the  German  merchant 
marine  and  the  creation  of  the  German  war  fleet,  which  have 
given  such  umbrage  to  England,  were  the  natural  effect  of  the 
rapid  growth  of  German  metallurgy. 

TEMPTATION  TO  EXPAND 

But  when  a  people  can  construct  so  much  machinery,  so 
many  railroads,  so  many  cannon,  so  many  ships  of  peace  and 
war,  and  has  not,  like  the  United  States,  an  immense  con- 
tinent to  populate  with  its  railways,  a  people  that  lives  crowded 
and  crowded  upon  a  small  territory,  will  it  not  some  day  be 
tempted  to  make  use  of  these  arms  and  these  materials  in  mak- 
ing room  for  itself  in  the  world  and  in  winning  an  empire  to 
populate? 

Indeed  England  has  perceived  for  some  time  that  Germany, 
with  its  rich  coal  mines,  its  powerful  metallurgy,  its  military 
traditions,  its  population  that  has  now  reached  65,000,000, 
might  before  long  attempt  to  destroy  the  British  empire  and 
conquer,  at  least,  part  of  it  for  itself  if  it  should  succeed  in 
spreading  out  in  Europe  and  in  throwing  down  and  weakening 
the  continental  rivals — France  and  Russia — which  have  ham- 
pered its  movements. 

TWO  DIFFERENT  PRINCIPLES 

France  represents,  as  it  were,  the  qualitative  principle; 
Germany  the  quantitative  principle  in  modern  civilization ;  so, 
taking  accoujit  merely  of  interests,  they  might  live  prosper- 
ously side  by  side  without  suspecting  each  other  or  annoying 


30 


CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR 


each  other  too  much.  But  Germany  and  England  could  not; 
every  excessive  aggrandizement  of  the  one  is  a  menace  and 
a  peril  for  the  other. 

Thus  the  war  between  England  and  Germany  is  absolutely 
different  from  that  between  France  and  Germany.  One  might 
almost  call  it  a  war  of  coal  and  iron,  a  mercantile  conflict  recall- 
ing the  ancient  struggles  between  Carthage  and  Syracuse, 
Genoa  and  Venice,  but  in  colossal  proportions  and  new  forms. 

An  immense  revolution  has  taken  place  within  a  century  in 
Europe  and  America.  We  have  entered  the  great  age  of  men, 
in  which  coal  and  iron  are  the  most  important  instruments  of 
power  and  wealth.  And  in  the  old  world  England  and  Ger- 
many are  fighting  between  themselves  for  the  primacy  in  coal 
and  iron. 


r$!k 


THE  CHIMES 

—Bradley  in  the  Chicago  Daily  News. 


CHAPTER  II 

HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED 

Ultimatum  by  Austria  to  Servia — War  Declared  by  Austria — 
Russia  Mobilizes — Germany  Declares  War  on  Russia 
August  1 — France  and  England  Involved — Germans 
Enter  Belgium — Scenes  in  European  Capitals. 

ON  SUNDAY,  June  28,  1914,  a  Servian  student  named 
Prinzep  shot  and  killed  the  Archduke  Francis  Ferdinand, 
heir  to  the  thrones  of  Austria-Hungary,  and  his  morgan- 
atic wife,  the  Duchess  of  Hohenberg,  in  the  streets  of  Serajevo, 
a  town  in  Bosnia  which  the  royal  couple  were  visiting. 

Nearly  four  weeks  later,  on  July  23,  the  Austro-Hungarian 
government,  fixing  responsibility  for  the  assassination  upon 
Servian  intrigues,  presented  to  Servia  a  number  of  demands 
which  formed  a  very  drastic  ultimatum,  requiring  compliance 
within  forty-eight  hours,  with  the  alternative  of  war.  Servia 
was  required  to  condemn  "the  propaganda  directed  against 
Austria ' '  and  to  take  proceedings  against  all  accessories  to  the 
plot  against  the  Archduke  Francis  Ferdinand  who  were  in 
Servia.  Austrian  delegates  were  to  supervise  the  proceedings, 
and  Servia  was  also  to  arrest  certain  Servian  officials  whose 
guilt  was  alleged.  These  exorbitant  conditions  made  it  quite 
obvious  that  no  concessions  on  Servia's  part  would  be  accepted. 
It  was  a  plain  prelude  to  war. 

Nevertheless,  a  virtual  acceptance  by  Servia  followed. 
Acting  on  the  advice  of  Russia,  Servia  acceded  to  all  that  was 
required  of  her,  making  only  two  reservations  of  the  most 
reasonable  character.  These  reservations  were  found  enough 
to  serve  as  an  excuse  for  war.  Austria  at  once  declared  herself 
dissatisfied  and  though  the  actual  declaration  of  war  was 

31 


32  HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED 

delayed  for  a  brief  period,  a  state  of  war  practically  existed 
between  the  two  countries  from  Saturday  evening,  July  25. 

EFFORTS  TO  LOCALIZE  THE  WAR 

Then  began  efforts  on  the  part  of  Great  Britain  to  localize 
the  war.  Sir  Edward  Grey,  the  able  foreign  secretary  in  Mr. 
Asquith's  cabinet,  repeated  solemn  warnings  in  every  chan- 
cellery of  Europe.  According  to  the  English  "white  book," 
the  very  day  that  he  was  notified  of  the  violent  tone  of  Aus- 
tria's note  to  Servia — the  day  it  was  presented — he  warned 
the  Austrian  Ambassador  in  London  that  if  as  many  as  four  of 
the  Great  Powers  of  Europe  were  to  engage  in  war,  it  would 
involve  the  expenditure  of  such  a  vast  sum  of  money  and  such 
interference  with  trade,  that  a  complete  collapse  of  European 
credit  and  industry  would  follow.  The  reply  of  Russia  to  this 
warning  was  quite  conciliatory.  The  Russian  foreign  minister, 
M.  Sazonoff,  assured  the  British  minister  that  Russia  had  no 
aggressive  intentions,  and  would  take  no  action  unless  forced. 
Austria's  action,  M.  Sazonofr  added,  in  reality  aimed  at  over- 
throwing Russia 's  influence  in  the  Balkans. 

Thus,  on  Monday,  July  27,  Sir  Edward  Grey  was  able  to 
state  in  the  House  of  Commons  that  his  suggestion  of  a  joint 
conference,  composed  of  the  Ambassadors  of  Germany,  France 
and  Italy,  and  himself,  with  a  view  to  mediation  between  Aus- 
tria and  Russia,  had  been  accepted  by  all  except  Germany, 
which  power  had  expressed  its  concurrence  with  the  plan  in 
principle,  but  opposed  the  details  on  the  ground  that  there  was 
a  prospect  of  direct  " conversations"  (diplomatic  exchanges; 
between  Austria  and  Russia.  This  statement  was  believed  in 
England  to  lack  sincerity.  On  that  Monday  afternoon  the  Rus- 
sian Ambassador  at  Vienna  warned  Austria  that  Russia  would 
not  give  way  and  expressed  his  hope  that  some  arrangement 
might  be  arrived  at  before  Servia  was  invaded. 

Austria's  reply  came  next  day  in  the  shape  of  a  formal  dec- 
laration of  war  against  Servia. 

Germany's  attitude  pro-austrian 
On  July  30  Sir  M.  de  Bunsen,  British  Ambassador  at 
Vienna,  made  the  following  statement  to  Sir  Edward  Grey 
regarding  the  attitude  of  Germany  in  the  crisis ; 


HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED  33 

"Although  I  am  not  able  to  verify  it,  I  have  private  infor- 
mation that  the  German  Ambassador  (at  Vienna)  knew  the 
text  of  the  Austrian  ultimatum  to  Servia  before  it  was  dis- 
patched, and  telegraphed  it  to  the  German  Emperor.  I  know 
from  the  German  Ambassador  himself  that  he  endorses  every 
line  of  it. ' ' 

Naturally  enough  the  Russian  foreign  minister  complained 
that ' '  conversations ' '  with  Austria  were  useless  in  the  face  of 
such  facts.  Russia  then  declared  that  her  forces  would  be 
mobilized  the  day  that  Austria  crossed  the  Servian  frontier. 
The  attitude  of  Germany  at  once  stiffened  and  it  became  evi- 
dent that  Germany  meant  to  regard  even  the  partial  mobiliza- 
tion of  Russia  as  a  ground  for  war,  not  only  against  Russia, 
but  also  against  the  latter 's  ally,  France. 

In  vain  Russia  protested  that  her  partial  mobilization  was 
merely  a  precaution.  In  vain  did  the  Czar  himself  offer  to  give 
his  word  that  no  use  would  be  made  of  any  of  his  forces.  Ger- 
many was  aware,  as  subsequent  facts  have  proved,  that  her 
own  state  of  mobilization  was  very  much  further  advanced 
than  that  of  Russia. 

GERMAN  ULTIMATUM  TO  RUSSIA 

By  Friday,  July  31,  Germany  was  ready  for  the  fray  and 
a  final  ultimatum  to  St.  Petersburg  was  launched.  On  the  same 
day  Russia  declared  war  against  Austria.  By  six  o'clock  on 
Saturday  evening,  August  1,  war  between  Germany  and  Russia 
began,  when  Germany  dismissed  the  Russian  Ambassador,  and 
by  Sunday  morning  Germany  was  invading  France.  The  next 
day,  August  3,  the  German  Ambassador  left  Paris  and  the 
French  Ambassador  at  Berlin  was  ordered  to  demand  his 
passports. 

At  this  point  Great  Britain  passed  from  the  position  of 
general  peacemaker  to  that  of  a  principal.  In  the  House  of 
Commons  on  Monday,  August  3,  Sir  Edward  Grey  stated  that 
the  question  whether  Austria  or  Russia  should  dominate  the 
Southern  Slav  races  was  no  concern  of  England,  nor  was  she 
bound  by  any  secret  alliance  to  France.  She  was  absolutely 
free  to  choose  her  course  with  regard  to  the  crisis  which  had 
overtaken  her.    But  there  were  two  cardinal  points  in  the  situa- 


84  HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED 

tion  which  had  arisen  which  ultimately  concerned  Great  Brit- 
ain. The  first  essential  feature  of  British  diplomacy,  said  Sir 
Edward,  was  that  France  should  not  be  brought  into  such  a 
condition  in  Europe  that  she  became  a  species  of  vassal  state 
to  Germany.  On  the  morning  of  July  31,  therefore,  he  had 
informed  the  German  Ambassador  that  if  the  efforts  to  main- 
tain peace  failed  and  France  became  involved  Great  Britain 
would  be  drawn  into  the  conflict. 

In  his  speech  of  August  3  the  British  foreign  minister  also 
stated  that  he  had  given  France  on  the  previous  day  the  writ- 
ten assurance  that  if  the  German  fleet  came  into  the  English 
Channel  or  through  the  North  Sea  to  assail  her,  the  British 
fleet  would  protect  her  to  the  uttermost. 

TO  PROTECT  BELGIAN  AUTONOMY 

On  the  same  afternoon,  in  the  same  place,  Sir  Edward  Grey 
reiterated  the  other  dominant  principle  of  British  foreign  pol- 
icy— that  England  can  never  look  with  indifference  on  the 
seizure  by  a  great  continental  power  of  any  portion  of  Belgium 
and  Holland.  More  than  a  hundred  years  ago  it  was  declared 
by  Napoleon,  who  was  a  master  of  political  geography,  that 
Antwerp  was  ' '  a  pistol  leveled  at  the  head  of  London. ' ' 

When  on  July  31  the  British  foreign  minister  inquired  by 
telegraph  both  at  Paris  and  Berlin  whether  the  two  govern- 
ments would  engage  to  respect  the  neutrality  of  Belgium, 
France  replied  with  an  assurance  that  she  was  resolved  to  do 
so  unless  compelled  to  act  otherwise  by  reason  of  the  violation 
of  Belgium's  neutrality  at  the  hands  of  another  power.  The 
German  secretary  of  state,  Herr  von  Jagow,  replied  that  he 
could  give  no  such  assurance  until  he  had  consulted  the  Em- 
peror and  Chancellor,  and  doubted  whether  he  could  give  any 
answer  without  revealing  the  German  plan  of  campaign.  He 
furthermore  alleged  the  commission  of  hostile  acts  by  Belgium. 

Developments  quickly  followed.  The  German  government 
proposed  that  Belgium  should  grant  its  armies  free  passage 
through  Belgian  territory.  The  proposal  was  accompanied  by 
an  intimation  that  Belgium  would  be  crushed  out  of  existence 
if  it  refused  to  comply.    In  fact,  it  was  an  ultimatum  presented 


HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED  35 

at  7  o'clock  on  Sunday  evening,  August  2,  to  expire  within 
twelve  hours. 

Then  came  Sir  Edward  Grey's  speech  in  parliament  on 
August  3,  when  it  was  fully  realized  that  Germany  and  Eng- 
land were  on  the  verge  of  war.  What  followed  was  related  in 
the  House  of  Commons  next  day. 

SCENES  IN   PARLIAMENT 

Germany's  reply  to  the  speech  by  Sir  Edward  Grey,  the 
British  foreign  secretary,  indicating  the  attitude  of  Great 
Britain  in  regard  to  the  contemplated  violation  of  Belgian 
territory  by  Germany  was  a  second  ultimatum  from  Berlin 
to  Brussels,  saying  Germany  was  prepared  to  carry  through 
her  plans  by  force  of  arms  if  necessary. 

The  British  government  was  officially  informed  by  Bel- 
gium on  August  4  that  German  troops  had  invaded  Belgium 
and  that  the  violation  of  that  country's  neutrality,  which  the 
British  foreign  secretary  had  intimated  must  be  followed  by 
action  on  the  part  of  the  British,  had  become  an  accomplished 
fact. 

Definite  announcement  of  Great  Britain's  intentions  under 
these  circumstances  was  expected  in  the  house  of  commons 
that  afternoon. 

TELEGRAM  SENT  TO  BERLIN 

On  the  assembly  of  the  house  the  premier,  Mr.  Asquith, 
said  that  a  telegram  had  been  sent  early  in  the  morning  to 
Sir  Edward  Goschen,  British  ambassador  in  Berlin,  to  the 
following  effect: 

"The  king  of  the  Belgians  has  appealed  to  His  Britannic 
Majesty's  government  for  diplomatic  intervention  on  behalf 
of  Belgium.  The  British  government  is  also  informed  that 
the  German  government  has  delivered  to  the  Belgian  govern- 
ment a  note  proposing  friendly  neutrality  pending  a  free 
passage  of  German  troops  through  Belgium  and  promising 
to  maintain  the  independence  and  integrity  of  the  kingdom 
and  its  possessions  on  the  conclusion  of  peace,  threatening  in 
case  of  refusal  to  treat  Belgium  as  an  enemy. ' ' 


36  HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED 

Sir  Edward  Grey,  the  British  foreign  secretary,  had  re- 
quested an  answer  within  twelve  hours. 

Premier  Asquith  then  read  a  telegram  from  the  German 
foreign  minister,  which  the  German  ambassador  in  London 
had  sent  to  Sir  Edward  Grey.    It  was  as  follows : 

"Please  dispel  any  distrust  that  may  subsist  on  the  part 
of  the  British  government  with  regard  to  our  intentions  by 
repeating  most  positively  the  formal  assurance  that  even  in 
case  of  armed  conflict  with  Belgium,  Germany  will  under  no 
pretensions  whatever  annex  Belgian  territory." 

The  reading  of  this  telegram  was  greeted  with  derisive 
laughter  by  the  members  of  the  house. 

Premier  Asquith  continued : 

"We  understand  that  Belgium  categorically  refused  to 
assent  to  a  flagrant  violation  of  the  law  of  nations. 

"His  majesty's  government  was  bound  to  protest  against 
this  violation  of  a  treaty  to  which  Germany  was  a  party  in 
common  with  England  and  must  request  an  assurance  that 
the  demand  made  upon  Belgium  by  Germany  be  not  proceeded 
with  and  that  Belgium's  neutrality  be  respected  by  Germany 
and  we  have  asked  for  an  immediate  reply. 

"We  received  this  morning  from  our  minister  in  Brussels 
the  following  telegram: 

"  'The  German  minister  has  this  morning  addressed  a 
note  to  the  Belgian  minister  for  foreign  affairs  stating  that  as 
the  Belgian  government  has  declined  a  well  intentioned  pro- 
posal submitted  to  it  by  the  imperial  German  government 
the  latter,  deeply  to  its  regret,  will  be  compelled  to  carry  out, 
if  necessary  by  force  of  arms,  the  measures  considered  indis- 
pensable in  view  of  the  French  menace.'  " 

ENGLAND  AND  GERMANY  AT  WAR 

By  11  o'clock  that  evening  England  and  Germany  were  at 
war.  Their  respective  ambassadors  were  handed  their  pass- 
ports and  Great  Britain  braced  herself  for  a  conflict  that  was 
felt  to  theaten  her  very  existence  as  a  nation. 

In  defence  of  the  violation  of  Belgian  neutrality  by  the 
invasion  of  the  little  state,  the  Kaiser's  government  claimed  to 


HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED  37 

have  received  authentic  news  that  France  meant  to  attack 
Germany  through  this  neutral  territory.  But  in  the  Reichstag 
on  August  4  the  German  Chancellor,  Von  Bethmann-Hollweg, 
said: 

"Gentlemen,  we  are  now  in  a  state  of  necessity,  and  neces- 
sity knows  no  law!  Our  troops  have  occupied  Luxemburg 
[an  independent  state]  and  are  already  on  Belgian  soil.  Gen- 
tlemen, that  is  contrary  to  the  dictates  of  international  law. 
It  is  true  that  the  French  Government  has  declared  at  Brus- 
sels that  France  is  willing  to  respect  the  neutrality  of  Belgium 
as  long  as  her  opponent  respects  it.  We  knew,  however,  that 
France  stood  ready  for  the  invasion.  France  could  wait,  but 
we  could  not  wait.  A  French  movement  upon  our  flank  upon 
the  lower  Rhine  might  have  been  disastrous.  So  we  were  com- 
pelled to  override  the  protest  of  the  Luxemburg  and  Belgian 
governments.  The  wrong — I  speak  openly — that  we  are  com- 
mitting we  will  endeavor  to  make  good  as  soon  as  our  military 
goal  has  been  reached.  Anybody  who  is  threatened,  as  we  are 
threatened,  and  is  fighting  for  his  highest  possessions,  can  have 
only  one  thought — how  he  is  to  hack  his  way  through. ' ' 


GERMAN  VERSION"  OF  EVENTS  IMMEDIATELY  PEECEDING  WAR  WITH 

FRANCE  AND  RUSSIA 

In  an  official  "white  book"  issued  by  the  German  govern- 
ment, on  August  4,  a  few  hours  prior  to  the  entrance  of  Eng- 
land into  the  arena,  responsibility  for  the  war  in  which  Ger- 
many, Russia  and  France  had  engaged  was  placed  squarely 
upon  the  shoulders  of  the  Czar. 

While  negotiations  looking  to  a  peaceful  way  out  of  the 
difficulties  were  pending,  Russia,  it  was  charged,  invaded 
Germany,  and  a  few  hours  later  France  opened  hostilities. 

The  German  Emperor,  it  was  set  forth,  in  response  to  a 
suggestion  from  London  and  the  appeal  of  the  Russian  mon- 
arch, was  using  his  influence  at  Vienna  to  satisfy  Russia 
regarding  the  intention  of  Austria  in  Servia,  but  in  that  very 
hour  Russia  was  mobilizing  her  army. 

After  a  fruitless  appeal  to  Emperor  Nicholas  to  abandon 
his  warlike  preparations  and  so  avert  a  peril  to  civilization, 


38  HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED 

the  German  government  on  the  afternoon  of  July  31  instructed 
its  ambassador  at  St.  Petersburg  to  give  notice  that  Germany 
would  mobilize  unless  Russia  suspended  her  military  measures 
inside  of  twelve  hours. 

At  the  same  time  France  was  given  eighteen  hours  in  which 
to  declare  whether  she  would  remain  neutral  in  a  war  between 
Russia  and  Germany.    The  white  book  continued  as  follows : 

"The  imperial  ambassador  in  St.  Petersburg  made  the 
communication  intrusted  to  him  to  M.  Sazonoff  (the  Russian 
minister  of  foreign  affairs)  at  midnight  on  July  31.  After 
the  term  set  for  Russia  had  expired  without  the  receipt  of  an 
answer  to  our  question,  his  majesty  the  emperor  at  5  p.  m.  on 
August  1,  ordered  the  mobilization  of  the  whole  German  army 
and  the  imperial  navy. 

"The  imperial  ambassador  in  St.  Petersburg  had  mean- 
while received  a  commission  to  communicate  to  the  Russian 
government  a  declaration  of  war  in  the  event  that  the  Russian 
government  should  not  give  a  satisfactory  answer  within  the 
period  allotted  it.  But  before  a  report  of  the  execution  of  this 
commission  had  arrived  Russian  troops  crossed  our  frontier 
on  the  afternoon  of  August  1  and  advanced  on  German  ter- 
ritory. From  this  time  on  Russia  has  furthered  the  war 
against  us. 

"In  the  meantime  the  imperial  ambassador  in  Paris  had 
placed  the  inquiry  with  which  he  was  commissioned  before  the 
French  cabinet  at  7  p.  m.  on  July  31.  On  August  1,  at  1  o  'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  the  French  prime  minister  communicated  an 
ambiguous  and  unsatisfactory  answer,  which  gave  no  clear 
idea  regarding  the  attitude  of  France,  as  the  author  confined 
himself  to  declaring  that  France  would  do  what  her  interests 
bade  her  to  do. 

"A  few  hours  later,  at  5  p.  m.,  the  mobilization  of  the  entire 
French  army  and  navy  was  ordered.  On  the  morning  of  the 
next  day  France  opened  hostilities." 

TELEGEAMS  EXCHANGED 

On  July  31  the  Russian  Emperor  sent  the  following  tele- 
gram to  the  German  Emperor : 

"I  thank  thee  from  my  heart  for  thy  mediation,  which 


HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED  39 

leaves  a  gleam  of  hope  that  even  now  all  may  end  peacefully. 
It  is  technically  impossible  to  discontinue  our  military  opera- 
tion, which  has  been  rendered  necessary  by  Austrian  mobiliza- 
tion. We  are  far  from  wishing  for  war,  and  so  long  as  nego- 
tiations with  Austria  regarding  Servia  continue,  my  troops 
will  not  undertake  any  provocative  action. 

' '  I  give  thee  my  word  upon  it  and  I  trust  with  my  strength 
in  God's  grace  and  hope  for  the  success  of  thy  mediation  at 
Vienna  and  for  our  countries '  and  the  peace  of  Europe. 

( Signed)     ' '  Thy  Devoted  Nicholas.  ' ' 

THE  KAISER^  REPLY 

To  this  the  German  Emperor  replied : 

■ '  In  answer  to  thy  appeal  to  my  friendship  and  thy  prayer 
for  my  help,  I  undertook  mediatory  action  between  the  Austro- 
Hungarian  government  and  thine.  While  this  action  was  in 
progress,  thy  troops  were  mobilized  against  my  ally,  Austria- 
Hungary,  in  consequence  of  which,  as  I  have  already  informed 
thee,  my  mediation  was  rendered  nearly  illusory.  Neverthe- 
less, it  is  continued.  But  now  I  am  in  possession  of  trustworthy 
advices  concerning  the  serious  war  preparations  on  my  east- 
ern frontier,  as  well. 

"My  responsibility  for  the  safety  of  my  empire  compels 
me  to  counter-measures  of  defense.  In  my  endeavors  for 
the  maintenance  of  the  peace  of  the  world  I  have  gone  to  the 
extreme  limit  of  the  possible.  It  is  not  I  that  shall  bear  the 
responsibility  for  the  peril  which  now  threatens  the  civilized 
world.    I  lay  it  to  thy  hand  to  avert  it,  even  at  this  moment. 

"No  one  menaces  the  honor  and  might  of  Russia,  which  all 
could  have  waited  upon  the  result  of  my  mediation.  The 
friendship  for  thee  and  thy  empire  bequeathed  to  me  by  my 
grandfather  on  his  deathbed  has  always  been  sacred  to  me, 
and  I  have  remained  true  to  Russia  when  it  was  in  grave  dis- 
tress, especially  in  your  last  war.  The  peace  of  Europe  can 
yet  be  conserved  by  thee  if  Russia  decides  to  discontinue  her 
military  measures,  which  threaten  Germany  and  Austria- 
Hungary. 

(Signed)     "William." 


40  HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED 

THE  RUSSIAN  VIEW 

At  St.  Petersburg  on  August  4  Emperor  Nicholas  issued 
a  manifesto  in  which  he  outlined  the  events  leading  up  to  the 
declaration  of  war  by  Germany,  and  then  said  that  "Russians 
will  rise  like  one  man  and  repulse  the  insolent  attack  of  the 
enemy. ' ' 

The  text  of  the  manifesto  follows : 

"By  the  grace  of  God,  we,  Nicholas  II.,  emperor  and  auto- 
crat of  all  the  Russias,  king  of  Poland  and  grand  duke  of 
Finland,  etc.,  to  all  our  faithful  subjects  make  known  that 
Russia,  related  by  faith  and  blood  to  the  Slav  peoples  and 
faithful  to  her  historical  traditions,  has  never  regarded  her 
fates  with  indifference. 

"But  the  fraternal  sentiments  of  the  Russian  people  for 
the  Slavs  have  been  awakened  with  perfect  unanimity  and 
extraordinary  force  in  these  last  few  days  when  Austria-Hun- 
gary knowingly  addressed  to  Servia  claims  inacceptable  for 
an  independent  state. 

"Having  paid  no  attention  to  the  pacific  and  conciliatory 
reply  of  the  Servian  government  and  having  rejected  the 
benevolent  intervention  of  Russia,  Austria-Hungary  made 
haste  to  proceed  to  an  armed  attack  and  began  to  bombard 
Belgrade,  an  open  place. 

"Forced  by  the  situation  thus  created  to  take  necessary 
measures  of  precaution,  we  ordered  the  army  and  the  navy  put 
on  war  footing,  at  the  same  time  using  every  endeavor  to 
obtain  a  peaceful  solution. 

"Pourparlers  were  begun  amid  friendly  relations  with 
Germany  and  her  ally,  Austria,  for  the  blood  and  the  property 
of  our  subjects  were  dear  to  us. 

"Contrary  to  our  hopes  in  our  good  neighborly  relations 
of  long  date,  and  disregarding  our  assurances  that  the  mobili- 
zation measures  taken  were  in  pursuance  of  no  object  hostile 
to  her,  Germany  demanded  their  immediate  cessation.  Being- 
rebuffed  in  this  demand,  Germany  suddenly  declared  war  on 
Russia. 

"Today  it  is  not  only  the  protection  of  a  country  related 
to  us  and  unjustly  attacked  that  must  be  accorded,  but  we 


HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED  41 

must  safeguard  the  honor,  the  dignity  and  the  integrity  of 
Russia,  and  her  position  among  the  great  powers. 

"We  believe  unshakably  that  all  our  faithful  subjects  will 
rise  with  unanimity  and  devotion  for  the  defense  of  Russian 
soil ;  that  internal  discord  will  be  forgotten  in  this  threatening 
hour ;  that  the  unity  of  the  emperor  with  his  people  will  become 
still  more  close  and  that  Russia,  rising  like  one  man,  will 
repulse  the  insolent  attack  of  the  enemy. 

' '  With  a  profound  faith  in  the  justice  of  our  work  and  with 
a  humble  hope  in  omnipotent  providence,  in  prayer  we  call 
God's  blessing  on  holy  Russia  and  her  valiant  troops. 

(Signed)    " Nicholas/ ' 


GEBMAN  CHANCELLOR  MAKES  ADDRESS 

The  German  Imperial  Chancellor,  Dr.  von  Bethmann- 
Hollweg,  on  August  1  addressed  a  great  procession  of  demon- 
strators from  the  window  of  his  official  residence  in  Berlin, 
making  a  stirring  speech.    He  said : 

"At  this  serious  hour,  in  order  to  give  expression  to  your 
feeling  for  your  fatherland,  you  have  come  to  the  house  of 
Bismarck,  who,  with  Emperor  William  the  Great  and  Field 
Marshal  von  Moltke,  welded  the  German  empire  for  us. 

"We  wished  to  go  on  living  in  peace  in  the  empire  which 
we  have  developed  in  forty-four  years  of  peaceful  labor. 

1 '  The  whole  work  of  Emperor  William  has  been  devoted  to 
the  maintenance  of  peace.  To  the  last  hour  he  has  worked  for 
peace  in  Europe  and  he  is  still  working  for  it. 

"Should  all  his  efforts  prove  vain  and  should  the  sword 
be  forced  into  our  hands  we  will  take  the  field  with  a  clear 
conscience  in  the  knowledge  that  we  did  not  seek  war.  We 
shall  then  wage  war  for  our  existence  and  for  the  national 
honor  to  the  last  drop  of  our  blood. 

"In  the  gravity  of  the  hour  I  remind  you  of  the  words  of 
Prince  Frederick  Charles  to  the  men  of  Brandenburg:  'Let 
your  hearts  beat  for  God  and  your  fists  on  the  enemy. '  ' ' 

Enthusiastic  cheers  and  the  singing  of  the  national  anthem 
greeted  the  close  of  the  imperial  chancellor's  speech. 


BESET 


— San  Francisco  Chronicle. 


HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED  43 

PROCLAMATION  BY  THE  KAISER 

A  proclamation  by  Emperor  William  addressed  to  the 
German  nation  was  published  in  the  Official  Gazette,  August  7. 
The  text  was  as  follows : 

"  Since  the  foundation  of  the  German  empire,  it  has  been 
for  forty- three  years  the  object  of  the  efforts  of  myself  and 
my  ancestors  to  preserve  the  peace  of  the  world  and  to  advance 
by  peaceful  means  vigorous  development. 

"Our  adversaries,  however,  are  jealous  of  the  successes 
of  our  work  and  there  has  been  latent  hostility  to  the  east  and 
to  the  west  and  beyond  the  sea. 

"This  has  been  borne  by  us  till  now,  as  we  were  aware  of 
our  responsibility  and  our  power. 

"Now,  however,  these  adversaries  wish  to  humiliate  us, 
asking  that  we  should  look  on  with  folded  arms  and  watch 
our  enemies  preparing  themselves  for  the  coming  attack. 

' '  They  will  not  suffer  that  we  maintain  our  resolute  fidelity 
to  our  ally,  who  is  fighting  for  her  position  as  a  great  power 
and  with  whose  humiliation  our  power  and  honor  would  equally 
be  lost. 

"So  the  sword  must  decide. 

"In  the  midst  of  perfect  peace  the  enemy  surprises  us. 
Therefore,  to  arms ! 

"Any  dallying  and  temporizing  would  be  to  betray  the 
fatherland. 

"To  be  or  not  to  be,  is  the  question  for  the  empire  which 
our  fathers  founded.  To  be  or  not  to  be,  is  the  question  for 
German  power  and  German  existence. 

1 '  We  shall  resist  to  the  last  breath  of  man  and  horse,  and 
we  shall  fight  out  the  struggle  even  against  a  world  of  enemies. 

"Never  has  Germany  been  subdued  when  she  was  united. 

"Forward,  with  God,  who  will  be  with  us  as  he  was  with 
our  ancestors." 

ADDRESS  BY  CZAR  NICHOLAS 

The  Eussian  Emperor  with  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  on  Au- 
gust 8  received  the  members  of  the  council  of  the  empire  and 
the  duma  (the  Russian  parliament)  in  audience  at  the  Winter 
Palace,  St.  Petersburg.    Addressing  them,  the  Emperor  said : 


44  HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED 

"In  these  days  of  alarm  and  anxiety,  through  which  Russia 
is  passing,  I  greet  you!  Germany,  following  Austria,  has 
declared  war  on  Russia. 

"The  enormous  enthusiasm,  the  patriotic  sentiments  and 
the  love  and  loyalty  to  the  throne — an  enthusiasm  which  has 
swept  like  a  hurricane  through  the  country — guarantee  for  me, 
as  for  you,  I  hope,  that  Russia  will  bring  to  a  happy  conclusion 
the  war  which  the  Almighty  has  sent  it. 

"  It  is  also  because  of  this  unanimous  enthusiasm,  love  and 
eagerness  to  make  every  sacrifice,  even  of  life  itself,  that  I  am 
able  to  regard  the  future  with  calm  firmness.  It  is  not  only 
the  dignity  and  honor  of  our  country  that  we  are  defending, 
but  we  are  fighting  for  brother  Slavs,  coreligionists,  blood 
brothers.  I  see  also  with  joy  the  union  of  the  Slavs  with  Russia 
progressing  strongly  and  indissolubly. 

"I  am  persuaded  that  all  and  each  of  you  will  be  in  your 
place  to  assist  me  to  support  the  test  and  that  all,  beginning 
with  myself,  will  do  their  duty.  Great  is  the  God  of  the  Rus- 
sian fatherland. ' ' 

KING  ALBEET  TO  THE  BELGIANS 

On  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  in  Belgium  King  Albert 
addressed  a  note  to  the  Belgian  army  as  follows : 

"A  neighbor,  haughty  in  its  strength,  without  the  slightest 
provocation,  has  torn  up  the  treaty  bearing  its  signature  and 
has  violated  the  territory  of  our  fathers  because  we  refused 
to  forfeit  our  honor.  It  has  attacked  us.  Seeing  its  inde- 
pendence threatened,  the  nation  trembled  and  its  children 
sprang  to  the  frontier,  valiant  soldiers  in  a  sacred  cause.  I 
have  confidence  in  your  tenacious  courage.  I  greet  you  in  the 
name  of  Belgium,  a  fellow-citizen  who  is  proud  of  you. ' ' 


CAPITALS  BLAZE  WITH  MARTIAL  FEVER 

There  were  scenes  of  patriotic  fervor  and  martial  ardor 
during  the  first  few  days  of  August  in  all  the  European  capi- 
tals directly  affected  by  the  war.  In  London,  Berlin,  Paris, 
St.  Petersburg  and  Vienna  enthusiastic  crowds  filled  the 
streets,  singing  national  hymns  and  cheering  their  respective 
rulers  and  popular  heroes. 


HOW  WAR  WAS  DECLARED  45 

Only  here  and  there  were  thoughtful  heads  bowed  in  sor- 
rowful anticipation  of  coming  woe.  The  residents  of  the  capi- 
tals heard  only  the  cheerful  sounds  of  drum  and  fife.  Not  yet 
were  their  ears  assailed  by  the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  the 
dying,  the  roar  of  the  deadly  siege  gun  and  the  infernal  rattle 
of  rifle  fire,  the  shriek  of  shrapnel  and  the  awful  scream  of  the 
stricken  horse.  Not  yet  had  the  mournful  procession  of  the 
myriads  of  maimed  and  shattered  soldiers  begun  to  wend  its 
slow  and  painful  way  back  from  the  front.  Not  yet  had  the 
tears  of  half  a  million  widows  and  countless  orphans  begun  to 
flow.  Not  yet  had  sack  and  outrage,  lance  and  bayonet,  torch 
and  dynamite,  begun  to  do  their  gruesome  work  among  the 
homes  of  innocent  peasants  and  defenseless  townspeople.  Not 
yet  had  the  awful  modern  engines  of  destruction  begun  their 
task  of  " scientific"  killing;  nor  had  the  uniformed  cohorts  of 
civilization  fastened  their  grip  upon  each  other's  throats,  to 
sate  the  world  with  slaughter. 

But  all  this,  and  more,  was  soon  to  come.  The  "war  of  the 
ages"  had  been  launched  and  the  cheering  capitals  of  Europe 
were  soon  to  be  filled  with  the  insignia  of  mourning,  as  the 
unknowing,  unthinking  victims  of  " national  honor"  began  to 
fall  by  thousands  on  the  battlefield,  until  the  terrible  total  of 
Death's  harvest  had  surpassed  all  the  records  of  history  and 
sorrow  and  suffering  reigned  supreme. 

Truly,  "War  is  Hell — and  the  workers  of  the  world  roast 
in  its  fires." 


FELLOW- WORKERS 


— San  Francisco  Chronlcl*. 


CHAPTER  III 

ARMED  FORCES  INVOLVED 

Strength  of  the  Opposing  Armies  and  Fleets — Millions  of 
Men  Under  Arms — Attitude  of  Italy,  Turkey  and 
Greece — Organization  of  An  Army — Heavy  Artillery 
Used  in  the  War. 

The  Aemies  of  Europe 

Unorganized, 

Pnnntrv                                          Peace                   Reserves               Total  War  But 

wuntry                                      Strength                KeserTes                strength  available 

For  Duty 

*Great  Britain . ..        254,500            476,000            730,000  2,000,000 

Germany   870,000         4,430,000         5,200,000  1,000,000 

"France 720,000         3,280,000         4,000,000  1,000,000 

Austria-Hungary 390,000         1,610,000         2,000,000  3,000,000 

Russia   1,290,000         3,300,000         5,500,000  5,200,000 

Italy    250,000            950,000         1,200,000  1,200,000 

Belgium    42,000            180,000            222,000  400,000 

"Netherlands    35,000            145,000            180,000  150,000 

Denmark   14,000              56,000              70,000  125,000 

Sweden    50,000            400,000            450,000  200,000 

Norway     35,000              80,000            115,000  100,000 

Bulgaria    60,500            320,000            380,000  100,000 

Servia    32,000            208,000            240,000  60,000 

Rumania   95,000            100,000            500,000  175,000 

Switzerland    22,300            252,000            275,000  50,000 

Turkey    400,000           300,000            700,000  2,000,000 

*  In  the  case  of  Great  Britain,  "Peace  strength"  excludes  the  native  Indian 
army  of  175,000. 

In  the  case  of  Trance,  "Peace  strength"  includes  colonial  troops. 

In  the  case  of  Netherlands,  ' '  Peace  strength ' '  is  exclusive  of  the  colonial  army 
of  36,000. 

The  Navies  of  Europe 

Country  jj       fg       g|       ||       §|  |  ||  j  gg 

Great  Britain   29  10  38  42  70  227  58  85  137,500 

Germany    19  7  20  9  45  141  47  30  66,783 

France    17  0  15  18  13  87  173  90  60,621 

Russia    9  4  8  6  9  105  23  48  52,463 

Italy   8  0  8  7  13  35  73  20  33,095 

Austria-Hungary    4  0  9  3  9  18  53  15  17,581 

Sweden     0  0  0  1  0  8  51  7  5,715 

Netherlands 0  0  6  0  11  8  33  8  11,164 

Norway    0  0  0  1  4  3  26  o  1,003 

Denmark    0  0  1  0  1  0  15  3  4,000 

47 


48  ARMED  FORCES  INVOLVED 

viyirizy  millions  rs~  the  field 
It  will  be  seen  by  a  perusal  of  the  foregoing  table  that  the 
force  b     :  the  nations  actually  engaged  in  the  war  in  Europe 
had  a  total  war  strength  at  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  of  1S.226,- 
Mfl  men  of  all  arms. 

To  e  number  must  be  added  the  addi- 

tional troops  raif  treat  Britain  and  bringing  up  her 

total  am  0  men.    The  number  of  these  was 

.  -till  further  increased  by  about  -      W  native 
troops  from  India  and  50,000  from  Canada,  Australia  and  New 
ukL     This  brings   I       grand  total  of  forces  involved  to 
19,1-:      -~  men, inch]       _  I  all  of  whom  were  called 

ont  anti.  ast  line"  of  each  of  the  warring  nations  was 

under  arms. 

add  the  war  strength  of  other  nations 

that  partially  mobilized  in  August.  1914.  for  self -defense  and 

the  preservation  of  their  neutrality,  including  the  Netherlands, 

Switzerland.  I      -    ria  and  Bonmania.  to  say  nothing  of  Italy, 

Bnavian  countries  and  the  large  and  effec- 

:  Japan,  we  arrive  at  the  enormous  aggregate  of 

-  -  d  called  to  the  colors  in  this  European 

conflict — as*   gg        -  i:-h  dwarf  s  all  previous  records 

of  war. 

In  the  enumeration,  too,  it  is  probable  that  the  war  strength 
of  the  le:  '.    _       mil  -    -       is  underestimated.    Thus  it 

of  only  '  .     ."•00  men,  Germany  was 
prepared  to  place  under  arms  a  total  of  nearly  //>.    For 

-  at  a  time,  along  the  far-flung  battle  lines  i         the  French 
border,  arm.        ..     -        a  --  than  3,000,000  men  have 

been  eonfrc:       _  w hile  other  millions  have  been 

engaged  in  Eastern  Prussia  and  Galicia. 

IT.-.l"  BEMAUTE  HEDTBAL 

7        ttitn  le    :'  II  -  a  subject  of  international  curios- 

:  of  war.  but  the  Italian  government  soon 

made  it  plain  t.  policy  was  one  of  absolute  neutrality. 

uite  of  the  fac:  thai  Italy  was  a  member  of  the  Triple 

Alliance,  her  king  and  sfl       - : uen  claimed  that  neither  of  her 

allies,  Gem:  I  Austr:  -    stacked  by  a  foreign 


ARMED  FORCES  INVOLVED  49 

power,  and  that  therefore,  by  the  terms  of  the  Triple  Alliance, 
she  was  not  obligated  to  take  np  arms  on  their  behalf.  There 
were  besides  two  other  good  reasons  for  Italy's  nentr aiity 
On  the  one  hand  she  had  enjoyed  long  friendship  wit 
Britain,  and  felt  nnder  obligation  for  E:._  i  rapport  in 
obtaining  Italian  unity:  and  on  the  other  hand  the  masses  : 
the  Italians  were  strongly  opposed  to  i  _  aid  and  comfort 

to  Austro-Hungary  the  circnmstan:   ~  r. 

Italian  neutrality  has  therefore  been  maintained  np  to  I 
present  writing,  and  her  army,  with  a  total  war  strengl 
'... .  "',000,  although  partially  mobilized  as  a  matter  of  precau- 
tion, has  been  kept  out  of  the  conflict    >:::.:.  us  efforts 
ever,  have  been  made  to  drag  Italy  intc    the   .  (he 

German-Austrian  si  le,  in  I  it  was  reported  in  Paris  on  S 
tember  17  that  the  German  Kaiser  had  sent  a  telegTam  to  I 
Victor  Emmanuel  reading  as  follows : 

"Conqueror    or   conquered.    I    shall   never    forget   your 
treason." 

The  neutral  attitude  of  their  King,  1  j  believed  t 

have  had  the  practically  unanimous   support     :   U      Italian 
people. 

For  some  time  early  in  -     -  mber  it  was  believeii  that 
Turkey  would  join  in  the  war  on  the  ;: '  7 

German  war  vessels  in  the  Mediterranean  sough:  refog 
the  Dardanelles  and  were  report*  1  sol  1  to  Turkey  inci- 

dent created  considerable  interest  and  Greece  was  -        :o  be 
preparing  for  war  against  Turkey  in      se  i       latt 
the  conflict,  but  when  the  Franco- P  ritis     troops  -  o         led  in 
turning  back  the  German  advance  on  Pari-.  -       Turkish  g 
eminent  apparently  concluded  that   nserel        was  the  hett 
part  of  valor  and  continued  to  maintain  neutrality. 


HGABTBAXIDH    BF  AS  A] 

Military  service  is  compulsory  in  all  the  nations  no^     t 
war,  except  in  Great  Britai:  the  system  is  one  of  volun- 

tary enlistment.    Besides  its  i    _  liar  army  almost  eve:     gi   ..: 
nation  has  one.  two  or  three  reserves.    In  time  e  the 

regular  armies  are  kept  on  a  reduced  or  peace  footing'.    When 
war  threatens  they  are  enlarg  their  war  fooling 


50  ARMED  FORCES  INVOLVED 

creasing  them  to  full  strength,  either  by  additional  men  drawn 
from  the  reserves  or  by  recruiting,  and  by  organizing,  equip- 
ping and  supplying  them  for  active  operations  in  the  field. 
This  process  is  known  as  "mobilization." 

There  are  two  kinds  of  troops,  namely,  mobile  and  fixed,  the 
latter  being  stationed  in  fortifications.  The  mobile  troops  are 
also  of  two  kinds — those  of  the  line,  that  is,  the  fighting  men, 
including  infantry,  cavalry  and  artillery ;  and  those  of  the  staff. 

Broadly  speaking  an  army  is  organized  for  war  as  follows  : 

INFANTRY 

A  squad  is  8  men  under  the  command  of  a  corporal. 

A  section  is  16  men  under  the  command  of  a  sergeant. 

A  platoon  is  from  50  to  75  men  under  a  lieutenant. 

A  company  is  3  platoons,  200  to  250  men,  under  a  captain. 

A  battalion  is  4  or  more  companies  under  a  major. 

A  regiment  is  3  or  more  battalions  under  a  colonel,  or  a 
lieutenant-colonel. 

A  brigade  is  2  or  3  regiments  under  a  brigadier-general. 

A  division  is  2  or  more  brigades  under  a  major-general. 

An  army  corps  is  2  or  more  brigades  or  divisions,  supple- 
mented by  cavalry,  artillery,  engineers,  etc.,  under  a  major- 
general  or  lieutenant-general. 

CAVALRY 

A  section  is  8  men  under  a  corporal. 

A  platoon  is  36  to  50  men  under  a  lieutenant  or  junior 
captain. 

A  troop  is  3  to  4  platoons  under  a  senior  captain,  or  a  major. 

A  regiment  is  4  to  6  squadrons  under  a  colonel. 

A  brigade  is  3  regiments  under  a  brigadier-general. 

A  division  is  2  or  3  brigades  under  a  major-general. 

ARTILLERY 

A  battery  is  130  to  180  men,  with  4  to  6  guns  (8  in  the  Rus- 
sian army),  under  a  captain. 

A  group  or  battalion  is  3  to  4  batteries  under  a  major. 
A  regiment  is  3  to  4  groups  (battalions)  under  a  colonel. 

ARTILLERY  USED  IN  THE  WAR 

The  awful  destruction  wrought  by  modern  artillery  has 
been  one  of  the  features  of  the  war ;  in  fact,  it  may  almost  be 


ARMED  FORCES  INVOLVED  51 

said  to  have  been  a  war  of  artillery.  Hence,  a  brief  description 
of  some  of  the  guns  used  is  given  below. 

Howitzers  of  calibers  larger  than  4.7  inches  and  mortars 
are  limited  to  siege  purposes  only,  as  their  weight  renders  them 
impractical  for  field  uses.  Being  of  large  caliber,  they  fire  a 
heavier  projectile  at  a  low  muzzle  velocity  and  at  a  great  angle 
of  elevation,  which  enables  them  to  drop  the  shell  behind 
breastworks  or  parapets  of  open  gun  emplacements  of  modern 
forts  on  a  line  of  arc  more  nearly  perpendicular  than  would 
be  possible  by  guns  of  high  muzzle  velocity.  The  trajectory  of 
the  latter  is  too  flat  for  any  given  effective  range  to  attain  the 
above  results,  the  projectile  striking  the  parapet  or  passing 
clear  over  it. 

However,  in  fortifications  of  the  first  class,  such  as  encircle 
Paris,  heavy  naval  batteries  are  mounted,  with  an  effective 
range  of  over  twelve  miles,  and  the  city  must  be  invested  first 
before  such  cumbersome  guns  as  mortars  can  be  brought  up 
and  placed  in  position.  As  their  range  is  less  than  that  of  the 
naval  guns,  it  is  quite  evident  that  their  mounting  within  the 
range  of  fire  from  the  forts  is  a  most  critical,  if  not  impossible, 
task,  especially  so  when  special  roads  have  to  be  provided  for 
their  transportation  across  the  terrain  to  the  emplacements, 
which,  in  turn,  require  special  concrete  or  other  equally  suit- 
able foundations,  with  casemates,  etc.,  before  the  piece  can  be 
put  into  action. 

LIEGE  NOT  A  CRITERION 

Experiences  with  fortresses  of  the  second  class,  like  Liege 
and  Namur,  cannot  be  considered  satisfactory  evidence  as  to 
the  importance  or  destructive  efficiency  of  the  new  weapons. 
Liege  held  out  longer  than  the  most  skeptical  critics  expected 
it  would,  while  at  Namur  the  Germans  succeeded  only  in  en- 
trenching them  within  effective  range,  under  cover  of  a  dense 
fog. 

At  Antwerp,  however,  they  were  proved  efficient  against 
British  naval  guns,  brought  from  the  Woolwich  arsenal  to  take 
the  place  of  Krupp  pieces,  contracted  for  with  this  firm  and 
whose  reasons  for  defaulting  on  their  contract  are  too  obvious 
by  now  to  call  for  further  comments.    The  efficiency  of  such  a 


52  ARMED  FORCES  INVOLVED 

mortar  consists  mainly  of  delivering  a  heavy  charge  of  ex- 
plosive on  a  certain  target,  at  a  medium  range,  and  here  is 
where  the  rub  is,  just  as  in  the  case  of  the  American  dynamite 
cruiser  Vesuvius,  which  was  a  complete  failure,  because  it  could 
not  penetrate  the  range  of  high  power  naval  guns  to  plant  its 
charge.  It  is  also  quite  evident  by  now  that  the  issue  of  this 
war  is  being  decided  in  the  open  field  and  not  behind  French 
fortified  cities,  consequently  the  Krupp  mortar  may  be  min- 
imized by  every  one  but  the  Germans  before  the  end  of  this 
conflict. 

FRENCH  HAVE  ADVANTAGE 

In  the  field  artillery  the  French  have  a  most  decided  ad- 
vantage over  the  Germans,  in  a  heavier  projectile,  a  higher 
velocity  and,  consequently,  a  greater  range.  The  rate  of  fire 
a  minute  is  almost  double  that  of  the  German  gun.  But  the 
most  important  advantage  on  the  French  side  is  the  ' '  mechani- 
cal" timing  of  the  bursting  of  the  projectile  instead  of  the 
fuse  timing,  as  used  in  every  other  army.  This  has  been  a  pro- 
found secret  until  this  war  began,  and  the  terrible  destructive- 
ness  of  the  piece  is  principally  due  to  this  never  erring  in- 
genious device. 

As  in  rifle  fire,  where  only  the  hits  count,  so  in  artillery  fire 
it  is  the  bursts  of  the  projectiles  at  the  exact  range  that  count. 
With  the  fuse  timer  a  variation  of  fifty  yards  is  pretty  close 
fire,  and  seldom  attained,  while  with  the  mechanical  timer  a 
maximum  variation  of  less  than  two  yards  was  obtained  in 
500  rounds  of  fire,  with  ranges  from  3,000  to  5,000  yards — 
while  the  vertical  variations  were  less  than  12  inches  in  the 
same  number  of  rounds,  without  requiring  any  corrections  in 
the  laying  (pointing)  of  the  piece.  The  greatest  execution  is 
obtained  by  accurately  timing  the  burst  of  projectiles  "on 
graze, ' '  just  passing  over  the  skirmishers '  cover  or  trenches, 
and,  as  an  exploding  projectile  scatters  260  lead  balls  or  shrap- 
nel, each  of  which  is  effective  enough  to  kill  a  man  if  it  hits 
him,  a  fair  idea  can  be  had  as  to  the  destructiveness  of  these 
weapons.  The  bursting  charge  is  called  melinite,  an  explosive 
composition  wiiose  intensity  of  force  is  surpassed  only  by  that 
of  nitroglycerin. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR 

Rulers  and  Heirs  Apparent  of  Countries  Engaged — Areas 
and  Populations — Their  Exports  and  Imports,  Prin- 
cipal Cities,  Etc. — Europe's  Map  Often  Changed — The 
Franco-Prussian  War  of  1870-71 — Japan  Enters  the 
War. 


R 


ULERS  of  the  principal  countries  engaged  in  the  great 
war  of  1914,  with  the  latest  statistics  of  their  area,  pop- 
ulation, exports  and  imports,  are  as  follows : 


GREAT   BRITAIN 


Government — King,  George  V.;  heir-apparent,  Edward 
Albert,  prince  of  Wales. 

Prime  Minister  and  First  Lord  of  the  Treasury — H.  H. 
Asquith. 

Secretary  of  War — Earl  Kitchener. 

The  British  parliament,  in  which  the  highest  legislative 
authority  is  vested,  consists  of  the  house  of  lords  and  the 
house  of  commons.  The  former  in  1913  had  636  members 
and  the  latter  670.  The  sessions  usually  last  from  Febru- 
ary to  August. 

Area  and  Population — The  total  area  of  England,  Scot- 
land, Ireland,  Wales,  the  Isle  of  Man  and  the  Channel  Islands 
is  121,391  square  miles ;  the  total  for  the  British  Empire  is  11,- 
498,825  square  miles.  The  total  population  of  the  empire  in 
1911  was  421,178,965.  The  population  of  the  United  Kingdom 
April  3,  1911,  when  the  last  census  was  taken,  was :  England, 
34,045,290;  Wales,  2,025,202;  Scotland,  4,759,445;  Ireland, 
4,390,219 ;  Isle  of  Man,  52,034 ;  Channel  Islands,  96,900.  Total, 
45,369,090. 

The  population  of  the  inner  or  registration  district  of  the 
city  of  London  was  4,522,961  in  1911.    Including  the  outer  belt 

53 


54  THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR 

of  suburban  towns,  which  are  within  the  metropolitan  police 
district,  the  population  of  "Greater  London"  April  3,  1911, 
was  7,251,358. 

Exports  and  Imports — The  total  exports  of  the  British 
Empire  in  1912  were  $5,745,542,500 ;  of  the  United  Kingdom, 
$2,996,339,000;  total  imports  of  the  empire,  $6,528,065,000;  of 
the  United  Kingdom,  $3,724,482,000. 

The  total  exports  of  the  United  Kingdom  to  the  United 
States  in  1913  were  $295,564,940;  imports,  $597,150,307. 

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 

Government. — Emperor  of  Austria  and  king  of  Hungary, 
Francis  Joseph  I;  heir  apparent,  Archduke  Charles  Francis 
Joseph. 

The  empire  of  Austria  and  the  kingdom  of  Hungary  are 
sovereign  states,  each  with  its  own  constitution,  legislative 
bodies  and  systems  of  administration,  co-ordinate  in  rank 
and  mutually  independent  within  the  domain  of  home  affairs. 
Foreign  representation  (embassies  and  consulates),  the  army 
and  navy,  customs  (import  and  export  duties),  and  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  annexed  provinces  (Bosnia  and  Herze- 
govina) are,  however,  conducted  in  common.  Legislation  on 
matters  affecting  the  interests  of  the  dual  monarchy  as  a 
whole  is  intrusted  to  the  delegations — two  bodies  of  sixty 
members  each,  chosen  from  among  members  of  the  two  legis- 
lative chambers  of  Austria  and  Hungary  respectively. 

Area  and  Population. — Area  of  Austria,  115,903  square 
miles ;  of  Hungary,  125,395  square  miles.  The  population  of 
Austria  in  1910  was  28,324,940.  The  population  of  Hungary 
in  1910  was  20,886,787.  Total  population  for  both  countries 
in  1910  was  49,211,727. 

Imports  and  Exports. — The  value  of  the  imports  into  the 
Austro-Hungarian  customs  territory  in  1912  was  $722,030,000 ; 
exports,  $554,973,000.  Chief  imports  are  cotton,  coal,  wool, 
maize,  tobacco,  coffee  and  wines;  principal  exports,  lumber 
and  wool  manufactures,  sugar,  eggs,  barley,  lignite,  malt, 
leather,  gloves  and  shoes.  Imports  from  the  United  States 
in  1913,  $23,320,690;  exports  to  United  States,  $19,192,414. 


THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR  55 

GERMANY 

Government. — Emperor  and  king  of  Prussia,  Wilhelm 
II.;  heir-apparent,  Prince  Friedrich  Wilhelm.  Cabinet  offi- 
cers: 

Imperial  Chancellor. — Dr.  Theobald  von  Bethmann- 
Hollweg. 

Foreign  Affairs. — Herr  Gottlieb  von  Jagow. 

The  Prussian  minister  of  war,  Gen.  Josias  0.  0.  von 
Heeringen,  while  nominally  having  jurisdiction  over  Prus- 
sian army  affairs  only,  represents  the  imperial  government 
in  the  reichstag  in  military  matters  and  is,  for  all  practical 
purposes,  German  secretary  for  war.  Of  the  various  inde- 
pendent states  of  Germany  only  the  kingdoms  of  Prussia, 
Saxony,  Bavaria  and  Wurttemberg  have  their  own  ministers 
of  war. 

Legislative  authority  is  vested  in  a  bundesrath,  or  senate, 
of  61  members,  and  a  reichstag,  or  house,  of  397  members. 
The  latter  are  elected  for  five  year  terms  on  a  popular  fran- 
chise and  the  senators  are  appointed  from  the  state  govern- 
ments for  each  session. 

Area  and  Population. — The  area  of  the  states  in  the 
empire  is  208,780  square  miles;  area  of  dependencies  about 
1,027,820  square  miles;  grand  total,  1,236,600  square  miles. 

The  last  federal  census  was  taken  Dec.  1,  1910.  Accord- 
ing to  this  the  population  of  the  empire  was  64,925,993.  The 
estimated  population  of  the  foreign  dependencies  is  13,946,200. 

Exports  and  Imports. — Total  exports  (1912),  $2,115,- 
482,000;  total  imports,  $2,449,517,000. 

During  the  fiscal  year  ended  June  30,  1913,  Germany  ex- 
ported $188,963,071  worth  of  merchandise  to  the  United 
States  and  imported  merchandise  valued  at  $331,684,212. 

RUSSIA 

Government — Czar,  Nicholas  II.;  heir-apparent,  Grand 
Duke  Alexis. 

Premier  and  Minister  of  Finance — F.  Kokovtseff. 
Foreign  Affairs — M.  Sazonoff. 


56  THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR 

Legislative  authority  is  vested  in  the  czar,  duma  and  coun- 
cil of  the  empire. 

Area  and  Population — Area,  8,764,586  square  miles. 
Total  population  in  1911,  167,003,400. 

Imports  and  Exports — The  total  value  of  the  imports  in 
1911  was  $598,266,000;  of  the  exports,  $819,577,000.  The  ex- 
ports to  the  United  States  in  1913  amounted  in  value  to  $26,- 
958,690;  imports  from  the  United  States,  $25,363,795.  The 
chief  exports  are  foodstuffs,  timber,  oil,  furs  and  flax;  im- 
ports, raw  cotton,  wool,  metals,  leather,  hides,  skins  and 
machinery. 

SERVEA 

Government — King,  Peter  I.  (Karageorgevitch) ;  heir- 
apparent,  Prince  Alexander  (second  son).  Legislative  au- 
thority is  vested  in  a  single  chamber,  called  ' '  skupshtina, ' '  of 
3  60  elected  members. 

Area  and  Population — Area,  about  37,600  square  miles. 
Population  in  1910,  2,911,701 ;  now  about  4,550,000.  The  cap- 
ital, Belgrade,  has  90,890  inhabitants. 

Exports  and  Imports — Total  value  of  exports  in  1911, 
$22,565,000;  imports,  $22,277,000.  Exports  to  the  United 
States  in  1913,  $694,393;  imports,  $7,616.  The  exports  are 
mainly  agricultural  products  and  animals  and  the  imports 
cotton  and  woolen  goods  and  metals. 

BELGIUM 

Government. — King,  Albert  I. 

The  legislative  power  is  vested  in  the  king,  senate  and 
chamber  of  representatives.  The  senate  has  120  members 
and  the  chamber  186,  or  one  for  every  40,000  inhabitants. 

Area  and  Population. — Total  area,  11,373  square  miles. 
Total  population,  1910,  7,423,784;  estimated  population,  1911, 
7,490,411.  Population  of  the  largest  cities  December  31, 
1911: 

Antwerp 308,618        Liege 167,676 

Brussels  (capital) .  646,400        Ghent 166,719 


THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR  57 

Imports  and  Exports. — The  imports  in  1912  amounted  to 
$899,722,000  and  the  exports  to  $753,001,000.  The  trade  with 
the  United  States  in  1913  was :  Imports,  $66,845,462 ;  exports, 
$41,941,014.  Chief  imports  are  cereals,  textiles  and  metal 
goods ;  chief  exports,  cereals,  raw  textiles,  tissues,  iron,  glass, 
hides,  chemicals  and  machinery. 

FRANCE 

Government. — President,  Raymond  Poincare;  term  ex- 
pires 1920. 

Legislative  authority  is  vested  in  the  chamber  of  deputies 
and  the  senate.  The  former  has  597  members,  each  of  whom 
is  elected  for  four  years.  The  senate  has  300  members  elected 
for  nine  years.    The  presidential  term  is  seven  years. 

Area  and  Population. — France  has  a  total  area  of  207,054 
square  miles.  The  area  of  the  French  colonies  and  depend- 
encies throughout  the  world  is  4,367,746  square  miles.  Total 
population   (1911)   of  France  proper,  39,601,509. 

Imports  and  Exports. — The  total  imports  in  1912  amount- 
ed to  $1,534,515,000;  exports,  $1,280,816,000.  Exports  to  the 
United  States  in  1913,  $136,877,990;  imports  from,  $146,100,- 
201.  The  chief  exports  are  textiles,  wine,  raw  silk,  wool, 
small  wares  and  leather;  imports,  wine,  raw  wool,  raw  silk, 
timber  and  wood,  leather,  skins  and  linen. 


Europe's  map  often  changed 


Whatever  the  final  outcome  of  the  war  of  1914,  it  is  more 
than  probable  that  the  map  of  Europe  will  once  more  be 
changed.  From  the  earliest  days  the  story  of  the  nations 
at  war  is  one  of  never-ending  shifting  of  dominion.  The 
boundary  lines  of  European  countries  have  been  like  the  desert 
sands. 

The  greatest  of  military  authorities  has  made  an  analysis 
of  the  history  of  mankind,  showing  that  in  3,357  years — from 
1496  B.  C.  to  1861  A.  D. — there  were  227  years  of  peace  and 
3,130  years  of  war,  or  more  than  a  dozen  years  of  war  for 
every  one  which  was  without  strife.  The  peace  of  Europe  has 
always  been  a  myth. 


58  THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR 

In  the  last  250  years,  which  is  historically  a  comparatively 
short  time,  one  great  nation,  Poland,  has  been  lost;  two  others, 
Germany  and  Italy,  have  come  to  their  present  national  unity, 
and  numerous  other  lesser  States — Holland,  Belgium,  Switzer- 
land, Portugal  and  the  Slav  and  Latin  States  of  the  Balkan 
peninsula — have  been  battlegrounds,  losing  and  gaining  their 
independence  as  if  with  the  throw  of  the  dice. 

In  point  of  numbers  involved,  no  other  war  can  be  com- 
pared to  the  present  terrible  conflict  enshrouding  the  greater 
part  of  Europe,  but  in  one  year  1,300,000  men  were  called  out 
and  most  of  them  perished,  in  the  campaign  of  1814.  Between 
1804  and  1815  Napoleon  sent  to  their  death  more  than  1,700,000 
Frenchmen,  to  whom  must  be  added  probably  2,000,000  men 
born  outside  of  France.  Napoleon  changed  more  boundary 
lines  than  any  other  man. 

THE   THIRTY  YEARS '  WAR 

Europe  was  devastated  by  the  Thirty  Years'  War  of  Ger- 
many, the  last  great  combat  between  Catholicism  and  Protes- 
tantism early  in  the  seventeenth  century.  Germany,  a  federa- 
tion of  States,  was  then  called  the  Holy  Roman  Empire.  The 
House  of  Hapsburg  ruled  the  empire.  Richelieu,  the  great 
French  statesman,  who  had  no  religious  prejudices  and  desired 
to  crush  the  Hapsburgs,  aided  the  Protestants.  The  war  swept 
over  Germany,  Sweden,  France  and  the  Netherlands.  When 
it  ended  Switzerland  and  the  United  Netherlands  were  freed 
from  German  dominion,  and  the  States  of  what  is  now  Ger- 
many were  conceded  to  be  separate  from  the  Hapsburg  rule 
and  to  be  autonomous,  or  having  the  right  of  self-government. 
France  penetrated  to  the  east  by  the  cession  of  the  bishoprics 
of  Metz,  Toul  and  Verdun.  Alsace  went  from  Austrian  hands 
to  France.  Sweden,  great  on  the  sea,  received  enough  territory 
in  North  Germany  to  command  the  mouths  of  the  three  German 
rivers,  the  Oder,  Elbe  and  Weser. 

The  largest  territory  received  by  any  of  the  German  States 
was  by  Brandenburg,  which  later  became  Prussia  and  finally 
Germany.  In  1701  the  Elector  Frederick  of  Brandenburg  took 
the  title  of  King  of  Prussia,  and  Prussia  came  to  be  the  ex- 
ponent of  German  nationalism  and  enmity  to  Hapsburg  domi- 


©  International  News  Service. 

1.  Civic  Guards  Defending  a  Barricade  in  Suburbs  of  Brussels. 

2.  Belgian  Soldiers  Digging  Trenches  to  Bury  the  Dead  in  a  Harvest  Field. 


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1.  French  Air  Scout  Directing  Movements  of  Field  Artillery. 

2.  French  Riflemen  Ambushed  to  Fire  on  German  Aeroplane. 


THE  XATIOXS  AT  WAR  59 

nation.  Frederick  the  Great,  ancestor  of  the  present  Kaiser, 
Wilhelm  II,  reigned  in  Prussia  from  1740  to  17S6  and  found 
his  opportunity  to  lead  his  nation  to  greater  power  in  the  War 
of  the  Austrian  Succession. 

The  ''Succession  Wars"  were  five  in  number.  The  result 
of  the  first  one — of  the  Spanish  Succession — early  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  was  to  give  Austria  the  Spanish  Nether- 
lands, and  the  duchies  of  Milan,  Naples  and  Sardinia.  Savoy, 
a  leader  in  Italian  affairs,  exchanged  Sardinia  for  Sicily.  Eng- 
land gained  Gibraltar  and  Arcadia  in  America  from  the 
French.  The  War  of  the  Polish  Succession,  ending  in  1738, 
brought  France  to  guarantee  it  would  not  interfere  with  the 
ascendancy  of  Maria  Theresa  to  the  throne  of  Austria. 

FBEDEPJCK  MADE  A  SEW  MAP 

It  was  at  this  point  that  Frederick  the  Great  interfered. 
He  reasserted  an  old  claim  to  Austria's  throne  and  invaded 
Silesia,  adding  it  to  Prussia's  territory. 

The  growth  of  Russia  is  closely  related  to  the  history  of 
Sweden,  even  as  it  is  now  through  Russia's  suzerainty  over 
Finland.  Sweden  had  come  into  power  when  Charles  XII 
crushed  a  coalition  of  Denmark,  Poland  and  Russia.  In  1709 
he  invaded  Russia  and  was  defeated.  Peter  the  Great  then 
seized  Sweden  east  of  the  Baltic  and  built  St.  Petersburg. 

The  history  of  Poland  is  one  of  gradual  decline  in  power 
from  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  due  in  large  part 
to  the  loose  system  of  government  and  weak  rulers.  In  1772 
Prussia,  Austria  and  Russia  got  parts  of  Poland.  Kosciuszko 
drove  the  Russians  from  Warsaw,  but  internal  dissension 
ruined  the  Polish  cause,  and  the  final  partition  came  in  1795. 

The  wars  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  from  the  first  brilliant 
Italian  campaign  to  their  end  at  Waterloo,  are  records  of  ter- 
ritorial aggrandizement  for  France  and  the  house  of  Bona- 
parte. In  the  first  campaign  Italy  became  the  Cisalpine  Re- 
public, and  Genoa  the  Ligurian  Republic.  This  was  in  the  time 
of  Napoleon's  democratic  sympathies.  Austria  was  forced  to 
give  up  the  lower  Netherlands — Belgium  and  Lombardy. 

Napoleon  became  First  Consul  of  France  in  1799.  Pied- 
mont and  Parma  were  annexed  in  1802.    When  his  ideas  of 


60  THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR 

democracy  grew  dim  and  he  became  Emperor  in  1804  he  made 
himself  King  of  Italy  and  annexed  his  Ligurian  Republic. 

THE  EFFECT  OF  AUSTEKLITZ 

The  next  campaign  was  against  the  Russian,  Austrian  and 
English  coalition.  Vienna  was  occupied  and  the  battle  of 
Austerlitz  again  made  a  new  map  necessary.  Francis  I  of 
Austria  ceded  Tyrol  and  Venetia.  His  successor  gave  up  the 
title  of  Emperor  and  the  Holy  Roman  Empire  dissolved  into 
history. 

In  1806  Napoleon  formed  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine, 
made  his  brothers,  Joseph,  King  of  Naples,  and  Louis,  King 
of  Holland.  Prussia  entered  the  war  and  Napoleon  entered 
Berlin.  He  made  a  treaty  with  Russia  to  crush  England. 
Portugal,  an  English  ally,  was  dismembered.  Spain  was  con- 
quered and  Joseph  Bonaparte  became  its  King.  The  Swedish 
revolution  in  1809  brought  Marshal  Bernadotte,  a  brother-in- 
law  of  Joseph,  to  the  Swedish  throne.  Jerome  Bonaparte  got 
the  Kingdom  of  Westphalia.  Tuscany  was  annexed  in  1807, 
the  Papal  States  in  1809  and  Holland  and  part  of  the  German 
coast  in  1810.    Austria  gave  up  its  Illyrian  provinces. 

The  tide  turned  with  the  Russian  invasion,  after  Russia 
went  over  to  England  in  1812.  In  swift  succession  came  the 
terrible  reverses  of  the  Franco-Russian  campaign,  the  defen- 
sive campaign  of  1814,  the  abdication,  the  One  Hundred  Days 
and  Waterloo.  The  Congress  of  Vienna  rearranged  the  map 
of  Europe  and  France  went  back  to  its  place  west  of  the  Rhine. 
Belgium  was  annexed  by  Holland,  and  was  freed  only  when 
the  Catholics  of  Belgium  revolted  against  Protestant  Holland 
in  1830. 

The  Congress  of  Vienna  also  prepared  the  way  for  Italian 
unity.  Seven  principal  States  were  mapped  out  and  only  two 
left  under  foreign  rule,  French  Corsica  and  Austrian  Lom- 
bardy  and  Venetia.  Unification  came  under  Victor  Em- 
manuel II. 

The  loosening  of  Turkish  rule  in  Eastern  Europe  came  in 
1829,  when  Greece  won  its  independence,  aided  by  Russia. 
Bulgaria,  Herzegovina,  now  one  of  Austria's  troublesome 
Slavic  States,  Servia  and  Montenegro  became  independent  in 


THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR  61 

1875.    Roumania  was  freed  two  years  later.    In  the  treaty  of 
Berlin,  1879,  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  went  to  Austria. 


THE   FRANCO-PRUSSIAN   WAR   OF   1870-71 

The  war  of  France  with  Prussia  in  1870-71,  in  which  the 
latter  was  joined  by  the  South  German  States,  contrary  to 
the  expectation  of  France,  was  due  largely  to  the  action  of  the 
great  Prussian  statesman,  Bismarck.  It  resulted  in  the  com- 
plete defeat  and  downfall  of  Napoleon  III,  the  establishment 
of  the  French  Republic,  and  the  unification  of  the  German 
States  under  Wilhelm  I,  King  of  Prussia.  The  immediate 
cause  of  France 's  declaration  of  war,  July  12,  1870,  was  the 
attempt  of  Bismarck  to  place  Prince  Leopold  of  Hohenzollern 
on  the  throne  of  Spain,  in  succession  to  Queen  Isabella,  who 
had  been  driven  from  the  throne. 

Paris  clamored  for  war  and  the  streets  of  the  French  capi- 
tal resounded  with  cries  of ' '  On  to  Berlin ! ' '  But  a  rude  awak- 
ening was  in  store  for  the  French.  As  the  French  army  moved 
toward  the  Rhine,  the  old  feeling  of  a  unified  Germany  took 
firm  hold  in  every  German  State  and  a  solid  front  was  pre- 
sented to  the  common  enemy's  advance. 

The  German  army,  under  the  military  genius,  Von  Moltke, 
was  mobilized  and  on  the  border  in  a  miraculously  short  time. 
The  world  was  amazed  at  the  rapidity  displayed.  England 
declared  its  neutrality,  and  Russia,  Prussia's  friend,  then 
threatened  Austria  with  invasion  if  that  country  offered 
France  aid. 

Meanwhile  in  Paris  even  the  Emperor  became  aware  that 
no  nation  so  unprepared  as  his  could  ever  hope  to  win  against 
one  already  mobilized  and  on  the  frontier.  There  was  not  an 
arm  of  the  French  service  fit  for  war  at  that  time.  Arms, 
ammunition,  clothing,  food,  transportation,  horses,  medicine, 
all  were  inadequate  or  lacking.  The  ministry  had  grossly  de- 
ceived the  Emperor  and  involved  the  nation  in  a  struggle,  the 
end  of  which  easily  could  be  foreseen. 

Alsace  and  Lorraine  were  invaded  by  the  Germans,  who  de- 
feated MacMahon  August  6  at  Worth  and  sent  his  army  in 
flight  toward  Paris.    After  one  or  two  small  reverses  at  the 


62  THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR 

beginning  of  the  war,  the  success  of  the  Germans  was  almost 
continuous.  While  MacMahon  was  retreating,  another  French 
army  was  beaten  and  pushed  toward  Metz,  which  was  strongly 
fortified  and  under  command  of  Bazaine.  Metz  was  cut  oft 
and  besieged.  MacMahon  was  ordered  back  to  relieve  Bazaine, 
but  he  was  met  at  Sedan  September  2,  and  after  a  heavy  battle 
was  compelled  to  surrender.  With  him  was  the  Emperor, 
Napoleon  III.    Nearly  half  the  French  army  was  killed. 

THE  SIEGE  OF  PAKIS 

When  Paris  learned  the  stunning  news  the  empire  came  to 
an  end.  A  Republic  was  declared  and  preparations  made  to 
defend  the  city.  The  French  spirit  now  was  aroused,  and  in 
spite  of  the  humiliation  of  successive  defeats  in  the  past  two 
months,  it  continued  with  a  much  smaller  force  to  resist  the 
German  advance  on  Paris.  The  capital  was  invested  by  the 
German  army  September  19,  1870,  and  until  the  last  of  Jan- 
uary the  garrison  made  a  heroic  defense. 

The  seat  of  government  had  been  transferred  to  Tours  and 
Bordeaux,  and  the  depleted  nation  raised  armies  in  the  prov- 
inces and  continued  resistance  to  the  invaders.  After  holding 
out  to  the  end  of  October,  Metz  surrendered,  and  by  this  and 
the  fall  of  Strasburg,  almost  200,000  Frenchmen  became  pris- 
oners of  war.  These  events  sealed  the  fate  of  the  capital,  and 
it  settled  down  to  resist  so  long  as  its  supplies  lasted.  At  the 
point  of  starvation  it  gave  up  January  28,  1871.  Peace  was 
concluded  at  Versailles,  and  the  vanquished  nation  promised 
to  pay  Germany  $1,000,000,000  in  three  years,  support  the 
German  army  until  it  was  withdrawn,  and  give  up  Alsace  and 
a  part  of  Lorraine. 

Another  humiliation  imposed  by  Bismarck  upon  the  beaten 
country  was  his  choice  of  Versailles  as  the  place  at  which  to 
seal  German  unity  by  the  coronation  of  William  I  as  Emperor. 
The  South  German  States  were  taken  into  the  confederation 
and  the  German  Empire  was  established.  This  took  place 
January  18, 1871. 

GERMANS  ENTER  PARIS 

On  March  1, 1871,  the  Germans  entered  Paris  through  the 
Arc  de  Triomphe— the  triumphal  arch  Napoleon  had  erected 


THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR  63 

in  honor  of  France's  conquests  in  Prussia  and  elsewhere.  As 
the  victorious  Germans  rode  into  the  city  a  swarm  of  Paris 
street  boys  ran  on  every  side  of  them,  burning  disinfectants 
in  shovels,  as  though  protecting  the  Parisians  against  some 
loathsome  disease — an  amazing  insult  that  was  not  lost  on  the 
conquerors. 

The  war  that  had  crushed  France  and  that  had  paid  the  last 
fearful  price  of  Napoleonism  had  also  welded  the  many  sepa- 
rate German  States  into  one  mighty  empire,  with  the  Prussian 
monarch  at  its  head. 

King  William  of  Prussia,  first  Emperor  of  Germany,  was 
the  grandfather  of  the  present  Kaiser. 

France  was  beaten.  The  old  motto :  ' '  Vae  Victis ! ' '  ("  Woe 
to  the  Conquered")  still  holds  good  in  European  wars.  And 
France  was  forced  to  settle.  The  patriotic  French  people 
eagerly  subscribed  to  the  war  debt  of  a  billion  dollars  and 
worked  like  mad  to  pay  it  off.  But  France  paid  heartbrokenly, 
and  has  ever  since  yearned  and  prayed  for  the  hour  of  revenge. 

Roughly  speaking,  the  losses  on  both  sides  (in  human  life) 
were: 

Germans,  28,000  killed,  101,000  wounded  and  disabled. 
French,  156,000  killed,  143,000  wounded  and  disabled,  720,000 
surrendered. 

ALSACE-LORRAINE  A  RICH  PRIZE 

German  unity  changed  the  map  of  Europe  but  very  little. 
However,  in  that  slight  cession  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine  to 
Germany  after  the  war,  were  sown  the  seeds  of  hatred  between 
the  French  and  the  Germans. 

That  corner  of  Europe  known  as  Alsace-Lorraine  covers 
about  5,000  square  miles  to  the  west  of  the  River  Rhine  and 
has  been  one  of  the  richest  portions  of  the  German  Empire. 
It  has  2,000,000  people,  the  population  of  Strasburg,  the 
capital,  being  160,000.  Alsace-Lorraine  is  rich  in  coal  and  its 
cities  are  the  seats  of  manufacturing  industries.  Muelhausen, 
the  scene  of  recent  battles,  is  the  seat  of  cotton  weaving. 
Alsace,  rich  and  fertile,  produces  more  wines  than  the  rest 
of  Germany.    Wheat,  rye  and  barley  are  large  products. 

Many  of  the  people  of  Alsace-Lorraine  removed  to  France 


64  THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR 

to  escape  the  policy  of  Germany,  which  was  to  Teutonize  it 
by  enforced  use  of  the  German  language.  For  the  most  part 
the  military  party  enforced  its  policy  of  a  rule  by  force  and 
this  kept  alive  rather  than  crushed  the  love  for  France. 

The  country  is  highly  developed,  is  covered  with  a  network 
of  railroads,  and,  in  addition,  there  is  a  system  of  canals  which 
provides  cheap  transportation. 


JAPAN   ENTEES   THE   WAR 

It  became  evident  very  early  in  the  war  that  active  steps 
would  be  taken  by  Japan  to  support  the  interests  of  its 
ally,  England,  in  the  Far  East.  On  Saturday,  August 
15,  an  ultimatum  was  sent  by  Japan  to  Germany  demanding 
the  withdrawal  of  German  warships  from  the  Orient  and  the 
evacuation  of  Kiaochow,  and  giving  Germany  until  Sunday, 
August  23,  to  comply  with  the  demand.  Otherwise,  the  ulti- 
matum declared,  Japan  would  take  action.  The  text  of  the 
ultimatum  follows : 

"We  consider  it  highly  important  and  necessary  in  the 
present  situation  to  take  measures  to  remove  the  causes  of 
all  disturbances  of  the  peace  in  the  far  east,  and  to  safeguard 
the  general  interests  as  contemplated  by  the  agreement  of 
alliance  between  Japan  and  Great  Britain. 

DEMANDS   WARSHIPS  WITHDRAW 

' '  In  order  to  secure  a  firm  and  enduring  peace  in  eastern 
Asia,  the  establishment  of  which  is  the  aim  of  the  said  agree- 
ment, the  imperial  Japanese  government  sincerely  believes 
it  to  be  its  duty  to  give  the  advice  to  the  imperial  German 
government  to  carry  out  the  following  two  propositions : 

"First.  To  withdraw  immediately  from  Japanese  and 
Chinese  waters  German  men-of-war  and  armed  vessels  of  all 
kinds  and  to  disarm  at  once  those  which  cannot  be  so  with- 
drawn. 

' '  Second.  To  deliver  on  a  date  not  later  than  September 
15  to  the  imperial  Japanese  authorities  without  condition  or 
compensation  the  entire  leased  territory  of  Kiaochow  with  a 
view  to  the  eventual  restoration  of  the  same  to  China. 


THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR  65 

"The  imperial  Japanese  government  announces  at  the 
same  time  that  in  the  event  of  it  not  receiving  by  noon  on 
August  23,  1914,  an  answer  from  the  imperial  German  gov- 
ernment signifying  its  unconditional  acceptance  of  the  above 
advice  offered  by  the  imperial  Japanese  government,  Japan 
will  be  compelled  to  take  such  action  as  she  may  deem  neces- 
sary to  meet  the  situation. ' ' 

There  being  no  answer  from  Germany  when  the  time  set 
by  the  ultimatum  expired,  Japan  declared  war  and  proceeded 
to  send  an  expedition  to  operate  against  Kiaochow. 

HOW  GERMANY  GOT  KIAOCHOW 

Germany's  acquisition  of  Kiaochow,  the  evacuation  of 
which  Japan  demanded,  followed  closely  upon  the  acquisi- 
tion of  areas  of  interest  and  spheres  of  influence  in  China  to 
foreign  powers.  Until  1895  no  foreign  power  aside  from  the 
Portuguese  and  English  had  been  allowed  to  hold  possessions 
on  or  near  the  coast  of  China.  Japan  acquired  Formosa  by 
treaty  in  that  year.  Russia  secured  a  concession  for  the 
Manchurian  railway  and  France  obtained  a  rectification  of 
the  frontier  at  Tongking. 

Germany's  seizure  of  Kiaochow  in  retaliation  for  the  mur- 
der of  German  missionaries  by  Chinese  followed  in  Novem- 
ber, 1897,  and  in  March  the  port  with  adjacent  territory  was 
leased  by  China  to  Germany  for  ninety-nine  years.  The 
district  was  declared  a  protectorate  of  the  Germans  to  expire 
on  April  27,  1898,  and  its  administration  was  intrusted  to  the 
navy  department  with  a  naval  officer  as  governor. 

RUSSIA  LEASES  PORT  ARTHUR 

In  November,  1897,  Russia  obtained  a  twenty-five  year 
lease  of  Port  Arthur  and  Talienwan  with  800  square  miles 
of  territory,  and  secured  a  naval  base  and  an  ice  free  port. 
In  the  following  May  further  concessions  gave  Russia  virtual 
control  of  Manchuria  and  a  little  later  Russian  influence  was 
extended  into  Mongolia. 

The  Russo-Japanese  war,  however,  limited  Russia's  ac- 
tivities there  and  resulted  in  Japan's  acquisition  of  Port 
Arthur.     To  preserve  the  balance  of  power  Great  Britain 


66 


THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR 


April  2,  1898,  leased  Weihaiwei  on  the  same  terms  as  those 
in  the  Russian  lease  of  Port  Arthur. 


ENGLISH  INFLUENCE  FELT 


In  February,  1898,  Great  Britain  had  established  its  in- 
fluence without  claiming  exclusive  privileges  in  the  Yangtze 
valley.  These  concessions  were  followed  by  similar  privi- 
leges for  France,  which  on  April  3,  1898,  leased  the  port  of 


7? 


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ws> 


WHERE   JAPAN    ENTERED    THE    WAR 
The   circles  on  this   map  surround   Germany's   Pacific   possessions 

Kwangchauwan  on  the  southern  coast  for  ninety-nine  years. 
On  June  9,  following,  Great  Britain  leased  for  ninety-nine 
years  a  200  square  mile  extension  of  territory  on  the  main- 
land opposite  Hongkong  and  about  the  same  time  Japan 
secured  nonalienation  pledges  concerning  the  province  of 
Fukien.  Italy  demanded  a  lease  of  Sanmun  Bay,  but  did  not 
press  it  because  of  popular  opposition  as  expressed  at  home 
to  a  policy  of  expansion. 

LEADS  TO   "OPEN   DOOR"  DECLARATION 

All  these  territorial  negotiations  led  up  to  the  celebrated 
international  "open  door"  declaration.    While  England  had 


THE  NATIONS  AT  WAR 


67 


long  urged  the  policy  of  equality  of  opportunity  for  all  nations 
in  Chinese  trade  the  United  States  accomplished  the  first 
broad  recognition  of  that  principle. 

As  a  result  of  negotiations  by  John  Hay,  the  American 
secretary  of  state,  Great  Britain,  Germany,  France,  Italy, 
Russia  and  Japan  early  in  1900  agreed  in  guaranteeing  the 
treaty  rights  of  the  United  States  and  thus,  through  the  most 
favored  nation  clause,  the  treaty  rights  of  other  nations  in 
China  should  remain  unimpaired  in  the  territory  except  mili- 
tary or  naval  stations  acquired  or  leased  by  each  power,  and 
that  goods  of  the  treaty  powers  should  continue  to  be  ad- 
mitted there  on  equal  terms  with  those  of  the  nation  newly  in 
possession. 

Great  Britain  and  Germany  supplemented  this  on  October 
16,  1900,  by  a  definite  agreement  between  them  to  uphold  the 
policy  of  an  open  door  in  China,  to  abstain  from  seizure  of 
territory  themselves  and  to  influence  other  governments,  as 
far  as  possible,  to  the  same  end. 

The  Anglo-Japanese  alliance  of  February,  1902,  for  the 
protection  of  their  respective  interests  in  China  and  Korea 
was  another  factor  of  great  importance.  The  immediate  ob- 
ject of  the  alliance  was  understood  to  be  the  limitation  of 
Russian  expansion  in  Korea  and  Manchuria. 

THE  AGE  OF  "EFFICIENCY. 


— Chicago  Daily  News 


M^WITMRLAND 


THE  FRANCO-GERMAN  BORDER 
At  the  north,  a  German  Army  from  Luxemburg  took  Longwy  after  a  long 
siege  and  advanced  toward  Paris  via  Verdun,  while  another  German  Army 
was  overrunning  Belgium.  Luneville,  further  south,  was  also  taken  by  a  Ger- 
man force  advancing  eastward  on  the  road  to  Paris.  At  the  extreme  south 
the  French  crossed  through  the  passes  of  the  Vosges  (the  mountain  range 
between  France  and  Alsace),  and  took  Mulhausen  and  Altkirch.  This  invasion, 
however,  was  checked  and  the  French  forces  were  compelled  to  retire. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 

Belgians  Rush  to  Defense  of  Their  Frontier — Towns  Bom- 
barded and  Burned — The  Defense  of  Liege — A  German 
Officer's  Experience  —  An  Englishman's  Story  —  The 
Terrible  Krupp  Siege  Guns — Destruction  of  Louvain — 
Fall  of  Namur — German  Proclamation  to  Inhabitants. 

AT  10  o'clock  on  the  night  of  August  2  German  troops 
crossed  the  Belgian  frontier,  coming  from  Aix-la- 
Chapelle,  or  Aachen,  temporary  headquarters  of  the  gen- 
eral staff,  and  the  bloody  invasion  of  Belgium,  involving  the 
violation  of  its  neutral  treaty  rights,  began.  Simultaneously 
the  German  forces  entered  the  independent  duchy  of  Luxem- 
burg to  the  south,  en  route  to  the  French  border,  and  also 
came  in  touch  with  French  outposts  in  the  provinces  of  Alsace 
and  Lorraine. 

The  events  that  followed  in  Belgium  furnished  a  genuine 
surprise  to  the  world.  Instead  of  finding  the  Belgian  people 
indifferent  to  the  violation  of  their  territory  and  the  Belgian 
army  only  a  slight  obstacle  in  the  road  to  Paris,  as  was  prob- 
ably expected  by  the  German  general  staff,  a  most  gallant  and 
determined  resistance  was  offered  to  the  progress  of  the  Ger- 
man hosts.  The  army  of  the  little  State  was  quickly  mobilized 
for  defense  and  its  operations,  while  ineffectual  in  stopping 
the  Kaiser's  irresistible  force,  delayed  its  advance  for  three 
invaluable  weeks,  giving  time  for  the  complete  mobilization  of 
the  French  and  for  the  landing  of  a  British  expeditionary  force 
to  co-operate  with  the  latter  in  resisting  the  German  approach 
to  Paris. 

Just  across  the  Belgian  border  lay  the  little  towns  of  Vise 
and  Verviers,  and  these  were  the  first  objects  of  German  at- 
tack and  Belgian  defense.  Both  were  occupied  after  desperate 
resistance  by  the  Belgians  and  Vise  was  partly  demolished  by 

69 


70 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 


fire  in  reprisal,  it  was  claimed,  for  the  firing  by  civilians  on 
the  German  invaders.  The  subsequent  bombardment  and 
burning  of  towns  and  villages  by  the  Germans  were  explained 
in  every  case  as  measures  of  revenge  for  hostile  acts  on  the 
part  of  non-combatants  and  intended  to  prevent  their  occur- 
rence elsewhere  by  striking  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the  Bel- 
gian populace.  Whatever  the  pretext  or  the  excuse,  the  his- 
torical fact  remains  that  the  result  of  the  German  progress 


NORTH 

SEA 


—Prom  the  Literary  Digest— Copyright,  1914.  by  Funk  &  Wagnalls  Company. 


BELGIUM— THE   FIRST   BATTLEFIELD   OF   THE   WAR 
The  map  shows  the  more  important  railroad  lines  connecting  the  cities  of 
Brussels,   Antwerp   and   Namur   and   those   of  Northern   France.      Paris   is   200 
miles  by  rail  from  Brussels  and  190  from  Namur. 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM  71 

toward  the  Franco-Belgian  frontier  constituted  a  martyrdom 
for  Belgium  and  gained  for  the  plucky  little  kingdom  the  full- 
est sympathy  of  the  civilized  world. 

THE  ATTACK  OX  LIEGE 

The  ancient  city  of  Liege  was  attacked  by  the  German 
artillery  on  August  4.  The  town  itself  was  occupied  five  days 
later,  but  the  modern  forts  surrounding  it  continued  for  some 
time  longer  to  hold  out  against  the  fierce  German  attack.  It 
became  necessary  to  bring  up  the  heaviest  modern  Krupp  siege 
guns  in  order  to  reduce  them. 

Amidst  all  the  plethora  of  events  which  crowded  them- 
selves into  the  first  few  days  following  the  outbreak  of  the 
war,  none  was  more  remarkable  than  the  Belgian  stand  at 
Liege  against  the  German  advance. 

The  struggle  round  Liege  bids  fair  to  become  historic,  and 
the  garrisons  of  the  Liege  forts  when  they  looked  out  fear- 
lessly from  the  banks  of  the  Meuse  on  the  vanguard  of  the 
German  host,  and  took. decision  to  block  its  further  progress, 
proved  their  claim  once  again  to  Julius  Caesar's  description  of 
their  ancestors,  "The  Belgians  are  the  bravest  of  the  Gauls.". 

THE   FALL   OF   LIEGE 

News  of  the  fall  of  Liege  and  the  occupation  of  the  city 
by  German  troops  was  received  with  great  rejoicing  in 
Berlin  on  August  8th.  Dispatches  received  at  Amster- 
dam from  the  German  capital  said: 

The  news  of  the  fall  of  Liege  spread  with  lightning  rapidity 
throughout  Berlin  and  created  boundless  enthusiasm.  The 
Emperor  sent  an  aide-de-camp  to  announce  the  capture  of 
the  city  to  crowds  that  assembled  outside  the  palace. 

Policemen  on  bicycles  dashed  along  Unter  den  Linden  pro- 
claiming the  joyful  tidings.  Imperial  Chancellor  Bethmann- 
Hollweg  drove  to  the  castle  to  congratulate  the  Emperor  on 
the  victory  and  was  enthusiastically  cheered  along  the  way. 

The  newspapers  declared  that  false  reports  which  were 
known  to  have  been  circulated  in  foreign  countries,  that  the 
Germans  suffered  a  severe  reverse  before  Liege,  would  no 
longer  serve  to  conceal  Germany's  triumphs.  The  Lokal  An- 
zeiger  said  of  the  reported  victory: 


72  INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 

I  *  It  confirms  our  confidence  that  we  can  calmly  await  com- 
ing events.  It  was  the  prelude  to  deeds  which  will  be  spoken 
of  as  long  as  men  live  on  earth." 

Another  paper  said :  ' '  When  our  soldiers  in  the  field  learn 
of  the  surrender  of  Liege  they  will  rejoice  not  only  for  the 
victory  of  our  arms,  but  because  of  the  assurance  it  gives  that 
our  march  through  Northern  France  cannot  be  stayed." 

GERMAN  OFFICER^  EXPERIENCE  AT  LIEGE 

A  vivid  description  of  the  fighting  before  Liege  was  given 
by  a  German  officer  who  was  seriously  wounded  in  the  battle. 
He  described  his  experiences  and  feelings  in  a  letter  which 
read,  in  part,  as  follows : 

' '  Our  trip  to  the  Belgian  border  was  a  triumphal  proces- 
sion. It  was  pouring  rain  as  we  marched  through  the  Ardennes. 
The  towns  seemed  deserted.  We  had  no  rest  and  during  the 
night  were  fired  upon. 

4 'At  5  a.  m.  August  6  we  marched  through  the  Ourthe  val- 
ley, meeting  obstacles  everywhere.  It  was  an  awful  march; 
the  roads  were  blocked  by  felled  trees  and  bowlders ;  of  bridges 
there  were  only  remnants.  In  the  afternoon  we  took  up  quar- 
ters in  a  village  south  of  Liege. 

' '  Seven  o  'clock.  An  alarm  is  sounded ;  the  captain  shouts 
1  Storm  Liege ! '  It  is  impossible.  We  cannot  go  farther ;  the 
forts  are  thirty-five  kilometers  away,  but  we  press  on. 

"  Thirty  minutes  pass  and  we  are  fired  upon  from  the 
heights.  Now  shots  are  fired  directly  at  us  from  nearer  points. 
We  draw  our  revolvers  and  rush  forward. 

"The  field  is  alive  with  troops  of  all  arms.  It  is  raining 
in  torrents ;  a  thunderstorm  is  roaring  and  the  night  is  pitch 
dark.  We  press  on.  We  see  soldiers  fall.  Now  they  fall  in 
masses  and  do  not  rise.  The  sky  clears,  the  moon  shines ;  we 
hear  cannonading. 

"Suddenly  we  hear  that  our  baggage  has  been  attacked. 
One  company  turns  back.  The  village  has  been  burned  down ; 
all  the  people  shot.  Such  are  the  atrocities  of  the  franc- 
tireurs  (guerrillas,  or  civilian  'snipers'). 

I I  Meanwhile  we  keep  on,  close  to  Liege,  and  turn  off  behind 
the  wood.    Four  regiments  lay  down  their  knapsacks  and  '  iron 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM  73 

rations'  are  taken  out.  The  last  exhortation  is  given;  we 
form  in  ranks  for  the  charge. 

"Shells  whiz  past,  but  without  aim.  We  gallop  by  our 
artillery,  stuck  helplessly  in  the  mud  up  to  the  hubs.  A 
wild  hail  of  bullets  burst  on  us  from  a  point  directly  opposite. 
Our  own  men  are  firing  upon  us,  but  just  in  time  we  are 
recognized. 

' '  Now  we  are  directly  in  front  of  the  firing  line  of  the  forts. 
There  is  wild  clamoring.  The  parole '  Woerth '  is  given.  Friend 
and  enemy  look  alike. 

COMRADES  SLAIN  BY  HIS  SIDE 

"I  am  lying  before  a  barricade  of  trees  and  barbed  wire, 
with  my  comrade,  Lieut.  G.,  on  my  left  and  the  captain  on  my 
right.  Shells  explode  all  around;  everywhere  is  the  infernal 
noise  of  musketry  fire. 

"The  air  is  hot.  A  few  yards  ahead  we  may  get  better 
cover.  I  nudge  Lieut.  G.  and  ask, '  Shall  we  go  forward  ? '  No 
answer.  He  is  dead.  The  captain  jumps  to  his  feet  and  falls 
back ;  he  is  shot  in  the  breast.  I  raise  my  arm,  the  company 
responds  to  my  word  of  command. 

"I  rush  forward.  A  terrible  blow  throws  me  back  three 
feet.  I  have  received  a  shell  in  the  left  thigh.  The  pain  is 
terrible.  Before  me  an  officer  calls  out  his  name,  holds  out  his 
hand  to  me  and  then  falls  back — dead. 

1 '  In  front  of  me  there  is  a  flag  and  I  try  to  crawl  up  to  it. 
The  bearer  is  dead.  A  second  shot  strikes  me  in  the  left  arm ; 
a  third  in  the  right  arm ;  I  bite  the  earth  with  pain. 

"A  few  steps  in  front  are  the  Belgian  rifle  pits.  Our  men 
advance.  I  lie  in  one  place  nearly  twelve  hours,  yet,  despite 
the  hail  of  bullets,  nothing  happens  to  me. 

"A  doctor  comes  with  bandages.  At  noon  I  am  carried 
away.  Shivering  with  fever,  I  meet  our  regiment.  Its  losses 
are  terrible — three  captains,  six  lieutenants,  nearly  all  from 
my  battalion. 

1 '  I  am  taken  to  a  field  hospital.  During  the  first  few  days 
I  suffer  terribly,  but  now  I  am  much  better.  There  are  others 
who  have  to  suffer  greater  pain  than  I ;  that  makes  one  keep 
quiet. 


74  INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 

"I  have  lost  everything.  The  clothes  I  wore  were  so  soaked 
with  blood  that  they  were  burned.  A  Russian  brought  me  some 
underwear  and  a  sympathetic  little  woman  is  washing  and 
mending  a  uniform  for  me. ' ' 

AN   ENGLISH   STOCKBROKERS   STORY 

Another  story  is  told  by  Guy  Menzies,  an  English  stock- 
broker, who  has  a  residence  in  Belgium  and  came  through 
Liege  after  the  German  occupation.  He  said  that  the  Germans, 
although  they  had  gained  the  city,  were  not  very  joyful  over 
their  success,  as  they  had  before  them  the  problem  of  getting 
out  of  the  city  again,  the  forts  outside  being  capable  of  a 
cross-fire  that  would  leave  them  little  chance  of  making  an 
exit  save  with  heavy  losses.  He  speaks  of  boulevards  lined 
with  Maxims,  and  of  being  astonished  at  the  small  amount  of 
damage  that  had  been  done  in  the  town.  Two  bridges  had  been 
blown  up,  and  the  other  two  were  heavily  guarded  by  the 
Germans.  From  Liege  Mr.  Menzies  managed  to  make  his  way, 
with  various  narrow  escapes  both  from  the  French  and  Ger- 
mans, towards  Verviers.    His  story  follows : 

"After  I  had  passed  Vaux-sous-Chevremont  I  began  to  see 
some  of  the  terrible  ravages  which  the  German  advance  had 
brought  about.  At  Romsee  village,  with  about  five  hun- 
dred inhabitants,  every  house  had  been  burned  down  by  the 
Germans. 

"At  this  point  three  corps  were  firing,  and  I  had  some 
marvelous  escapes  from  their  shells.  The  Germans  were  ad- 
vancing from  Herve  through  Soumagne  and  Zhendelesse  and 
were  pillaging  the  village  of  Maquee.  As  I  passed  through, 
women  and  children  were  flying  away  from  their  homes  with 
terror-stricken  cries,  not  knowing  where  to  go. 

"When  I  reached  Fleron  the  people  were  so  terrified  no 
one  would  take  me  in  for  the  night  or  give  me  any  food.  I  had 
to  push  on  as  far  as  Berne.  I  started  again  at  4  a.  m.  on 
Monday,  but  I  lost  my  way  and  got  to  Soiron. 

RESULTS  OF  BELGIAN  FIRE 

<  i  There  I  saw  more  terrible  traces  of  the  fire  of  the  forts  of 
Liege.  The  German  field  guns  were  lying  by  the  side  of  the 
road  disabled,  with  dead  horses  still  in  their  harness.     The 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM  75 

ground  was  littered  with  hundreds  of  corpses  of  German 
soldiers  that  had  not  been  buried.  The  men  were  lying  very 
close  together,  indicating  that  they  were  being  put  forward  in 
close  order.  The  wounds  inflicted  by  the  shell  fire  were  ter- 
rible, and  I  hurried  away  from  the  scene  as  quickly  as  I  could. 

"I  got  to  my  house  at  Petit  Rochain  at  8:30  Monday 
(August  9),  having  passed  through  Verviers.  My  friends 
were  very  scared  and  begged  me  to  leave  again  as  soon  as 
possible. 

"Leaving  Petit  Rochain  Wednesday,  August  11,  still  on 
foot,  I  made  my  way  for  the  Dutch  frontier  through  Berneau 
and  Moland.  At  Berneau,  as  I  passed  through,  a  great  German 
army  was  encamped.  There  must  have  been  nearly  100,000 
men  of  all  arms,  among  them  the  Death's  Head  Hussars,  of 
which  the  Crown  Prince  is  the  colonel. 

"Near  Verviers  I  saw  two  huge  guns  nine  meters  long 
being  drawn  along  a  road  by  thirty  horses  attached  to  each. 
At  Magnee  they  were  bringing  up  howitzers.  The  Germans 
were  trying  to  make  pontoon  bridges  over  the  Meuse  at  Vise, 
but  as  soon  as  they  were  completed  I  saw  them  destroyed  by 
shot  from  Fort  Pontisie.  I  was  told  this  had  happened  twenty 
times  before. 

"At  Louvain  we  found  King  Albert  in  consultation  with 
the  general  staff,  his  majesty  dressed  in  a  general's  field  uni- 
form. He  looked  smiling  and  confident.  The  roads  leading 
into  Brussels  were  crowded  with  mournful  processions  of  Red 
Cross  wagons  bringing  in  the  wounded,  both  Belgian  and  Ger- 
man ;  walking  by  the  side  of  the  carts  and  comforting  the  suf- 
ferers were  numerous  priests  and  monks  bearing  a  Red  Cross 
badge.  The  scene  was  piteous  and  moved  all  beholders  to 
tears. 

' '  Soldiers  returning  from  the  front  were  greeted  along  the 
road  by  innumerable  women  and  children,  who  handed  them 
bottles  of  wine,  bread  and  meat,  and  did  not  forget  to  be  repaid 
with  a  kiss."  

A  TERRIBLE  GERMAN"  WEAPON  USED  AT  LIEGE  AND  NAMUR 

The  monster  siege  guns  or  mortars  used  by  the  Germans 
against  the  forts  of  Liege  and  afterward  at  Namur  appear  to 


76  INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 

have  been  a  secret  product  of  the  Krupp  gun  factories  and 
were  described  by  an  American  correspondent  at  Berlin  in 
September  as  follows : 

"The  pinnacle  of  German  war  science  is  the  42-centimeter 
(16.5  inch)  Krupp  mortar,  the  most  miraculous  and  powerful 
Aveapon  designed  in  the  history  of  war. 

"The  Krupp  mortar  is  the  one  unique  and  astonishing 
product  of  this  month  of  fighting.  It  has  smashed  apparently 
impregnable  fortifications  like  those  of  Liege  and  Namur,  has 
been  battering  at  the  perfect  defenses  of  Antwerp,  and  is  ex- 
pected by  German  artillerists  to  blow  open  a  roadway  to  Paris. 

"Mentioned  by  thousands,  the  Krupp  mortar  is  known  only 
by  a  few.  The  gun  was  invented  eight  years  ago,  but  only  those 
in  the  confidence  of  the  Krupps  know  who  the  inventor  is.  He 
may  be  marooned  with  his  secret,  for  he  holds  in  his  grasp  the 
destiny  of  Germany. 

"For  eight  years  the  Krupps  worked  at  the  secret  while 
guarding  it  with  most  rigorous  precautions.  This  year  they 
perfected  it.  This  mortar  fires  the  largest  and  most  dangerous 
projectile  ever  shot  from  a  weapon.  In  making  it  no  single 
workman  worked  on  more  than  one  small  piece,  and  one  vital 
part  of  the  machinery  was  made  in  Austria. 

KEPT  SECRET  FROM  COMMITTEE 

"Even  the  artillery  subcommittee  of  the  Bundesrath  was 
not  informed  this  year.  It  was  merely  asked  to  withhold 
debate  on  the  artillery  situation,  as  something  'extraordinary' 
was  being  provided.  That  something  extraordinary  was  first 
seen  when  the  Liege  forts,  which  could  withstand  any  artillery 
fire  known  to  Belgian  officers,  collapsed  like  shanties,  burying 
hundreds  of  the  garrison  under  the  wreckage. 

"At  Namur  the  same  story  was  repeated.  I  have  just  read 
an  account  in  an  English  newspaper  of  the  capture  of  Namur, 
in  which  it  is  said  that  two  French  regiments  coming  to  the 
relief  of  the  garrison,  found  such  carnage  that  they  retired  in 
awe.  But  the  surprise  of  the  Belgians  was  no  greater  than 
that  of  the  German  artillery  officers  themselves,  who  watched 
incredulously  the  miracle  of  the  Krupp  mortar.  All  that  the 
official  dispatches  told  the  German  public  was  that  'the  enemy 
had  not  reckoned  on  the  power  of  our  artillery. ' 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM  77 

GUNNERS  RETIRE  TO  A  TUNNEL 

'  ■  So  far  as  I  can  learn,  what  was  done  at  Liege  was  this : 
"At  some  distance  from  a  fort  a  space  was  cleared  and  a 
great  mortar  set  in  a  concrete  bed  occupying  a  circle  with 
a  radius  of  100  feet.  Behind  the  mortar  and  outside  this  circle 
was  a  tunnel  leading  to  a  subterranean  chamber.  The  great 
mortar  was  sighted,  the  projectile  was  set  in  place  and  then 
the  gunners  retired  to  their  underground  chamber,  where  they 
pressed  a  button  and  the  mighty  shot  was  fired. 

"The  concussion  was  terrible.  Anything  within  fifty  feet 
of  the  gun  at  the  time  of  explosion  would  be  injured.  Even 
men  in  the  neighboring  armies  complained  of  headaches  and 
toothaches  from  the  jar  and  the  same  complaints  were  made 
by  the  men  in  the  forts  where  the  projectiles  exploded. 

PASSES  THROUGH  THREE  WALLS 

"The  projectile  pierced  through  one,  two  and  three  ordi- 
narily impenetrable  walls  and  buried  itself  in  a  fourth.  Here 
it  lay  silent  many  seconds,  then  exploded  like  a  volcano,  bring- 
ing to  the  ground  in  ruins  every  stone  which  had  stood  upon 
another. 

"A  shot  fired  into  the  center  of  a  fort  buried  itself  deep  in 
the  ground  and  lay  there  as  though  gathering  strength  for  its 
demoniacal  eruption.  Then,  after  twenty  seconds,  it  exploded 
and  razed  the  proudest  walls  in  Belgium. 

"Each  shell  costs  $2,500.  What  it  contains  nobody  but  the 
Krupps  know.  It  is  brought  to  the  battlefield  in  pieces  and 
assembled  by  the  highest  paid  and  most  trusted  of  the  Krupp 
engineers.  It  is  aimed  and  loaded  by  them  and  not  one  member 
of  the  artillery  corps  in  the  Kaiser's  army  has  anything  to  do 
with  it.    The  slogan  of  these  men  is  '  One  shot  for  one  fort. ' 

KRUPPS  RECENTLY  IN  DISGRACE 

' '  Not  a  year  ago  the  name  of  Krupp  was  disgraced  through- 
out the  world.  Yet  the  Krupps  in  applying  modern  science  at 
Essen  at  that  time  had  built  the  most  remarkable  community 
of  comfortable  homes  in  existence  and  by  modern  science  had 
provided  for  their  men  in  a  manner  surpassed  by  no  other  con- 
cern. The  same  science  working  along  different  lines  built  the 
Krupp  42-centimeter  mortar. 


78 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 


' '  There  is  something*  significant  in  this  combination.  This 
science  is  German  and  not  the  Krupps'.  It  is  willing  to  work 
for  peace  and  happiness,  but  it  has  proved  that  it  can  work  for 
war.  The  Germans  are  working  for  the  survival  of  the  most 
scientific. ' ' 

GENERAL  LEMAn's  REPORT 

General  Leman,  the  Belgian  commander  who  gained  fame 
for  himself  by  his  defense  of  the  Liege  forts,  was  captured  by 
the  Germans.  When  made  a  prisoner,  he  sent  a  letter  to  King 


x*&$$ 


tv^&m 


.1  tiffinE  «a«>K!*.     *  « 


LIEGE  AND   ITS   RING  OP   FORTS 

Albert  in  which  he  tells  how  he  held  the  Liege  forts  after 
August  6,  when  only  the  temporary  arrest  of  the  foe  seemed 
longer  possible.     The  letter  read  as  follows : 

"After  the  honorable  engagement  of  August  4,  5  and  6, 
I  considered  that  the  Liege  forts  could  only  play  the  role  of 
forts  of  arrete  (arrest  or  stoppage).  I,  nevertheless,  main- 
tained the  military  government  in  order  to  co-ordinate  the  de- 
fense as  much  as  possible  and  to  exercise  a  moral  influence 
upon  the  garrison. 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM  79 

"Your  Majesty  is  not  ignorant  that  I  was  at  Fort  Loncin 
on  August  6  at  noon.  You  will  learn  with  grief  that  the  fort 
was  blown  up  yesterday  at  5 :20  in  the  afternoon,  the  greater 
part  of  the  garrison  being  buried  under  the  ruins.  That  I  did 
not  lose  my  life  in  that  catastrophe  is  due  to  my  escort,  who 
drew  me  from  a  stronghold  whilst  I  was  being  suffocated  by 
gas  from  exploded  powder.  I  was  conveyed  to  a  trench,  where 
I  fell.  A  German  captain  gave  me  a  drink  and  I  was  made  a 
prisoner  and  taken  to  Liege. 

"I  am  certain  that  I  have  shown  carelessness  in  this  letter, 
but  I  am  physically  shattered  by  the  explosion  of  Fort  Loncin. 
In  honor  of  our  arms  I  have  surrendered  neither  the  fortress 
nor  the  forts. 

"I  deign  to  ask  your  pardon,  sire.  In  Germany,  where  I 
am  proceeding,  my  thoughts  will  be,  as  they  always  have  been, 
of  Belgium  and  the  King.  I  would  willingly  have  given  my  life 
the  better  to  serve  them,  but  death  was  not  granted  to  me. 

"Lieutenant-General  Leman." 

General  Leman's  letter  furnishes  direct  confirmation  of 
the  effect  of  the  new ' ' Krupp  mortar"  (Germany's  tremendous 
engine  of  death)  at  Liege. 

BLEW   UP  HIS  FORT 

The  French  war  office  issued  a  report  showing  the  valor  of 
Major  Nameche,  the  commanding  officer  of  Fort  Chaudfon- 
taine,  one  of  the  Liege  strongholds,  which  commanded  the 
railroad  to  Aix-la-Chapelle  by  Verviers  and  the  tunnel  to 
Chaudfontaine. 

A  continual  and  extremely  violent  bombardment  reduced 
the  fort  to  a  mere  heap  of  ruins.  Major  Nameche  judged  that 
further  resistance  was  impossible,  blocked  up  the  tunnel  by 
running  several  locomotives  into  each  other  and  set  fire  to  the 
fuses  leading  to  the  mines  surrounding  the  forts. 

His  mission  then  accomplished,  Major  Nameche,  deter- 
mined that  the  German  flag  should  not  fly  even  over  the  ruins 
of  his  fort,  blew  up  the  powder  magazine,  and  perished. 

PEASANTS  AND  TOWNSPEOPLE  FLEE 

Following  the  fall  of  Liege  came  a  number  of  sanguinary 
engagements  in  northern  Belgium ;  the  unopposed  occupation 


80  INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 

of  Brussels  on  August  20,  and  a  four  days'  battle  beginning  on 
August  23,  in  which  the  Germans  forced  back  the  French  and 
British  allies  to  the  line  of  Noyon-LaFere  across  the  northern 
frontier  of  France.  In  the  northern  engagements  the  Belgians 
gave  a  good  account  of  themselves,  but  were  everywhere  forced 
to  give  way  before  the  innumerable  hosts  of  the  Kaiser,  though 
not  without  inflicting  tremendous  losses  on  the  invaders. 

The  retirement  of  the  civilian  population  before  the  ad- 
vancing masses  of  the  German  army  was  a  pathetic  spectacle. 
It  was  a  flight  in  terror  and  distress. 

On  Tuesday,  August  18,  the  German  troops  surged  down 
upon  Tirlemont,  a  town  twenty  miles  southeast  of  Louvain, 
around  which  they  had  been  massing  for  some  days,  presum- 
ably by  rail  and  motor  cars.  The  stories  which  had  reached 
the  inhabitants  of  Tirlemont  of  the  happenings  at  surrounding 
towns  and  villages  had  not  added  to  their  peace  of  mind,  and 
soon  the  moment  for  flight  arrived.  All  kinds  of  civilians  set 
out  towards  Brussels  and  Ghent  for  refuge.  At  times  the  road 
was  full  of  carts  bearing  entire  families,  with  pots  and  pans 
swaying  and  banging  against  the  sides  as  the  vehicles  bumped 
over  the  roadway.  The  younger  women,  boys  and  menfolk 
who  had  been  left  in  the  towns  and  villages  fled  on  foot. 
Priests,  officials  and  Bed  Cross  helpers  mingled  with  the 
crowd.  This  stream  of  unfortunates  uprooted  from  their 
homes  was  thus  described  by  an  eyewitness : 

"These  masses  of  broken-hearted  people  moved  silently 
along,  many  weeping,  few  talking.  With  them  they  brought 
a  few  of  their  possessions,  as  pathetically  miscellaneous  as 
the  effects  one  might  seize  in  the  panic  haste  of  a  hotel  fire. 
Ox  wagons,  bundles  and  babies  on  clog-drawn  carts  or  on  men's 
backs,  bicycles  and  handcarts  laden  with  kitchen  utensils,  all 
mingled  with  the  human  stream.  Here  were  to  be  seen  sewing 
machines,  beds,  bedding,  food,  and  there  a  little  girl  or  boy 
with  some  toy  clasped  uncomprehendingly  in  a  dirty  hand; 
they  also  knew  that  danger  threatened  and  that  they  must 
save  what  they  held  most  dear.  And  even  among  these  un- 
happy people  there  were  some  more  unfortunate  than  the 
others — men  and  women  who  had  no  bundle,  children  who 
had  no  doll.     All  the  way  to  Louvain  there  flowed  this  human 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM  81 

stream  of  misery.  Back  along  the  Tirlemont  road  rifle  firing 
could  be  heard  and  entrenchments  were  to  be  seen  in  the  town 
itself." 

These  scenes  between  Tirlemont  and  Louvain  were  typical 
of  those  on  every  road  leading  to  the  larger  cities  of  Belgium 
as  the  inhabitants  fled  before  the  approach  of  the  dreaded 
Uhlans. 

FALL  OF  NAMUR 

On  the  afternoon  of  Sunday,  August  23,  the  fortress  of 
Namur  was  evacuated  by  the  Belgians,  and  the  town  was  later 
occupied  by  the  Germans. 

The  fortress  was  said  to  be  as  strong  as  Liege  and  it  owed 
its  importance  in  the  present  war  to  the  fact  that  it  was  the 
apex  of  the  two  French  flanks.  One  ran  from  Namur  to 
Charleroi  and  the  other  by  Givet  to  Mezieres. 

Warned  by  their  experiences  at  Liege,  the  Germans  made 
most  determined  efforts  against  Namur.  From  the  north, 
south  and  east  they  were  able  to  bring  up  their  big  guns 
unhindered,  and  by  assaults  at  Charleroi  and  Dinant  they 
endeavored  to  break  the  sides  of  the  French  triangle.  Namur 
finally  collapsed  but  clever  strategy  enabled  the  French  to  fall 
back  upon  their  main  lines. 

The  fall  of  Namur,  nevertheless,  was  a  decided  blow  to  the 
allies.  This  was  admitted  by  the  French  minister  of  war, 
who  said  at  midnight  Monday,  August  24,  of  the  failure  of  the 
''Namur  triangle": 

"It  is,  of  course,  regrettable  that  owing  to  difficulties  of 
execution  which  could  not  have  been  foreseen  our  plan  of 
attack  has  not  achieved  its  object.  Had  it  done  so  it  would 
have  shortened  the  war,  but  in  any  case  our  defense  remains 
intact  in  the  face  of  an  already  weakened  enemy.  Our  losses 
are  severe.  It  will  be  premature  to  estimate  them  or  to 
estimate  those  of  the  German  army,  which,  however,  has 
suffered  so  severely  as  to  be  compelled  to  halt  in  its  counter- 
attack and  establish  itself  in  new  positions." 

The  object  of  the  French  triangle,  having  its  apex  at 
Namur,  was  to  break  the  German  army  in  two.  The  British 
troops,  as  related  in  another  chapter,  were  cooperating  with 
the  French  at  Mons. 


82  INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 

When  the  Belgians  evacuated  Namur  the  Germans  had 
knocked  to  pieces  three  of  the  forts  to  the  northeast  of  the 
town  with  howitzer  fire.  Between  these  forts  they  advanced 
and  bombarded  the  town,  which  was  defended  by  the  Belgian 
Fourth  Division.  Namur  was  evacuated  when  the  defenders 
found  themselves  unable  to  support  a  heavy  artillery  fire. 

The  Germans  attacked  in  a  formation  three  ranks  deep, 
the  front  rank  lying  down,  the  second  kneeling,  and  the  third 
standing.  They  afforded  a  target  which  was  fully  used  by 
the  men  behind  the  Belgian  machine  guns.  Some  fifty  or  sixty 
howitzers  were  brought  into  action  by  the  Germans,  who 
concentrated  several  guns  simultaneously  on  each  fort  and 
smothered  it  with  fire. 

DESTRUCTION  OF  LOUVAIN 

At  this  stage  of  the  war  in  Belgium  an  event  occurred  that 
riveted  universal  attention  upon  the  German  operations.  On 
Tuesday,  August  25,  the  beautiful,  historic,  scholastic  city  of 
Louvain,  containing  42,000  inhabitants,  was  bombarded  by  the 
Germans  and  later  put  to  the  torch.  The  fire,  which  burned 
for  several  days,  devastated  the  city.  Many  artistic  and 
historical  treasures,  including  the  priceless  library  of  Louvain 
University  and  several  magnificent  churches,  centuries  old, 
were  totally  destroyed.  Only  the  Hotel  de  Ville  (City  Hall), 
one  of  the  finest  examples  of  Gothic  architecture  in  Europe, 
was  spared  and  left  standing  in  the  midst  of  ruins. 

The  Rotterdam  Telegraf,  a  neutral  newspaper,  declared 
that  in  the  devastation  of  Louvain  "a  wound  that  can  never 
be  healed"  was  inflicted  "on  the  whole  of  civilized  humanity." 
Frank  Jewett  Mather,  the  well-known  American  art  critic, 
bitterly  denounced  the  act  as  one  of  wanton  destruction,  saying 
that  Louvain  "contained  more  beautiful  works  of  art  than  the 
Prussian  nation  has  produced  in  its  entire  history." 

Richard  Harding  Davis,  the  noted  correspondent,  wit- 
nessed part  of  the  tragedy  from  the  window  of  a  car  in  which 
he  was  held  prisoner  by  the  Germans,  and  said  in  the  New 
York  Tribune : 

' '  For  two  hours  on  Thursday  night  I  was  in  what  for  six 
hundred  years  had  been  the  city  of  Louvain.    The  Germans 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM  88 

were  burning  it,  and  to  hide  their  work  kept  us  locked  in  the 
railroad  carriages.  But  the  story  was  written  against  the  sky, 
was  told  to  us  by  German  soldiers  incoherent  with  excesses; 
and  we  could  read  it  in  the  faces  of  women  and  children  being 
led  to  concentration  camps  and  of  citizens  on  their  way  to 
be  shot. 

''The  Germans  sentenced  Louvain  on  Wednesday  to  be- 
come a  wilderness,  and  with  the  German  system  and  love  of 
thoroughness  they  left  Louvain  an  empty,  blackened  shell. 
The  reason  for  this  appeal  to  the  torch  and  the  execution  of 
non-combatants,  as  given  to  me  on  Thursday  morning  by 
General  von  Lutwitz,  military  governor  of  Brussels,  was  this : 
On  Wednesday,  while  the  German  military  commander  of  the 
troops  in  Louvain  was  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville  talking  to  the 
burgomaster,  a  son  of  the  burgomaster,  with  an  automatic 
pistol,  shot  the  chief  of  staff  and  German  staff  surgeons. 

"Lutwitz  claims  this  was  the  signal  for  the  Civic  Guard, 
in  civilian  clothes  on  roofs,  to  fire  upon  the  German  soldiers 
in  the  open  square  below.  He  said  also  the  Belgians  had 
quick-firing  guns,  brought  from  Antwerp.  As  for  a  week  the 
Germans  had  occupied  Louvain  and  closely  guarded  all  ap- 
proaches, the  story  that  there  was  any  gun-running  is  absurd. 

"Fifty  Germans  were  killed  and  wounded.  For  that, 
said  Lutwitz,  Louvain  must  be  wiped  out. 

1 '  No  one  defends  the  sniper.  But  because  ignorant  Mexi- 
cans, when  their  city  was  invaded,  fired  upon  American  sailors 
and  marines,  we  did  not  destroy  Vera  Cruz.  Even  had  Vera 
Cruz  been  bombarded,  money  could  have  restored  it.  Money 
can  never  restore  Louvain.  Great  architects  and  artists,  dead 
these  six  hundred  years,  made  it  beautiful,  and  their  handi- 
work belonged  to  the  world.  With  torch  and  dynamite  the 
Germans  have  turned  these  masterpieces  into  ashes,  and  all 
the  Kaiser 's  horses  and  all  his  men  can  not  bring  them  back 
again. ' ' 

AMERICAN  GIRL'S  AWFUL  EXPERIENCE 

Here  is  the  story  of  Marguerite  Uyttebroeck,  who  lived 
through  the  sacking  of  Louvain  and  reached  London  Septem- 
ber 11  en  route  to  the  town  where  she  was  born — Assumption, 
Illinois — the  youngest  child  of  a  family  numbering  nine. 


84  INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 

Marguerite,  aged  19,  was  sure  that  only  her  aged  mother, 
who  was  with  her,  is  alive.  Three  weeks  before  all  her 
brothers  and  sisters  were  together  with  their  parents  in  a 
farmhouse  on  the  outskirts  of  Louvain. 

"My  mother  and  father,"  the  girl  began,  "went  to  the 
United  States  from  Belgium  twenty-five  years  ago  and  settled 
at  Assumption.  We  farmed  there,  but  a  year  ago  we  all 
moved  back  to  Louvain,  where  father  bought  a  farm  outside 
the  city  and  renewed  old  acquaintances. 

"There  was  fighting  beyond  Louvain  the  whole  day  and 
night  before  the  Belgian  soldiers  began  to  run  through  the 
town  with  the  Germans  hot  on  the  trail.  We  all  hid  at  first  and 
watched  the  pursuit  between  the  shutters,  but  when  the  first 
scare  was  over  we  sat  on  the  doorsteps  and  saw  the  parade  of 
the  German  soldiers  with  their  bands  playing  and  their  good 
order. 

"Nobody  had  an  idea  they  would  harm  us,  and  it  was 
almost  like  going  to  a  theater  to  see  them  march  by.  They 
didn't  pay  any  attention  to  us  for  a  time,  but  when  the  soldiers 
were  dismissed  they  began  getting  drunk.  Then  things  be- 
came bad. 

"I  was  at  a  friend's  house  in  the  city,  and  the  first  thing 
I  knew  the  house  next  door  was  on  fire. 

"When  we  tried  to  rush  out  into  the  street  bullets  came 
against  the  door  like  hail.  My  girl  friend's  father  and  mother 
were  killed  in  their  own  vestibule.  We  turned  around  and 
ran  upstairs  to  the  attic  and  stayed  there  until  flames  began 
coming  through  the  walls.  Then  we  got  on  to  the  roof  and 
climbed  along  over  other  roofs  to  the  end  of  the  street,  got 
down  through  the  house  and  out  into  the  back  garden  over 
the  wall,  and  began  to  run  through  the  fields  toward  my  house. 

"It  was  dark.  We  ran  almost  into  two  Uhlans.  One  of 
them  had  an  electric  torch.  He  flashed  it  in  my  face  and 
asked  me  where  I  was  going. 

"When  I  told  him  in  English  that  I  was  going  to  my  house, 
he  asked  if  I  was  English.  I  told  him  I  was  an  American,  but 
he  only  laughed.  He  was  going  to  dismount  when  his  horse 
took  fright  at  something,  pitched  him  on  the  ground  and 
stunned  him.  I  fled  while  the  other  Uhlan  was  caring  for  his 
comrade. 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM  85 

"  When  I  reached  my  house  I  found  the  Germans  had  taken 
father  and  my  four  brothers  prisoners,  and  had  taken  them 
away  —  where,  mother  did  not  know. 

"Aswe  were  trying  to  decide  what  to  do  another  company 
of  German  soldiers  came  along,  rode  over  the  fence,  and  set 
fire  to  the  house  and  barns.  My  two  sisters  told  the  soldiers 
what  they  thought  of  such  wickedness  and  the  last  I  saw  of 
them  they  were  being  carried  off  by  half  a  dozen  soldiers, 
and  never  came  back. 

"  While  the  fire  was  burning  fiercely  I  suddenly  remem- 
bered a  piece  of  paper  a  priest  gave  my  mother  in  Assumption, 
Illinois,  when  I  was  born.  It  was  in  my  room  and  was  my  only 
proof  that  I  was  an  American. 

"So  I  ran  around  the  house,  climbed  up  over  the  trellis, 
and  got  into  my  room,  already  full  of  smoke.  I  took  the  paper, 
and  then,  with  my  mother,  got  back  to  the  city  and  put  her 
in  a  friend's  house. 

"I  started  looking  for  my  father,  brothers,  and  sisters. 
My  hunt  lasted  five  days  and  nights,  and  during  that  time  I 
saw  many  terrible  sights. 

' '  On  the  sixth  day  it  was  announced  that  trains  would  take 
us  to  Germany,  and  when  the  soldiers  came  they  told  some  old 
men  to  line  up  and  march  to  the  station.  They  obeyed  gladly. 
When  they  got  to  the  station  they  were  lined  up  against  a  wall 
and  shot. 

"If  the  Belgian  commission  wants  eyewitness  proof  of 
atrocities  in  Louvain  I  can  tell  them  the  names  of  women 
I  saw  outraged  and  then  thrown  into  a  fire,  and  other  things 
even  worse. ' ' 

The  girl,  with  her  mother,  sailed  for  New  York  September 
12th  on  the  Megantic. 

GERMAN   REPORT   ON   LOUVAIN 

An  official  communication  of  the  German  general  staff 
on  the  occurrences  at  Louvain,  Belgium,  dated  August  30th 
and  made  public  September  19,  1914,  was  as  follows : 

"The  city  of  Loewen  (Louvain)  had  surrendered  and 
was  given  over  to  us  by  the  Belgian  authorities.  On  Mon- 
day, August  24th,  some  of  our  troops  were  shipped  there  and 


86  INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 

intercourse  with  the  inhabitants  was  developing  quite 
friendly. 

"On  Tuesday  afternoon,  August  25th,  our  troops,  hearing 
about  an  imminent  Belgian  sortie  from  Antwerp,  left  in  that 
direction,  the  commanding  general  ahead  in  a  motor  car, 
leaving  behind  only  a  colonel  with  soldiers  (landsturm  bat- 
talion 'Neuss')  to  protect  the  railroad.  As  the  rest  of  the 
commanding  general's  staff  with  the  horses  was  going  to 
follow  and  was  collected  on  the  market  place,  suddenly  rifle 
fire  opened  from  all  the  surrounding  houses,  all  the  horses 
being  killed  and  five  officers  wounded,  one  of  them  seriously. 

"Simultaneously  fire  opened  at  about  ten  different  places 
in  town,  also  on  some  of  our  troops  just  arrived  and  waiting 
on  the  square  in  front  of  the  station  and  on  incoming  military 
trains.  A  designed  cooperation  with  the  Belgian  sortie  from 
Antwerp  was  established  beyond  a  doubt. 

PRIESTS    SHOT    PUBLICLY 

"Two  priests  caught  in  handing  out  ammunition  to  the 
people  were  shot  at  once  in  front  of  the  station. 

"The  fight  lasted  till  Wednesday,  the  26th,  in  the  after- 
noon (twenty-four  hours),  when  stronger  forces,  arrived  in 
the  meantime,  succeeded  in  getting  the  upper  hand.  The 
town  and  northern  suburb  were  burning  at  different  places 
and  by  this  time  have  probably  burned  down  altogether. 

1 '  On  the  part  of  the  Belgian  Government  a  general  rising 
of  the  population  against  the  enemy  had  been  organized  for 
a  long  time.  Depots  of  arms  were  found,  where  to  each  gun 
was  attached  the  name  of  the  citizen  to  be  armed. 

NOT   WITHIN   HAGUE  AGREEMENTS 

"A  spontaneous  rising  of  the  people  has  been  recognized 
at  the  request  of  the  smaller  states  at  the  Hague  conference 
as  being  within  the  law  of  nations,  as  far  as  weapons  are 
carried  openly  and  the  laws  of  civilized  warfare  are  being 
observed ;  but  such  rising  was  only  admitted  in  order  to  fight 
the  attacking  enemy. 

' '  In  the  case  of  Loewen  the  town  already  had  surrendered 
without  any  resistance,  the  town  being  occupied  by  our 
troops.     Nevertheless,  the  population  attacked  on  all  sides 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM  87 

and  with  a  murderous  fire  the  occupying  forces  and  newly- 
arriving  troops,  which  came  in  trains  and  automobiles,  know- 
ing the  hitherto  peaceful  attitude  of  the  population. 

' '  Therefore,  there  can  be  no  question  of  means  of  defense 
allowed  by  the  law  of  nations,  nor  a  warlike  guetapens  (am- 
bush), but  only  of  a  treacherous  attempt  of  the  civil  popula- 
tion all  along  the  line,  and  all  the  more  to  be  condemned  as 
it  was  apparently  planned  long  beforehand  with  a  simulta- 
neous attack  from  Antwerp,  as  arms  were  not  carried  openly, 
and  women  and  young  girls  took  part  in  the  fight  and  blinded 
our  wounded,  sticking  their  eyes  out. 

"severest  measures  justified" 

"The  barbarous  attitude  of  the  Belgian  population  in  all 
parts  occupied  by  our  troops  has  not  only  justified  our  sever- 
est measures,  but  forced  them  on  us  for  the  sake  of  self- 
preservation.  The  intensity  of  the  resistance  of  the  popu- 
lation is  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  Loewen  twenty-four  hours 
were  necessary  to  break  down  their  attack. 

"We,  ourselves,  regret  deeply  that  during  these  fights 
the  town  of  Loewen  has  been  destroyed  to  a  great  extent. 
Needless  to  say  that  these  consequences  are  not  intentional 
on  our  part,  but  cannot  be  avoided  in  this  infamous  franc- 
tireur  war  being  led  against  us. 

"Whoever  knows  the  good-natured  character  of  our  troops 
cannot  seriously  pretend  that  they  are  inclined  to  needless 
or  frivolous  destruction. 

"The  entire  responsibility  for  these  events  rests  with 
the  Belgian  Government,  which  with  criminal  frivolity  has 
given  to  the  Belgian  people  instructions  contrary  to  the  law 
of  nations  and  incited  their  resistance,  and  which,  in  spite  of 
our  repeated  warnings,  even  after  the  fall  of  Luettich  (Liege), 
have  done  nothing  to  induce  them  to  a  peaceful  attitude." 

BELGIANS    DENY    CIVILIAN    FIRING 

The  third  section  of  the  report  of  the  Belgian  commission 
appointed  to  inquire  into  alleged  breaches  of  international  law 
by  the  Germans  was  published  September  20th  and  denied 
the    German    allegation   that    the    inhabitants    of    Louvain 


88  INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 

brought  on  the  destruction  of  the  town  by  firing  on  the 
Germans.     It  follows  in  part: 

' '  The  inhabitants  of  Louvain  took  no  part  in  the  fighting. 
Moreover,  the  destruction  of  the  town  came  eleven  days  after 
the  last  Belgian  troops  had  evacuated  the  district.  Witnesses 
declare  that  the  first  shots  were  fired  by  intoxicated  German 
soldiers  at  their  own  officers.  Another  fact  established  is 
as  follows: 

"A  crowd  of  6,000  to  8,000  men,  women  and  children  were 
taken  by  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-second  Regiment  of 
German  Infantry  August  28th  to  the  Louvain  Riding  School, 
where  they  spent  the  night.  The  place  of  confinement  was 
so  small  that  all  had  to  remain  standing.  The  sufferings 
were  so  great  that  several  children  died  in  their  mothers' 
arms  and  a  number  of  women  lost  their  reason." 

PROCLAMATION"   TO   CONQUERED   TOWNS 

The  commanders  of  the  German  troops  issued  a  proclama- 
tion to  the  inhabitants  of  every  Belgian  town  they  occupied, 
as  follows: 

"Citizens — A  body  of  the  German  army  under  my  com- 
mand has  occupied  your  city.  Inasmuch  as  the  war  is  carried 
on  only  between  the  armies,  I  guarantee  in  due  form  the 
life  and  private  property  of  all  the  inhabitants  under  the 
following  conditions : 

"1.  The  inhabitants  must  strictly  avoid  every  hostile 
act  against  the  German  troops. 

"2.  Food  and  forage  for  our  men  and  horses  are  to  be 
furnished  by  the  inhabitants.  Every  such  delivery  will  be 
paid  for  at  once  in  coin,  or  a  receipt  will  be  issued,  to  be 
redeemed  after  the  termination  of  the  war. 

"3.  The  inhabitants  are  to  house  our  soldiers  and  horses 
in  the  best  manner,  and  to  keep  their  houses  lighted  at  night. 

"4.  The  inhabitants  are  to  put  the  roads  in  a  passable 
condition,  to  remove  all  obstacles  erected  by  the  enemy  and 
to  give  the  best  support  to  our  troops  in  order  that  they 
may  be  able  to  fulfill  their  task,  doubly  difficult  in  a  hostile 
land.  I  shall  adopt  the  most  stringent  measures  as  soon  as 
the  above  conditions  are  not  observed. 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM  89 

"  Every  citizen  will  be  shot  who  is  found  with  a  weapon 
in  his  hands  or  committing  any  act  whatever  hostile  to  our 
troops." 

DAMAGE  TO  VILLAGES  NEAR  NAMUR 

The  Namur  newspaper,  L'Ami  de  l'Ordre,  which  was  for 
a  time  published  under  German  censorship,  gave  a  detailed 
summary  of  the  buildings  destroyed  and  the  civilians  killed 
in  adjacent  towns  and  villages,  as  follows: 

Tamines,  100  houses  and  80  killed ;  Gelbressee,  19  houses ; 
Franc- Waret,  16  killed;  Wartel,  19  houses;  Temploux,  18 
houses  and  2  killed;  St.  Gerard,  30  houses;  Oret,  50  houses 
and  the  town  hall ;  Bremer,  70  houses  and  15  killed ;  Ermeton- 
Sur-Biert,  85  houses ;  Stare,  60  houses ;  Morialme,  15  houses ; 
Cleriux,  many  houses  and  many  persons ;  Boussulez-Walcourt, 
54  houses;  Gresnas  les  Courbin,  almost  destroyed;  Mariem- 
bourg,  almost  destroyed;  Baeswaever,  many  houses;  Wavre, 
many  houses. 

GERMAN  SUCCESSES  IN  BELGIUM 

From  the  German  standpoint,  the  invasion  of  Belgium 
as  part  of  the  planned  march  to  Paris,  though  it  met  with 
unexpected  resistance,  was  successful.  The  first  round  of 
the  great  international  conflict  ended  with  the  honors  on 
the  German  side,  though  the  round  was  not  decisive.  The 
Anglo-French  allies  met  with  several  serious  reverses  and 
the  power  and  mobility  of  the  German  military  machine  was 
demonstrated.  Though  halted  and  perhaps  seriously  delayed 
at  Liege  and  Namur,  it  "rolled  back  the  allies'  defense  from 
Switzerland  to  the  North  Sea."  The  Belgian  army,  with 
French  aid,  kept  the  Germans  from  entering  Brussels  until 
August  20th  and  then  retired  behind  the  forts  at  Antwerp. 
The  Kaiser's  troops  then  overran  practically  all  of  Belgium, 
took  Namur,  fought  back  the  British  at  Mons,  forced  the 
Allies  south  over  the  border  at  several  points,  and  finally 
succeeded  in  occupying  Lille,  Roubaix  and  Valenciennes  on 
the  first  line  of  French  defense  against  invasion  from  the 
north.  Simultaneously  the  French  towns  of  Longwy  and 
Luneville,  to  the  east,   were  gained  after  severe  fighting, 


90 


INVASION  OF  BELGIUM 


while  the  French  invasion  of  Alsace-Lorraine,  at  first  suc- 
cessful, was  speedily  checked. 

Thus  when  the  first  month  of  war  ended,  the  Germans  had 
made  good  with  their  plan  of  seizing  Belgium  as  a  base  of 
operations  against  France  and  had  arrived  in  full  force  at 
the  first  line  of  French  defenses,  well  on  the  way  to  the 
coveted  goal,  Paris. 

But  poor  little  Belgium,  the  " cockpit  of  Europe,' '  ran 
red  with  blood. 


"*-"ss-:~'-/-.^.:-.'-.^.^^i— --  ,SS 

THE  ROAD  TO  YESTERDAY 


— New  York   Times. 


CHAPTER  VI 

SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS 

Belgian  Capital  Occupied  by  the  Germans  Without  Blood- 
shed— Important  Part  Played  by  American  Minister 
Brand  Whitlock — March  of  the  Kaiser's  Troops 
Through  the  City — Belgian  Forces  Retreat  to  Antwerp 
— Zeppelin  Attacks  on  Antwerp — Dinant  and  Ter- 
monde  Fall. 

AFTER  the  usual  reconnaissances  by  Uhlans  and  motor- 
cycle scouts,  the  van  of  the  German  army  arrived  at 
Brussels,  the  capital  city  of  Belgium,  on  August  20. 
The  seat  of  government  had  been  removed  three  days  before 
to  Antwerp.  The  French  and  Russian  ministers  also  moved 
to  Antwerp,  leaving  the  affairs  of  their  respective  countries 
in  the  hands  of  the  Spanish  legation.  Brand  Whitlock,  United 
States  minister  to  Belgium,  remained  at  Brussels  and  played 
an  important  part  in  negotiations  which  led  to  the  unresisted 
occupation  and  march  through  the  city  by  the  Germans  in 
force  on  August  21  and  the  consequent  escape  of  Brussels 
from  bombardment  and  probable  ruin. 

At  the  approach  of  the  German  army  the  inhabitants  of 
the  capital  were  stricken  with  fear  of  the  outcome.  When  the 
Belgian  civic  guards  and  refugees  began  pouring  into  the  city 
from  the  direction  of  Louvain,  they  brought  stories  of  un- 
speakable German  atrocities,  maltreatment  of  old  men  and 
children,  and  the  violation  of  women. 

'  'The  Belgian  capital  reeled  with  apprehension,"  said  an 
American  resident.  "Within  an  hour  the  gaiety,  the  vivacity, 
and  brilliancy  of  the  city  went  out  like  a  broken  arclight.  The 
radiance  of  the  cafes  was  exchanged  for  darkness ;  whispering 
groups  of  residents  broke  up  hurriedly  and  locked  themselves 
into  their  homes,  where  they  put  up  the  shutters  and  drew 
in  their  tricolored  Belgian  flags. 

91 


92  SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS 

' l  The  historic  Belgian  city  went  through  a  state  of  morbid 
consternation,  remarkably  like  that  from  which  it  suffered  on 
June  18,  1815,  when  it  trembled  with  the  fear  of  a  French  vic- 
tory at  Waterloo. 

"In  less  than  twenty-four  hours  the  Belgian  citizens  were 
chatting  comfortably  with  the  German  invaders  and  the  alle- 
gations of  German  brutality  and  demoniacal  torture  dissolved 
into  one  of  the  nryths  which  have  accompanied  all  wars. 

"Neither  in  Brussels  nor  in  its  environs  was  a  single  of- 
fensive act,  so  far  as  I  know,  committed  by  a  German  soldier. 
In  a  city  of  over  half  a  million  people,  invaded  by  a  hostile 
army  of  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  million  soldiers,  no  act,  suf- 
ficiently flagrant  to  demand  punishment  or  to  awaken  protest 
came  to  my  attention. ' ' 

SUERENDER  OF   CITY  DEMANDED 

Prior  to  the  occupation  the  German  commander  had  sent 
forward  a  flag  of  truce  demanding  the  surrender  of  the  city. 
This  was  at  midnight  of  Wednesday,  August  19.  The  Belgian 
commandant  replied  that  he  was  bound  in  honor  to  defend 
the  town. 

Brand  Whitlock,  the  United  States  minister,  then  came  to 
the  fore.  He  recommended  to  the  commandant  and  to  Burgo- 
master Max  the  unconditional  surrender  of  the  city,  pointing 
out  how  resistance  might  bring  increased  misfortune  on  the 
citizens.  But  the  military  commander  remained  adamant  until 
orders  arrived  from  King  Albert  consenting  to  the  surrender 
of  the  city. 

Mr.  Whitlock  was  later  congratulated  officially  by  the  king 
for  his  action.  Undoubtedly  he  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
saving  Brussels. 

GERMAN   MARCH  A  WONDERFUL   SIGHT 

The  German  entry  into  Brussels  was  a  wonderful  and  im- 
pressive sight.  Never,  probably,  was  there  a  military  spec- 
tacle on  so  vast  a  scale  that  went  on  without  a  hitch. 

"It  was  impossible  to  believe,"  said  an  eyewitness,  "that 
these  men  had  been  fighting  continuously  for  ten  days  or  that 
they  had  even  been  on  active  service.  First  of  all  came  a  few 
cyclists,  then  a  detachment  of  cavalry;  then  a  great  mass  of 


SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS  93 

infantry;  then  machine  guns  and  field  guns  and  more  infan- 
try ;  then  huge  howitzers ;  then  a  pontoon  train  and  then  more 
infantry  from  Thursday  until  Sunday  morning  without  a 
break. 

' '  The  pontoon  trains  were  impressive.  The  pontoons  were 
carried  upside  down  on  trolleys  drawn  by  six  horses.  All 
cavalry  horses,  as  well  as  the  horses  of  the  artillery  and  com- 
missary, were  in  wonderful  condition. 

' '  The  men  also  were  very  fresh  and  keen.  Each  company 
was  accompanied  by  a  traveling  stove,  the  fire  of  which  was 
never  out.  There  always  was  some  hot  drink  ready  for  the 
troops,  and  the  German  soldiers  told  me  that  it  is  only  this  hot 
coffee  and  soup  which  keeps  them  going  on  long  forced 
marches. 

"The  inhabitants  of  Brussels  turned  out  by  thousands  to 
watch  this  endless  procession  of  Germans  as  they  marched, 
singing  all  sorts  of  songs  and  national  airs.  They  sang  in  ex- 
cellent tune,  one  company  taking  up  the  refrain  as  soon  as  an- 
other stopped.  Like  everything  else,  their  singing  is  organ- 
ized perfectly. 

"An  aeroplane  kept  its  station  ahead  of  the  advancing  host 
and  it  signaled  both  day  and  night  by  dropping  various  col- 
ored stars.  What  these  signals  meant  we  did  not  know,  but 
all  movements  of  the  troops  were  regulated  by  them. 

"I  became  overwhelmed  after  watching  this  immense  mass 
of  men  marching  by  without  a  hitch  for  three  days.  I  never 
believed  such  a  perfect  machine  could  exist. 

"In  all  about  250,000  men  passed  through  and  thousands 
more  never  entered  the  city,  but  marched  south  direct  from 
Louvain.  These  German  soldiers,  many  of  them,  marched 
thirty  miles  daily  for  six  successive  days.  Some  were  so  weary 
that  they  slept  as  they  walked  and  occasionally  one  fell  ex- 
hausted, whereupon  an  officer  would  kick  and  prod  until  he 
awoke  him.  The  man  was  then  given  hot  coffee.  The  men  are 
slaves  of  discipline  and  routine." 

THRILLING  PICTURE  OF  THE  SCENE 

An  even  more  vivid  picture  of  the  march  of  the  mighty 
German  host  through  Brussels  was  given  by  Richard  Harding 


94  SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS 

Davis,  who  in  the  New  York  Tribune  described  his  impres- 
sions of  the  stream  of  armed  men,  rolling  like  fog  through  the 
echoing  streets  continuously  for  three  days.  It  bore  no  resem- 
blance to  a  parade  or  review,  for  these  are  human  things,  and 
as  Mr.  Davis  said: 

' '  The  entrance  of  the  German  army  into  Brussels  soon  lost 
the  human  quality.  It  was  lost  as  soon  as  the  three  soldiers 
who  led  the  army  bicycled  into  the  Boulevard  du  Regent,  and 
asked  the  way  to  the  Gare  du  Nord.  When  they  passed,  the 
human  note  passed  with  them. 

* '  What  came  after  them,  and  twenty-four  hours  later  was 
still  coming,  was  not  men  marching,  but  a  force  of  nature  like 
a  tidal  wave,  an  avalanche,  or  a  river  flooding  its  banks.  At 
this  minute  it  is  rolling  through  Brussels  as  the  swollen  waters 
of  the  Conemaugh  Valley  swept  through  Johnstown. 

"At  the  sight  of  the  first  few  regiments  of  the  enemy  we 
were  thrilled  with  interest.  After,  for  three  hours,  they  had 
passed  in  one  unbroken  steel-gray  column,  we  were  bored.  But 
when  hour  after  hour  passed  and  there  was  no  halt,  no  breath- 
ing time,  no  open  spaces  in  the  ranks,  the  thing  became  un- 
canny, unhuman.  You  returned  to  watch  it,  fascinated.  It 
held  the  mystery  and  menace  of  fog  rolling  toward  you  across 
the  sea. 

THE   DISGUISING   GRAY-GREEN    UNIFORMS 

' '  The  gray  of  the  uniforms  worn  by  both  officers  and  men 
helped  this  air  of  mystery.  Only  the  sharpest  eye  could  de- 
tect, among  the  thousands  that  passed,  the  slightest  differ- 
ence. All  moved  under  a  cloak  of  invisibility.  Only  after  the 
most  numerous  and  severe  tests  at  all  distances,  with  all  ma- 
terials and  combinations  of  colors  that  give  forth  no  color, 
could  this  gray  have  been  discovered.  That  it  was  selected  to 
clothe  and  disguise  the  German  when  he  fights  is  typical  of 
the  German  staff  in  striving  for  efficiency  to  leave  nothing  to 
chance,  to  neglect  no  detail. 

"After  you  have  seen  this  service  uniform  under  condi- 
tions entirely  opposite,  you  are  convinced  that  for  the  German 
soldier  it  is  his  strongest  weapon.  Even  the  most  expert 
marksman  can  not  hit  a  target  he  can  not  see.  It  is  a  gray- 
green,  not  the  blue-gray  of  the  American  Confederates.  It  is 


SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS  95 

the  gray  of  the  hour  just  before  daybreak,  the  gray  of  unpol- 
ished steel,  of  mist  among  green  trees. 

"I  saw  it  first  in  the  Grand  Place  in  front  of  the  Hotel  de 
Ville.  It  was  impossible  to  tell  if  in  that  noble  square  there 
was  a  regiment  or  a  brigade.  You  saw  only  a  fog  that  melted 
into  the  stones,  blended  with  the  ancient  house  fronts ;  that 
shifted  and  drifted,  but  left  you  nothing  at  which  you  could 
point. 

"Later,  as  the  army  passed  below  my  window,  under  the 
trees  of  the  Botanical  Park,  it  merged  and  was  lost  against 
the  green  leaves.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  at  a  hun- 
dred yards  you  can  see  the  horses  on  which  the  Uhlans  ride, 
but  can  not  see  the  men  who  ride  them. 

"If  I  appear  to  overemphasize  this  disguising  uniform  it 
is  because,  of  all  the  details  of  the  German  outfit,  it  appealed 
to  me  as  one  of  the  most  remarkable.  The  other  day,  when  I 
was  with  the  rear  guard  of  the  French  Dragoons  and  Cuiras- 
siers and  they  threw  out  pickets,  we  could  distinguish  them 
against  the  yellow  wheat  or  green  corn  at  half  a  mile,  while 
these  men  passing  in  the  street,  when  they  have  reached  the 
next  crossing,  become  merged  into  the  gray  of  the  paving- 
stones  and  the  earth  swallows  them.  In  comparison,  the  yel- 
low khaki  of  our  own  American  army  is  about  as  invisible  as 
the  flag  of  Spain. 

GERMAN   EQUIPMENT   MOST   THOROUGH 

"Yesterday  Major-General  von  Jarotzky,  the  newly- 
appointed  German  military  governor  of  Brussels,  assured 
Burgomaster  Max  that  the  German  army  would  not  occupy 
the  city,  but  would  pass  through  it.  It  is  still  passing.  I  have 
followed,  in  campaigns,  six  armies,  but,  excepting  not  even 
the  American  army,  the  Japanese,  or  the  British,  I  have  not 
seen  one  so  thoroughly  equipped.  I  am  not  speaking  of  the 
fighting  qualities  of  any  army,  only  of  the  equipment  and 
organization.  The  German  army  moved  into  this  city  as 
smoothly  and  as  compactly  as  an  Empire  State  Express. 
There  were  no  halts,  no  open  places,  no  stragglers. 

"This  army  has  been  on  active  service  three  weeks,  and 
so  far  there  is  not  apparently  a  chin-strap  or  a  horseshoe 
missing.    It  came  in  with  the  smoke  pouring  from  cook-stoves 


96  SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS 

on  wheels,  and  in  an  hour  had  set  up  post-office  wagons,  from 
which  mounted  messengers  galloped  along  the  line  of  column, 
distributing  letters,  and  at  which  soldiers  posted  picture  post- 
cards. 

"The  infantry  came  in  in  files  of  five,  two  hundred  men  to 
each  company ;  the  Lancers  in  columns  of  four,  with  not  a  pen- 
nant missing.  The  quick-firing  guns  and  field-pieces  were  one 
hour  at  a  time  in  passing,  each  gun  with  its  caisson  and  am- 
munition-wagon taking  twenty  seconds  in  which  to  pass. 

"The  men  of  the  infantry  sang  ' Fatherland,  My  Father- 
land.' Between  each  line  of  song  they  took  three  steps.  At 
times  two  thousand  men  were  singing  together  in  absolute 
rhythm  and  beat.  When  the  melody  gave  way,  the  silence  was 
broken  only  by  the  stamp  of  iron-shod  boots,  and  then  again 
the  song  rose.  When  the  singing  ceased  the  bands  played 
marches.  They  were  followed  by  the  rumble  of  siege-guns, 
the  creaking  of  wheels,  and  of  chains  clanking  against  the 
cobblestones,  and  the  sharp,  bell-like  voices  of  the  bugles. 

"For  seven  hours  the  army  passed  in  such  solid  column 
that  not  once  might  taxicab  or  trolley-car  pass  through  the 
city.  Like  a  river  of  steel  it  flowed,  gray  and  ghostlike.  Then, 
as  dusk  came  and  as  thousands  of  horses'  hoofs  and  thou- 
sands of  iron  boots  continued  to  tramp  forward,  they  struck 
tiny  sparks  from  the  stones,  but  the  horses  and  the  men  who 
beat  out  the  sparks  were  invisible. 

"At  midnight  pack-wagons  and  siege-guns  were  still  pass- 
ing. At  7  this  morning  I  was  awakened  by  the  tramp  of  men 
and  bands  playing  jauntily.  Whether  they  marched  all  night 
or  not  I  do  not  know ;  but  now  for  twenty-six  hours  the  gray 
army  has  rumbled  by  with  the  mystery  of  fog  and  the  per- 
tinacity of  a  steam-roller." 

HISTORIC   TREASURES  OP  BRUSSELS 

The  city  of  Brussels,  thus  occupied  by  the  Germans,  con- 
tains art  treasures  that  are  priceless.  The  museum  and  pub- 
lic galleries  are  filled  with  masterpieces  of  the  Flemish  and 
old  Dutch  school,  while  the  royal  library  comprises  600,000 
volumes,  100,000  manuscripts  and  50,000  rare  coins.  Unques- 
tionably the  Brussels  Museum  is  one  of  the  most  complete  on 
the  Continent. 


SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS  97 

A  prominent  historic  landmark  of  Brussels  is  the  King's 
House  (also  called  the  Dreadhouse),  an  ancient  structure,  re- 
cently renovated.  Within  its  walls  both  the  Counts  Egrnont 
and  Hoorn  spent  the  last  night  before  their  execution,  in  1567, 
by  the  hirelings  of  the  Duke  of  Alva,  the  Spanish  Philip  II 's 
tyrannical  governor  of  the  Netherlands,  who,  by  means  of  the 
sword  and  the  Inquisition,  sought  to  establish  the  Catholic 
religion  in  those  countries.  Brussels  boasts  another  historic 
relic  known  the  world  over — the  equestrian  statue  of  Godfrey 
of  Bouillon,  who  led  the  Crusaders  to  the  Holy  Land.  It 
stands  upon  the  Place  Royale,  and  was  unveiled  in  1848. 

The  magnificent  Town  Hall  of  Brussels  would  probably 
have  suffered  destruction,  together  with  the  city's  other  beau- 
tiful buildings,  had  not  the  government  yielded  without  a 
struggle. 

HEAVY  WAR  TAX  LEVIED 

General  von  der  Goltz,  appointed  by  the  Kaiser  military 
governor  of  Belgium,  levied  a  war  tax  of  $40,000,000  on  the 
capture  of  the  capital.  Other  cities  occupied  by  the  Germans 
were  also  assessed  for  large  sums,  which  in  several  instances 
had  to  be  paid  immediately  on  pain  of  bombardment.  It  was 
announced  September  1  that  the  four  richest  men  in  Belgium 
had  guaranteed  the  payment  to  Germany  of  the  war  tax.  The 
four  men  were  Ernest  Solvay,  the  alkali  king;  Baron  Lam- 
bert, the  Belgian  representative  of  the  Rothschilds;  Raoul 
Warocque,  the  mine  owner,  and  Baron  Empain,  the  railway 
magnate. 

BELGIANS  RETREAT  TO  ANTWERP 

After  the  German  occupation  almost  normal  conditions 
were  soon  restored  in  Brussels,  so  far  as  civic  life  was  con- 
cerned. It  was  speedily  announced  that  the  Germans  intended 
to  regard  the  whole  of  Belgium  as  a  German  province  and  to 
administer  it  as  such,  at  least  during  the  continuance  of  the 
war.  The  Belgian  army  retired  to  the  north  within  the  forti- 
fications of  Antwerp,  where  they  were  joined  by  French 
troops,  but  desultory  fighting  against  the  German  invader 
continued  at  many  points  and  the  Franco-British  allies  soon 
came  into   contact  with  the  advancing  German  army  and  dis- 


98  SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS 

putecl  its  progress  along  the  Mons-Charleroi  line  to  the  south 
of  Brussels,  as  related  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

The  retreat  of  the  Belgian  forces  to  Antwerp  has  been 
pronounced  by  military  experts  to  have  been  a  masterly  piece 
of  precaution  and  strategy.  It  is  said  that  nothing  could  have 
been  wiser  than  to  forsake  the  unfortified  town  of  Brussels, 
and  to  become  intrenched  in  a  city  like  that  of  Antwerp,  which 
was  surrounded  by  a  strong  series  of  almost  unassailable  re- 
doubts. Moreover,  with  the  establishment  of  the  Belgian 
headquarters  at  this  point  of  defense  the  people  of  Holland 
are  said  to  have  felt  their  neutrality  was  more  than  ever  safe- 
guarded and  assured.    The  Paris  Figaro  said : 

"By  the  encampment  of  a  large  force  of  European  allies 
on  the  northwest  of  Belgium  the  safety  of  Holland  is  more 
than  ever  assured.  Holland  is  a  country  which  depends  alto- 
gether upon  the  support  and  the  neutral  policy  of  adjacent 
monarchies,  hence  the  relief  which  was  experienced  by  the 
Queen  of  Holland  when  forces  of  France  and  Belgium  took  up 
their  position  as  a  kind  of  outpost  in  Antwerp.  Antwerp  is 
very  well  protected  by  fortifications,  against  which  the  Ger- 
man cavalry  will  throw  themselves  in  vain.'* 

ZEPPELIN  ATTACK  ON  ANTWEEP 

The  first  German  demonstration  against  Antwerp  took  the 
form  of  a  night  attack  on  the  sleeping  city,  August  24-25,  by  a 
Zeppelin  airship,  which  dropped  eight  bombs.  The  result, 
according  to  the  dispatches,  was  the  killing  of  seven  civilians, 
four  of  whom  were  women,  the  wounding  of  eight  others,  and 
the  damaging  of  many  buildings.  Much  indignation  was  ex- 
pressed over  this  slaughter  of  non-combatants  in  their  sleep, 
and  the  Belgian  Government  determined  to  make  it  an  inter- 
national issue  on  the  ground  that  the  attack  constituted  a  vio- 
lation of  Article  XXVI  of  the  Fourth  Convention  of  The 
Hague.  This  article  provides  that  "the  officer  in  command 
of  an  attacking  force  must,  before  commencing  a  bombard- 
ment, except  in  cases  of  assault,  do  all  in  his  power  to  warn 
the  authorities."  The  New  York  Staats-Zeitung,  however, 
maintained  that  this  was  ' '  a  hypocritical  cry  of  protest, ' '  and 
declared  that,  if  the  bombs  had  fallen  on  Berlin  or  Strasburg 


SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS  99 

instead  of  Antwerp,  ''the  matter  would  be  dismissed  with  the 
statement  that  such  is  war." 

ANOTHER  ZEPPELIN  ATTACK 

The  night  of  September  2  was  signalized  by  a  second  Zep- 
pelin attack  on  Antwerp.  Several  bombs  were  thrown  and 
considerable  damage  done. 

William  G.  Shepherd,  staff  correspondent  of  the  United 
Press  at  Antwerp,  forwarded  an  interesting  description  of  the 
attack.    He  said: 

"  Before  this  war,  experts  used  to  say  perfection  of  terri- 
ble instruments  of  killing  would  only  tend  to  make  war  im- 
possible. It  doesn't  do  that,  though.  I  watched  the  Zeppelin 
dropping  bombs  upon  Antwerp  last  night,  and  such  perfection 
only  makes  war  more  terrible,  with  a  refinement  of  barbarism. 
As  I  saw  the  Zeppelin  depart  it  seemed  that  the  best  argument 
against  war  was  that  it  turned  men  into  such  merciless  de- 
mons as  these  Zeppelin  murderers. 

"The  wildest  flights  of  imagination  couldn't  approach 
what  happened  in  Antwerp  twelve  hours  ago.  Early  in  the 
evening  a  Belgian  captain  took  me  the  rounds  of  his  company 
stationed  in  the  center  of  the  city.  His  men  were  divided  into 
small  squads  in  a  dozen  streets. 

"They  were  sitting  on  the  sidewalks  with  their  backs 
against  the  building  walls,  drinking  hot  coffee,  which  had  been 
brought  to  them  in  an  automobile.  It  seemed  that  his  men 
were  pretty  well  spread  out  in  case  of  an  attack  by  the  Ger- 
mans, but  the  captain  said  there  were  30,000  soldiers  scat- 
tered over  the  city  in  the  same  way.  Later  the  reason  was 
apparent. 

1 '  Not  until  1  o  'clock  in  the  morning  did  the  big  red  harvest 
moon  begin  to  sink.  It  left  the  streets  in  pitch  darkness.  The 
city  was  so  tranquil  and  still  that  the  crackle  of  the  dry  au- 
tumn leaves  which  had  fallen  from  the  elms  in  the  public 
square  seemed  noise.  It  was  chilly,  too,  and  the  soldiers  on 
the  sidewalks  were  wrapped  up  in  their  big  overcoats,  and 
too  drowsy  or  too  comfortable  to  challenge. 

AWAKENED  BY  SOLDIERS 

"An  hour  and  a  half  later  I  was  awakened  by  soldiers 
talking  excitedly  in  the  street  beneath  my  window.    But  above 


100  SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS 

the  sound  of  their  voices  was  another  noise,  a  terrific  whir- 
ring, high  in  the  air.  I  jumped  from  bed,  rushed  to  the  win- 
dow and  looked  upward.  There  was  a  terrific  explosion,  far 
away,  a  deep  booming  roar.  A  moment  later  a  spark  came 
whirling  and  circling  through  the  air  like  a  shooting  star  gone 
mad.  It  sank  into  the  skyline  of  roofs  and  another  explosion 
boomed  out. 

"And  then  up  against  the  stars  I  saw  the  Zeppelin,  per- 
haps a  mile  high  and  out  over  the  outskirts  of  the  town. 

"Another  spark  fell  and  there  was  a  third  explosion.  Then 
a  new  sound  filled  the  air.  It  began  far  away.  It  was  the 
rattle  of  rifles — thousands  of  them.  The  firing  grew  nearer 
and  louder.  There  were  sharp  orders.  Under  my  window 
the  soldiers  began  to  shoot,  the  flashes  lighting  my  room. 
They  held  their  rifles  straight  upward.  The  sound  grew 
louder  and  louder.  Within  a  minute  the  din  was  indescrib- 
able. 

30,000  MEN  SHOOTING 

"Thirty  thousand  soldiers  were  shooting,  each  as  fast  as 
he  could  fire  with  his  magazine  rifle.  The  orders  were  not  to 
try  to  hit  the  Zeppelin  unless  it  was  overhead.  Every  man's 
duty  was  to  shoot  straight  up. 

"They  were  filling  the  air  with  steel.  They  were  putting 
up  a  fence  of  metal  a  mile  high  around  the  city  and  palace. 
They  filled  the  air  with  death  to  anything  that  entered  the 
zone  above  Antwerp.  The  big  guns  in  the  forts  around  the  city 
began  to  boom.  Aeroplane  machine  guns  mounted  on  auto- 
mobiles dashed  about  the  streets,  adding  their  burring,  rat- 
tling sound  to  the  din. 

"In  the  midst  of  it  all  there  were  eight  more  of  the  big 
bass  booms,  the  voice  of  the  Zeppelin  bombs,  in  quick  succes- 
sion. To  the  last,  in  the  midst  of  the  bullets  and  superhuman 
confusion,  the  supermen  in  the  Zeppelin  had  tried  to  stick  to 
the  job.  Two  of  the  eight  bombs  fell  within  twenty  and  thirty 
meters  of  the  Red  Cross  hospitals;  the  other  six  beat  a  Gar- 
gantuan tattoo  on  the  field  around  the  wireless  station,  which 
the  airmen  were  evidently  trying  to  destroy.  The  holes  in  the 
earth  about  the  station  were  each  the  size  and  shape  of  a  cis- 
tern. 


SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS  101 

"Ten  minutes  of  firing  had  made  the  Antwerp  sky  un- 
healthful. 

"As  the  last  batch  of  bombs  went  over  the  sides  of  the  car 
the  balloon  arose  and  sped  away  from  the  city. 

"The  firing  died  out  slowly.  Half  an  hour  later  the  Zep- 
pelin was  reported  at  a  point  twelve  miles  away.  Two  chil- 
dren, three  women  and  five  men  had  been  injured — though 
none  seriously — and  three  houses  destroyed.  Nearly  all  the 
terrified  families  of  the  city  had  taken  refuge  in  the  cellars, 
for  a  week  before  the  same  Zeppelin  had  bombarded  the  town 
and  killed  several  persons.  The  bullets  fired  by  the  soldiers 
came  falling  from  the  sky,  but  aside  from  breaking  skylights 
they  caused  no  injury.  Folks  going  to  work  this  morning 
picked  them  up  for  souvenirs." 

During  the  month  of  September  there  were  also  several 
cavalry  and  artillery  attacks  on  Antwerp,  but  these  were  as  a 
rule  easily  repulsed  by  the  forts  and  their  Belgian  defenders. 


THE  CITY  AND   PORT  OF  ANTWERP 

Antwerp  is  one  of  the  largest,  most  modernly  equipped  and 
efficient  ports  in  Europe.  It  is  only  a  short  distance  across 
the  English  Channel,  and  is  the  head  of  1,200  miles  of  canals 
in  Belgium  which  connect  with  the  canal  systems  of  Holland, 
France  and  Germany.  On  the  harbor  alone  over  $100,000,000 
has  been  spent  and  extensions  are  in  progress  which  will  cost 
$15,000,000  more. 

For  the  prosperity  of  Belgium,  Antwerp  is  many  times 
more  important  than  Brussels,  the  capital.  While  the  country 
has  an  enormous  amount  of  coal  and  many  factories  and  other 
industries,  these  would  be  of  little  value  without  the  imports 
which  enter  through  Antwerp. 

The  city  has  about  360,000  inhabitants.  Although  located 
fifty-three  miles  inland  on  the  Scheldt  River,  it  has  natural 
advantages  for  harbor  purposes  which  have  been  recognized 
since  the  seventh  century.  Napoleon  looked  over  the  spot  and 
started  large  harbor  construction. 

LEGEND  OF  THE   GIANT 

The  origin  of  the  first  inhabitants  of  the  city  is  unknown, 
but  their  commercial  nature  makes  itself  manifest  in  the  se- 


102 


SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS 


lection  of  the  city  site,  and  this  nature  seems  to  have  been 
transmitted  to  those  who  now  operate  the  port. 

In  all  of  the  jewelry  shops  of  Antwerp  can  be  found  sou- 
venir spoons  of  the  hand  of  a  man.  The  legend  goes  that  long 
years  ago  a  terrible  giant  levied  a  tax  on  all  goods  going  up 
or  coming  down  the  river,  to  half  the  value  of  the  goods.  He 
cut  off  and  threw  into  the  River  Scheldt  the  right  hand  of  any 
person  who  infringed  this  tariff.    The  souvenir  spoons  relate 


ANTWERP  AND   ITS   FORTIFICATIONS 


to  this  old  yarn.  In  addition  the  Flemish  word  "antwerpen" 
is  supposed  to  have  originated  in  the  word  for  hand  and  the 
word  "werpen,"  to  throw. 

A  lieutenant  under  Julius  Caesar  is  said  to  have  gone  to 
Antwerp  and  engaged  the  terrible  giant  in  a  battle.  The 
giant's  head  was  ordered  severed  from  his  body,  and  his  hand 
was  cut  off  and  thrown  into  the  river.  This  fable  is  incor- 
porated in  a  statue  that  stands  opposite  the  town  hall  in  Ant- 
werp. 


SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS  103 

Ever  since  that  time,  according  to  popular  belief,  Antwerp 
has  encouraged  commerce.  Over  eighty  different  steamboat 
lines  use  the  docks  and  quays.  The  passenger  lines  include 
boats  to  New  York  and  Boston,  New  Orleans,  London,  Liv- 
erpool, Manchester,  Grimsby,  South  American  ports,  Cuba, 
the  Congo,  East  and  South  Africa  and  the  far  East. 

In  1912  a  total  of  6,973  ocean-going  vessels  entered  the 
port,  and  41,000  other  vessels. 

Antwerp  in  1870  ranked  fifth  in  the  ports  of  the  world. 
Today  it  is  believed  to  be  second  or  third.  Ten  years  ago  the 
freight  received  from  the  inland  was  principally  by  the  canals. 
Approximately  2,300,000  tons  were  received  by  rail  and  5,500,- 
000  tons  by  canal  boats. 

This  ratio  has  not  been  maintained,  but  the  canal  traffic 
now  is  much  larger  than  the  rail  tonnage.  This  gives  an  idea 
of  the  extensive  use  to  which  the  European  countries  put  their 
canals,  and  the  reader  may  guess  the  value  of  the  city  at  the 
head  of  the  canal  system  to  the  Germans. 


BLOODLESS    CAPITULATION    OF    GHENT 

Historic  Ghent,  with  its  quarter  of  a  million  inhabitants, 
was  also  surrendered  peaceably  to  the  Germans,  and  again 
the  energy  and  initiative  of  an  American,  United  States  Vice- 
Consul  J.  A.  Van  Hee,  had  much  to  do  with  the  avoidance  of 
tragedy  and  destruction. 

Learning  that  the  advance  guard  of  the  German  army  was 
only  a  few  miles  outside  the  city,  the  burgomaster  went  out 
on  the  morning  of  September  8  to  parley  with  Gen.  von 
Boehn — in  the  hope  of  arranging  for  the  German  forces  not 
to  enter.  An  agreement  finally  was  reached  whereby  the  Ger- 
mans should  go  around  Ghent  on  condition  that  all  Belgian 
troops  should  evacuate  the  city,  the  civic  guard  be  disarmed, 
their  weapons  surrendered,  and  the  municipal  authorities 
should  supply  the  Germans  with  specified  quantities  of  pro- 
visions and  other  supplies. 

The  burgomaster  was  not  back  an  hour  when  a  motor  car 
driven  by  two  armed  German  soldiers  appeared  in  the  streets. 

At  almost  the  same  moment  that  the  German  car  entered 


104  SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS 

the  city  from  the  south  a  Belgian  armored  car,  armed  with  a 
machine  gun,  with  a  crew  of  three  men,  entered  from  the  east 
on  a  scouting  expedition. 

The  two  cars,  both  speeding,  encountered  each  other  at 
the  head  of  the  Rue  Agneau,  directly  in  front  of  the  American 
consulate.  Vice-consul  Van  Hee,  standing  in  the  doorway, 
was  an  eyewitness  to  what  followed. 

The  Germans,  taken  completely  by  surprise  at  the  sight  of 
the  foe's  grim  war  car  in  its  coat  of  elephant  gray,  bearing 
down  upon  them,  attempted  to  escape,  firing  with  their  car- 
bines as  they  fled.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  side- 
walks were  lined  with  onlookers,  the  Belgians  opened  on  the 
fleeing  Germans  with  their  machine  guns,  which  spurted  lead 
as  a  garden  hose  spurts  water. 

The  driver,  fearing  the  Germans  might  escape,  swerved 
his  powerful  car  against  the  German  motor  precisely  as  a 
polo  player ' '  rides  off ' '  his  opponent.  The  machine  gun  never 
ceased  its  angry  snarl. 

The  Germans  surrendered,  both  being  wounded. 

Appreciating  that  Ghent  stood  in  imminent  danger  of 
meeting  the  terrible  fate  of  its  sister  cities,  Aerschot  and 
Louvain,  sacked  and  burned  for  far  less  cause,  Mr.  Van  Hee 
hurriedly  found  the  burgomaster  and  urged  him  to  go  along 
instantly  to  German  headquarters. 

They  found  General  von  Boehn  and  his  staff  at  a  chateau 
a  few  miles  outside  the  city.  The  German  commander  at 
first  was  furious  with  anger  and  threatened  Ghent  with  the 
same  punishment  he  had  meted  out  to  the  other  places  where 
Germans  were  fired  on.  Van  Hee  took  a  very  firm  stand, 
however.  He  told  the  general  the  burning  of  Ghent  would  do 
more  than  anything  else  to  lose  the  Germans  all  American 
sympathy.  He  reminded  him  that  Americans  have  a  great 
sentimental  interest  in  Ghent  because  the  treaty  of  peace  be- 
tween England  and  the  United  States  was  signed  there  just  a 
century  ago. 

The  general  finally  said:  "If  you  will  give  me  your  word 
that  there  will  be  no  further  attacks  upon  Germans  in  Ghent, 
and  that  the  wounded  soldiers  will  be  taken  under  American 
protection  and  returned  to  Brussels  by  the  consular  authori- 


SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS  105 

ties  when  they  have  recovered,  I  will  agree  to  spare  Ghent  and 
will  not  even  demand  a  money  indemnity. ' ' 

The  news  that  Mr.  Van  Hee  had  succeeded  in  his  mission 
spread  through  the  city  like  fire  in  dry  grass  and  when  he  re- 
turned he  was  acclaimed  by  cheering  crowds  as  tne  saviour  of 
Ghent. 

THE  BURGOMASTEE  's  APPEAL 

Blazoned  on  the  front  of  the  Town  Hall  suddenly  ap- 
peared a  great  black-lettered  document.  It  was  a  manly  and 
inspiring  proclamation  by  the  burgomaster,  similar  to  the 
splendid  proclamation  issued  by  M.  Adolphe  Max,  burgomas- 
ter of  Brussels,  just  before  the  German  entry.  He  assured  the 
inhabitants  that  he  and  all  the  town  officials  were  remaining 
in  their  places,  and  that  so  long  as  life  and  liberty  remained 
to  him  he  would  do  all  in  his  power  to  protect  their  honor 
and  their  interests.  He  reminded  them  that  under  the  laws  of 
war  they  had  the  right  to  refuse  all  information  and  help  to 
the  invaders ;  and  called  upon  each  citizen,  or  his  wife,  to 
refuse  such  information  and  help.  Finally,  he  urged  the  citi- 
zens to  remain  calm,  and  stay  in  their  homes. 

"Vive  la  Belgique!  Vive  Ghent!"  The  proclamation 
ended  in  great  capitals  with  this  patriotic  cry. 

DINANT   AND    TERMONDE    FALL 

But  other  cities  and  towns  of  Belgium  were  not  as  for- 
tunate as  Brussels  and  Ghent  in  escaping  damage  and  de- 
struction. 

Dinant,  a  town  of  8,000  inhabitants,  fifteen  miles  south  of 
Namur,  and  dating  back  to  the  sixth  century,  was  partially 
destroyed  by  the  Germans  in  their  advance  on  September  3 
and  4.  Early  reports  stated  that  a  number  of  the  most  promi- 
nent citizens  had  been  executed,  including  Mr.  Humbert, 
owner  of  a  large  factory,  who  was  slain  in  the  presence  of  his 
wife  and  children. 

The  Germans  alleged  that  citizens  had  fired  on  them  from 
the  heights  about  the  city.  They  then  drove  all  of  the  inhabi- 
tants out,  shot  some  of  the  men  as  examples,  took  the  gold 
from  the  branch  of  the  National  Bank  and  burned  the  business 
section. 


106  SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS 

On  September  4  the  town  of  Termonde  met  a  similar  fate. 
This  town,  16  miles  from  Ghent,  was  fired  in  several  places 
before  the  Kaiser's  troops  passed  on.  They  also  blew  up  a 
bridge  over  the  River  Escaut  to  the  north,  seeming  to  re- 
nounce for  the  moment  their  intrusion  into  the  country  of  the 
Waes  district.  Afterward  they  directed  an  attack  against  the 
southwest  front  position  of  the  Antwerp  army  and  were  re- 
pulsed with  great  losses. 

Describing  the  burning  of  Termonde  by  the  Germans,  a 
Ghent  correspondent  said : 

"By  midday  Sunday  the  blaze  had  assumed  gigantic  pro- 
portions and  by  Sunday  evening  not  a  house  stood  upright. 
This  was  verified  at  Zele,  where  there  were  thousands  of  refu- 
gees from  Termonde.  The  Germans  also  pillaged  Zele.  The 
suburb  of  St.  Giles  also  suffered  from  bombardment  and  fire. ' ' 

A  courier  who  knew  Termonde  as  a  flourishing  town  with 
fine  shops,  an  ancient  town  hall  of  singular  beauty  and  a  num- 
ber of  churches  of  historic  interest,  found  the  place  on  Sep- 
tember 11  a  smoldering  ruin,  except  for  the  town  hall  and  one 
church,  on  a  stone  of  which  he  saw  the  inscription  "1311." 
These  two  structures  were  left  intact,  without  so  much  as  a 
broken  window. 

Termonde  was  burned  for  much  the  same  reason  as  Lou- 
vain.  On  September  4  a  German  force  came  back  from  the 
field  after  having  been  severely  handled  by  the  Belgians,  and 
the  German  commander,  it  is  said,  exclaimed: 

"  It  is  our  duty  to  burn  them  down ! ' ' 

The  inhabitants  were  given  two  hours '  grace,  and  German 
soldiers  filed  through  the  town,  breaking  windows  with  their 
rifles.  They  were  followed  by  other  files  of  troops,  who 
sprayed  kerosene  into  the  houses,  others  applied  lighted  fuses 
and  the  town  was  systematically  destroyed. 

BOMBARDMENT  OF  MALINES 

On  Thursday  night,  August  27,  the  German  artillery  bom- 
barded the  ancient  Belgian  town  of  Malines.  During  the  bom- 
bardment many  of  the  monuments  in  the  town  were  hit  by 
shells  and  destroyed.  When  the  artillery  had  ceased  firing 
the  inhabitants  of  Malines  were  advised  to  leave  the  town, 


SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS  107 

and  many  of  the  refugees,  including  a  number  of  priests  in 
civilian  dress,  spent  the  night  in  the  church  at  Duffel. 
Amongst  the  damaged  buildings  were  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  the 
Courts  of  Justice,  the  Church  of  St.  Pierre,  and  the  Cathe- 
dral of  St.  Rombold.  The  Church  of  St.  Pierre  was  totally 
destroyed,  but  the  tower  of  the  cathedral  remained  intact. 
The  famous  peal  of  bells,  however,  was  destroyed  during  the 
earlier  stages  of  the  bombardment. 

The  town  of  Malines  had  a  population  of  55,000  inhabi- 
tants. Its  history  goes  back  a  very  long  way.  In  915  it  came 
under  the  rule  of  the  Bishops  of  Liege,  and  it  is  still  regarded 
as  the  ecclesiastical  capital  of  Belgium;  in  1332  it  was  pur- 
chased by  the  Count  of  Flanders.  Malines  is  well  known  to 
all  tourists  for  its  ancient  buildings,  some  of  them  of  the 
utmost  beauty  and  dignity.  The  Cathedral  of  St.  Rombold 
is  a  cruciform  Gothic  church  with  a  tower  324  feet  in  height. 

SCENES  AT  CARTENBARG,  BELGIUM 

Mr.  A.  J.  Dawe,  a  prisoner  of  war  and  eyewitness  of 
scenes  at  Cartenbarg,  just  north  of  Brussels,  thus  described 
the  sights  he  saw  there  on  August  28 : 

"For  three  terrible  hours  we  had  to  stand  watching  the 
destruction.  The  Germans  who  were  guarding  us  told  us 
that  from  certain  houses  shots  had  been  fired  by  the  civilians 
during  the  morning  upon  a  passing  German  troop,  and  that 
several  Uhlans  had  been  killed.  They  began  upon  the  houses 
from  which  the  shots  were  supposed  to  have  been  fired.  These 
houses  were  soon  spitting  with  fire  and  shooting  up  great 
flames.  Here  and  there  the  fire  soon  spread  along  the  whole 
street.  The  women  and  children  were  herded  together  and 
set  aside.  We  heard  the  quick  sounds  of  rifleshots  as  the  es- 
caping civilians  were  picked  off.  It  was  a  terrible  and  brutal 
business — we  had  not  yet  seen  Louvain,  and  to  us  it  was  our 
first  experience  of  the  real  horrors  of  war. ' ' 

DESOLATION  IN  BELGIUM 

Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines,  Belgium,  when 
in  Rome  attending  the  conclave  that  elected  Pope  Benedict 
XV  as  successor  to  the  lamented  Pius  X,  whose  death  on  Au- 
gust 19  was  partly  due  to  grief  over  the  war,  gave  out  an  in- 


108  SURRENDER  OF  BRUSSELS 

terview  in  which  his  eminence  painted  a  terrible  picture  of  the 
miseries  suffered  by  his  unhappy  country  as  a  result  of  the 
German  invasion. 

"I  can't  shut  my  eyes  without  seeing  again  the  bodies  of 
the  Belgians,"  said  the  cardinal.  "Desolated  towns,  villages 
and  blood  everywhere.  I  wanted  to  stay  among  my  priests 
and  remain  with  the  holocaust  of  innocent  victims  of  the  sav- 
agery of  the  Germans. 

"As  I  traveled  through  Belgium  the  spectacle  of  its  un- 
happiness  seemed  to  bear  me  back  to  my  devastated  Malines, 
to  the  side  of  my  king  and  my  suffragan  of  Liege,  today  a  hos- 
tage, tomorrow,  perhaps,  a  martyr.  All  along  the  roads  I 
could  see  unburied  bodies  mingled  with  the  carcasses  of 
horses,  and  I  could  recognize  some  of  the  faces. 

"What  has  taken  place  in  Belgium  is  not  war,  but  the  out- 
come of  hate.  The  Germans  are  taking  their  revenge  for  the 
stigma  attached  to  them  as  violators  of  neutral  territory. 

"In  undefended  towns,  after  having  bombarded  the  houses 
they  have  given  the  churches  to  the  flames  and  have  used  the 
wooden  statues  on  the  altars  as  torches  to  light  them  to  their 
deeds  of  blood.  In  Malines,  a  peaceable  and  undefended 
town,  they  made  a  target  of  the  Church  of  St.  Rombold. 

"These  bomb-carrying  Germans  wanted  to  strike  at  the 
head  of  Belgium ;  they  wished  to  raze  to  the  ground  the  Bel- 
gians'  intellectual  capital,  throwing  into  flames  alike  the 
contents  of  laboratories  and  libraries.  Ought  not  the  word 
'Droit,'  ('Right')  standing  out  in  letters  of  gold  on  the  old 
buildings,  to  have  made  them  shudder? 

"German  deeds  in  Belgium  have  nothing  to  do  with  war 
either  in  the  old  days  of  chivalry  or  in  its  modern  and  historic 
form. 

"When  the  lake  of  blood  left  by  the  Germans  in  Belgium 
has  dried  up  it  will  be  necessary  to  look  for  a  slab  of  stone 
large  enough  to  be  a  record  of  these  crimes  against  the  rights 
alike  of  Heaven  and  humanity. ' ' 


CHAPTER  VII 

AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT 

Remarkable  Story  by  American  War  Correspondent  of  His 
Visit  to  Gen.  von  Boehn's  Headquarters  in  the  Field — 
The  German  Fighting  Machine — The  General's  Ver- 
sion of  Alleged  German  Atrocities. 

ONE  of  the  most  vivid  descriptions  of  the  German  army  in 
the  field  was  sent  from  the  headquarters  of  the  Ninth 
Imperial  army  at  Chateau  Lafere,  near  Renaix,  Bel- 
gium, by  Mr.  E.  Alexander  Powell,  war  correspondent  of  the 
New  York  World,  whose  facile  pen  presented  not  only  a  re- 
markable panoramic  picture  of  the  German  fighting  machine 
as  it  rolled  before  his  eyes,  but  also  gave  General  von  Boehn's 
version  of  the  atrocities  alleged  to  have  been  committed  by 
the  German  troops  in  several  of  the  smaller  towns  and  cities 
of  Belgium.  Mr.  Powell's  thrilling  story  is  of  historic  inter- 
est and  read  as  follows : 

Three  weeks  ago  the  government  of  Belgium  requested  me 
to  place  before  the  American  people  a  list  of  specific  and  au- 
thenticated atrocities  committed  by  the  German  armies  upon 
Belgian  noncombatants. 

Today  (September  9)  General  von  Boehn,  commanding 
the  Ninth  Imperial  Field  Army,  acting  mouthpiece  of  the 
German  general  staff,  has  asked  me  to  place  before  the  Amer- 
ican people  the  German  version  of  the  incidents  in  question. 

So  far  as  I  am  aware  I  am  the  only  correspondent  in  the 
present  war  who  has  motored  for  an  entire  day  through  the 
ranks  of  the  advancing  German  army,  who  has  dined  as  a 
guest  of  the  German  army  commander  and  his  staff,  and  who 

109 


110  AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT 

has  had  the  progress  of  the  army  on  the  march  arrested  in 
order  to  obtain  photographs  of  the  German  troops. 

This  unusual  experience  came  about  in  a  curious  and 
roundabout  way.  After  an  encounter  in  the  streets  of  Ghent 
last  Tuesday  between  a  German  military  automobile  and  a 
Belgian  armored  car,  in  which  two  German  soldiers  were 
wounded  [as  described  in  the  preceding  chapter],  American 
Vice  Consul  Van  Hee  persuaded  the  burgomaster  to  accom- 
pany him  immediately  to  the  headquarters  of  General  von 
Boehn  to  explain  the  circumstances  and  ask  that  the  city 
should  not  be  held  responsible  for  the  unfortunate  affair. 

In  the  course  of  the  conversation  with  Mr.  Van  Hee,  Gen- 
eral von  Boehn  remarked  that  copies  of  papers  containing 
articles  written  by  Alexander  Powell  criticizing  the  German 
treatment  of  the  Belgian  civil  population  had  come  to  his 
attention  and  said  he  regretted  he  could  not  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  talk  with  Powell  and  give  him  the  German  version. 

Mr.  Van  Hee  said  that  by  a  fortunate  coincidence  I  hap- 
pened to  be  in  Ghent,  whereupon  the  general  asked  him  to 
bring  me  out  to  dinner  the  following  day,  and  issued  a  safe 
conduct  through  the  German  lines. 

TAKES    AN    AMERICAN    PHOTOGRAPHER 

Though  nothing  was  said  about  a  photographer,  I  took 
with  me  Photographer  Donald  Thompson.  As  there  was  some 
doubt  regarding  the  propriety  of  taking  a  Belgian  military 
driver  into  the  German  lines,  I  drove  the  car  myself. 

Before  we  passed  the  city  limits  of  Ghent  things  began 
to  happen.  Entering  a  street,  which  leads  through  a  section 
inhabited  by  the  working  classes,  we  found  ourselves  in  the 
midst  of  a  mob  of  several  thousand  excited  Flemings.  Above 
the  sea  of  threatening  arms,  brandished  sticks,  and  angry 
faces  rose  the  figures  of  two  German  soldiers  with  carbines 
slung  across  their  backs,  mounted  on  work  horses.  It  seems 
they  had  strayed  into  the  city  by  mistake. 

As  we  approached  a  burly  Belgian  raised  a  cane  and  the 
crowd  made  a  concerted  rush  for  the  Germans.  A  blast  from 
my  siren  opened  a  lane  through  the  crowd  and  I  drove  the  car 
alongside  the  terrified  Germans. 


AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT  111 

"Quick,"  shouted  Van  Hee  in  German,  "off  your  horses. 
Into  the  car.  Hide  your  rifles.  Sit  on  the  floor.  Keep  out  of 
sight. ' ' 

The  crowd,  seeing  its  prey  escaping,  surged  around  us 
with  a  roar.   For  an  instant  things  looked  ticklish  indeed. 

Van  Hee  jumped  on  the  seat. 

"I  am  American  consul,"  he  shouted.  "These  men 
are  under  my  protection.  You  civilians  are  attacking  German 
soldiers  in  uniform.  If  a  hair  of  these  men's  heads  is  harmed 
your  city  will  be  burned  about  your  ears." 

At  that  moment  a  Belgian  shouldered  his  way  through  the 
crowd  and  leaped  on  the  running  board.  Quick  as  a  thought 
Thompson  knocked  up  the  man's  hand  and  the  same  instant 
I  threw  on  the  power.  The  big  car  leaped  forward  like  a 
startled  horse,  the  mob  scattering  like  autumn  leaves  be- 
fore it. 

It  was  a  close  call  for  every  one  concerned,  but  a  much 
closer  call  for  Ghent,  for  had  those  German  soldiers  been 
murdered  by  the  civilians  in  the  city  streets  no  power  on 
earth  could  have  saved  the  city  from  vengeance.  General 
von  Boehn  told  me  so  himself. 

HELP  FOR  U.  S.  REFUGEES 

A  few  minutes  later,  as  playlets  follow  each  other  in  quick 
succession  on  the  stage,  the  scene  changed  from  tragedy  to  a 
screaming  farce.  As  we  came  thundering  into  the  little  town 
of  Sotteghem  in  a  sleepy  hollow  of  Belgium,  we  saw  in  the 
center  of  the  town  square  a  pyramid  at  least  ten  feet  high  of 
wardrobe  trunks,  steamer  trunks,  and  suitcases.  From  the 
summit  of  this  extraordinary  monument  floated  an  American 
flag. 

As  our  car  came  to  a  sudden  halt  there  was  a  chorus  of 
exclamations  in  all  dialects  from  Maine  to  Southern  Cali- 
fornia and  from  the  door  of  a  nearby  cafe  there  came  pouring 
a  flood  of  Americans.  They  proved  to  be  a  lost  detachment 
of  that  great  army  of  tourists  which  at  the  beginning  of  hos- 
tilities started  its  mad  retreat  for  the  coast,  leaving  Europe 
strewn  with  baggage. 

This  particular  detachment  had  been  caught  at  Brussels 
and  as  food  supplies  were  running  short  they  determined  to 


112  AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT 

make  a  dash  for  Ostend.  Perhaps  " crawl"  would  be  a  better 
word,  for  they  made  the  journey  as  far  as  Sotteghem  in  two 
cumbersome  farm  wagons.  Upon  reaching  Sotteghem  the 
Belgian  drivers,  hearing  that  the  German  army  was  approach- 
ing, refused  to  go  farther  and  unceremoniously  dumped  their 
passengers  in  the  town  square. 

When  we  arrived  they  had  been  there  twenty-four 
hours.  It  was  a  mixed  assemblage.  Two  school  teachers, 
women  of  fashion,  a  Pennsylvania  farmer,  and  a  quartet  of 
professional  tango  dancers  from  San  Francisco,  who  had 
been  doing  a  turn  at  the  Palais  du  Danse  in  Brussels,  were 
in  the  crowd. 

Van  Hee  and  I  skirmished  about,  and  after  much  argument 
succeeded  in  getting  two  farm  carts  to  transport  the  fugitives 
into  Ghent.  For  the  thirty-mile  journey  the  thrifty  peasants 
demanded  $80. 

The  last  I  saw  of  the  refugees  they  were  perched  on  top 
of  the  luggage,  piled  on  two  creaking  carts,  rumbling  down 
the  road  to  Ghent,  with  their  huge  American  flag  flying  above 
them,  and  singing  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  "We'll  never  go 
there  any  more. ' ' 

MILES  OF  GERMAN  SOLDIERS 

Half  a  mile  out  of  Sotteghem  our  road  debouched  into  the 
great  highway  which  leads  through  Lille  to  Paris.  We  sud- 
denly found  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  the  German  army.  It 
was  a  sight  never  to  be  forgotten.  Far  as  the  eye  could  see 
stretched  solid  columns  of  marching  men,  pressing  westward, 
ever  westward. 

The  army  was  advancing  in  three  mighty  columns  along 
three  parallel  roads.  These  dense  masses  of  moving  men  in 
their  elusive  blue-gray  uniforms  looked  for  all  the  world  like 
three  monstrous  serpents  crawling  across  the  countryside. 

American  flags  which  fluttered  from  our  windshield 
proved  a  passport  in  themselves  and  as  we  approached  the 
close-locked  ranks  they  parted  to  let  us  through. 

For  five  solid  hours,  traveling  always  at  express  train 
speed,  we  motored  between  the  walls  of  the  marching  men. 
In  time  the  constant  shuffle  of  boots  and  the  rhythmic  swing 
of  gray-clad  arms  and  shoulders  grew  maddening  and  I  be- 


AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT  113 

came  obsessed  with  the  fear  that  I  would  send  the  car  plowing 
into  the  human  wedge  on  either  side. 

It  seemed  that  the  ranks  never  would  end,  and  as  far  as 
we  were  concerned  they  never  did,  for  we  never  saw  or  heard 
the  end  of  that  mighty  column. 

We  passed  regiment  after  regiment,  brigade  after  brigade, 
of  infantry,  and  after  them  hussars,  Uhlans,  cuirassiers,  field 
batteries,  more  infantry,  more  field  guns,  ambulances,  then 
siege  guns,  each  drawn  by  thirty  horses,  engineers,  telephone 
corps,  pontoon  wagons,  armored  motor  cars,  more  Uhlans,  the 
sunlight  gleaming  on  their  forest  of  lances,  more  infantry  in 
spiked  helmets,  all  sweeping  by  as  irresistible  as  a  mighty 
river,  with  their  faces  turned  toward  France. 

This  was  the  Ninth  field  army  and  composed  the  very 
flower  of  the  empire,  including  the  magnificent  troops  of  the 
Imperial  Guard.  It  was  first  and  last  a  fighting  army.  The 
men  were  all  young.  They  struck  me  as  being  keen  as  razors 
and  as  hard  as  nails.  The  horses  were  magnificent.  They 
could  not  have  been  better.  The  field  guns  of  the  Imperial 
Guard  were  almost  twice  the  size  of  any  used  by  our  army. 

THIRTY-TWO   HOESES  DRAW   ONE   GIANT  HOWITZER 

But  the  most  interesting  of  all,  of  course,  were  the  five  gi- 
gantic howitzers,  each  drawn  by  sixteen  pairs  of  horses. 
These  howitzers  can  tear  a  city  to  pieces  at  a  distance  of  a 
dozen  miles. 

Every  contingency  seems  to  have  been  foreseen.  Nothing 
was  left  to  chance  or  overlooked.  Maps  of  Belgium,  with 
which  every  soldier  is  provided,  are  the  finest  examples  of 
topography  I  have  ever  seen.  Every  path,  every  farm  build- 
ing, every  clump  of  trees,  and  every  twig  is  shown. 

At  one  place  a  huge  army  wagon  containing  a  complete 
printing  press  was  drawn  up  beside  the  road  and  a  morning 
edition  of  the  Deutsche  Krieger  Zeitung  (German  War  News) 
was  being  printed  and  distributed  to  the  passing  men.  It 
contained  nothing  but  accounts  of  German  victories  of  which 
I  never  had  heard,  but  it  seemed  greatly  to  cheer  the  men. 

Field  kitchens  with  smoke  pouring  from  their  stovepipe 
funnels  rumbled  down  the  lines,  serving  steaming  soup  and 


114  AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT 

coffee  to  the  marching  men,  who  held  out  tin  cups  and  had 
them  filled  without  once  breaking  step. 

There  were  wagons  filled  with  army  cobblers,  sitting 
cross-legged  on  the  floor,  who  were  mending  soldiers'  shoes 
just  as  if  they  were  back  in  their  little  shops  in  the  Father- 
land. Other  wagons,  to  all  appearances  ordinary  two-wheeled 
farm  carts,  hid  under  their  arched  canvas  covers  machine 
guns  which  could  instantly  be  brought  into  action. 

The  medical  corps  was  as  magnificent  as  businesslike.  It 
was  as  perfectly  equipped  and  as  efficient  as  a  great  city  hos- 
pital. 

Men  on  bicycles  with  a  coil  of  insulated  wire  slung  be- 
tween them  strung  a  field  telephone  from  tree  to  tree  so  the 
general  commanding  could  converse  with  any  part  of  the 
fifty -mile-long  column. 

The  whole  army  never  sleeps.  When  half  is  resting  the 
other  half  is  advancing.  The  soldiers  are  treated  as  if  they 
were  valuable  machines  which  must  be  speeded  up  to  the  high- 
est possible  efficiency.  Therefore,  they  are  well  fed,  well 
shod,  well  clothed,  and  worked  as  a  negro  teamster  works 
mules. 

SOLDIER  GIVEN  TERRIFIC  BEATING 

Only  men  who  are  well  cared  for  can  march  thirty-five  miles 
a  day  week  in  and  week  out.  Only  once  did  I  see  a  man  mis- 
treated. A  sentry  on  duty  in  front  of  the  general  headquar- 
ters failed  to  salute  an  officer  with  sufficient  promptness, 
whereupon  the  officer  lashed  him  again  and  again  across  the 
face  with  a  riding  whip.  Though  welts  rose  with  every  blow, 
the  soldier  stood  rigidly  at  attention  and  never  quivered. 

As  we  were  passing  a  German  outpost  a  sentry  ran  out  and 
signaled  us : 

"Are  you  Americans ?" 

"We  are,"  I  said. 

"Then  I  have  orders  to  take  you  to  the  commandant," 
he  said. 

"But  I  am  on  my  way  to  see  General  von  Boehn.  I  have 
a  pass  signed  by  the  general  himself,"  I  said. 

"No  matter,"  the  man  stubbornly  insisted,  "you  must 
come  with  me  to  the  commander.    He  has  so  ordered. " 


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GERMANS    VS.    FRENCHMEN— THE   CUT   AND   TIIIU'ST   OF   A   CAVALRY   ENCOUNTER. 
Draw*  by  F.  Mntanln  f»r  The  Sphere. 


AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT  115 

So  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  go  with  the  soldier.  He 
had  a  most  compelling  way  about  him.  We  had  visions  of 
prison  cells,  courts-martial,  and  firing  parties,  though  we  tried 
to  laugh  it  off.  We  found  the  commandant  and  his  officers 
quartered  at  a  farmhouse  a  few  rods  down  the  road.  He 
proved  to  be  a  stout,  florid  faced,  boisterous  captain  of  in- 
fantry. 

"I'm  sorry  to  delay  you,"  he  said,  "but  I  ordered  the 
sentries  to  stop  the  first  American  car  that  passed  along  the 
road.  I  have  a  brother  in  America  and  I  want  to  send  a  letter 
to  him  to  let  him  know  that  all  is  well  with  me.  You  will  send 
it  to  him?" 

[Of  course  the  promise  was  made  and  Mr.  Powell  was  then 
permitted  to  proceed.] 

FINALLY  REACHES  GENERAL  VON  BOEHN 

It  was  considerably  past  midday  and  we  were  within  a 
few  miles  of  the  French  frontier  when  we  saw  a  guidon,  which 
signifies  the  presence  of  the  head  of  the  army,  planted  at  the 
entrance  of  a  splendid  old  chateau.  As  we  passed  through  the 
iron  gates  and  whirled  up  the  stately  tree-lined  drive  and 
drew  up  in  front  of  the  terrace,  a  dozen  officers  in  staff  uni- 
form came  running  out  to  meet  us.  For  a  few  minutes  it  felt 
as  if  we  were  being  welcomed  at  a  country  house  in  America 
instead  of  at  the  headquarters  of  the  German  army  in  the 
field.  So  perfect  was  the  field  telephone  service  that  the  staff 
had  been  able  to  keep  in  touch  with  our  progress  along  the 
lines  and  were  waiting  dinner  for  us. 

General  von  Boehn  I  found  to  be  a  red-faced,  gray-mus- 
tached,  jovial  old  warrior  who  seemed  much  worried  for  fear 
we  were  not  getting  enough  to  eat,  particularly  not  enough  to 
drink.  He  explained  that  the  Belgian  owners  of  the  chateau 
had  displayed  bad  taste  to  run  away  and  take  their  servants 
with  them,  leaving  only  one  bottle  of  champagne  in  the  cellar. 
That  bottle  was  good  as  far  as  it  went,  however. 

Nearly  all  of  the  officers  spoke  English  and  during  the 
meal  the  conversation  was  all  of  the  United  States,  for  one 
of  them  had  been  attached  to  the  embassy  at  Washington  and 
another  had  attended  the  army  school  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas. 


116  AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT 

After  dinner  we  grouped  ourselves  on  the  terrace  in  the 
self-conscious  attitude  people  always  assume  when  having 
their  pictures  taken,  and  Thompson  made  some  photographs. 
They  probably  are  the  only  ones  of  a  German  general  and 
an  American  war  correspondent  who  was  not  under  arrest. 

Then  we  gathered  about  the  table,  on  which  was  spread 
a  staff  map  of  the  war  area,  and  got  down  to  serious  business. 
The  general  began  by  asserting  that  the  stories  of  atrocities 
perpetrated  on  Belgian  noncombatants  were  a  tissue  of  lies. 

"Look  at  these  officers  about  you,"  he  said.  "They  are 
gentlemen  like  yourself.  Look  at  the  soldiers  marching  past 
in  the  road  out  there.  Most  of  them  are  fathers  of  families. 
Surely  you  don 't  believe  they  would  do  the  things  they  have 
been  accused  of." 

EXPLAINS  AERSCHOT  CRIMES 

"Three  days  ago,  general,"  I  said,  "I  was  in  Aerschot. 
The  whole  town  now  is  but  a  ghastly,  blackened,  blood-stained 
ruin. ' ' 

"When  we  entered  Aerschot  the  son  of  the  burgomaster 
came  into  the  room,  drew  a  revolver,  and  assassinated  my 
chief  of  staff,"  the  general  said.  "What  followed  was  only 
retribution.    The  townspeople  only  got  what  they  deserved. ' ' 

' '  But  why  wreak  your  vengeance  on  women  and  children  1 ' ' 

"None  has  been  killed,"  the  general  asserted  positively. 

"I  am  sorry  to  contradict  you,  general,"  I  asserted  with 
equal  positiveness,  "but  I  have  myself  seen  their  mutilated 
bodies.  So  has  Mr.  Ginson,  secretary  of  the  American  lega- 
tion at  Brussels,  who  was  present  during  the  destruction  of 
Louvain." 

1  *  Of  course,  there  always  is  danger  of  women  and  children 
being  killed  during  street  fighting,"  said  Gen.  von  Boehn,  "if 
they  insist  on  coming  into  the  street.  It  is  unfortunate,  but 
it  is  war." 

INFORMATION   STARTLES  THE   GENERAL 

"But  how  about  a  woman's  body  I  saw,  with  her  hands 
and  feet  cut  off?  How  about  a  white-haired  man  and  his  son 
whom  I  helped  bury  outside  Sempstad,  who  had  been  killed 
merely  because  a  retreating  Belgian  had  shot  a  German  sol- 


AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT  117 

dier  outside  their  house?  There  were  twenty-two  bayonet 
wounds  on  the  old  man's  face.  I  counted  them.  How  about 
the  little  girl  2  years  old  who  was  shot  while  in  her  mother's 
arms  by  a  Uhlan,  and  whose  funeral  I  attended  at  Beystop- 
denberg?  How  about  the  old  man  who  was.  hung  from  the 
rafters  in  his  house  by  his  hands  and  roasted  to  death  by  a 
bonfire  being  built  under  him?" 

The  general  seemed  somewhat  taken  aback  by  the  amount 
and  exactness  of  my  data. 

"Such  things  are  horrible,  if  true,"  he  said.  "Of  course 
our  soldiers,  like  soldiers  of  all  armies,  sometimes  get  out  of 
hand  and  do  things  which  we  would  never  tolerate  if  we  knew 
it.  At  Louvain,  for  example,  I  sentenced  two  soldiers  to 
twelve  years'  penal  servitude  apiece  for  assaulting  a  woman." 

THE  LOUVAIN  LIBRARY  INCIDENT 

"Apropos  of  Louvain,"  I  remarked,  "why  did  you  de- 
stroy the  library?  It  was  one  of  the  literary  storehouses  of 
the  world." 

"We  regretted  that  as  much  as  any  one  else,"  answered 
the  general.  "It  caught  fire  from  burning  houses  and  we 
could  not  save  it." 

"But  why  did  you  burn  Louvain  at  all?"  I  asked. 

"Because  the  townspeople  fired  on  our  troops.  We  actu- 
ally found  machine  guns  in  some  of  the  houses."  And  smash- 
ing his  fist  down  on  the  table,  he  continued :  ' '  Whenever  civi- 
lians fire  upon  our  troops  we  will  teach  them  a  lasting  les- 
son. If  women  and  children  insist  on  getting  in  the  way  of 
bullets,  so  much  the  worse  for  the  women  and  children." 

"How  do  you  explain  the  bombardment  of  Antwerp  by 
Zeppelins  ? "  I  queried. 

EXPLAINS  THE  ZEPPELIN  BOMBS 

"Zeppelins  have  orders  to  drop  their  bombs  only  on  forti- 
fications and  soldiers, ' '  he  answered. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,"  I  remarked,  "they  only  destroyed 
private  houses  and  civilians,  several  of  them  women.  If  one 
of  those  bombs  had  dropped  200  yards  nearer  my  hotel  I 
wouldn't  be  smoking  one  of  your  excellent  cigars  today." 

"That  is  a  calamity  which  I  thank  God  didn't  happen." 


118  AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT 

"If  you  feel  for  my  safety  as  deeply  as  that,  general,"  I 
said  earnestly,  ' '  you  can  make  quite  sure  of  my  coming  to  no 
harm  by  sending  no  more  Zeppelins." 

"Well,"  he  said,  laughing,  "we  will  think  about  it."  He 
continued  gravely: 

"I  trust  you  will  tell  the  American  people  what  I  have 
told  you  today.  Let  them  hear  our  side  of  this  atrocity  busi- 
ness. It  is  only  justice  that  they  should  be  made  familiar  with 
both  sides  of  the  question. ' ' 

I  have  quoted  my  conversation  with  the  general  as  nearly 
verbatim  as  I  can  remember  it.  I  have  no  comment  to  make: 
I  will  leave  it  to  my  readers  to  decide  for  themselves  just 
how  convincing  are  the  answers  of  the  German  general  staff 
to  the  Belgian  accusations. 

PHOTOGRAPHS  GERMAN  ARMY 

Before  we  began  our  conversation  I  asked  the  general  if 
Mr.  Thompson  might  be  permitted  to  take  photographs  of  the 
great  army  passing.  Five  minutes  later  Thompson  was 
whirled  away  in  a  military  motor  car  ciceroned  by  the  army 
officer  who  had  attended  our  army  school  at  Fort  Riley.  It 
seems  they  stopped  the  car  beside  the  road  in  a  place  where 
the  light  was  good,  and  when  Thompson  saw  approaching  a 
regiment  or  battery  of  which  he  wished  a  picture  he  would 
tell  the  officer,  whereupon  the  officer  would  blow  his  whistle, 
and  the  whole  column  would  halt. 

"Just  wait  a  few  minutes  until  the  dust  settles,"  Thomp- 
son would  remark,  nonchalantly  lighting  a  cigaret,  and  the 
Ninth  Imperial  Army,  whose  columns  stretched  over  the 
countryside  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see,  would  stand  in  its 
tracks  until  the  air  was  sufficiently  clear  to  get  a  picture. 

Thus  far  the  only  one  who  has  succeeded  in  halting  the 
German  army  is  this  little  photographer  from  Kansas. 

A  SAMPLE  OF  GERMAN  GUNNERY 

As  a  field  battery  of  the  Imperial  Guard  rumbled  past, 
Thompson  made  some  remark  about  the  accuracy  of  the 
American  gunners  at  Vera  Cruz. 

"Let  us  show  you  what  our  gunners  can  do,"  said  the 
officer,  and  gave  an  order.   There  were  more  orders,  a  per- 


AT  THE  GERMAN  FRONT  119 

feet  volley  of  them,  a  bugle  shrilled  harshly,  the  eight  horses 
strained  against  their  collars,  the  drivers  cracked  their  whips, 
and  the  gun  left  the  road,  bounded  across  a  ditch,  and  swung 
into  position  in  an  adjacent  field. 

On  a  knoll  three  miles  away  an  ancient  windmill  was 
beating  the  air  with  its  huge  wings.  The  gun  was  fired,  the 
shell  hit  the  windmill  fair  and  square  and  tore  it  into  splin- 
ters. 

"Good  work!'*  Thompson  observed  critically.  "If  those 
fellows  of  yours  keep  on  they'll  be  able  to  get  a  job  in  the 
American  navy  after  the  war." 

In  all  the  annals  of  modern  war  I  do  not  believe  there 
is  a  parallel  to  this  American  war  photographer  halting  with 
an  upraised,  peremptory  hand  the  advancing  army,  leisurely 
photographing  regiment  after  regiment,  and  then  having  a 
field  gun  of  the  Imperial  Guard  go  into  action  solely  to  gratify 
his  curiosity. 

OFFICERS  PART   OF  A  MACHINE 

They  were  courteous  and  hospitable  to  me,  these  German 
officers,  and  I  have  been  immensely  interested  in  all  I  have 
seen.  But  when  all  is  said  and  done  they  impress  me,  not 
as  human  beings  who  have  weaknesses  and  virtues,  likes  and 
dislikes  of  their  own,  but  rather  as  parts  of  a  more  or  less 
important  and  mighty  highly  efficient  machine  directed  and 
controlled  by  cold,  calculating  intelligence  in  faraway  Berlin. 

That  machine  has  about  as  much  of  the  human  element 
in  it  as  a  meat  chopper  or  the  death  chair  at  Sing  Sing.  Its 
mission  is  to  crush,  pulverize,  obliterate,  and  destroy,  and 
no  considerations  of  civilization,  chivalry,  or  humanity  will 
affect  it. 

These  Germans  with  their  guns,  set  faces,  their  monoto- 
nous uniforms,  and  the  ceaseless  shuffle  of  their  boots  are  get- 
ting on  my  nerves.  My  car  is  at  the  door.  I  am  going  back 
to  my  friends,  the  Belgians. 


HYMN  BEFORE  ACTION 

BY  KUDYAKD  KIPLING 

The  earth  is  full  of  anger, 

The  seas  are  dark  with  wrath, 
The  Nations  in  their  harness 

Go  up  against  our  path: 
Ere  yet  we  loose  the  legions — 

Ere  yet  we  draw  the  blade, 
Jehovah  of  the  Thunders, 

Lord  God  of  Battles,  aid! 

High  lust  and  froward  bearing, 

Proud  heart,  rebellious  brow — 
Deaf  ear  and  soul  uncaring, 

We  seek  Thy  mercy  now! 
The  sinner  that  forswore  Thee, 

The  fool  that  passed  Thee  by, 
Our  times  are  known  before  Thee: 

Lord,  grant  us  strength  to  die! 

From  panic,  pride  and  terror, 

Revenge  that  knows  no  rein, 
Light  haste  and  lawless  error, 

Protect  us  yet  again. 
Cloak  Thou  our  undeserving, 

Make  firm  the  shuddering  breath, 
In  silence  and  unswerving 

To  haste  Thy  lesser  death! 

E'en  now  their  vanguard  gathers, 

E'en  now  we  face  the  fray — 
As  Thou  didst  help  our  fathers, 

Help  Thou  our  host  today! 
Fulfilled  of  signs  and  wonders 

In  life,  in  death  made  clear — 
Jehovah  of  the  Thunders, 

Lord  God  of  Battles,  hear! 

120 


CHAPTER  VIII 

BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY 

Earl  Kitchener  Appointed  Secretary  for  War — A  New  Volun- 
teer Army — Expeditionary  Force  Landed  in  France — 
Field  Marshal  Sir  John  French  in  Command — Colonies 
Rally  to  Britain's  Aid — The  Canadian  Contingent — 
Indian  Troops  Called  For — Native  Princes  Offer  Aid. 

AFTER  the  declaration  of  war  by  Great  Britain  against 
Germany  on  August  4,  the  first  important  development 
in  England  was  the  appointment  of  Earl  Kitchener  of 
Khartoum  as  secretary  of  state  for  war.  This  portfolio  had  been 
previously  held  by  the  Rt.  Hon.  H.  H.  Asquith,  premier  and  first 
lord  of  the  treasury.  Lord  Kitchener  being  the  idol  of  the 
British  army  and  most  highly  esteemed  by  the  nation  gen- 
erally for  his  powers  of  organization  and  administration,  as 
well  as  for  his  military  fame,  the  appointment  increased  the 
confidence  of  the  British  people  in  the  Liberal  Government  and 
awakened  their  enthusiasm  for  war.  Parliament  unanimously 
passed  a  vote  of  credit  for  $500,000,000  on  August  6. 

Lord  Kitchener  immediately  realized  the  serious  nature  of 
the  task  confronting  his  country  as  an  ally  of  France  against 
the  military  power  of  Germany.  His  first  step  was  to  increase 
the  regular  army.  The  first  call  was  for  100,000  additional 
men.  This  was  soon  increased  to  500,000.  Within  a  month 
there  were  439,000  voluntary  enlistments  and  then  a  further 
call  was  made  for  500,000  more,  bringing  the  strength  of  the 
British  army  up  to  1,854,000  men,  a  figure  unprecedented  for 
Great  Britain. 

The  war  fever  grew  apace  in  England.  All  classes  of  so- 
ciety furnished  their  quota  to  the  colors  for  service  in  Belgium 
and  France.  The  period  of  enlistment  was  "for  the  war"  and 
a  wave  of  patriotic  fervor  swept  over  the  British  Isles  and  over 

121 


122  BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY 

all  the  colonies  of  Britain  beyond  the  seas.  Political  differ- 
ences were  forgotten  and  the  empire  presented  a  united  front, 
as  never  before.  If  Germany  had  counted  on  internal  dissen- 
sion keeping  England  out  of  the  fray,  the  expectation  proved 
unfounded.  Englishmen,  Irishmen  and  Scotsmen  stood  shoul- 
der to  shoulder.  The  Irish  Home  Rule  controversy  was 
dropped  by  common  consent.  The  men  of  Ulster  and  the  Irish 
Nationalists  struck  hands  and  agreed  to  forget  their  differ- 
ences in  the  presence  of  national  danger. 

mk.  Redmond's  patriotic  speech 

In  the  House  of  Commons  on  August  3,  when  Sir  Edward 
Grey,  foreign  secretary,  made  his  momentous  declaration  as 
to  Germany's  intended  attack  on  Belgium,  William  E.  Red- 
mond, the  Irish  Nationalist  leader,  uttered  a  memorable  dec- 
laration of  Irish  loyalty,  which  practically  marked  the  close 
of  the  long  quarrel  between  Ireland  and  the  English  people. 
In  words  that  will  be  remembered  while  the  British  race  en- 
dures, he  declared : 

"I  say  that  the  coasts  of  Ireland  will  be  defended  from 
foreign  invasion  by  her  armed  sons,  and  for  this  purpose 
armed  Nationalist  Catholics  in  the  south  will  be  only  too  glad 
to  join  arms  with  the  armed  Protestant  Ulstermen  in  the  north. 
Is  it  too  much  to  hope  that  out  of  this  situation  there  may  spring 
a  result  which  will  be  good,  not  merely  for  the  Empire,  but  for 
the  future  welfare  and  integrity  of  the  Irish  nation?  If  the 
dire  necessity  is  forced  upon  this  country,  we  offer  to  the  Gov- 
ernment of  the  day  that  they  may  take  their  troops  away,  and 
that  if  it  is  allowed  to  us,  in  comradeship  with  our  brethren 
in  the  north,  we  will  ourselves  defend  the  coasts  of  our 
country. ' ' 

Sir  Edward  Carson,  the  Ulster  leader,  responded  in  sim- 
ilar vein  and  all  danger  of  Irish  disaffection  in  the  hour  of 
Britain's  need  had  disappeared. 

STEPS  TO  AVERT  PANIC 

Prompt  steps  were  taken  by  the  British  Government  to 
avert  the  dangers  of  a  financial  or  commercial  crisis.  A  Post- 
ponement of  Payments  bill  was  passed  by  Parliament  and  this 


BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY  123 

furnished  the  machinery  for  a  general  ''moratorium,"  should 
such  a  measure  be  found  necessary.  This  meant  that,  if  need 
be,  in  view  of  the  hardship  of  extraordinary  times,  honest  debts 
would  not  be  pressed  for  payment  until  the  war  was  over.  Pub- 
lic confidence  was  also  restored  by  the  decision  of  the  Govern- 
ment to  undertake  the  state  insurance  of  merchant  vessels,  so 
as  to  secure  the  transportation  of  food  to  the  British  Isles.  The 
issue  of  one-pound  and  ten-shilling  notes  helped  to  restore 
normal  conditions  and  by  Friday,  August  7,  satisfactory  ar- 
rangements were  made  by  the  Government  for  the  reopening 
of  the  banks,  which  had  been  temporarily  closed,  throughout 
the  country.  Trade  resumed  normal  conditions  and  the  Bank 
of  England  rate,  which  earlier  in  the  week  had  mounted  to  10 
per  cent,  was  reduced  on  August  8  to  5  per  cent. 

There  were  some  panicky  conditions  and  a  disquieting  col- 
lapse on  the  London  Stock  Exchange  during  the  last  days  of 
feverish  diplomacy,  and  it  was  due  to  the  financial  solidity  of 
the  British  nation,  no  less  than  to  its  level-headedness  and  the 
promptness  of  government  measures,  that  the  declaration  of 
war,  instead  of  precipitating  worse  conditions,  cleared  the 
atmosphere. 

BRITISH  TROOPS  LAND  IN  FRANCE 

While  the  British  army  was  being  mobilized,  the  utmost 
secrecy  was  observed  regarding  all  movements  of  troops.  The 
newspapers  refrained  from  publishing  even  the  little  they  knew 
and  an  expeditionary  force,  composed  of  the  flower  of  the  Brit- 
ish army  and  numbering  approximately  94,000  men  of  all  arms 
of  the  service,  was  assembled,  transported  across  the  Eng- 
lish Channel  and  landed  at  Boulogne  and  other  French  ports 
behind  a  veil  of  deepest  mystery,  so  far  as  the  British  public 
and  the  world  at  large  were  concerned. 

The  old  town  of  Plymouth,  on  the  Channel,  was  the  chief 
port  of  embarkation  for  the  troops  and  the  main  concentration 
point  in  England,  but  troops  embarked  also  at  Dublin,  Ireland ; 
Liverpool ;  Eastbourne ;  Southampton,  and  other  cities.  Not  a 
mention  of  the  midnight  sailings  of  transports  carrying  troops, 
horses,  automobiles,  artillery,  hospital  and  commissary  equip- 
ment and  supplies  was  allowed  to  be  printed  in  the  newspapers, 


124  BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY 

nor  was  it  known  how  many  troops  were  being  sent  across  the 
Channel. 

The  landing  in  France  was  effected  between  the  10th  and 
the  20th  of  August  without  the  loss  of  a  single  man,  and  on  the 
23d,  having  joined  forces  with  the  French  army  under  General 
Joffre,  commander-in-chief,  the  British  found  themselves  in 
touch  with  the  German  enemy  at  Mons  in  Belgium. 

FIELD- MARSHAL  FRENCH  IN   COMMAND 

The  expeditionary  force  was  in  supreme  command  of  Field 
Marshal  Sir  John  D.  P.  French,  a  veteran  officer  of  high  mili- 
tary repute,  with  Maj.-Gen.  Sir  A.  Murray  as  chief  of  staff. 
Other  noted  officers  were  Lieut.-Gen.  Sir  Douglas  Haig,  com- 
mander of  the  First  Corps;  Lieut.-Gen.  Sir  James  Grierson, 
commander  of  the  Second  Corps;  Maj.-Gen.  W.  P.  Pulteney, 
commander  of  the  Third  Corps,  and  Maj.-Gen.  Edmund  Al- 
lenby,  in  command  of  the  Cavalry  Division.  The  home  army 
was  left  in  command  of  Gen.  Sir  Ian  Hamilton. 

Hardly  had  the  expedition  landed  in  France  when  the  death 
was  reported  of  the  commander  of  the  Second  Corps,  Sir 
James  Grierson,  who  succumbed  to  heart  disease  while  on  his 
way  to  the  front,  dropping  dead  on  a  train.  He  was  given  a 
notable  military  funeral  in  London.  Gen.  Sir  H.  L.  Smith-Dor- 
rien  was  appointed  to  succeed  him  in  command  of  the  Second 
Corps. 

The  British  troops  were  received  in  France  with  loud  ac- 
claim and  Field  Marshal  French,  on  visiting  Paris  for  a  confer- 
ence at  the  French  war  office  before  proceeding  to  the  front,  was 
greeted  by  a  popular  demonstration  that  showed  how  welcome 
British  aid  was  to  the  French  in  their  critical  hour. 

The  British  field  force  was  composed  of  three  army  corps, 
each  comprising  two  divisions,  and  there  was  also  an  extra 
cavalry  division. 

Each  army  corps  consists  of  twenty-four  infantry  battalions 
of  about  one  thousand  men  each  on  a  war  footing;  six  cavalry 
regiments,  eight  batteries  of  horse  artillery  of  six  guns  each, 
eighteen  batteries  of  field  artillery,  two  howitzer  batteries,  and 
troops  of  engineers,  signal  corps,  army  service  corps  and  other 
details. 


BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY  125 

The  number  of  men  in  each  army  corps  was  therefore  ap- 
proximately as  follows : 

Infantry  24,000 

Cavalry  ._ 3,600 

Horse  artillery 800 

Field  artillery 1,800 

Howitzer  batteries 250 

Signal,  army  service,  commissary,  etc 900 

Thus  the  first  British  field  force  landed  in  France  aggre- 
gated about  94,000  men,  including  the  extra  cavalry  division. 
These  were  added  to  almost  daily  during  the  following  weeks, 
until  by  September  20  the  British  had  probably  200,000  men 
co-operating  with  the  French  army  north  and  east  of  Paris. 


COLONIES  KALLY  TO  BRITAIN 

At  the  prospect  of  war  with  Germany  the  dominions  of  the 
British  Empire  overseas  eagerly  offered  their  aid.  Canada, 
Australia,  New  Zealand,  India,  all  came  forward  with  offers 
of  men,  money,  ships  and  supplies.  The  Australian  premier 
issued  a  statement  to  the  people  in  which  he  said :  "We  owe  it 
to  those  who  have  gone  before  to  preserve  the  great  fabric  of 
British  freedom  and  hand  it  on  to  our  children.  Our  duty  is 
quite  clear.    Remember  we  are  Britons. ' ' 

CANADA  OFFERS  MEN 

A  formal  offer  of  military  contingents  was  cabled  to 
England  by  the  Canadian  government  August  1.  A  meeting 
of  the  cabinet  was  presided  over  by  Premier  Borden.  It  was 
called  to  deal  with  the  situation  in  which  Canada  found  her- 
self as  the  result  of  the  European  war. 

The  government  unanimously  decided  to  make  England 
an  offer  of  men.  Infantry,  cavalry  and  artillery  would  be 
included  in  any  force  sent  forward  and  it  would  number 
20,000  men  if  transportation  could  be  obtained  for  that 
number.  It  was  estimated  that  within  two  weeks  it  would 
be  possible  to  dispatch  10,000  efficient  soldiers,  and  within 
three  months  this  number  could  be  increased  to  50,000. 

Many  offers  for  foreign  service  arrived  from  the  com- 
mandants of  militia  corps  throughout  the  dominion.  The 
war  spirit  apparently  was  growing  in  Canada  and  it  appeared 


BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY  127 

that  practically  every  corps  would  volunteer  for  foreign 
service. 

A  few  days  later  the  British  Government  decided  to  accept 
the  offers  of  contingents  of  colonial  troops,  and  the  colonies 
were  gratified  to  learn  that  the  famous  general,  Lord  Roberts 
— affectionally  known  in  the  British  army  as  "Bobs" — had 
been  appointed  to  the  chief  command  of  the  men  from 
overseas. 

A  war  session  of  the  Dominion  Parliament  was  held  later 
in  August  and  was  the  briefest  on  record,  lasting  only  five  days. 
During  that  time  the  Senate  and  House  of  Commons  voted  $50,- 
000,000  for  war  expenses.  Customs  and  excise  rates  on  to- 
bacco, liquor,  sugar,  coffee,  and  canned  fruits  were  increased 
to  provide  additional  revenue. 

The  Canadian  contingent  for  European  service  was  assem- 
bled at  Valcartier  Camp,  sixteen  miles  from  the  City  of  Quebec. 
It  was  a  splendid  body  of  troops,  characterized  by  the  chief 
medical  examining  officer  as  "the  finest  body  of  men  he  had 
ever  seen. ' '  By  September  11  there  were  28,000  men  ready  for 
embarkation  to  join  the  allied  forces  in  France.  The  great 
ocean  liner  Lusitania  and  other  transatlantic  craft  were  or- 
dered to  Quebec  to  transport  them  to  Europe,  and  their  patri- 
otic progress  wTas  watched  with  intense  interest  by  all  the 
people  of  Canada. 

The  Canadian  volunteers  came  from  all  the  provinces  of 
the  great  Dominion,  from  British  Columbia  to  Prince  Edward 
Island.  In  the  w~eek  of  August  23  fifteen  special  trains  were 
used  to  carry  nearly  8,000  Western  Canadian  troops  Irom 
points  in  the  vicinity  of  Winnipeg  to  Valcartier  Camp.  De- 
tachments also  were  sent  from  Vancouver,  Calgary,  Red  Deer, 
Edmonton,  Moose  Jaw,  Regina,  Saskatoon,  Brandon,  Portage 
la  Prairie,  Fort  William,  and  Port  Arthur.  At  all  these 
points  the  men  had  been  zealously  drilling  before  leaving  for 
the  concentration  camp. 

The  provinces  of  Ontario  and  Quebec,  Xew  Brunswick  and 
Nova  Scotia,  all  contributed  of  their  brave  sons  to  the  expedi- 
tionary force.  Every  city  and  town  had  its  representatives  on 
the  force,  which  was  confidently  relied  upon  to  give  a  good 
account  of  itself,  as  Canadian  contingents  have  always  done 
before,  when  face  to  face  with  the  enemy. 


128  BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY 

In  all  40,000  Canadian  troops  were  tendered  to  and  accepted 
by  the  British  Government  in  the  early  days  of  the  war ;  also 
20,000  men  from  Australia  and  8,000  from  New  Zealand,  a  total 
of  68,000  men. 

By  the  request  of  the  Dominions  in  each  case,  the  cost  of 
the  equipment,  maintenance  and  pay  of  the  forces  was  defrayed 
by  the  three  governments — in  itself  a  generous  and  patriotic 
additional  offer.  The  Dominions  at  the  same  time  declared 
their  readiness  to  send  additional  contingents  if  required,  as 
well  as  drafts  from  time  to  time  to  maintain  their  field  forces 
at  full  strength. 

TROOPSHIPS  SAIL  UNDER  CONVOY 

The  first  intimation  that  Canadian  troops  had  been  dis- 
patched to  the  front  from  Valcartier  Camp  came  on  Septem- 
ber 24,  when  the  Hon.  T.  W.  Crothers,  the  Dominion  minister 
of  labor,  announced  in  a  speech  before  the  Canadian  Trades 
and  Labor  Congress,  assembled  in  convention  at  St.  John,  New 
Brunswick,  that  32,000  Canadian  volunteers  "left  for  the  front 
a  day  or  two  ago."  It  was  understood  that  the  troops  had 
sailed  from  Quebec  in  twenty  armed  transports,  convoyed  by 
a  fleet  of  British  warships,  which  had  been  collected  at  con- 
venient ports  for  the  purpose. 

There  were  two  army  divisions  in  the  force  that  sailed,  each 
comprising  three  brigades  of  infantry  (12,000  men),  27  guns, 
500  cavalry,  and  2,000  staff,  signallers,  medical  corps  and 
supernumaries. 

THE  FINAL  REVIEW  AT  VALCARTIER 

Before  they  sailed  away  the  Canadian  army  marched  past 
the  reviewing  stand  at  the  Valcartier  Camp,  Quebec,  under  the 
eyes  of  10,000  civilians.  There  were  32,000  soldiers  equipped 
for  active  service  and  everyone  was  impressed  with  the  serious 
scene. 

The  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Connaught,  the  Princess  Patri- 
cia, Col.  Sam  Hughes,  the  Canadian  minister  of  militia,  and 
Col.  V.  H.  C.  Williams,  commandant  of  the  camp,  looked  on 
with  pride  as  the  great  parade,  almost  a  full  army  corps, 
passed  the  royal  standard.  They  marched  in  column  of  half 
battalions,  and  took  a  full  hour  to  go  by. 


BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY 


129 


' '  Canada  may  well  be  proud  of  this  first  contingent, ' '  said 
S.  J.  Duncan-Clark,  who  was  an  interested  eyewitness  of  the 
scene.  "It  is  a  magnificent  body  of  men,  the  pick  of  the 
Dominion's  soldiery.  Probably  75  per  cent  of  them  have  seen 
action,  and  every  one  of  them  is  a  marksman. 

"And  Canada  may  well  be  proud  of  the  efficiency  that  has 
converted  a  wilderness  into  a  splendidly  equipped  and  orderly 


THE  CANADIAN  CONCENTRATION  CAMP,  VALCARTIER,  QUEBEC 


military  camp.  It  was  only  a  year  ago  that  the  Government 
purchased  the  big  tract  of  level  land  that  is  now  known  to  the 
world  as  Valcartier.  Nothing  had  been  done  to  fit  it  for  mili- 
tary use  until  war  broke  out.  Canada  determined  at  once  to 
take  her  place  side  by  side  with  the  mother  country  in  fight- 
ing the  empire's  battles. 

CAMP  FACILITIES  WERE  IDEAL 

1 '  Since  the  1st  of  August  a  railroad  line  has  been  built  to 
the  edge  of  the  camp,  which  is  sixteen  miles  from  the  City  of 


130  BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY 

Quebec.  Roads  have  been  constructed  running  for  six  miles 
across  the  plain ;  electric  lights  have  been  installed  that  make 
the  camp  as  brilliant  as  a  city  at  night;  water  has  been  piped 
and  distributed  by  hydrants,  so  that  every  group  of  tents  has 
abundance  of  it  easily  available,  and  shower  baths  by  the  hun- 
dred have  been  erected  for  the  men.  There  is  a  canteen,  but 
it  is  limited  strictly  to  soft  drinks.  In  the  more  than  four 
weeks  that  over  30,000  men  have  been  living  in  this  great  can- 
vas city  there  have  been  only  four  deaths — three  from  pneu- 
monia and  one  from  heart  failure. 

"As  each  batch  of  men  arrived  they  were  vaccinated  for 
typhoid,  and  the  utmost  care  has  been  taken  to  make  the 
conditions  healthful.  For  several  weeks  the  weather  was  ex- 
ceedingly inclement — cold  and  wet;  but  the  minimum  of  dis- 
comfort was  suffered  owing  to  the  excellence  of  the  arrange- 
ments. 

"I  wandered  over  the  camp  without  the  least  restraint 
while  waiting  for  the  review.  It  was  most  interesting  to  watch 
the  men.  Many  of  them  looked  well  seasoned  and  mature  in 
manhood,  but  there  were  not  a  few  who  are  little  more  than 
boys.  Every  variety  of  accent  could  be  heard — the  broad 
English,  the  burring  Scotch,  the  brogue  of  Ireland,  the  nasal 
quick-fire  French,  and  the  flat  Canadian.  I  saw  some  in 
khaki  who  were  manifestly  Indians — not  East  Indians,  but 
the  real  redskins  of  America ;  and  some  I  saw  whose  features 
betrayed  their  Semitic  race.  It  is  said  there  are  nearly  200 
Jews  in  the  contingent. 

"About  one-half  of  the  contingent  was  recruited  from 
highland  regiments,  and  they  will  wear  their  kilts  in  action. 
The  gay  plaids,  however,  are  covered  with  khaki  aprons,  and 
the  tunics  are  of  the  same  material.  To  the  enemy  at  a  dis- 
tance they  will  look  little  different  from  their  comrades  who 
wear  trousers. 

PAEADE  WAS  A  BEAVE  SIGHT 

"It  was  an  ideal  field  for  military  maneuvers.  Behind  it 
rose  the  purple  hills  of  the  Laurentian  range.  Down  upon  it 
beat  an  autumn  sun.  The  day  was  perfect.  Without  an  undu- 
lation the  plain  stretched  for  nearly  three  miles,  and  as  I 
reached  its  edge  the  soldiers  were  extended  in  a  long  line 


FOUNDERING  OF  THE  BRITISH  CRUISER  "ABOUKIR." 
A  few  minutes  after  the  "Aboukir"'  was  struck  by  a  torpedo  from  the  German 
submarine  U-9  early  on  Sept.  22,  1914,  she  listed  to  port  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees  and 
the  captain  sang  out  from  the  bridge,  "Every  man  for  himself !"  The  drawing  depicts 
the  scene  that  followed,  as  described  by  a  survivor.  Two-thirds  of  the  crew  of  650  were 
drowned  or  killed  by  the  explosion.  The  boats  of  the  cruisers  Ilogue  and  Cressy,  which 
were  soon  after  also  torpedoed  and  sunk,  are  seen  coming  to  the  rescue.  The  total  loss 
was  over  1,400  lives. — Drawn  by  Charles  Dixon,  R.  I.,  for  The  Graphic. 


Copyright  by  rnrkTwood  &  UniTerwood.  N.  Y. 

1.  Hotel  de  Musee  on  the  Battlefield  of  Waterloo  near  Brussels. 

2.  The  River  Meuse  at  Dinant,  Scene  of  one  of  the  Bloodiest  Struggles  of 

the  War. 


Oopyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood,  N.  Y. 

Japanese  Soldiers  Digging-  Trenches — Types  of  the  Men  Opposing  Germany 

in   the  Far  East 


Scenes  in  the  Great  Canadian  Mobilization  Camp  at  Valcarlii  r,  (Jnrbec.  with  the  Laurentian 

Hills  in   th"   Distance     Tlie  Camp  Comprises  20,000  Acres  of  Ground 

for  Training   Infantry,   Cavalry  and  Artillery 


BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY  131 

across  its  whole  Length.    On  the  breeze  cam  -ound  c: 

bagpipes  as  the  highlan  lera  took  up  their  position  to  my  right. 
pt  for  a :  -ional  bngle  call  it  was  the  only  mv 

"It  was  3  o'clock  when  the  parade  began.    The  artiL 
led,  and  -  -:  endless  succession  of 

guns,  drawn  by  the  fine-"  b   rsesin  the  Canadian  TTest.    They 
rattled  by.  qnickening  to  a  fast  trot  as  i 

standing.    I  am  told  there  were  300  machine  g  addi- 

tion to  many  other  larger  field  pieces  with  I  kxngenl 

"Then   came  battalion  attalion  of  infantry,  the 

greater  part  on  foot.    T_:s  section  of  the  parade  was  i 
division-,  the  -eeond  consisting  of  kilties.    The  men  marched 
without  music,  and  except  for  an  occasional  clapping  of  L 
Bfl  they  broke  into  the  double  or  changed  their  formation,  the 
crowd  that  watched  maintained  an  imp  i  nee. 

•"Some  of  the  men  marched  with  fixed  bayonets, 
heard  the  comment  around  me:    'That's  what  the  Germans 
are  -  :f.' 

•  •  There  were  a  few  companies  of  mounted  infantry.    II 
mounted  men  will  probably  be  sent  with  the  second 
gent,  of  which  the  people  are  already  talking. 

"A  small  corps  of  cyclists  followed  the  infantry,  and  the 
was  brought  up  with  the  Eed  Cross  detach] 
sacred  emblem  that  speaks  for  the  cause  of  huma^  " 
played  in  bold  enough  form  on  the  ■:■  avered  wag 
ible  to  the  enemy  a  mile  away. 

""When  the  last  of  the  soldiers  had  left  the  par 
I  wandered  back  to  the  camp.    In  one  of  the  tents  a  khaki- 
clad  accompanist  pounded  out  "It's  a  L     _        og  Way  to  Tip- 
perary, '  and  I  heard  for  the  first  time  the  rollicking  Irish  - 
to  the  measure  of  which  the  soldiers  of  the  king  have  gt>ne 
to  war.    It  is  well  adapted  to  cheer  the  spirits  of  the  men. 
it  has  just  enough  of  the  simple  sentiment  of  the  soldier  heart 
to  appeal  to  those  who  have  left  home  far  behind  in  order  to 
fight  their  country's  foes  in  a  foreign  Ian  I 

C03O1A2TDEBS  OF  THZ   CAHADIAH  P0BGE 

The  list  of  brigade  commanders  of  the  Canadian  expedi- 
lary  force  was  announced  as  follows : 


132  BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY 

Officers  commanding  the  four  infantry  brigades:  Lieut.  - 
Col.  R.  E.  W.  Turner,  V.  C.,  D.  S.  0.,  of  Quebec,  a  veteran  of 
the  South  African  war,  mentioned  in  dispatches  for  especially 
gallant  service ;  Lieut.-Col.  S.  M.  Mercer,  Toronto,  Command- 
ing Officer  of  the  Queen's  Own  Rifles;  Lieut.-Col.  A.  W.  Cur- 
rie  of  Victoria,  Commanding  Officer  of  the  50th  Fusiliers; 
Lieut.-Col.  J.  E.  Cohoe  of  St.  Catharines,  Commanding  Offi- 
cer of  the  5th  Militia  Infantry  Brigade. 

The  officers  appointed  to  command  the  artillery  brigade 
were:  Lieut-Col.  H.  E.  Burstall  of  Quebec,  of  the  Artillery 
Headquarters  Staff. 

Officer  in  command  of  the  Strathcona  Horse,  Lieut.-Col. 
A.  C.  MacDonald,  D.  S.  0.,  of  Winnipeg,  a  South  African 
veteran. 

Officer  in  command  of  the  Royal  Canadian  Dragoons, 
Lieut.-Col.  C.  M.  Nelles  of  Toronto,  Inspector  of  Cavalry  for 
Militia  Headquarters. 

The  commanding  officer  of  the  whole  army  division  was  an 
English  general  selected  by  the  British  War  Office. 

It  was  understood  that  the  Canadian  troops  would  land 
in  the  south  of  England  and  march  through  London  to  train- 
ing quarters  at  Aldershot  and  Salisbury  Plains,  the  infantry 
going  to  Aldershot  and  the  artillery  to  Salisbury  Plains,  for 
several  weeks'  training  under  active  service  conditions  before 
going  to  the  firing  line. 

CANADA   FIGHTS   AGAINST   AUTOCRACY 

"Canada  will  spend  its  last  dollar  and  shed  its  last  drop 
of  blood  fighting  for  the  principle  of  democracy,  against  that 
of  autocracy,  as  exemplified  in  the  present  European  conflict." 

This  was  the  emphatic  statement  made  by  Sir  Douglas 
Cameron,  lieutenant-governor — chief  executive — of  the  prov- 
ince of  Manitoba,  passing  through  Chicago  on  September  28. 

"Great  Britain  is  not  fighting  for  empire,"  he  said.  "It 
is  not  fighting  for  greater  commercial  gains.  We  are  fighting 
for  the  annihilation  of  autocracy  and  it  is  the  sentiment  of 
die  people  of  Canada  that  they  will  fight  against  Germany's 
domination  to  the  bitter  end. 

"England  does  not  want  more  commerce,  except  as  it  can 
be  gained  through  the  paths  of  peace.    We  would  not  draw 


BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY  133 

the  sword  to  increase  it,  but  we  will  fight  to  the  last  drop 
of  blood  to  protect  it. 

"The  men  of  Canada  have  responded  nobly  to  the  call  to 
arms.  We  have  sent  about  31,800  provincial  troops,  every 
one  a  volunteer,  and  we  have  that  many  more  already  enlisted 
if  they  are  needed.  Our  trouble  is  to  equip  them  as  fast  as 
they  enlist. 

"In  Canada  we  are  turning  our  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  Wheat  is  at  a  premium;  a  farmer  can  get  from 
$1  to  $1.10  per  bushel  in  cash  for  wheat  on  his  wagon.  All 
Europe  will  be  in  dire  need  of  foodstuffs  next  year  and  for 
some  years  to  come  and  we  in  Canada  hope  to  profit  by  the 
opportunity. 

' '  Economic  conditions  in  the  dominion  received  a  terrible 
blow  when  the  war  came;  we  were  shocked,  staggered,  and 
business  has  received  a  hard  setback ;  finances  are  depressed. 
The  government  has  offered  help  to  the  banks,  but  they  do 
not  need  it  yet. 

"We  want  immigrants  in  our  country — Germans  or  any 
other  good,  strong,  virile  nationality.  We  have  no  quarrel 
with  the  German  people.  We  like  them;  they  are  used  to  a 
high  standard  of  living  and  are  the  finest  kind  of  citizens. 

"To  my  mind,  this  war  cannot  be  of  long  duration.  Ger- 
many, with  all  its  preparedness,  could  not  lay  by  stores  enough 
to  support  65,000,000  people  for  any  great  length  of  time 
when  there  is  no  raw  material  coming  in.  The  country  will 
be  starved  out,  if  not  beaten  in  the  field,  for  I  do  not  believe 
Germany  can  gain  control  of  the  high  seas  and  cover  the  world 
with  its  merchantmen." 


INDIAN  TROOPS  CALLED  FOR 

The  announcement  by  Lord  Kitchener  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons late  in  August  that  native  troops  from  India  were  to  be 
summoned  to  the  aid  of  the  British  army  in  France  "came  like 
a  crash  of  thunder  and  revealed  a  grim  determination  to  fight 
the  struggle  out  to  a  successful  finish. " 

There  was  some  talk  in  England  of  increasing  the  army  by 
temporary  conscription,  but  Premier  Asquith  declined  to  con- 
sider any  such  proposal. 

In  the  House  of  Commons  on  September  9  a  message  was 


134  BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY 

read  from  the  Viceroy  of  India,  which  said  that  the  rulers  of 
the  Indian  native  states,  nearly  700  in  number,  had  with  one 
accord  rallied  to  the  defense  of  the  empire  with  personal  offers 
of  services  as  well  as  the  resources  of  their  states. 

Many  of  the  native  rulers  of  India  also  sent  cables  to  King 
George  offering  him  their  entire  military  and  financial  re- 
sources, while  the  people  of  India  by  thousands  offered  to 
volunteer. 

Conditions  in  India  were  indeed  so  satisfactory,  from  the 
British  standpoint,  that  Premier  Asquith  was  able  to  announce 
that  two  divisions  (40,000)  of  British  (white)  soldiers  were  to 
be  removed  from  India. 

The  aid  that  India  could  offer  was  not  lightly  to  be  consid- 
ered. The  soldiery  retained  by  the  British  and  the  rajahs,  con- 
stituting India's  standing  army,  amount  to  about  400,000,  not 
taking  into  consideration  the  reserves  and  the  volunteers.  The 
rajahs  maintain  about  23,000  soldiers,  who  are  named  Imperial 
Service  Troops,  expressly  for  purposes  of  Imperial  defense, 
and  these  have  served  in  many  wars.  They  served  with  British, 
German,  French,  and  United  States  troops  in  China  from  Sep- 
tember, 1900,  to  August,  1901,  and  gained  the  highest  laurels 
for  efficiency  and  good  conduct. 

The  first  Indian  troops  called  for  by  Lord  Kitchener  in- 
cluded two  divisions  of  infantry  and  a  brigade  of  cavalry,  add- 
ing about  70,000  combatants  to  the  allied  armies  in  France, 
with  approximately  130  pieces  of  artillery,  both  light  and 
heavy,  and  howitzers. 

Twelve  Indian  potentates  were  selected  to  accompany  this 
expeditionary  force.  These  included  the  veteran  Sir  Pertab 
Singh,  regend  of  Jodhpur;  Sir  Ganga  Bahadur,  Maharajah  of 
Bikanir,  and  Sir  Bhupindra  Singh,  Maharajah  of  Patiala. 

The  expeditionary  force  contained  units  of  the  regular 
army  and  contingents  of  the  Imperial  Service  Troops  in  India. 
From  twelve  states  the  viceroy  accepted  contingents  of  cavalry, 
infantry,  sappers  and  transport,  besides  a  camel  corps  from 
Bikanir. 

The  Maharajah  of  Mysore  placed  $1,600,000  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  Government  in  connection  with  the  expenditure 
for  the  expeditionary  force.  In  addition  to  this  gift,  the  Ma- 
harajahs  of  Gwalior  and  Bhopal  contributed  large  sums  of 


BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY  135 

money  and  provided  thousands  of  horses  as  remounts.  Ma- 
harajah Repa  offered  his  troops  and  treasure,  even  his  pri- 
vately-owned jewelry,  for  the  service  of  the  British  King  and 
Emperor  of  India.  Maharajah  Holkar  of  Indore  made  a  gift 
of  all  the  horses  in  the  army  of  his  state. 

A  similar  desire  to  help  the  British  Government  was  shown 
by  committees  representing  religious,  political,  and  social  asso- 
ciations of  all  classes  and  creeds  in  India. 

In  the  House  of  Lords  on  August  28  Earl  Kitchener  an- 
nounced that  the  first  division  of  the  troops  from  India  was 
already  on  the  way  to  the  front  in  France.  At  the  same  time 
the  Marquis  of  Crewe,  secretary  of  state  for  India,  said:  "It 
has  been  deeply  impressed  upon  us  by  what  we  have  heard 
from  India  that  the  wonderful  wave  of  enthusiasm  and  loyalty 
now  passing  over  that  country  is  to  a  great  extent  based  upon 
the  desire  of  the  Indian  people  that  Indian  soldiers  should 
stand  side  by  side  with  their  comrades  of  the  British  army  in 
repelling  the  invasion  of  our  friends '  territory  and  the  attack 
made  upon  Belgium.  We  shall  find  our  army  there  reinforced 
by  native  Indian  soldiers — high-souled  men  of  first-rate  train- 
ing and  representing  an  ancient  civilization ;  and  we  feel  certain 
that  if  they  are  called  upon  they  will  give  the  best  possible 
account  of  themselves  side  by  side  with  our  British  troops  in 
encountering  the  enemy. ' ' 

KING  GEORGE  PRAISES  COLONIES 

On  September  9  a  message  from  King  George  to  the  British 
colonies,  thanking  them  for  their  aid  in  Britain's  emergency, 
was  published  as  follows : 

1 '  During  the  last  few  weeks  the  peoples  of  my  whole  empire 
at  home  and  overseas  have  moved  with  one  mind  and  purpose 
to  confront  and  overthrow  an  unparalleled  assault  upon  the 
continuity  of  civilization  and  the  peace  of  mankind. 

"The  calamitous  conflict  is  not  of  my  seeking.  My  voice 
has  been  cast  throughout  on  the  side  of  peace.  My  ministers 
earnestly  strove  to  allay  the  causes  of  the  strife  and  to  appease 
differences  with  which  my  empire  was  not  concerned.  Had  I 
stood  aside  when  in  defiance  of  pledges  to  which  my  kingdom 
was  a  party,  the  soil  of  Belgium  was  violated  and  her  cities 
made  desolate,  when  the  very  life  of  the  French  nation  was 


136  BRITAIN  RAISES  AN  ARMY 

threatened  with  extinction,  I  should  have  sacrificed  my  honor 
and  given  to  destruction  the  liberties  of  my  empire  and  of 
mankind. 

"I  rejoice  that  every  part  of  the  empire  is  with  me  in  this 
decision. 

"Paramount  regard  for  a  treaty  of  faith  and  the  pledged 
word  of  rulers  and  peoples  is  the  common  heritage  of  Great 
Britain  and  of  the  empire.  My  peoples  in  the  self-governing 
dominions  have  shown  beyond  all  doubt  that  they  whole-heart- 
edly indorse  the  grave  decision  it  was  necessary  to  take,  and 
I  am  proud  to  be  able  to  show  to  the  world  that  my  peoples 
oversea  are  as  determined  as  the  people  of  the  United  Kingdom 
to  prosecute  a  just  cause  to  a  successful  end. 

1 '  The  Dominion  of  Canada,  the  Commonwealth  of  Australia 
and  the  Dominion  of  New  Zealand  have  placed  at  my  disposal 
their  naval  forces,  which  have  already  rendered  good  service 
for  the  empire.  Strong  expeditionary  forces  are  being  pre- 
pared in  Canada,  Australia  and  New  Zealand  for  service  at 
the  front,  and  the  Union  of  South  Africa  has  released  all  Brit- 
ish troops  and  undertaken  other  important  military  responsi- 
bilities. 

"Newfoundland  has  doubled  the  number  of  its  branch  of 
the  royal  naval  reserve,  and  is  sending  a  body  of  men  to  take 
part  in  the  operations  at  the  front.  From  the  Dominion  and 
Provincial  governments  of  Canada,  large  and  welcome  gifts 
of  supplies  are  on  their  way  for  use  both  by  my  naval  and  mili- 
tary forces. 

"All  parts  of  my  oversea  dominions  have  thus  demon- 
strated in  the  most  unmistakable  manner  the  fundamental 
unity  of  the  empire  amidst  all  its  diversity  of  situation  and 
circumstance. ' ' 

A  message  similar  to  the  foregoing  was  addressed  by  King 
George  to  the  princes  and  the  people  of  India. 

The  King's  eldest  son,  the  young  Prince  of  Wales,  volun- 
teered for  active  service  at  the  outset  of  the  war  and  was 
gazetted  as  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  First  Battalion,  Grena- 
dier Guards.  He  also  inaugurated  and  acted  as  treasurer  of 
a  national  fund  for  the  relief  of  sufferers  by  the  war.  This 
fund  soon  grew  to  $10,000,000  and  steadily  climbed  beyond  that 
amount. 


CHAPTER  IX 

EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

Belgian  Resistance  to  the  German  Advance — The  Fighting 
at  Vise,  Haelen,  Diest,  Aerschot  and  Tirlemont — Mons 
and  Charleroi  the  First  Great  Battles  of  the  War — 
Allies  Make  a  Gallant  Stand,  but  Forced  to  Retire 
Across  the  French  Border. 

FROM  the  first  day  of  the  German  entry  into  Belgium  brief 
and  hazy  reports  of  battles  between  the  patriotic  Belgians 
and  the  invaders  came  across  the  Atlantic.  Many  absurd 
and  mischievous  reports  of  repeated  Belgian  ''victories" 
were  received  throughout  the  month  of  August.  These  were 
for  the  most  part  rendered  ridiculous  by  the  steady  advance 
of  the  German  troops.  The  resistance  of  the  Belgians  was 
gallant  and  persistent,  but  availed  only  to  hinder  and  delay 
the  German  advance  which  it  was  powerless  to  stop.  Up  to 
August  23,  there  were  no  "victories"  possible  for  either  side, 
because  never  until  then  were  the  opposing  armies  definitely 
pitted  against  each  other  in  an  engagement  in  which  one  or 
the  other  must  be  broken. 

All  the  time  these  Belgian  "victories,"  which  were  no 
more  than  resistances  to  German  reconnoissances,  were  being 
reported,  the  German  line  was  not  touched,  and  behind  that 
line  the  Germans  were  methodically  massing. 

When  they  were  ready  they  came  on.  The  Belgian  army 
retired  from  the  Diest-Tirlemont  line,  from  Aerschot  and 
Louvain,  from  Brussels,  because  to  have  held  these  positions 
against  the  overwhelming  force  opposed  to  them  would  have 
meant  certain  destruction.    The  rearguards  held  each  of  these 

137 


138         EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

points  with  the  greatest  heroism  so  long  as  that  was  neces- 
sary, and  then  retired  in  good  order  on  the  main  force. 

VISE  ATTACKED  AND  FIRED 

The  first  fighting  of  any  severity  in  Belgium  occurred 
at  Vise,  near  the  frontier,  early  in  the  German  advance.  Ger- 
man troops  crossed  the  frontier  in  motors,  followed  by  large 
bodies  of  cavalry,  but  the  Belgians  put  up  a  stubborn  resist- 
ance. The  chiefs  of  the  Belgian  staff  had  foreseen  the  inva- 
sion and  had  blown  up  the  bridges  of  the  River  Meuse  outside 
the  town,  as  well  as  the  railway  tunnels.  Time  after  time 
the  Belgians  foiled  with  their  heavy  fire  the  attempts  of  the 
Germans  to  cross  by  means  of  pontoons.  Vise  itself  was 
stubbornly  defended.  Only  after  a  protracted  struggle  did 
the  Germans  master  the  town,  which  they  fired  in  several 
places  on  entering. 

BATTLES  OF  HAELEN-DIEST 

At  the  end  of  the  first  week  of  the  Belgian  invasion  it  was 
estimated  that  the  Germans  had  concentrated  most  of  their 
field  troops,  probably  about  900,000  combatants,  along  a  75- 
mile  line  running  from  Liege  to  the  entrance  into  Luxemburg 
at  Treves.  With  this  immense  army  it  was  said  there  were  no 
less  than  5,894  pieces  of  artillery.  This  was  only  the  first-line 
strength  of  the  Germans,  the  reserves  being  massed  in  the 
rear.  Part  of  the  right  wing  was  swung  northward  and 
westward  in  the  direction  of  Antwerp,  and  swept  the  whole 
of  northern  Belgium  to  the  Dutch  frontier. 

On  August  10  the  Belgian  defenders  fought  a  heavy  en- 
gagement with  the  Germans  at  Haelen,  which  was  described 
in  the  dispatches  as  the  first  battle  of  the  war.  A  Belgian 
victory  was  claimed  as  the  result,  the  German  losses,  it  was 
said,  being  very  heavy,  especially  in  cavalry,  while  the  Bel- 
gian casualties  were  reported  relatively  small.  But  the  Ger- 
man advance  was  merely  checked.  The  covering  troops  were 
speedily  reinforced  from  the  main  body  of  the  army  and  the 
advance  swept  on. 

The  result  of  the  Haelen  engagement  was  thus  described 
in  the  dispatches  of  August  13 : 

"The  battle  centered    around    Haelen,    in    the    Belgian 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         139 

province  of  Limbourg,  extending  to  Diest,  in  the  north  of  the 
province  of  Brabant,  after  passing  round  Zeelhem. 

"At  7  o'clock  last  evening  all  the  country  between  the 
three  towns  mentioned  had  been  cleared  of  German  troops, 
except  the  dead  and  wounded,  who  were  thickly  strewn  about 
the  fire  zone.  Upward  of  200  dead  German  soldiers  were 
counted  in  a  space  of  fifty  yards  square. 

"A  church,  a  brewery  and  some  houses  in  Haelen  were 
set  afire,  and  two  bridges  over  the  Demer  were  destroyed  by 
Belgian  engineers. 

"Great  quantities  of  booty  were  collected  on  the  battle- 
field, and  this  has  been  stacked  in  front  of  the  town  hall  of 
Diest.    Many  horses  also  were  captured. 

"The  strength  of  the  German  column  was  about  5,000 
men. ' ' 

Another  report  said  of  the  encounter: 

"A  division  of  Belgian  cavalry,  supported  by  a  brigade 
of  infantry  and  by  artillery,  engaged  and  defeated,  near  the 
fortress  of  Diest,  eighteen  miles  northeast  of  Louvain,  a  divi- 
sion of  German  cavalry,  also  supported  by  infantry  and  by 
artillery. 

"The  fighting  was  extremely  fierce  and  resulted  in  the 
Germans  being  thrown  back  toward  Hasselt  and  St.  Trond." 

Meanwhile  the  forts  at  Liege,  to  the  southeast,  still  held 
out,  though  fiercely  bombarded  by  German  siege  guns.  The 
fortress  of  Namur  was  also  being  attacked.  The  Germans 
had  bridged  the  river  Meuse  and  were  moving  their  crack 
artillery  against  the  Belgian  lines.  French  troops  had  joined 
the  Belgian  defenders  and  the  main  battle  line  extended  from 
Liege  on  the  north  to  Metz  on  the  south. 

A  visit  to  Haelen  and  other  towns  by  a  Brussels  corre- 
spondent August  17,  "showed  the  frightful  devastation  which 
the  Germans  perpetrated  in  Belgian  territory. 

"For  instance,  at  Haelen  itself  houses  belonging  to  the 
townspeople  have  been  completely  wrecked.  Windows  were 
broken,  furniture  destroyed,  and  the  walls  demolished  by 
shell  fire.  Even  the  churches  have  not  been  respected.  The 
parish  church  at  Haelen  has  been  damaged  considerably  from 
shrapnel  fire. 


140         EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

"On  the  battlefield  there  are  many  graves  of  Germans 
marked  by  German  lances  erected  in  the  form  of  a  cross." 

ON   THE  BATTLEFIELD   OF  DIEST 

A  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Tribune  said : 

"Across  the  battlefield  of  Diest  there  is  a  brown  stretch 
of  harrowed  ground  half  a  furlong  in  length.  It  is  the  grave 
of  twelve  hundred  Germans  who  fell  in  the  fight  of  August 
11.  All  over  the  field  there  are  other  graves,  some  of  Ger- 
mans, some  of  Belgians,  some  of  horses.  When  I  reached 
the  place  peasants  with  long  mattocks  and  spades  were  turn- 
ing in  the  soil.  For  two  full  days  they  had  been  at  the  work 
of  burial  and  they  were  sick  at  heart.  Their  corn  is  ripe  for 
cutting  in  the  battlefield,  but  little  of  it  will  be  harvested. 
Dark  paths  in  their  turnip  fields  are  sodden  with  the  blood 
of  men  and  horses." 

The  Belgians,  in  contempt  of  German  markmanship,  had 
forced  the  enemy  to  the  attack,  which  had  been  made  from 
three  points  of  the  field  simultaneously.  The  fighting  had  been 
fierce,  but  now  that  both  sides  had  swept  on,  no  one  seemed 
to  know  how  those  in  the  fight  had  really  fared.  Only  by 
the  heaps  of  dead  could  one  make  estimate: 

"At  least,  there  were  most  dead  on  the  side  toward  the 
bridge.  A  charge  of  300  Uhlans,  who  were  held  in  check  for 
a  short  time  by  seventeen  Belgians  at  a  corner,  seems,  how- 
ever, to  have  come  near  success.  The  derelict  helmets  and 
lances  that  covered  the  fields  show  that  the  charge  pressed 
well  up  to  the  guns  and  to  the  trenches  in  the  turnip  fields 
where  the  Belgian  soldiers  lay.  On  the  German  left  mitrail- 
leuses got  in  their  work  behind,  and  in  the  houses  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  villages.  Five  of  these  houses  were  burned  to 
the  ground,  and  two  others  farther  out  broken  all  to  pieces 
and  burned.  In  a  shed  was  a  peasant  weeping  over  the  dead 
bodies  of  his  cows. 

"It  would  be  easy  now  at  the  beginning  of  this  war  to 
write  of  its  tragedy.  The  villages  have  each  a  tale  of  loss  to 
tell.  All  of  the  twelve  hundred  men  in  the  long  grave  were 
men  with  wives,  sweethearts,  and  parents.  All  the  Belgian 
soldiers  and  others  who  were  buried  where  they  fell  have 
mourners. 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         141 

A  LETTER  FROM  THE  GRAVE 

"A  letter  which  I  picked  up  on  the  field  and  am  endeavor- 
ing to  have  identified  and  sent  her  for  whom  it  is  intended 
will  speak  for  all.  It  is  written  in  ink  on  half  a  sheet  of  thin 
notepaper.  There  is  no  date  and  no  place.  It  probably 
was  written  on  the  eve  of  battle  in  the  hope  that  it  would  reach 
its  destination  if  the  writer  died.    This  is  the  translation : 

"  ' Sweetheart:  Fate  in  this  present  war  has  treated  us 
more  cruelly  than  many  others.  If  I  have  not  lived  to  create 
for  you  the  happiness  of  which  both  our  hearts  dreamed, 
remember  my  sole  wish  now  is  that  you  should  be  happy.  For- 
get me  and  create  for  yourself  some  happy  home  that  may  re- 
store to  you  some  of  the  greater  pleasures  of  life.  For  myself, 
I  shall  have  died  happy  in  the  thought  of  your  love.  My 
last  thought  has  been  for  you  and  for  those  I  leave  at  home. 
Accept  this,  the  last  kiss  from  him  who  loved  you.* 

"Postcards  from  fathers  with  blessings  to  their  gallant 
sons  I  found,  too,  on  the  field,  little  mementos  of  people  and 
of  places  carried  by  men  as  mascots.  Everywhere  were 
broken  lances  of  German  and  Belgian,  side  by  side ;  scabbards 
and  helmets,  saddles  and  guns.  These  the  peasants  were  col- 
lecting in  a  pile,  to  be  removed  by  the  military.  High  up  over 
the  graves  of  twelve  hundred,  as  we  stood  there,  a  German 
biplane  came  and  went,  hovering  like  a  carrion  crow,  seeking 
other  victims  for  death. 

' i  In  the  village  itself  death  is  still  busy.  A  wounded  Ger- 
man died  as  we  stood  by  his  side  and  a  Belgian  soldier  placed 
his  handkerchief  over  his  face.  Soldiers  who  filled  the  lit- 
tle market-place  may  be  fighting  for  life  now  as  I  write.  The 
enemy  is  in  force  not  a  mile  away  from  them,  and  in  a  moment 
they  may  be  attacked.  It  is  significant  that  all  German 
prisoners  believed  they  were  in  France.  The  deception,  it 
appears,  was  necessary  to  encourage  them  in  their  attack, 
and  twelve  hundred  dead  in  the  harrowed  field  died  without 
knowing  whom  or  what  they  were  fighting.' ' 

THOUGHT  THEY  WERE  IN  FRANCE 

A  number  of  German  prisoners  were  taken  by  the  Belgians 
during  the  fighting  at    Haelen-Diest.     From    these    it    was 


I 

! 


142         EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

learned  that  the  German  soldiers  really  believed  they  were 
fighting  in  France.  At  Diest  it  is  said  that  400  surrendered 
the  moment  they  lost  their  officers  and  were  surprised  to  learn 
that  they  were  in  Belgium. 

King  Albert  of  Belgium  was  constantly  in  the  field  dur- 
ing the  early  engagements  of  the  war,  moving  from  point  to 
point  inside  the  Belgian  lines  by  means  of  a  high-powered 
automobile,  in  which  he  was  slightly  wounded  by  the  explosion 
of  a  shell.  He  was  thus  enabled  to  keep  in  touch  with  the 
field  forces,  as  well  as  with  his  general  staff,  and  speedily 
endeared  himself  to  the  Belgian  soldiery  by  his  personal  dis- 
regard of  danger. 

The  Belgians  by  their  gallant  fight  against  the  trained 
legions  of  Germany  quickly  won  the  admiration  even  of  their 
foes.  The  army  of  Belgium  was  brought  up  to  its  full  strength 
of  300,000  men  and  everywhere  the  soldiers  of  the  little  coun- 
try battled  to  halt  the  invaders.  Often  their  efforts  proved 
effective.  The  losses  on  both  sides  were  truly  appalling,  the 
Germans  suffering  most  on  account  of  their  open  methods  of 
attack  in  close  order.  But  their  forces  were  like  the  sands 
of  the  sea  and  every  gap  in  the  ranks  of  the  onrushing  host 
was  promptly  filled  by  more  Germans. 

TIELEMONT  AND  LOUVAIN 

The  fighting  at  Tirlemont  and  Louvain  was  described  by 
a  citizen  of  Ostend,  who  says  he  witnessed  it  from  a  church 
tower  at  Tirlemont  first  and  later  proceeded  to  Louvain.  He 
says: 

"  Until  luncheon  time  Tuesday,  August  18,  Tirlemont  was 
quiet  and  normal.  Suddenly,  about  1  o  'clock,  came  the  sound 
of  the  first  German  gun.    The  artillery  had  opened  fire. 

i 'From  the  church  tower  it  was  possible  to  see  distinctly 
the  position  of  the  German  guns  and  the  bursting  of  their 
shells.  The  Belgians  replied  from  their  positions  east  of 
Louvain.  It  was  a  striking  sight,  to  the  accompaniment  of 
the  ceaseless  thud-thud  of  bursting  shells  with  their  puffs 
of  cottonlike  smoke,  tearing  up  the  peaceful  wheat  fields  not 
far  away. 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         143 

BELGIANS   RETIRE   AT   LOUVAIN 

1 '  Gradually  working  nearer,  the  shells  began  to  strike  the 
houses  in  Tirlemont.  This  was  a  signal  for  the  populace, 
which  had  been  confident  that  the  Belgian  army  would  pro- 
tect them,  to  flee.  All  they  knew  was  that  the  Germans  were 
coming.  From  the  tower  the  scene  was  like  the  rushing  of 
rats  from  a  disturbed  nest.  The  people  fled  in  every  direc- 
tion except  one. 

1 '  I  moved  down  to  Louvain,  where  everything  seemed  quiet 
and  peaceful.  The  people  sat  in  the  cafes  drinking  their 
evening  beer  and  smoking.  Meanwhile  the  Belgian  troops 
were  retiring  in  good  order  toward  Louvain. 

TOWN   IN   PANIC   WITH   REFUGEES 

"By  midnight  the  town  was  in  the  throes  of  a  panic. 
Long  before  midnight  throngs  of  refugees  had  begun  to  ar- 
rive, followed  later  by  soldiers.  By  11  o'clock  the  Belgian 
rear  guard  was  engaging  the  enemy  at  the  railroad  bridge 
at  the  entrance  to  the  town. 

"The  firing  was  heavy.  The  wounded  began  to  come  in. 
Riderless  horses  came  along,  both  German  and  Belgian.  These 
were  caught  and  mounted  by  civilians  glad  to  have  so  rapid 
a  mode  of  escape. 

TROOPS  HINDERED  BY  CIVILIANS 

"I  remember  watching  a  black  clad  Belgian  woman  run- 
ning straight  down  the  middle  of  a  road  away  from  the 
Germans.  Behind  her  came  the  retiring  Belgian  troops,  dis- 
heartened but  valiant.  This  woman,  clad  in  mourning,  was 
the  symbol  of  the  Belgian  populace. 

"At  some  of  the  barricades  along  the  route  the  refugees 
and  soldiers  arrived  simultaneously,  making  the  defense  dif- 
ficult. All  about  Tirlemont  and  Louvain  the  refugees  inter- 
fered with  the  work  of  the  troops.  The  road  to  Brussels 
always  was  crowded  with  refugees  and  many  sorrowful  sights 
were  witnessed  among  them  as  they  fled  from  the  homes  that 
had  been  peaceful  and  prosperous  a  few  days  before. 


144         EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

BRUSSELS  FILLED  WITH   REFUGEES 

1 'Brussels  is  filled  with  refugees  from  surrounding  towns, 
despite  the  large  numbers  who  left  the  city  for  Ghent  and 
Ostend  during  the  last  few  days,"  said  a  correspondent, 
writing  from  Ghent  on  August  20. 

"The  plight  of  most  of  the  refugees  is  pitiable.  Many 
are  camped  in  the  public  square  whose  homes  in  the  suburbs 
have  been  fired  by  the  Prussians.  The  roads  leading  into 
Brussels  have  been  crowded  all  day  with  all  kinds  of  con- 
veyances, many  drawn  by  dogs  and  others  by  girls,  women 
and  aged  peasants. 

' '  Most  of  these  people  have  lost  everything.  Few  of  them 
have  any  money.  The  peasant  is  considered  lucky  who  suc- 
ceeded in  saving  a  single  horse  or  a  cow. 

"Military  men  characterize  the  German  force  which  is 
moving  across  Belgium  as  overwhelming,  saying  it  consists 
of  at  least  two  or  three  army  corps.  The  advance  of  this 
huge  force  is  covered  over  the  entire  thirty-mile  front  by  a 
screen  of  cavalry.  The  Germans  had  no  difficulty  in  taking 
Louvain,  which  was  virtually  undefended. 

"In  the  high  wooded  country  between  Louvain  and  Brus- 
sels the  Germans  found  an  excellent  defensive  position.  Hav- 
ing occupied  Louvain,  the  Kaiser's  troops  pushed  forward 
with  great  celerity,  the  cavalry  opening  out  in  fan-shaped 
formation,  spreading  across  country. 

"At  one  point  they  ran  into  a  strong  force  of  Belgian 
artillery,  which  punished  them  severely.  Later  in  the  day 
a  Belgian  scouting  force  reached  Louvain  and  found  it  unoc- 
cupied, but  received  imperative  orders  to  fall  back,  because 
of  the  danger  of  being  outflanked  and  annihilated." 


ALLIES  MEET  THE  INVADERS 


By  August  20  the  Germans  were  in  touch  with  the  French 
army  that  had  advanced  into  Belgium  and  occupied  the  line 
Dinant-Charleroi-Mons,  the  right  of  the  French  resting  on 
Dinant  and  the  left  on  Mons,  where  they  were  reinforced  by 
the  British  expeditionary  force  under  Field  Marshal  French. 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         145 

There  was  a  heavy  engagement  at  Charleroi,  and  a  four  days ' 
battle  was  begun  at  Mons  August  23.  Slowly  but  surely  the 
Franco-British  army  was  forced  back  across  the  French 
border,  to  take  up  a  new  position  on  the  line,  Noyon-Chanu- 
La  Fere,  which  constituted  the  second  line  of  the  French  de- 
fense. 

The  German  right,  opposing  the  British,  was  under  com- 
mand of  General  von  Kluck ;  General  von  Buelow  and  General 
von  Hausen  commanded  the  German  center  opposing  the 
Franco-Belgian  forces  between  the  Sambre  and  Namur  and 
the  Meuse.  The  Grand  Duke  Albrecht  of  Wuerttemberg  oper- 
ated between  Charleroi  and  the  French  border  fortress  of 
Maubeuge.  The  German  Crown  Prince  led  an  army  far- 
ther east,  advancing  toward  the  Meuse.  The  Crown 
Prince  of  Bavaria  commanded  the  German  forces  far- 
ther south  toward  Nancy,  and  General  von  Heeringen  was 
engaged  in  repulsing  French  attacks  on  Alsace-Lorraine,  in 
the  region  of  the  Vosges  mountains,  where  the  French  had 
met  with  early  successes. 

Meanwhile  on  August  18  the  town  of  Aerschot  had  been 
the  scene  of  a  bloody  engagement  and  was  occupied  and  partly 
destroyed  by  the  Germans.  The  occupation  of  Brussels  fol- 
lowed on  August  20-21  and  the  German  line  of  communica- 
tions was  kept  open  by  a  line  of  occupied  towns. 

After  overwhelming  the  Belgians  the  Kaiser's  great  ad- 
vance army  swept  quickly  into  deadly  conflict  with  the  allies. 
The  first  mighty  shock  came  at  Charleroi,  where  the  French 
were  forced  back,  and  on  August  23  came  the  first  battle 
with  the  British  at  Mons. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  MONS FOUR  DAYS  OF  FIGHTING RETREAT  OF  THE 

ALLIES 

All  England  was  thrilled  on  the  morning  of  September  10 
when  the  British  government  permitted  the  newspapers  to 
publish  the  first  report  from  Field  Marshal  Sir  John  D.  P. 
French,  commander-in-chief  of  the  British  army  allied  with 
the  French  and  Belgians  on  the  continent,  telling  of  the  heroic 
fight  made  by  the  British  troops,  August  23-26,  to  keep  from 
being  annihilated  by  the  Germans. 


146    EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

The  withdrawal  of  the  British  army  before  the  German 
advance  was  compared  to  the  pursuit  of  a  wildcat  by  hounds, 
the  English  force  backing  stubbornly  toward  the  River  Oise, 
constantly  showing  its  teeth,  but  realizing  that  it  must  reach 
the  river  or  perish.  The  report  of  Field  Marshal  French 
created  much  surprise  in  England,  as  it  was  not  known  until 
his  statement  was  made  public  just  how  hard  pressed  the 
British  army  had  been. 

The  communication  was  addressed  to  Earl  Kitchener,  the 
secretary  for  war,  and  its  publication  indicated  that  the  gov- 
ernment was  responding  to  the  public  demand  for  fuller  infor- 
mation on  the  progress  of  operations,  so  far  as  the  British 
forces  in  France  were  concerned. 

The  report,  as  published  in  the  London  Gazette,  the  official 
organ,  was  as  follows : 

FIELD  MARSHAL  FRENCH 's  REPORT 

"The  transportation  of  the  troops  from  England  by  rail 
and  sea  was  effected  in  the  best  order  and  without  a  check. 
Concentration  was  practically  completed  on  the  evening  of 
Friday,  August  21,  and  I  was  able  to  make  dispositions  to 
move  the  force  during  Saturday  to  positions  I  considered 
most  favorable  from  which  to  commence  the  operations  which 
General  Joffre  requested  me  to  undertake.  The  line  extended 
along  the  line  of  the  canal  from  Conde  on  the  west,  through 
Mons  and  Binche  on  the  east. 

"During  August  22  and  23  the  advance  squadrons  did 
some  excellent  work,  some  of  them  penetrating  as  far  as  Soig- 
nies  (a  town  of  Belgium  ten  miles  northeast  of  Mons)  and 
several  encounters  took  place  in  which  our  troops  showed  to 
great  advantage. 

"On  Sunday,  the  23d,  reports  began  to  come  in  to  the 
effect  that  the  enemy  was  commencing  an  attack  on  the  Mons 
line,  apparently  in  some  strength,  but  that  the  right  of  the 
position  from  Mons  was  being  particularly  threatened. 

"The  commander  of  the  First  Corps  had  pushed  his  flank 
back  to  some  high  ground  south  of  Bray  and  the  Fifth  Cavalry 
evacuated  Binche,  moving  slightly  south.  The  enemy  there- 
upon occupied  Binche. 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         147 

"The  right  of  the  third  division  under  General  Hamilton 
was  at  Mons,  which  formed  a  somewhat  dangerous  salient 
and  I  directed  the  commander  of  the  Second  Corps  if  threat- 
ened seriously  to  draw  back  the  center  behind  Mons. 

"In  the  meantime,  about  five  in  the  afternoon,  I  received 
a  most  unexpected  message  from  General  Joffre  by  telegraph, 
telling  me  that  at  least  three  German  corps  were  moving  on 
my  position  in  front  and  that  a  second  corps  was  engaged  in 
a  turning  movement  from  the  direction  of  Tournai.  He  also 
informed  me  that  the  two  reserve  French  divisions  and  the 
Fifth  French  Army  Corps  on  my  right  were  retiring. 

CHOSE  A  NEW  POSITION 

"In  view  of  the  possibility  of  my  being  driven  from  the 
Mons  position,  I  had  previously  ordered  a  position  in  the  rear 
to  be  reconnoitered. 

"This  position  rested  on  the  fortress  of  Maubeuge  on  the 
right  and  extended  west  to  Jenlain,  southeast  of  Valenciennes 
on  the  left.  The  position  was  reported  difficult  to  hold  be- 
cause standing  crops  and  buildings  limited  the  fire  in  many 
important  localities. 

"When  the  news  of  the  retirement  of  the  French  and  the 
heavy  German  threatening  on  my  front  reached  me,  I  endeav- 
ored to  confirm  it  by  aeroplane  reconnoissance,  and  as  a  result 
of  this  I  determined  to  effect  a  retirement  to  the  Maubeuge 
position  at  daybreak  on  the  24th. 

"A  certain  amount  of  fighting  continued  along  the  whole 
line  throughout  the  night  and  at  daybreak  on  the  24th  the 
second  division  from  the  neighborhood  of  Harmignies^  made 
a  powerful  demonstration  as  if  to  retake  Binche.  This  was 
supported  by  the  artillery  of  both  the  first  and  the  second 
divisions  while  the  first  division  took  up  a  supporting  posi- 
tion in  the  neighborhood  of  Peissant.  Under  cover  of  this 
demonstration  the  Second  Corps  retired  on  the  line  of  Dour, 
Quarouble  and  Frameries.  The  third  division  on  the  right 
of  the  corps  suffered  considerable  loss  in  this  operation  from 
the  enemy,  who  had  retaken  Mons. 

"The  Second  Corps  halted  on  this  line,  where  they  in- 
trenched themselves,  enabling  Sir  Douglas  Haig,  with  the 
First  Corps,  to  withdraw  to  the  new  position. 


148         EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

NIGHT  ATTACK  ON  THE  LEFT 

' '  Toward  midnight  the  enemy  appeared  to  be  directing  his 
principal  effort  against  our  left.  I  had  previously  ordered 
General  Allenby  with  the  cavalry  to  act  vigorously  in  advance 
of  my  left  front  and  endeavor  to  take  the  pressure  off. 

"About  7:30  in  the  morning  General  Allenby  received  a 
message  from  Sir  Charles  Fergusson,  commanding  the  fifth 
division,  saying  he  was  very  hard  pressed  and  in  urgent  need 
of  support.  On  receipt  of  this  message  General  Allenby  drew 
in  his  cavalry  and  endeavored  to  bring  direct  support  to  the 
fifth  division. 

"During  the  course  of  this  operation  General  DeLisle  of 
the  Second  Cavalry  Brigade  thought  he  saw  a  good  oppor- 
tunity to  paralyze  the  further  advance  of  the  enemy's  infan- 
try by  making  a  mounted  attack  on  his  flank.  He  formed  up 
and  advanced  for  this  purpose,  but  was  held  up  by  wire  about 
500  yards  from  his  objective. 

GENERAL  SMlTH-DORRIEN  IN  RETREAT 

1 '  The  Nineteenth  Infantry  Brigade  was  brought  by  rail  to 
Valenciennes  on  the  22d  and  23d.  On  the  morning  of  the  24th, 
they  were  moved  out  to  a  position  south  of  Quarouble  to  sup- 
port the  left  flank  of  the  Second  Corps.  With  the  assistance 
of  cavalry  Sir  Horace  Smith-Dorrien  was  enabled  to  effect 
his  retreat  to  a  new  position. 

"At  nightfall  a  position  was  occupied  by  the  Second  Corps 
to  the  west  of  Bavay,  the  First  Corps  to  the  right.  The  right 
was  protected  by  the  fortress  of  Maubeuge,  the  left  by  the 
Nineteenth  Brigade  in  position  between  Jenlain  and  Bavay 
and  cavalry  on  the  outer  flank.  The  French  were  still  retir- 
ing and  I  had  no  support  except  such  as  was  afforded  by  the 
fortress  of  Maubeuge. 

ARMY  IN  GREAT  PERIL 

"I  felt  that  not  a  moment  must  be  lost  in  retiring  to  an- 
other position.  I  had  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  enemy's 
forces  were  somewhat  exhausted  and  I  knew  that  they  had 
suffered  heavy  losses.  The  operation,  however,  was  full  of 
danger  and  difficulty,  not  only  owing  to  the  very  superior 
forces  in  my  front,  but  also  to  the  exhaustion  of  the  troops. 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         149 

' '  The  retirement  was  recommenced  in  the  early  morning  of 
the  25th  to  a  position  in  the  neighborhood  of  Le  Cateau  and 
the  rear  guard  were  ordered  to  be  clear  of  Maubeuge  and 
Bavay  by  5 :30  a.  m. 

''The  fourth  division  commenced  its  detrainment  at  Le 
Cateau  on  Sunday,  August  23,  and  by  the  morning  of  the  25th 
eleven  battalions  and  a  brigade  of  artillery  with  the  divisional 
staff  were  available  for  service.  I  ordered  General  Snow  to 
move  out  to  take  up  a  position  with  his  right  south  of  So- 
lesmes,  his  left  resting  on  the  Cambrai-Le  Cateau  road  south 
of  La  Chapriz.  In  this  position  the  division  rendered  great 
help. 

"Although  the  troops  had  been  ordered  to  occupy  Cam- 
brai-Le Cateau-Landrecies  position  and  ground  had,  during 
the  25th,  been  partially  prepared  and  entrenched,  I  had  grave 
doubts  as  to  the  wisdom  of  standing  there  to  fight. 

'  l  Having  regard  to  the  continued  retirement  of  the  French 
right,  my  exposed  left  flank,  the  tendency  of  the  enemy's 
western  corps  to  envelop  me,  and,  more  than  all,  the  exhausted 
condition  of  the  troops,  I  determined  to  make  a  great  effort 
to  continue  the  retreat  till  I  could  put  some  substantial  obsta- 
cle, such  as  the  Somme  or  the  Oise  between  my  troops  and  the 
enemy. 

KETREAT   IS  ORDERED 

"Orders  were  therefore  sent  to  the  corps  commanders  to 
continue  their  retreat  as  soon  as  they  possibly  could  toward 
the  general  line  of  Vermand,  St.  Quentin  and  Ribemont,  and 
the  cavalry  under  General  Allenby  were  ordered  to  cover  the 
retirement.  Throughout  the  25th  and  far  into  the  evening 
the  First  Corps  continued  to  march  on  Landrecies,  following 
the  road  along  the  eastern  border  of  the  forest  of  Mormal, 
and  arrived  at  Landrecies  about  10  o'clock.  I  had  intended 
that  the  corps  should  come  further  west  so  as  to  fill  up  the 
gap  between  Le  Cateau  and  Landrecies,  but  the  men  were 
exhausted  and  could  not  get  further  in  without  a  rest. 

"The  enemy,  however,  would  not  allow  them  this  rest  and 
about  9:30  that  evening  the  report  was  received  that  the 
Fourth  Guards  brigade  in  Landrecies  was  heavily  attacked 


150         EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

by  troops  of  the  Ninth  German  army  corps,  who  were  coming 
through  the  forest  to  the  north  of  the  town. 

FRENCH  AID  IS  GIVEN 

"At  the  same  time  information  reached  me  from  Sir  Doug- 
las Haig  that  his  first  division  was  also  heavily  engaged  south 
and  east  of  Marilles.  I  sent  urgent  messages  to  the  com- 
mander of  two  French  reserve  divisions  on  my  right  to  come 
up  to  the  assistance  of  the  First  Corps,  which  they  eventually 
did. 

"By  about  6  in  the  afternoon  the  Second  Corps  had  got 
into  position,  with  their  right  on  Le  Cateau,  their  left  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Caudry,  and  the  line  of  defense  was  con- 
tinued thence  by  the  fourth  division  toward  Seranvillers. 

"During  the  fighting  on  the  24th  and  25th  the  cavalry 
became  a  good  deal  scattered,  but  by  early  morning  of  the 
26th  General  Allenby  had  succeeded  in  concentrating  two 
brigades  to  the  south  of  Cambrai. 

"On  the  24th  the  French  cavalry  corps,  consisting  of  three 
divisions  under  General  Sordet,  had  been  in  billets,  north  of 
Avesnes.  On  my  way  back  from  Vavay,  which  was  my  poste 
de  commandemente  during  the  fighting  of  the  23d  and  the 
24th,  I  visited  General  Sordet  and  earnestly  requested  his  co- 
operation and  support.  He  promised  to  obtain  sanction  from 
his  army  commander  to  act  on  my  left  flank,  but  said  that 
his  horses  were  too  tired  to  move  before  the  next  day. 

"Although  he  rendered  me  valuable  assistance  later  on  in 
the  course  of  the  retirement,  he  was  unable  for  the  reasons 
given  to  afford  me  any  support  on  the  most  critical  day  of  all 
— namely,  the  26th. 

GERMANS  USE  HEAVY  GUNS 

"At  daybreak  it  became  apparent  that  the  enemy  was 
throwing  the  bulk  of  his  strength  against  the  left  of  the  posi- 
tion occupied  by  the  Second  Corps  and  the  fourth  division.  At 
this  time  the  guns  of  four  German  army  corps  were  in  posi- 
tion against  them,  and  Sir  Horace  Smith-Dorrien  reported 
to  me  that  he  judged  it  impossible  to  continue  his  retirement 
at  daybreak. 

"I  sent  him  orders  to  use  his  utmost  endeavors  to  break 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         151 

off  the  action  and  retire  at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  as  it 
was  impossible  for  me  to  send  him  support. 

"The  French  cavalry  corps  under  General  Sordet  was 
coming  up  on  our  left  rear  early  in  the  morning,  and  I  sent 
him  an  urgent  message  to  do  his  utmost  to  come  up  and  sup- 
port the  retirement  of  my  left  flank,  but  owing  to  the  fatigue 
of  his  horses  he  found  himself  unable  to  intervene  in  any 
way. 

' '  There  had  been  no  time  to  intrench  the  position  properly, 
but  the  troops  showed  a  magnificent  front  to  the  terrible  fire 
which  confronted  them. 

ARMY  FACED  ANNIHILATION 

"At  length  it  became  apparent  that  if  complete  annihila- 
tion was  to  be  avoided  retirement  must  be  attempted,  and  the 
order  was  given  to  commence  it  about  3  :30  in  the  afternoon. 
The  movement  was  covered  with  most  devoted  intrepidity  and 
determination  by  the  artillery,  which  had  itself  suffered 
heavily,  and  the  fine  work  done  by  the  cavalry  in  the  further 
retreat  from  the  position  assisted  materially  the  final  comple- 
tion of  this  most  difficult  and  dangerous  operation. 

"I  cannot  close  the  brief  account  of  this  glorious  stand  of 
the  British  troops  without  putting  on  record  my  deep  appre- 
ciation of  the  valuable  services  rendered  by  Sir  Horace  Smith- 
Dorrien.  I  say  without  hesitation  that  the  saving  of  the  left 
wing  of  the  army  under  my  command  on  the  morning  of  the 
26th  could  never  have  been  accomplished  unless  a  commander 
of  rare  and  unusual  coolness,  intrepidity  and  determination 
had  been  present  to  personally  conduct  the  operations. 

t  c  rj^g  retreat  was  continued  far  into  the  night  of  the  26th 
and  through  the  27th  and  the  28th,  on  which  date  the  troops 
halted  on  the  line  from  Noyon,  Chauny  and  LeFere. 

PRAISES  SORDET 's  HELP 

"On  the  27th  and  28th  I  was  much  indebted  to  General 
Sordet  and  the  French  cavalry  division  which  he  commands 
for  materially  assisting  my  retirement  and  successfully  driv- 
ing back  some  of  the  enemy  on  Cambrai.  General  d'Amade 
also,  with  the  Sixty-first  and  Sixty-second  Reserve  divisions, 
moved  down  from  the  neighborhood  of  Arras  on  the  enemy's 


152         EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

right  flank  and  took  much  pressure  off  the  rear  of  the  British 
forces. 

1 '  This  closed  the  period  covering  the  heavy  fighting  which 
commenced  at  Mons  on  Sunday  afternoon,  August  23,  and 
which  really  constituted  a  four  days'  battle. 

"I  deeply  deplore  the  very  serious  losses  which  the  Brit- 
ish forces  suffered  in  this  great  battle,  but  they  were  inevi- 
table, in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  British  army — only  a  few 
days  after  concentration  by  rail — was  called  upon  to  with- 
stand the  vigorous  attack  of  five  German  army  corps. 

"It  is  impossible  for  me  to  speak  too  highly  of  the  skill 
evinced  by  the  two  general  officers  commanding  army  corps, 
the  self-sacrificing  and  devoted  exertions  of  their  staffs,  the 
direction  of  troops  by  the  divisional,  brigade  and  regimental 
leaders,  the  command  of  small  units  by  their  officers  and  the 
magnificent  fighting  spirit  displayed  by  the  noncommissioned 
officers  and  men. 

[Signed]     "J.  D.  P.  French, 
"Field  Marshal." 

TOLD  BY  A  WOUNDED  SOLDIER 

A  British  soldier,  who  was  wounded  in  the  fight  during 
the  retreat  from  Mons,  told  the  following  story  of  the  battle 
there : 

"It  was  Sunday,  August  23,  and  the  British  regiments 
at  Mons  were  merry-making  and  enjoying  themselves  in  lei- 
sure along  the  streets.  Belgian  ladies,  returning  from  church, 
handed  the  soldiers  their  prayer  books  as  souvenirs,  while 
the  Belgian  men  gave  the  men  cigarettes  and  tobacco. 

"About  noon,  when  the  men  were  beginning  to  think  about 
dinner,  a  German  aeroplane  appeared  overhead  and  began 
throwing  out  a  cloud  of  black  powder,  which  is  one  of  their 
favorite  methods  of  assisting  batteries  to  get  the  range. 

"No  sooner  had  the  powder  cloud  appeared  than  shrapnel 
began  to  burst  overhead  and  in  a  moment  all  was  confusion 
and  uproar.  But  it  didn't  take  the  regiments  long  to  get  into 
fighting  trim  and  race  through  the  city  to  the  scene  of  opera- 
tions, which  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  small  canal,  in  the 
suburbs. 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         153 

' '  Here  our  outposts  were  engaging  the  enemy  fiercely.  The 
outposts  lost  very  heavily,  most  of  the  damage  being  done 
by  shells.  The  rifle  fire  was  ineffective,  although  at  times 
the  lines  of  contenders  were  not  more  than  300  yards  apart. 

"The  first  reinforcements  to  arrive  were  posted  in  a  glass 
factory,  the  walls  of  which  were  loop-holed,  and  we  doggedly 
held  that  position  until  nightfall,  when  we  fixed  bayonets  and 
lay  in  wait  in  case  the  enemy  made  an  attempt  to  rush  the  po- 
sition in  the  darkness. 

DESTROY  BRIDGES  BEHIND  THEM 

"About  midnight  orders  came  to  retire  over  the  canal  and 
two  companies  were  left  behind  to  keep  the  enemy  in  check 
temporarily.  After  the  main  body  had  crossed  the  bridge 
was  blown  up,  leaving  the  two  outpost  companies  to  get  across 
as  best  they  could  by  boats  or  swimming.  Most  of  them  man- 
aged to  reach  the  main  body  again. 

"The  main  body  retired  from  the  town  and  fell  back 
through  open  country,  being  kept  moving  all  night.  When 
daylight  arrived  it  was  apparent  from  higher  ground  that 
Mons  had  been  practically  blown  away  by  the  German  artil- 
lery. 

"Throughout  the  morning  we  continued  to  fight  a  rear- 
guard action,  but  the  steady  march  in  retreat  did  not  stop 
until  6  o'clock  in  the  evening,  when  the  British  found  them- 
selves well  out  of  range  of  the  German  artillery  in  a  quiet 
valley. 

"Here  all  the  troops  were  ordered  to  rest  and  eat.  As 
they  had  been  without  food  since  the  previous  morning's 
breakfast  it  was  rather  amusing  to  see  the  soldiers  going  into 
the  turnip  fields  and  eating  turnips  as  though  they  were 
apples. 

"At  8  o'clock  all  lights  were  extinguished,  the  soldiers 
were  ordered  to  make  no  noise  and  the  pickets  pushed  a  long 
distance  backward.  Long  before  dawn  the  troops  were  hastily 
started  again  and  continued  the  retirement. 

"By  noon  the  enemy  was  again  heard  from  and  a  large 
detachment  was  assigned  the  task  of  fighting  to  protect  our 
rear. 


154         EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

WATCH  DUEL  IN  AIR 

"During  the  afternoon  both  the  German  and  British 
armies  watched  a  duel  in  the  air  between  French  and  German 
aeroplanes.  The  Frenchman  was  wonderfully  clever,  and 
succeeded  in  maneuvering  himself  to  the  upper  position, 
which  he  gained  after  fifteen  minutes  of  reckless  effort.  Then 
the  Frenchman  began  blazing  away  at  the  German  with  a 
revolver. 

"Finally  he  hit  him,  and  the  wounded  German  attempted 
to  glide  down  into  his  own  lines.  The  glide,  however,  ended 
in  the  British  lines  near  my  detachment,  the  West  Kent  In- 
fantry. We  found  the  aviator  dead  when  we  reached  the  ma- 
chine.   We  buried  him  and  burned  the  aeroplane. 

"At  dusk  a  halt  was  made  for  food,  and  as  the  Germans 
had  fallen  behind  the  English  spent  a  quiet  night.  At  dawn, 
however,  we  found  the  Germans  close  to  our  heels,  and  several 
regiments  were  ordered  to  prepare  intrenchments.  This  is 
tedious  and  tiresome  work,  especially  in  the  heat  and  with- 
out proper  food,  but  we  quickly  put  up  fortifications  which 
were  sufficient  to  protect  us  somewhat  from  the  artillery 
fire. 

"It  was  not  long  before  the  German  gunners  found  the 
range  and  began  tearing  up  those  rough  fortifications,  con- 
centrating their  fire  on  the  British  batteries,  one  of  which  was 
completely  demolished.  Another  found  itself  with  only  six 
men.  Both  these  disasters  bore  testimony  to  the  excellent 
markmanship  of  the  German  gunners. 

OFFICER.  SPIKES  THE  GUNS 

"As  it  became  evident  that  we  must  leave  these  guns  be- 
hind and  continue  the  retreat,  an  officer  was  seen  going  around 
putting  the  guns  out  of  action,  so  that  they  would  be  of  no 
use  to  the  Germans.  His  action  required  cool  bravery,  be- 
cause the  Germans,  having  found  the  range,  continued  firing 
directly  at  these  batteries. 

"Things  rapidly  got  hotter,  and  the  commanding  officer 
ordered  a  double-quick  retreat.  We  were  not  long  in  doing 
the  retiring  movement  to  save  our  own  skins. 

"I  was  wounded  at  this  time  by  a  Maxim  bullet.    For  a 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         155 

moment  I  thought  my  head  had  been  blown  off,  but  I  recov- 
ered and  kept  on  running  until  I  reached  a  trench,  where  I 
had  an 'opportunity  to  bandage  the  wound.  I  rushed  off  to 
the  ambulances,  but  found  the  doctors  so  busy  with  men 
worse  off  than  I  that  I  went  back  to  my  place  in  the  line." 

THE  BATTLE  AT  CHAKLEKOI 

The  loss  of  life  in  the  Franco-German  battle  near  Char- 
leroi  was  admittedly  the  greatest  of  any  engagement  up  to 
that  time.  It  was  at  Charleroi  that  the  Germans  struck  their 
most  terrific  blow  at  the  allies'  lines  in  their  determination 
to  gain  the  French  frontier.  Though  the  tide  of  battle  ebbed 
and  flowed  for  awhile  the  French  were  finally  forced  to  give 
way  and  to  retreat  behind  their  own  frontier,  while  the  Brit- 
ish were  being  forced  back  from  their  position  at  Mons.  The 
fighting  along  the  line  was  of  the  fiercest  kind.  It  was  a 
titanic  clash  of  armies  in  which  the  allies  were  compelled  to 
yield  ground  before  the  superior  numbers  of  the  German  host. 

One  of  the  wounded,  who  was  taken  to  hospital  at  Dieppe, 
said  of  the  fighting  at  Charleroi : 

"Our  army  was  engaging  what  we  believed  to  be  a  sec- 
tion of  the  German  forces  commanded  by  the  crown  prince 
when  I  was  wounded.  The  Germans  at  one  stage  of  the  bat- 
tle seemed  lost.  They  had  been  defending  themselves  almost 
entirely  with  howitzers  from  strongly  intrenched  positions. 
The  Germans  were  seemingly  surrounded  and  cut  off  and  were 
summoned  to  surrender.  The  reply  came  back  that  so  long 
as  they  had  ammunition  they  would  continue  to  fight. 

"The  howitzer  shells  of  the  Germans  seemed  enormous 
things  and  only  exploded  when  they  struck  the  earth.  When 
one  would  descend  it  would  dig  a  hole  a  yard  deep  and  split 
into  hundreds  of  pieces.  Peculiarly  enough  the  howitzer 
shells  did  much  more  wounding  than  killing.  The  other  shells 
of  the  Germans,  like  cartridges,  the  supply  of  which  they 
seemed  to  be  short  of,  did  only  little  damage. 

AEEOS  CONSTANTLY  ABOVE 

"The  German  aeroplane  service  was  perfect.  An  air- 
craft was  always  hovering  over  us  out  of  range.  We  were 
certain  within  an  hour  after  we  sighted  an  aeroplane  to  get 


156         EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

the  howitzers  among  us.  Whenever  we  fired,  however,  we  did 
terrific  execution  with  our  seventy-five  pieces  of  artillery.  I 
counted  in  one  trench  185  dead.  Many  of  them  were  killed 
as  they  were  in  the  act  of  firing  or  loading. 

''The  ground  occupied  by  the  Germans  was  so  thick  with 
dead  that  I  believe  I  saw  one  soldier  to  every  two  yards.  You 
might  have  walked  for  a  mile  on  bodies  without  ever  putting 
foot  to  the  ground.  They  buried  their  dead  when  they  had 
time,  piling  fifteen  or  twenty  in  a  shallow  pit. ' ' 


THE  FRENCH  IN  ALSACE-LORRAINE 

On  August  9  the  advance  guard  brigade  of  the  French 
right  wing,  under  General  Pau,  a  veteran  of  the  Franco-Prus- 
sian war  of  1870-71,  invaded  Alsace,  fought  a  victorious  action 
with  an  intrenched  German  force  of  equal  numbers  and  occu- 
pied Muelhausen  and  Kolmar.  The  news  of  the  French  entry 
into  the  province  lost  in  1871  was  received  all  over  France 
with  wild  enthusiasm.  The  mourning  emblems  on  the  Stras- 
burg  monument  in  Paris  were  removed  by  the  excited  popu- 
lace and  replaced  by  the  tricolor  flag  and  flowers  in  token  of 
their  joy.  Muelhausen  was  soon  after  retaken  by  the  Ger- 
man forces,  only  to  be  recaptured  later  by  the  French  and 
then  evacuated  once  more. 

On  the  day  of  the  first  French  occupation  of  Muelhausen 
France  declared  war  against  Austria  in  consequence  of  the 
arrival  of  two  Austrian  army  corps  on  the  Rhine  to  assist 
the  main  German  army. 

After  the  French  occupation  of  Muelhausen  a  large  Ger-. 
man  army  was  sent  to  the  front  in  Alsace-Lorraine  and  suc- 
ceeded in  dislodging  the  French  from  that  city,  but  not  with- 
out severe  fighting. 

Two  weeks  after  the  war  began  the  French  defeated  a 
Bavarian  corps  in  Alsace  and  for  awhile  General  Pau  more 
than  held  his  own  in  that  former  province  of  France.  On 
August  21  the  Germans  drove  back  the  French  who  had  in- 
vaded Lorraine,  and  occupied  Luneville,  ten  miles  inside  the 
French  border. 

About  the  same  time  the  French  reoccupied  Muelhausen, 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         157 

after  three  days'  fighting  around  the  city.  Another  French 
army  was  reported  to  be  within  nineteen  miles  of  Metz.  But 
before  the  end  of  the  month  the  French  had  been  compelled 
to  evacuate  both  their  former  provinces.  They  continued 
during  September,  however,  to  make  frequent  assaults  on 
the  German  frontier  positions,  but  without  regaining  a  sure 
foothold  on  German  soil,  the  bulk  of  their  efforts  being  de- 
voted to  the  defense  of  their  own  frontier  strongholds. 

FIGHTING  AROUND  NANCY 

An  official  dispatch  from  the  foreign  office  in  Paris,  dated 
August  28,  said : 

''Yesterday  the  French  troops  took  the  offensive  in  the 
Vosges  mountains  and  in  the  region  between  the  Vosges  and 
Nancy,  and  their  offensive  has  been  interrupted,  but  the  Ger- 
man loss  has  been  considerable. 

"Our  forces  found,  near  Nancy,  on  a  front  of  three  kilo- 
meters, 2,500  dead  Germans,  and  near  Vitrimont,  on  a  front 
of  four  kilometers,  4,500  dead.  Longwy,  where  the  garrison 
consisted  of  only  one  battalion,  has  capitulated  to  the  Crown 
Prince  of  Germany  after  a  siege  of  twenty-four  days. ' ' 

FRENCH  TRAPPED  IN  ALSACE 

The  German  view  of  early  operations  in  Alsace-Lor- 
raine was  given  in  the  following  dispatch  September  2  from 
the  headquarters  of  the  general  staff  at  Aix-la-Chapelle : 

"The  French  forces  were  trapped  in  Alsace-Lorraine. 
Realizing  that  the  French  temperament  was  more  likely  to  be 
swayed  by  sentiment  than  by  stern  adherence  to  the  rules 
of  actual  warfare,  the  German  staff  selected  its  own  battle 
line  and  waited.  The  French  did  not  disappoint.  They 
rushed  across  the  border.  They  took  Altkirch  with  little  oppo- 
sition. Then  they  rushed  on  to  Muelhausen.  Through  the 
passes  in  the  Vosges  mountains  they  poured,  horse,  artillery, 
foot — all  branches  of  the  service.  Strasburg  was  to  fall  and 
so  swift  was  the  French  movement  that  lines  of  communi- 
cation were  not  guarded. 

"Then  the  German  general  staff  struck.  Their  troops 
from  Saarburg,  from  Strasburg  and  from  Metz,  under  the 
command  of  General  von  Heeringen,  attacked  the  French  all 


158         EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

along  the  line.  They  were  utterly  crushed.  The  Germans 
took  10,000  Frenchmen  prisoners  and  more  than  one  hundred 
guns  of  every  description.  Alsace-Lorraine  is  now  reported 
absolutely  cleared  of  French  troops. 

1  'The  armies  of  Crown  Prince  Frederick  Wilhelm  and  of 
Crown  Prince  Rupprecht  of  Bavaria  are  moving  in  an  irre- 
sistible manner  into  France.  In  a  3-day  battle  below  Metz 
the  French  were  terribly  cut  up  and  forced  to  retreat  in  al- 
most a  rout.  It  is  declared  that  in  this  engagement  the  French 
lost  151  guns  and  were  unable  to  make  a  stand  against  the  vic- 
torious Germans  until  they  had  passed  inside  of  their  sec- 
ondary line  of  defense." 

THE  GERMAN  "SPY  POSTERS " 

Just  prior  to  the  declaration  of  war,  cable  dispatches  from 
Paris  told  of  a  remarkable  series  of  posters  dotting  the  coun- 
tryside of  France.  These  posters,  innocently  advertising 
"Bouillon  Kub,"  a  German  soup  preparation,  were  so  clev- 
erly printed  by  the  German  concern  advertising  the  soup, 
that  they  would  act  as  signals  to  German  army  officers  lead- 
ing their  troops  through  France. 

In  one  of  our  photographic  illustrations,  one  of  these 
"spy  posters"  is  seen  posted  on  the  left  of  an  archway  past 
which  the  French  soldiers  are  marching  en  route  to  meet  the 
Germans  near  the  Alsace  frontier. 

The  ingenuity  of  the  signs  was  remarkable.  Thus  a  square 
yellow  poster  would  carry  the  information,  "Food  in  abun- 
dance found  here,"  while  a  round  red  sign  would  advertise, 
' '  This  ground  is  mined. ' '  Many  geometrical  figures  and  most 
of  the  colors  were  utilized,  and  animal  forms,  flowers  and 
even  the  American  Stars  and  Stripes  were  employed  to  con- 
vey their  messages  of  information. 

The  French  Minister  of  the  Interior  got  wind  of  the  sys- 
tem, and  orders  were  telegraphed  throughout  France  to  de- 
stroy these  posters.  Bouillon  Kub,  therefore,  is  no  longer  ad- 
vertised in  France. 

a  soldier's  experience  under  fire 

A  wounded  French  soldier  described  his  experiences  un- 
der fire  during  the  Alsace  campaign.    He  said  in  part : 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR         159 

" There!  A  blow  in  the  breast,  a  tearing  in  the  body,  a 
fall  with  a  loud  cry  and  a  terrible  pain;  there  I  lay  one  of 
the  victims  of  this  terrible  day.  My  first  sensation  was  anger 
at  the  blow,  my  second  an  expectation  of  seeing  myself  ex- 
plode, for,  judging  by  the  sound  of  the  ball,  I  believed  I  had  a 
grenade  in  my  body;  then  came  the  pain,  and  with  it  help- 
lessness and  falling. 

"Oh,  how  frightful  are  those  first  moments!  Where  I 
was  hit,  how  I  was  wounded,  I  could  form  no  idea;  I  only 
felt  that  I  could  not  stir,  saw  the  battalion  disappear  from 
sight  and  myself  alone  on  the  ground,  amid  the  fearful  howl- 
ing and  whistling  of  the  balls  which  were  incessantly  striking 
the  ground  around  me. 

"With  difficulty  could  I  turn  my  head  a  little,  and  saw 
behind  me  two  soldiers  attending  on  a  third,  who  was  lying  on 
the  ground.  Of  what  happened  I  can  give  no  account  except 
that  I  cried  for  help  several  times  as  well  as  I  could,  for  the 
pain  and  burning  thirst  had  the  upper  hand.  At  last  both  of 
them  ran  to  me,  and  with  joy  I  recognized  the  doctor  and 
hospital  attendant  of  my  company. 

"  'Where  are  you  wounded?'  was  the  first  question.  I 
could  only  point.  My  blouse  was  quickly  opened,  and  in  the 
middle  of  the  breast  a  bloody  wound  was  found.  The  balls 
still  constantly  whizzed  around  us;  one  struck  the  doctor's 
helmet,  and  immediately  I  felt  a  violent  blow  on  the  left  arm. 
Another  wound !  With  difficulty  I  was  turned  round,  to  look 
for  the  outlet  of  the  bullet ;  but  it  was  still  in  my  body,  near 
the  spine.  At  last  it  was  cut  out.  They  were  going  away — 
'  The  wound  in  the  arm,  doctor. '  This,  fortunately,  was  looked 
for  in  vain ;  the  ball  had  merely  caused  a  blue  spot  and  had 
sunk  harmlessly  into  the  ground. 

"I  extended  my  hand  to  the  doctor  and  thanked  him,  as 
also  the  attendant,  whom  I  commissioned  to  ask  the  sergeant 
to  send  word  to  my  family.  The  doctor  had  carefully  placed 
my  cloak  over  me,  with  my  helmet  firmly  on  my  head,  in  order 
in  some  measure  to  protect  me  from  the  leaden  hail. 

"Thus  I  lay  alone  with  my  own  thoughts  amid  the  most 
terrible  fire  for  perhaps  an  hour  and  a  half.  All  my  thoughts, 
as  far  as  pain  and  increasing  weakness  allowed,  were  fixed  on 


160    EARLY  BATTLES  OF  THE  WAR 

my  family.  Gradually  I  got  accustomed  to  the  danger  which 
surrounded  me,  and  only  when  too  much  sand  from  the  strik- 
ing bullets  was  thrown  on  my  body  did  I  remember  my  little 
enviable  position.  At  last,  after  long,  long  waiting,  the  sani- 
tary detachment  came  for  me. ' ' 

THE  REAL  TRAGEDY  OF  WAR 

It  is  not  a  pleasant  picture — this  story  of  the  French  sol- 
dier. It  has  little  in  it  of  the  grandeur,  the  beat  of  drums, 
the  sound  of  martial  music,  which  is  supposed  to  accompany 
war.  The  tread  of  marching  feet  has  died  away,  the  excite- 
ment is  gone,  and  man  the  demon  is  supplanted  by  man  the 
everyday  human  creature  of  suffering  and  home  folks  and 
fear. 

It  is  only  a  personal  account  of  an  individual  experience, 
yet  in  it  may  be  found  the  real  significance  and  the  real  trag- 
edy of  war ;  for,  after  the  fighting  is  over,  after  the  intoxica- 
tion of  legalized  murder  has  gone,  after  nations  turn  their 
attention  from  victories  to  men,  it  is  the  aggregate  of  indi- 
vidual experiences  which  counts  the  costs  of  war. 

Thousands  of  German,  French,  Belgian,  Austrian,  Eus- 
sian,  and  British  men  in  the  prime  of  life  have  been  miserably 
slain  and  lie  in  obscure  graves  of  which  the  enemy  now  is  the 
guardian,  while  others  writhe  in  the  agony  of  lingering  wounds 
or  sullenly  brood  over  their  fate  in  the  dull  routine  of  mili- 
tary prisons.  In  every  part  of  the  warring  countries  mothers 
weep  over  the  sons  they  shall  see  no  more,  and  wives  over 
the  husbands  snatched  from  them  forever.  In  many  a  man- 
sion, in  many  a  comfortable  home,  in  many  a  peasant's  cot- 
tage, the  empty  chair  is  eloquent  of  the  absent  father,  brother, 
husband  or  son  who  shall  be  absent  forever. 


CHAPTER  X 

OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS 

Dispatches  of  the  Wolff  Telegraphic  Agency  as  Given  to  the 
German  People  During  the  March  on  Paris — Reports 
of  Military  and  Naval  Operations  from  the  Standpoint 
of  the  German  General  Staff. 

THE  complete  official  reports  of  the  German  Wolff  Tele- 
graphic Agency,  dealing  with  military  operations  up  to 
the  time  when  the  German  advance  on  Paris  was  checked 
are  given  below.  These  dispatches  were  carefully  censored 
and  while  given  out  on  the  dates  mentioned  do  not  in  all  cases 
refer  to  engagements  occurring  on  those  dates.  They  present 
the  German  official  version  of  the  operations  in  the  field,  both 
east  and  west,  as  given  to  the  German  people,  for  whom  they 
were  prepared,  and  make  an  intensely  interesting  recital  in 
comparison  with  the  fuller  and  more  highly  colored  reports 
that  emanated  from  British,  French  and  Russian  sources  dur- 
ing the  same  period.  Naturally  enough,  nothing  is  said  in 
these  dispatches  about  the  efficiency  and  gallantry  of  the 
forces  of  the  enemy  in  the  operations  referred  to. 

START  OF   HOSTILITIES  RELATED 

AUG.  3. — The  commander  of  the  small  cruiser  Augsburg, 
Capt.  Andreas  Fisher,  gives  the  following  message  by  signal : 
' '  I  am  bombarding  the  war  harbor  of  Libau  and  am  in  conflict 
with  enemy's  cruiser.  I  have  laid  mines.  The  war  harbor  of 
Libau  is  burning." 

Luxemburg  has  been  occupied  by  troops  of  the  Eighth 
Army  Corps  to  protect  the  German  railroad  there. 

In  the  night  of  the  1st  and  2d  of  August  an  enemy's  air- 
ship was  observed  in  flight  from  Ker  Kerjeuich  to  Andernach. 
On  the  same  night  a  hotelkeeper  of  Kochem  and  his  son  made 

161 


162  OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS 

an  attempt  to  blow  up  the  Kochem  tunnel.  Both  were  shot. 
Airships  of  the  enemy  were  observed  flying  from  Duren 
toward  Cologne.  A  French  airship  was  shot  down  near 
Wesel. 

In  Eydkuhnen  Russian  patrols  have  entered  and  the  post- 
office  at  Bilderweitschen  has  been  destroyed.  The  enemy 
crossed  the  frontier  at  many  places. 

ATTACK  BY  RUSSIAN  PATROLS 

The  Russian  patrols  attacked  the  railway  bridge  over  the 
Warthe  at  Eichenried.  Two  Germans  were  slightly  wounded ; 
Russian  losses  not  known.  At  attempt  of  the  Russians  to 
attack  the  Miloslaw  was  prevented. 

The  railway  authorities  at  Johannisburg  and  forest  offi- 
cials of  Bialla  report  that  tonight  strong  Russian  columns 
with  artillery  crossed  the  frontier  at  Schwidden  southeast  of 
Bialla  and  that  two  squadrons  of  Cossacks  are  riding  in  the 
direction  of  Johannisburg.  The  telephone  connection  be- 
tween Lueck  and  Bialla  has  been  cut. 

German  railroad  workers  near  Illowo  retired  under  the 
fire  of  Russians. 

Although  no  German  soldier  is  on  French  soil,  the  French 
have  crossed  the  German  frontier  without  declaring  war  and 
have  occupied  the  villages  of  Gothestal,  Metzertal  and  Mar- 
kirch  and  have  occupied  the  Schlucht  pass.  A  further  viola- 
tion of  neutrality  lies  in  the  fact  that  French  fliers  in  great 
numbers  have  flown  into  Germany  over  Belgium  and  Holland. 

SAY  FRENCH  VIOLATED  NEUTRALITY 

AUG.  4. — Until  now  no  German  troops  have  crossed  the 
French  frontier.  French  troops,  however,  have  attacked  our 
frontier  posts  since  Sunday;  this  in  spite  of  the  agreements 
of  the  French  government  to  respect  a  neutral  zone  of  ten 
kilometers  on  both  sides  of  the  frontier.  French  companies 
have  occupied  German  villages  since  last  night.  Bomb  throw- 
ing aviators  have  flown  into  Baden  and  Bavaria  and  through 
Belgium  into  the  Rhine  provinces,  thereby  violating  Belgian 
neutrality.    They  are  attempting  to  destroy  our  railroads. 

Consequently,  France  has  commenced  the  attack  upon  us 
and  brought  about  war.    The  safety  of  the  empire  forces  us 


OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS  163 

into  retaliation.  The  Kaiser  has  given  the  necessary  orders. 
The  German  ambassador  in  Paris  has  been  told  to  obtain  his 
passes. 

GREAT   BRITAIN   DECLARED   WAR 

AUG.  5. — Yesterday  afternoon,  shortly  after  the  speech  of 
the  chancellor,  in  which  he  openly  admitted  that  Belgian  ter- 
ritory had  been  occupied,  thereby  committing  a  breach  of 
international  law,  and  had  declared  the  willingness  of  the 
German  government  to  indemnify  for  whatever  harm  was 
done,  the  English  ambassador,  Sir  Edward  Goschen,  appeared 
in  the  reichstag  to  present  to  Secretary  von  Jagow  a  message 
from  his  government. 

In  this  message  was  a  request  that  the  German  govern- 
ment should  answer  as  quickly  as  possible  the  question 
whether  it  would  give  the  assurance  that  there  would  be  no 
violation  of  Belgian  neutrality.  Secretary  von  Jagow  an- 
swered at  once  that  this  was  not  possible,  and  again  explained 
why  it  was  that  Germany  was  forced  to  take  steps  to  prevent 
an  invasion  of  the  French  army. 

Shortly  after  7  o'clock  the  English  ambassador  appeared 
in  the  foreign  office  to  declare  war  and  to  request  his  passes. 
As  we  hear,  the  government  placed  military  requirements 
before  anything  else,  although  it  was  forced  to  reckon  with 
the  fact  that  such  action  would  give  England  reasons  or  a  pre- 
tense to  intervene. 

RUSSIAN  DEFENSES  BROKEN 

Shortly  after  troops  at  Soldau  left  this  morning  to  attack 
strong  Russian  cavalry,  which  were  attempting  penetration 
into  East  Prussia,  they  were  attacked  by  a  strong  brigade  of 
Russian  cavalry.  Under  the  fire  of  German  troops  the  Rus- 
sian cavalry  attack  failed  because  of  most  severe  losses.  The 
Russian  cavalry  brigade  was  destroyed. 

Yesterday  afternoon  German  cavalry  attacked  Kabarty, 
the  Russian  frontier  village  east  of  Stallupoenen.  The  garri- 
son of  Kabarty  fled  from  the  village,  which  was  then  occu- 
pied. A  division  of  Russian  cavalry  which  watched  the 
conflict  did  not  take  part.  The  enemy's  frontier  defense  is 
herewith  broken  through,  which  is  for  us  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance.   The  Russian  detachment  is  being  followed. 


164  OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS 

GERMAN  CAVALRY  GREETED 

AUG.  6. — German  cavalry  yesterday  occupied  Wilun, 
south  of  Kalisz.  They  were  treated  by  the  population  with 
rejoicing. 

Briey,  northwest  of  Metz,  has  been  occupied  by  German 
troops. 

Russian  cavalry  divisions  attempted  to  break  through  the 
German  frontier  defenses  at  Schwidden,  east  of  Johannis- 
burg,  and  Grotken,  between  Lautenburg  and  Soldau.  They 
were  thrown  back  and  retired  to  Russian  territory. 

The  Russian  cavalry  division  which  was  thrown  back  at 
Soldau  received  further  losses  at  its  return  to  Russia  at 
Neidenburg. 

LIEGE  ATTACK  NOT  A  DEFEAT 

AUG.  7. — Our  vanguards  entered  Belgium  day  before  yes- 
terday and  an  insignificant  detachment  made  with  the  great- 
est bravery  a  surprise  attack  upon  Liege.  A  few  mounted 
men  entered  the  city  and  sought  to  overpower  the  commander, 
who  was  only  saved  from  capture  by  flight.  The  surprise 
attack  on  the  modern  fortification  itself  was  unsuccessful. 

Troops  are  in  contact  with  the  enemy  in  front  of  the  forti- 
fication. Naturally  the  entire  press  of  our  enemy  will  stamp 
this  attempt,  which  has  no  importance  upon  the  progress  of 
military  operations,  as  a  defeat.  For  us,  however,  is  this  one 
of  the  solitary  eternal  deeds  in  the  history  of  war  and  an  evi- 
dence of  the  death-daring  enterprise  of  our  troops. 

CAPTURE  OF  LIEGE  REPORTED 

AUG.  8. — The  stronghold  Liege  has  been  taken.  After 
the  detachments  which  attempted  the  surprise  attack  upon 
Liege  had  been  strengthened  the  attack  was  carried  out.  Yes- 
terday morning  at  8  o'clock  the  stronghold  was  in  German 
possession. 

CRUISER    AMPHION    SUNK 

AUG.  9. — Fairly  reliable  rumors  say  that  the  Koenigin 
Luise,  a  North  Sea  steamer  taken  over  by  the  imperial  marine, 
was  attacked  while  laying  mines  by  an  English  torpedo  boat 
flotilla  under  the  convoy  of  the  small  cruiser  Amphion  and 
was  sunk.    The  Amphion  itself  struck  one  of  the  mines  laid 


OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS  165 

by  the  Koenigin  Luise  and  went  down.  The  English  lost  130 
men  and  150  were  saved.  Some  of  the  six  officers  and  140 
men  of  the  Koenigin  Luise  also  were  saved. 

The  third  Russian  cavalry  division  crossed  the  frontier 
at  Romeiken,  south  of  Eydkuhnen,  but  upon  the  appearance 
of  German  cavalry  retired  to  Russian  soil.  Work  is  pro- 
gressing in  Poland  to  restore  the  railroads  destroyed  by  the 
Russians,  as  also  is  the  work  on  the  bridge  between  Schop- 
onitz  and  Sosnowice.  The  railway  Alexandrowno-Wlozlawek 
is  again  passable. 

German  frontier  troops  in  Upper  Alsace  have  been  at- 
tacked by  the  French  coming  from  the  direction  of  Belfort. 
The  advance  of  the  French  troops  was  halted  and  at  AltMrch 
they  are  already  retiring  in  the  direction  of  Belfort. 

enemy's  loss  heavy  at  liege 

AUG.  10. — Liege  is  safe  in  our  hands.  The  loss  of  the 
enemy  was  heavy;  our  losses  will  be  made  public  as  soon  as 
they  are  reliably  known.  The  transportation  of  3,000  to 
4,000  Belgian  prisoners  has  already  commenced.  According 
to  dispatches  at  hand  one-fourth  of  the  Belgian  army  faced 
us  at  Liege. 

The  frontier  troops  at  Bialla,  ten  kilometers  east  of  Jo- 
hannisburg,  have  thrown  back  an  attacking  Russian  cavalry 
brigade.  Eight  guns  and  many  ammunition  wagons  fell  into 
our  hands. 

fkench  defeat  at  MUELHAUSEN 

AUG.  11. — The  enemy  advancing  in  the  direction  of  Muel- 
hausen  from  Belfort  was  forced  from  a  fortified  position  west 
of  Muelhausen  and  thrown  back  in  a  southerly  direction.  The 
losses  of  our  troops  were  not  heavy;  the  French  losses  were 
great.  This  French  force  was  apparently  the  7th  army  corps 
and  an  infantry  division  of  the  garrison  of  Belfort. 

Three  companies  of  the  frontier  troops  at  Eydkuhnen, 
supported  by  hastily  advancing  field  artillery,  have  thrown 
back  the  3d  Russian  cavalry  division  across  the  frontier  at 
Schleuben. 

PRISONERS  TAKEN  IN  LORRAINE 

AUG.  12. — A  mixed  brigade  of  the  French  15th  army 
corps,  which  had  been  pushed  forward,  was  engaged  by  our 


166  OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS 

troops  near  Lagarde  in  Lorraine.  The  enemy  was  thrown 
back  with  heavy  losses  into  the  forest  of  Paroy  northwest  of 
Luneville,  and  left  in  our  hands  one  flag,  two  batteries,  four 
machine  guns,  and  about  700  prisoners.  One  French  general 
has  fallen. 

His  imperial  majesty's  armored  cruiser  Goeben  and  the 
small  cruiser  Breslau  reached  the  neutral  Italian  port  of  Mes- 
sina Aug.  5,  after  their  enterprise  on  the  Algerian  coast,  and 
coaled  up  from  German  ships.  The  harbor  was  watched  by 
English  warships  which  had  come  into  contact  with  our  ves- 
sels. Nevertheless  they  were  able  on  the  evening  of  the  6th 
of  August  to  break  through  from  Messina  and  to  win  the  high 
seas.    Further  it  is  impossible  to  tell  for  particular  reasons. 

German  submarines  have,  in  the  last  few  days,  sailed 
along  the  east  coast  of  England  and  Scotland,  clear  to  the 
Shetland  islands.  It  is  impossible  to  give  any  further  in- 
formation concerning  the  results  of  this  trip. 

GERMAN  SOIL  "  CLEARED  OF  ENEMY" 

AUG.  13. — Near  Muelhausen  German  troops  have  cap- 
tured ten  French  officers  and  513  men.  Further,  four  guns, 
ten  conveyances  and  a  large  number  of  rifles  were  captured. 
German  soil  is  cleared  of  the  enemy. 

AUG.  14. — Near  Lagarde,  more  than  1,000  unwounded 
prisoners  of  war  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  German 
troops,  more  than  a  sixth  of  the  two  French  regiments  that 
were  in  action. 

AUG.  15. — In  the  east  two  Russian  cavalry  divisions,  fol- 
lowed by  infantry,  have  pressed  forward.  After  they  had 
burned  a  small  town,  Margrabowa,  lying  near  the  border, 
these  troops  have  again  retired  across  the  frontier.  A  Rus- 
sian cavalry  corps  stationed  near  Mlawa  has  retired  south 
before  the  advance  of  a  German  column. 

Otherwise  the  gathering  and  placing  of  the  troops  is  being 
carried  out  according  to  plans.  Not  a  single  hostile  action 
has  been  able,  up  to  the  present  moment,  either  to  turn  aside 
or  hold  up  the  German  plan  of  action.  All  contrary  reports 
spread  by  enemies  are  false. 

AUG.  17. — The  Kaiser  left  Berlin  at  8  o'clock  yesterday 
(Sunday)  morning  in  the  direction  of  Mayence. 


OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS  167 

AUG.  18. — The  action  near  Muelhausen  was  an  unfore- 
seen occurrence.  One  and  one-half  hostile  army  corps  had 
pushed  their  way  into  upper  Alsace  while  our  troops  in  that 
neighborhood  were  still  gathering.  Notwithstanding,  they 
attacked  the  enemy  without  hesitation  and  threw  him  back 
in  the  direction  of  Belfort.  After  this  they  followed  out  their 
prearranged  plan  of  march. 

In  the  meanwhile  a  small  detachment  from  the  garrison 
of  Strassburg  was  defeated  on  the  14th  of  the  month.  Two 
battalions  with  cannons  and  machine  guns  had  forced  their 
way  into  the  Schirmeck  pass  in  the  Vosges  mountains.  They 
were  overpowered  by  hostile  artillery  fire  from  Donon.  In 
the  narrow  road  through  the  pass  cannon  and  machine  guns 
had  been  shot  to  pieces  and  were  left  there,  useless.  In  any 
case  they  were  seized  as  booty  and  the  enemy  later  marched  to 
Schirmeck.  This  is  an  insignificant  war  occurrence,  that  has 
no  influence  on  the  operations,  but  which  will  stand  as  a  warn- 
ing example  to  our  troops  of  foolhardiness  and  carelessness. 

The  garrison  troops  once  more  rallied  and  reached  the 
fortress  unfollowed.  Although  they  lost  their  guns,  they  did 
not  lose  their  courage.  Whether  treason  on  the  part  of  the 
peasant  landholders  entered  into  the  occurrence  is  yet  to  be 
determined. 

RUMORS  OF  SEA  BATTLE 

From  a  trip  of  several  submarines  along  the  English 
coast,  the  boat  U15  has  not  yet  come  back.  According  to 
reports  in  English  newspapers  the  U15  was  destroyed  in  a 
battle  with  English  war  vessels.  What  losses  if  any  resulted 
from  this  it  is  not  possible  to  determine. 

Mlaw  (on  the  railway  line  Marienburg-Warsaw)  has  been 
occupied  by  German  troops. 

AUG.  19. — On  the  17th  an  action  took  place  near  Stall- 
upoenen  in  which  troops  of  the  1st  army  corps  fought  with 
unequaled  courage  so  that  a  victory  was  gained.  More  than 
3,000  prisoners  have  fallen  into  our  hands.  A  large  number 
of  Russian  machine  guns  that  could  not  be  brought  back  were 
rendered  useless. 


168  OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS 

FIRST    CONFLICT    NEAR   NAMUR 

AUG.  20. — The  French  5th  cavalry  division  was  thrown 
back  by  our  cavalry  near  Pervez,  north  of  Namur,  with  heavy 
losses. 

Bavarian  and  Badenese  troops  defeated  the  French  55th 
infantry  brigade,  which  had  pushed  forward  to  Weiler,  fifteen 
kilometers  northwest  of  Schlettstadt,  inflicted  heavy  losses 
and  threw  the  enemy  back  over  the  Vosges. 

Our  troops  took  one  field  battery,  a  heavy  battery,  a  flag 
and  500  prisoners  at  Tirlemont.  Our  cavalry  took  from  the 
enemy  two  guns  and  two  machine  guns  near  Pervez. 

BRITISH  SUBMARINE  SUNK 

AUG.  20. — The  two  small  cruisers,  Strassburg  and  Stral- 
sund  have  in  the  last  days  made  a  dash  into  the  southern  part 
of  the  North  Sea.  The  Strassburg  sighted  two  hostile  sub- 
marines under  the  English  coast,  one  of  which  she  sank  at 
some  distance  with  a  few  shots.  The  Stralsund  exchanged 
shots  with  several  torpedo  boat  destroyers  at  a  distance.  Two 
destroyers  were  damaged. 

On  this  occasion,  as  well  as  on  a  scouting  trip  of  airships 
clear  to  the  Skagerack,  it  was  determined  that  the  German 
coast  and  German  waters  were  free  from  hostile  vessels,  and 
that  neutral  shipping  could  pass  unhindered. 

A  telegram  from  Kiaochow  in  indorsement  of  the  message 
concerning  the  Japanese  ultimatum  reads : 

11  Stand  ready  to  carry  out  my  duty  to  the  end. 

1 1  GOUVERNEUR. ' ' 
GERMANS  OCCUPY  BRUSSELS 

AUG.  21. — German  troops  entered  Brussels  yesterday. 

Under  the  leadership  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Bavaria, 
troops  of  all  German  countries  won  a  victory  yesterday  be- 
tween Metz  and  the  Vosges.  The  enemy,  pushing  forward 
in  Lorraine  with  strong  forces,  was  thrown  back  all  along 
the  line  with  heavy  losses.  Many  thousand  prisoners  and  a 
large  number  of  guns  were  taken. 

The  entire  result  of  the  battle  cannot  yet  be  estimated,  as 
the  battle  field  takes  up  more  space  than  our  entire  army  took 
up  in  the  battles  of  1870-71.    Our  troops,  inspirited  by  an  irre- 


OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS  169 

sistible  forward  motion,  are  following  the  enemy  and  have 
kept  up  the  battle  till  the  present  time. 

AUG.  22. — The  French  forces  defeated  by  our  troops  be- 
tween Metz  and  the  Vosges  were  followed  by  our  troops  yes- 
terday. The  retreat  of  the  French  has  become  a  rout.  To 
the  present  moment  more  than  10,000  prisoners  have  been 
taken,  and  at  least  fifty  guns  have  been  seized.  The  strength 
of  the  defeated  forces  is  set  at  more  than  eight  army  corps. 

TAKE  8,000  RUSSIAN  PRISONERS 

AUG.  23. — Strong  Russian  forces  are  advancing  against 
the  line  Gumbinen-Angerburg.  The  1st  army  corps  again 
engaged  troops  advancing  against  Gumbinen  Aug.  20  and 
threw  them  back. 

On  this  occasion  8,000  prisoners  and  eight  guns  were  taken. 
No  word  had  been  heard  for  some  time  from  one  division  of 
the  army  corps.  This  division  had  fought  against  two  hostile 
cavalry  divisions  and  yesterday  returned  to  the  1st  army 
ccrps  with  500  prisoners.  Further  Russian  reinforcements 
are  advancing  north  of  the  Pergel  and  south  of  the  Masurian 
sea  line.  Concerning  the  further  conditions  silence  must  still 
be  kept,  in  order  that  our  actions  be  not  betrayed. 

Concerning  the  advances  in  the  west,  further  information 
will  be  given  out  in  a  short  time.  A  new  attempt  of  the  enemy 
to  march  into  upper  Alsace  has  been  defeated  by  the  victory 
in  Lorraine.    The  enemy  in  upper  Alsace  also  is  retreating. 

VICTORIES    ON    FRENCH   BORDER 

AUG.  24. — The  troops  under  the  leadership  of  the  Crown 
Prince  of  Bavaria,  who  were  victorious  in  Lorraine,  have 
crossed  the  Luneville-Blamont-Cirey  line.  The  21st  army 
corps  entered  Luneville  today.  The  pursuit  is  beginning  to 
bring  fruits.  Besides  large  numbers  of  prisoners  and  colors, 
the  left  wing,  pressing  forward  into  the  Vosges,  has  already 
made  booty  of  150  guns. 

The  army  of  the  German  crown  prince  has  today  carried 
the  pursuit  onward  toward  Longwy.  That  of  Duke  Albert 
of  Wuerttemberg  advancing  on  both  sides  of  Neuf  chateau  has 
completely  defeated  a  French  army  which  had  pressed  over 
the  Semois.    Duke  Albert  is  now  in  pursuit.    Large  numbers 


170  OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS 

of  guns,  colors  and  prisoners,  including  several  generals,  have 
fallen  into  their  hands. 

West  of  the  Meuse  our  troops  are  pressing  forward  on 
Maubeuge.  An  English  cavalry  division  advancing  against 
their  front  has  been  defeated. 

CROWN  PRINCE  NEAR  LONGWY 

North  of  Metz  the  German  crown  prince  and  his  army, 
advancing  on  both  sides  of  Longwy,  have  thrown  back  the 
enemy.  The  German  guns  have  been  booming  before  Namur 
since  day  before  yesterday. 

From  Sarayevo  the  following  message  has  been  received 
by  the  general  marine  staff: 

"On  the  20th  of  August  the  Servian  position,  950  meters 
high,  at  Visegrad,  was  taken.  Marines  were  in  the  first  line. 
Three  dead,  two  officers  and  twenty-one  men  injured.  Condi- 
tion of  men  excellent.  Maj.  Schneider." 

This  has  reference  to  our  Scutari  detachment,  which,  since 
retirement  from  Scutari,  has  joined  the  Austrian  operations. 

FORTS  AT  NAMUR  FALL 

AUG.  25. — Of  the  fortress  of  Namur,  five  forts  and  the 
city  are  in  our  possession.  Four  forts  are  being  bombarded. 
Their  fall  appears  to  be  near. 

AUG.  27. — All  the  forts  of  Namur  have  fallen,  as  has  also 
Longwy  after  brave  resistance.  Against  the  left  wing  of  the 
army  of  the  German  crown  prince  strong  forces  have  marched 
from  Verdun  in  the  east,  which  have  been  beaten  back.  Upper 
Alsace  has  been  cleared  of  the  French,  except  for  small  de- 
tachments west  of  Colmar. 

CRUISER   MAGDEBURG   SUNK 

The  small  cruiser  Magdeburg  in  the  course  of  a  dash  into 
Finnish  waters  ran  aground  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Island 
Odensholm  in  a  fog.  Assistance  from  other  ships  was  im- 
possible because  of  the  thick  weather.  As  it  was  impossible 
to  bring  the  ship  off  it  was  blown  up  during  engagement  with 
a  far  greater  number  of  Russian  warships  and  sank  honor- 
ably. 

Under  the  enemies'  fire  a  greater  part  of  the  crew  of  the 
cruiser  was  rescued  by  the  torpedo  boat  "V26."   The  losses 


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A  remarkable  combined  attack  near  Cambrai.  Massed  German  brigade  decimated  at  short  range 
by  masked  French  artillery  and  field  guns,  supported  by  British  cavalry.  This  incident  occurred 
during  the  retreat  of  the  allies  from  Mons  and  Charleroi,  a  deadly  trap  being  laid  for  the  advancing 
German  infantry.  A  desultory  fire  from  the  French  infantry,  stationed  at  intervals  between  the 
masked  guns,  drew  the  Germans  across  an  intervening  field.     As  the  French  rifle  fire  was  purposel.v 


iminished,  a  massed  brigade  of  Germans  proceeded  to  cross  the  fatal  ground.  When  they  were  within 
range  of  about  250  yards,  the  French  artillery  suddenly  sent  a  hurricane  of  shrapnel  through  the 
lerman  ranks,  while  the  ambuscaded  machine  guns,  it  is  said,  literally  cut  many  of  the  German 
afantrymen  in  two. — Drawn  by  H.  W.  Koekkek  from  sketches  supplied  by  Dr.  N.  Monroe  Hopkins, 
n  eyewitness  of  the  scene.. 


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1.  A  Belgian  Dog-Drawn  Machine  Gun  at  Liege. 

2.  Dog  Artillery  Getting  into  Position  for  Action  on  a  Frontier  Hilltop. 


CHARGE  OF  THE  BRITISH  9TII  LAWYERS  ON  A   GERMAN   BATTERY  DURING  THE 

BATTLE    OP    MONS 

The  battery  had  inflicted  heavy  losses  on  the  British  troops.  All  the  gunners  were  cut 
down  and  the  guns  put  out  of  action. — Drawn  by  Dudley  Tennant  for  The  Graphic,  from 
notes  by  a  trooper. 


OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS  171 

of  the  Magdeburg  and  the  "V26"  have  not  been  exactly  de- 
termined. Up  to  the  present  moment  seventeen  dead,  twenty- 
one  wounded  and  eighty-five  missing,  among  them  the  com- 
mander of  the  Magdeburg,  have  been  reported.  The  rescued 
will  reach  the  German  harbor  today.  The  list  of  the  lost  will 
be  given  out  as  soon  as  possible. 

ENGLISH  COMPLETELY  DEFEATED 

AUG.  28. — The  English  army,  which  had  been  joined  by 
three  French  territorial  divisions,  has  been  completely  de- 
feated north  of  St.  Quentin.  The  entire  army  is  retreating 
over  St.  Quentin.  Several  thousand  prisoners,  several  field 
batteries  and  a  heavy  battery  have  fallen  into  our  hands. 

Southeast  of  Mezieres  our  troops  are  pushing  the  fight 
across  the  Meuse  along  a  wide  front.  After  nine  days  of 
mountain  fighting  our  left  wing  has  pushed  the  French  moun- 
tain troops  back  into  the  neighborhood  east  of  Epinal  and  is 
advancing  farther  victoriously. 

FRENCH  CANNOT  AID  BELGIANS 

Brussels'  mayor  informed  the  German  commander  that 
the  French  government  has  declared  to  the  Belgian  govern- 
ment that  it  is  in  nowise  able  to  assist  in  offensive  movements 
as  France  herself  has  been  forced  to  take  the  defensive 
throughout. 

AUG.  29. — Manonvillier,  the  strongest  outer  fort  of  the 
French,  is  in  possession  of  the  Germans. 

Our  troops  in  east  Prussia,  under  the  leadership  of  Gen- 
eral von  Hindenberg,  have  defeated  the  advancing  Russian 
Narew  army,  five  army  corps  and  three  cavalry  divisions 
strong,  in  a  three-day  battle  in  the  neighborhood  of  Gilgen- 
burg  and  Ortelsburg  and  are  following  them  across  the 
border. 

NAVAL  LOSS  AT  HELIGOLAND 

Yesterday  morning,  under  the  cover  of  fog,  several  Eng- 
lish cruisers  and  two  English  torpedo  boat  flotillas  (about 
twenty  destroyers),  stole  up  into  the  German  gulf  of  the 
North  Sea,  northwest  of  Heligoland.  Several  single  engage- 
ments took  place  between  them  and  our  lighter  war  vessels. 


172  OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS 

Small  German  cruisers  pressed  steadily  toward  the  west 
and  in  so  doing,  because  of  the  thick  weather,  were  brought 
into  contact  with  several  large  armored  cruisers.  The  Ger- 
man cruiser  Ariadne,  fired  upon  at  close  range  by  heavy  guns 
from  the  cruisers  of  the  Lion  class,  sank  after  an  honorable 
conflict.  The  greater  part  of  the  crew,  about  250  men,  was 
saved. 

In  addition,  the  torpedo  boat  V187  went  down  under  heavy 
bombardment  from  a  small  cruiser  and  ten  destroyers.  She 
went  down  with  guns  firing.  The  chief  of  the  flotilla  and  the 
commander  fell.     The  greater  part  of  the  crew  was  saved. 

Two  small  cruisers,  the  Koeln  and  the  Mainz,  were  missed. 
According  to  a  Reuter  dispatch  from  London  they  were  sunk 
in  battle  at  the  same  time  against  superior  forces.  A  part 
of  their  crews  (nine  officers  and  eighty-one  men)  apparently 
were  rescued  by  English  ships.  According  to  the  same  source, 
the  English  ships  were  badly  damaged. 

LINER  SUNK  IN   NEUTRAL  PORT 

AUG.  31. — According  to  a  report  from  Las  Palmas,  the 
North  German  Lloyd  steamer  Kaiser  Wilhelm  der  Grosse, 
outfitted  as  a  German  auxiliary  cruiser,  was  sunk  by  the  Eng- 
lish cruiser  Highflyer  as  she  lay  at  anchor  in  the  neutral 
waters  of  the  Spanish  colony  of  Rio  del  Oro. 

SEPT.  1. — The  army  of  General  von  Kluck  drove  back 
an  attempted  French  flank  attack  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Combles,  using  one  army  corps.  The  army  of  General  von 
Buelow,  after  having  taken  prisoner  an  English  infantry  bat- 
talion in  the  course  of  his  advance,  has  completely  defeated 
an  outnumbering  French  army  at  St.  Quentin.  The  army  of 
General  von  Hausen  has  pushed  back  the  enemy  on  the  Aisne 
near  Rethel. 

ADVANCE    TOWARD    THE    AISNE 

The  army  of  the  Duke  of  Wuerttemberg,  while  crossing 
the  Meuse,  came  in  contact  with  stronger  hostile  forces  and 
was  forced  to  return  in  part  over  the  river.  The  army  once 
more  won  the  crossing  and  is  now  advancing  toward  the 
Aisne.  The  fort  Les  Aqvelles,  in  the  rear  of  the  army,  has 
fallen. 


OFFICIAL  GERMAN  REPORTS 


173 


Forces  of  the  German  crown  prince  have  continued  the 
advance  toward  and  over  the  Meuse.  The  fortress  of  Mont- 
medy  fell  after  the  commander  and  the  entire  garrison  were 
taken  prisoners  in  the  course  of  a  sally.  The  armies  of  the 
crown  prince  of  Bavaria  and  of  General  von  Heeringen  are 
continuing  the  battle  in  French  Lorraine. 

GREAT  VICTORY  OVER  RUSSIA 

In  the  east  the  reported  victory  of  the  army  of  General 
von  Hindenberg  takes  on  greater  importance  than  was  at  first 
supposed.  Notwithstanding  the  renewed  opposition  which 
the  enemy  offered  at  Neidenburg,  their  defeat  was  complete. 
Three  army  corps  have  been  destroyed  and  60,000  prisoners, 
among  these  two  commanding  generals,  many  guns  and  col- 
ors, have  fallen  into  our  hands.  The  remaining  Russian 
troops  in  northern  East  Prussia  have  begun  to  retreat. 


NAPOLEON'S  DOUBLE 

"  The  world's  mine  oyster,  which  I  witb  sword  wiU  open  " 

—  Vorw&rts  (New  York) 


CHAPTER  XI 

GERMAN  ADVANCE  ON  PARIS 

Allies  Withdraw  for  Ten  Days,  Disputing  Every  Inch  of 
Ground  With  the  Kaiser's  Troops — Germans  Push 
Their  Way  Through  France  in  Three  Main  Columns — 
Official  Reports  of  the  Withdrawing  Engagements — 
Paris  Almost  in  Sight. 

FLUSHED  with  their  successes  over  the  Allies  at  Mons 
and  Charleroi,  the  Germans  pushed  their  advance 
toward  the  French  capital  with  great  celerity  and  vigor. 
During  the  last  week  of  August  and  the  first  few  days  of 
September,  it  appeared  inevitable  that  the  experience  of 
Paris  in  1870-71  was  to  be  repeated  and  that  a  siege  of  the 
city  by  the  German  forces  would  follow  immediately. 

It  was  conceded  that  the  armies  of  the  Allies  had  been 
forced  back  and  that  Paris  was  endangered.  The  German 
advance  was  general,  all  along  the  line.  The  flower  of  the 
Kaiser's  army  had  marched  through  Belgium  and  pushed 
back  the  lines  of  the  Allies  to  the  formidable  rows  of  forti- 
fications that  surround  Paris.  The  Germans  advanced  in 
three  main  columns,  constantly  in  touch  with  one  another, 
from  the  right,  passing  through  Mons,  Cambrai  and  Amiens, 
to  the  extreme  left  in  Lorraine.  The  center  threatened  Ver- 
dun, and  from  that  point  the  right  advance  swept  through 
Northern  France  like  an  opening  fan,  with  the  fortress  of 
Verdun  as  the  pivot. 

Three  million  men  were  engaged  in  the  main  struggle. 
"When  the  Germans  first  reached  the  Franco-Belgian  frontier 
near  Charleroi  they  were  opposed  by  700,000  French  and  150,- 
000  British  troops.    After  being  driven  back  the  Allies  began 

174 


GERMAN  ADVANCE  ON  PARIS  175 

assembling  1,000,000  men  between  the  frontier  and  Paris. 
The  Allies  hoped  to  hold  the  whole  German  army  in  check 
while  the  Russians  pursued  their  successes  in  eastern  Ger- 
many. French  troops  guarded  the  entire  frontier,  battling 
to  check  the  other  German  invading  columns.  The  holding  of 
the  Germans,  once  they  broke  through  the  fortifications  that 
formed  the  chief  reliance  of  the  French,  would  be  impossible. 
The  next  stand  would  be  around  Paris,  which  was  well  forti- 
fied. The  invaders  were,  of  course,  attempting  to  get  through 
where  there  were  no  forts. 

ALLIES   MAKE   STRENUOUS   RESISTANCE 

Strenuous  resistance  to  the  onward  movement  of  the  Ger- 
man enemy  was  made  by  the  Allies  from  day  to  day,  but  for 
a  period  of  ten  days  there  was  an  almost  continual  retire- 
ment of  the  French  and  British  upon  Paris.  It  was  in  fact  a 
masterly  retreat,  but  a  retreat  nevertheless.  From  the  line 
of  La  Fere  and  Mezieres,  occupied  by  the  Allies  after  the  bat- 
tles at  Mons  and  Charleroi,  they  fell  back  70  miles  in  seven 
days,  disputing  every  step  of  the  way,  but  withdrawing  grad- 
ually to  the  line  of  defenses  around  the  French  capital.  From 
Cambrai  the  Germans  pushed  through  Amiens  to  Beauvais; 
from  Peronne  to  Roye,  Montdidier,  Creil,  and  on  to  the  forest 
of  Chantilly.  From  the  region  of  Le  Cateau  and  St.  Quen- 
tin  the  German  advance  was  by  Noyon  to  Compiegne  (famous 
for  its  memories  of  Joan  of  Arc's  famous  sortie),  at  which 
point  the  Allies  made  a  desperate  stand  and  the  Germans  had 
to  fight  for  every  inch  of  ground.  They  then  passed  through 
Senlis,  which  was  first  bombarded,  down  to  Meaux,  almost 
within  sight  of  Paris,  the  head  of  the  German  army  resting 
on  a  line  between  Beaumont,  Meaux  and  La  Ferte,  at  which 
point  the  resistance  of  the  Allies  finally  forced  a  change  in 
German  plans. 

Other  German  forces  passed  through  Laon,  Soissons  and 
Chateau  Thierry.  Farther  to  the  east,  the  road  from  Mezieres 
led  the  Germans  to  Rheims,  Mourmelon,  and  opposite  Chalons 
on  the  River  Marne. 

Another  German  army  from  the  direction  of  Longwy, 
under  the  command  of  the  Crown  Prince,  was  operating 
through  Suippes  and  on  the  wooded  Argonne  plateau,  with 


176  GERMAN  ADVANCE  ON  PARIS 

its  five  passes,  famous  in  the  action  of  1792  which  preceded 
the  battle  of  Valmy.  At  the  entrance  to  this  hilly  country 
stands  the  little  town  of  Sainte  Menehould,  where  there  was 
severe  fighting  with  the  French.  Here  the  German  Crown 
Prince  made  his  headquarters. 

The  great  plain  of  the  Argonne  is  full  of  most  wonderful 
ecclesiastical  buildings  and  many  magnificent  cathedrals, 
townhalls  and  ancient  fortresses  were  passed  by  the  warring 
armies  in  their  advance  and  withdrawal,  some  of  these  his- 
toric structures  sustaining  irreparable  damage. 

The  German  advance  continued  southward  toward  Paris 
until  September  4. 

RELENTLESS   PURSUIT   OF  THE   BRITISH 

All  reports  agree  that  during  the  retirement  of  the  Allies, 
the  Germans  pursued  the  British  headquarters  staff  with  un- 
canny precision  throughout  the  ten  days  from  Mons  back  to 
Compiegne.  After  fierce  street  fighting  in  Denain  and  Lan- 
drecies  Sir  John  French  withdrew  his  headquarters  to  Le 
Cateau,  which  was  at  once  made  the  target  of  a  terrific  bom- 
bardment. The  town  caught  fire,  burning  throughout  one 
night,  and  the  British  headquarters  had  to  be  evacuated,  this 
time  in  favor  of  St.  Quentin,  in  the  local  college.  Here  the 
same  thing  happened  and  Field  Marshal  French  was  com- 
pelled once  more  to  retire,  to  the  neighborhood  of  Com- 
piegne. 

In  an  official  report  issued  on  Sunday,  September  6,  it  is 
stated  that,  "The  5th  French  army  on  August  29  advanced 
from  the  line  of  the  Oise  River  to  meet  and  counter  the  Ger- 
man forward  movement  and  a  considerable  battle  developed 
to  the  south  of  Guise.  In  this  the  5th  French  army  gained  a 
marked  and  solid  success,  driving  back  with  heavy  loss  and  in 
disorder  three  German  army  corps,  the  10th,  the  Guard,  and 
a  reserve  corps.  In  spite  of  this  success,  however,  and  all 
the  benefits  which  flowed  from  it,  the  general  retirement  to 
the  south  continued  and  the  German  armies,  seeking  persist- 
ently after  the  British  troops,  remained  in  practically  con- 
tinuous contact  with  the  rearguards. 

"On  August  30  and  31  the  British  covering  and  delaying 
troops  were  frequently  engaged,  and  on  September  1  a  very 


GERMAN  ADVANCE  ON  PARIS  177 

vigorous  effort  was  made  by  the  Germans,  which  brought 
about  a  sharp  action  in  the  neighborhood  of  Compiegne.  This 
action  was  fought  principally  by  the  1st  British  Cavalry  Bri- 
gade and  the  4th  Guards  .Brigade  and  was  entirely  satisfactory 
to  the  British.  The  German  attack,  which  was  most  strongly 
pressed,  was  not  brought  to  a  standstill  until  much  slaughter 
had  been  inflicted  upon  them  and  until  ten  German  guns  had 
been  captured.  The  brunt  of  this  affair  fell  upon  the  Guards 
Brigade,  which  lost  in  killed  and  wounded  about  300  men." 
This  affair  was  typical  of  the  numerous  rearguard  en- 
gagements fought  by  both  the  British  and  the  French  forces 
during  their  retirement. 

MASTEELY  TACTICS  IN  RETIRING 

Pressing  hard  upon  the  rear  of  the  Allies  for  ten  days  was 
the  greatest  military  machine  that  has  ever  been  assembled  in 
one  cohesive  force.  Through  Belgium  had  poured  nearly 
2,000,000  German  troops,  made  up  of  about  800,000  first-line 
soldiers  and  more  than  1,000,000  reserves.  The  twenty-six- 
hour  march  of  part  of  the  German  army  through  Brussels 
was  stunning  evidence  of  the  might  of  the  "war  machine," 
and  despite  fierce  fighting  all  the  way,  the  great  army  had 
never  faltered  in  its  150-mile  advance  in  Belgium. 

But  the  numerical  might  of  the  German  advance  was 
matched  by  the  masterly  tactics  of  the  Allies  in  retiring.  By 
these  tactics,  in  which  General  Joffre,  the  French  commander- 
in-chief,  co-operated  with  the  British  field-marshal,  Sir  John 
French,  the  Allies  prevented  their  lines  being  overwhelmed 
by  the  superior  numbers  of  their  foe,  but  the  German  right 
flank  and  center,  strung  out  over  a  line  more  than  150  miles 
long,  northeast  of  Paris,  kept  smashing  on.  Losses  were 
frightfully  heavy,  but  the  Kaiser's  order  was  "Take  Paris!" 

It  was  believed  certain  that  the  German  general  staff  had 
staked  everything  on  investing  Paris  immediately,  by  com- 
pletely breaking  down  the  opposition  massed  between  the  Ger- 
man lines  and  the  city.  Paris  had  therefore  prepared  for  the 
siege,  with  her  great  circles  of  forts  strengthened  and  her 
food  supply  replenished.  Many  of  the  residents  fled  the  city 
in  panic,  fearing  a  repetition  of  the  dread  days  of  1871,  with 
their  privation  and  distress,  but  the  spirit  of  the  French  peo- 


178  GERMAN  ADVANCE  ON  PARIS 

pie  generally  remained  unshaken  and  General  Gallieni,  mili- 
tary governor  of  Paris,  assumed  complete  control  of  the  situ- 
ation in  the  city. 

GOVERNMENT  MOVED  TO  BORDEAUX 

On  August  26  the  French  cabinet  had  resigned  in  a  body 
and  it  was  reconstructed  on  broader  lines  under  Premier 
Viviani  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  national  emergency. 

German  troops  were  reported  within  40  miles  of  Paris  on 
September  3,  and  at  3  A.  M.  of  that  day  a  proclamation  was 
issued  by  President  Poincare,  announcing  that  the  seat  of 
government  would  be  temporarily  transferred  from  Paris  to 
Bordeaux.  The  minister  of  the  interior  stated  that  this  de- 
cision had  been  taken  "solely  upon  the  demand  of  the  military 
authorities  because  the  fortified  places  of  Paris,  while  not 
necessarily  likely  to  be  attacked,  would  become  the  pivot  of 
the  field  operations  of  the  two  armies. ' ' 

The  text  of  President  Poincare 's  proclamation  was  as 
follows : 

"endure  and  fight!" 

"Frenchmen:  For  several  weeks  our  heroic  troops  have 
been  engaged  in  the  fierce  combat  with  the  enemy.  The  cour- 
age of  our  soldiers  has  won  for  them  a  number  of  marked  ad- 
vantages. But  in  the  north  the  pressure  of  the  German  forces 
has  constrained  us  to  retire.  This  situation  imposes  on  the 
president  of  the  Eepublic  and  the  government  a  painful  de- 
cision. 

"To  safeguard  the  national  safety  the  public  authorities 
are  obliged  to  leave  for  the  moment  the  city  of  Paris.  Under 
the  command  of  its  eminent  chief,  the  French  army,  full  of 
courage  and  spirit,  will  defend  the  capital  and  its  patriotic 
population  against  the  invader.  But  the  war  must  be  pursued 
at  the  same  time  in  the  rest  of  the  French  territory. 

"The  sacred  struggle  for  the  honor  of  the  nation  and  the 
reparation  of  violated  rights  will  continue  without  peace  or 
truce  and  without  a  stop  or  a  failure.  None  of  our  armies 
has  been  broken. 

"If  some  of  them  have  suffered  only  too  evident  losses,  the 
gaps  in  the  ranks  have  been  filled  up  from  the  waiting  reserve 


GERMAN  ADVANCE  ON  PARIS  179 

forces,  while  the  calling  out  of  a  new  class  of  reserves  brings 
us  tomorrow  new  resources  in  men  and  energy. 

'  'Endure  and  fight!  Such  should  be  the  motto  of  the  allied 
army,  British,  Russians,  Belgians  and  French. 

''Endure  and  fight!  While  on  the  sea  our  allies  aid  us  to 
cut  the  enemy's  communications  with  the  world. 

"Endure  and  fight!  While  the  Russians  continue  to  carry 
a  decisive  blow  to  the  heart  of  the  German  empire. 

"It  is  for  the  government  of  this  republic  to  direct  this  re- 
sistance to  the  very  end  and  to  give  to  this  formidable 
struggle  all  its  vigor  and  efficiency.  It  is  indispensable  that 
the  government  retain  the  mastery  of  its  own  actions.  On 
the  demand  of  the  military  authorities  the  government  there- 
fore transfers  its  seat  momentarily  to  a  point  of  the  territory 
whence  it  may  remain  in  constant  relations  with  the  rest  of 
the  country.  It  invites  the  members  of  parliament  not  to 
remain  distant  from  the  government,  in  order  to  form,  in  the 
face  of  the  enemy,  with  the  government  and  their  colleagues, 
a  group  of  national  unity. 

1 '  The  government  does  not  leave  Paris  without  having  as- 
sured a  defense  of  the  city  and  its  entrenched  camp  by  all 
means  in  its  power.  It  knows  it  has  not  the  need  to  recom- 
mend to  the  admirable  Parisian  population  a  calm  resolution 
and  sangfroid,  for  it  shows  every  day  it  is  equal  to  its  great- 
est duties. 

"Frenchmen,  let  us  all  be  worthy  of  these  tragic  circum- 
stances. We  shall  gain  a  final  victory  and  we  shall  gain  it  by 
untiring  will,  endurance  and  tenacity.  A  nation  that  will  not 
perish,  and  which,  to  live,  retreats  before  neither  suffering 
nor  sacrifice,  is  sure  to  vanquish." 

The  removal  of  the  French  government  departments  to 
Bordeaux  was  accomplished  within  twenty-four  hours  and 
the  southern  city  became  at  once  a  center  of  remarkable  ac- 
tivity. Ambassador  Herrick,  representing  the  United  States, 
remained  in  Paris  to  render  aid  to  his  fellow-countrymen  who 
were  seeking  means  of  returning  to  America  and  were  more 
than  ever  anxious  to  get  away  when  a  state  of  siege  became 
imminent. 


180 


GERMAN  ADVANCE  ON  PARIS 


A  radical  change  in  the  French  military  operations  was 
put  in  effect  after  the  Germans  had  swept  in  from  Belgium, 
and  had  taken  the  cities  of  Lille,  Roubaix,  and  Longwy.  The 
French  army  had  attempted  to  strike  and  shatter  the  Germans 
at  their  weakest  point,  and  failed. 

Paris  prepared  for  the  worst  when  the  Kaiser's  conquer- 
ing army  reached  La  Fere,  about  seventy  miles  away.  From 
Amiens  to  La  Fere  the  Germans  pressed  their  attack  hardest. 
As  the  Allies  were  seen  to  be  gradually  falling  back,  reserve 
troops  were  assembled  in  Paris  and  the  forts  put  in  readiness 
for  siege. 

THE  FORTIFICATIONS  OF  PAEIS 

Paris  has  one  of  the  strongest  fortification  systems  of  any 
city  in  the  world.  The  siege  of  the  giant  city  would  be  a  much 
greater  undertaking  than  forty-four  years  ago,  as  the  forti- 


MAF  OF  FRENCH  CAPITAL,  WITH  STABS  INDICATING:  POSITION  OF  FOBTIFICATIONS. 


GERMAN  ADVANCE  ON  PARIS  181 

fications  have  been  essentially  augmented  and  strengthened 
since  the  Franco-Prussian  war. 

The  fortifications  consist  of  the  old  city  walls,  the  old  belt 
of  forts  and  the  new  enceinture  of  the  fortified  camps,  which 
have  been  advanced  far  outside  of  the  reach  of  the  old  forts. 
The  main  wall,  ten  meters  (33  feet)  high,  consists  of  ninety- 
four  bastions  and  is  surrounded  by  a  ditch  fifteen  meters  wide. 
Behind  the  wall  a  ringroad  and  a  belt  line  run  around  the  city. 

The  belt  of  old  forts  surrounds  this  main  fortification  of 
the  city  at  a  little  distance  and  consists  of  not  less  than  six- 
teen forts.  Those  farthest  advanced  are  hardly  half  a  mile 
distant  from  the  main  wall.  The  experiences  of  the  last  war, 
the  immense  progress  of  the  artillery,  and  especially  the 
wider  reach  of  the  modern  siege  guns  induced  the  French 
army  authorities  to  build  a  belt  of  still  stronger  forts,  which 
surrounds  the  old  fortress  of  1870  like  a  protective  net.  The 
forts,  redoubts  and  batteries  belonging  to  this  last  belt  of 
fortifications  are  situated  at  least  two  miles  from  the  city 
limits  proper,  and  even  Versailles  is  taken  into  this  belt  of 
fortifications. 

The  circumference  of  the  circle  formed  by  them  is  124 
kilometers  (nearly  77  miles)  and  the  space  included  in  it 
amounts  to  1,200  square  kilometers.  This  new  belt  of  fortifi- 
cations consists  of  seven  forts  of  the  first  class,  sixteen  forts 
of  the  second  class  and  fifty  redoubts  or  batteries,  which  are 
connected  with  each  other  by  the  " Great  Belt  Line,"  of  113 
kilometers  (71  miles). 

FORM  LARGE  FORTIFIED  CAMPS 

The  strongest  of  these  forts  form  fortified  camps,  large 
enough  to  give  protection  to  strong  armies  and  also  the  pos- 
sibility for  a  new  reconcentration.  There  are  three  of  these 
camps.  The  northern  camp  includes  the  fortifications  from 
the  Fort  de  Cormeilles  on  the  left  to  the  Fort  de  Stains  on 
the  right  wing,  with  the  forts  of  the  first  class,  Cormeilles 
and  Domont,  and  the  forts  of  the  second  class,  Montlignon, 
Montmorency,  Ecouen  and  Stains,  and  it  is  protected  in  the 
rear  by  the  strong  forts  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Denis.  The 
eastern  camp  goes  from  the  Ourcq  canal  and  the  forest  of 
Bondy  to  the  Seine,  and  its  main  strongholds  are  the  forts  of 


182  GERMAN  ADVANCE  ON  PARIS 

Vaujours  and  Villeneuve-St.  Georges,  with  the  smaller  forts 
of  Chelles,  Villiers,  Champigny  and  Sully. 

On  the  left  bank  of  the  Seine  the  southwestern  camp  is 
situated,  including  Versailles,  whose  main  forts  are  those  of 
St.  Cyr,  Haut-Buc,  Villeras  and  Palaiseau,  to  which  the  large 
redubt  of  Bois  d'Arcy  and  the  forts  of  Chatillon  and  Hautes- 
Bruyeres,  situated  a  little  to  the  rear,  belong  likewise. 

To  invest  this  strongest  fortress  of  the  world  the  line  of 
the  Germans  ought  to  have  a  length  of  175  kilometers  and  to 
its  continuous  occupation,  even  if  the  ring  of  the  investing 
masses  were  not  very  deep,  a  much  greater  number  of  troops 
would  be  necessary  than  were  used  in  1870  for  the  siege  of 
Paris. 

GERMAN  AMMUNITION  CAPTURED 

A  correspondent  at  Nanteuil,  September  12,  thus  described 
the  capture  of  a  German  ammunition  column  while  the  Ger- 
mans were  feeling  their  way  toward  Paris: 

"The  seven-kilometer  column  was  winding  its  way  along 
Crepy-en-Valois  when  General  Pau  sent  cavalry  and  artillery 
to  intercept  it.  The  column  was  too  weakly  guarded  to  cope 
with  the  attack,  and  so  was  captured  and  destroyed.  This 
capture  had  an  important  bearing  on  the  subsequent  fighting. 

"A  noticeable  feature  of  the  operations  has  been  the  splen- 
did marching  qualities  of  the  French  troops.  This  was  dis- 
played especially  when  two  divisions,  which  were  sent  to 
intercept  the  expected  attempt  of  the  Germans  to  invest  Paris, 
covered  eighty  kilometers  (491/2  miles)  in  two  stages." 

ALLIES  PLAN  TO  PROTECT  PARIS 

The  plan  of  the  Allies  on  September  1  was  to  make  a  deter- 
mined stand  before  Paris,  in  the  effort  to  protect  the  city  from 
the  horrors  of  a  siege.  With  their  left  wing  resting  on  the 
strongly  fortified  line  of  the  Paris  forts  and  with  their  right 
wing  strengthened  by  the  defensive  line  from  Verdun  to  Bel- 
fort,  they  would  occupy  a  position  of  enormous  military 
strength.  If  the  Germans  concentrated  to  move  against  their 
front  the  French  reserve  armies  could  assemble  west  of  the 
Seine,  move  forward  and  attack  the  German  invading  columns 
in  flank. 


GERMAN  ADVANCE  ON  PARIS 


183 


If  in  their  effort  to  continue  the  great  turning  movement 
the  Germans  pushed  forward  across  the  Seine  and  attempted 
by  encircling  Paris  to  gain  the  rear  of  the  allied  armies,  the 
French  could  mass  their  reserve  corps  behind  their  center  at 
Rheims,  push  forward  against  the  weakened  German  center 
in  an  attack  that  if  successful  would  cut  off  the  German 
invading  columns  and  expose  them  to  annihilation. 

Such  were  the  conditions  and  the  possibilities  when  the 
German  advance  reached  its  climax  on  September  4. 


POSITION  OF  HOSTILE  ARMIES.   SEPTEMBER  4,  1914 

Heavy  dotted  line  denotes  battle  front  of  the  Allies;  lighter  line  the  position 
of  the  German  Troops. 


CHAPTER  XII 

BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

German  Plans  Suddenly  Changed — Direction  of  Advance 
Swings  to  the  Southeast  When  Close  to  the  French 
Capital — Successful  Resistance  by  the  Allies — The 
Prolonged  Encounter  at  the  Marne — Germans  Retreat 
With  Allies  in  Hot  Pursuit  for  Many  Miles. 

SUDDENLY  the  German  plans  were  changed.  With  Paris 
almost  in  sight,  almost  within  the  range  of  their  heavy 
artillery,  the  German  forces  on  the  right  of  the  line  on 
September  4  changed  the  direction  of  their  advance  to  a 
southeasterly  course,  which  would  leave  Paris  to  the  west. 
The  people  of  the  gay  capital,  who  for  several  days  had  been 
preparing  themselves  once  more  for  the  thunder  of  the  Prus- 
sian guns,  began  to  breathe  more  freely,  while  all  the  world 
wondered  at  the  sudden  and  spectacular  transformation  in 
the  conditions  of  the  conflict. 

What  had  happened?  Why  was  the  advance  thus  checked 
and  the  march  on  Paris  abandoned?  Was  it  a  trick,  designed 
to  lead  the  Allies  into  a  trap?  Or  were  the  German  troops 
too  exhausted  by  forced  marches  and  lack  of  rest  to  face  the 
determined  resistance  of  the  allied  forces  before  Paris? 

These  were  the  questions  on  every  tongue,  on  both  sides 
of  the  Atlantic,  while  the  military  experts  sought  strategic 
reasons  for  the  change  in  German  plans. 

When  the  movement  towards  the  east  began  the  right 
of  the  German  forces  moved  through  Beaumont  and  L'Isle 
towards  Meaux,  apparently  with  the  intention  of  avoiding 
Paris.  Their  front  some  twenty-four  hours  later  was  found 
to  be  extending  across  the  River  Marne  as  far  south  as  Cou- 

184 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE  185 

lommiers  and  La  Ferte-Gaucher,  the  two  opposing  lines  at 
that  time  stretching  between  Paris  on  the  left  flank  and  Ver- 
dun on  the  right. 

On  Monday,  September  7,  there  came  news  that  the  south- 
ward movement  of  the  German  army  had  been  arrested,  and 
that  it  had  been  forced  back  across  the  Marne  to  positions 
where  the  German  right  wing  curved  back  from  La  Ferte- 
sous-Jouarre  along  the  bank  of  the  River  Ourcq,  a  tributary 
of  the  Marne,  to  the  northward  of  Chateau  Thierry.  All  this 
territory  forms  part  of  the  district  known  as  the  "Bassin  de 
Paris." 

Then  came  a  turn  in  the  tide  of  war  and  the  German  plans 
were  temporarily  lost  sight  of  when  the  Allies  assumed  the 
offensive  along  the  Marne  and  the  Ourcq  and  the  Germans 
began  to  fall  back.  For  four  days  their  retreat  continued. 
Ten  miles,  thirty  miles,  forty-five  miles,  back  toward  the 
northeast  and  east  the  invaders  retired  and  Paris  was 
relieved.  The  tide  of  battle  had  thrown  the  Germans  away 
from  the  French  capital  and  Frenchmen  believed  their  retire- 
ment was  permanent. 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

Important  and  interesting  details  of  the  battle  of  the 
Marne  and  the  movements  that  preceded  it  are  given  in  an 
official  report  compiled  from  information  sent  from  the  head- 
quarters of  Field  Marshal  Sir  John  French  (commander-in- 
chief  of  the  British  expeditionary  forces),  under  date  of  Sep- 
tember 11.  This  account  describes  the  movements  both  of 
the  British  force  and  of  the  French  armies  in  immediate 
touch  with  it.  It  carries  the  operations  from  the  4th  to  the 
10th  of  September,  both  days  inclusive,  and  says: 

"The  general  position  of  our  troops  Sunday,  September  6, 
was  south  of  the  River  Marne,  with  the  French  forces  in  line 
on  our  right  and  left.  Practically  there  had  been  no  change 
since  Saturday,  September  5,  which  marked  the  end  of  our 
army's  long  retirement  from  the  Belgian  frontier  through 
Northern  France. 

"On  Friday,  September  4,  it  became  apparent  that  there 
was  an  alteration  in  the  advance  of  almost  the  whole  of  the 


186  BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

first  German  army.  That  army  since  the  battle  near  Mons 
on  the  23d  of  August  had  been  playing  its  part  in  a  colossal 
strategic  endeavor  to  create  a  Sedan  for  the  Allies  by  out- 
flanking and  enveloping  the  left  of  their  whole  line  so  as  to 
encircle  and  drive  both  the  British  and  French  to  the  south. 

THE   CHANGE   IN    GERMAN    STRATEGY 

"There  was  now  a  change  in  its  objective  and  it  was 
observed  that  the  German  forces  opposite  the  British  were 
beginning  to  move  in  a  southeasterly  direction  instead  of  con- 
tinuing southwest  on  to  the  capital,  leaving  a  strong  rear 
guard  along  the  line  of  the  River  Ourcq  (which  flows  south  of 
and  joins  the  Marne  at  Lizy-sur-Ourcq)  to  keep  off  the  French 
Sixth  Army,  which  by  then  had  been  formed  and  was  to  the 
northwest  of  Paris.  They  were  evidently  executing  what 
amounted  to  a  flank  march  diagonally  across  our  front. 

"Prepared  to  ignore  the  British  as  being  driven  out  of 
the  fight,  they  were  initiating  an  effort  to  attack  the  left  flank 
of  the  main  French  army,  which  stretched  in  a  long  curved 
line  from  our  right  toward  the  east,  and  so  to  carry  out 
against  it  alone  an  envelopment  which  so  far  had  failed 
against  the  combined  forces  of  the  Allies. 

"On  Saturday,  the  5th,  this  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
Germans  was  continued  and  large  advance  parties  crossed  the 
Marne  southward  at  Trilport,  Sammeron,  La  Ferte-sous- 
Jouarre  and  Chateau  Thierry.  There  was  considerable  fight- 
ing with  the  French  Fifth  Army  on  the  French  left,  which 
fell  back  from  its  position  south  of  the  Marne  toward  the 
Seine. 

"On  Sunday  large  hostile  forces  crossed  the  Marne  and 
pushed  on  through  Coulommiers  and  past  the  British  right, 
farther  to  the  east.  They  were  attacked  at  night  by  the 
French  Fifth,  which  captured  three  villages  at  the  point  of 
bayonets. 

ALLIES  TAKE  THE  OFFENSIVE 

"On  Monday,  September  7,  there  was  a  general  advance 
on  the  part  of  the  Allies.  In  this  quarter  of  the  field  our 
forces,  which  had  now  been  reinforced,  pushed  on  in  a  north- 
easterly direction  in  co-operation  with  the  advance  of  the 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE  187 

French  Fifth  Army  to  the  north  and  of  the  French  Sixth 
Army  to  the  eastward  against  the  German  rearguard  along 
the  River  Ourcq. 

"Possibly  weakened  by  the  detachment  of  troops  to  the 
eastern  theater  of  operations  and  realizing  that  the  action  of 
the  French  Sixth  Army  against  the  line  of  Ourcq  and  the 
advance  of  the  British  placed  their  own  flanking  movement  in 
considerable  danger  of  being  taken  in  the  rear  and  on  its 
flank,  the  Germans  on  this  day  commenced  to  retire  toward 
the  northeast. 

"This  was  the  first  time  that  these  troops  had  turned  back 
since  their  attack  at  Mons  a  fortnight  before  and  from  reports 
received  the  order  to  retreat  when  so  close  to  Paris  was  a 
bitter  disappointment.  From  letters  found  on  dead  soldiers 
there  is  no  doubt  there  was  a  general  impression  among  the 
enemy's  troops  that  they  were  about  to  enter  Paris. 

GERMAN  RETREAT  IS  HASTENED 

"On  Tuesday,  September  8,  the  German  movement  north- 
eastward was  continued.  Their  rear  guards  on  the  south  of 
the  Marne  were  being  pressed  back  to  that  river  by  our  troops 
and  by  the  French  on  our  right,  the  latter  capturing  three 
villages  after  a  hand-to-hand  fight  and  the  infliction  of  severe 
loss  on  the  enemy. 

' '  The  fighting  along  the  Ourcq  continued  on  this  day  and 
was  of  the  most  sanguinary  character,  for  the  Germans  had 
massed  a  great  force  of  artillery  along  this  line.  Very  few 
of  their  infantry  were  seen  by  the  French.  The  French  Fifth 
Army  also  made  a  fierce  attack  on  the  Germans  in  Montmirail, 
regaining  that  place. 

"On  Wednesday,  September  9,  the  battle  between  the 
French  Sixth  Army  and  what  was  now  the  German  flank 
guard  along  the  Ourcq  continued. 

"The  British  corps,  overcoming  some  resistance  on  the 
River  Petit  Morin,  crossed  the  Marne  in  pursuit  of  the  Ger- 
mans, who  now  were  hastily  retreating  northwest.  One  of 
our  corps  was  delayed  by  an  obstinate  defense  made  by  a 
strong  rear  guard  with  machine  guns  at  La  Ferte-sous- 
Jouarre,  where  the  bridge  had  been  destroyed. 


188  BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

"On  Thursday,  September  10,  the  French  Sixth  Army 
continued  its  pressure  on  the  west  while  the  Fifth  Army  by 
forced  marches  reached  the  line  of  Chateau  Thierry  and  Dor- 
mans  on  the  Marne.  Our  troops  also  continued  the  pursuit 
on  the  north  of  the  latter  river  and  after  a  considerable 
amount  of  fighting  captured  some  1,500  prisoners,  four  guns, 
six  machine  guns  and  fifty  transport  wagons. 

' '  Many  of  the  enemy  were  killed  or  wounded  and  the  nu- 
merous thick  woods  which  dot  the  country  north  of  the  Marne 
are  filled  with  German  stragglers.  Most  of  them  appear  to 
have  been  without  food  for  at  least  two  days. 

"Indeed,  in  this  area  of  the  operations,  the  Germans  seem 
to  be  demoralized  and  inclined  to  surrender  in  small  parties. 
The  general  situation  appears  to  be  most  favorable  to  the 
Allies. 

"Much  brutal  and  senseless  damage  has  been  done  in  the 
villages  occupied  by  the  enemy.  Property  has  been  wantonly 
destroyed.  Pictures  in  chateaus  have  been  ripped  up  and 
houses  generally  have  been  pillaged. 

"It  is  stated  on  unimpeachable  authority  also  that  the 
inhabitants  have  been  much  ill-treated. 

TRAPPED  IN  A  SUNKEN  EOAD 

"Interesting  incidents  have  occurred  during  the  fighting. 
On  the  10th  of  September  part  of  our  Second  Army  Corps, 
advancing  into  the  north,  found  itself  marching  parallel  with 
another  infantry  force  some  little  distance  away.  At  first  it 
was  thought  this  was  another  British  unit.  After  some  time, 
however,  it  was  discovered  that  it  was  a  body  of  Germans 
retreating. 

"Measures  promptly  were  taken  to  head  off  the  enemy, 
who  were  surrounded  and  trapped  in  a  sunken  road,  where 
over  400  men  surrendered. 

"On  September  10  a  small  party  under  a  noncommissioned 
officer  was  cut  off  and  surrounded.  After  a  desperate  resist- 
ance it  was  decided  to  go  on  fighting  to  the  end.  Finally  the 
noncommissioned  officer  and  one  man  only  were  left,  both  of 
them  being  wounded. 

"The  Germans  came  up  and  shouted  to  them:  'Lay  down 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE  189 

your  arms!'  The  German  commander,  however,  signed  to 
them  to  keep  their  arms  and  then  asked  to  shake  hands  with 
the  wounded  noncommissioned  officer,  who  was  carried  off  on 
his  stretcher  with  his  rifle  by  his  side. 

"Arrival  of  reinforcements  and  the  continued  advance 
have  delighted  our  troops,  who  are  full  of  zeal  and  anxious  to 
press  on. 

SUCCESS  OF  THE  FLYING  CORPS 

' '  One  of  the  features  of  the  campaign  on  our  side  has  been 
the  success  obtained  by  the  Royal  Flying  Corps.  In  regard  to 
the  collection  of  information  it  is  impossible  either  to  award 
too  much  praise  to  our  aviators  for  the  way  they  have  car- 
ried out  their  duties  or  to  overestimate  the  value  of  the  intelli- 
gence collected,  more  especially  during  the  recent  advance. 

"In  due  course  certain  examples  of  what  has  been  effected 
may  be  specified  and  the  far-reaching  nature  of  the  results 
fully  explained,  but  that  time  has  not  arrived. 

"That  the  services  of  our  Flying  Corps,  which  has  really 
been  on  trial,  are  fully  appreciated  by  our  allies  is  shown  by 
the  following  message  from  the  commander-in-chief  of  the 
French  armies,  received  September  9  by  Field  Marshal  Lord 
Kitchener : 

"  'Please  express  most  particularly  to  Marshal  French 
my  thanks  for  the  services  rendered  on  every  day  by  the 
English  flying  corps.  The  precision,  exactitude  and  regu- 
larity of  the  news  brought  in  by  its  members  are  evidence  of 
their  perfect  organization  and  also  of  the  perfect  training 
of  the  pilots  and  the  observers. — Joseph  Joffre,  General.' 

"To  give  a  rough  idea  of  the  amount  of  work  carried  out 
it  is  sufficient  to  mention  that  during  a  period  of  twenty  days 
up  to  the  10th  of  September  a  daily  average  of  more  than  nine 
reconnaissance  flights  of  over  100  miles  each  has  been  main- 
tained. 

FIVE  GERMAN  PILOTS  SHOT 

"The  constant  object  of  our  aviators  has  been  to  effect  an 
accurate  location  of  the  enemy's  forces  and,  incidentally, 
since  the  operations  cover  so  large  an  area,  of  our  own  units. 
Nevertheless,  the  tactics  adopted  for  dealing  with  hostile  air 
craft  are  to  attack  them  instantly  with  one  or  more  British 


190  BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

machines.  This  has  been  so  far  successful  that  in  five  cases 
German  pilots  or  observers  have  been  shot  while  in  the  air 
and  their  machines  brought  to  ground. 

"Asa  consequence  the  British  Flying  Corps  has  succeeded 
in  establishing  an  individual  ascendancy  which  is  as  service- 
able to  us  as  it  is  dangerous  to  the  enemy. 

"How  far  it  is  due  to  this  cause  it  is  not  possible  at  present 
to  ascertain  definitely,  but  the  fact  remains  that  the  enemy 
have  recently  become  much  less  enterprising  in  their  flights. 
Something  in  the  direction  of  the  mastery  of  the  air  already 
has  been  gained  in  pursuance  of  the  principle  that  the  main 
object  of  military  aviators  is  the  collection  of  information. 

"Bomb  dropping  has  not  been  indulged  in  to  any  great 
extent.  On  one  occasion  a  petrol  bomb  was  successfully 
exploded  in  a  German  bivouac  at  night,  while  from  a  diary 
found  on  a  dead  German  cavalry  soldier  it  has  been  discov- 
ered that  a  high  explosive  bomb,  thrown  at  a  cavalry  column 
from  one  of  our  aeroplanes,  struck  an  ammunition  wagon, 
resulting  in  an  explosion  which  killed  fifteen  of  the  enemy." 


LOSSES  AT  THE  MARNE  ENORMOUS 

Some  idea  of  the  terrific  character  of  the  fighting  at  the 
Marne  and  of  the  great  losses  in  the  prolonged  battle  may  be 
gained  from  the  following  story,  telegraphed  on  September  14 
by  a  correspondent  who  followed  in  the  rear  of  the  allied 
army: 

"General  von  Kluck's  host  in  coming  down  over  the 
Marne  and  the  Grand  Morin  rivers  to  Sezanne,  twenty-five 
miles  southwest  of  Epernay,  met  little  opposition,  and  I 
believe  little  opposition  was  intended.  The  Allies,  in  fact, 
led  their  opponents  straight  into  a  trap.  The  English  cavalry 
led  the  tired  Germans  mile  after  mile,  and  the  Germans 
believed  the  Englishmen  were  running  away.  When  the  tre- 
mendous advance  reached  Provins  the  Allies'  plan  was 
accomplished,  and  it  got  no  farther. 

"Fighting  Sunday,  September  6,  was  of  a  terrible  char- 
acter, and  began  at  dawn  in  the  region  of  La  Ferte-Gaucher. 
The  Allies'  troops,  who  were  drawn  up  to  receive  the  Ger- 
mans, understood  it  would  be  their  duty  to  hold  on  their  very 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE  191 

best  that  the  attacking  force  at  Meaux  might  achieve  its  task 
in  security.    The  battle  lasted  all  night  and  until  late  Monday. 

"The  Germany  artillery  fire  was  very  severe,  but  not 
accurate.  The  French  and  English  fought  sternly  on  and 
slowly  beat  the  enemy  back. 

"Attempts  of  the  Germans  to  cross  the  Marne  at  Meaux 
entailed  terrible  losses.  Sixteen  attempts  were  foiled  by  the 
French  artillery  fire  directed  on  the  river  and  in  one  trench 
600  dead  Germans  were  counted. 

COUNTRY  STREWN  WITH  DEAD 

"The  whole  country  was  strewn  with  the  dead  and  dying. 
When  at  last  the  Germans  retired  they  slackened  their  rifle 
fire  and  in  once  place  retired  twelve  miles  without  firing  a 
single  shot.  One  prisoner  declared  that  they  were  short  of 
ammunition  and  had  been  told  to  spare  it  as  much  as 
possible. 

"Monday  saw  a  tremendous  encounter  on  the  Ourcq.  In 
one  village,  which  the  Germans  hurriedly  vacated,  the  French 
in  a  large  house  found  a  dinner  table  beautifully  set,  with 
candles  still  burning  on  the  table,  where  evidently  the  German 
staff  had  been  dining.  A  woman  occupant  said  they  fled  pre- 
cipitately. 

"There  was  a  great  deal  of  hand-to-hand  fighting  and 
bayonet  work  on  the  Ourcq,  which  resulted  in  the  terrible 
Magdeburg  regiment  beating  a  retreat. 

"Monday  night  General  von  Kluck's  army  had  been 
thrown  back  from  the  Marne  and  from  the  Morin  and  to  the 
region  of  Sezanne  and  his  position  was  serious.  Immediate 
steps  were  necessary  to  save  his  line  of  communications  and 
retreat.  To  this  end  reinforcements  were  hurried  north  to 
the  Meaux  district  and  the  Ourcq  and  tremendous  efforts  were 
made  to  break  up  the  French  resistance  in  this  section. 

GERMAN   GUNS  ARE   SILENCED 

"The  second  attempt  on  the  Ourcq  shared  the  fate  of  the 
first.  Though  all  Monday  night  and  well  on  into  Tuesday 
the  great  German  guns  boomed  along  this  river,  the  resistance 
of  the  allies  could  not  be  broken.  'Hold  on!'  was  the  com- 
mand and  every  man  braced  himself  to  obey.     While  the 


192  BATTLE  OF  THE  MAKNE 

Oureq  was  being  held  the  struggle  of  Sezanne  was  bearing 
fruit. 

"The  German  resistance  on  Thursday  morning  was 
broken.  I  heard  the  news  in  two  ways :  from  the  silence  of 
the  German  guns  and  from  the  wounded  who  poured  down  to 
the  bases. 

"The  wounded  men  no  longer  were  downhearted,  but  eager 
to  rejoin  the  fray.  On  every  French  lip  was  the  exclamation 
that  'They  are  in  full  retreat!'  and  'They  are  rushing  back 
home!'  and  in  the  same  breath  came  generous  recognition  of 
the  great  help  given  by  the  British  army. 

"The  number  of  wounded  entailed  colossal  transportation 
work.  I  counted  fifteen  trains  in  eight  hours.  A  fine,  grim 
set  of  men,  terribly  weary  but  amiable,  except  for  the  officers. 

GERMANS  LEAVE  SPOILS  BEHIND 

"The  enemy  crossed  the  Marne  on  the  return  journey 
north  under  great  difficulties  and  beneath  a  withering  fire 
from  the  British  troops,  who  pursued  them  hotly.  The  Ger- 
man artillery  operated  from  a  height.  There  was  again  much 
hand-to-hand  fighting  and  the  river  was  swollen  with  dead. 

"Tuesday  night  the  British  were  in  possession  of  La  Ferte- 
sous-Jouarre  and  Chateau  Thierry  and  the  Germans  had 
fallen  back  forty  miles,  leaving  a  long  train  of  spoils  behind 
them. 

"On  the  same  day,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Vitry-le-Fran- 
cois, the  French  troops  achieved  a  victory.  Incidentally  they 
drove  back  the  famous  Imperial  Guard  of  Germany  from 
Sezanne,  toward  the  swamps  of  Saint  Gond,  where,  a  century 
ago,  Napoleon  achieved  one  of  his  last  successes.  The  main 
body  of  the  guard  passed  to  the  north  of  the  swamps,  but  I 
heard  of  men  and  horses  engulfed  and  destroyed. 

"  'It  is  our  revenge  for  1814,'  the  French  officers  said. 
'If  only  the  emperor  were  here  to  see.' 

BRITISH   KEEP  UP  PURSUIT 

"Wednesday  the  English  army  continued  the  pursuit  to- 
ward the  north,  taking  guns  and  prisoners. 

1 '  On  that  day  I  found  myself  in  a  new  France.    The  good 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE  198 

news  had  spread.  Girls  threw  flowers  at  the  passing  soldiers 
and  joy  was  manifested  everywhere. 

"The  incidents  of  Wednesday  will  astound  the  world  when 
made  known  in  full.  I  know  that  two  German  detachments  of 
1,000  men  each,  which  were  surrounded  and  cornered  hut 
which  refused  to  surrender,  were  wiped  out  almost  to  the  last 
man.  The  keynote  of  these  operations  was  the  tremendous 
attack  of  the  Allies  along  the  Ourcq  Tuesday,  which  showed 
the  German  commander  that  his  lines  were  threatened.  Then 
came  the  crowning  stroke. 

"The  army  of  the  Ourcq  and  of  Meaux  and  the  army  of 
Sezanne  drew  together  like  the  blades  of  a  pair  of  shears,  the 
pivot  of  which  was  in  the  region  of  the  Grand  Morin.  The 
German  retreat  was  thus  forced  toward  the  east  and  it  speed- 
ily became  a  rout." 


EETEEAT  SEEN  FROM  THE  SKY 

The  best  view  of  the  retreating  German  armies  was 
obtained,  according  to  a  Paris  report,  by  a  French  military 
airman,  who,  ascending  from  a  point  near  Vitry,  flew  north- 
ward across  the  Marne  and  then  eastward  by  way  of  Rheims 
down  to  the  region  of  Verdun  and  back  again  in  a  zigzag 
course  to  a  spot  near  Soissons. 

He  saw  the  German  hosts  not  merely  in  retreat,  but  in 
flight,  and  in  some  places  in  disorderly  flight. 

"It  was  a  wonderful  sight,"  the  airman  said,  "to  look 
down  upon  these  hundreds  and  thousands  of  moving  military 
columns,  the  long  gray  lines  of  the  Kaiser's  picked  troops, 
some  marching  in  a  northerly,  others  in  a  northeasterly  direc- 
tion, and  all  moving  with  a  tremendous  rapidity. 

1 '  The  retreat  was  not  confined  to  the  highways,  but  many 
German  soldiers  were  running  across  fields,  jumping  over 
fences,  crawling  through  hedges,  and  making  their  way 
through  woods  without  any  semblance  of  order  or  discipline. 

"These  men  doubtless  belonged  to  regiments  which  were 
badly  cut  up  in  the  fierce  fighting  which  preceded  the  general 
retreat.  Deprived  of  the  majority  of  their  officers,  they  made 
a  mere  rabble  of  fugitives.    Many  were  without  rifles,  having 


194  BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

abandoned    their   weapons   in    their   haste    to    escape    their 
French  and  British  pursuers." 

GERMANS  ABANDON   GUNS 

The  London  Times  correspondent  describes  the  German 
retreat  in  a  hurricane,  with  rain  descending  in  torrents,  the 
wayside  brooks  swollen  to  little  torrents. 

"The  gun  wheels  sank  deep  in  the  mud,  and  the  soldiers, 
unable  to  extricate  them,  abandoned  the  guns,"  he  said. 

"A  wounded  soldier,  returned  from  the  front,  told  me 
that  the  Germans  fled  as  animals  flee  which  are  cornered  and 
know  it. 

' '  Imagine  the  roadway  littered  with  guns,  knapsacks,  car- 
tridge belts,  Maxims  and  heavy  cannon.  There  were  miles  of 
roads  like  this. 

"And  the  dead!  Those  piles  of  horses  and  those  stacks 
of  men  I  have  seen  again  and  again.  I  have  seen  men  shot  so 
close  to  one  another  that  they  remained  standing  after  death. 

"At  night  time  the  sight  was  horrible  beyond  description. 
They  cannot  bury  whole  armies. 

"In  the  day  time  over  the  fields  of  dead  carrion  birds 
gathered,  led  by  the  gray-throated  crow  of  evil  omen  with  a 
host  of  lesser  marauders  at  his  back.  Robbers,  too,  have 
descended  upon  these  fields. 

"Trainload  after  trainload  of  British  and  French  troops 
swept  toward  the  weak  points  of  the  retreating  host. 

"The  Allies  benefited  by  this  advantage  of  the  battle- 
gound;  there  is  a  network  of  railways,  like  the  network  of  a 
spider's  web." 

FIGHTING  DESCRIBED  BY  U.  S.  OFFICERS 

Two  military  attaches  of  the  United  States  embassy  at 
Paris,  Lieut.-Col.  H.  T.  Allen  and  Capt.  Frank  Parker,  both 
of  the  Eleventh  cavalry,  U.  S.  A.,  returned  on  September  15 
from  an  automobile  trip  over  the  battlefield  where  from  Sep- 
tember 8  until  the  night  of  September  11  the  French  and 
Germans  were  fiercely  engaged.  This  battle  was  the  one 
which  assured  the  safety  of  Paris. 

On  September  1  the  German  left  and  center  were  sep- 
arated, but  like  a  letter  "V"  were  approaching  each  other, 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE  19.5 

with  Paris  as  their  objective.  Had  the  Allies  attacked  at 
that  time  they  would  have  had  to  divide  their  forces  and,  so 
weakened,  give  battle  to  two  armies.  By  retreating  they 
drew  after  them  the  two  converging  lines  of  the  V  and  when 
the  Germans  were  in  wedge-shaped  formation,  attacked  them 
on  the  flank  and  center  at  Meaux  and  made  a  direct  attack  at 
Sezanne. 

The  four  days'  battle  at  Meaux  ended  with  the  Germans 
crossing  the  river  Aisne  and  retreating  to  the  hills  north  and 
west  of  Soissons.  Col.  Allen  and  Capt.  Parker  saw  the  end  of 
the  battle  north  of  Sezanne,  which  resulted  in  the  retreat  of 
the  Germans  to  Rheims. 

The  battles,  as  Col.  Allen  and  Capt.  Parker  describe  them, 
were  as  follows: 

On  the  8th  the  Germans  advanced  from  a  line  stretching 
from  Epernay  and  Chalons,  a  distance  of  twenty-five  kilome- 
ters (sixteen  miles).  In  this  front,  counting  from  the  German 
right,  were  the  Tenth,  the  Guards,  the  Ninth  and  Twelfth 
Army  Corps.  The  presence  of  the  Guards,  the  corps  d' elite 
of  the  German  army,  suggested  that  this  was  intended  to  be  a 
main  attack  upon  Paris  and  that  the  army  at  Meaux  was  to 
occupy  the  center.  The  four  combined  corps  numbered  over 
200,000.    The  French  met  them,  they  assert,  with  190,000. 

The  Germans  advanced  until  their  left  was  at  Vitry-le- 
Francois  and  their  right  rested  at  Sezanne,  making  a  column 
15  miles  long,  headed  west  toward  Paris.  The  French  butted 
the  line  six  miles  east  of  Sezanne,  in  the  forests  of  La  Fere 
and  Champenoise.  It  was  here  that  the  greater  part  of  the 
fight  occurred.  It  was  fighting  at  long  distance  with  artillery 
and  from  trench  to  trench  with  the  bayonet. 

THIRTY    THOUSAND    MEN    KILLED 

During  the  four  days  in  which  fortune  rested  first  on  one 
flag  and  then  on  another  30,000  men  of  both  armies  are  said 
to  have  been  killed  and  a  considerable  number  of  villages  were 
wiped  from  the  map  by  the  artillery  of  both  armies. 

Two  miles  from  Sezanne  a  French  regiment  was  destroyed 
by  an  ambush.  The  Germans  had  thrown  up  conspicuous 
trenches  and  with  decoys  sparsely  filled  them.  From  the 
forest  in  the  rear  the  mitrailleuse  was  trained  on  the  French. 


196  BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

The  French  infantry  charged  this  trench  and  the  decoys  fled, 
making  toward  the  flanks,  and  as  the  French  poured  over  the 
trenches  the  hidden  guns  swept  them. 

In  another  trench  the  American  attaches  counted  the 
bodies  of  more  than  900  German  guards,  not  one  of  whom  had 
attempted  to  retreat.  They  had  stood  fast  with  their  shoul- 
ders against  the  parapet  and  taken  the  cold  steel.  Every- 
where the  loss  of  life  was  appalling.  In  places  the  dead  lay 
across  each  other  three  and  four  deep. 

TURCOS  FIERCEST  FIGHTERS  OF  ALL 

"The  fiercest  fighting  of  all  seems  to  have  been  done  by 
the  Turcos  and  Senegalese.  In  trenches  taken  by  them  from 
the  guards  and  the  famous  Death's  Head  Hussars,  the  Ger- 
mans showed  no  bullet  wounds.  In  nearly  every  attack  the 
men  from  the  desert  had  flung  themselves  upon  the  enemy, 
using  only  the  butt  or  the  bayonet.  Man  for  man  no  white 
man  drugged  for  years  with  meat  and  alcohol  is  a  physical 
match  for  these  Turcos,  who  eat  dates  and  drink  water," 
said  Richard  Harding  Davis,  who  saw  the  end  of  the  fighting 
at  Meaux.  "They  are  as  lean  as  starved  wolves.  They  move 
like  panthers.  They  are  muscle  and  nerves  and  they  have  the 
comforting  belief  that  to  die  killing  a  Christian  sends  them 
straight  to  the  seventh  heaven. 

"As  Kipling  says,  'A  man  who  has  a  sneaking  desire  to 
live  has  a  poor  chance  against  one  who  is  indifferent  whether 
he  kills  you  or  you  kill  him.'  The  French  are  almost  invar- 
iably using  these  black  men  to  lead  the  charges.  Some  think 
this  shows  they  do  not  value  their  black  brothers.  On  the 
contrary,  they  so  use  him  because  they  know  that  in  help- 
yourself  fighting  few  white  men  care  to  face  him. ' ' 


NIGHT  BATTLE  DESCRIBED  BY  SOLDIER 

The  following  narrative  of  a  night  engagement  during  the 
prolonged  battle  of  the  Marne  is  quoted  from  a  French  sol- 
dier 's  letter  to  a  compatriot  in  London : 

' '  Our  strength  was  about  400  infantrymen.  Toward  mid- 
night we  broke  up  our  camp  and  marched  off  in  great  silence, 
of  course  not  in  closed  files,  but  in  open  order.    We  were  not 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE  197 

allowed  to  speak  to  each  other  or  to  make  any  unnecessary 
noise,  and  as  we  walked  through  the  forest  the  only  sound 
to  be  heard  was  that  of  our  steps  and  the  rustling  of  the 
leaves.  It  was  a  perfectly  lovely  night ;  the  sky  was  so  clear, 
the  atmosphere  so  pure,  the  forest  so  romantic,  everything 
seemed  so  charming  and  peaceful  that  I  could  not  imagine 
that  we  were  on  the  warpath,  and  that  perhaps  in  a  few  hours 
this  forest  would  be  aflame,  the  soil  drenched  by  human  blood, 
and  the  fragrant  herbs  covered  with  broken  limbs. 

"Yet  all  those  silent,  armed  men,  marching  in  the  same 
direction  as  I  did,  were  ever  so  many  proofs  that  no  peace 
meeting  or  any  delightful  romantic  adventure  was  near,  and 
I  wondered  what  thoughts  were  stirring  all  those  brains. 
Suddenly  a  whisper  passed  on  from  man  to  man.  It  was  the 
officer's  command.  A  halt  was  made,  and  in  the  same  whisper 
we  were  told  that  part  of  us  had  to  change  our  direction  so 
that  the  two  directions  would  form  a  V.  A  third  division  pro- 
ceeded slowly  in  the  original  direction. 

COMMANDS  ARE  WHISPERED 

"I  belonged  to  what  may  be  called  the  left  leg  of  the  V. 
After  what  seemed  to  be  about  half  an  hour,  we  reached  the 
edge  of  the  forest,  and  from  behind  the  trees  we  saw  an  almost 
flat  country  before  us,  with  here  and  there  a  tiny  little  hill,  a 
mere  hump  four  or  five  feet  high.  On  the  extreme  left-hand 
side  the  land  seemed  to  be  intersected  by  ditches  and  trenches. 

"Another  whispered  command  was  passed  from  man  to 
man,  and  we  all  had  to  lie  down  on  the  soil.  A  moment  after- 
ward we  were  thus  making  our  way  to  the  above-mentioned 
ditches  and  trenches.  It  is  neither  the  easiest  nor  the  quickest 
way  to  move,  but  undoubtedly  the  safest,  for  an  occasional 
enemy  somewhere  on  the  hills  at  the  farther  end  of  the  field 
would  not  possibly  be  able  to  detect  us.  I  don't  know  how 
long  it  took  us  to  reach  the  ditches,  which  were,  for  the  greater 
part,  dry ;  nor  do  I  know  how  long  we  remained  there  or  what 
was  happening.  "We  were  perfectly  hidden  from  view,  lying 
flat  down  on  our  stomachs,  but  we  were  also  unable  to  see  any- 
thing. Everybody's  ears  were  attentive,  every  nerve  was 
strained.    The  sun  was  rising.    It  promised  to  be  a  hot  day. 


198  BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

FIRST   SHOT   IS   HEARD 

' '  Suddenly  we  heard  a  shot,  at  a  distance  of  what  seemed 
to  be  a  mile  or  so,  followed  by  several  other  shots.  I  ventured 
to  lift  my  body  up  in  order  to  see  what  was  happening.  But 
the  next  moment  my  sergeant,  who  was  close  by  me,  warned 
me  with  a  knock  on  my  shoulder  not  to  move,  and  the  whis- 
pered order  ran, '  Keep  quiet !  Hide  yourself ! '  Still,  the  short 
glance  had  been  sufficient  to  see  what  was  going  on.  Our 
troops,  probably  those  who  had  been  left  behind  in  the  forest, 
were  crossing  the  plain  and  shooting  at  the  Germans  on  the 
crest  of  the  hill,  who  returned  the  fire. 

"The  silence  was  gone.  We  heard  the  rushing  of  feet  at 
a  short  distance ;  then,  suddenly,  it  ceased  when  the  attacking 
soldiers  dropped  to  aim  and  shoot.  Some  firing  was  heard, 
and  then  again  a  swift  rush  followed.  This  seemed  to  last  a 
long  time,  but  it  was  broken  by  distant  cries,  coming  appar- 
ently from  the  enemy.  I  was  wondering  all  the  time  why  we 
kept  hidden  and  did  not  share  in  the  assault. 

"The  rifle  fire  was  incessant.  I  saw  nothing  of  the  battle. 
Would  our  troops  be  able  to  repulse  the  Germans?  How 
strong  were  the  enemy?  They  seemed  to  have  no  guns,  but 
the  number  of  our  soldiers  in  that  field  was  not  very  large. 

ATTACKED  WITH  BAYONETS 

"A  piercing  yell  rose  from  the  enemy.  Was  it  a  cry  of 
triumph?  A  short  command  rang  over  the  field  in  French, 
an  order  to  retreat.  A  swift  rush  followed;  our  troops  were 
being  pursued  by  the  enemy.  What  on  earth  were  we  waiting 
for  in  our  ditches?  A  bugle  signal,  clear  and  bright.  We 
sprang  to  our  feet,  and  'At  the  bayonet!'  the  order  came. 
We  threw  ourselves  on  the  enemy,  who  were  at  the  same  time 
attacked  on  the  other  side  by  the  division  which  formed  the 
other  'leg'  of  the  V,  while  the  'fleeing'  French  soldiers  turned 
and  made  a  savage  attack. 

"It  is  impossible  to  say  or  to  describe  what  one  feels  at 
such  a  moment.  I  believe  one  is  in  a  state  of  temporary  mad- 
ness, of  perfect  rage.  It  is  terrible,  and  if  we  could  see  our- 
selves in  such  a  state  I  feel  sure  we  would  shrink  with  horror. 

"In  a  few  minutes  the  field  was  covered  with  dead  and 
wounded  men,  almost  all  of  them  Germans,  and  our  hands 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE  199 

and  bayonets  were  dripping  with  blood.  I  felt  hot  spurts  of 
blood  in  my  face,  of  other  men's  blood,  and  as  I  paused  to 
wipe  them  off,  I  saw  a  narrow  stream  of  blood  running  along 
the  barrel  of  my  rifle. 

"Such  was  the  beginning  of  a  summer  day." 


SCENES  ON  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

Writing  from  Sezanne  a  few  days  after  the  battle  of  the 
Marne  a  visitor  to  the  battlefield  described  the  conditions  at 
that  time  as  follows: 

"The  territory  over  which  the  battle  of  the  Marne  was 
fought  is  now  a  picture  of  devastation,  abomination  and  death 
almost  too  awful  to  describe. 

"Many  sons  of  the  fatherland  are  sleeping  their  last  sleep 
in  the  open  fields  and  in  ditches  where  they  fell  or  under 
hedges  where  they  crawled  after  being  caught  by  a  rifle  bullet 
or  piece  of  shell,  or  where  they  sought  shelter  from  the  mad 
rush  of  the  f  ranc-tireurs,  who  have  not  lost  their  natural  dex- 
terity with  the  knife  and  who  at  close  quarters  frequently 
throw  away  their  rifles  and  fight  hand  to  hand. 

"The  German  prisoners  are  being  used  on  the  battlefield 
in  searching  for  and  burying  their  dead  comrades.  Over  the 
greater  part  of  the  huge  battlefield  there  have  been  buried 
at  least  those  who  died  in  open  trenches  on  the  plateaus  or  on 
the  high  roads.  The  extensive  forest  area,  however,  has 
hardly  been  searched  for  bodies,  although  hundreds  of  both 
French  and  Germans  must  have  sought  refuge  and  died  there. 
The  difficulty  of  finding  bodies  is  considerable  on  account  of 
the  undergrowth. 

"Long  lines  of  newly  broken  brown  earth  mark  the 
graves  of  the  victims.  Some  of  these  burial  trenches  are  150 
yards  long.  The  dead  are  placed  shoulder  to  shoulder  and 
often  in  layers.  This  gives  some  idea  of  the  slaughter  that 
took  place  in  this  battle. 

"The  peasants,  who  are  rapidly  coming  back  to  the  scene, 
are  marking  the  grave  trenches  with  crosses  and  planting 
flowers  above  or  placing  on  them  simple  bouquets  of  dahlias, 
sunflowers  and  roses. 


200  BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

FOUGHT   ON   BEAUTIFUL   CHATEAU   LAWNS 

' '  Some  of  the  hottest  fighting  of  the  prolonged  battle  took 
place  around  the  beautiful  chateau  of  Mondement,  on  a  hill 
six  miles  east  of  Sezanne.  This  relic  of  the  architectural  art 
of  Louis  XIV  occupied  a  position  which  both  sides  regarded 
as  strategically  important. 

"To  the  east  it  looked  down  into  a  great  declivity  in  the 
shape  of  an  immense  Greek  lamp,  with  the  concealed  marshes 
of  St.  Sond  at  the  bottom.  Beyond  are  the  downs  and  heaths 
of  Epernay,  Eheims  and  Champagne,  while  the  heights  of 
Argonne  stand  out  boldly  in  the  distance.  To  the  west  is  a 
rich  agricultural  country. 

"The  possession  of  the  ridge  of  Mondement  was  vital  to 
either  the  attackers  or  the  defenders.  The  conflict  here  was 
of  furnace  intensity  for  four  days.  The  Germans  drove  the 
French  out  in  a  terrific  assault,  and  then  the  French  guns 
were  brought  to  bear,  followed  by  hand-to-hand  fighting  on 
the  gardens  and  lawns  of  the  chateau  and  even  through  the 
breached  walls. 

' '  Frenchmen  again  held  the  building  for  a  few  hours,  onl y 
to  retire  before  another  determined  German  attack.  On  the 
fourth  day  they  swept  the  Germans  out  again  with  shell  fire, 
under  which  the  walls  of  the  chateau,  although  two  or  three 
feet  thick,  crumpled  like  paper." 

The  same  correspondent  described  evidences  on  the  battle- 
fields of  how  abundantly  the  Germans  were  equipped  with 
ammunition  and  other  material.  He  saw  pyramid  after  pyra- 
mid of  shrapnel  shells  abandoned  in  the  rout,  also  innumer- 
able paniers  for  carrying  such  ammunition.  These  paniers 
are  carefully  constructed  of  wicker  and  hold  three  shells  in 
exactly  fitting  tubes  so  that  there  can  be  no  movement. 

The  villages  of  Oyes,  Villeneuve,  Chatillon  and  Soizy-aux- 
Bois  were  all  bombarded  and  completely  destroyed.  Some 
fantastic  capers  were  played  by  the  shells,  such  as  blowing 
away  half  a  house  and  leaving  the  other  half  intact;  going 
through  a  window  and  out  by  the  back  wall  without  damaging 
the  interior,  or  going  a  few  inches  into  the  wall  and  remaining 
fast  without  exploding. 

Villeneuve,  which  was  retaken  three  times,  was,  including 
its  fine  old  church,  in  absolute  ruins. 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE  201 

A  SERIES  OF  BATTLES 

The  battle  line  along  the  Marne  was  so  extended  that  the 
four-days'  fighting  from  Sunday,  September  6,  to  Thursday 
morning,  September  10,  when  the  Germans  were  in  full 
retreat,  comprised  a  series  of  bloody  engagements,  each 
worthy  of  being  called  a  battle.  There  were  hot  encounters 
south  of  the  Marne  at  Crecy,  Montmirail  and  other  points. 
At  Chalons-sur-Marne  the  French  fought  for  twenty-four 
hours  and  inflicted  heavy  losses  on  the  enemy.  General  Exel- 
mans,  one  of  France's  most  brilliant  cavalry  leaders,  was 
dangerously  wounded  in  leading  a  charge. 

There  was  hard  fighting  on  September  7  between  Lagny 
and  Meaux,  on  the  Trilport  and  Crecy-en-Brie  line,  the  Ger- 
mans under  General  von  Kluck  being  compelled  to  give  way 
and  retire  on  Meaux,  at  which  point  their  resistance  was 
broken  on  the  9th. 

General  French's  army  advanced  to  meet  the  German 
hosts  with  forced  marches  from  their  temporary  base  to  the 
southeast  of  Paris. 

The  whole  British  army,  except  cavalry,  passed  through 
Lagny,  and  the  incoming  troops  were  so  wearied  that  many 
of  them  at  the  first  opportunity  lay  down  in  the  dust  and 
slept  where  they  were. 

But  a  few  hours '  rest  worked  a  great  change,  and  a  little 
later  the  British  troops  were  following  the  German  retreat  up 
the  valley  with  bulldog  tenacity. 

The  British  artillery  did  notable  work  in  those  days, 
according  to  the  French  military  surgeons  who  were  stationed 
at  Lagny.  At  points  near  there  the  bodies  of  slain  Germans 
who  fell  before  the  British  gunners  still  littered  the  ground 
on  September  10,  and  the  grim  crop  was  still  heavier  on  the 
soil  farther  up  the  valley,  where  the  fighting  was  more 
desperate. 

As  far  as  possible  the  bodies  were  buried  at  night,  each 
attending  to  its  own  fallen. 

MANY   SANGUINARY   INCIDENTS 

Sanguinary  incidents  were  plentiful  in  the  week  of  fight- 
ing to  the  south  of  the  Marne.  In  an  engagement  not  far 
from  Lagny  the  British  captured  thirty  Germans  who  had 


202  BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

given  up  their  arms  and  were  standing  under  guard  when, 
encouraged  by  a  sudden  forward  effort  of  the  German  front, 
they  made  a  dash  for  their  rifles.  They  were  cut  down  by  a 
volley  from  their  British  guards  before  they  could  reach  their 
weapons. 

"Among  dramatic  incidents  in  the  fighting,"  according  to 
an  English  correspondent,  "may  be  mentioned  the  grim  work 
at  the  ancient  fishponds  near  Ermenonville.  These  ponds 
are  shut  in  by  high  trees.  Driving  the  enemy  through  the 
woods,  a  Scotch  regiment  hustled  its  foes  right  into  the 
fishponds,  the  Scotchmen  jumping  in  after  the  Germans  up  to 
the  middle  to  finish  them  in  the  water,  which  was  packed  with 
their  bodies."    This  scene  is  illustrated  on  another  page. 

VAST  GRAVEYARD  AT  MEAUX 

Some  idea  of  how  the  Germans  were  harassed  by  artillery 
fire  during  their  retreat  was  obtained  on  a  visit  to  the  fields 
near  Meaux,  the  scene  of  severe  fighting.  The  German  in- 
fantry had  taken  a  position  in  a  sunken  road,  on  either  side 
of  which  were  stretched  in  extended  lines  hummocks,  some  of 
them  natural  and  some  the  work  of  spades  in  the  hands  of 
German  soldiers. 

The  sunken  road  was  littered  with  bodies.  Sprawling  in 
ghastly  fashion,  the  faces  had  almost  the  same  greenish-gray 
hue  as  the  uniforms  worn.  The  road  is  lined  with  poplars, 
the  branches  of  which,  severed  by  fragments  of  shells,  were 
strewn  among  the  dead.  In  places  whole  tops  of  trees  had 
been  torn  away  by  the  artillery  fire. 

Beside  many  bodies  were  forty  or  fifty  empty  cartridge 
shells,  while  fragments  of  clothing,  caps  and  knapsacks  were 
scattered  about.  Tins  destruction  was  wrought  by  batteries  a 
little  more  than  three  miles  distant.  Straggling  clumps  of 
wood  intervened  between  the  batteries  and  their  mark,  but  the 
range  had  been  determined  by  an  officer  on  an  elevation  a  mile 
from  the  gunners.  He  telephoned  directions  for  the  firing 
and  through  glasses  watched  the  bursting  shells. 

THE  BATTLE  AT  CRECY 

A  graphic  picture  of  the  fight  in  Crecy  wood  was  given 
by  a  correspondent  who  said : 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE  203 

The  French  and  English  in  overwhelming  numbers  had 
poured  in  from  Lagny  toward  the  River  Marne  to  reinforce 
the  flanking  skirmishers.  One  of  the  smaller  woods  south- 
east of  Crecy  furnished  cover  for  the  enemy  for  a  time,  but 
led  to  their  undoing.  The  Allies'  patrols  discovered  them  in 
the  night  as  the  Germans  were  moving  about  with  lanterns. 

Suddenly  the  invaders  found  their  twinkling  glow-worms 
the  mark  for  a  foe  of  whom  they  had  been  unaware.  Without 
warning  a  midnight  hail  storm  from  Maxims  screamed 
through  the  trees.  The  next  morning  scores  of  lanterns  were 
picked  up  in  the  wood,  with  the  glasses  shattered.  A  dashing 
cavalry  charge  by  the  British  finally  cleared  the  tragic  wood 
of  the  Germans. 

BRITISH  BLOW  UP  A  BRIDGE 

At  Lagny  one  of  the  sights  of  the  town  was  a  shattered 
bridge,  which  was  blown  up  by  General  French  as  soon  as  he 
got  his  army  across  it.  At  that  time  British  infantry  and 
artillery  had  poured  through  the  town  and  over  the  bridge 
for  several  days.  General  French's  idea  was  to  keep  raiding 
detachments  of  German  cavalry  from  incursions  into  the 
beautiful  villas  and  gardens  of  the  western  suburbs. 

Fifteen  minutes  after  the  bridge  had  been  reduced  to  a 
twisted  mass  of  steel  and  broken  masonry  a  belated  order 
came  to  save  it,  but  the  British  engineers  who  had  received 
the  order  to  destroy  it  had  done  their  work  well. 

The  inhabitants  were  cleared  out  of  all  the  neighboring 
houses,  which  were  shaken  by  the  terrific  explosion  when  the 
charge  was  set  off.  Every  window  in  the  nearby  houses  was 
shattered.   - 

The  people  of  Lagny  took  the  destruction  of  their  beautiful 
bridge  in  good  part.  They  were  too  grateful  for  their  deliv- 
erance from  the  Germans  to  grumble  about  the  wrecked 
bridge. 

GERMAN  LOSSES  AT  THE  MARNE 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  German  losses  in  the  engage- 
ments at  the  Marne  far  exceeded  those  of  the  Allies  and  were 
most  severe,  in  both  men  and  material.  The  Germans  made 
incredible  efforts  to  cross  the  Marne.  The  French  having 
destroyed  all  the  bridges,  the  Germans  tried  to  construct 


204  BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE 

three  bridges  of  boats.  Sixteen  times  the  bridges  were  on 
the  point  of  completion,  but  each  time  they  were  reduced  to 
matchwood  by  the  French  artillery. 

"There  is  not  the  slightest  doubt,"  said  a  reliable  corre- 
spondent, "that  but  for  the  superb  handling  of  the  German 
right  by  General  von  Kluck,  a  large  part  of  Emperor  Wil- 
liam's forces  would  have  been  captured  at  the  Marne.  The 
allied  cavalry  did  wonders,  and  three  or  four  additional  divi- 
sions of  cavalry  could  have  contributed  towards  a  complete 
rout  of  the  Germans." 

The  general  direction  of  the  German  retirement  was  north- 
east, and  it  was  continued  for  seventy  miles,  to  a  line  drawn 
between  Soissons,  Rheims  and  Verdun. 

A  week  after  the  battle  the  field  around  Meaux  had  been 
cleared  of  dead  and  wounded,  and  only  little  mounds  with 
tiny  crosses,  flowers  and  tricolored  flags  recalled  the  terrible 
struggle. 

The  inhabitants  of  neighboring  villages  soon  returned  to 
their  homes  and  resumed  their  ordinary  occupations. 

FALL   OF   MAUBEUGE 

While  the  fighting  at  the  Marne  was  in  progress,  German 
troops  achieved  some  successes  in  other  parts  of  the  theater 
of  war.  Thus,  the  fortified  French  town  of  Maubeuge,  on  the 
Sambre  river  midway  between  Namur  in  Belgium  and  St. 
Quentin,  France,  fell  to  the  Germans  on  September  7.  The 
investment  began  on  August  25.  More  than  a  thousand  shells 
fell  in  one  night  near  the  railway  station  and  the  Rue  de 
France  was  partially  destroyed.  The  loss  of  life,  however, 
was  comparatively  slight. 

At  11 :50  o  'clock  on  the  morning  of  September  7  a  white 
flag  was  hoisted  on  the  church  tower  and  trumpets  sounded 
' '  cease  firing, ' '  but  the  firing  only  ceased  at  3 :08  o  'clock  that 
afternoon.  In  the  meantime  the  greater  part  of  the  garrison 
succeeded  in  evacuating  the  town.  The  German  forces 
marched  in  at  7 :08  o  'clock  that  evening. 


The  retreat  of  the  German  forces  from  the  Marne  ended 
the  second  stage  of  the  great  war. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

Slow  Mobilization  of  Troops — Invasion  of  German  and  Aus- 
trian Territory — Cossacks  Lead  the  Van — Early  Suc- 
cesses in  East  Prussia — "On  to  Berlin" — Heavy 
Losses  Inflicted  on  Austrians — German  Troops  Rushed 
to  the  Defense  of  the  Eastern  Territory. 

WHEN  at  7:  30  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  August  1,  1914, 
the  German  Ambassador  at  St.  Petersburg  handed  the 
declaration  of  war  to  the  Russian  foreign  minister, 
the  immediate  reason  was  that  Russia  had  refused  to  stop 
mobilizing  her  army,  as  requested  by  Germany  on  July  30. 

The  general  mobilization  of  the  Russian  army  and  fleet 
was  proclaimed  on  July  31  and  martial  law  was  proclaimed 
forthwith  in  Germany.  The  government  of  the  Kaiser  had 
given  Russia  twenty-four  hours  in  which  to  reply  to  its  ulti- 
matum of  the  30th.  Russia  paid  no  attention  to  the  ultimatum, 
but  M.  Goremykin,  president  of  the  Council  of  the  Russian 
Empire,  issued  a  manifesto  which  read : 

"  Russia  is  determined  not  to  allow  Servia  to  be  crushed 
and  will  fulfill  its  duty  in  regard  to  that  small  kingdom,  which 
has  already  suffered  so  much  at  Austria's  hands." 

Austria-Hungary  declared  war  against  Russia  on  August 
6.  From  that  time  on  the  Russian  army  had  two  main  objec- 
tives— first,  the  Austrian  province  of  Galicia,  and  second  the 
eastern  frontier  of  Germany,  across  which  lay  the  territory 
known  as  East  Prussia.  And  while  the  early  days  of  the  great 
conflict  saw  a  German  host  pouring  into  Belgium,  animated 
by  the  battle-cry,  * '  On  to  Paris ! ' '  the  gathering  legions  of  the 
Czar  headed  to  the  west  and  crossed  the  Prussian  frontier 
with  hoarse,  resounding  shouts  of  "On  to  Berlin!" 

205 


206  THE  RUSSIAN  CA3IPAIGN 

MOBILIZATION  WAS  SLOW 

The  mobilization  of  the  Russian  army  was  slow  compared 
with  that  of  Germany,  France  and  Austria,  and  some  weeks 
elapsed  after  the  declaration  of  war  before  Russia  was  pre- 
pared to  attack  Germany  with  the  full  force  of  which  it  was 
capable.  The  immense  distances  to  be  traversed  by  troops 
proceeding  to  the  frontier  and  by  the  reserves  to  their  re- 
spective depots  caused  delays  that  were  unavoidable  but  were 
minimized  by  the  eagerness  of  the  Russian  soldiery  to  get  to 
the  front.  In  Russia,  as  in  all  the  other  great  countries  en- 
gaged in  the  conflict,  with  the  probable  exception  of  Austria, 
the  war  was  popular  and  a  wave  of  patriotic  enthusiasm  and 
martial  ardor  swept  over  the  land,  from  the  Baltic  to  the 
Black  Sea,  from  St.  Petersburg  to  Siberia. 

In  Russia  military  service  is  universal  and  begins  at  the 
age  of  20,  continuing  for  twenty-three  years.  There  are 
three  divisions  of  the  Russian  army — the  European,  Cau- 
casian and  Asiatic  armies.  Military  service  of  the  Russian 
consists  of  three  years  in  the  first  line,  fourteen  years  in  the 
reserve  (during  which  time  he  has  to  undergo  two  periods  of 
training  of  six  weeks  each)  and  five  years  in  the  territorial 
reserve.  The  Cossacks,  however,  hold  their  land  by  military 
tenure  and  are  liable  to  serve  at  any  time  in  the  army.  They 
provide  their  own  horses  and  accouterments.  The  total 
strength  of  the  Russian  army  is  about  5,500,000  men ;  the  field 
force  of  the  European  army  consists  of  1,000,000  soldiers 
with  about  the  same  number  in  the  second  line.  There  were 
besides  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  over  5,000,000  men  un- 
organized but  available  for  duty. 

AEMY  REORGANIZED  RECENTLY 

Since  the  disastrous  war  with  Japan  the  Russian  army 
has  been  reorganized  and  it  has  profited  largely  by  the  harsh 
experience  of  the  Manchurian  campaign. 

The  physique  of  the  Russian  infantryman  is  second  to 
none  in  Europe.  The  Russian  "moujik"  (peasant)  is  from 
childhood  accustomed  to  cover  long  distances  on  foot,  so  that 
marches  of  from  30  to  40  miles  are  covered  without  fatigue 
by  even  the  youngest  recruits.  They  wear  long  boots,  which 
are  made  of  excellent  soft  leather,  so  that  sore  feet  were 


THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN  207 

quite  the  exception  even  in  Manchuria,  where  very  long 
marches  were  undergone  by  many  of  the  units. 

Each  regiment  of  infantry  contains  four  battalions  com- 
manded by  a  major  or  lieutenant-colonel.  The  battalion  con- 
sists of  four  companies  of  120  men,  commanded  by  a  captain, 
so  that  each  regiment  on  a  war  footing  numbers  upwards  of 
2,000  men. 

The  Russian  cavalry  is  divided  into  two  main  categories. 
There  are  the  heavy  regiments  of  the  Guard,  which  consist 
mainly  of  Lancer  regiments,  and  there  are  also  numberless 
Cossack  or  irregular  cavalry  regiments,  which  are  recruited 
chiefly  from  the  districts  of  the  River  Don  and  the  highlands 
of  the  Caucasus. 

The  horses  of  the  Russian  horse  and  field  artillery  are 
distinctly  poor  and  very  inferior  to  those  of  the  cavalry.  The 
artillery  is  therefore  somewhat  slow  in  coming  into  action. 
But  the  horses,  while  weedy-looking,  are  very  hardy  and  pull 
the  guns  up  steep  gradients.  The  Russian  gunners  prefer  to 
take  up  " indirect"  rather  than  "direct"  positions.  Batteries 
are  also  rather  slow  in  changing  positions  and  in  moving  up 
in  support  of  their  infantry  units. 

THE  RUSSIAN  COSSACKS 

What  the  Uhlans  are  to  the  German  army,  the  Cossacks 
of  the  Don  and  the  Caucasus  are  to  the  Russians — scouts, 
advance  guards  and  " covering"  cavalry.  They  are  good  all- 
round  fighters,  capable  of  long-continued  effort  and  tireless 
in  the  saddle;  they  are  also  trained  to  fight  in  dismounted 
action. 

As  a  soldier  the  Cossack  is  altogether  unique;  his  ways 
are  his  own  and  his  confidence  in  his  officers  and  himself  is 
perfect.  His  passionate  love  of  horses  makes  his  work  a 
pleasure.  The  Cossack  seat  on  horseback  is  on  a  high  pad- 
saddle,  with  the  knee  almost  vertical  and  the  heel  well  drawn 
back.  Spurs  are  not  worn,  and  another  remarkable  thing  is 
that  he  has  absolutely  no  guard  to  his  sword.  The  Russian 
soldier  scorns  buttons;  he  says,  "They  are  a  nuisance;  they 
have  to  be  cleaned,  they  wear  away  the  cloth,  they  are  heavy, 
and  they  attract  the  attention  of  the  enemy." 

The  Cossack  pony  is  a  quaint  little  beast  to  look  at,  but 
the  finest  animal  living  for  his  work,  and  very  remarkable 


208  THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

for  his  wonderful  powers  of  endurance.  The  Cossack  and  his 
mount  have  been  likened  to  a  clever  nurse  and  a  spoilt  child — 
each  understands  and  loves  the  other,  but  neither  is  com- 
pletely under  control.  The  Cossack  does  not  want  his  horse 
to  be  a  slave,  and  recognizes  perfectly  that  horses,  like  chil- 
dren, have  their  whims  and  humors  and  must  be  coaxed  and 
reasoned  with,  but  rarely  punished.  The  famous  knout  (whip) 
is  carried  by  the  Cossacks  at  the  end  of  a  strap  across  the 
left  shoulder.  Most  of  the  men  are  bearded  and  in  full  dress, 
with  the  high  fur  cap  stuck  jauntily  on  the  head  of  square 
cut  hair,  the  Cossack  presents  a  picturesque  and  martial  fig- 
ure. The  appearance  of  these  men  is  quite  different  from 
that  of  the  clean-shaven  regular  infantryman  of  the  Russian 
army. 


BUSSIAN  PLAN  OF  CAMPAIGN 

While  the  direct  objective  of  the  Russians  was  Berlin, 
there  were  many  reasons  why  a  bee-line  course  could  not  be 
followed.  Germany  had  prepared  an  elaborate  defense  sys- 
tem to  cover  the  direct  approaches  to  Berlin,  and  the  fortresses 
of  Danzig,  Graudenz,  Thorn,  and  Posen  were  important  points 
in  this  scheme.  The  nature  of  the  country  also  adapts  itself 
to  these  defensive  works  and  would  make  progress  slow  for 
an  attacker. 

Moreover,  as  Austria  and  her  forces  mobilized  before  Rus- 
sia, a  diversion  was  created  by  the  Austrian  invasion  of  south 
Poland,  in  which  the  Germans  also  took  the  offensive.  Under 
these  circumstances  the  Russian  plan  of  campaign  resolved 
itself  into  three  parts : — 

(1)  A  northern  movement  from  Kovno  and  Grodno  on 
Insterburg  and  Konigsberg  as  a  counter-attack. 

(2)  A  central  movement  from  Warsaw  towards  Posen  with 
supporting  movements  north  and  south. 

(3)  A  southern  movement  on  Lublin  in  Poland  to  repulse 
the  invaders  combined  with  a  movement  from  the  east  on 
Lemberg  in  order  to  turn  the  Austrian  flank. 

The  first  purpose  of  Russia  was  to  clear  Poland  of  enemies, 
as  they  threatened  the  Russian  left  flank.  At  the  same  time 
Russia  took  the  offensive  by  an  invasion  of  Prussia  in  the 


THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 


209 


north.  This  latter  movement  led  to  a  victory  at  Gumbinnen 
and  the  investment  of  Konigsberg.  Later  came  victory  at 
Lublin,  rolling  back  the  Austrians,  and  the  capture  of  Lem- 
berg,  which  signalized  the  Russian  invasion  of  Austrian  ter- 
ritory. Thus  Russia  was  for  awhile  clear  of  the  enemy,  while 
she  established  a  strong  footing  in  both  Prussia  and  Austria. 
We  can  now  understand  the  main  Russian  plan  a  little 
better.  In  the  north  the  army  was  to  advance  from  Konigs- 
berg and  endeavor  to  cut  off  Danzig  and  break  the  line  of 


PRAGUE 


LEMBERfi 


THE  RUSSIAN"  PLAN  OP  CAMPAIGN 
In  the  above  view  the  German  lines  of  defense  are  shown  black, 
the  Austrian  lines  of  defense  are  indicated  by  crossed  lines,  and 
the  Russian  advances  are  shown  by  arrows. 


defenses  between  that  place  and  Thorn,  thus  leaving  this 
fortress  in  the  rear.  In  the  south  the  Austrians,  already 
heavily  punished,  would  be  driven  back  on  the  Carpathian 
passes  to  the  south,  and  westward  also  toward  Cracow,  which 
is  the  key  to  the  situation.  If  Cracow  fell  Russia  would  have 
a  good  route  into  Germany,  and  the  move  would  be  supported 
by  advances  from  Warsaw,  thus  threatening  Breslau  from 
two  sides. 


210  THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

GERMAN    TROOPS    HURRIED   EAST 

Early  in  September,  however,  the  danger  of  the  Russian 
advance  into  Germany,  which  apparently  had  given  the  Ger- 
man general  staff  but  little  concern  at  first,  was  fully  realized 
and  large  bodies  of  German  troops  were  detached  from  the 
western  theater  of  war  and  hurried  to  the  eastern  frontier. 
Germany  had  evidently  reckoned  on  Austria  being  able  to 
hold  its  ground  better,  and  was  badly  prepared  for  a  flanking 
move  on  Breslau  so  early  in  the  campaign.  But  the  Servian 
and  Russian  defeats  of  Austria  left  Germany  to  bear  the  full 
force  of  the  terrific  Russian  onslaught,  and  her  forces  proved 
equal  to  the  occasion.  Under  General  von  Hindenberg  the 
German  army  of  the  east  soon  repelled  the  Russian  invaders 
and  forced  them  to  retire  from  East  Prussia  across  their  own 
border,  where  they  were  followed  by  the  Germans.  A  series 
of  engagements  on  Russian  soil  followed,  in  which  the  advan- 
tage lay  as  a  rule  with  the  Germans.  The  losses  on  both 
sides  were  heavy,  but  the  Germans  captured  many  thousands 
of  Russian  prisoners  and  considerable  quantities  of  arms  and 
munitions  of  war.  The  immense  resources  of  the  Russian 
empire  in  men  and  material  made  the  problem  of  Russian 
invasion  a  very  serious  one  for  Germany.  This  was  fully 
realized  by  the  Kaiser,  who  about  October  1,  at  the  end  of 
the  second  month  of  the  war,  proceeded  in  person  to  his 
eastern  frontier  to  direct  the  defensive  operations  against 
Russia. 

CZAR   NICHOLAS   AT   THE    FRONT 

About  the  same  time  the  Czar,  Nicholas  II,  also  took  the 
field  in  person,  arriving  at  the  front  on  October  5,  accom- 
panied by  General  Soukhomlinoff,  the  Russian  minister  of 
war. 

"I  am  resolved  to  go  to  Berlin  itself,  even  if  it  causes  me 
to  lose  my  last  moujik  (peasant),"  the  Czar  is  reported  as 
saying  in  September.  The  spirit  and  temper  of  the  Russian 
government  may  be  judged  by  the  fact  that  before  the  war 
was  many  days  old  the  name  of  the  Russian  capital  was 
officially  changed  from  "St.  Petersburg,"  which  was  consid- 
ered to  have  a  German  flavor,  to  "  Petrograd, ' '  a  purely 
Russian  or  Slavic  form  of  nomenclature. 


Copyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood,  N.  Y. 

1.  Russian  Troops  Advancing  Along-  Railway  in  Eastern  Prussia. 

2.  French  Grenadiers  Making  a  Plank  Attack  in  Open  Order. 


Copyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood,  N.  Y. 

1.  German  Ambulance  Corps  Removing  Wounded  from  the  Field. 

©     International  News  Service. 

2.  The  Horrors  of  War — Scene  after  Battle  of  Haelen. 


Copyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood,  N.  T. 

1.  Bomb-Throwing  Device  Used  on  German  Aeroplanes — A  Release  Clutch 

Frees  Bomb  from  Sling  and  Drops  It. 
Photo  by  Buck  from  Underwood  &  Underwood,  New  York. 

2.  Motor  Trucks  Carrying  Water  Supply  to  French  Troops  at  the  Front. 


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THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN  211 

re  preps      . 

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By  the  capture  of  Insterberg  the  Rossians  pa:;.  me 

of  the  main  German  sti  t  J  of 

an  important  railroad.    The  German  Twentieth  Arm 

reported  to  ha  routed  near  Lyck.    At  the  start 


212  THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

the  Russian  forces  extended  from  Insterberg  to  Goldapp,  a 
distance  of  about  thirty -two  miles.  Seventy-five  miles  further 
on  was  the  first  of  the  two  strong  German  lines  of  fortifica- 
tions. 

Early  victories  were  claimed  by  the  Russians  in  their  ad- 
vance into  Austria,  which  was  made  slowly.  Austria  then 
turned  to  fight  the  Russian  invasion.  It  was  forced  to  gather 
all  its  forces  for  this  principal  struggle  and  hence  retired 
from  offensive  operations  against  the  Servians.  Unless  she 
could  halt  the  Russians  pouring  in  from  the  north,  a  success 
against  Servia  could  do  her  no  good. 

By  the  first  of  September  the  Russian  advance  into  East 
Prussia  was  well  under  way  and  the  strong  fortress  of 
Konigsberg  was  in  danger  of  a  siege.  German  troops  were 
being  rushed  to  its  defense.  In  Galicia  there  were  fierce 
encounters  between  the  Russian  invaders  and  the  Austrians. 
Several  victories  were  claimed  by  the  Russians  all  along  the 
line  and  whole  brigades  of  Austrian  troops  were  reported 
destroyed,  while  the  Russian  losses  were  also  admittedly 
heavy.  The  fiercest  fighting  occurred  in  the  vicinity  of  Lem- 
berg,  the  capital  of  Galicia,  which  was  soon  to  fall  to  General 
Russky.  The  Austrian  attack  on  Russian  Poland  failed  and 
the  Austrians  were  driven  back  across  their  own  frontier. 
The  Russians  were  seeking  to  destroy  the  hope  of  the  Kaiser 
for  help  from  Austria  in  Eastern  Germany,  where  the  Rus- 
sian advance,  ridiculed  or  belittled  by  Germany  before  it  be- 
gan, became  more  menacing  every  day.  The  German  war 
plans  had  contemplated  a  quick,  decisive  blow  in  France  and 
then  a  rapid  turn  to  the  East  to  meet  the  Russians  with  a 
tremendous  force.  But  the  belligerency  of  the  Belgians  and 
the  cooperation  of  the  British  balked  these  plans,  while  the 
Russians  moved  faster  than  was  expected  by  their  foe.  Aus- 
tria had  failed  everywhere  to  stop  the  Czar's  forces,  and  then 
came  a  crushing  blow  to  Austrian  hopes  in  a  ruinous  defeat 
near  Lemberg  and  the  loss  of  that  fortress. 

THE   FALL   OF   LEMBERG 

The  capture  of  Lemberg  from  the  Austrians  early  in 
September  after  a  four  days'  battle  was  one  of  the  striking 
Russian  successes  of  the  war.     Details  reached  the  outer 


THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN  218 

world  on  September  10th  from  Petrograd  (St.  Petersburg) 
as  follows,  the  story  being  that  of  an  eyewitness : 

"The  commencement  of  the  fighting  which  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  Lemberg  began  August  29th,  when  the  Rus- 
sians drove  the  enemy  from  Zisczow  (forty-five  miles  east 
of  Lemberg)  and  moved  on  to  Golaya  Gorka — a  name  which 
means  'the  naked  hill.' 

'  *  We  spent  the  night  on  Naked  Hill,  and  the  actual  storm- 
ing of  the  town  was  begun  at  2:30  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
Then  followed  a  four  days'  battle,  A  virtually  continuous 
cannonade  continued  from  dawn  to  darkness  without  ces- 
sation. 

"Even  in  the  darkness  the  weary  fighters  got  little  sleep. 
Whenever  a  single  shot  was  heard  the  men  dashed  for  their 
places  and  the  battle  boiled  again  with  renewed  fury. 

"The  enemy's  counter  attacks  were  delivered  with  great 
energy  and  a  dense  hail  of  lead  and  iron  was  poured  over 
our  ranks.  The  Russian  advance  was  greatly  impeded  by 
the  hilly  nature  of  the  ground  and  the  great  number  of 
extinct  craters,  which  formed  splendid  natural  fortifications 
for  the  enemy,  which  held  them  doggedly.  Out  of  these, 
however,  the  enemy  was  driven  in  succession. 

"We  suffered  much  from  thirst,  for  the  stony  country 
was  devoid  of  springs.  The  days  were  oppressively  hot 
and  the  nights  bitterly  cold. 

RUSSIAN  ARTILLERY  SUPERIOR 

"Both  sides  fought  with  great  obstinacy,  but  the  nearer 
we  approached  Lemberg  the  harder  the  struggle  became. 
However,  it  soon  was  evident  that  we  were  superior  in  artil- 
lery. 

"At  length  the  enemy  was  driven  from  all  sides  beneath 
the  protection  of  the  Lemberg  forts.  Our  troops  were  very 
weary,  but  in  high  spirits. 

"For  two  days  the  fight  raged  around  the  forts,  but  we 
were  always  confident  of  the  prowess  of  our  artillery.  The 
big  guns  of  both  sides  rained  a  terrific  hail  down  on  the 
armies,  which  suffered  terrific  losses. 

"At  last  we  noticed  that  the  resistance  of  the  forts  was 


214  THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

growing  weaker.    A  charge  at  double  quick  was  ordered,  and 
we  carried  the  first  line  of  works. 

"It  was  evident  from  that  point  that  many  of  the  enemy's 
guns  had  been  destroyed.  Not  enough  of  them  had  been  left 
to  continue  an  effective  defense,  but  the  enemy  was  undis- 
couraged  and  tried  to  make  up  with  rifle  fire  what  it  lacked 
in  artillery. 

LOSSES  BECOME   HEAVIER 

"Between  the  first  and  second  lines  our  losses  were  heavier 
than  before,  but  under  bayonet  charges  the  enemy  broke  and 
fled  in  panic. 

"Our  troops  entered  the  town  at  the  enemy's  heels.  "We 
ran  into  the  town,  despite  our  fatigue,  with  thunderous  cheer- 
ing. 

"An  episode  which  had  much  to  do  with  ending  the 
enemy's  dogged  resistance  occurred  during  the  fighting  be- 
tween the  first  and  second  lines.  The  Austrians  in  the  hope 
of  checking  the  Russian  effort  to  encircle  the  town  had  thrown 
out  a  heavy  screen  of  Slav  troops  with  a  backing  of  Magyars 
who  had  been  ordered  to  shoot  down  the  Slavs  from  behind 
if  they  showed  any  hesitation. 

"This  circumstance  became  known  to  the  Russian  com- 
mander, who  ordered  a  terrific  artillery  fire  over  the  heads 
of  the  Slavs  and  into  the  ranks  of  the  Magyars.  This  well- 
directed  fire  set  the  whole  line  in  panic." 

More  than  35,000  Austrians  and  Russian  wounded  were 
abandoned  on  the  field  of  battle  between  Tarnow,  Lemberg 
and  Tarnopol  owing  to  lack  of  means  of  transportation,  ac- 
cording to  reliable  reports.  Both  armies  declined  to  ask  for 
an  armistice  for  the  burial  of  the  dead  and  the  collection  of 
the  wounded,  each  fearing  to  give  an  advantage  to  the  other. 

THE  BATTLE  BEFORE  LEMBERG 

The  immense  superiority  of  the  Austrian  forces  east  of 
Lemberg  enabled  the  Austrians  at  first  to  adopt  the  offensive. 
As  soon,  however,  as  the  Austrians  realized  the  impossibility 
of  an  advance  on  Warsaw  they  concentrated  their  large  and 
overwhelming  forces  in  an  attempt  to  outflank  the  right  wing 
of  the  Russian  army,  which  was  drawing  slowly  but  surely 
towards  Lemberg.    On  the  other  Russian  flank  the  two  Rus- 


THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 


215 


sian  army  corps,  after  crossing  the  River  Zlota  Lipa  without 
much  opposition,  continued  their  advance  to  the  River  Knila 
Lipa,  where  they  found  the  bridges  had  all  been  destroyed  by 
the  Austrian  advance  guards.  Two  bridges  were  constructed 
on  the  Rogarten-Halicz  line,  which  enabled  a  crossing  to  be 
effected  in  spite  of  heavy  and  incessant  artillery  fire  from  the 
Austrian  24-centimeter  guns. 

Once  across  the  river,  the  two  Russian  corps  crossed  the 
upper  reaches  of  the  River  Boog  and  so  approached  the  town 
of  Lemberg  from  the  east.    The  main  Austrian  army,  how- 


WHERE  KUS9IA  FIGHTS, 

Battle  grounds  of  Eastern  Prussia  and  of  Galicia,  where  the  Austrians  were  repeatedly- 
defeated  with  heavy  losses. 


216  THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

ever,  had  by  this  time  moved  up  to  bar  the  further  advance 
of  the  Russian  forces,  and  the  whole  of  their  armies  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Eiver  Vistula  being  in  front  of  the  three  Rus- 
sian corps,  the  latter  were  compelled  to  adopt  a  defensive 
role  for  three  or  four  days,  after  which,  having  received  large 
reinforcements,  the  Russian  force  moved  forward  and  drove 
the  Austrian  troops  out  of  their  entrenchments  outside  Lem- 
berg  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  A  desperate  attempt  was 
made  by  means  of  a  counter-attack  to  arrest  the  advance  of 
the  Russian  troops,  but  this  only  resulted  in  the  capture  of 
6,000  Austrian  prisoners. 

Lemberg  was  not  a  fortress  but  was  recently  converted 
into  a  semi-fortified  place,  as  a  series  of  lunettes,  redoubts, 
etc.,  had  been  hastily  prepared.  It  was  the  headquarters  of 
the  11th  Austrian  Corps,  which  consisted  of  the  famous  43rd 
Landwehr  infantry  division,  and  was  further  divided  into 
three  Landwehr  brigades.  There  was  also  a  Landwehr  Uhlan 
regiment,  together  with  a  howitzer  division  of  field  artillery. 
These  batteries  were  armed  with  10.5-centimeter  guns,  fitted 
with  the  German  or  Krupp  eccentric  breech  action.  The  forts 
outside  the  town  were  said  to  be  armed  with  the  15-centimeter 
siege  gun  made  of  steel,  also  with  a  Krupp  action.  The 
ammunition  for  these  guns  is  chiefly  high  explosive  shell  and 
shrapnel;  one  of  the  forts  is  also  said  to  have  had  a  battery 
of  three  24-centimeter  heavy  siege  guns  of  quite  a  modern 
pattern. 

GERMANY  RUSHES  REINFORCEMENTS 

When  Lemberg  fell  the  Russian  advance  covered  a  line 
extending  from  far  up  in  Eastern  Prussia,  near  Tilsit,  across 
the  frontier  and  on  down  south  into  Austrian  Galicia.  Konigs- 
berg  was  hearing  the  sound  of  the  Russian  guns  and  its  be- 
siegers seemed  on  the  verge  of  victory.  A  central  column  of 
mighty  strength  was  pushing  its  way  into  Germany,  despite 
a  stubborn  resistance.  Then  the  tide  turned.  German  rein- 
forcements were  brought  up  and  under  General  von  Hinden- 
berg  the  Germans  administered  a  severe  defeat  to  General 
Rennenkampf 's  army  near  Allenstein,  in  which  it  was  claimed 
that  60,000  prisoners  were  taken.  Other  reverses  were  suf- 
fered by  the  Russians  and  soon  after  the  middle  of  September 


THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN  217 

they  had  been  forced  to  retire  from  German  territory,  the 
German  troops  following  them  into  Russia,  where  a  series  of 
minor  engagements  occurred  near  the  frontier. 


GENERAL.   RENNENKAMPF 's   DEFEAT 

The  operations  leading  to  the  defeat  of  General  Rennen- 
kampf's  Russian  army  by  the  Germans  were  as  follows: 

From  September  7  to  13  the  Russians  took  a  strong  posi- 
tion on  the  line  from  Angerburg  to  Gerdauen,  Allenburg,  and 
Kehlau,  the  left  wing  resting  on  the  Mazurian  lakes  and  the 
right  wing  protected  in  the  rear  and  flank  by  the  forest  of 
Frisching,  whose  pathless  woods  and  swamps  furnished  an 
almost  impregnable  position.  The  Russians  devoted  great 
efforts  to  intrenching  their  position  and  brought  up  besides 
their  heavy  artillery.  Russian  cavalry  scouted  far  to  the  west 
and  south,  but  otherwise  the  army  undertook  no  offensive 
operations  in  the  days  following  a  battle  at  Tannenberg. 

The  German  forces,  according  to  the  German  official  ac- 
count, were  composed  of  the  Second,  Third,  Fourth  and 
Twentieth  corps,  two  reserve  divisions  and  five  cavalry  divi- 
sions. 

General  von  Hindenburg,  the  German  commander,  mean- 
while was  assembling  every  available  man,  depriving  the 
fortresses  of  their  garrisons  and  calling  in  all  but  a  bare 
remnant  of  the  force  protecting  the  southern  frontier  in  the 
vicinity  of  Soldau,  adding  them  to  reinforcements  received 
from  the  west. 

General  von  Hindenburg  again  resorted  to  the  customary 
German  flanking  movement,  and  since  the  German  right,  pro- 
tected by  the  forest  and  marshes,  seemed  too  strong,  he 
adopted  the  daring  strategy  of  sending  the  flanking  force  to 
the  lake  region  to  the  south,  the  same  character  of  movement 
by  which  the  Russian  Narew  army  had  been  defeated  on 
August  28,  in  the  vicinity  of  Ortelsburg,  and  which  in  case  of 
failure  might  have  been  equally  as  disastrous  for  the  Germans. 

STRATEGY  IS  SUCCESSFUL 

The  strategy,  however,  succeeded,  although  General  Ren- 
nenkampf  offered  a  desperate  resistance  to  the  frontal  at- 
tacks.   After  three  days'  fighting  the  Russians  were  forced 


218  THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

back  slightly  in  the  center.  "When  the  flank  movement  of  the 
Germans  was  discovered  already  threatening  the  flank,  a 
counter-movement  was  launched  with  a  new  army  collected  at 
Lyck,  including  the  Twenty-second  corps  and  parts  of  the 
Third  Siberian  corps,  just  arriving  from  Irkutsk',  and  the 
balance  of  the  defeated  army.  The  counter-attacks  failed 
and  on  September  10  the  Russians  began  to  fall  back  on  their 
main  position,  retreating  in  good  order  and  well  covered. 

The  Russian  artillery  on  the  right  wing  appears  to  have 
made  a  good  retreat  owing  to  a  timely  start,  while  the  left 
wing  was  hard  pressed  by  the  enveloping  German  infantry. 
From  this  wing  the  Russians  retreated  across  the  border  in 
two  columns,  while  the  main  body  went  northward  and  the 
others  in  an  easterly  direction,  pursued  by  the  Germans,  who 
advanced  far  from  the  border. 

The  German  government  appointed  Count  von  Merveldt 
as  governor  of  the  Russian  province  of  Suwalki  and  other 
points  occupied  by  them. 

The  University  of  Koenigsberg  on  September  18  conferred 
upon  General  von  Hindenburg  honorary  doctors '  degrees  from 
all  four  of  the  departments  of  philosophy,  theology,  law  and 
medicine,  in  recognition  of  his  success  against  the  Russian 
invader. 

AUSTRIA  STRUGGLING  FOR  EXISTENCE 

In  Galicia,  however,  Russian  successes  continued.  The 
important  fortress  of  Mikolajoff,  25  miles  south  of  Lemberg, 
was  captured  and  this  cleared  away  every  Austrian  strong- 
hold east  of  Przemysl,  which  was  then  invested  by  the  Rus- 
sians. 

Austria  was  now  struggling  for  her  very  existence  as  a 
monarchy.  Following  the  crushing  defeats  administered  to 
the  Austrian  troops  and  with  the  Czar's  forces  sweeping 
Galicia,  Vienna  was  hurriedly  fortified.  All  reports  indicated 
that  the  large  Austrian  force,  nearly  1,000,000  men  in  all,  op- 
posing the  main  Russian  invasion  had  proved  ineffective.  Help 
from  Germany  did  not  arrive  in  time.  Official  dispatches  re- 
ported the  main  Austrian  army  retreating,  pursued  and 
harassed  by  the  Russians.  The  other  important  Austrian 
army  was  surrounded  near  Lublin. 

"While  the  Muscovite  host  went  smashing  through  Galicia, 


THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN  219 

chasing  the  Austrian  army  before  it,  the  Russian  staff  be- 
littled the  retreat  from  East  Prussia,  saying  that  the  Russian 
army  was  merely  falling  back  on  a  new  defensive  position. 
The  German  artillery  had  been  getting  in  its  deadly  work  and 
the  pressure  on  Koenigsberg  was  soon  to  be  relieved. 

There  were  many  reports  at  this  time  of  a  popular  demand 
in  Austria  that  an  end  be  made  to  the  struggle.  Peace  talk 
was  a  marked  feature  of  the  sixth  week  of  the  war,  but  there 
were  no  definite  results  in  any  part  of  the  immense  theater 
of  war. 

^  The  third  week  of  September  found  the  Germans,  greatly 
reinforced^  making  a  strong  resistance  to  Russian  progress, 
with  the  aid  of  the  heavy  German  artillery.  The  shattered 
Austrian  armies,  under  Generals  von  Auffenberg  and  Dankl, 
were  making  desperate  endeavors  to  concentrate  in  the  vicinity 
o.f  Rawaruska,  but  were  apparently  surrounded  by  the  Rus- 
sians, who  continued  to  capture  Austrian  prisoners  by  the 
thousand.  Fears  were  entertained  for  Cracow,  one  of  the 
strongest  fortresses  in  Austria,  if  not  in  Europe,  which  seemed 
likely  soon  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  Russia. 

It  was  stated  in  Rome,  and  said  to  be  admitted  in  Vienna, 
that  the  Archduke  Frederick,  commanding  the  Austrian  forces 
in  Galicia,  had  lost  120,000  men,  or  one-fourth  of  his  entire 
army.  German  troops  were  reported  marching  south  toward 
Poland  to  assist  the  Austrians. 

The  Russian  successes  in  Galicia  gave  them  command  of 
the  Galician  oil-fields,  upon  which  Germany  largely  depended 
for  her  supply  of  gasoline,  which  is  a  prime  necessary  in 
modern  war. 

BUSSIANS  AT  PKZEMYSL 

On  September  21  the  Russians  began  the  bombardment  of 
Przemysl,  having  previously  occupied  Grodek  and  Mosciska, 
west  of  Lemberg.  The  shattered  second  Austrian  army  was 
evidently  incapable  of  staying  the  Russian  advance,  and  took 
refuge  in  Przemysl.  A  part  of  this  Galician  stronghold  was 
soon  captured  by  the  Russians,  forcing  the  Austrians  to  take 
refuge  in  the  eastern  forts,  where  the  entire  garrison  was 
concentrated  at  the  end  of  September,  preparing  to  make  a 
final  resistance.    The  situation  of  the  garrison  was  critical, 


220  THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

as  it  was  entirely  surrounded  by  the  enemy.  On  September 
21  also  the  Eussian  troops  took  by  storm  the  fortifications  of 
Jaroslav,  on  the  river  San,  and  captured  many  guns. 

The  German  offensive  from  East  Prussia  was  apparently 
halted  October  1  by  the  almost  impassable  condition  of  the 
Russian  roads  in  the  north.  Germany  was  said  to  have  at 
this  time  thirty  army  corps  of  the  line  and  the  first  reserve 
prepared  to  operate  against  Russia  and  to  resist  the  Russian 
advance  upon  Cracow. 

The  German  main  defenses  against  Russia  extended  in  a 
general  line  from  Koenigsberg  to  Danzig,  thence  south  along 
the  Vistula  to  the  great  fortress  of  Thorn.  From  there  the 
fortified  line  swung  to  the  southwest  to  Posen,  thence  south  to 
Breslau,  the  main  fortress  along  the  Oder,  and  from  there 
to  Cracow. 

Early  in  October  the  Russian  invasion  of  Hungary  began. 
The  Russian  armies  continued  to  sweep  through  Galicia  and 
that  province  was  reported  clear  of  Austrian  troops.  The 
German  successes  claimed  against  the  Czar  farther  north 
included  victories  at  Krasnik  and  Zamoso,  in  Russian  Poland ; 
Insterburg  and  Tannenburg,  in  East  Prussia. 

ESTIMATE  OF  AUSTRIAN  LOSSES 

A  Russian  estimate  places  the  Austrian  losses  in  Galicia 
at  300,000  in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners,  or  nearly  one- 
third  of  their  total  forces.  They  also  lost,  it  was  claimed  at 
Petrograd,  1,000  guns,  more  than  two-thirds  of  their  available 
artillery. 

The  Russian  newspaper  correspondents  described  horrible 
scenes  on  the  battlefields  abandoned  by  the  Austro-German 
forces  in  Galicia. 

" Streams,"  said  one  eyewitness,  "were  choked  full  with 
slain  men,  trodden  down  in  the  headlong  flight  till  the  waters 
were  dammed  and  overflowing  the  banks.  Piles  of  dead  are 
awaiting  burial  or  burning.  Hundreds  of  acres  are  sown  with 
bodies  and  littered  with  weapons  and  battle  debris,  while 
wounded  and  riderless  horses  are  careering  madly  over  the 
abandoned  country.  The  trophies  captured  comprise  much 
German  equipment.  An  ammunition  train  captured  at  Janow 
(eleven  miles  northwest  of  Lemberg)  was  German,  while  the 


THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN  221 

guns  taken  included  thirty-six  of  heavy  caliber  bearing  Em- 
peror William's  initials  and  belonging  to  the  German  Sixth 
army  corps. 

"The  hue  of  retreat  of  the  Austro-German  forces  was 
blocked  with  debris  of  every  kind — valuable  military  supplies, 
telephone  and  telegraph  installations,  light  railway  and  other 
stores,  bridging  material — in  fact,  everything  needed  by  a 
modern  army  was  flung  away  in  flight.  Over  1,000  wagons 
with  commissariat  supplies  alone  were  captured." 

Forty-five  thousand  Austro-German  prisoners  were  re- 
ported to  have  arrived  at  Lublin.  Russian  correspondents 
with  the  armies  in  Galicia  asserted  that  German  troops  were 
interspersed  with  Austrian  troops  in  the  intrenchments  in 
order  to  raise  the  morale  of  the  Austrians.  One  correspondent 
declared  that  while  the  Austrians  often  took  flight  the  Ger- 
mans were  ready,  to  the  last  man,  to  perish. 


ON   THE   FIRING  LINE   IN  RUSSIAN   POLAND VIVID  DESCRIPTION   BY 

AN  AMERICAN   EYEWITNESS 

The  first  American  permitted  to  witness  actual  battles  near 
the  eastern  frontier  of  Germany  was  Karl  H.  von  Wiegand, 
who  wrote  as  follows  from  the  firing  line  near  East  Wirballen, 
Russian  Poland,  October  9 : 

1 '  The  German  artillery  today  beat  back,  in  a  bloody,  ghastly 
smear  of  men,  the  Russian  advance. 

1 '  Yesterday  I  saw  an  infantry  engagement.  Today  it  was 
mostly  an  artillery  encounter.  The  infantry  attack  is  the 
more  ghastly,  but  the  artillery  the  more  awe-inspiring.  This 
was  the  fifth  day  of  constant  fighting  and  still  the  German 
trenches  hold. 

"Today's  battle  opened  at  dawn.  With  two  staff  officers 
assigned  as  my  chaperons,  I  had  been  attached  overnight  to 
the  field  headquarters.  I  slept  well,  exhausted  by  the  excite- 
ment of  my  first  sight  of  modern  war,  but  when  dawn  once 
again  revealed  the  two  long  lines  of  the  Russian  and  German 
positions  the  Russian  guns  began  to  hurl  their  loads  of 
shrapnel  at  the  German  trenches. 

"We  had  breakfast  calmly  enough  despite  the  din  of  guns. 
Then  we  went  to  one  of  the  German  batteries  on  the  left  center. 
They  were  already  in  action,  though  it  was  only  6  o  'clock.  The 


222  THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

men  got  the  range  from  observers  a  little  in  advance,  cun- 
ningly masked,  and  slowly,  methodically,  and  enthusiastically 
fed  the  guns  with  their  loads  of  death. 

''The  Russians  didn't  have  our  range.  All  of  their  shells 
flew  screaming  1,000  yards  to  our  left.  Through  my  glasses  I 
watched  them  strike.  The  effect  on  the  hillock  was  exactly  as 
though  a  geyser  had  suddenly  spurted  up.  A  vast  cloud  of  dirt 
and  stones  and  grass  spouted  up,  and  when  the  debris  cleared 
away  a  great  hole  showed. 

RUSSIANS  TRY  NEW  RANGE 

"While  we  watched  the  Russians  seemed  to  tire  of  shoot- 
ing holes  in  an  inoffensive  hill.  They  began  to  try  chance 
shots  to  the  right  and  to  the  left.  It  wasn't  many  minutes 
before  I  realized  that,  standing  near  a  battery,  the  execution 
of  which  must  have  been  noted  on  the  Russian  side,  I  had  a 
fine  chance  of  experiencing  shrapnel  bursting  overhead.  It 
was  a  queer  sensation  to  peer  through  field  glasses  and  see 
the  Russian  shells  veer  a  few  hundred  feet  to  the  right.  I  saw 
one  strike  a  windmill,  shattering  the  long  arms  and  crumpling 
it  over  in  a  slow  burning  heap.  Then  we  beat  a  retreat,  further 
toward  the  center. 

"We  had  been  standing  behind  a  slight  declivity.  I  hadn't 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  enemy.  Shells  were  the  only  things 
that  apprised  us  of  the  Russian  nearness.  But  as  we  passed 
out  on  an  open  field,  considerably  out  of  range  of  the  field 
guns,  I  could  see  occasional  flashes  that  bespoke  field  pieces, 
a  mile  or  so  away. 

RUSSIAN  INFANTRY  CHARGES 

"Back  behind  us,  on  the  extreme  left,  I  was  told  the  Rus- 
sians were  attacking  the  German  trenches  by  an  infantry 
charge,  the  German  field  telephone  service  having  apprised  the 
commanders  along  the  front.  With  glasses  we  could  see  a  faint 
line  of  what  must  have  been  the  Russian  infantry  rushing 
across  the  open  fields. 

"We  passed  on  to  the  center,  going  slightly  to  the  rear  for 
horses.  As  we  arrived  at  the  right  wing  we  witnessed  the  last 
of  a  Russian  infantry  advance  at  that  end.  The  wave  of  Rus- 
sians had  swept  nearly  to  the  German  trenches,  situated 
between  two  sections  of  field  artillery,  and  there  had  been 


THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN  223 

repulsed.  Russians  were  smeared  across  in  front  of  these 
pits,  dead,  dying,  or  wounded — cut  down  by  the  terrible  spray 
of  German  machine  guns. 

"I  got  up  to  the  trenches  as  the  German  fire  slackened 
because  of  the  lack  of  targets.  The  Russians  had  gone  back. 
Strewn  in  the  trenches  were  countless  empty  shells,  the  bullets 
of  which  had,  as  it  looked  to  inexpert  eyes,  slain  thousands. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  were  hundreds  of  dead  in  the  field 
ahead. 

GUN"  BARRELS  SIZZLING  HOT 

''German  infantrymen  spat  on  their  rapid  firers  as  we 
reached  the  trench  and  delightedly  called  our  attention  to  the 
sizzle  that  told  how  hot  the  barrels  were  from  the  firing. 

"The  men  stretched  their  cramped  limbs,  helped  a  few 
wounded  to  the  rear,  and  waited  for  breakfast.  It  was  not 
long  forthcoming.  Small  lines  of  men  struggling  along  under 
steaming  buckets  came  hurrying  up  to  the  accompaniment  of 
cheers  and  shouts.  They  bore  soup  that  the  men  in  the 
trenches  gulped  down  ravenously.  Meanwhile  men  with  the 
white  brassard  and  the  red  Geneva  cross  were  busy  out  in  the 
open,  lending  succor  to  the  Russian  wounded.  The  battle 
seemed  to  have  come  to  a  sudden  halt. 

"But  even  as  I  was  getting  soup,  the  artillery  fusillade 
broke  forth  again.  From  9  o  'clock  to  noon  the  Russians  hurled 
their  heavy  shells  at  the  German  trenches  and  the  German 
guns.    The  German  batteries  replied  slowly. 

1 1  There  was  mighty  little  fuss  and  feathers  about  this  busi- 
ness of  dealing  death  from  guns.  The  crews  at  each  piece 
laughed  among  themselves,  but  there  were  none  of  the  pic- 
turesque shouts  of  command,  the  indiscriminate  blowing  of 
bugles,  and  the  flashy  waving  of  battle  flags  that  the  word 
battle  usually  conjures  up.  It  was  merely  a  deadly  business  of 
killing. 

"Over  to  the  right,  a  scant  300  yards  away,  the  Russians 
had  apparently  succeeded  in  getting  the  range.  As  I  watched 
through  the  glasses  I  saw  shrapnel  burst  over  the  battery 
there  and  watched  a  noncommissioned  soldier  fall  with  three 
of  his  comrades.  I  was  told  that  one  had  been  killed  and  three 
wounded.    The  Red  Cross  crew  came  up  and  bore  away  the 


224  THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

four — the  dead  and  the  live — and  before  they  were  gone  the 
gun  was  speaking  away  with  four  fresh  men  working  it. 

"But  the  shrapnel  kept  bursting  away  over  it  and  soon  an 
orderly  came  riding  furiously  back  on  his  horse,  saluted  the 
officers  with  me,  and  shouted  as  he  hurried  back  to  the  artillery 
reserve :  '  Six  inch  shells  to  the  front ;  more  ammunition. ' 

"I  went  back  to  see  the  wounded,  but  the  surgeon  wouldn't 
let  me.  I  expressed  to  him  my  wonder  at  the  few  wounded. 
I  had  seen  only  a  few  in  the  trenches,  and  no  German  dead 
until  I  saw  the  artilleryman  killed.  He  explained  that  the 
losses  on  the  German  side  were  light  because  the  trenches  were 
well  constructed  and  because  there  had  been  no  hand-to-hand, 
bayonet  to  bayonet  fighting. 

ATTACKS  BY  RUSSIAN  INFANTRY 

"  Yesterday,  my  first  day  at  Wirballen,  I  saw  the  third 
attempt  of  the  Russians  to  carry  the  German  center  by  storm. 
Twice  on  Wednesday  their  infantry  had  advanced  under  cover 
of  their  artillery,  only  to  be  repulsed.  Their  third  effort 
proved  no  more  successful. 

"The  preliminaries  were  well  under  way,  without  my 
appreciating  their  significance,  until  one  of  my  officer  escorts 
explained. 

"At  a  number  of  points  along  their  line,  observable  to  us, 
but  screened  from  the  observation  of  the  German  trenches  in 
the  center,  the  Russian  infantry  came  tumbling  out,  and,  rush- 
ing forward,  took  up  advanced  positions,  awaiting  the  forma- 
tion of  the  new  and  irregular  battle  line.  Dozens  of  light 
rapid-firers  were  dragged  along  by  hand.  Other  troops — the 
reserves — took  up  semi-advanced  positions.  All  the  while  the 
Russian  shrapnel  was  raining  over  the  German  trenches. 

"Finally  came  the  Russian  order  to  advance.  At  the  word 
hundreds  of  yards  of  the  Russian  fighting  line  leaped  forward, 
deployed  in  open  order,  and  came  on.  Some  of  them  came  into 
range  of  the  German  trench  fire  almost  at  once.  These  lines 
began  to  wilt  and  thin  out. 

MEN  PAUSE  ONLY  TO  FIRE 

"But  on  they  came,  all  along  the  line,  protected  and  unpro- 
tected alike,  rushing  forward  with  a  yell,  pausing,  firing,  and 
advancing  again. 


THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN  225 

"From  the  outset  of  the  advance  the  German  artillery, 
ignoring  for  the  moment  the  Russian  artillery  action,  began 
shelling  the  onrushing  mass  with  wonderfully  timed  shrapnel, 
which  burst  low  over  the  advancing  lines  and  tore  sickening 
gaps. 

"But  the  Russian  line  never  stopped.  For  the  third  time 
in  two  days  they  came  tearing  on,  with  no  indication  of  having 
been  affected  by  the  terrible  consequences  of  the  two  previous 
charges.    As  a  spectacle  the  whole  thing  was  maddening. 

"On  came  the  Slav  swarm,  into  the  range  of  the  German 
trenches,  with  wild  yells  and  never  a  waver.  Russian  battle 
flags — the  first  I  had  seen — appeared  in  the  front  of  the  charg- 
ing ranks.  The  advance  line  thinned  and  the  second  line 
moved  up. 

"Nearer  and  nearer  they  swept  toward  the  German  posi- 
tions. And  then  came  a  new  sight.  A  few  seconds  later  came 
a  new  sound.  First  I  saw  a  sudden,  almost  grotesque  melting 
of  the  advancing  line.  It  was  different  from  anything  that 
had  taken  place  before.  The  men  literally  went  down  like 
dominoes  in  a  row.  Those  who  kept  their  feet  were  hurled 
back  as  though  by  a  terrible  gust  of  wind.  Almost  in  the 
second  that  I  pondered,  puzzled,  the  staccato  rattle  of  machine 
guns  reached  us.    My  ear  answered  the  query  of  my  eye. 

MACHINE  GUN  FIKE  TELLS 

"For  the  first  time  the  advancing  line  hesitated,  apparently 
bewildered.  Mounted  officers  dashed  along  the  line,  urging  the 
men  forward.  Horses  fell  with  the  men.  I  saw  a  dozen  rider- 
less horses  dashing  madly  through  the  lines,  adding  a  new 
terror.  Another  horse  was  obviously  running  away  with  his 
officer  rider.  The  crucial  period  for  the  section  of  the  charge 
on  which  I  had  riveted  my  attention  probably  lasted  less  than 
a  minute.  To  my  throbbing  brain  it  seemed  an  hour.  Then, 
with  the  withering  fire  raking  them  even  as  they  faltered,  the 
lines  broke.  Panic  ensued.  It  was  every  man  for  himself. 
The  entire  Russian  charge  turned  and  went  tearing  back  to 
cover  and  the  shelter  of  the  Russian  trenches. 

"I  swept  the  entire  line  of  the  Russian  advance  with  my 
glasses — as  far  as  it  was  visible  from  our  position.    The  whole 


226  THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

advance  of  the  enemy  was  in  retreat,  making  for  its  intrenched 
position. 

DEAD  MEN  COVER  ACRES 

"After  the  assault  had  failed  and  the  battle  had  resumed 
its  normal  trend  I  swept  the  field  with  my  glasses.  The  dead 
were  everywhere.  They  were  not  piled  up,  but  were  strewn 
over  acres.  More  horrible  than  the  sight  of  the  dead,  though, 
were  the  other  pictures  brought  up  by  the  glasses.  Squirming, 
tossing,  writhing  figures  everywhere !  The  wounded !  All  who 
could  stumble  or  crawl  were  working  their  way  back  toward 
their  own  lines  or  back  to  the  friendly  cover  of  hills  or  wooded 
spots. 

"After  the  charge  we  moved  along  back  of  the  German 
lines  at  a  safe  distance  and  found  the  hospital  corps  bringing 
back  the  German  wounded. 

1 '  The  artillerymen  had  resumed  their  duel  and  as  we  came 
up  in  the  lee  of  the  outbuildings  of  a  deserted  farmhouse  a 
shell  struck  and  fired  the  farmhouse  immediately  in  front  of  us. 
As  we  paused  to  see  if  the  shot  was  a  chance  one,  or  if  the  Rus- 
sian gunners  had  actually  gotten  the  range,  a  regiment  of 
fresh  reserves,  young  men  who  had  just  come  up  from  the  west, 
passed  us  on  their  way  to  get  their  baptism  of  fire. 

' '  Their  demeanor  was  more  suggestive  of  a  group  of  college 
students  going  to  a  football  game  than  the  serious  business 
on  which  they  were  bent.  They  were  singing  and  laughing, 
and  as  they  went  by  a  noncommissioned  officer  inquired  rather 
ruefully  whether  there  were  any  Russians  left  for  them. 

' '  Throughout  the  day  we  watched  the  fight  waged  from  the 
opposing  trenches  and  by  the  artillery. 

1  l  Suddenly  at  sundown  the  fighting  ceased  as  if  by  mutual 
agreement.  As  I  write  this  I  can  see  occasional  flashes  of  light 
like  the  flare  of  giant  fireflies  out  over  the  scene  of  the  Russian 
charge — the  flashes  of  small  electrical  lamps  in  the  hands  of 
the  Russian  hospital  corps. 

"I'm  glad  I  don't  have  to  look  at  what  the  flashes  reveal 
out  there  in  the  night.' ' 


a  O 


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©  International  News  Service. 

1.  Belgian   Peasants,   Made   Homeless  by  War,   Fleeing-  from  the  Germans 

at  Tirlemont. 

2.  Refugees    from    Malines    Using-    a    Typical    Belgian    Dogcart    in    Their 

Flight. 


Photo  by  Underwood  &  Underwood,  N.  Y. 

Women   Bear   War's   Greatest   Burdens — Both   French   and   German  Women 

and  Children  were  Compelled  to  Reap  the  Harvests  of 

Grain  as  well  as  Sorrow 


THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 


227 


The  Mother. 


—Cleveland  Plain  Dealer. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  AUSTRO-SERVIAN  CAMPAIGN 

Declaration  of  War  by  Austria — Bombardment  of  Belgrade — 
Servian  Capital  Removed — Seasoned  Soldiers  of  Servia 
Give  a  Good  Account  of  Themselves — Many  Indecisive 
Engagements — Servians  in  Austrian  Territory. 

FORMAL  declaration  of  war  against  Servia  was  proclaimed 
by  Austria  on  Tuesday,  July  28.    The  text  of  the  official 

announcement  was  as  follows : 

"The  Royal  Government  of  Servia  not  having  given  a  sat- 
isfactory reply  to  the  note  presented  to  it  by  the  Austro-Hun- 
garian  Ministry  in  Belgrade  on  July  23, 1914,  the  Imperial  and 
Royal  Government  of  Austria-Hungary  finds  it  necessary 
itself  to  safeguard  its  rights  and  interests  and  to  have  re- 
course for  this  purpose  to  the  force  of  arms.  Austria-Hun- 
gary, therefore,  considers  itself  from  this  moment  in  a  state 
of  war  with  Servia." 

This  declaration  was  signed  by  Count  Berchtold,  the  Aus- 
trian minister  for  foreign  affairs. 

The  events  that  immediately  preceded  the  declaration  of 
war,  as  summarized  in  a  previous  chapter,  were  as  follows : 

On  June  28  a  Slav  student  who  thought  he  was  a  patriot 
killed  the  Archduke  Francis  Ferdinand,  heir  to  the  Austrian 
throne,  at  Serajevo,  the  capital  of  Bosnia,  which  had  been 
lately  made  a  province  of  Austria.  An  inquiry  was  begun 
in  which  evidence  was  introduced  to  show  that  the  assassin's 
work  was  part  of  a  plot  for  the  revolt  of  the  Southern  Slav 
provinces  of  Austria,  and  that  it  was  instigated  by  Servians, 
if  not  by  the  Servian  Government.  On  July  23,  however,  be- 
fore the  investigation  was  completed,  Austria  sent  an  ulti- 
matum to  Servia  demanding  that  it  use  every  means  in  its 

228 


THE  AUSTRO-SERVIAN  CAMPAIGN     229 

power  to  punish  the  assassins  and  also  to  stop  all  further 
anti-Austrian  propaganda.  Austria  demanded  that  she  be 
permitted  to  have  representatives  in  the  work  of  investigation 
in  Servia. 

The  next  day,  July  24,  Russia  joined  the  little  Slav  country 
in  asking  for  a  delay.    Austria  refused  to  grant  this. 

On  July  25,  ten  minutes  before  6  p.  m.,  the  hour  at  which 
the  ultimatum  expired,  the  Servian  premier,  M.  Pashitch,  gave 
his  reply  to  the  Austrian  ambassador  at  Belgrade.  Servia 
agreed  to  all  the  conditions  and  apologies  demanded  by  Aus- 
tria, except  the  requirement  that  Austrian  officials  should  be 
allowed  to  participate  in  the  inquiry  to  be  conducted  in  Servia 
into  the  assassination  of  the  Archduke.  Even  this  was  not 
definitely  refused. 

On  July  27  the  Austrian  foreign  office  issued  a  statement  in 
which  appeared  these  words : 

"The  object  of  the  Servian  note  is  to  create  the  false  im- 
pression that  the  Servian  Government  is  prepared  in  great 
measure  to  comply  with  our  demands. 

"Asa  matter  of  fact,  however,  Servia 's  note  is  filled  with 
the  spirit  of  dishonesty,  which  clearly  lets  it  be  seen  that  the 
Servian  Government  is  not  seriously  determined  to  put  an  end 
to  the  culpable  tolerance  it  hitherto  has  extended  to  intrigues 
against  the  Austro-Hungarian  monarchy." 

Eussia  at  once  notified  Austria  that  it  could  not  permit 
Servian  territory  to  be  invaded.  It  was  then  realized  in 
Europe  that  the  great  Slav  nation  would  support  its  little 
brother.  Germany  let  it  be  known  that  no  other  country  must 
interfere  with  the  Austro-Servian  embroglio,  which  meant 
that  Germany  was  prepared  to  back  Austria. 

An  eleventh-hour  proposal  by  the  British  foreign  secretary, 
Sir  Edward  Grey,  that  mediation  between  Servia  and  Austria 
be  undertaken  by  a  conference  of  the  Ambassadors  in  London, 
was  accepted  by  France  and  Italy,  but  declined  by  Germany 
and  Austria.  Then  next  day,  July  28,  came  Austria's  declara- 
tion of  war,  which  soon  made  Europe  the  theater  of  the 
bloodiest  struggle  of  all  the  ages. 

SEKVIA  AND  ITS  ASPIRATIONS 

Servia 's  reply  to  the  declaration  of  war  was  to  concentrate 


230     THE  AUSTRO-SERVIAN  CAMPAIGN 

a  strong  division  of  its  forces  in  the  Sanjak  of  Novi-Bazar, 
from  which  they  would  be  in  a  position  to  threaten  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina,  the  two  Balkan  provinces  that  Austria  had  lately 
annexed.  It  was  also  reported  that  Servia  intended  to  invade 
Bosnia  with  the  object  of  enlisting  further  support  from  the 
Bosnian  Serbs,  who  were  said  to  be  on  the  point  of  rising 
against  Austria-Hungary. 

The  country  of  the  Servians  being  well  suited  for  defense, 
they  were  never  completely  overrun  by  the  Turks,  as  other 
Balkan  states  were,  and  as  a  consequence  they  still  retain,  like 
the  Greeks,  a  native  aristocracy  of  culture.  Physically,  they 
are  fairer  than  most  of  the  Balkan  Slavs  and  more  refined  in 
appearance.  By  temperament  they  are  light-hearted,  joyous, 
frivolous,  and  charming  to  deal  with. 

In  Servia  itself,  including  territory  acquired  in  recent  wars, 
there  are  about  4,500,000  Serbs.  In  Austria  there  are  about 
3,500,000  Serbs,  including  Croats  who  belong  to  the  Servian 
race. 

The  Servians  have  long  dreamed  and  talked  and  written  of 
a  greater  Servia,  that  should  take  in  all  the  Servian  race. 
They  look  back  to  the  time  of  King  Stephen  Dushan,  in  the 
fourteenth  century,  when  Servia  was  supreme  in  the  Balkans 
and  was  nearly  as  advanced  in  civilization  as  the  most  ad- 
vanced nations  of  Europe.  The  re-establishment  of  this  an- 
cient kingdom  had  become  a  passion  with  the  Serbs — not  only 
with  those  in  Servia,  but  with  many  in  Hungary  as  well. 
Hence,  their  animus  against  Austria  and  Austrian  rule,  while 
Austria's  fight  was,  primarily,  for  the  preservation  and  solidi- 
fication of  her  heterogeneous  dominions ;  secondarily,  for  re- 
venge for  the  Archduke 's  death.  Incidentally,  it  may  be  men- 
tioned that  the  Archduke  Francis  Ferdinand  was  a  close 
personal  friend  of  the  German  Kaiser. 

THE  SERVIAN  ARMY 

The  Servian  forces  under  General  Eadumil  Putnik,  consist 
of  ten  divisions,  divided  into  four  army  corps,  with  a  peace 
footing  of  160,000  and  a  war_  strength  of  over  380,000.  Most 
of  the  men  called  to  arms  against  Austria  were  veterans  of  the 
two  recent  Balkan  wars,  and  hence  probably  the  most  seasoned 
troops  in  Europe. 


THE  AUSTRO-SERVIAN  CAMPAIGN     231 

The  rifle  of  the  Servian  army  is  the  Mauser,  model  of  1899, 
with  a  caliber  of  7  millimeters,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  Servia 
possessed  enough  of  them  to  arm  the  reserves.  The  Servian 
field  piece  is  a  quick-firing  gun  of  the  French  Schneider-Canet 
system.    The  army  has  some  350  modern  guns. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  Servia  had  ten  of  the  most 
modern  aircraft,  but  she  had  not  developed  their  efficiency  to 
a  degree  at  which  they  would  be  of  much  material  benefit  to 
her  in  the  struggle. 

The  extremely  mountainous  nature  of  Servia  and  of  the 
adjacent  territory  of  Bosnia  make  military  movements  some- 
what slow  and  difficult,  especially  for  troops  unaccustomed  to 
mountain  warfare.  Compared  with  this  mountainous  region, 
the  district  of  Agram,  where  one  Austrian  army  corps  had  its 
headquarters,  is  easy  country  to  operate  in,  while  the  plain  of 
Hungary  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Danube  made  the  task  of 
concentrating  troops  an  easy  one  for  the  Austrians. 

Another  Austrian  army  corps  had  its  base  at  Serajevo  in 
Bosnia.  A  railway  to  the  northest  from  this  Bosnian  capital 
touches  the  Servian  border  at  Mokragora.  To  the  north  of 
this  point  lies  Kragujevac,  the  new  capital  of  Servia,  to  which 
King  Peter,  his  court  and  the  Government  repaired  from 
Belgrade  just  before  the  declaration  of  war.  Southeast  of  the 
new  capital  is  the  important  Servian  city  of  Nish. 

The  western  frontier  of  Servia  follows  the  windings  of  the 
River  Drina,  a  tributary  of  the  Danube.  The  Danube  itself 
forms  part  of  the  northern  boundary  and  the  former  capital, 
Belgrade,  is  picturesquely  situated  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Danube  at  its  junction  with  a  tributary.  Two  Austrian  fort- 
resses command  the  city  from  across  the  Danube.  On  the  plain 
of  Hungary  to  the  north  is  Temesvar,  an  important  point  at 
which  another  Austrian  army  corps  was  located. 

CHANCES  AGAINST  SERVIA 

At  the  outset  the  chances  of  war  were  heavily  against 
Servia.  Such  artificial  defenses  as  she  possessed  were  on  the 
Bulgarian  frontier.  Many  of  her  troops  were  engaged  in 
endeavoring  to  establish  Servian  rule — by  no  gentle  methods, 
it  is  said — in  her  new  Albanian  possessions.  Austria  was 
prepared  to  bring  against  her  immediately  the  three  army 


232     THE  AUSTRO-SERVIAN  CAMPAIGN 

corps  from  Temesvar,  Serajevo  and  Agram,  and  four  more 
corps,  from  Hermanstadt,  Budapest,  Graz,  and  Kaschau, 
within  a  fortnight.  Servians  one  hope  appeared  to  be  the 
difficulty  of  the  country,  otherwise  she  could  not  oppose  for 
a  moment  the  advance  of  250,000  troops  supported  by  800 
pieces  of  artillery.  Then,  too,  Austria  had  warships  on  the 
Danube  and  it  was  partly  through  this  fact  that  it  was  decided 
by  the  Servian  Government  to  evacuate  Belgrade  and  to  retire 
to  Kragujevac,  sixty  miles  southeast. 

In  spite,  however,  of  the  seeming  futility  of  opposition, 
Servia,  encouraged  by  Eussian  support,  prepared  for  a  strenu- 
ous campaign  against  the  Austrian  forces,  and  the  first  two 
months  of  the  war  ended  without  any  decisive  advantage  to 
Austria.  The  Servians,  on  the  other  hand,  claimed  numerous 
successes.  Their  task  was  lightened  by  the  Eussian  invasion 
of  Austrian  territory  and  the  determined  advance  of  the  Czar's 
host,  which  demanded  the  fullest  strength  of  the  Austrian 
forces  to  resist.  As  the  Eussians  hammered  their  enemy  in 
Galicia  the  spirits  of  the  Servians  rose  and  their  seasoned 
soldiers  gave  a  good  account  of  themselves  in  every  encounter 
with  Austrian  troops.  They  crossed  the  Drina  and  carried 
the  war  into  Bosnia,  putting  up  a  stiff  fight  wherever  they 
encountered  the  enemy,  and  while  they  sustained  severe  losses 
in  killed  and  wounded  during  August  and  September,  the 
losses  they  inflicted  upon  the  Austrians  were  still  heavier. 

ATJSTRIANS  BOMBAED  BELGRADE 

The  Austrian  troops  on  the  banks  of  the  Danube  became 
active  soon  after  war  was  declared.  In  the  first  few  days  they 
seized  two  Servian  steamers  and  a  number  of  river  boats. 
Belgrade  was  bombarded  from  across  the  river  and  many  of 
its  public  buildings,  churches  and  private  residences  suffered 
damage. 

The  hostile  armies  came  into  contact  for  the  first  time  on 
the  Eiver  Drina,  between  Bosnia  and  Servia,  and  Vienna  was 
compelled  to  admit  defeat  in  this  preliminary  engagement  of 
the  war.  The  Servians  forced  a  passage  through  the  Austrian 
ranks,  but  only  at  the  cost  of  many  killed  and  wounded. 

When  Crown  Prince  Alexander  of  Servia  began  the  in- 
vasion of  Bosnia  in  earnest,  in  the  middle  of  August,  Austria 


THE  AUSTRO-SERVIAN  CAMPAIGN     233 

found  herself  at  a  disadvantage  because  of  the  necessity  of 
massing  most  of  her  forces  against  the  Russians.  Roumania 
and  Montenegro  were  then  preparing  to  join  the  Servians  in 
the  field  against  Austria. 

Later  in  August  the  Servians  captured  several  of  the 
enemy 's  strongholds  in  Bosnia.  After  a  four-day  battle  on  the 
banks  of  the  Drina  the  Austrians  were  defeated  with  heavy 
loss,  a  large  number  of  guns  and  prisoners  being  captured  by 
the  Servians.  The  Montenegrin  troops  repulsed  an  Austrian 
invading  force  and  took  several  hundred  prisoners  in  an  all- 
day  battle  on  the  frontier. 

Early  in  September  a  heavy  engagement  was  fought  by  the 
Servian  and  Austrian  armies  near  Jadar,  resulting  in  Servian 
victory.  It  was  claimed  that  the  Austrians  left  10,000  dead  on 
the  field  of  battle.  The  Servians  also  successfully  defended 
Belgrade,  which  had  been  bombarded  on  several  occasions. 
Fifteen  or  twenty  miles  west  of  Belgrade  on  the  Save  River, 
an  Austrian  force  was  decisively  defeated  by  the  Servians, 
who  then  seemed  to  be  duplicating  the  successes  of  the  Russian 
army  against  Austria. 

The  attitude  of  Turkey  was  being  closely  watched  at  this 
time,  Greece  and  Bulgaria  being  prepared  to  enter  the  war 
against  the  Ottoman  Empire  if  the  latter  decided  on  bellig- 
erency, but  on  September  5  Turkey  again  declared  her  in- 
tention to  remain  neutral. 

SERVIANS  CAPTURE  SEMLIN" 

Crossing  the  Save  River  into  Hungary,  the  Servians  scored 
a  brilliant  stroke  in  the  capture  of  Semlin,  an  important  Aus- 
trian city.  They  also  reported  continued  successes  in  Bosnia. 
Reports  of  wholesale  desertions  of  Slavs  from  the  Austrian 
army  were  received  daily  and  probably  had  considerable 
foundation  in  fact.  It  was  said  that  the  Servians  were  being 
received  enthusiastically  by  the  people  of  Hungary. 

These  Servian  triumphs  led  to  the  reorganization  of  the 
Balkan  League,  including  Servia,  Montenegro,  Bulgaria  and 
Greece. 

On  September  20  the  Servian  Government  announced  that 
an  Austrian  attacking  army  which  attempted  to  cross  the 
frontier  near  the  Sabatz  Mountains  had  been  routed  with  a 


234     THE  AUSTRO-SERVIAN  CAMPAIGN 

loss  of  15,000  killed  and  wounded.  The  Servian  losses  in  this 
and  other  engagements  were  claimed  to  have  been  small  in 
comparison  with  those  of  the  enemy. 

Continuing  their  forward  movement  into  Hungary,  the 
Servians  inflicted  further  losses  on  the  Austrians  near  No- 
viapazow,  while  the  Montenegrins  reported  a  victory  in  the 
mountain  slopes  over  their  border. 

On  October  1  it  was  reported  that  the  Servians  had  again 
repulsed  an  Austrian  attempt  at  invasion  and  had  driven  the 
Austrians  back  across  the  Drina  with  loss.  They  had  also 
checked  another  Austrian  attempt  to  take  Belgrade.  The 
Servian  war  office  claimed  that  the  combined  Servian-Monte- 
negrin armies  had  made  material  progress  in  their  invasion  of 
Bosnia-Herzegovina,  and  that  they  were  within  striking  dis- 
tance of  Serajevo,  which  they  expected  to  capture.  This,  how- 
ever, was  denied  by  the  Vienna  ministry  of  war,  which  claimed 
that  the  Servian  situation  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  Austria. 

On  October  5  Servian  troops  were  reported  to  have  begun 
a  northeast  advance  from  Semlin,  to  effect  a  junction  with  two 
Russian  columns  advancing  southward  in  Hungary.  One  of 
these  columns  was  then  assaulting  a  fortress  in  Northwest 
Hungary,  sixty-six  miles  southeast  of  Olmutz,  while  the  other 
was  descending  the  valley  of  the  Nagyan  against  Huszt  in  the 
province  of  Marmaros.  This  latter  province  or  county,  which 
the  Russians  invaded  through  the  Carpathian  passes,  lies  in 
the  northeast  of  Hungary,  bordering  on  Galicia,  Bukowina  and 
Transylvania.  There  was  a  legend  that  the  eastern  Car- 
pathians are  impregnable,  but  this  legend  was  destroyed  by 
the  Russian  invasion. 

Before  attaining  Uzsok  pass,  in  the  Carpathians,  the  Rus- 
sians successively  captured  by  a  wide  flanking  movement  three 
well-masked  positions  which  were  strongly  defended  by  guns. 
Each  time  the  Russians  charged  the  enemy  fled  and  the  Rus- 
sians followed  up  the  Austrian  retreat  with  shrapnel  and 
quick  fire,  inflicting  heavy  losses. 

German  troops  joined  the  Austrian  forces  in  Hungary  and 
at  some  points  succeeded  in  repulsing  the  invaders,  though 
their  general  advance  was  not  decisively  checked  and  they  con- 
tinued the  endeavor  to  effect  a  junction  with  the  Servians  to 
the  south.    Advices  from  Budapest,  October  6,  declared  that 


THE  AUSTRO-SERVIAX  CAMPAIGN     235 

the  Russians  had  captured  Marniaros-Sziget,  capital  of  the 
county  of  Marrnaros,  necessitating  the  removal  of  the  govern- 
ment of  that  department  to  Huszt,  twenty-eight  miles  west- 
northwest  of  Sziget.  A  second  Eussian  column  was  reported 
to  be  threatening  Huszt  and  Austro-German  reinforcements 
were  being  hurried  up  to  check  the  Eussian  advance. 


••BY  ALLAH,  I  MAY  HAVE  TO  INTERFERE  IN  THE 
NAME  OF  HUMANITY  " 

— Kessler  lo  the  New_York  Evening  Sun. 


CHAPTER  XV 

MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE 

Army  Commanders  and  Staff  Officers  of  the  Nations  at  War 
— The  Kaiser  and  His  Family — Earl  Kitchener  and 
His  Achievements — Field  Marshal  Sir  John  French — 
King  Albert  of  Belgium — The  French  Commander-in- 
Chief — Others  in  High  Command. 

KAISER  WILHELM  II.   OF  GERMANY 

WILLIAM  II.,  christened  Friedrich  Wilhelm  Victor  Albert, 
King  of  Prussia  and  Emperor  of  Germany,  was  born 
January  27,  1859,  at  Berlin.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of 
Crown  Prince  Frederick  of  Prussia,  afterwards  second  Ger- 
man emperor,  and  of  Victoria,  Princess  Royal  of  Great  Brit- 
ain and  Ireland.  When  a  boy  of  10  he  was  appointed  second 
lieutenant  in  the  First  Regiment  of  the  Guards,  and  then 
studied  for  two  years  at  Bonn.  In  1885  he  was  appointed 
colonel  of  the  Hussars  of  the  Guard.  On  June  15,  1888,  on 
the  death  of  his  father,  he  became  third  emperor  of  Germany 
and  ninth  king  of  Prussia.  He  married  February  27,  1881, 
Princess  Augusta  Victoria,  daughter  of  Frederick,  Duke  of 
Augustenburg.  They  had  six  sons  and  one  daughter:  Fried- 
rich  Wilhelm,  born  May  6,  1882,  the  crown  prince,  who  mar- 
ried June  6,  1905,  Cecilia,  Duchess  of  Mecklenburg;  Eitel 
Friedrich,  born  July  7,  1883,  who  married  Princess  Charlotte 
of  Oldenburg,  February  27,  1906;  Adalbert,  born  July  14, 
1884;  August  Wilhelm,  born  January  29,  1887,  who  married 
Princess  Alexandra  Victoria  of  Schleswig-Holstein  in  1907; 
Oskar,  born  July  27,  1888;  Joachim,  bom  December  17,  1890 
and  Victoria  Luise,  born  September  13,  1892,  who  married 
Prince  Ernost  August  of  Cumberland,  May  24, 1913. 

During  his  reign  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
Kaiser  Wilhelm  has  gradually  attained  a  position  of  command- 

236 


MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE      237 

ing  power  and  influence  in  Europe.  From  his  father  and  grand- 
father he  inherited  German  militarism  and  German  imperial- 
ism, a  belief  in  the  divine  right  of  kings — especially  in  the 
divine  right  of  the  Hohenzollerns  to  rule,  and  in  the  strength 
of  the  German  army.  The  lessons  of  German  history  are 
plain.  Germany  was  built  by ''blood  and  iron.-'  The  policy 
of  Bismarck  has  been  the  continuing  policy  of  the  Germany 
he  created.  In  less  than  ten  years  the  great  Chancellor  turned 
a  second-rate  German  state  into  an  empire,  a  first-class  power 
among  the  nations  of  the  world.  He  did  it  by  ''blood  and 
iron,"  by  unflinching  diplomacy  backed  by  the  best  trained 
army  in  Europe,  ready  for  war  wherever  the  army  could  be 
used. 

Though  he  dismissed  Bismarck  soon  after  his  accession 
Kaiser  Wilhelm  has  pursued  the  Bismarckian  policy,  while 
for  the  26  years  of  his  reign  the  German  Empire  has  been  at 
peace.  His  efforts  have  long  prevented  a  European  conflict, 
but  as  the  event  has  proved,  they  only  postponed  it.  While 
building  up  by  the  arts  of  peace  a  magnificent  commerce  for 
Germany  he  at  the  same  time  built  up  the  mightiest  war 
machine  the  world  has  ever  seen ;  and  in  recent  years  has  sup- 
plemented the  military  power  of  his  empire  by  the  develop- 
ment of  a  great  modern  navy,  second  only  in  strength  to  that 
of  Great  Britain  and  threatening  the  latter 's  supremacy  on 
the  seas.  This,  said  the  Kaiser,  however,  was  for  no  ulterior 
motive  of  offense,  but  for  the  protection  of  Germany's  world- 
wide commerce  and  as  a  precaution  against  possible  future 
dangers  in  the  Pacific. 

On  his  accession  to  the  throne,  in  a  speech  he  made  to  the 
army  and  navy,  the  Kaiser  reiterated  Bismarck's  doctrine  in 
these  words : 

"The  soldier  and  the  army,  not  parliamentary  majorities, 
have  welded  together  the  German  empire.  My  confidence  is 
in  the  army. ' ' 

And  then,  turning  to  his  army  officers,  he  said,  in  the  words 
of  his  famous  grandfather:  "These  are  the  gentlemen  I  rely 
upon." 

In  furthering  his  imperialism,  Emperor  William  has  used 
the  "mailed  fist,"  that  is,  the  threat  of  his  army  rather  than 
the  army  itself.    Under  his  policy  Germany  has  prospered 


238       MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE 

and  grown  apace.  Her  manufactures,  commerce,  wealth  and 
culture  have  immeasurably  increased.  JSIow,  in  1914,  the  Ger- 
man policy  is  being  put  to  its  severest  test.  The  army  itself 
is  on  trial.  The  mailed  fist  has  fallen.  Germany  is  sur- 
rounded by  hostile  armies  and  whether  the  Kaiser  will  be  able 
to  extricate  himself,  as  did  his  illustrious  ancestor,  Frederick 
the  Great,  from  a  maze  of  enemies,  remains  to  be  seen. 

ANDREW  CAENEGIE  ON  THE  KAISER 

It  is  interesting  at  this  time  to  note  the  personal  opinion 
of  the  Kaiser  held  by  one  who  stands  in  the  forefront  of  the 
world's  movements  toward  universal  peace — the  man  who 
built  the  Peace  Palace  at  The  Hague  and  has  had  many  oppor- 
tunities to  study  the  personality  of  Emperor  William.  In  an 
interview  at  New  York  on  his  return  from  Europe  on  Septem- 
ber 25,  when  the  war  was  seven  weeks  old,  Andrew  Carnegie 
said: 

"I  know  the  German  emperor  personally,  and  know  him 
well.  I  know  what  he  has  done  for  the  German  people.  It 
was  not  the  Kaiser  who  brought  on  this  terrible  war.  It  was 
the  Prussian  military  machine  which  forced  him  into  it.  It 
was  not  that  the  Kaiser  was  made  the  tool  of  militarism — 
tool  is  too  weak  a  word  for  Emperor  Wilhelm.  It  was  that, 
strong  as  the  Kaiser  is,  Prussian  militarism  was  stronger. 

"I  pity  the  German  emperor  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart. 
He  did  not  want  this  war,  despite  what  many  are  saying — 
despite  appearances.  He  has  done  too  much  toward  peace. 
He  has  done  more  for  the  German  peoples  than  any  other 
ruler.  He  has  preached  temperance.  Recently,  it  will  be 
remembered,  he  forbade  more  than  the  most  temperate  use 
of  any  drink  by  the  army — and  this  applied  to  both  officers 
and  men. 

"When  the  present  Emperor  of  Germany  assumed  power, 
duelling  in  the  army  was  common ;  there  was  an  average  of 
120  or  more  fatal  duels  every  year.     Today  there  are  none. 

"The  German  emperor  is  responsible  for  labor  pensions 
and  for  the  awakening  of  the  people  along  industrial  lines ;  he 
has  done  too  much  along  the  lines  of  peace  to  be  held  respon- 
sible for  this  war.  With  nothing  too  bad  to  believe  when  it 
affects  the  'military  professionals'  of  Germany,  I  can  believe 


MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE       239 

only  that  it  was  military  Germany — and  not  the  Kaiser — that 
is  responsible." 


' '  KITCHENER  OF  KHARTOUM  ' ' 

When  the  war  broke  out  and  England  realized  the  terrible 
menace  of  a  German  invasion,  the  people  cried  for  their  popu- 
lar hero  to  direct  the  military  operations  of  the  United  King- 
dom. Field  Marshal  Horatio  Herbert  Kitchener — Earl 
Kitchener  of  Khartoum — was  therefore  called  to  the  War 
Office  by  Premier  Asquith,  who  of  late  had  taken  personal 
charge  of  that  department,  and  the  people  became  more  con- 
fident.    They  had  at  least  an  ideal  Secretary  of  War. 

For  Earl  Kitchener  is  not  only  a  great  general  and  a  past 
master  of  military  organization,  but  he  is  the  idol  of  the  Brit- 
ish soldier.  "Tommy  Atkins"  in  fact  trusts  him  completely 
and  will  go  blindly  wherever  Kitchener  sends  him,  knowing 
that  he  will  be  well  fed,  well  cared  for  in  every  respect,  and 
not  exposed  to  danger  unless  it  is  absolutely  necessary. 

HOW   KITCHENER  WON  IN  THE  DESERT 

A  striking  example  of  Kitchener's  method  of  organization 
is  to  be  found  in  his  Egyptian  campaign,  when  he  took  his 
25,000  men  from  Cairo  up  the  Nile  to  Omdurman,  where  he 
triumphed  over  the  hordes  of  the  Kalifa,  destroying  in  a 
one-day  battle  nearly  17,000  natives.  It  took  him  three  years 
to  lead  his  troops  through  the  desert  to  the  place  of  conflict. 
Not  a  mile  did  he  let  them  advance  without  the  little  railroad, 
which  his  corps  of  engineers  began  to  build  at  Cairo,  having 
preceded  them  to  a  farther  point,  to  carry  the  provisions, 
ammunition  and  all  that  was  needed  to  make  the  new  camp 
safe  and  comfortable. 

The  re-conquest  of  Khartoum,  the  retaliation  dealt  out  to 
the  natives  for  the  slaughter  of  General  (Chinese)  Gordon  and 
the  pacification  of  the  most  rebellious  part  of  the  British 
Empire,  made  of  Kitchener  a  national  hero.  He  was  appointed 
Sirdar,  or  commander-in-chief  of  the  Egyptian  army,  created 
Viscount  Kitchener  of  Khartoum — "K.  of  K.,"  for  short,  in 
the  people's  mouth — and  henceforth  the  belief  arose  that  of 
all  the  British  commanders  he  was  the  best  tactician,  the  most 
careful  organizer,  the  most  competent  administrator,  and  that, 


240       MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE 

if  Great  Britain  had  to  fight,  he  above  all  others  would  lead 
her  to  victory. 

SUCCESSES  IN  AFRICA  AND  INDIA 

It  is  needless  to  recall  how  Kitchener  won  the  Boer  war, 
and,  having  won  it,  how  he  applied  his  administrative  genius 
to  the  establishment  and  solidification  of  peace.  Within  barely 
fifteen  years  the  Boers  have  grown  to  be  counted  among  the 
most  loyal  subjects  of  the  British  Crown. 

Shortly  after  his  triumph  in  South  Africa,  Kitchener  was 
put  in  command  of  the  British  forces  in  India,  and  with  the 
support  of  the  home  government,  worked  wonders  with  the 
British  army  and  the  natives  of  India. 

On  his  return  trip  to  England,  in  1910,  he  visited  Australia 
and  New  Zealand,  inspecting  the  military  organizations  of 
those  dominions  and  helping  with  his  advice.  It  is  interesting 
to  Americans  to  know  that  while  Australia  was  planning  the 
establishment  of  a  military  school  Kitchener  suggested  that 
West  Point  be  taken  as  a  model. 

"The  West  Point  cadets  are  the  smartest  body  of  young- 
men  I  have  ever  seen,"  he  said. 

About  that  time  it  was  rumored  that  the  hero  of  Khartoum 
was  about  to  take  an  American  wife.  The  truth  is  that  Earl 
Kitchener  has  remained  an  inveterate  bachelor  until  now,  his 
65th  year. 

MADE  GOVERNOR  OF  EGYPT 

Upon  his  return  to  England  from  India,  and  after  but  a 
short  rest,  he  was  sent  to  Egypt  as  "His  Majesty's  Consul- 
General,  ' '  which  means  governor  of  the  land  of  the  Khedive. 
Egypt  is  Britain's  most  valuable  protectorate,  and  a  par- 
ticularly difficult  one  to  hold  without  friction  with  the  native 
government. 

Little  more  than  two  years  of  Kitchener's  rule  made  a 
different  country  of  Egypt.  He  governed  with  an  iron  hand, 
with  that  stern,  inflexible  will  for  which  he  is  known,  and  yet 
so  equitably  that  even  the  most  rebellious  soon  learned  that 
submitting  to  the  consul  was  to  every  one's  greatest  advan- 
tage. 

In  June  of  this  year  (1914)  Kitchener  went  to  London  to 
receive  the  honors  awaiting  him  there.    He  had  been  made  a 


MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE       241 

viscount  and  a  peer  of  England  before.  This  time  he  was 
given  the  title  of  earl  in  recognition  of  his  services  in  Egypt. 
Hardly  had  England's  greatest  soldier  received  this 
reward  for  past  services  than  he  was  again  called  forward  to 
duty  as  the  directing  genius  of  Great  Britain's  army  in  the 
European  conflict. 

SERVED  AGAINST  GERMANY,  IX   1S70-71 

The  hero  of  Khartoum  did  not  enter  the  military  career 
by  chance.  It  is  a  tradition  in  his  family.  His  father  was 
lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Thirteenth  Dragoons  and  stationed 
in  County  Kerry  at  the  time  of  the  future  great  man's  birth 
in  1850.  Hence  the  belief  of  some  that  he  is  Irish.  The  real 
seat  of  his  family  is  Aspall,  in  Suffolk,  and  through  his 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Chevalier,  there  is  Huguenot 
blood  running  through  his  veins. 

When  he  had  been  graduated  from  "Woolwich  Military 
School,  just  as  the  Franco-Prussian  war  broke  out,  he  doubt- 
less had  in  mind  the  motto  of  his  family:  ''Thorough." 
His  training  was  well  enough,  but  he  wanted  to  get  a  more 
"thorough  "idea  of  what  war  meant,  and  secretly  engaged  in 
the  French  army  under  General  Clancy.  When  all  ^vas  over 
the  secret  leaked  out,  and  the  Duke  of  Cambridge,  then  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  British  military  forces,  called  the 
young  offender  before  him.  Ordinarily  his  action  would  have 
been  punished  by  unconditional  dismissal  from  the  army. 
But  Kitchener  explained  his  step  so  well  and  gave  such  highly 
patriotic  reasons  for  it  that  the  Duke  let  him  off  with  a  severe 
reprimand  and  an  encouraging  pat  on  the  shoulder. 

So  it  is  now  for  the  second  time  that  Kitchener  finds  him- 
self opposing  Germany.  But  this  time  it  is  not  as  an  obscure 
volunteer,  but,  indeed,  as  one  great  warrior  facing  another. 

Earl  Kitchener  is  a  tall  man,  with  heavy  gray  moustache 
and  wavy  gray  hair,  which  he  wears  parted  in  the  middle.  He 
has  a  sunburnt,  determined-looking  face,  large  steel-blue  eyes, 
and  square  jaws. 

Many  good  stories  are  told  of  him,  a  characteristic  one 
being  his  reply  to  the  War  Office,  which  sent  him  obsolete  guns 
when  he  asked  for  the  newest.  He  is  reported  to  have  sent 
the  sarcastic  reply,  "I  can  throw  stones  at  the  enemy  myself." 


242       MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE 

KING  ALBEKT  OF  BELGIUM 

The  young  King  of  Belgium,  who,  by  the  way,  is  a  man  39 
years  of  age,  has  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  the  war  of 
1914.  His  heroic  defense  of  his  little  kingdom  has  been  the 
wonder  and  the  admiration  of  the  world,  and  he  has  personally 
led  his  gallant  army  in  the  field  and  sustained  a  wound  during 
the  operations.  When  his  country  was  first  invaded  by  the 
Germans  in  their  early  rush  towards  Paris,  he  issued  a  spir- 
ited proclamation  calling  upon  his  soldiers  to  stand  shoulder 
to  shoulder  against  the  foreign  foe  and  defend  their  country 
to  the  last  drop  of  their  blood.  How  nobly  they  responded 
is  recorded  elsewhere  in  these  pages. 

King  Albert  succeeded  his  uncle,  the  aged  Leopold  II., 
whom  he  strongly  resembles  in  feature.  His  full  name  is 
Albert  Leopold  Clement  Marie  Menard.  He  was  born  in 
Brunswick,  Germany,  on  April  8,  1875,  and  is  the  sole  surviv- 
ing son  of  the  Count  of  Flanders,  who  died  in  1905.  He  was 
married  in  1900  to  Elizabeth,  Duchess  of  Bavaria,  third  daugh- 
ter of  Duke  Charles  of  Bavaria,  and  was  crowned  King  of 
Belgium  in  1909. 

In  1898  King  Albert,  while  heir-presumptive,  spent  sev- 
eral months  in  America.  In  1910  he  sent  to  America  a  distin- 
guished Belgian  diplomat,  Baron  de  Beaulieu,  to  notify  the 
President  officially  of  his  accession  to  the  throne  and  was  the 
first  European  sovereign  to  signalize  his  accession  by  an  offi- 
cial step  so  highly  complimentary  to  the  United  States. 

The  personal  disposition  of  the  Belgian  King  is  decidedly 
studious.  His  hobby  is  engineering  and  he  is  specially  inter- 
ested in  electrical  subjects,  including  wireless  telegraphy,  on 
which  he  is  seeking  to  become  an  authority.  Among  Euro- 
pean sovereigns  he  ranks  as  a  hard-working,  liberal,  modern 
constitutional  monarch. 


THE  FRENCH  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

General  Jofrre,  the  commander  of  the  French  forces  in  the 
war,  has  had  a  highly  interesting  career.  Born  in  the  south 
of  France,  he  had  several  brothers,  and  seems  to  have  con- 
siderably worried  his  loquacious  nurse  by  his  silence  in  the 
cradle.     She  insisted  that  her  tiny  charge  was  tongue-tied  and 


MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE       243 

the  child's  mother,  Mme.  Joffre,  had  all  the  difficulty  in  the 
world  to  keep  her  from  calling  in  a  doctor.  To  the  delight 
of  every  person,  he  finally  began  to  lisp  a  few  words.  But  the 
general  has  never  been  much  of  a  talker. 

Before  he  had  finished  his  first  year  at  the  Polytechnique, 
the  war  of  1870  broke  out  and  young  Joffre  marched  to  the 
front  where  the  fire  was  heaviest.  In  fact,  such  zeal  and  abil- 
ity did  he  show  that  after  the  war  had  finished  he  was  commis- 
sioned to  organize  new  defenses  for  Paris. 

It  was  after  his  plans  that  the  Enghien  fortifications  were 
put  up.  One  day  Marshal  McMahon  and  his  "Etat  major" 
visited  the  fort,  and  after  a  thorough  round  of  investigation 
the  former  turned  to  the  silent  lieutenant:  "I  congratulate 
you,  captain. ' '  Captain  at  the  early  age  of  22  was  a  fact  that 
made  the  other  officers  open  their  eyes. 

So  satisfactory  was  Joffre 's  work  at  Enghien  that  he  was 
immediately  appointed  to  organize  the  defensive  works  of 
Pontarlier  on  the  eastern  border. 

His  work  completed  there,  he  was  sent  off  to  construct 
fortifications  and  barracks  at  Tonkin.  But  just  about  this 
time  General  Courbet  arrived  on  the  scene.  Now  Courbet  was 
an  excellent  judge  of  men  and  he  did  not  require  many  talks 
with  Joffre  to  convince  him  that  the  sword,  not  the  trowel,  was 
the  proper  tool  for  this  silent  soldier. 

General  Courbet  took  Joffre  with  him  to  Formosa,  where, 
under  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  he  organized  the  island 's  defense. 
Later  we  see  him  in  Madagascar,  building  the  wonderful  forti- 
fications of  Diego-Suarez ;  then  in  Dahomey.  Here  his  friend, 
Colonel  Bonnier,  was  killed  by  the  natives.  Joffre  was  com- 
manding the  rearguard.  Rallying  the  fugitives,  he  succeeded 
in  overcoming  the  enemy  and  soon  made  his  entry  into  Tim- 
buktu. After  this  campaign  he  returned  to  France,  which  he 
has  never  left,  but  has  devoted  his  time  to  passing  on  his  val- 
uable experience  to  the  soldiers  at  the  Ecole  de  Guerre 
(School  of  War). 

Stern  warrior  though  he  is,  General  Joffre  is  at  heart  the 
kindest  of  men,  and  those  about  his  country  home  tell  many 
instances  of  his  thoughtfulness  and  generosity.  Unlike  the 
Kaiser,  he  is  a  strong  advocate  of  friendly  relations  between 
officers  and  soldiers,  and  has  done  much  to  encourage  such 


244      MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE 

feelings  in  the  French  army.  He  himself  is  liked  by  all  his 
subordinates,  and  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  General  Joffre's 
appointment  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  French  forces  was 
made  by  the  members  of  the  superior  council  of  war  without 
a  single  dissenting  voice,  and  on  the  proposal  of  General  Pau 
himself. 


FIELD  MARSHAL  SIR  JOHN  FRENCH 

As  commander-in-chief  of  the  British  expeditionary  forces 
on  the  continent  of  Europe,  Sir  John  Denton  Pinkstone 
French  has  added  lustre  to  the  fame  he  already  enjoyed  as 
one  of  the  two  foremost  active  generals  of  the  British  army. 
Next  to  Earl  Kitchener  he  is  the  most  striking  military  figure 
of  Great  Britain. 

Field  Marshal  French  is  62  years  of  age,  gray-haired  and 
of  short,  stocky  figure.  His  Irish  blue  eyes  retain  their  spar- 
kle and  Ireland  is  proud  to  claim  him  as  a  son.  His  family 
originally  intended  him  for  the  Church,  but  when  he  was  14  he 
chose  the  navy  instead  and  joined  a  cadets'  training-ship.  In 
1874  he  left  the  navy  for  the  army  and  soon  proved  his  mili- 
tary aptitude  and  skill.  From  1889  to  1893  he  commanded 
the  Nineteenth  Hussars,  rising  steadily  in  rank  after  that 
until  in  1907  he  was  made  inspector-general  of  the  army  and  in 
1913  attained  the  height  of  military  ambition  when  he  was 
gazetted  field-marshal. 

Sir  John  French  has  seen  more  active  service  than  usually 
falls  to  the  lot  of  even  a  British  soldier,  and  he  has  secured 
many  brilliant  results.  In  the  Boer  war  he  was  the  one 
English  general  who  was  uniformly  successful.  It  was  said 
of  his  soldiers  that  they  never  slept.  During  the  siege  of 
Kimberley  he  was  shut  up  in  Ladysmith,  surrounded  by  Boers 
and  with  no  retreat  or  movement  of  any  kind  possible  for  the 
British  troops  under  his  command.  But  Kimberley,  with  its 
great  wealth  of  diamonds,  had  to  be  saved — and  Sir  John 
French  was  needed  there.  He  seemed  to  be  the  one  man 
capable  of  relieving  Kimberley.  The  Boers  were  permitting 
trains  to  leave  Ladysmith  with  women  and  children  only,  and 
General  French  managed  to  get  through  the  Boer  lines  by 
concealing  himself  in  one  of  these  non-combatant  trains.  Then, 
making  his  way  to  Capetown,  he  was  placed  in  command  of 


MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE       245 

about  8,000  cavalrymen.  With  these  he  swept  through  all  the 
enemy's  obstacles,  riding  day  and  night,  to  Kimberley,  which 
he  relieved  just  in  time  to  prevent  its  surrender. 

War  is  Field  Marshal  French's  profession,  and  in  him  the 
Kaiser's  generals  and  strategists  have  found  a  foeman  worthy 
of  their  steel. 


FIELD  MAESHAL  VOX  DEE  GOLTZ 

Field  Marshal  Baron  Kolmar  von  der  Goltz,  who  was 
appointed  military  governor  of  the  occupied  part  of  Belgium, 
is  regarded  by  the  Germans  as  one  of  the  leading  military 
men  in  Europe,  and  has  been  a  power  in  the  organization  and 
training  of  the  Kaiser's  army.  It  was  General  von  der  Goltz 
who  organized  and  trained  the  Turkish  army  which  partici- 
pated in  the  Balkan  war. 

Von  der  Goltz,  despite  his  advanced  age — he  is  now  71 — 
is  still  a  man  of  great  energy  and  endurance.  Only  a  few 
years  ago  he  visited  the  Argentine  Eepublic,  traveled  on 
horseback  through  the  pampas  of  that  country,  and  soon  after 
his  return  to  Germany,  without  taking  a  rest,  he  led  the  Ger- 
man general  staff  in  the  military  maneuvers  of  that  year. 

Such  exertions  are  nothing  to  him,  and  during  other 
maneuvers  he  has  been  seen  in  the  saddle  all  day,  and  then  the 
same  evening  was  observed  in  his  tent  busy  at  work  writing 
a  military  book  on  which  he  was  engaged  until  an  early  hour 
in  the  morning.  Personally  he  is  one  of  the  most  unassuming 
and  modest  of  men.  He  cares  nothing  at  all  for  titles  or  rank. 
He  hates  red  tape  and  never  hesitates  to  give  expression  to 
his  opinions,  both  in  speaking  and  writing.  He  was  the  first 
one,  in  his  famous  book,  "People  in  Arms,"  to  urge  the  intro- 
duction of  two  years'  military  service,  and  also  in  a  number 
of  magazine  and  newspaper  articles  called  the  attention  of  the 
German  people  to  the  nature  of  war,  and  to  the  military  duties 
which  they  owed  to  the  Fatherland. 

Von  der  Goltz 's  greatest  achievement  in  recent  years  has 
been  his  energetic  work  in  behalf  of  the  German  scout  move- 
ment. For  this  purpose,  under  the  name  of  "Jung  Deutsch- 
land,"  he  formed  a  society  to  serve  as  a  nucleus  of  all  organ- 
izations in  any  way  interested  in  physical  welfare. 

At  the  opening  meeting  Von  der  Goltz  in  a  notable  address, 


246      MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE 

which  attracted  the  widest  attention,  urged  the  necessity  of 
strengthening  the  physical  being  of  the  German  youth,  on 
which  he  said  depended  the  future  of  the  German  nation.  By 
establishing  the  new  national  society,  he  declared  it  was  not 
aimed  to  come  into  competition  with  similar  ones  already 
existing,  but  merely  to  more  effectively  promote  the  physical 
welfare  of  the  boys,  while  they  were  still  going  to  school  and 
before  they  entered  the  German  army. 


THE  GERMAN  CROWN  PRINCE 

An  extraordinary  figure  in  the  field  is  that  of  Crown  Prince 
Frederick  William  of  Germany,  in  command  of  the  central 
army  during  the  German  advance  into  France  and  the  subse- 
quent operations  of  the  war.  He  is  32  years  of  age,  tall,  slim 
and  impulsive.  For  several  years  he  has  been  regarded  as 
the  leader  of  the  war-seeking  party  in  Germany.  He  is  a  pro- 
found admirer  of  Napoleon,  firmly  believes  in  the  theory  of 
divine  right,  and  has  been  thoroughly  trained  for  rulership  in 
the  traditions  of  the  Bismarckian  policy. 

The  Kaiser  has  had  several  notable  differences  with  his 
hot-headed  son,  whom  he  has  found  it  necessary  to  discipline 
more  than  once.  It  is  said  that  he  remarked  of  him  not  long 
ago,  "Well,  William  is  no  diplomat.  I  will  admit  it,  but  I 
believe  he  has  got  marrow  in  his  bones.  He  may  turn  out  to 
be  our  Moltke  yet. ' ' 

Victory,  disappointment  and  defeat  all  perched  upon  the 
banners  of  the  Crown  Prince  at  various  times  in  the  early 
stages  of  the  war.  He  was  reported  to  have  petulantly  broken 
the  sword  of  a  French  commander  who  surrendered  to  him 
after  a  desperate  resistance.  While  reckless  of  human  life, 
he  seemed  to  be  animated  by  a  sincere  desire  for  the  physical 
comfort  and  welfare  of  his  troops  between  battles,  sending 
several  appeals  to  Berlin  for  supplies  of  minor  comforts  to  be 
sent  to  them  in  the  field. 


GENERAL   COUNT  VON   MOLTKE 

General  von  Moltke,  chief  of  the  German  general  staff,  is 
one  of  the  most  picturesque  figures  of  the  present  war.  He 
is  66  years  of  age  and  saw  active  service  in  the  Franco-Prus- 


MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE       247 

sian  war  forty-four  years  ago  and  distinguished  himself 
notably. 

From  the  first  he  has  been  a  favorite  with  the  Kaiser. 
His  appointment  as  chief  of  staff  was,  in  fact,  a  declaration 
on  the  Kaiser's  part  that  the  army  was  to  be  run  along  lines 
of  the  old  school — with  a  mailed  fist. 

He  was  born  May  23,  1848,  in  Gersdorf,  Mecklenburg.  He 
attended  the  gymnasium  at  Kendsberg  and  became  a  cornet  on 
April  1,  1869.  In  1870  he  was  promoted  to  be  lieutenant  and 
took  part  with  distinction  in  the  war  against  France,  being 
decorated  with  the  iron  cross  of  the  second  class. 

In  1881  he  was  assigned  to  the  general  staff  of  the  army. 
In  the  same  year  he  was  made  captain  on  the  general  staff 
and  in  1882  he  became  second  adjutant  to  the  chief  of  the  gen- 
eral staff  of  the  army,  his  uncle,  Field  Marshal  Count  von 
Moltke. 

On  the  death  of  Field  Marshal  von  Moltke,  in  1891,  he 
became  aid-de-camp  to  the  Kaiser. 

In  1896  he  became  major-general  and  commandant  at  Pots- 
dam. 

He  has  been  chief  of  the  general  staff  of  the  army  since 
February  16, 1904.  As  chief  of  the  general  staff  he  succeeded 
Field  Marshal  Count  von  Schlieffen.  The  latter,  who  was 
nearly  73  years  old,  was  kicked  severely  by  a  horse  and  crip- 
pled. A  rule  of  the  general  staff  is  that  no  one  not  physically 
sound  may  remain  on  it.  Even  fat  men  are  excluded  from 
this  most  honored  department  of  the  German  army. 


HOW  GENERAL  PAU  LOST  HIS  ARM 

General  Paul  Gerald  Pau,  the  French  hero  of  the  second 
capture  of  Muelhausen,  and  whose  army  has  borne  one  of  the 
prominent  parts  in  the  war,  in  a  letter  recently  published, 
written  to  his  mother  soon  after  the  battle  of  Woerth  in  1870, 
in  which  he  lost  his  right  arm,  told  the  story  of  his  wound  as 
follows : 

' '  My  Good  Mother :  As  I  don 't  know  if  any  of  the  letters 
that  I  have  written  to  you  have  arrived,  or,  rather,  since  I 
have  strong  reasons  for  believing  that  none  of  them  has 
reached  you,  while  this  time  I  may  hope  that  you  will  be  able 


248       MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE 

to  see  my  autograph,  I  am  going  to  relate  my  adventures  at 
length. 

"First  of  all,  the  originality  of  the  preceding  seven  lines 
must  lead  you  to  think  that  they  were  traced  by  a  foot  instead 
of  a  hand.  Undeceive  yourself  and  laugh  neither  at  the  first 
efforts  of  an  unpracticed  hand,  nor  at  the  style.  Besides  the 
fact  that  I  speak  almost  exclusively  German  just  now,  I  swear 
that  elegant  phrases  don't  flow  easily  when  it  takes  five  min- 
utes to  trace  a  line. 

"But  I  am  forgetting  that  I  haven't  told  you  the  main 
thing.  I  am  wounded,  but  you  see  not  dangerously.  It  was 
August  6  in  the  battle  of  Woerth.  I  had  up  to  that  time  the 
luck  not  to  be  touched  in  the  midst  of  a  rain  of  iron  and  lead, 
when  a  shell  smashed  a  tree  near  me  and  a  splinter  struck 
me  on  the  right  hand  and  put  two  fingers  hors  de  combat.  An 
hour  afterward  I  regretted  much  less  the  loss  of  the  above 
mentioned  digits  because  a  Bavarian  bullet  fractured  the  same 
hand  and  lodged  itself  between  the  two  bones  of  my  wrist, 
from  which  I  delicately  extracted  it. 

' '  I  was  then  ordered  to  the  ambulance,  and  it  was  while  I 
dragged  myself  along  in  that  direction  obliged  to  pass  under 
the  fire  of  the  Prussian  batteries  I  received  the  fragment  of  a 
shell  in  my  right  thigh. 

"Unnecessary  for  me  to  tell  you  that  all  is  quite  well  with 
me.  It  is  true  they  had  to  amputate  my  wrist,  but  the  opera- 
tion was  highly  successful.  How  could  it  be  otherwise?  I 
am  with  the  best  folks  in  the  world,  nursed  like  a  child  of  the 
family.  Visits,  each  more  affectionate  than  the  last,  I  don't 
lack. 

"Enough  of  myself.  I  needn't  tell  you  that  I  am  anxious 
for  both  your  poor  Lorraine  and  our  poor  France.  Shall  I  be 
a  long  while  before  I  can  fly  toward  Nancy? 

' '  '  Trailing  a  wing  and  dragging  a  foot. '  It  is  La  Fontaine 
who  gives  the  answer. 

' 'In  the  meantime  a  thousand  kisses  and  hoping  to  see  you 
soon.  Gerald." 


GENERAL  SIR  H.  L.  SMITH-DORRIEJST 

General  Sir  Horace  Lockwood  Smith-Dorrien,  hero  of  the 
historic  retreat  of  the  English  from  Belgium,  has  long  been 


MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE       249 

known  as  one  of  the  best  fighting  officers  in  the  British  army. 
From  his  entry  into  the  service  in  1876  down  to  and  through 
the  Boer  war,  he  saw  almost  constant  service  in  the  field, 
extending  from  Zululand  to  the  northwest  frontier  of  India. 

Educated  at  Harrow,  he  joined  when  18  years  old  the 
Sherwood  Foresters.  At  the  disastrous  battle  of  Isandula,  in 
1879,  he  was  one  of  the  few  officers  who,  by  his  athletic  powers 
as  runner  and  swimmer,  escaped  the  Zulu  warriors  and  lived 
to  take  part  in  the  battle  of  Ulundi,  when  King  Cetewayo  was 
finally  disposed  of.  He  was  mentioned  in  dispatches,  and 
since  then  honors  have  fallen  fast  upon  him. 

General  Smith-Dorrien  was  in  the  Egyptian  campaign  of 
1882,  in  which  year  he  raised  and  commanded  a  corps  of 
mounted  infantry,  and  in  1885,  with  his  mounted  infantry,  did 
good  work  at  Suakin.  Eeturning  to  Egypt  in  1898,  he  took 
part  in  the  Nile  expedition,  and  was  present  at  the  battle  of 
Khartoum,  and  in  the  subsequent  operations  in  the  Soudan. 

In  the  Boer  war  General  Smith-Dorrien  was  mainly  instru- 
mental in  bringing  about  the  capture  of  Cronje  and  his  army. 
By  his  attack  upon  the  Boers  on  the  Modder  River,  the  Gordon 
Highlanders,  the  Canadians  and  the  Eoyal  Engineers  secured 
a  strong  position,  from  which  they  enfiladed  the  enemy's 
trenches,  and  by  preventing  them  from  drawing  water,  pre- 
cipitated Cronje 's  surrender.  He  afterward  commanded  the 
lines  of  communication  from  Kroonstadt  to  Pretoria.  His 
work  was  three  times  mentioned  in  dispatches  and  his  reward 
was  the  Queen's  medal  with  four  clasps  and  promotion  to 
major-general  for  distinguished  service  in  the  field. 


GENERAL  RUSSKY,  VICTOR  OF  LEMBERG 

General  Nicholas  Vladimirovich  Eussky,  whose  victories 
in  Austrian  territory,  including  the  taking  of  Lemberg  and 
the  capture  of  many  thousands  of  Austrian  soldiers  in  an 
advance  remarkable  for  its  quickness,  have  given  him  the  nick- 
name ''Eussky  the  Spectacular"  among  military  writers,  was 
already  known  when  he  entered  upon  the  campaign  of  1914. 
That  reputation  he  won  in  the  Eusso-Turkish  war  and  in  the 
war  with  Japan.  Educated  in  the  Petrograd  gymnasium,  the 
Constantine  Military  School  and  the  Nicholas  Academy  of 
the  General  Staff,  he  made  a  thorough  study  of  his  profession 


250       MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE 

and  passed  with  high  honors.  In  the  field  he  won  distinction 
early,  becoming  colonel  at  31  and  major-general  at  42.  His 
achievements  in  the  Russo-Turkish  war  marked  him  for  a  high 
position  in  the  next  campaign,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Japanese  war  he  was  appointed  chief  of  staff  in  the  Second 
Manchurian  army.  He  has  subsequently  turned  to  good 
account  the  lessons  he  learned  in  the  course  of  that  campaign 
in  the  organization  and  command  of  masses  of  troops. 


CHIEF  OF  THE  AUSTRIAN  STAFF 

The  direction  of  the  armies  of  Austria-Hungary  lies  in  the 
hands  of  Baron  Conrad  von  Hoetzendorff.  He  enjoys  the 
confidence  of  the  aged  Emperor,  Francis  Joseph,  and  of  the 
rank  and  file  of  the  army.  He  is  regarded  as  the  Kitchener 
of  Austria,  having  unusual  qualifications  and  capacity  for 
army  organization. 

He  was  made  chief  of  the  general  staff  in  1906,  receiving 
the  rank  of  full  general  in  1908.  Three  years  later  he  was 
relieved  from  this  position  to  become  inspector-general  of  the 
army,  but  was  recalled  to  the  post  of  chief  of  staff  in  1912. 


GRAND  DUKE  NICHOLAS  OF  RUSSIA 

Grand  Duke  Nicholas  Nicholaiovitch  is  generalissimo  of 
the  Russian  army,  directing  the  operations  of  the  gigantic 
force  in  the  field.  He  is  probably  the  tallest  member  of  the 
reigning  house  of  Russia  and  looks  what  he  is,  a  born  cavalry- 
man. He  won  the  St.  George's  Cross  for  gallantry  on  the 
battlefields  of  the  Turkish  war  of  1877  and  is  rated  as  one  of 
the  most  clever  and  brilliant  cavalry  leaders  living.  The  Rus- 
sian army  has  been  reorganized  since  the  war  with  Japan. 


LEADING  RUSSIAN  GENERAL  KILLED 

General  Samsoniv,  one  of  the  Russian  commanders  killed, 
was  considered  one  of  Russia's  most  capable  and  brilliant  gen- 
erals. He  distinguished  himself  greatly  in  the  Russo-Japan- 
ese war,  in  which  he  commanded  a  division  of  Siberian  Cos- 
sacks. He  afterward  was  nominated  commander  of  an  army 
corps,  and  later  was  appointed  commander  of  the  troops  in 
Turkestan. 


MILITARY  LEADERS  OF  EUROPE       251 

He  lived  in  Tashkent,  Eussian  Turkestan,  until  the  present 
war  was  declared.  He  was  very  popular,  and  his  name  was  a 
household  word  among  all  classes  of  the  population. 


THE    GERMAN    CAVALRY   LEADER 

General  Von  Marnitz  was  in  command  of  the  German 
cavalry  which  formed  the  extreme  right  of  the  Kaiser's  army 
in  France,  and  which  covered  the  advance  of  General  von 
Kluck's  turning  movement  and  astonished  the  world  by  its 
speed  and  spread.  His  cavalry  penetrated  even  to  the  south- 
west of  Paris. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

AMERICANS  IN  EUROPE 

Thousands  Stranded  in  Belligerent  Countries  When  War 
Came — General  Shortage  of  Funds — Much  Suffering 
and  Hardship — Exciting  Scenes  in  London,  Paris  and 
Berlin — Uncle  Sam  Sends  Relief  Ships  With  Funds. 

THE  outbreak  of  war  at  the  beginning  of  the  month  of 
August  found  Europe  literally  overrun,  as  usual  at  that 
season,  by  thousands  of  American  tourists — gay  and  fes- 
tive throngs  of  sightseers  in  all  the  show-places  of  the  Conti- 
nent and  in  every  nook  and  corner  of  the  British  Isles. 

Suddenly  as  a  thunderclap  from  a  clear  sky  came  the  shock 
of  war !  London,  Paris,  Berlin,  Vienna,  Munich,  Geneva,  and 
all  the  host  of  minor  cities,  towns  and  villages  frequented  by 
American  visitors  in  the  tourist  season,  shut  up  shop!  All 
means  of  transportation  were  closed  to  civilians;  gold  and 
silver  money  became  scarce  because  needed  for  war,  and  went 
to  a  premium ;  hotels  closed  down  for  lack  of  the  male  help  that 
had  been  called  to  the  colors ;  transatlantic  travel  was  para- 
lyzed ;  travelers '  checks  and  letters  of  credit  lost  their  value ; 
all  foreigners  were  regarded  with  suspicion  in  a  frenzied  hunt 
for  spies ;  and  all  Americans  in  Europe  found  themselves  in  a 
pandemonium  of  military  activity  in  which  they  were  given 
plainly  to  understand  that  their  room  was  preferred  to  their 
company. 

The  change  came  in  a  day  and  dated  from  August  1,  when 
hitherto  courteous  and  even  obsequious  European  hotel,  inn 
and  shop  keepers  were  transformed  into  monuments  of  anxiety 
and  suspicion.  From  being  honored  and  much-sought  visitors 
in  Continental  countries,  Americans  found  themselves  of  a 
sudden  in  the  role  of  unwelcome  guests.    For  awhile  many 

252 


AMERICANS  IN  EUROPE  253 

thousands  of  tliem  were  absolutely  helpless  and  their  plight 
was  pitiable  in  the  extreme.  The  universal  problem  among 
them  all  was,  how  to  get  home.  The  ordinary  means  were 
useless. 

" America  must  help  her  stranded  children,"  wrote  Ster- 
ling Heilig  from  neutral  Switzerland  on  August  16.  "A  hun- 
dred thousand  of  us  are  in  debt,  difficulty,  humiliation  and 
danger. ' ' 

GOLD  OBTAINED  WITH  DIFFICULTY 

"For  a  few  days,"  said  Charles  A.  Conant,  the  New  York 
banker,  "it  looked  as  though  the  entire  machinery  of  banking 
and  credit  built  up  in  Europe  during  forty  years  of  peace  had 
been  brought  to  a  standstill,  and  as  if  the  American  market 
would  be  compelled  also  to  suspend  its  activities. 

"The  New  York  Stock  Exchange,  under  a  torrent  of  orders 
from  Europe  to  sell  American  securities  held  abroad,  remained 
open  until  the  close  of  business  on  Thursday,  July  30,  but  was 
closed  the  next  morning  after  a  consultation  between  the  gov- 
erning board  and  big  banking  interests.  In  the  meantime,  the 
usual  mechanism  of  foreign  exchange  had  broken  down,  partly 
because  shipping  was  threatened  by  the  war,  and  insurance 
rates  for  the  shipment  of  gold  had  become  prohibitive.  Even 
such  credits  as  were  possessed  by  American  banks  abroad  were 
in  a  state  of  suspense  and  drafts  on  England,  which  should 
have  been  sold  at  the  highest  at  $4.90  to  the  pound  sterling, 
rose  to  $5.25  and  even  in  some  cases  to  $6. 

"The  seriousness  of  the  situation  abroad  was  manifested 
by  almost  every  cable  message  which  came  from  the  great 
centers  of  finance — London,  Paris,  Berlin,  Amsterdam,  Brus- 
sels and  Petrograd.  The  French  and  English  governments 
promptly  declared  a  moratorium,  which  means  that  the  holder 
of  documentary  obligations,  like  bills  of  exchange  and  promis- 
sory notes,  cannot  enforce  payment  according  to  the  terms  of 
the  obligation  until  the  delay  granted  has  expired.  In  France, 
the  payment  of  specie  at  the  Bank  of  France  was  promptly 
suspended ;  in  Germany,  gold  was  gotten  only  with  difficulty 
and  in  trifling  amounts  from  any  of  the  banks;  in  Belgium 
specie  suspension  occurred,  and  in  Holland  similar  action  was 
accompanied  by  authority  to  the  National  Bank  of  the  Nether- 


254  AMERICANS  IN  EUROPE 

lands  to  issue  additional  notes  to  the  amount  of  $200,000,000. 
In  France,  also,  the  limit  of  circulation  of  the  Bank 
of  France  was  increased  at  one  jump  from  $1,300,000,000  to 
$2,300,000,000. 

"Even  the  rock-ribbed  Bank  of  England  was  subjected  to 
a  run  for  gold  in  exchange  for  its  notes,  which  cut  down  its 
reserve  by  more  than  $50,000,000  in  less  than  a  week  and  led 
ultimately  to  the  suspension  of  the  bank  act  of  1844,  which 
limits  the  amount  of  notes  that  can  be  issued  without  gold. 
London  has  long  prided  herself  on  being  the  clearing-house  of 
the  world,  and  on  being  the  only  market  where  obligations 
were  payable  promptly  for  their  full  value  in  gold.  The  very 
fact,  however,  that  the  London  market  was  a  clearing-house 
for  obligations  from  all  over  the  European  continent  and  from 
Africa,  Asia,  and  Latin  America,  which  could  not  be  collected 
promptly,  naturally  deprived  her  of  the  means  of  making 
her  usual  settlements  and  made  it  necessary  to  allow  a  breath- 
ing-spell in  order  to  reconstruct  the  machinery  of  exchange. ' ' 

DETAINED  IN  EUROPEAN  CITIES 

Just  how  many  American  citizens  were  caught  in  Europe 
by  the  war  and  suffered  from  the  war  conditions  of  finance  and 
travel,  will  probably  never  be  known.  Millionaires  found  their 
paper  money  and  their  wealth  of  no  avail ;  some  were  only  too 
glad  to  return  to  the  United  States  in  the  steerage  of  second- 
class  ships.  A  Vanderbilt  and  four  hundred  other  wealthy 
Americans  esteemed  themselves  fortunate  when  they  suc- 
ceeded in  chartering  a  small  Italian  steamer,  the  Principe 
di  Udini,  in  which  to  sail  from  Genoa  for  home.  Others,  by  the 
thousands,  were  detained  in  European  capitals  for  several 
weeks  before  the  situation  was  relieved  and  they  were  able 
to  secure  passage  across  the  Atlantic. 

In  all  the  capitals  and  at  various  other  points  congested  by 
the  stranded  visitors,  American  committees  were  formed  to 
aid  their  compatriots  in  every  way  possible.  These  com- 
mittees, amid  exciting  scenes  in  London,  Paris,  Berlin  and  else- 
where, did  an  immense  amount  of  good  in  straightening  out 
the  situation  and  earned  the  gratitude  of  thousands  whose 
immediate  wants  they  relieved.  The  United  States  ambassa- 
dors in  Europe  rendered  invaluable  services  in  the  emergency ; 


AMERICANS  IN  EUROPE  255 

while  the  consuls-general  and  consuls  at  many  points  also 
helped  materially  in  relieving  actual  distress  and  securing 
homeward  passage  for  Americans. 

"There  are  200,000  Americans  in  Europe,' '  said  the  Ven- 
erable Archdeacon  Nies  of  the  American  Episcopal  church  in 
Europe.  This  was  in  the  middle  of  August  and  while  the  num- 
ber stated  by  the  archdeacon  may  possibly  have  been  an  out- 
side estimate  there  are  many  well-informed  persons  who  be- 
lieve it  to  have  been  well  within  the  mark.  Archdeacon  Nies 
said  further : 

1  'Imagine  1,000  sailing  on  each  ship  and  200  ships  will  be 
required  to  send  them  home.  They  are  not  only  the  1914  crop 
of  tourists,  but  a  long  accumulation— students,  artists,  artistes, 
invalids,  parents  educating  their  young  children,  foreign  resi- 
dents. Even  expatriates  are  Americans,  and  no  one  wants 
them  to  starve." 

When  the  cry  went  up  from  the  Americans  in  Europe  for 
ships  to  take  them  home,  the  absence  of  an  American  merchant 
marine  was  brought  home  to  them  as  never  before.  There  was 
dire  need  of  American  ships,  but  alas,  there  were  none !  Ships 
of  war  are  unsuited  to  carry  passengers  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  fact  that  Atlantic  steamship  travel,  minus  the  German 
vessels,  was  soon  resumed,  the  Atlantic  being  kept  open  by 
British  cruisers,  the  transatlantic  tourists  stood  a  poor  chance 
of  getting  home.  As  it  was,  the  great  majority  were  enabled 
to  return  in  September,  to  gladden  their  eyes  with  the  sight 
of  the  Goddess  of  Liberty  or  the  sunny  shores  of  New  England 
— and  to  highly  resolve  that  hereafter  they  would  counsel  their 
friends  to  ' '  see  America  first. ' ' 

AN  EXPERIENCE  TYPICAL  OF  MANY 

One  experience,  typical  of  thousands,  may  be  related.  It 
was  that  of  Mr.  Louis  P.  Lochner,  secretary  of  the  Chicago 
Peace  Society,  who  encountered  thrills,  hardships  and  excite- 
ment, in  fleeing  from  Paris  and  France.  Mr.  Lochner  went 
abroad  early  in  the  summer  of  1914  to  attend  two  international 
peace  conferences,  both  of  which  were  abandoned  when  the 
war  broke  out.  For  some  time  afterward  his  friends  were 
unable  to  obtain  news  of  his  condition  or  whereabouts  and 
fears  for  his  safety  were  expressed.     On  his  return  he  de- 


256  AMERICANS  IN  EUROPE 

scribed  the  fierce  struggle  of  Americans  to  get  accommoda- 
tions on  the  steamer  La  France,  which  left  Havre  on  August 
14;  also  his  attempts  to  get  railroad  passage  to  the  seaport 
from  Paris. 

"The  railroad  office  in  Paris  was  our  objective  after  we 
learned  that  the  ship  was  to  sail,"  said  Mr.  Lochner.  "A  long 
line  of  applicants  was  ahead  of  us  there,  but  a  deliberate  policy 
of  'watchful  waiting'  finally  was  rewarded  by  our  obtaining 
a  third-class  ticket  on  a  military  train  that  was  to  leave  for 
Havre  at  3  o  'clock  the  next  morning. 

' '  It  was  one  thing  to  obtain  a  railway  ticket — it  was  another 
to  get  the  necessary  papers  for  leaving  the  city.  We  were 
directed  to  every  conceivable  police  office  except  the  right  one, 
and  only  the  sixth  attempt  brought  us  into  the  august  presence 
of  the  right  official.  We  thought  we  were  early  when  we 
reached  the  station,  at  9  o  'clock  P.  M.  We  found  many  fellow- 
countrymen  had  taken  up  their  position  six  hours  earlier. 
What  a  motley  crowd  we  were !  Here  were  ladies  who  had  come 
to  Paris  for  the  social  season.  Some  of  them  had  as  many  as 
four  party  gowns  on  their  persons,  and  were  incumbered  by 
costly  furs,  which  looked  particularly  out  of  place  on  an 
August  night.  Then  there  were  ordinary,  every-day  Ameri- 
cans whose  chief  stock-in-trade  was  pocketfuls  of  sandwiches. " 

Describing  the  journey,  Mr.  Lochner  said:  "At  every 
station  soldiers  got  on  or  off,  all  of  them  in  the  prime  of  life, 
and,  judging  from  the  women  and  children  who  waved  a  fond 
farewell  to  them,  for  the  most  part  men  of  family.  'Food  for 
powder. '  I  could  not  get  the  phrase  out  of  my  mind.  It  was 
heartrending  to  see  the  bountiful  farmlands  standing  heavy 
with  grain,  but  the  reapers  gone.  The  scene  became  especially 
pathetic  when  we  saw,  here  and  there,  baby  carriages  in  the 
midst  of  a  wheat  field,  the  children  amusing  themselves  as  best 
they  could,  while  their  mothers,  in  addition  to  many  cares, 
were  trying  to  save  a  little  of  the  harvest. 

"The  most  exciting  event  in  Havre  was  the  landing  of 
thousands  of  British  troops.  What  a  splendid,  physically  per- 
fect lot  they  were,  each  transport  bringing  so  many  additional 
men  and  horses.    '  Food  for  powder ' — the  phrase  haunts  me. 

"A  happier  company  there  never  was  than  ours  when  we 


AMERICANS  IN  EUROPE  257 

weighed  anchor  for  America  and  left  behind  us  what  seems  to 
have  been  a  horrible  dream,  but  what  in  reality  is  the  foulest 
blot  upon  Christian  civilization. ' ' 

BELIEF   FUNDS   SENT   TO   EUEOPE 

Most  of  those  who  were  first  to  return  from  Europe  were 
tourists  of  the  wealthier  class.  Thousands  of  school  teachers, 
students  and  others,  who  went  abroad  with  only  sufficient 
funds  to  meet  their  expenses  under  normal  conditions,  were 
for  awhile  in  dire  straits.  The  United  States  government  was 
called  upon  to  aid  these  Americans  and  Congress,  having 
appropriated  $2,500,000  for  the  purpose,  the  U.  S.  cruisers 
Tennessee  and  North  Carolina  were  sent  to  Europe  with  a 
total  of  $5,500,000  in  gold  coin  to  relieve  the  distressed.  They 
reached  Falmouth,  England,  on  August  16.  A  large  part  of 
the  money  they  carried  represented  funds  deposited  with  the 
Treasury  at  Washington  by  the  home  friends  of  Americans 
in  Europe,  who  took  this  means  of  sending  them  the  where- 
withal to  return  home. 

Volumes  might  be  filled  with  the  tales  of  the  returned 
travelers,  but  this  is  a  chronicle  of  the  military  and  more  tragic 
phases  of  the  European  conflict ;  then,  too,  the  story  of  what 
happened  to  them  in  Europe  and  how  they  got  away  has  been 
told  in  every  local  journal  in  the  land  and  is  being  related 
nightly  at  thousands  of  firesides  in  every  state  of  the  Union. 
For  there  was  one  compensating  phase  of  the  lot  of  our  suffer- 
ing compatriots  abroad.    As  the  New  York  Times  aptly  put  it : 

''Theirs  will  be  the  Virgilian  joys  of  remembering  all  these 
wild  happenings,  of  rehearsing  them  endlessly  to  interested 
relatives  and  acquaintances  at  least  decently  resigned,  and  of 
being  freed  for  the  rest  of  their  lives  from  the  common  neces- 
sity of  filling  in  conversational  gaps  with  talk  about  the 
weather.  It  is  no  small  thing  to  have  been  even  an  involuntary 
part  of  historic  events,  and  enviable  indeed  is  he  or  she  who 
can  turn  to  a  page  in  history  and  say,  'AH  this  I  saw  and  some 
of  it  I  was." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES  OF  WARTIME 

Scenes  in  the  Fatherland — Conditions  in  Rural  France — An 
Eyewitness's  Story  of  the  German  Advance — Slaughter 
Fails  to  Stop  Germans — Stories  of  American  Visitors 
in  Warring  Countries. 

COUNT  THRONBERG,  a  correspondent  who  reached 
Copenhagen  September  4,  after  a  trip  through  Germany, 
wrote  an  interesting  description  of  the  scenes  he  had  wit- 
nessed during  his  tour  of  observation.    He  said : 

"I  have  just  returned  from  a  trip  through  Berlin,  Leipsic, 
Dresden,  Hanover,  Hamburg,  and  other  large  German  cities. 
In  spite  of  the  difficulties  of  transportation  and  the  conspicu- 
ous reception  of  foreigners,  I  was  able  closely  to  observe  the 
conditions  of  the  country  and  the  state  of  its  people. 

"At  the  outset,  during  the  period  of  general  mobilization, 
the  whole  country  resembled  an  armed  camp.  Soldiers  were 
everywhere.  Ordinary  railway  traffic  was  suspended  to  allow 
their  trains  to  pass.  There  was  much  bustle  and  activity  and 
unbounded  optimism  prevailed.  Troops  went  singing  to  the 
front.    There  was  no  thought  but  that  of  speedy  victory. 

"Now  Germany  is  a  land  of  much  mourning.  I  walked 
down  Friedrichstrasse  in  Berlin  and  counted  on  one  section 
sixteen  women  wearing  deep  mourning  out  of  nineteen  women 
I  saw  there.  The  train  which  conveyed  me  from  the  capital  to 
Hamburg  was  full  of  women  in  black. 

' '  Germany  has  called  in  her  last  line  of  reserves,  and  almost 
every  household  is  directly  concerned  in  the  war.  In  some 
families  all  the  male  members  are  at  the  front. 

"The  losses  have  been  colossal.  I  believe  I  am  within  the 
mark  in  stating  that  more  than   100,000   German   soldiers 

258 


1.  Belgian  Armored  Motor  Cars  with  Machine  Gun. 
Copyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood,  N.  Y. 

2.  Italian  "Ironclad"  on  Wheels  with  Gun  Turret. 
©  International  News  Serrlce. 


«  c 

■  15 


£  3 


8  < 


TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES  259 

already  have  been  killed  or  wounded  in  various  battles  on  the 
eastern  frontier,  the  western  frontier,  in  Belgium,  and  in 
France. 

LOSSES  IN   FRANCE   HEAVIEST 

"The  heaviest  of  all  have  been  the  casualties  in  the  con- 
tinuous fighting  along  the  Mons-Charleroi  line  and  in  the 
present  positions  of  the  forces  before  Paris. 

"I  have  passed  through  Berlin,  Leipsic,  Dresden,  Hanover, 
Hamburg,  and  Cologne,  and  everywhere  was  profoundly 
impressed  by  the  absence  of  the  usual  noise  of  great  cities. 

"There  is  little  traffic  in  the  streets.  Horses  and  motor 
cars  have  been  commandeered  for  military  service  at  the  front. 
Cabmen  and  drivers  are  with  their  regiments.  There  are  far 
fewer  goods  to  deliver,  for  trade  in  many  branches  is  at  a 
standstill. 

"Tramways  and  omnibuses  continue  to  run  with  reduced 
service  in  all  German  towns,  but  the  great  majority  of  con- 
ductors are  women. 

WOMEN  DRIVING  TAXICABS 

"Women  taxicab  drivers,  too,  made  their  appearance  in 
Berlin  as  in  cities  in  other  countries.  Railway  booking  clerks, 
signal  men,  crossing  watchmen,  guards,  and  ticket  collectors 
have  all  been  replaced  by  women. 

"Postoffices  are  conducted  almost  exclusively  by  women, 
for  the  men,  if  too  old  to  go  to  the  front,  are  engaged  in 
patrolling  the  railway  lines,  guarding  tunnels  and  bridges,  and 
performing  other  similar  military  duties  on  the  lines  of  com- 
munication. 

"Trains  are  running  much  as  usual  on  most  lines,  but  there 
are  no  sleeping  cars  and  no  dining  cars.  Trade  depression  is 
general.  Hundreds  of  factories  have  ceased  to  work  and  thou- 
sands of  shops  are  closed. 

CONFIDENT  GERMANS  WOULD  WIN 

"There  is  a  shortage  of  food  and  drastic  official  measures 
have  been  taken  in  some  districts  to  husband  the  supplies. 
Thousands  of  merchants  are  ruined  and  will  have  to  start  life 
again  after  the  war. 

"The  official  classes  and  the  wealthy,  the  professors,  and 
others  are  aggressively  confident.    They  foretell  the  ultimate 


260  TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES 

triumph  of  Germany  against  all  foes  and  the  establishment  of 
a  greater  German  empire  which  shall  include  France,  Belgium, 
Holland,  the  greater  part  of  Austria,  and  the  whole  of  King 
George 's  dominion. ' ' 


WOMEN  LABOR  IN  THE  FIELDS  OF  RURAL  FRANCE,  SWEPT  BY 
HARDSHIPS  OF  WAR 

(By  Herbert  Corey,  Special  Correspondent  of  the  Chicago 

Daily  News) 

PARIS,  September  9,  1914. — Except  that  no  torch  has 
yet  touched  a  farmhouse  wall  and  no  throat  has  yet  been  slit 
by  sword,  rural  France  is  today  a  sacked  and  pillaged  country. 
This  year's  crop  has — broadly  speaking — all  been  lost.  Next 
year's  crop  cannot  be  planted.  The  men  who  could  save  the 
one  and  plant  the  other  are  wearing  blue  coats  and  tramping 
in  ironshod  boots  toward  the  front.  France 's  agricultural  ruin 
for  the  moment  is  complete. 

"I  have  forty  acres  in  cut  grain  lying  there  rotting, 
m  'sieu, ' '  said  a  crippled  man  near  Dreux.  ' '  My  son  has  gone  to 
the  war.  There  are  no  men  left  in  the  country.  The  govern- 
ment has  taken  my  horses  and  cattle.  This  winter  we  will 
starve. ' ' 

It  was  not  far  from  Dreux  that  we  saw  an  old  woman  swing- 
ing a  cradle  through  the  standing  grain.  Her  white  hair 
glistened  in  the  sun.  As  she  recovered  from  each  slow  and 
painful  swing  she  rested  a  moment  and  placed  a  hand  upon 
her  aching  back.  We  got  out  of  the  automobile  to  talk  to  her. 
As  we  drew  near  we  saw  the  other  old  woman,  who  bound  the 
cut  grain  into  sheaves,  was  muttering  and  laughing  to  herself. 
As  we  approached  she  screamed  and  began  to  run  clumsily 
through  the  fields.  The  old  woman  with  the  cradle  called 
her  back. 

"Messieurs,"  she  said,  "will  pardon  Gabrielle.  She  is 
very  old. ' ' 

FIVE  SONS  GO  TO  WAR 

Ten  days  before  the  order  came  for  mobilization  this  old 
woman  of  the  cradle  was  one  of  the  happiest  in  Normandy. 
She  had  five  great  sons,  who  lived  with  her  upon  the  farm  that 
had  been  in  her  family  name  since  William  the  Conqueror 


TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES  261 

sailed  out  of  the  River  Dives  for  England.  They  owned  horses 
and  cattle  and  sheep,  and  their  granaries  were  filled.  Harvest 
time  came,  and  her  sons  and  their  men  went  at  the  standing 
grain. 

' '  Then — v'la ! ' '  said  she,  with  a  wide  gesture. 

The  five  sons  and  their  men  had  every  one  been  called  to 
the  colors.  Because  their  horses  were  good,  they  were  seized 
by  the  government.  True,  they  will  in  time  be  paid  for  them, 
but  for  the  present  no  cash  has  come  in.  Without  men  and 
horses  it  is  difficult  to  harvest  grain.  Their  cattle  and  sheep 
were  requisitioned  by  the  government.  The  lesson  of  the  siege 
of  1870  is  yet  fresh  in  every  French  heart.  That  is  why  the 
green  lawns  of  Versailles  and  other  palaces  owned  by  the  state 
are  now  being  trampled  into  dust  by  sharp  hoofs.  The  state 
is  providing  against  what  may  befall. 

"The  state  needed  our  grain,  too,"  said  the  old  woman  of 
the  cradle.    ' '  Our  braves  must  be  fed. ' ' 

DESOLATION"  IN  NORMANDY 

I  have  just  returned  from  a  500  mile  tour  by  auto  and  rail 
through  Normandy,  one  of  the  fairest  districts  of  pleasant 
France.  Everywhere  I  saw  the  same  story.  The  year's  crop 
had  been  a  bumper  one,  but  it  will  prove  almost  a  total  loss. 
Not  one-twentieth  of  it  had  been  put  in  stack  when  the  mobili- 
zation order  stopped  the  harvest.  In  every  mile  of  the  500  I 
saw  plows  standing  in  the  furrow,  or  empty  carts  in  the  field. 
Pathetic  little  black  clumps  were  scattered  through  green 
fields.    They  marked  the  rotting  grain. 

"  Is  it  not  sad  I ' '  said  the  peasant  soldier  who  stopped  us  at 
one  of  the  crossroads  in  the  Breteuil  country  to  look  at  our 
passports.  He  spoke  with  the  childlike  candor  one  so  often 
finds  in  the  French  volunteer.  "I  must  stand  upon  this  road 
with  a  rifle  and  stop  m'sieu,  and  all  the  time  my  good  grain  is 
rotting  there  beneath  my  eyes. ' ' 

That's  the  deuce  of  it.  There  are  enough  men  guarding 
country  roads  and  forty  dollar  culverts  and  sitting  about  rural 
guardhouses  to  have  saved  the  harvest.  But  the  plans  for 
mobilization  did  not  contemplate  such  useful  activity  on  the 
part  of  the  soldiery.  And  so  next  year  France  must  starve. 
And  American  eyes  completely  fail  to  discover  what  good  these 


262  TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES 

red  capped  soldiers  are  accomplishing,  guarding  cart  tracks  in 
the  interior  of  France.  A  German  spy  couldn't  get  in  there 
unless  he  were  dropped  from  a  balloon.  Then  he  couldn't 
get  out. 

DROP  WORK  FOR  WAR 

"We  were  half  through  the  harvest  when  the  order  came," 
said  the  old  women  on  a  station  platform  near  Evreux. 
"M'sieu  will  understand." 

M'sieu  did  understand.  Almost  all  of  the  grain  had  been 
cut  throughout  Normandy.  As  it  was  cut  it  was  bound  in 
sheaves.  Two-thirds  of  the  cut  grain  had  been  set  up  in 
shocks,  in  order  that  it  might  dry  out  and  harden.  The  next 
step  was  to  stack  it,  that  it  might  be  protected  from  the  ele- 
ments until  thrashing  time  came.  It  was  at  this  moment  that 
the  order  came.  Men  in  France  obey  that  order  without  hesi- 
tation or  demur. 

"But  are  there  not  old  men  and  boys  and  women  enough 
in  the  country  to  put  this  grain  under  cover  f "  we  asked.  We 
knew  the  women  of  Normandy  have  always  done  their  part  in 
the  field. 

' '  Messieurs, ' '  they  replied,  simply, ' '  the  horses  ? ' ' 

True  enough.  In  fifty  miles  of  road  we  saw  by  actual  count 
just  ten  of  the  big  Norman  horses  drawing  carts  on  the  farms. 
Not  another  horse  was  to  be  seen  for  that  distance.  All  the 
others  had  been  requisitioned  by  the  government  to  haul  guns 
and  caissons  and  supply  wagons.  And  then  the  curious  life- 
lessness  of  the  landscape  began  to  appall  us.  Nowhere  was 
any  living  being  to  be  seen.  If  appearances  told  the  truth,  nine 
farm  houses  out  of  ten  were  utterly  deserted. 

' '  Why  should  they  not  be  f "  one  old  woman  said.  ' '  There 
is  nothing  left  behind  but  we  old  ones,  messieurs — and  the  chil- 
dren. And  so  we  gather  in  the  larger  houses  that  we  may  have 
the  comfort  of  familiar  faces." 

LITTLE  TO  EAT  LEFT 

No  farmer  carries  a  great  supply  of  foodstuff  over  from 
the  end  of  the  year.  Most  of  these  Norman  granaries  were 
being  swept  in  preparation  for  the  coming  crop.  What  little 
grain  was  left  was  taken  by  the  government.  We  passed  one 
great  train  of  wagons,  drawn  by  a  steam  lorry.    Perhaps  it 


TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES  263 

was  the  first  of  the  sort  ever  seen  there,  for  it  was  accompanied 
by  an  open  mouthed  and  gaping  crowd  of  peasants.  The 
wagons  were  laden  with  grain  that  had  been  gathered  from 
the  country  side.  There  will  be  little  to  eat  this  winter  on  the 
Norman  farms. 

''And  next  year?"  we  asked. 

' '  Pouf ! ' '  these  brave  peasants  answered  airily.  ' '  Soon  our 
men  will  be  back,  you  comprehend.  Next  spring  all  will  be  as 
before.    In  two — three  months  our  braves  will  be  in  Berlin. ' ' 

Perhaps  they  saw  the  doubt  on  our  faces,  for  they  followed 
to  reassure  us. 

"Look  you,  messieurs,"  said  they,  "these  Allemands  can- 
not stand  before  the  white  arm  of  France — " 

And  these  white-haired,  bent  old  peasants  lunged  as  though 
with  the  bayonet. 


LECTURER  ARRESTED  AS  A  SPY 

E.  M.  Newman  of  Chicago,  the  noted  travel  lecturer,  was 
arrested  and  imprisoned  as  a  spy  in  Berlin  during  the  German 
mobilization.  Mr.  Newman  reached  Chicago  on  September  2, 
having  landed  at  Boston  two  days  previously  from  the  steam- 
ship Franconia.    He  recounted  his  experiences  as  follows : 

"On  the  night  the  English  declaration  of  war  was  an- 
nounced Berlin  went  stark  mad.  Every  English  signboard 
in  the  city  within  the  crowd's  reach  was  torn  down.  I  wit- 
nessed the  demonstrations  until  11  o'clock  and  then  went  to 
my  hotel  and  to  bed.  At  midnight  I  was  awakened.  When 
I  opened  the  door  two  military  officers  confronted  me  and 
informed  me  that  I  was  arrested  as  a  spy.  I  had  been  seen 
making  moving  pictures  for  several  days  and  officers  sus- 
pected they  were  for  hostile  purposes.  I  protested  without 
avail.  One  of  the  officers  took  an  unexposed  film  from  the 
dresser  and  said : 

"  'At  least  you'll  never  show  this.' 

"The  exposed  film  remained  unharmed  in  my  hand  bag- 
gage, which  was  not  disturbed,  and  came  home  with  me. 

"I  was  taken  to  the  military  prison,  placed  in  the  hospital 
and  held  four  days.  They  gave  me  rye  bread,  sausage  and 
coffee.  There  was  no  limit  on  the  amount  of  rye  bread  I 
could  eat.    Half  a  dozen  times  I  heard  volleys  in  the  neigh- 


264  TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES 

boring  court  yard,  signaling  the  end  of  some  poor  victim 
who  had  been  suspected  as  1  was.  Finally  with  a  bribe  of  40 
marks  I  persuaded  the  guard  to  send  his  wife  to  the  Amer- 
ican embassy  with  my  story.  Ambassador  Gerard  imme- 
diately interceded  and  my  release  was  promised.  The  next 
morning  I  was  put  on  a  troop  train  with  a  load  of  horses  and 
a  few  guards,  and  rode  from  8  o'clock  until  11  that  night. 

"A  request  that  I  be  permitted  to  alight  for  food  was  met 
with  the  threat  that  I  would  be  bayoneted  if  I  set  foot  out 
of  the  car.  I  was  unloaded  at  the  Belgian  frontier  with  my 
baggage  and  ordered  to  walk  to  the  nearest  village.  This  I 
did,  and  with  some  hardships  got  thence  to  Paris,  London  and 
home.  My  assistant  with  my  best  pictures  I  had  sent  from 
Berlin  several  days  before.  He  reached  London  with  all  his 
things  safe." 

WHAT  AN  ACTOR  SAW  IN  PAEIS 

W.  H.  Crane,  the  American  actor,  who  arrived  in  London 
August  1  from  Paris,  had  this  to  say  of  conditions  on  the 
continent : 

"I  never  saw  such  scenes  in  my  life.  The  Parisians  are 
a  demented  race ;  demented  with  a  hatred  of  Germany.  They 
have  resolved  to  avenge  the  insults  of  the  last  thirty  years. 

"The  taxicab  man  who  drove  me  to  the  station,  when  I 
asked  him  whether  he  was  going  to  fight,  vehemently  an- 
swered: 'I'd  leave  everything  I  possess  in  the  world — wife, 
children,  home — and  put  out  for  German  soil  to  kill  a  Ger- 
man. ' 

"I  intended  to  stay  over  a  few  days,  but  last  evening  Con- 
sul General  Thackara  telephoned  me  to  leave  by  the  first  train, 
as  in  twenty-four  hours  more  there  would  be  no  trains. 

"Ambassador  Herrick  said  to  me,  when  I  asked  his  opinion 
of  the  situation,  'I  think  this  is  the  blackest  outlook  Europe 
has  faced  in  all  its  history.  Civilization  is  not  merely  a  fail- 
ure, it's  a  hypocritical  show.' 

"The  money  situation  in  Paris  is  far  worse  than  here. 
You  can  get  no  change  anywhere.  If  you  haven't  the  exact 
amount  of  your  purchase  you  won't  get  it.  I  went  to  the  Cafe 
de  la  Paix  with  my  brother,  a  resident  of  Paris  for  fifty  years 
and  well  known  at  the  cafe.    He  tendered  a  twenty-franc  note 


TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES  205 

in  payment  for  a  drink.    The  waitei  ange 

five  fra. 
''I 

q  those  of  ]  .  lay,  a.-.  \.~- 

a  for  bulletins.    I: 

I      .  Oh    terri   te  for  its  suppress]         The  Pi 

blind  ^with  war  fever  and  wit:.  to  get  af  German 

h:  they  I   ...  -  did  in  1870,  none  : 

the  consequences.  .  e  the 

v. :  ll     ::      .  life."* 

Ear  William  Osier  and  his  brother.   Sir  E  r.  a 

ladian  Pacini,  magnate  staying  at  Bi  iwn'i  hotel,  Lor. 
la  five-]  1  bill    ] 

said  he  eon!  at  -.    -  ehange.    Finally  \      -  there  had 

to  borrow  a              -          m  the  hall  portej  U      -       rj 
bilL     Tii-re  was  i                            ion  among  An  3,  old 

patrons  of  Lob               Etlyh  tels.    American  gold  eerttfic 
could  only  be  cashed  at  a  ruinous  nut     T.  con- 

sidered quite  unjustifiable,  as  banks  were  -     ing  all  the  gold 
they  Deeded  to  rs.    Many dering  five- 

pound  notes  for  tolls  had  them 

returned  across  1  inter  on  the  plea  that  no  change  could 

be  given.    Many  were  unable  to  cable  their  friends  at  home. 

A    50  '.L     SAMAKTTAH    A  F.F.HS TED 

One  of  the  humors  of  the  sad  plight  in  which  Am 
found  themselves  in  Europe  was  relal  Rev.  F 

I.  Be  star  of  the  Tabernacle  B  hurch,  Chi 

"A  party  of  Americans,"  he  sai   .      in  trying   I 

from  Germany  into  Switzerlan  put  off  a  train  six  miles 

from  the  border  and  ha     h    ~alk  the  distance  carrying  the 
baggage.    After  they  arrived  at  the  station  where  they  « 
to  get  a  train  again,  one  man  picked  up  three  suite 

-  _  to  three  different  women  to  he]  .  them  aboard  the 
train.  Before  he  succeeded  he  s  put  un  arrest,  and  in 
spite  of  his  attempted  explanations  he  was  hurried  to  the 
guardhouse,  still  in  possession  of  the  suitcases.  In  the  m 
time  the  train  pulled  out.  The  women  are  still  hunting  for 
their  sui:  and  the  man  is  hunting  for  the  women  owner  b  . ' ' 


26G  TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES 

AMERICAN  WOMAN  IN  THE  TRENCHES 

Among*  the  passengers  who  walked  down  the  gangplank 
from  the  steamship  Campania,  on  its  arrival  at  New  York  in 
September,  was  a  tall,  handsome  woman  dressed  entirely  in 
black.  Her  eyes  showed  that  she  had  undergone  some  intense 
strain,  and  her  pale,  hollow  cheeks  spoke  of  suffering. 

At  her  side,  tightly  clasping  her  mother's  hand,  walked  a 
brigh^ -haired  girl,  3  years  old. 

The  woman  was  Mrs.  Anna  Gibbs  of  Berkeley,  Cal.  Her 
husband,  Curtis  Gibbs,  still  in  Berkeley,  did  not  know  that  two 
of  his  three  children  had  been  killed. 

"On  the  first  day  of  August,"  she  commenced,  "I  was 
living  comfortably  in  Wirballen,  Russia,  where  I  had  gone  the 
first  of  June  to  spend  the  summer  with  my  brother-in-law.  I 
am  an  American  citizen. 

"I  awoke  a  few  mornings  later  to  find  the  town  had  gone 
wild.  Cannon  thundered  in  the  distance.  Now  and  then  a 
great  iron  missile  would  rage  through  the  town,  tipping  over 
houses  and  churches. 

1 '  Unfamiliar  with  the  geography  of  the  country  as  I  was, 
I  could  think  of  flight  only  toward  the  west.  I  hastily  dressed 
my  three  children — Curtis,  7  years  old ;  Anna,  4  years  old,  and 
Martha,  3  years  old — and  fled  from  the  town. 

"  'My  God,  woman,  what  are  you  doing  here?'  I  heard  a 
soldier  exclaim. 

"When  I  told  him  I  was  trying  to  save  my  children  his  face 
grew  pale. 

"  'You  are  in  the  center  of  the  storm,'  he  said.  'Come 
with  me.' 

"He  led  us  to  the  Russian  rifle  pits,  where  the  soldiers  were 
firing.  It  was  our  only  chance  of  safety.  All  through  the  day 
we  stayed  there,  afraid  to  move,  and  well  into  the  night. 
Curtis  had  been  ill,  and  I  noticed  that  he  grew  weaker  as  the 
hours  wore  on.  Just  as  dawn  broke  upon  the  battlefield  he 
passed  away.    I  had  to  bury  him. 

"Just  as  we  reached  Vilna,  on  August  7,"  she  continued, 
"Orlena  Anna,  my  second  child,  died  from  exposure.  We 
buried  her  in  a  little  Russian  cemetery  with  nothing  but  a  rude 
cross  to  mark  the  grave. " 


TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES  267 

"SEE  AMERICA  FIRST* ' 

"My  advice  to  Americans  expecting  to  visit  Europe  is — 
'  See  America  first, '  and  learn  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
before  you  go, ' '  said  Ralph  M.  Kaufman,  Chicago  broker,  who 
returned  to  his  home  September  12  from  Germany,  where  he 
was  arrested  as  an  English  spy  because  he  was  unable  to  recite 
a  part  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

"I  had  been  spending  my  vacation  in  Munich,"  said  Mr. 
Kaufman.  ' '  Shortly  before  war  was  declared  and  right  after 
the  order  for  mobilization  had  gone  out  I  was  arrested  on  the 
outskirts  of  Munich  by  a  company  of  German  soldiers  whom 
I  chanced  to  meet  while  taking  a  few  snapshots.  I  told  them 
my  name  and  that  I  was  an  American.  Unfortunately  the  only 
letter  or  paper  in  my  pocket  was  one  from  a  friend  in  London 
with  an  English  postmark.  This  convinced  them  that  I  was  an 
English  spy. 

"A  young  lieutenant  stepped  out  and  told  the  captain  that 
if  I  was  an  American  I  could  very  easily  prove  it  by  reciting  a 
part  of  the  American  Declaration  of  Independence,  which  he 
said  all  Americans  undoubtedly  knew,  as  it  was  even  taught 
in  German  schools. 

"I  stammered  and  my  face  became  flushed.    All  I  could 

think  of  was  'Four  score  and  seven  years  ago .'    I  was 

positive  that  was  the  way  it  started,  but  I  could  get  no  further. 
They  locked  me  up  in  the  Munich  prison,  where  I  remained  for 
two  days,  until  the  American  consul  proved  my  identity.  Even 
then  the  young  lieutenant  seemed  doubtful. ' ' 

Mr.  Kaufman  added  that  he  considered  the  test  a  just  one 
and  advised  Americans  to  spend  more  time  getting  acquainted 
with  their  own  country  and  less  visiting  Europe. 

DETROIT  ARTISTES   NARROW   ESCAPE 

Lawrence  Stern  Stevens,  an  artist  of  Detroit,  narrowly 
escaped  death  near  Aix-la-Chapelle  at  the  hands  of  a  crazed 
German  lieutenant,  by  whom  he  was  suspected  of  being  a  spy. 

Stevens  left  Brussels  on  Aug.  24  in  an  automobile.  He 
was  accompanied  by  a  photographer  and  a  Belgian  newspaper 
correspondent,  and  his  intention  had  been  to  make  sketches  on 
the  battlefield.    His  arrest  at  Laneffe  thwarted  this  plan.    He 


268  TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES 

underwent  a  terrifying  ordeal  at  the  hands  of  his  demented 
captor,  although  he  was  not  actually  injured. 

On  the  evening  of  Aug.  24  he  was  court-martialed  and  sen- 
tenced to  death  and  held  in  close  confinement  over  night. 
Early  on  the  morning  of  Aug.  25  he  was  led  out,  as  he  sup- 
posed, to  be  shot,  but  the  plans  had  been  changed  and  instead 
he  was  taken  before  Gen.  von  Arnim.  After  being  forced  to 
march  with  German  troops  for  two  days,  Stevens  fell  in  with 
a  party  of  American  correspondents  at  Beaumont,  from  which 
point  he  traveled  to  Aix-la-Chapelle  on  a  prison  train,  and 
eventually  reached  Rotterdam  and  safety 

A  GERMAN  STEAMSHIP 's  ESCAPE 

A  typical  example  of  war's  interference  with  transporta- 
tion and  commerce  is  found  in  the  case  of  the  North  German 
Lloyd  steamer  Kronprinzessin  Cecilie,  which  sailed  from  New 
York  for  Plymouth,  Cherbourg,  and  Bremen  on  Tuesday, 
July  28,  and  returned  to  Bar  Harbor,  Maine,  one  week  later, 
after  having  been  reported  captured  by  British  warships  in 
the  English  Channel.  For  several  days  her  whereabouts  had 
been  a  mystery,  but  she  dropped  anchor  at  Bar  Harbor  on  the 
morning  of  August  4,  after  a  forced  run  of  four  days,  her 
officers  fearing  capture. 

With  a  cargo  of  $10,000,000  in  gold  and  $3,000,000  in  silver, 
consigned  to  French  and  English  bankers,  and  with  an  esti- 
mated value  of  over  $5,000,000  in  herself,  the  Kronprinzessin 
Cecilie  constituted  probably  the  finest  sea  prize  ever  open  to 
capture. 

At  one  time  capture  seemed  imminent.  Capt.  Charles 
Polack  reported  that  he  had  intercepted  a  wireless  message 
from  one  French  vessel  to  another  giving  warning  of  the 
Cecilie 's  proximity,  but  under  the  protection  of  a  providential 
fog  the  Lloyd  liner  escaped. 

She  had  350  first  class,  130  second  class  and  736  steerage 
passengers.  About  a  third  of  the  first  class  were  Germans, 
who  sailed  to  anticipate  the  war  crisis,  whose  sudden  precipi- 
tation drove  them  back  to  America.  Most  of  the  rest  were 
Americans. 

On  Friday  night  the  captain  called  the  men  into  the  smok- 
ing room. 


TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES  269 

"Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "war  has  been  declared  between 
England,  France,  Germany  and  Austria ;  we  are  going  back  to 
America.  We  have  enough  coal  for  our  return  and  it  is  my 
earnest  hope  that  we  shall  not  be  intercepted  by  foreign  war 
vessels." 

A  group  of  financiers  on  board  offered  to  buy  the  ship  and 
sail  her  under  American  colors.  But  to  all  proposals  the  cap- 
tain replied  that  his  duty  was  dictated  by  his  orders  from 
Bremen,  which  instructed  him  to  turn  back  and  save  his  ship. 

For  two  nights,  with  her  head  and  side  lights  extinguished 
and  every  other  illumination  blotted  out  with  canvas,  the  Kron- 
prinzessin  Cecelie  plunged  through  the  fog  with  unreduced 
speed  and  without  sounding  her  foghorn. 

When  the  vessel  steamed  safely  into  Bar  Harbor,  Captain 
Polack  received  a  long  line  of  passengers,  who  congratulated 
him  on  his  achievement.  He  is  a  lieutenant-commander  in  the 
German  naval  reserves. 

Guarded  by  forty  express  messengers  and  detectives,  the 
treasure  with  which  the  steamer  put  into  Bar  Harbor  arrived 
in  New  York  August  10  by  train.  The  money  was  taken  to  the 
subtreasury  to  be  held  for  New  York  bankers  by  whom  it  was 
to  have  been  sent  to  Paris  and  London. 

A  YOUNG  CANADIAN 's  EXPERIENCE 

A  young  Canadian  who  was  in  Germany  when  the  war 
broke  out  relates  how  he  escaped  through  the  mistake  of  a 
German  official.  When  a  demand  was  made  for  his  papers  he 
presented  a  Canadian  passport.  The  official  looked  it  over, 
hesitated  a  moment,  then  said :  "Canada?  Let  me  see ;  that's 
in  America,  isn't  it?"  The  Canadian  assured  him  it  was. 
"Well,  that's  all  right,"  he  said,  and  made  him  out  a  permit 
as  a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  The  youth  from  the  Domin- 
ion, now  safe  at  home,  sends  his  grateful  greetings  to  Uncle 
Sam. 

SUSPECTED  OF  BEING  A  SPY 

James  A.  Patten,  the  Chicago  "wheat  king,"  was  touring 
Germany  with  his  wife  when  war  came.  They  came  home  in  the 
steerage  of  a  steamer.  Mr.  Patten  declared  he  would  not  have 
remained  in  Europe  if  he  had  to  sacrifice  half  his  fortune.    For 


270  TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES 

a  while  he  was  under  arrest,  the  Germans  suspecting  that  he 
was  a  spy. 

CHAUNCEY  DEPEW  ON  A  RUNNING-BOARD 

Chauncey  M.  Depew,  former  United  States  Senator  for 
New  York,  was  in  Geneva  when  the  trouble  began.  He  said  on 
his  return :  *  'After  crossing  the  border  into  France  we  picked 
up  men  joining  the  colors  on  the  way  to  Paris,  until  our  train 
could  hold  no  more. 

1  'Whenever  I  stuck  my  head  into  a  corridor  the  soldiers 
would  set  up  a  cheer  on  seeing  my  side  whiskers.  They  mis- 
took me  for  an  Englishman  and  cried:  'Long  live  the  entente 
cordiale!" 

"We  stayed  in  Paris  a  week  and  then  left  for  Boulogne. 
We  were  obliged  to  crowd  into  a  coach  as  best  we  could.  I  sat 
on  the  running-board  all  the  way. ' ' 

JENNIE  DUFAU  *S  NARROW  ESCAPE 

Jennie  Dufau,  the  American  opera  singer,  had  one  of  the 
most  thrilling  experiences  told  by  a  refugee  from  the  war  zone. 

Miss  Dufau  was  visiting  in  Saulxures,  Province  of  Alsace, 
when  the  war  started,  and  was  in  the  hitherto  peaceful  valley 
of  that  region  until  August  24.  She  was  with  her  sister,  Eliza- 
beth, and  her  two  brothers,  Paul  and  Daniel. 

On  August  6  the  German  artillery  occupied  the  heights  on 
one  side  of  the  valley,  overlooking  the  town.  On  the  12th  the 
Germans  occupied  the  town  itself.  At  that  time  there  were 
but  two  French  regiments  near  Saulxures. 

The  French,  however,  opened  fire  on  the  Germans,  and  Miss 
Dufau  with  her  father  and  sister  at  once  retreated  to  the  cellar 
in  an  effort  to  escape  the  flying  shells. 

"Then  began  a  tremendous  artillery  duel  that  lasted  for 
days,"  she  said.  "All  this  time  we  were  living  in  the  cellar, 
where  we  were  caring  for  ten  wounded  French  officers.  I  often 
went  out  over  the  battlefield  when  the  fire  slackened  and  did 
what  I  could  for  the  wounded  and  dying. 

"We  improvised  stretchers  from  gunnysacks  stretched 
between  poles  and  carried  away  as  many  of  the  wounded  as  we 
could  shelter. 

"My  brothers  Paul  and  Daniel  were  drafted  into  the  Ger- 
man army.    They  had  sworn  an  oath  not  to  fire  a  shot  at  a 


TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES  271 

Frenchman,  and  their  greatest  hope  was  that  they  would  be 
captured  and  permitted  to  put  on  the  French  uniform. 

"  Between  August  12  and  24  the  artillery  duel  raged,  and 
finally  the  opposing  armies  came  to  a  hand-to-hand  fight  with 
the  bayonet.  First  it  was  the  Germans  who  occupied  the  town, 
then  the  French.  The  Germans  finally  came  to  our  house  and 
accused  my  sister,  my  father,  and  myself  of  being  spies  because 
they  found  a  telephone  there.  The  soldiers  lined  us  up  against 
the  wall  to  shoot  us,  but  we  fell  on  our  knees  and  begged  them 
to  spare  the  life  of  our  father.  They  gave  no  heed  till  a  Ger- 
man colonel  came  along  and,  after  questioning  us,  ordered  that 
we  be  set  free." 

HOMECOMING  HARDSHIPS  AT  SEA 

How  homecoming  Americans  adapted  themselves  to  hard- 
ships and  made  the  best  of  poor  accommodations  and  poor  food 
on  an  immigrant  ship  were  graphically  described  by  Mrs.  R. 
W.  A ,  who  returned  from  Europe  in  September. 

She  sailed  from  Naples  with  700  other  stranded  Americans. 
The  ship  had  been  used  to  carry  immigrants  to  South  America. 
The  crew  was  Italian  and  the  boat  had  never  sailed  to  the 
United  States  before.    They  were  sixteen  days  at  sea, 

"Our  ship,  the  San  Giovanni,  was  an  immigrant  ship  and 

it  was  perfectly  frightful,"  said  Mrs.  A .    "The  ship  had 

been  fumigated  and  the  old  bedding  burned  and  staterooms 
were  made  with  canvas  partitions.  Our  staterooms  were  two 
decks  below  the  main  deck  and  next  to  the  hold.  The  portholes 
could  never  be  opened.  The  cooks  were  poor  and  the  waiters 
inexperienced. 

1 '  There  were  no  steamer  chairs  on  the  boat  and  before  we 
left  we  bought  chairs  or  boxes  for  seats.  Practically  every- 
body slept  on  the  decks  until  about  2  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
when  they  became  so  cold  they  were  forced  to  go  below. 

"Everybody  was  practically  penniless,  although  all  had 
travelers '  checks  which  they  could  not  cash  abroad.  Before  we 
sailed  we  had  to  guarantee  to  pay  for  our  passage  in  gold 
before  we  landed  in  New  York.  Arrangements  were  made  in 
New  York  to  send  a  boat  with  the  gold  to  meet  us  outside  the 
harbor.  The  captain  stood  out  at  sea  until  he  received  a  wire- 
less message  that  the  gold  was  ready. 


272  TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES 

1 1  There  was  no  parlor  on  the  ship.  Despite  the  many  incon- 
veniences, we  provided  our  own  entertainment.  There  was  a 
piano  and  we  lashed  it  to  a  mast  and  every  afternoon  we  had 
an  entertainment. ' ' 


THAT  TORRENT  OF  GERMAN  TROOPS — THRILLING  EXPERIENCE  OF  A 
NEUTRAL  EYEWITNESS 

A  thrilling  description  of  the  scenes  attending  the  dogged 
advance  of  the  German  army  from  Brussels  toward  Paris 
was  given  by  a  neutral  eyewitness,  Mr.  V.  Siosteen,  a  spe- 
cial correspondent  of  the  New  York  Tribune  and  London 
Standard,  who  wrote  from  Boulogne  September  5th  as 
follows : 

"I  have  seen  and  marveled  at  the  torrent  of  human  fight- 
ing machines  which  Germany  has  poured  into  this  unhappy 
country.  I  have  watched  that  most  wonderful  sight,  the 
German  army  on  march.  I  have  witnessed  the  still  more 
remarkable  spectacle,  the  German  troops  going  into  action. 

"For,  equipped  with  my  credentials  as  a  citizen  of  a  neu- 
tral country,  I  have  been  able  to  move  with  comparative  free- 
dom in  the  southern  regions  of  Belgium  and  the  northern 
provinces  of  France. 

"It  was  after  the  occupation  of  Brussels  and  the  still 
later  fighting  at  Mons  that  I  found  myself  resting  in  a  French 
village  through  which  the  German  invaders  were  passing. 
The  retreating  French  had  torn  up  the  railways,  and,  while 
German  engineers  were  repairing  them  with  all  possible 
speed,  troops  marched  along  the  high  roads,  carrying  their 
impedimenta  with  them. 

1 '  The  hum  of  a  motor  high  up  in  the  air  was  the  first  in- 
timation of  their  approach.  The  villagers  rushed  out  and 
gazed  skyward.  A  Taube  aeroplane  was  hovering  above  us 
at  no  very  great  distance,  and  soon  we  saw  others.  It  was 
quite  evident  that  they  were  spying  out  the  land  thoroughly, 
looking  for  possible  dangers  to  the  advancing  hosts  and  trans- 
mitting information  to  the  marching  Germans.  While  we 
watched,  one  Taube  machine  crumpled  up  and  fell  headlong 
to  the  ground.  Both  its  occupants  were  pitched  out  in  mid-air 
and  dropped  a  sheer  500  feet  to  death.    But  how  utterly  in- 


TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES  273 

significant  that  tragic  incident  seemed.  Two  German  airmen 
dead!  Two  German  families  flung  into  mourning!  But  the 
German  hosts  marched  on,  and  the  destruction  of  these  hu- 
man atoms  of  a  mighty  whole  was  of  no  military  consequence. 

MAKCHED  EIGHT  ABKEAST  AT  AMAZING  PACE 

"Round  a  bend  of  the  road  came  the  vanguard,  consist- 
ing of  a  big  contingent  of  military  cyclists,  with  rifles  swung 
over  their  shoulders.  Knowing  the  way  was  clear  for  them, 
they  rode  right  through  the  village  at  a  slow  pace.  Close 
behind  came  a  regiment  of  cavalry,  then  field  artillery.  The 
horses  were  almost  worn  out  and  the  drivers  thrashed  them 
until  they  maintained  the  pace  that  suited  the  requirements 
of  a  forced  march.  More  cavalry  and  corps  of  various  de- 
scriptions followed,  and  then  the  infantry. 

"The  road  was  wide,  and  they  marched  eight  abreast. 
There  seemed  no  end  of  them.  Such  typical  German  faces 
and  figures!  These  men  were  short,  rather  than  tall,  but 
stalwart  in  form  and  with  round  heads  and  closely  cropped 
hair.  Their  gray  green  uniforms  were  covered  with  dust. 
The  rate  of  march  was  more  than  four  miles  an  hour ;  prob- 
ably a  mile  in  thirteen  minutes.  Considering  the  weight  of 
equipment,  to  which  must  be  added  the  rifle,  this  speed  is 
amazing,  but  it  was  clear  their  physical  strength  was  being 
taxed  to  the  uttermost. 

"Some  corps  were  singing  sentimental  German  volks- 
lieder.  But  many  men  were  staggering  along,  barely  able 
to  hold  their  places  in  the  ranks. 

"There  is  no  room  in  the  German  army  for  weaklings. 
They  receive  scant  mercy  from  comrades  or  superiors.  The 
non-commissioned  officers  are  relentlessly  stern  in  the  main- 
tenance of  march  discipline.  They  passed  along  the  lines, 
cursing  the  lagging  with  a  vigorous  brutality  that  seemed  to 
overawe  them. 

"I  saw  a  young  soldier,  who  looked  like  a  youth  of  twenty, 
receive  several  severe  blows  from  a  non-commissioned  offi- 
cer because  fatigue  caused  him  to  fall  a  little  behind  his  rank 
and  thus  disarrange  the  marching  machine.  Other  men  who 
dropped  by  the  wayside  were  prodded  with  bayonets  until 
pain  goaded  them  to  fresh  efforts.    One  private,  accused  of 


274  TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES 

simulating  exhaustion,  was  kicked  by  a  non-commissioned 
officer  with  heavy  boots  until  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  went  on 
marching.  Complete  exhaustion  and  utter  despair  were  writ- 
ten on  some  of  the  faces,  but  not  on  the  majority  of  them.  The 
bulk  of  the  troops,  it  must  be  recorded,  seemed  to  stand  the 
test  of  endurance  successfully,  thanks  to  perfect  training  in 
the  times  of  peace. 

"There  seemed  no  community  of  fellowship  between  the 
officers  and  men.  Communication  between  them  appeared  to 
be  conducted  by  the  non-commissioned  officers,  who  play  a 
most  important  part  in  the  German  army.  Some  of  the  offi- 
cers who  passed  witnessed  the  chastisement  by  the  non-com- 
missioned men  of  exhausted  soldiers  and  took  no  notice  of 
their  drastic  methods  of  maintaining  march  discipline.  Evi- 
dently it  is  accepted  as  a  natural  necessity. 

1 '  The  equipment  of  the  German  army  is  wonderfully  com- 
plete. Huge  motor  lorries  stretched  for  miles  and  miles  and 
came  along  after  the  troops  at  a  speed  of  nearly  twenty  miles 
an  hour.  Guns,  ammunition,  Maxims  and  general  stores  on 
big  automobiles,  field  kitchens,  traveling  pharmacies,  field 
telephones  and  telegraph  lines,  portable  wireless  apparatus, 
nothing  was  missing. 

FRENCH   PEASANTRY  AWE-STRICKEN 

"It  was  a  scientifically  and  systematically  equipped  army 
which  moved  southward  toward  Paris.  The  number  of  Ger- 
man troops  was  a  never  ending  source  of  awe  and  terror  to 
the  French  peasantry.  'What  chance  have  we  of  stemming 
this  tide  of  armies  f '  they  asked  in  despair. 

"The  Germans  filled  the  roads  and  overflowed  into  the 
fields.  When  thousands  had  gone  by,  more  thousands  ap- 
proached, and  continued  to  march  to  the  front;  and  when 
these  thousands  disappeared  to  the  south  more  tens  of  thou- 
sands arrived  from  the  rear,  and  went  on  marching  to  the 
front.    It  was  an  endless  swarm  of  human  ants. 

"A  day  later  chance  made  me  the  spectator  of  an  engage- 
ment between  the  French  and  German  troops. 

"The  French  were  strongly  intrenched,  and  the  French 
artillery  occupied  a  favorable  position  under  cover,  but  in  a 
good  line  of  attack.    The  Germans  advanced.    The  French 


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TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES  275 

artillery  found  the  range  and  shelled  them.  I  saw  the  gray- 
green  figures  dropping  like  ninepins  bowled  over  by  some 
unseen  thrower.  But  more  gray-green  figures  emerged  from 
the  rear,  and  the  advance  continued. 

"The  Germans  went  forward  at  the  double  quick.  The 
French  artillery  continued  destructive  fire,  but  the  onward 
rush  was  too  rapid  for  any  such  means  to  stop  it.  The  French 
infantry  poured  volley  after  volley  into  the  German  ranks. 

"The  Germans  were  advancing  with  about  one  yard  dis- 
tance between  men  of  the  front  line,  but  the  Germans  of  the 
second  line  were  immediately  behind  those  of  the  first,  so  that 
as  the  foremost  were  shot  down  the  men  of  the  second  line 
were  there  in  their  right  position  and  able  to  push  forward. 
The  Germans  of  the  third  line  were  exactly  behind  those  of 
the  second,  so  that  when  the  soldiers  of  the  second  line  were 
shot  down,  those  of  the  third  took  their  place.  So  they  ad- 
vanced, line  after  line,  always  in  close  formation,  both  from 
right  to  left  and  from  van  to  rear. 

"The  slaughter  was  truly  terrible.  Countless  gray-green 
figures  fell  and  lay  prostrate,  while  their  comrades  rushed 
onwards  to  the  same  relentless  fate.  But  the  French  simply 
could  not  shoot  them  dead  with  sufficient  rapidity  to  stem 
the  onslaught.  The  Germans  succeeded  in  advancing,  and 
the  French  withdrew  to  avoid  being  overwhelmed  by  the 
Teutonic  hordes. 

"The  Germans  achieve  wonderful  results  by  these  meth- 
ods of  fighting.  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  is  not  so  much  their 
courage  as  the  discipline  which  enables  them  to  court  death 
by  these  antiquated  tactics.  They  fight  almost  automatically 
and  advance  with  machine-like  precision,  so  thorough  is 
their  training. 

"It  is  not  strategy,  nor  skill  in  handling  weapons,  not  in- 
dividual fighting  qualities  that  have  achieved  the  advance  to 
Paris.  It  is  the  efficiency  of  the  whole  German  military 
system. ' ' 


WAR  COST  TO  KILL  A  MAN. 

What  does  it  cost  to  kill  a  man  in  war?    Probably  $25,000 
in  the  present  conflict.    The  cost  of  killing  one  soldier  is  ob- 


276 


TYPICAL  EXPERIENCES 


tained  by  dividing  the  cost  of  a  war  to  any  of  the  belligerents 
by  the  number  of  men  killed  on  the  other  side. 

In  the  Franco-Prussian  war  of  1870-71  the  cost  of  killing 
each  man  was  $21,000.  But  the  cost  of  every  material  of  war- 
fare has  advanced  substantially  since  then.  It  is  safe  to  esti- 
mate— unless  the  terrific  destruction  of  machine  guns  upsets 
precedent — that  to  bring  about  a  soldier's  death  will  cause  an 
expenditure  of  $25,000  on  the  other  side. 

France  spent  $400,000,000  in  actual  expense  of  that  war 
and  $200,000,000  in  repairing  materials,  giving  help  to  father- 
less families,  and  other  uses.  The  German  dead  numbered 
28,600.  For  every  one  of  them  France  spent  approximately 
$21,000. 

The  figures  of  the  Russo-Turkish  war  of  1877-78  give  an 
average  of  $15,000  for  every  one  killed. 

It  cost  Russia  $1,200,000,000  to  kill  58,600  Japanese  in  the 
war  of  1905,  making  the  cost  of  the  individual  slaying  $20,400. 


THE  SPY. 


-Bradley  in  Chicago  Daily  News. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
ATTITUDE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

President  Wilson's  Plea  for  Calm  and  Impartial  Behavior  of 
Citizens — Proclamation  of  Neutrality — Early  Offer  of 
Mediation — Reception  of  the  Belgian  Commission — 
The  National  Day  of  Prayer  for  Peace. 

ON  August  3  President  Wilson,  speaking  to  the  press 
correspondents  at  the  White  House,  made  a  strong  plea 
that  the  people  of  the  United  States  remain  calm  and 
self-possessed  in  the  face  of  the  European  war  crisis. 

"It  is  extremely  necessary,  it  is  manifestly  necessary  in 
the  present  state  of  affairs  on  the  other  side  of  the  water," 
he  said,  ' '  that  you  should  be  extremely  careful  not  to  add  in 
any  way  to  the  excitement.  Of  course  the  European  world 
is  in  a  highly  excited  state  of  mind,  but  the  excitement  ought 
not  to  spread  to  the  United  States. 

"So  far  as  we  are  concerned  this  crisis  is  no  cause  for 
excitement.  There  is  great  inconvenience  for  the  time  being 
in  the  money  market,  and  in  our  exchanges,  and  temporarily, 
in  the  handling  of  our  crops,  but  America  is  absolutely  pre- 
pared to  meet  the  financial  situation  and  to  straighten  every- 
thing out  without  any  material  difficulty.  The  only  thing  that 
can  possibly  prevent  it  is  unreasonable  apprehension  and 
excitement. 

"If  I  might  make  a  suggestion  to  you,  gentlemen,  there- 
fore, I  would  urge  you  not  to  give  currency  to  any  unverified 
rumor  or  to  anything  that  would  tend  to  create  or  add  to 
excitement. 

"The  situation  in  Europe  is  perhaps  the  gravest  in  its 
possibilities  that  has  arisen  in  modern  times,  but  it  need  not 
affect  the  United  States  unfavorably  in  the  long  run.    Not 

277 


•278  ATTITUDE  OF  THE  U.  S. 

that  the  United  States  has  anything  to  take  advantage  of, 
but  its  own  position  is  sound  and  it  owes  it  to  mankind  to 
remain  in  such  a  condition  and  in  such  a  state  of  mind  that  it 
can  help  the  rest  of  the  world. 

''I  want  to  have  the  pride  of  feeling  that  America  stands 
ready  with  calmness  of  thought  and  steadiness  of  purpose 
to  help  the  rest  of  the  world.  And  we  can  do  it  and  reap  a 
great  permanent  glory  out  of  doing  it,  provided  we  all  co- 
operate to  see  that  nobody  loses  his  head. 

"I  know  from  my  conferences  with  the  secretary  of  the 
treasury,  who  is  in  close  touch  with  the  financial  situation 
throughout  the  country,  that  there  is  no  cause  for  alarm. ' ' 

PROCLAMATION  OF  NEUTRALITY 

The  proclamation  of  neutrality  toward  the  warring  Euro- 
pean nations,  issued  on  the  same  day  by  President  Wilson, 
embodied  the  provisions  of  the  Hague  convention  of  1907 
concerning  the  rights  and  duties  of  neutral  powers  in  naval 
war. 

Much  of  the  language  of  the  document  concerning  the 
nonpartisan  conduct  imposed  on  American  citizens  was  the 
same  as  that  employed  in  previous  proclamations  of  this 
character,  notably  that  issued  by  President  Grant  during  the 
Franco-Prassian  war. 

In  addition  the  proclamation  incorporated  the  principles 
of  international  law  formulated  in  the  Hague  convention. 
This  convention  was  ratified  by  the  United  States,  Germany, 
Austria,  Russia  and  Sweden,  but  not  by  Great  Britain  and 
France. 

The  provisions  of  the  Hague  convention  incorporated  in 
the  proclamation  related  to  the  prohibition  of  the  use  of 
waters  of  the  United  States  by  belligerent  vessels,  the  rules 
governing  the  entrance  of  and  withdrawal  from  neutral  ports 
by  the  belligerents,  and  similar  matters. 

Part  of  the  actual  text  of  the  proclamation  was  as  follows : 
By  the  President  of  the  United  States  of  America— A  Proc- 
lamation: 

"Whereas  a  state  of  war  unhappily  exists  between  Aus- 
tria-Hungary and  Servia  and  between  Germany  and  Russia 
and  between  Germany  and  France;  and  whereas  the  United 


ATTITUDE  OF  THE  U.  S.  279 

States  is  on  terms  of  friendship  and  amity  with  the  contend- 
ing powers  and  with  the  persons  inhabiting  their  several 
dominions ; 

"And  whereas  the  laws  and  treaties  of  the  United  States, 
without  interfering  with  the  free  expression  of  opinion  and 
sympathy  or  with  the  commercial  manufacture  or  sale  of 
arms  or  munitions  of  war,  nevertheless  impose  upon  all  per- 
sons who  may  be  within  their  territory  and  jurisdiction  the 
duty  of  an  impartial  neutrality  during  the  existence  of  the 
contest; 

"And  whereas  it  is  the  duty  of  a  neutral  government  not 
to  permit  or  suffer  the  making  of  its  waters  subservient  to 
the  purposes  of  war; 

"Now,  therefore,  I,  Woodrow  Wilson,  president  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  in  order  to  preserve  the  neutrality 
of  the  United  States  and  of  its  citizens  and  of  persons  within 
its  territory  and  jurisdiction,  and  to  enforce  its  laws  and 
treaties,  and  in  order  that  all  persons,  being  warned  of  the 
general  tenor  of  the  laws  and  treaties  of  the  United  States 
in  this  behalf,  and  of  the  law  of  nations,  may  thus  be  pre- 
vented from  any  violation  of  the  same,  do  hereby  declare 
and  proclaim  that  by  certain  provisions  of  the  act  approved 
on  the  4th  day  of  March,  A.  D.  1909,  commonly  known  as  the 
penal  code  of  the  United  States,  the  following  acts  are  forbid- 
den to  be  done,  under  severe  penalties,  within  the  territory 
and  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States,  to- wit: 

[Here  followed  a  list  of  the  acts  prohibited,  as  referred  to 
above.] 

"And  I  do  hereby  further  declare  and  proclaim  that  any 
frequenting  and  use  of  the  waters  within  the  territorial  juris- 
diction of  the  United  States  by  the  armed  vessels  of  a  bellig- 
erent, whether  public  ships  or  privateers,  for  the  purpose  of 
preparing  for  hostile  operations,  or  as  posts  of  observation 
upon  the  ships  of  war,  or  privateers,  or  merchant  vessels  of 
a  belligerent  lying  within  or  being  about  to  enter  the  juris- 
diction of  the  United  States  must  be  regarded  as  unfriendly 
and  offensive  and  in  violation  of  that  neutrality  which  it  is 
the  determination  of  this  government  to  observe. 


280  ATTITUDE  OF  THE  U.  S. 

UKGES  CITIZENS  TO  BE  IMPARTIAL 

'  'And  I  do  further  declare  and  proclaim  that  the  statutes 
and  the  treaties  of  the  United  States  and  the  law  of  nations 
alike  require  that  no  person  within  the  territory  and  juris- 
diction of  the  United  States  shall  take  part,  directly  or  in- 
directly, in  the  said  wars,  but  shall  remain  at  peace  with  all 
of  the  said  belligerents,  and  shall  maintain  a  strict  and  im- 
partial neutrality. 

"And  I  do  hereby  warn  all  citizens  of  the  United  States, 
and  all  persons  residing  or  being  within  its  territory  or  juris- 
diction that,  while  the  free  and  full  expression  of  sympathy 
in  public  and  private  is  not  restricted  by  the  laws  of  the  United 
States,  military  forces  in  aid  of  a  belligerent  cannot  lawfully 
be  originated  or  organized  within  its  jurisdiction. 

"And  I  do  hereby  give  notice  that  all  citizens  of  the  United 
States  and  others  who  may  claim  the  protection  of  this  gov- 
ernment, who  may  misconduct  themselves  in  the  premises, 
will  do  so  at  their  peril,  and  that  they  can  in  no  wise  obtain 
any  protection  from  the  government  of  the  United  States 
against  the  consequences  of  their  misconduct. 

"In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and 
caused  the  seal  of  the  United  States  to  be  affixed." 

(Signed)  Woodrow  Wilson. 

OFFER  OF  MEDIATION 

On  August  5  President  Wilson  offered  his  good  offices  to 
all  the  European  powers  involved  in  the  war.  He  sent  the 
following  message  to  Emperor  William,  Emperor  Nicholas, 
Emperor  Francis-Joseph,  President  Poincare  and  King 
George : 

"As  official  head  of  one  of  the  powers  signatory  to  the 
Hague  convention,  I  feel  it  to  be  my  privilege  and  my  duty 
under  article  3  of  that  convention  to  say  to  you  in  a  spirit  of 
most  earnest  friendship  that  I  should  welcome  an  opportunity 
to  act  in  the  interest  of  European  peace,  either  now  or  any 
other  time  that  might  be  thought  more  suitable,  as  an  occa- 
sion to  serve  you  and  all  concerned  in  a  way  that  would 
afford  me  lasting  cause  for  gratitude  and  happiness." — 
Woodrow  Wilson. 

This  offer  of  mediatory  services  was  courteously  acknowl- 


ATTITUDE  OF  THE  U.  S.  281 

edged  by  all  the  powers  to  whom  it  was  addressed,  but  none 
expressed  any  desire  to  take  advantage  of  it  at  that  stage 
of  the  hostilities. 

A  REMARKABLE  APPEAL 

On  August  18  President  Wilson  issued  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable appeals  ever  addressed  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  using  the  following  language : 

"My  Fellow  Countrymen: 

"I  suppose  that  every  thoughtful  man  in  America  has 
asked  himself  during  the  last  troubled  week  what  influence 
the  European  war  may  exert  upon  the  United  States,  and  I 
take  the  liberty  of  addressing  a  few  words  to  you  in  order 
to  point  out  that  it  is  entirely  within  our  own  choice  what 
its  effects  upon  us  will  be  and  to  urge  very  earnestly  upon 
you  the  sort  of  speech  and  conduct  which  will  best  safeguard 
the  nation  against  distress  and  disaster. 

"The  effect  of  the  war  upon  the  United  States  will  depend 
upon  what  American  citizens  say  and  do.  Every  man  who 
really  loves  America  will  act  and  speak  in  the  true  spirit  of 
neutrality  which  is  the  spirit  of  impartiality  and  fairness  and 
friendliness  to  all  concerned. 

RESTS  WITH  PEOPLE  ALONE 

1 1  The  spirit  of  the  nation  in  this  critical  matter  will  be  de- 
termined largely  by  what  individuals  and  society  and  those 
gathered  in  public  meetings  do  and  say,  upon  what  news- 
papers and  magazines  contain,  upon  what  our  ministers  utter 
in  their  pulpits  and  men  proclaim  as  their  opinions  on  the 
streets. 

"The  people  of  the  United  States  are  drawn  from  many 
nations  and  chiefly  from  the  nations  now  at  war.  It  is  natural 
and  inevitable  that  there  should  be  the  utmost  variety  of 
sympathy  and  desire  among  them  with  regard  to  the  issues 
and  circumstances  of  the  conflict.  Some  will  wish  one  nation, 
others  another,  to  succeed  in  the  momentous  struggle. 

PASSION"  EASY  TO  EXCITE 

"It  will  be  easy  to  excite  passion  and  difficult  to  allay  it. 
Those  responsible  for  exciting  it  will  assume  a  heavy  respon- 
sibility ;  responsibility  for  no  less  a  thing  than  that  the  people 
of  the  United  States,  whose  love  of  their  country,  and  whose 


282 


ATTITUDE  OF  THE  U.  S. 


loyalty  to  its  government,  should  unite  them  as  Americans,  all 
bound  in  honor  and  affection  to  think  first  of  her  and  her 
interests,  may  be  divided  in  camps  of  hostile  opinions,  not 
against  each  other ;  involved  in  the  war  itself  in  impulse  and 
opinion,  if  not  in  action.    Such  diversions  among  us  would 


There  is  always  one  place  where  the  sun  shines. 

— Cleveland  Plain  JUealer 

be  fatal  to  our  peace  of  mind  and  might  seriously  stand  in 
the  way  of  the  proper  performance  of  our  duty  as  the  one 
great  nation  at  peace ;  the  one  people  holding  itself  ready  to 
play  a  part  of  impartial  mediation  and  speak  the  counsels 
of  peace  and  accommodation,  not  as  a  partisan,  but  as  a 
friend 


ATTITUDE  OF  THE  U.  S.  283 

NEUTRALITY  AN  IMPORTANT  DUTY 

"I  venture,  therefore,  my  fellow  countrymen,  to  speak  a 
solemn  word  of  warning  to  you  against  that  deepest,  most 
subtle,  most  essential  breach  of  neutrality  which  may  spring 
out  of  partisanship,  out  of  passionately  taking  sides.  The 
United  States  must  be  neutral  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name 
during  these  days  that  are  to  try  men's  souls.  We  must  be 
impartial  in  thought  as  well  as  in  action,  must  put  a  curb 
upon  our  sentiments  as  well  as  upon  every  transaction  that 
might  be  construed  as  a  preference  of  one  party  to  the  strug- 
gle before  another. 

"My  thought  is  of  America.  I  am  speaking,  I  feel  sure, 
the  earnest  wish  and  purpose  of  every  thoughtful  American 
that  this  great  country  of  ours,  which  is,  of  course,  the  first 
in  our  thoughts  and  in  our  hearts,  should  show  herself  in 
this  time  of  peculiar  trial  a  nation  fit  beyond  others  to  exhibit 
the  fine  poise  of  undisturbed  judgment,  the  dignity  of  self- 
control,  the  efficiency  of  dispassionate  action;  a  nation  that 
neither  sits  in  judgment  upon  others,  nor  is  disturbed  in  her 
own  counsels  and  which  keeps  herself  fit  and  free  to  do  what 
is  honest  and  disinterested  and  truly  serviceable  for  the  peace 
of  the  world. 

"Shall  we  not  resolve  to  put  upon  ourselves  the  restraint 
which  will  bring  to  our  people  the  happiness  and  the  great 
lasting  influence  for  peace  we  covet  for  them?" 

MANY  MESSAGES  PROMPTED   THE   NOTE 

Prior  to  the  issuance  of  the  above  statement  officials  close 
to  the  president  made  it  clear  that  Mr.  Wilson  was  fully  de- 
termined to  take  no  part  in  the  dispute  between  Japan  and 
Germany  over  the  situation  in  the  far  east.  While  the  Ger- 
man-Japan question  was  not  referred  to  in  the  statement,  it 
became  known  that  the  president  regarded  with  disfavor 
efforts  he  believed  were  being  made  to  embroil  the  United 
States  in  the  controversy  in  the  far  east  or  in  Europe. 

The  president  was  led  to  make  his  statement  to  the  coun- 
try by  reason  of  many  communications  which  had  been  re- 
ceived from  organizations  throughout  the  country,  com- 
posed of  former  citizens  of  the  countries  engaged  in  the  Eu- 
ropean conflict.    These  communications  had  invariably  been 


284  ATTITUDE  OF  THE  U.  S. 

couched  in  respectful  language  and  with  no  intent  to  offend 
in  any  way,  but  the  general  tenor  of  all  of  them  indicated 
to  officials  at  Washington  a  growing  tendency  to  incite  debate 
and,  therefore,  unrest  among  the  people  as  a  whole. 

The  president  was  known  to  feel  that  a  neutral  nation  and 
its  officials  should  remain  neutral  in  thought  as  well  as  in 
action,  and  for  that  reason  his  statement  fully  set  forth  his 
own  views  on  the  subject. 

FURTHER  EFFORTS  FOR  PEACE 

Early  in  September  further  efforts  to  bring  about  peace 
in  Europe  were  inaugurated  in  New  York  and  Washington. 
These  had  the  careful  and  sympathetic  attention  and  aid  of 
President  Wilson  and  Secretary  of  State  Bryan,  but  came  to 
naught  in  view  of  the  determined  attitude  of  the  belligerents. 
Great  Britain,  France  and  Russia  formally  agreed  that  neither 
of  them  would  make  peace  without  the  consent  of  all,  and  the 
efforts  of  the  American  peacemakers  were  necessarily  aban- 
doned for  the  time. 

THE  BELGIAN  COMMISSION" 

On  Friday,  September  11,  a  Belgian  royal  commission, 
appointed  by  King  Albert,  landed  in  New  York  to  lay  before 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  formal  charges  of  atroci- 
ties alleged  to  have  been  committed  by  the  Germans  during 
their  campaign  in  Belgium.  The  members  of  the  commission 
were  as  follows :  M.  Henri  Carton  de  Wiart,  minister  of  jus- 
tice, chairman;  MM.  Paul  Hymans,  Louis  de  Sadeleer  and 
Emil  Vandervelde,  ministers  of  state ;  Count  Louis  de  Lichter- 
velde,  secretary. 

The  commission  was  received  by  the  President  at  the  White 
House  on  Wednesday,  September  16,  when  a  copy  of  the  Bel- 
gian charges  was  formally  handed  to  him.  In  his  reply  to  the 
commission,  President  Wilson  expressed  his  deep  sense  of 
the  honor  done  him  by  Belgium  in  turning  to  him  for  an  impar- 
tial judgment  as  the  representative  of  a  people  truly  disinter- 
ested in  the  war.  Presently,  he  said,  the  war  would  be  over 
and  the  day  of  accounting  would  then  come.  He  made  it  plain 
that  the  United  States  could  not  pass  judgment  on,  or  take 
part  in,  any  controversies  between  the  countries  at  war.    Set- 


ATTITUDE  OF  THE  U.  S.  285 

tlement  of  such  matters  must,  he  said,  await  the  termination 
of  the  war,  which  he  prayed  God  might  be  very  soon. 

In  similar  terms  the  President  replied  to  communications 
from  Emperor  William  of  Germany  and  President  Poincare 
of  France,  who  had  each  written  him,  alleging  the  use  of  dum- 
dum bullets  by  the  enemy.  Courteously,  but  positively,  he 
declined  to  act  as  judge  or  arbiter  of  the  matters  in  contro- 
versy as  long  as  the  war  was  still  in  progress. 

MONEY  FOE  EED  CROSS  AND  RELIEF 

Large  amounts  were  subscribed  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada  for  the  furtherance  of  Red  Cross  work  among  the 
armies  in  the  field ;  also  for  hospitals  and  the  relief  of  widows 
and  orphans  of  the  dead,  and  of  others  made  destitute  by  the 
war.  Americans  of  all  nationalities  freely  contributed  to  these 
causes,  through  their  national  and  local  organizations  and 
individual  effort. 

In  New  York  a  steamship  formerly  flying  the  German  flag 
was  purchased  by  the  American  Red  Cross  and  sent  across  the 
Atlantic  with  a  cargo  of  surgical  and  hospital  supplies.  Under 
command  of  Captain  Armisted  Rust,  U.  S.  N.,  retired,  the 
vessel  was  rechristened  the  Red  Cross  and  reached  Falmouth, 
England,  on  her  errand  of  mercy  in  the  third  week  of  Septem- 
ber. With  her  went  thirty  surgeons  and  120  nurses  for  duty 
in  France,  Belgium,  Germany  and  Russia. 

In  professional  command  of  the  expedition  was  Major 
Robert  Hugh  Patterson  of  the  Medical  Corps,  U.  S.  Army, 
while  the  chief  supervision  of  the  nurses  was  trusted  to  Miss 
Helen  Scott  Hay,  ex-superintendent  of  the  Illinois  Training 
School  for  Nurses. 


A  DAY  OF  PRAYER  FOR  PEACE 

On  September  8  President  Wilson  signed  a  proclamation 
calling  on  the  people  of  the  United  States  to  pray  for  peace  in 
Europe.  Sunday,  Oct.  4,  was  set  aside  as  a  day  of  prayer.  The 
proclamation  was  as  follows : 

"By  the  President  of  the  United  States  of  America,  a 
proclamation : 

"Whereas,  great  nations  of  the  world  have  taken  up  arms 
against  one  another  and  war  now  draws  millions  of  men  into 


286 


ATTITUDE  OF  THE  U.  S. 


—Chicago  Herald,  Oct.  4,  1914. 


ATTITUDE  OF  THE  V.  S.  287 

battle  whom  the  counsels  of  statesmen  have  not  been  able  to 
save  from  the  terrible  sacrifice ;  and 

"Whereas,  in  this  as  in  all  things,  it  is  our  privilege  and 
duty  to  seek  counsel  and  succor  of  Almighty  God,  humbling 
ourselves  before  Him,  confessing  our  weakness  and  our  lack  of 
any  wisdom  equal  to  these  things ;  and 

"Whereas,  it  is  the  especial  wish  and  longing  of  the  people 
of  the  United  States,  in  prayer  and  counsel  and  all  friendli- 
ness, to  serve  the  cause  of  peace ; 

"Therefore,  I,  Woodrow  Wilson,  President  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  do  designate  Sunday,  the  4th  day  of  Octo- 
ber next,  a  day  of  prayer  and  supplication,  and  do  request  all 
God-fearing  persons  to  repair  on  that  day  to  their  places  of 
worship,  there  to  unite  their  petitions  to  Almighty  God,  that, 
overruling  the  counsel  of  men,  setting  straight  the  things  they 
cannot  govern  or  alter,  taking  pity  on  the  nations  now  in  the 
throes  of  conflict,  in  His  mercy  and  goodness  showing  a  way 
where  men  can  see  none,  He  vouchsafe  His  children  healing 
peace  again  and  restore  once  more  that  concord  among  men 
and  nations  without  which  there  can  be  neither  happiness  nor 
true  friendship  nor  any  wholesome  fruit  of  toil  or  thought  in 
the  world ;  praying  also  to  this  end  that  He  forgive  us  our  sins, 
our  ignorance  of  His  holy  will,  our  willfulness  and  many 
errors,  and  lead  us  in  the  paths  of  obedience  to  places  of  vision 
and  to  thoughts  and  counsels  that  purge  and  make  wise. 

"In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and 
caused  the  seal  of  the  United  States  to  be  affixed. 

"Done  at  the  City  of  Washington  this  8th  day  of  Septem- 
ber, in  the  Year  of  Our  Lord  One  Thousand  Nine  Hundred  and 
Fourteen  and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  of 
America  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-ninth. 

"(Signed)     Woodrow  Wilson, 
'  -  By  the  President, 

; '  William  Jennings  Bryan, 

1 '  Secretary  of  State. ' ' 

This  proclamation  made  a  deep  impression  upon  all  the 
people  of  the  United  States  and  was  not  without  effect  in 
Europe.  Its  tone  of  deep  piety  and  intense  human  sympathy 
characterized  it  as  one  of  the  most  remarkable  state  papers 


288 


ATTITUDE  OF  THE  U.  S. 


that  ever  emanated  from  the  White  House.  The  churches 
throughout  the  country  were  largely  attended  on  the  day 
designated.  In  most  of  them  the  President 's  proclamation  was 
read  and  special  prayers  for  peace  were  offered. 

In  the  larger  cities  of  the  United  States  devotional  mass 
meetings  were  held  and  attended  by  all  classes  of  the  popula- 
tion. A  typical  meeting  was  that  held  in  the  city  of  Chicago, 
presided  over  by  Bishop  Samuel  Fallows.  The  great  Audi- 
torium proved  altogether  inadequate  to  accommodate  the 
outpouring  of  citizens  of  all  nationalities  and  an  overflow  meet- 
ing of  10,000  people  was  held  simultaneously  in  Grant  Park 
on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  beneath  the  statue  of  a  great 
soldier  of  the  Civil  War,  General  John  A.  Logan,  who  like 
General  Sherman,  realized  the  horror  of  war. 


PALACE  OF  PEACE 
HAGUE 

A .  CAtlNEG  I  £ .  J  ANITOR 


BUSINESS   IS   VERRA   DULL  THE  NOO'" 

—  The  Sun  (.Vancouver.  B.  C.)- 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS 

Movements  of  British  Battleships  Veiled  in  Secrecy — German 
Dreadnoughts  in  North  Sea  and  Baltic  Ports — Activity 
of  Smaller  Craft — English  Keep  Trade  Routes  Open — 
Several  Minor  Battles  at  Sea. 

SHORTLY  before  war  was  declared  a  great  review  of  the 
British  navy  was  held  at  Spithead,  on  the  English  Channel, 

when  several  hundred  vessels  were  gathered  in  mighty 
array  for  inspection  by  King  George  and  the  lords  of  the 
Admiralty.  The  salutes  they  fired  had  hardly  ceased  to  rever- 
berate along  the  shores  of  the  Channel  when  the  momentous 
struggle  was  on.  It  found  the  British  fleet  fully  mobilized 
and  ready  for  action.  The  ships  had  their  magazines  filled, 
their  bunkers  and  oil  tanks  charged,  their  victualing  com- 
pleted, and  last,  but  not  least,  their  full  crews  aboard. 

Then,  without  a  moment's  delay,  they  disappeared,  under 
orders  to  proceed  to  stations  in  the  North  Sea,  to  cruise  in 
the  Channel,  the  Atlantic  or  the  Mediterranean ;  to  keep  trade 
routes  open  for  British  and  neutral  ships  and  capture  or 
destroy  the  ships  of  the  enemy.  Silently  and  swiftly  they 
sailed,  and  for  weeks  the  world  knew  little  or  nothing  of  their 
movements  or  whereabouts. 

Mystery  equally  deep  shrouded  the  German  fleet.  In  all 
probability  it  lay  under  the  guns  of  the  coast  cities  and  forts 
of  Germany,  but  nothing  definite  was  permitted  to  leak  out. 
The  test  of  the  two  great  navies,  the  supreme  test  of  dread- 
noughts and  superdreadnoughts,  failed  to  materialize,  and  for 
weeks  the  people  of  Great  Britain  and  Germany  could  only 
wonder  what  had  become  of  their  naval  forces  and  why  they 
did  not  come  into  contact  with  each  other.  A  few  minor 
engagements  in  the  North  Sea,  in  which  light  cruisers  and 

289 


290  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS 

torpedo-boat  destroyers  were  concerned,  served  only  to  deepen 
the  mystery. 

Only  naval  men  and  well-informed  civilians  realized  that 
Germany  was  biding  her  time,  waiting  to  choose  her  own  honr 
for  action,  realizing  the  strength  of  the  opposing  force  and 
determined  not  to  risk  her  own  ships  until  the  opportune 
moment  should  arrive  which  would  offer  the  best  possible 
chances  for  success.  And  meanwhile  the  main  British  fleet  lay 
in  the  North  Sea,  waiting  for  the  enemy  to  appear. 

After  awhile  letters  began  to  come  from  the  North  Sea, 
telling  of  the  life  aboard  the  vessels  lying  in  wait,  scouting  or 
patrolling  the  coasts.  The  ships  were  all  stripped  for  action ; 
all  inflammable  ornaments  and  fittings  had  been  left  behind 
or  cast  overboard;  stripped  and  naked  the  fighting  machines 
went  to  their  task.  All  day  long  the  men  were  ready  at  their 
guns,  and  during  the  night  each  gun  crew  slept  around  the 
weapon  that  it  was  their  duty  to  serve,  ready  to  repel  any 
destroyers  or  submarines  coining  out  of  the  surrounding  dark- 
ness to  attack  them. 

Vice-Admiral  Sir  John  Jellicoe  had  assumed  supreme  com- 
mand of  the  British  home  fleet  on  August  4,  with  the  rank 
of  admiral.  His  chief  of  staff  was  Rear  Admiral  Charles  E. 
Madden.  Rear  Admiral  Sir  George  Callaghan  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  North  Sea  fleet. 

AN  ADMIRALTY  ANNOUNCEMENT 

On  Thursday,  September  10,  the  secretary  of  the  British 
Admiralty  made  the  following  announcement:  ''Yesterday 
and  today  strong  and  numerous  squadrons  and  flotillas  have 
made  a  complete  sweep  of  the  North  Sea  up  to  and  into  the 
Heligoland  Bight.  The  German  fleet  made  no  attempt  to  inter- 
fere with  our  movements  and  no  German  ship  of  any  kind  was 
seen  at  sea." 

That  much  patience  had  to  be  exercised  by  the  seamen  of 
the  North  Sea  fleet  is  evidenced  by  a  letter  in  which  the  writer 
said  to  his  family,  ' '  If  you  want  to  get  away  from  the  excite- 
ment of  war,  you  should  be  here  with  me."  This  situation,  of 
course,  might  be  changed  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  London 
Times  said  in  September :  "It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if  our 
seamen  today  envy  a  little  the  old-time  sailors  who  did  not 
have  to  compete  with  such  things  as  mines,  destroyers  and 


MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS  291 

submarines.  In  the  accounts  of  the  old  blockades  we  read  how 
by  means  of  music  and  dancing,  and  even  theatrical  entertain- 
ments, the  monotonous  nature  of  the  work  was  counteracted, 
and  the  officers  of  the  ships,  including  Nelson  and  other  great 
commanders,  welcomed  these  diversions  for  the  prevention  of 
the  evils  which  might  be  bred  by  enforced  idleness.  It  is  a 
true  saying  that  everything  that  stagnates  corrupts.  There 
is  no  possible  chance  of  the  crews  of  our  modern  vessels  stag- 
nating under  the  new  conditions  of  war.  "Whether  engaged  in 
blockading  in  the  big  ships,  scouting  in  the  cruisers,  or  patrol- 
ling the  coasts  in  the  destroyers,  the  life  is  described  as  tre- 
mendously interesting  and  exciting.  There  has  been  no  sense 
of  monotony  whatever.  Indeed,  the  conditions  are  such  that, 
were  it  not  obligatory  for  portions  of  every  crew  to  take  rest, 
all  of  them  would  be  continually  on  the  alert.  "We  may  be  cer- 
tain that  arrangements  have  been  made  for  ensuring  that  the 
crews  obtain  periods  of  relaxation  from  the  constant  strain ; 
but  the  only  real  change  comes  in  the  big  ships  when  they  have 
of  necessitv  to  refill  their  bunkers.' ' 


LOSS  OF  THE  CRUISER  AMPHION 

The  cruiser  Amphion  was  the  first  British  war  vessel 
lost  in  the  war.  The  survivors  on  landing  at  the  North  Sea 
port  of  Harwich,  England,  on  August  10,  stated  that  hardly 
had  they  left  Harwich  than  they  were  ordered  to  clear  the 
decks  for  action.  They  sighted  the  German  mine-laying  ves- 
sel Koenigin  Luise,  and,  as  it  refused  to  stop  even  when 
a  shot  was  fired  across  its  bows,  they  gave  chase. 

The  German  ship  fired  and  then  the  destroyers,  accom- 
panying the  Amphion,  surrounded  and  sank  it  after  a  brief 
combined  bombardment. 

The  captain,  it  is  said,  was  beside  himself  with  fury.  He 
had  a  revolver  in  his  hand  and  threatened  his  men  as  they 
prepared  to  surrender  to  the  rescuing  ships.  He  flatly  refused 
to  give  himself  up  and  was  taken  by  force. 

When  the  smoke  of  a  big  ship  was  seen  on  the  horizon 
the  Amphion  gave  chase,  firing  a  warning  shot  as  it  drew 
near  the  vessel,  which  at  once  made  known  its  identity  as 
the  Harwich  boat  St.  Petersburg,  carrying  Prince  Lichnow- 
skv,  the  German  ambassador,  to  the  Hook  of  Holland. 


292  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS 

While  returning  to  port  came  the  tragedy  of  the  Amphion. 
As  it  struck  a  sunken  mine  it  gave  two  plunging  jerks.  Then 
came  an  explosion  which  ripped  up  its  forepart,  shot  up  its 
funnels  like  arrows  from  a  bow,  and  lifted  its  heavy  guns 
into  the  air.  The  falling  material  struck  several  of  the  boats 
of  the  flotilla  and  injured  some  of  the  men  on  board  them. 

The  Amphion 's  men  were  dreadfully  burned  and  scalded 
and  had  marks  on  their  faces  and  bodies  which  resembled 
splashes  of  acid. 

The  scene  at  Harwich  was  like  that  which  follows  a  col- 
liery explosion.  Of  the  British  seamen  in  the  hospital  thirteen 
were  suffering  from  severe  burns,  five  from  less  serious 
burns,  two  from  the  effects  of  lyddite  fumes,  and  one  each 
from  concussion,  severe  injury,  slight  wounds,  shock,  and 
slight  burns.  A  few  wounded  German  sailors  also  lay  in 
the  hospital. 

SINKING  A  GEKMAN  SUBMARINE 

On  August  12  there  came  from  Edinburgh  the  story  of 
an  eyewitness  of  a  naval  battle  in  the  North  Sea  on  the  pre- 
vious Sunday  between  British  cruisers  and  German  subma- 
rines, in  which  the  German  submarine  U-15  was  sunk. 

"The  cruiser  squadron  on  Sunday,"  the  story  ran,  " sud- 
denly became  aware  of  the  approach  of  the  submarine  flotilla. 
The  enemy  was  submerged,  only  the  periscopes  showing  above 
the  surface  of  the  water. 

"The  attitude  of  the  British  in  the  face  of  this  attack 
was  cool  and  the  enemy  was  utterly  misled  when  suddenly 
the  cruiser  Birmingham,  steaming  at  full  speed,  fired  the  first 
shot.  This  shot  was  carefully  aimed,  not  at  the  submerged 
body  of  a  submarine,  but  at  the  thin  line  of  the  periscope. 

"The  gunnery  was  superbly  accurate  and  shattered  the 
periscope.  Thereupon  the  submarine,  now  a  blinded  thing, 
rushed  along  under  water  in  imminent  danger  of  self-destruc- 
tion from  collision  with  the  cruisers  above. 

"The  sightless  submarine  was  then  forced  to  come  to 
the  surface,  whereupon  the  Birmingham's  gunner  fired  the 
second  shot  of  the  fight.  This  shot  struck  at  the  base  of  the 
conning  tower,  ripping  the  whole  of  the  upper  structure  clean 
and  the  U-15  sank  like  a  stone. 

"The  remainder  of  the  submarine  flotilla  fled." 


MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS  293 

NAVAL  BATTLE  OFF   HELIGOLAND 

In  the  last  week  of  August  a  naval  engagement  occurred 
off  the  island  of  Heligoland,  in  the  North  Sea.  British  war 
vessels  sank  five  German  ships,  killing  900  men.  A  graphic 
description  of  the  engagement  was  given  by  a  young  lieuten- 
ant who  was  on  one  of  the  British  torpedo  boat  destroyers: 

"I  think  the  home  papers  are  magnifying  what  really 
was  but  an  affair  of  outposts.  We  destroyers  went  in  and 
lured  the  enemy  out  and  had  lots  of  excitement.  The  big  fel- 
lows then  came  up  and  afforded  some  excellent  target  prac- 
tice, and  we  were  very  glad  to  see  them  come;  but  it  was  a 
massacre,  not  a  fight. 

"  There  was  superb  generalship  and  overwhelming  forces 
on  the  spot,  but  there  was  really  nothing  for  them  to  do 
except  to  shoot  the  enemy,  even  as  father  shoots  pheasants. 

1 '  Have  you  ever  noticed  a  dog  rush  in  on  a  flock  of  sheep 
and  scatter  them?  He  goes  for  the  nearest  and  barks  and 
goes  so  much  faster  than  the  flock  that  it  bunches  up  with  its 
companions.  The  dog  then  barks  at  another  and  the  sheep 
spread  out  fanwise,  so  in  front  of  the  dog  there  is  a  semicircle 
of  sheep  and  behind  him  none. 

"That  was  much  what  we  did  at  7  a.  m.  on  August  28. 
The  sheep  were  the  German  torpedo  craft,  which  fell  back 
on  the  limits  of  our  range  and  tried  to  lure  us  within  the  fire 
of  the  Heligoland  forts.  But  a  cruiser  then  came  out  and 
engaged  our  Arethusa  and  they  had  a  real  heart-to-heart 
talk,  while  we  looked  on,  and  a  few  of  us  tried  to  shoot  at 
the  enemy,  too,  though  it  was  beyond  our  distance. 

"We  were  getting  nearer  Heligoland  all  the  time.  There 
was  a  thick  mist  and  I  expected  every  minute  to  find  the 
forts  on  the  island  bombarding  us,  so  the  Arethusa  presently 
drew  off  after  landing  at  least  one  good  shell  on  the  enemy. 
The  enemy  gave  every  hit  as  good  as  he  got  there. 

"We  then  reformed,  but  a  strong  destroyer  belonging  to 
the  submarines  got  chased,  and  the  Arethusa  and  Fearless 
went  back  to  look  after  it.  We  presently  heard  a  hot  action 
astern,  so  the  captain  in  command  of  the  flotilla  turned  us 
around  and  we  went  back  to  help.    But  they  had  driven  the 


294  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS 

enemy  off  and  on  our  arrival  told  us  to  'form  up'  on  the 
Arethusa. 

CRUISEK   FIRES    ON    SHIPS 

' '  When  we  had  partly  formed  and  were  very  much  bunched 
together,  making  a  fine*  target,  suddenly  out  of  the  mist  ar- 
rived five  or  six  shells  from  a  point  not  150  yards  away.  We 
gazed  at  whence  they  came  and  again  five  or  six  stabs  of  fire 
pierced  the  fog,  and  we  made  out  a  four-funneled  German 
cruiser  of  the  Breslau  class. 

"Those  stabs  were  its  guns  going  off.  We  waited  fifteen 
seconds  and  the  shots  and  noise  of  its  guns  arrived  pretty 
well  from  fifty  yards  away.  Its  next  salvo  of  shots  went 
above  us,  and  I  ducked  as  they  whirred  overhead  like  a  covey 
of  fast  partridges. 

"You  would  suppose  our  captain  had  done  this  sort  of 
thing  all  his  life.  He  went  full  speed  ahead  at  once,  upon 
the  first  salvo,  to  string  the  bunch  out  and  thus  offer  less 
target.  The  commodore  from  the  Arethusa  made  a  signal 
to  us  to  attack  with  torpedoes.  So  we  swung  round  at  right 
angles  and  charged  full  speed  at  the  enemy  like  a  hussar 
attack. 

"Our  boat  got  away  at  the  start  magnificently  and  led 
the  field,  so  all  the  enemy's  firing  was  aimed  at  us  for  the 
next  ten  minutes,  when  we  got  so  close  that  debris  from  their 
shells  fell  on  board.  Then  we  altered  our  course  and  so 
threw  them  out  in  their  reckoning  of  our  speed,  and  they  had 
all  their  work  to  do  over  again. 

"Humanly  speaking,  our  captain  by  twisting  and  turning 
at  psychological  moments  saved  us.  Actually,  I  feel  that 
we  were  in  God's  keeping  that  day.  After  ten  minutes  we 
got  near  enough  to  fire  our  torpedo.  Then  we  turned  back 
to  the  Arethusa.  Next  our  follower  arrived  just  where  we 
had  been  and  fired  its  torpedo,  and  of  course  the  enemy  fired 
at  it  instead  of  at  us.    What  a  blessed  relief ! 

"After  the  destroyers  came  the  Fearless,  and  it  stayed 
on  the  scene.  Soon  we  found  it  was  engaging  a  three-funneler, 
the  Mainz,  so  off  we  started  again,  now  for  the  Mainz,  the 
situation  being  that  the  crippled  Arethusa  was  too  tubby  to 
do  anything  but  be  defended  by  us,  its  children. 

"Scarcely,  however,  had  we  started  when,  from  out  of 


MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS  295 

the  mist  and  across  our  front,  in  furious  pursuit  came  the 
first  cruiser  squadron  of  the  town  class,  the  Birmingham,  and 
each  unit  a  match  for  three  Lke  the  Mainz,  which  was  soon 
sunk.  As  we  looked  and  reduced  speed  they  opened  fire, 
and  the  clear  bang-bang  of  their  guns  was  just  like  a  cooling 
drink. 

"To  see  a  real  big  four-funneler  spouting  flame,  which 
flame  denoted  shells  starting,  and  those  shells  not  at  us  but 
for  us,  was  the  most  cheerful  thing  possible.  Once  we  were 
in  safety,  I  hated  it.  "We  had  just  been  having  our  own  imag- 
inations stimulated  on  the  subject  of  shells  striking. 

"Xow,  a  few  minutes  later,  to  see  another  ship  not  three 
miles  away,  reduced  to  a  piteous  mass  of  unrecognizability, 
wreathed  in  black  fumes  from  which  flared  out  angry  gusts 
of  fire  like  Vesuvius  in  eruption,  as  an  unending  stream  of 
hundred-pound  shells  burst  on  board  it,  just  pointed  the  moral 
and  showed  us  what  might  have  been. 

"The  Lla'nz  was  immensely  gallant.  The  last  I  saw  of 
it  it  was  absolutely  wrecked.  It  was  a  fuming  inferno.  But 
it  had  one  gun  forward  and  one  aft  still  spitting  forth  fury 
and  defiance  like  a  wild  cat. 

"Then  we  went  west,  while  they  went  east.  Just  a  bit 
later  we  heard  the  thunder  of  the  enemy's  guns  for  a  space. 
Then  fell  silence,  and  we  knew  that  was  all. 

A  MARVELOUS  EESCUE 

"The  most  romantic,  dramatic,  and  piquant  episode  that 
modern  war  can  ever  show  came  next.  The  Defender,  hav- 
ing sunk  an  enemy,  lowered  a  whaler  to  pick  up  its  swimming 
survivors.  Before  the  whaler  got  back,  an  enemy's  cruiser 
came  up  and  chased  the  Defender,  which  thus  had  to  aban- 
don its  small  boat. 

"Imagine  their  feelings,  alone  in  an  open  boat  without 
food,  twenty-five  miles  from  the  nearest  land,  and  that  land 
an  enemy's  fortress,  with  nothing  but  fog  and  foes  around 
them,  and  then  suddenly  a  swirl  alongside,  and  up,  if  you 
please,  hops  His  Britannic  Majesty's  submarine  E-4,  opens 
its  conning  tower,  takes  them  all  on  board,  shuts  up  again, 
dives  and  brings  them  home,  250  miles." 


296  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS 

THREE  BRITISH   CRUISERS  SUNK 

On  Tuesday  morning,  September  22,  the  British  cruisers 
Aboukir,  Cressy  and  Hogue  were  torpedoed  and  sunk  by  a 
German  submarine  in  the  North  Sea.  Each  of  the  vessels 
carried  a  crew  of  about  650  men,  and  the  total  of  the  death  roll 
was  about  1,400. 

The  three  cruisers  had  for  some  time  been  patrolling  the 
North  Sea.  Soon  after  6  o  'clock  in  the  morning  the  Aboukir 
suddenly  felt  a  shock  on  the  port  side.  A  dull  explosion  was 
heard  and  a  column  of  water  was  thrown  up  mast  high.  The 
explosion  wrecked  the  stokehold  just  forward  of  amidships 
and  tore  the  bottom  open. 

Almost  immediately  the  doomed  cruiser  began  to  settle. 
Except  for  the  watch  on  deck,  most  of  the  crew  were  asleep, 
wearied  by  the  constant  vigil  in  bad  weather,  but  in  perfect 
order  the  officers  and  men  rushed  to  quarters.  The  quick- 
firers  were  manned  in  the  hope  of  a  dying  shot  at  the  sub- 
marine, but  there  was  not  a  glimpse  of  one. 

Meanwhile  the  Aboukir 's  sister  cruisers,  more  than  a  mile 
away,  saw  and  heard  the  explosion  and  thought  the  Aboukir 
had  struck  a  mine.  They  closed  in  and  lowered  boats.  This 
sealed  their  own  fate,  for,  while  they  were  standing  by  to 
rescue  survivors,  first  the  Hogue  and  then  the  Cressy  was 
torpedoed. 

Only  the  Cressy  appears  to  have  seen  the  submarine  in 
time  to  attempt  to  retaliate,  and  she  fired  a  few  shots  before 
she  keeled  over,  broken  in  two,  and  sank. 

The  British  officers  united  in  praising  the  skill  and  daring 
of  the  German  naval  officers,  and  had  nothing  but  professional 
praise  for  the  submarine's  feat. 

"Our  only  grievance,"  one  said,  "is  that  we  have  not  had 
a  shot  at  the  Germans.  Our  only  share  of  the  war  has  been  a 
few  uncomfortable  weeks  of  bad  weather,  mines  and  sub- 
marines." 

A  number  of  the  survivors  were  taken  to  the  Dutch  port  of 
Ymuiden,  where  they  were  interned  as  technical  prisoners 
of  war. 

THE  GERMAN"  COMMANDER  *S  STORY 

The  German  submarine  which  accomplished  the  hitherto 
unparalleled  feat  was  the  U-9,  in  command  of  Capt.-Lieut.  Otto 


MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS  297 

Weddigen,  whose  interesting  story  was  given  to  the  public 
through  the  German  Admiralty  on  October  6,  as  follows : 

"I  set  out  from  a  North  Sea  port  on  one  of  the  arms  of  the 
Kiel  canal  and  set  my  course  in  a  southwesterly  direction. 
The  name  of  the  port  I  cannot  state  officially,  but  it  was  not 
many  days  before  the  morning  of  September  22  when  I  fell 
in  with  my  quarry. 

"  British  torpedo-boats  came  within  my  reach,  but  I  felt 
there  was  bigger  game  further  on,  so  on  I  went.  It  was  ten 
minutes  after  six  in  the  morning  of  the  22nd  when  I  caught 
sight  of  one  of  the  big  cruisers  of  the  enemy. 

"I  was  then  eighteen  sea  miles  northwesterly  of  the  Hook 
of  Holland.  I  had  traveled  considerably  more  than  200  miles 
from  my  base.  I  had  been  going  ahead  partially  submerged, 
with  about  five  feet  of  my  periscope  showing. 

"Almost  immediately  I  caught  sight  of  the  first  cruiser 
and  two  others.  I  submerged  completely  and  laid  my  course  in 
order  to  bring  up  in  center  of  the  trio,  which  held  a  sort  of 
triangular  formation.  I  could  see  their  gray-black  sides  riding 
high  over  the  water. 

"When  I  first  sighted  them  they  were  near  enough  for  tor- 
pedo work,  but  I  wanted  to  make  my  aim  sure,  so  I  went  down 
and  in  on  them.  I  had  taken  the  position  of  the  three  ships 
before  submerging,  and  I  succeeded  in  getting  another  flash 
through  my  periscope  before  I  began  action.  I  soon  reached 
what  I  regarded  as  a  good  shooting  point. 

"Then  I  loosed  one  of  my  torpedoes  at  the  middle  ship. 
I  was  then  about  twelve  feet  under  water  and  got  the  shot  off 
in  good  shape,  my  men  handling  the  boat  as  if  it  had  been  a 
skiff.  I  climbed  to  the  surface  to  get  a  sight  through  my  tube 
of  the  effect  and  discovered  that  the  shot  had  gone  straight 
and  true,  striking  the  ship,  which  I  later  learned  was  the  Abou- 
kir,  under  one  of  its  magazines,  which  in  exploding  helped  the 
torpedo's  work  of  destruction. 

"There  was  a  fountain  of  water,  a  burst  of  smoke,  a  flash 
of  fire,  and  part  of  the  cruiser  rose  in  the  air. 

STKIKES  THE  SECOND  CRUISER 

"Its  crew  were  brave  and,  even  with  death  staring  them  in 
the  face,  kept  to  their  posts.  I  submerged  at  once.  But  I  had 
stayed  on  top  long  enough  to  see  the  other  cruisers,  which  I 


298  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS 

learned  were  the  Cressy  and  the  Hogue,  turn  and  steam  full 
speed  to  their  dying  sister. 

"As  I  reached  my  torpedo  depth  I  sent  a  second  charge  at 
the  nearest  of  the  oncoming  vessels,  which  was  the  Hogue. 
The  English  were  playing  my  game,  for  I  had  scarcely  to  move 
out  of  my  position,  which  was  a  great  aid,  since  it  helped  to 
keep  me  from  detection. 

1 '  The  attack  on  the  Hogue  went  true.  But  this  time  I  did 
not  have  the  advantageous  aid  of  having  the  torpedo  detonate 
under  the  magazine,  so  for  twenty  minutes  the  Hogue  lay 
wounded  and  helpless  on  the  surface  before  it  heaved,  half 
turned  over,  and  sank. 

"By  this  time  the  third  cruiser  knew,  of  course,  that  the 
enemy  was  upon  it,  and  it  sought  as  best  it  could  to  defend 
itself.  It  loosed  its  torpedo  defense  batteries  on  bows,  star- 
board, and  port,  and  stood  its  ground  as  if  more  anxious  to 
help  the  many  sailors  in  the  water  than  to  save  itself. 

"In  the  common  method  of  defending  itself  against  a 
submarine  attack,  it  steamed  in  a  zigzag  course,  and  this  made 
it  necessary  for  me  to  hold  my  torpedoes  until  I  could  lay  a 
true  course  for  them,  which  also  made  it  necessary  for  me  to 
get  nearer  to  the  Cressy. 

"I  had  to  come  to  the  surface  for  a  view,  and  saw  how 
wildly  the  fire  was  being  sent  from  the  ship.  Small  wonder 
that  was  when  they  did  not  know  where  to  shoot,  although  one 
shot  went  unpleasantly  near  us. 

"When  I  got  within  suitable  range  I  sent  away  my  third 
attack.  This  time  I  sent  a  second  torpedo  after  the  first  to 
make  the  strike  doubly  certain.  My  crew  were  aiming  like 
sharpshooters  and  both  torpedoes  went  to  their  bull's-eye. 
My  luck  was  with  me  again,  for  the  enemy  was  made  useless 
and  at  once  began  sinking  by  the  head.  Then  it  careened  far 
over,  but  all  the  while  its  men  stayed  at  the  guns  looking  for 
their  invisible  foe. 

"They  were  brave  and  true  to  their  country's  sea  tradi- 
tions. Then  it  eventually  suffered  a  boiler  explosion  and  com- 
pletely turned  turtle.  With  its  keel  uppermost  it  floated  until 
the  air  got  out  from  under  it  and  then  it  sank  with  a  loud 
sound,  as  if  from  a  creature  in  pain. 

"The  whole  affair  had  taken  less  than  one  hour  from  the 


MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS  299 

time  of  shooting  off  the  first  torpedo  until  the  Cressy  went  to 
the  bottom. 

•'I  set  my  course  for  home.  Before  I  got  far  some  British 
cruisers  and  destroyers  were  on  the  spot  and  the  destroyers 
took  up  the  chase. 

"I  kept  under  water  most  of  the  way,  but  managed  to  get 
off  a  wireless  to  the  German  fleet  that  I  was  heading  homeward 
and  being  pursued.  But  although  British  destroyers  saw  me 
plainly  at  dusk  on  the  22d  and  made  a  final  effort  to  stop  me, 
they  abandoned  the  attempt,  as  it  was  taking  them  too  far 
from  safety  and  needlessly  exposing  them  to  attack  from  our 
fleet  and  submarines." 


MERCHANTMEN  CAPTURED  AND  SUNK 

During  the  first  months  of  the  war  a  large  number  of  mer- 
chant vessels,  principally  German  and  British,  were  captured 
or  sunk.  According  to  a  British  Admiralty  return,  issued  Sep- 
tember 28,  twelve  British  ships  with  an  aggregate  tonnage  of 
59,331  tons  had  been  sunk  on  the  high  seas  by  German  cruisers 
up  to  September  23.  Eight  other  British  ships,  whose  ton- 
nage aggregated  2,970,  had  been  sunk  by  German  mines  in  the 
North  Sea,  and  24  fishing  craft,  with  a  tonnage  of  4,334,  had 
been  captured  or  sunk  by  the  Germans  in  the  same  waters. 
British  ships  detained  at  German  ports  numbered  74,  with  a 
total  tonnage  of  170,000. 

On  the  other  side  the  Admiralty  reported  102  German 
ships,  with  a  total  tonnage  of  200,000,  detained  in  British  ports 
since  the  outbreak  of  the  war;  while  88  German  ships,  of  an 
aggregate  tonnage  of  338,000,  had  been  captured  since  hostili- 
ties began. 

The  return  also  showed  that  168  German  ships,  with  an 
aggregate  tonnage  of  283,000,  had  been  detained  or  captured 
by  the  Allies.  Fifteen  ships,  with  a  tonnage  of  247,000,  were 
detained  in  American  ports,  while  fourteen  others,  with  a  ton- 
nage of  72,000,  remained  in  the  Suez  Canal. 

The  German  mines  in  the  North  Sea  had  also  destroyed 
seven  Scandinavian  ships,  with  a  tonnage  of  11,098. 

GERMAN  CRUISERS  ACTIVE 

Several  German  cruisers  were  amazingly  active  in  distant 
waters  early  in  the  war.  Among  these  were  the  Goeben,  Bres- 
lau,  Emden,  Karlsruhe,  and  Leipzig,  which  captured  or  sank 


300  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS 

a  number  of  vessels  of  the  enemy.  The  German  cruisers 
Scharnhorst  and  Gneisenau  also  operated  in  the  Pacific, 
bombarding  the  French  colony  of  Papeete,  on  the  island  of 
Tahiti,  and  inflicting  much  damage,  including  the  sinking  of 
two  vessels. 

On  August  26  the  big  converted  German  liner  Kaiser  Wil- 
helm  der  Grosse,  while  cruising  on  the  northwest  coast  of 
Africa,  was  sunk  by  the  British  cruiser  Highflyer. 

The  German  cruiser  Dresden  was  reported  sunk  by  British 
cruisers  in  South  American  waters  in  the  second  week  of  Sep- 
tember. The  Emden,  operating  under  the  German  flag  in  the 
Indian  Ocean,  sank  several  British  steamers.  Several  Aus- 
trian vessels  succumbed  to  mines  off  the  coast  of  Dalmatia  and 
in  the  Baltic  there  were  a  number  of  casualties  in  which  both 
Russian  and  German  cruisers  suffered.  The  Russian  armored 
cruiser  Bayan  was  sunk  in  a  fight  near  the  entrance  to  the 
Gulf  of  Finland. 

On  September  20  the  German  protected  cruiser  Koenigs- 
berg  attacked  the  British  light  cruiser  Pegasus  in  the  harbor 
of  Zanzibar  and  disabled  her.  Off  the  east  coast  of  South 
America  the  British  auxiliary  cruiser  Carmania,  a  former 
Cunard  liner,  destroyed  a  German  merchant  cruiser  mounting 
eight  four-inch  guns.  About  the  same  time  the  German 
cruiser  Hela  was  sunk  in  the  North  Sea  by  the  British  sub- 
marine E-9.  The  Kronprinz  Wilhelm,  a  former  German  liner, 
which  had  been  supplying  coal  to  German  cruisers  in  the 
Atlantic,  was  also  sunk  by  the  British. 

GERMAN  COLONY  OCCUPIED 

The  British  Admiralty  announced  on  September  12  that 
the  Australian  fleet  had  occupied  Herbertshoehe,  on  Blanche 
Bay,  the  seat  of  government  of  the  German  Bismarck  Archi- 
pelago and  the  Solomon  Islands. 

The  Bismarck  Archipelago,  with  an  area  of  18,000  square 
miles  and  a  population  of  200,000,  is  off  the  north  coast  of 
Australia  and  southwest  of  the  Philippine  Islands.  The  group 
was  assigned  to  the  German  sphere  of  influence  by  an  agree- 
ment with  Great  Britain  in  1885.  German  New  Guinea  was 
included  in  the  jurisdiction. 

GERMANS  SINK  RUSS  CRUISER 

On  October  11  German  submarines  in  the  Baltic  torpedoed 
and  sank  the  Russian  armored  cruiser  Pallada  with  all  its 


MYSTERY  OF  THE  FLEETS  301 

crew,  numbering  568  men.  The  Pallada  had  a  displacement 
of  7,775  tons  and  was  a  sister  ship  of  the  Admiral  Makarov 
and  Bayan.  She  was  launched  in  November,  1906,  and  had 
a  water-line  length  of  443  feet;  beam,  57  feet;  draft  of  21V4 
feet,  and  a  speed  of  21  knots.  She  carried  two  8-inch,  eight 
6-inch,  twenty-two  12-pounders,  four  3-pounders,  and  two  tor- 
pedo tubes.  Seven  inches  of  Krupp  armor  protected  the  ves- 
sel amidships  and  four  inches  forward. 

The  Pallada  was  engaged  in  patrolling  the  Baltic  with  the 
Admiral  Makarov  when  attacked  by  the  submarines.  She 
opened  a  strong  fire  on  them,  but  was  blown  up  by  a  torpedo 
launched  by  one  of  the  submerged  craft,  while  the  Makarov 
escaped. 

BRITISH    CRUISER    HAWKE    SUNK 

On  October  15th,  while  the  British  cruisers  Hawke  and 
Theseus  were  patrolling  the  northern  waters  of  the  North 
Sea,  they  were  attacked  by  a  German  submarine.  The  Hawke, 
a  cruiser  of  7,750  tons,  commanded  by  Capt.  H.  P.  E.  T.  Wil- 
liams, was  torpedoed  and  sank  in  eight  minutes.  Only  seventy- 
three  of  her  crew  of  400  officers  and  men  were  saved.  The 
Theseus  escaped. 

BRITISH  AVENGE  AMPHION's  LOSS 

Capt.  Cecil  H.  Fox,  who  was  in  command  of  the  British 
cruiser  Amphion  when  she  was  destroyed  by  a  German  mine 
early  in  the  war,  had  his  revenge  on  October  17,  when,  in  com- 
mand of  the  cruiser  Undaunted,  he  sank  four  German  torpedo 
boat  destroyers  off  the  coast  of  Holland.  Only  31  of  the  com- 
bined crews  of  400  men  were  saved  and  these  were  taken  as 
prisoners  of  war. 


CHAPTEE  XX 

SUBMARINES  AND  MINES 

Battleships  in  Constant  Danger  from  Submerged  Craft — 
Opinions  of  Admiral  Sir  Percy  Scott — Construction  of 
Modern  Torpedoes — How  Mines  Are  Laid  and  Ex- 
ploded on  Contact. 

SIR  PERCY  SCOTT,  admiral  in  the  British  navy,  who 
through   his   inventions   made   possible   the   advance   in 

marksmanship  with  heavy  guns  and  increased  the  poss;- 
bilities  of  hitting  at  long  range  and  of  broadside  firing,  said 
recently  that  everything  he  has  done  to  enhance  the  value  o' 
the  gun  is  rendered  useless  by  the  advent  of  the  latest  type 
of  submarine,  a  vessel  which  has  for  its  principal  weapon  the 
torpedo.  Dreadnoughts  and  super-dreadnoughts  are  doomed, 
because  thoy  no  longer  can  be  safe  at  sea  from  the  submarine 
nor  find  safety  in  harbors. 

"The  introduction  of  vessels  that  swim  under  water,"  he 
said,  "has  in  my  opinion  entirely  done  away  with  the  utility 
of  the  ships  that  swim  on  top  of  tie  water.  The  functions 
of  a  war  vessel  were  these:  Defensively,  [1]  to  attack  ships 
that  come  to  bombard  our  forts,  [2]  to  attack  ships  that  come 
to  blockade  us,  [3]  to  attack  ships  convoying  a  landing  party, 
[4]  to  attack  the  enemy's  fleet,  [5]  to  attack  ships  interfering 
with  our  commerce;  offensively,  [1]  to  bombard  an  enemy's 
ports,  [2]  to  blockade  an  enemy,  [3]  to  convoy  a  landing 
party,  [4]  to  attack  the  enemy's  fleet,  [5]  to  attack  the  enemy's 
commerce. 

"The  submarine  renders  1,  2  and  3  impossible,  as  no  man 
of  war  will  daro  to  com^  even  within  sight  of  a  coast  that  is 
adequately  protected  by  submarines.     The  fourth  function 

302 


SUBMARINES  AND  3IINES  303 

of  a  battleship  is  to  attack  an  enemy's  fleet,  but  there  will  be 
no  fleet  to  attack,  as  it  will  not  be  safe  for  a  fleet  tj  put  to 
sea.  Submarines  and  aeroplanes  have  entirely  revolution- 
ized naval  warfare;  no  fleet  can  hide  itself  from  the  aero- 
plane's eye,  and  the  submarine  can  deliver  a  deadly  attack 
in  broad  daylight. 

"In  time  of  war  the  scouting  aeroplanes  will  always  be 
high  above  on  the  lookout,  and  the  submarines  in  constant 
readiness.  If  an  enemy  is  sighted  the  gong  sounds  and  the 
leash  of  a  flotilla  of  submarines  will  be  slipped.  Whether  it 
be  night  or  day,  fine  or  rough,  they  must  go  out  in  search  of 
their  quarry;  if  they  find  her  she  is  doomed  and  they  give 
no  quarter;  they  cannot  board  her  and  take  her  as  prize  as 
in  the  olden  days;  they  only  wait  till  she  sinks,  then  return 
home  without  even  knowing  the  number  of  human  beings  they 
have  sent  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean. 

"Not  only  is  the  open  sea  unsafe;  a  battleship  is  not  im- 
mune from  attack  even  in  a  closed  harbor,  for  the  so-called 
protecting  boom  at  the  entrance  can  easily  be  blown  up.  With 
a  flotilla  of  submarines  commanded  by  dashing  young  offi- 
cers, of  whom  we  have  plenty,  I  would  undertake  to  get 
through  any  boom  into  any  harbor  and  sink  or  materially 
damage  all  the  ships  in  that  harbor." 

A    PRACTICAL    Man's    VIEWS 

This  is  not  a  mere  theorist  or  dreamer  talking,  says  Bur- 
ton Roscoe  in  commenting  on  Admiral  Scott's  statements; 
it  is  the  one  man  in  England  most  supremely  versed  in  naval 
tactics,  the  man  to  whom  all  nations  owe  the  present  effective- 
ness of  the  broadside  of  eight,  twelve  and  fourteen  inch  guns 
and  the  perfection  in  sighting  long  range  guns. 

The  newest  type  of  submarine  torpedo  is  100  per  cent  effi- 
cient. The  torpedo  net  of  steel  that  used  to  be  the  ship's 
defense  against  torpedoes  is  now  useless.  The  modern  tor- 
pedoes need  only  to  come  in  contact  with  a  surface  like  the 
torpedo  net  or  the  armor  plate  of  a  battleship  to  discharge 
a  shell  wdiich  will  burst  through  a  two-inch  armor  caisson, 
rupture  the  hull  of  a  battleship,  and  s'nk  it  in  a  few  minutes. 

The  torpedo  submarines  of  the  modern  type  have  a  sub- 
merged speed  of  from  eMit  to  ten  knots  an  hour.  Only  a 
small  surface,  including  the  bridge  or  conning  tower,  is  ex- 


804  SUBMARINES  AND  MINES 

posed,  thus  making  it  almost  impossible  to  hit  them  with  the 
clumsy  guns  aboard  ship.  The  highest  type  of  submarine 
has  a  submerged  tonnage  of  812  tons  and  its  length  is  176 
feet. 

Each  submarine  carries  from  one  to  six  torpedoes,  each 
of  which  is  capable  of  sinking  the  most  heavily  armored  ves- 
sel afloat.  The  sighter  in  the  conning  tower  moves  swiftly 
up  within  range  of  the  vessel  he  is  attacking  and  gives  the 
signal  for  the  discharge  of  the  torpedo.  The  men  aboard 
the  attacked  ship  have  no  warning  of  their  impending  death 
except  a  thin  sheaf  of  water  that  follows  on  the  surface  in 
the  wake  of  the  submerged  torpedo  and  which  lasts  only  an 
instant. 

RUN"  BY  COMPRESSED  AIR 

By  a  compressed  air  arrangement  motive  power  is  fur- 
nished the  torpedo  in  transit  for  its  propellers.  A  gyroscope 
keeps  it  on  a  plane  and  upright.  A  striker  on  the  nose  of 
the  torpedo  is  released  by  a  fan  which  revolves  in  the  water. 
The  nose  of  the  torpedo  strikes  the  side  of  the  battleship  and 
the  compact  jars  the  primer  of  fulminate  of  mercury.  The 
high  explosive  of  gunpowder  forces  out  a  shell  and  explodes 
with  it  after  the  shell  has  penetrated  the  armor.  Then  the 
work  is  done. 

It  is  generally  believed  the  principal  harbors  and  fortifica- 
tions in  England  are  heavily  supplied  with  torpedoes  of  the 
new  type.  It  is  also  believed  that  the  fortifications  about  the 
River  Elbe  are  thus  equipped.  If  this  is  a  fact  the  defending 
nation  will  be  able  not  only  to  repulse  any  fleet  attempting 
an  invasion  but  also  to  destroy  it.  By  throwing  across  the 
Straits  of  Dover,  or  across  the  lower  end  of  the  North  Sea, 
a  flotilla  of  its  powerful  submarines  England  can  prevent 
any  naval  invasion  of  France  or  England  or  Belgium  by 
Germany  should  the  attacking  fleet  take  this  route. 

In  the  latest  type  of  submarine  the  United  States  is  de- 
ficient. There  are  only  twenty-nine  submarines  in  the  United 
States  naval  service  at  the  present  time  and  only  eighteen 
under  construction. 

The  old  type  of  torpedo  did  not  have  penetrative  power 


SUBMARINES  AND  MINES 


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306  SUBMARINES  AND  MINES       • 

sufficient  to  sink  the  modern  armor-clad  battleship  unless  it 
struck  under  exceptionally  favorable  circumstances.  A  large 
percentage  of  the  destructive  power  was  expended  on  the 
outside  of  the  hull.  Commander  Davis  of  the  United  States 
navy  invented  the  torpedo  that  carries  its  power  undiminished 
into  the  interior  of  the  vessel. 

CAN"  CUT  TOKPEDO  NETS 

The  new  torpedoes  are  provided  with  special  steel  cutters 
by  which  they  cut  through  the  strongest  steel  torpedo  net. 
The  torpedo  has  within  it  an  eight-inch  gun,  capable  of  ex- 
ploding a  shell  with  a  muzzle  velocity  of  about  1,000  feet  a 
second.  The  projectile  carries  a  bursting  charge  of  a  high  ex- 
plosive, and  this  charge  is  detonated  by  a  delayed-action  fuse. 
When  the  torpedo  strikes  its  target,  the  gun  is  fired  and  the 
shell  strikes  the  outside  plating  of  the  ship.  Then  the  fuse 
in  the  shell's  base  explodes  the  charge  in  the  shell,  immedi- 
ately after  the  impact. 

With  a  small  fleet  of  these  under-water  fighting  vessels — 
say  of  two  or  three — an  invading  or  blockading  fleet  of  not 
more  than  twenty  men-of-war  can  be  destroyed  within  an  hour 
by  an  otherwise  unprotected  harbor  or  port. 

Germany  has  a  few  of  these  latest  style  submarines,  and 
if  it  can  rush  the  construction  of  the  thirty-one  now  being 
built,  it  will  have  a  flotilla  that  will  protect  its  harbor  towns 
against  invasion. 

France,  also  with  its  fifty  submarines  and  thirty-one  under 
construction,  and  its  great  corps  of  scouting  aeroplanes,  will 
prove  a  formidable  agent  in  crippling  the  activities  of  Ger- 
many's big  fleet  of  dreadnoughts,  armored  cruisers  and  bat- 
tleships. Russia  will  need  its  twenty-five  submarines  for 
coast  defense  and  probably  will  not  send  them  out  of  the 
Baltic  [or  out  of  the  Black  Sea  in  the  event  that  Italy  is  drawn 
into  the  conflict.] 

Undoubtedly,  then,  the  great  battles  in  the  present  war, 
on  the  water  at  least,  may  be  decided  by  these  silently  mov- 
ing, dinky  sized,  almost  imperceptible  submarines  which  carry 
the  ever-destroying  torpedoes.  And  the  loss  of  lives  will  be 
more  prodigious  than  ever. 


SUBMARINES  AND  MINES  307 

SUBMAEINE  STEENGTH   OF   THE   POWEES 

Built  Building. 

Great  Britain 69  35 

Prance  50  31 

Russia    25  30 

Germany    24  31 

Italy 18  8 

Austria    6  11 

SUBMEEGED  MINES HOW  THEY  AEE  LAID  AND  THEIE  WOEKING 

The  sinking  of  the  light  cruiser  Pathfinder  of  the  British 
navy  by  a  German  mine  in  the  North  Sea  early  in  the  war 
called  special  attention  to  the  deadly  character  of  the  mines 
of  the  present  day. 

A  modern  mine-laying  ship  puts  to  sea  with  a  row  of  contact 
mines  on  rails  along  her  side,  ready  for  dropping  into  the  sea. 
The  rails  project  over  the  stern.  The  essential  parts  of  a 
special  type  of  mine  of  recent  design  consist  of  (1)  the  mine 
proper,  comprising  the  explosive  charge  and  detonating 
apparatus  in  a  spherical  case;  (2)  a  square-shaped  anchor 
chamber,  connected  with  the  mine  by  a  length  of  cable;  (3)  a 
plummet-weight  used  in  placing  the  mine  in  position,  connected 
with  the  anchor  chamber  by  a  rope.  Thus  the  mine  appears 
on  the  deck  of  the  mine-laying  ship  before  being  lowered  over 
the  stern. 

Before  the  mine  goes  over,  a  windlass  inside  the  plummet- 
sinker  is  revolved  by  hand  until  the  length  of  cable  between  the 
plummet  and  the  anchor-chamber  has  been  reeled  off  equiva- 
lent to  the  depth  below  the  surface  at  which  the  explosive  mine 
is  to  float. 

Then  the  entire  apparatus  is  hove  overboard.  The  plum- 
met and  anchor-chamber  sink,  while  the  spherical  mine  proper 
is  kept  on  the  surface  for  the  moment  by  means  of  a  buoyant 
air-chamber  within.  A  windlass  in  the  anchor-chamber  now 
pays  out  the  cable  between  it  and  the  mine  as  the  anchor- 
chamber  sinks.  On  the  plummet  touching  bottom,  the  tension 
in  the  cable  between  it  and  the  anchor-chamber  is  lessened, 
and  the  windlass  mentioned  stops.  The  anchor-chamber  there- 
upon sinks  to  the  bottom,  dragging  down  the  spherical  mine 
until  that  is  at  the  selected  depth  ready  for  its  deadly  work. 


308 


SUBMARINES  AND  MINES 


When  a  ship  strikes  the  mine  the  explosive  case  revolves 
and  moves  a  projecting  contact-lever  sideways.  That  releases 
a  firing-pin  from  a  pair  of  hinged  jaws  which  till  then  had  held 
it  steady.  A  coil-spring  is  thus  freed  and  drives  the  firing- 
pin,  or  striker,  hard  against  the  detonator,  firing  the  mine. 


INO\A/'S    YOUR    CHANCE,    UNCLE     SAM. 


— Chicago  Tribune 


CHAPTER  XXI 

AERO-MILITARY  OPERATIONS 

Aerial  Attacks  on  Cities — Some  of  the  Achievements  of  the 
Airmen  in  the  Great  War — Deeds  of  Heroism  and  Dar- 
ing— Zeppelins  in  Action — Their  Construction  and 
Operation. 

DURING  the  first  ten  weeks  of  the  war  German  airmen 
flew  over  Paris  several  times  and  dropped  bombs  that  did 
some  damage.    Aeroplanes,  not  Zeppelins,  were  used  in 
these  attempts  to  terrorize  the  capital  and  other  cities  of 
France. 

The  early  visits  of  Zeppelin  airships  to  Antwerp  have  been 
described  in  a  previous  chapter.  These  were  continued  up  to 
the  time  of  the  fall  of  Antwerp.  While  comparatively  few 
lives  were  lost  through  the  explosion  of  the  bombs  dropped, 
the  recurring  attacks  served  to  keep  the  inhabitants,  if  not  the 
Belgian  troops,  in  a  state  of  constant  excitement  and  fear. 
When  the  city  fell  into  German  hands,  a  similar  condition 
arose  in  England,  where  it  was  feared  that  Antwerp  might  be 
made  the  base  for  German  airship  attacks  on  London  and 
other  cities  of  Great  Britain;  and  all  possible  precautions 
were  taken  against  such  attacks.  The  members  of  the  Royal 
Flying  Corps  were  kept  constantly  on  the  alert;  powerful 
searchlights  swept  the  sky  over  London  and  the  English  coast 
every  night  and  artillery  was  kept  in  readiness  to  repel  an 
aerial  invasion.  Such  was  the  condition  in  the  third  week 
of  October. 

BEITISH  ATTACK   ON  DUSSELDOKF 

A  new  type  of  British  aeroplane  was  developed  during  the 
war,  capable  of  rising  from  the  ground  at  a  very  sharp  angle 
and  of  developing  a  speed  of  150  miles  an  hour.    And  in  their 

309 


310  AERO-MILITARY  OPERATIONS 

operations  in  France  and  Belgium  the  British  army  aviators 
proved  themselves  highly  efficient  and  earned  unstinted  praise 
from  Field  Marshal  Sir  John  French,  in  command  of  the 
British  forces  on  the  continent.  One  of  their  notable  exploits 
was  an  attack,  October  8,  on  the  Zeppelin  sheds  at  Dussel- 
dorf  and  Cologne,  in  German  territory.  The  attack  was 
made  by  Lieut.  R.  S.  G.  Marix,  of  the  Naval  Flying  Corps,  in  a 
monoplane,  and  Squadron  Commander  Spencer  Grey,  with 
Lieut.  S.  V.  Lippe,  in  a  biplane.  Flying  from  Antwerp  at  a 
height  of  5,000  feet,  to  escape  the  almost  continuous  German 
fire,  Lieut.  Marix  succeeded  in  locating  the  Zeppelin  hangars 
at  Dusseldorf.  Then  descending  to  a  height  of  only  1,000  feet 
he  released  two  bombs  when  directly  over  them,  damaging 
both  hangars  and  aircraft.  A  German  bullet  passed  through 
Lieut.  Marix 's  cap  and  the  wings  of  his  aeroplane  were 
pierced  in  a  dozen  places,  but  he  succeeded  in  returning  to 
the  burning  city  of  Antwerp,  which  he  was  ordered  to  leave 
the  same  evening. 

During  the  same  raid  Commander  Spencer  Grey  flew  to 
Cologne.  He  was  unable  to  locate  the  Zeppelin  hangars  but 
dropped  two  bombs  into  the  railway  station,  which  was  badly 
damaged. 

A  night  or  two  later  a  German  Zeppelin  flew  over  Ghent 
and  dropped  a  bomb  near  the  South  station.  On  October  11 
two  German  aviators  dropped  a  score  of  bombs  on  different 
quarters  of  Paris,  killing  three  civilians  and  injuring  four- 
teen others.  The  property  damage,  however,  was  slight  and 
the  effectiveness  of  bomb-dropping  as  a  means  of  destroying 
a  city  or  fortifications  remained  to  be  proved  to  the  military 
mind.  It  was  noted  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  bombs 
dropped  by  German  aviators  failed  to  explode. 

HEROIC  ACTS  BY  AIRMEN 

Stories  of  heroism  displayed  by  aviators  on  both  sides  of 
the  great  conflict  have  abounded.  One  story  of  the  devotion 
of  German  airmen,  told  to  a  correspondent  by  several  German 
officers,  he  succeeded  in  verifying,  but  was  unable  to  learn 
the  name  of  the  particular  hero  of  the  occurrence.  This  story 
was  as  follows : 

"In  one  of  the  battles  around  Rheims  it  became  necessary 


AERO-MILITARY  OPERATIONS  311 

to  blow  up  a  bridge  which  was  about  to  be  crossed  by  advanc- 
ing French  troops  coming  to  relieve  a  beleaguered  fort.  The 
only  way  to  destroy  the  bridge  was  for  an  airman  to  swoop 
down  and  drop  an  exceptionally  powerful  bomb  upon  it. 

"There  were  twenty-four  flyers  with  that  division  of  the 
German  army.  A  volunteer  was  asked  for,  it  being  first 
announced  that  the  required  task  meant  sure  death  to  the  man 
undertaking  it. 

"Every  one  of  the  twenty-four  stepped  forward  without 
hesitation.  Lots  were  quickly  drawn.  The  chosen  man 
departed  without  saying  farewell  to  any  one.  Within  five 
minutes  the  bridge  was  in  ruins  and  the  aeroplane  and  its 
heroic  pilot  had  been  blown  to  pieces.  This  incident  was  not 
published  in  the  press  of  Germany,  because  of  the  fear  that  it 
would  cause  terrible  anxiety  to  the  wives  of  all  married  Ger- 
man flyers.' ' 

A  DUEL  HIGH  IN  THE  AIR 

An  aerial  victory  for  a  French  aviator,  fought  thousands 
of  feet  in  the  air  in  the  presence  of  troops  of  both  armies,  was 
reported  by  Lieutenant  de  Laine  of  the  French  aerial  corps 
on  October  10.  The  air  duel  was  one  of  the  most  thrilling  since 
the  war  began.  Lieutenant  de  Laine 's  account  of  the  combat 
was  as  follows : 

' '  I  had  been  ordered  to  fly  over  the  German  lines  with  an 
observer  who  was  to  drop  pamphlets.  These  pamphlets  con- 
tained the  following  inscription: 

"  'German  soldiers,  attention!  German  officers  say  that 
the  French  maltreat  prisoners.  This  is  a  lie.  German  prison- 
ers are  as  well  treated  as  unfortunate  adversaries  should  be.' 

"We  had  no  sooner  taken  wing  than  the  aeroplane  was 
sighted  by  German  observers  in  captive  balloons  anchored 
about  six  miles  distant.  Immediately  two  Albatross  machines 
rose  from  the  German  camp  and  came  forward. 

"We  continued  to  advance,  meanwhile  sending  the  aero- 
plane higher  and  higher  until  the  barograph  showed  we  were 
6,000  feet  above  the  ground.  Our  machine  was  speedier  than 
the  German  aeroplane,  which  was  constructed  of  steel  and 
was  so  heavy  it  could  not  work  up  the  speed  of  the  French 
army  monoplane. 

"We  were  able  to  get  over  the  German  lines  and  my  com- 


312  AERO-MILITARY  OPERATIONS 

panion  began  hurling  thousands  of  the  pamphlets  in  every 
direction.    It  was  like  a  snowstorm. 

"In  the  meantime,  the  German  artillery  got  their  long 
range  air  guns  in  action  and  were  hurling  volley  after  volley 
against  us.  The  shells  were  of  special  type,  designed  to  create 
violent  air  waves  when  they  burst.  We  were  too  high  to  be 
reached,  but  we  had  to  turn  our  attention  to  the  two  aeroplanes 
which  were  rushing  toward  us. 

"As  they  approached  the  German  artillery  fire  stopped. 
We  were  too  high  to  distinguish  what  was  going  on  beneath 
us,  but  I  could  imagine  the  thousands  of  soldiers  staring  sky- 
ward in  wonder  at  the  strange  spectacle  above  them. 

"We  kept  swinging  in  wide  circles  over  the  German  lines 
and  I  kept  getting  higher  and  higher  in  order  to  outmaneuver 
the  German  plane  and  to  prevent  it  from  getting  above  us  so 
that  bombs  could  be  thrown  at  us. 

"The  machines  were  all  equipped  with  rapid-fire  guns,  and 
when  we  got  within  100  yards  of  each  other,  both  sides  opened 
fire.  The  bullets  went  wide.  Finally  we  began  to  swing  back- 
ward, getting  lower  and  lower.  One  of  the  German  machines 
was  thus  lured  over  the  French  lines  and  our  land  artillery 
opened  against  it.  One  of  its  wings  was  shattered  and  it 
dropped,  but  the  other  aeroplane  escaped. ' ' 

HOW  A  GERMAN  AVIATOR  ESCAPED 

How  a  German  aviator  in  Belgium  secured  control  of  a 
falling  aeroplane  after  his  companion  had  been  killed  is 
described  in  a  thrilling  letter  received  by  his  father  in  Berlin 
September  30.    It  reads : 

"Dear  Father:  I  am  lying  here  in  a  beautiful  Belgian 
castle  slowly  recovering  from  wounds  I  thought  would  kill  mo. 
On  August  22  I  made  a  flight  with  Lieutenant  J.,  a  splendid 
aviator;  established  the  fact  that  the  enemy  was  advancing 
toward  us.  In  the  region  of  Bertrix  we  came  into  heavy  rain- 
clouds  and  had  to  descend  to  3,000  feet.  As  we  came  through 
the  clouds  we  were  seen  and  an  entire  French  division  began 
shooting  at  us. 

"Lieutenant  J.  was  hit  in  the  abdomen.  Our  motor  was 
put  out  of  commission.  We  were  trying  to  volplane  across 
a  forest  in  the  distance  when  suddenly  I  felt  the  machine  give 


AERO-MILITARY  OPERATIONS  313 

a  jump.  I  turned  around — as  I  was  sitting  in  front — and 
found  that  a  second  bullet  had  hit  Lieutenant  J.  in  the  head 
and  killed  him. 

1 '  I  leaned  over  the  back  of  the  seat  and  managed  to  reach 
the  steering  apparatus  and  headed  down.  A  hail  of  shots 
whistled  about  me.  I  felt  something  hit  me  in  the  fore- 
head. Blood  ran  into  my  eyes.  I  was  faint.  But  will  pre- 
vailed and  I  retained  consciousness.  Just  as  we  were  near 
the  ground  a  gust  of  wind  hit  the  plane  and  turned  my  machine 
over.  I  fell  in  the  midst  of  the  enemy  with  my  dead  com- 
panion. The  'red  trousers'  were  coming  from  all  directions 
and  I  drew  my  pistol  and  shot  three  of  them.  I  felt  a  bayonet 
at  my  breast  and  gave  myself  up  for  dead  when  an  officer 
shouted:    "  'Let  him  live!    He  is  a  brave  soldier.' 

"I  was  taken  to  the  commanding  general  of  the  Seven- 
teenth French  army  corps,  who  questioned  me,  but,  of  course, 
got  no  information.  He  said  I  would  later  be  sent  to  Paris,  but 
as  I  was  weak  from  loss  of  blood  and  seriously  wounded  I  was 
taken  into  their  field  hospital  and  cared  for.  The  officers  were 
very  nice  to  me  and  when  the  French  fell  back  I  took  advantage 
of  the  confusion  to  crawl  under  a  bush,  where  I  remained  until 
our  troops  came." 

Many  occurrences  of  a  similarly  thrilling  character  have 
been  related  in  the  camps  of  the  contending  armies.  The 
above  suffice  to  show  the  patriotic  devotion  and  heroism  of  the 
military  forces  of  the  air,  which  for  the  first  time  in  history 
have  been  a  prominent  feature  of  warfare  in  1914. 


ZEPPELINS  IN  ACTION 

The  real  story  of  the  performances  of  air-craft  in  the 
war  has  not  been  told,  but  there  has  been  enough  to  give  the 
world  a  terrifying  glimpse  of  these  modern  weapons. 

The  three  attacks  on  Antwerp  by  a  Zeppelin  airship 
brought  into  action  the  long  predicted  onslaught  by  forces 
of  the  air  against  the  ground.  After  one  of  the  great  German 
dirigibles  had  been  brought  down  by  gunfire  because  it  was 
accidentally  guided  too  near  the  earth,  another  returned  over 
the  city,  and  the  havoc  wrought  by  this  single  craft  realizes 


314  AERO-MILITARY  OPERATIONS 

the  horrors  that  would  follow  any  concerted  attack  by  a 
fleet  of  the  aerial  destroyers  if  they  were  launched  against 
a  city. 

The  Zeppelin  is  an  impressive  thing  because  of  its  size, 
cigar-shaped  and  ranging  from  300  to  over  500  feet  in  length, 
driven  at  a  rate  of  40  miles  an  hour  by  four  propellers  and 
carrying  a  huge  car.  It  is  most  valuable  for  use  at  night, 
of  course,  but  has  proved  it  is  capable  of  doing  its  deadly 
work  out  of  range  of  ordinary  gunfire  at  day.  Artillery  has 
been  invented  which  can  reach  airships  flying  at  5,000  feet, 
but  there  is  not  much  of  it.  The  half  dozen  German  Zeppelins 
which  have  been  destroyed  by  French  and  Eussian  fire  met 
their  fate   chiefly  because   they  got  too  near  the  ground. 

Refugees  from  Belgium  describe  the  method  used  by  Zep- 
pelins in  dropping  bombs.  The  dirigible  is  kept  as  much  as 
possible  out  of  range  of  the  enemy's  guns  while  it  lowers 
a  steel  cage,  attached  to  a  steel  rope,  200  or  300  feet  long. 
The  cage  carries  a  man  who  throws  down  the  bombs.  Be- 
cause of  the  small  size  of  the  cage  and  the  fact  that  it  is  kept 
constantly  in  motion  it  is  difficult  for  heavy  guns  to  hit  it. 
The  great  airship  remains  perfectly  stable  while  the  missiles, 
of  which  there  are  a  variety  for  different  missions,  are  being 
hurled.  All  the  military  Zeppelins  of  Germany  are  armed 
and  there  are  a  large  number  of  unarmed  dirigibles  in  re- 
serve. 

It  is  estimated  that  there  are  100  aeroplanes  with  the 
British  forces  on  the  continent.  The  French  army  has  hun- 
dreds of  aeroplanes  of  various  kinds.  Germany's  fleet  of 
flying  machines  has  been  in  action  continuously  and  the 
aviators  have  proved  a  big  aid  in  scouting  as  well  as  in 
dropping  bombs  and  grenades  on  the  enemy. 

The  newest  French  aeroplanes  are  said  to  be  equipped 
with  boxes  filled  with  thousands  of  " steel  arrows." 

These  " arrows"  are  really  steel  bolts  four  inches  long. 
When  the  aviator  sails  over  the  enemy  he  opens  trapdoors 
of  the  " arrow"  boxes  with  a  simple  device  and  lets  showers 
of  bolts  fall  on  the  men  below.  One  of  the  ' '  arrows ' '  dropped 
2,000  feet  will  go  through  a  German  helmet  and  a  soldier's 


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sa 


Highlanders  driving  the  German  enemy  into  the  ancient  artificial  fishponds  near  Ermenonvillo,  inj 
the  forest  between  Compiegne  and  Chantilly.  One  of  the  fiercest  hand-to-hand  encounters  that  can 
be  imagined  took  place  in  this  normally  secluded  and  peaceful  spot.  During  the  battle  a  Highland  i 
regiment,   driving  the   enemy  back   through   the   woods,   hurled  a   number  of  them   straight  into  the|' 


1 


%        *w 


onds.  The  Highlanders  followed  them  into  the  water  and  there  was  fierce  work  with  bayonet 
rifle.  Numbers  of  the  Germans  were  bayoneted,  while  others  were  shot  down  or  drowned  in 
rater,  which  soon  teemed  with  corpses. — Drawn  by  A.  C.  Michel  from  a  sketch  by  Frederic  Villiers. 


CopyripTit,  Underwood  &  XTB-iMwoTd.  ,      ,.„vnu.nt  to  him   of  a   hundred  francs,  signaled  a 

U    This  French  soldier,  tempted  hj    <' '    '''    ,  "  ,'  J   ,f  t   t>   French   batteries   near   Rhoims. 

message  to   the   Germans   giving  them   the   positi < n    >i   i m    l    ,  t  j      the  act   met  an   Igno- 

He  was  the   first    French  traitor   of  tbe   war    and        n      . .a  U.t^ In^  ^  ..Bsplon.. 

^^InKwas^d^at^^hai  aU  iltftTS  how^his treachery  was  punched. 


Is 


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0)  o 

«     S 

r     °^ 

—    ,Q 
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r.      CD    OJ 

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iTDr  KoU  of  fpoMour  :     S^fJ'llen 


PHI] 


The  portraits  printed  above  are  those  of  a  few  of  the  British  officers  who  lost  their 
lives  in  battle  during  the  early  period  of  the  war.  Most  of .  them  were  members  of 
famous  fighting  families,  bearing  names  known  throughout  the  British  Empire.  For 
many  weeks  the  London  illustrated  papers  published  several  pages  a  week  similar  to  the 
above,  and  in  some  cases  the  appearance  of  these  portraits  of  the  dead  gave  relatives 
ind  friends  the  first  intimation  of  their  loss.  The  casualties  among  British  officers  have 
been  especially  heavy,  but  all  the  warring  nations  have  sustained  similar  losses  of  their 
best  and  bravest  sons. 


AERO-MILITARY  OPERATIONS 


315 


head.     A  shower  of  them  would  prove  effective  against  a 
massed  enemy. 

On  August  10  the  correspondent  of  the  London  Times  in 
Brussels,  describing  the  fighting  at  Liege,  said  aerial  fleets 


THE  RELATIVE  STRENGTH  OF  SOME  OF  THE  EURO- 
PEAN  NATIONS   IN   AEROPLANES  AND    DIRIGIBLES. 


-Aero  and  Hydro,  Chicago 


were  used  by  both  Belgians  and  Germans.  The  fighting  in 
midair  was  desultory  but  deadly.  A  huge  Zeppelin  sailed 
over  Liege  during  the  early  fighting,  but  was  pursued  by  a 


316  AERO-MILITARY  OPERATIONS 

Belgian  aeroplanist,  who  risked  and  lost  his  life  in  destroy- 
ing it. 

After  the  destruction  of  this  Zeppelin  the  Germans  con- 
fined their  aerial  activity  to  the  use  of  scouting  aeroplanes, 
several  of  which  were  destroyed  by  shots  from  the  forts. 
Attempts  to  reach  the  aeroplanes  with  shells  were  often  un- 
successful, however,  owing  to  the  inability  to  shoot  high 
enough. 


AVIATION  CAMPS  IN  EUROPE 

In  the  early  days  of  the  great  war  only  an  occasional  flash 
of  news  was  received  about  the  French  and  Russian  aero- 
military  operations  or  those  of  the  German  corps  along 
the  Russian  and  French  frontiers.  It  was  difficult  to  imagine 
that  they  were  idle,  for  the  German-Russian  and  the  French- 
German  frontiers  had  been  the  locations  of  many  military 
aeronautical  camps  or  fortresses.  These  were  described  at 
the  outbreak  of  hostilities  as  follows : 

1  'Along  the  German  frontier  facing  Russia  are  the  im- 
portant aero  centers  of  Thorn  and  Graudenz,  while  the  near- 
est aero  base  in  Russia  is  at  Riga,  farther  north. 

"Against  German  invasion  there  are  French  centers  at 
Verdun,  Nancy,  Luneville  and  Belfort.  The  most  important 
is  at  Belfort.  Sixty  miles  from  the  Belgian  frontier  and  170 
miles  from  Liege  is  the  great  center  at  Rheims,  with  the 
even  more  important  base  at  Chalons-sur-Marne  only  twenty- 
five  miles  distant. 

"Seventy-five  to  100  miles  is  the  scouting  range  of  the 
military  aeroplanes,  while  the  dirigibles  will  scout  500  to 
1,000  miles  from  the  base,  according  to  the  duration  efficiency. 
The  Zeppelins  might,  taking  some  risk,  travel  even  farther. 
With  this  taken  into  consideration,  the  fact  that  there  are 
only  two  German  aero  centers  on  the  French  frontier — Aix- 
la-Chapelle  and  Metz — is  not  very  significant.  The  range 
of  the  Vosges  occupies  the  territory  where  there  is  no  aero 
center. 

"Back  of  the  mountains,  along  the  Rhone  from  Dusseldorf 
to  Strasbourg,  there  are  a  dozen  aero  stations,  some  of  them 
devoted  to  aeroplanes  and  dirigibles,  others  to  dirigibles  alone. 

"The  latest  data  show  that  Germany  has  sixty  stations, 


AERO-MILITARY  OPERATIC 


m 


in  i 
sia, 

- 


'  an  v.    E 


• :    -    -  •  j  ACi.:'':"  i"''i-  CA' 


-,r.:ATi 
tmr  grrrza  r--  -  - 

- 


: 
_ 

or  little  flee 


nsse.  in  temporary  eair.  e^c 

bablv  not  more  than  four  . 
of  four  machines  each,  on  the  scene,  while 

'.y.v-.'i.-.-  ,rz-/-s.hz." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

Most  Prolonged  Encounter  in  History  Between  Gigantic 
Forces — A  Far-Flung  Battle  Line — Germans  Face 
French  and  British  in  the  Aisne  Valley  and  Fight  for 
Weeks — Mighty  Armies  Deadlocked  After  a  Desperate 
and  Bloody  Struggle. 

FOR  a  few  days  after  the  tide  of  battle  in  France  turned  in 
favor  of  the  Allies  (September  9),  the  German  forces 
continued  to  retreat  to  the  north,  closely  followed  by  the 
French  and  British  armies  that  had  fought  and  won  the  battle 
of  the  Marne,  as  described  in  a  previous  chapter.  This  north- 
ward movement  was  marked  by  heavy  German  losses  in  men 
and  munitions  of  war,  and  lasted  until  Saturday,  September 
12,  when  the  Germans  were  found  to  be  occupying  a  position  of 
great  defensive  strength  on  the  River  Aisne,  north  of  Soissons. 
At  that  time  they  held  both  sides  of  the  river  and  had  a  for- 
midable line  of  intrenchments  on  the  hills  to  the  north  of 
eight  road  bridges  and  two  railway  bridges  crossing  the 
Aisne.  Seven  of  the  road  bridges  and  both  the  railway 
bridges  had  been  destroyed. 

The  Allies  gained  some  high  ground  south  of  the  Aisne, 
overlooking  the  Aisne  valley,  east  of  Soissons.  Then  began 
(on  Saturday,  September  12)  an  action  along  the  Aisne  which 
was  destined  to  go  down  in  history  as  the  greatest  and  most 
prolonged  battle  of  all  time.  Two  days,  three  days,  a  week, 
two  weeks,  three,  four,  five  weeks  it  lasted,  with  varying  for- 
tune to  the  contending  armies,  but  no  decisive  result.  Ger- 
mans, French  and  British,  literally  by  the  thousand,  fell  under 
the  continuous  hail  of  shrapne.1,  the  hurricane  of  machine-gun 
and  rifle  fire,  or  in  the  desperate  bayonpt  charges  of  daily 
occurrence,  but  still  the  battle  raged.     Minor  positions  were 

318 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE  319 

gained  and  lost,  towns  and  villages  along  the  far-flung  battle 
line  were  occupied  and  evacuated,  countless  deeds  of  heroism 
were  wrought,  to  be  sung  and  celebrated  by  posterity  in  a 
dozen  different  lands — but  the  lines  on  both  sides  held  and 
victory  refused  to  perch  on  any  banner. 

Modern  scientific  strategy  exhausted  its  utmost  efforts; 
flanking  and  turning  movements  were  planned,  attempted  and 
failed ;  huge  masses  of  men  were  hurled  against  each  other  in 
every  formation  known  to  military  skill ;  myriads  of  lives  and 
millions  of  money  were  sacrificed  in  historic  endeavors  to 
breach  the  enemy's  front — but  ever  the  foeman  held  his 
ground  and  neither  side  could  claim  decided  advantage.  In- 
trenchments  such  as  the  world  has  never  seen  before  covered 
the  countryside  for  fifty  miles.  Teuton,  Gaul  and  Anglo- 
Saxon,  Turco  and  Hindu,  literally  "dug  themselves  in,"  and 
refused  to  budge  an  inch,  though  hell  itself,  in  all  its  horror 
and  its  fury,  was  loosed  against  them. 

And  thus  the  battle  of  the  Aisne — also  aptly  called,  from 
its  extent  and  ramifications,  the  battle  of  the  Rivers — con- 
tinued through  many  weeks  while  all  the  world  wondered  and 
stood  aghast  at  the  slaughter,  and  the  single  gleam  of  bright- 
ness that  came  out  of  that  maelstrom  of  death  and  misery  was 
the  growing  respect  of  Frenchman,  German  and  Briton  for  the 
individual  and  collective  courage  of  each  other  and  the  death- 
defying  devotion  that  was  daily  displayed  by  all. 

FIGHTING  CONTINUOUS  DAY  AND  NIGHT 

Beginning  as  an  artillery  duel  in  which  the  field-guns  of 
the  French  and  Germans  were  matched  against  each  other 
from  opposite  heights  as  never  before,  the  battle  of  the 
Aisne  soon  resolved  itself  into  a  series  of  daily  actions  in 
which  every  arm  of  the  opposing  hosts  engaged.  There 
was  little  rest  for  the  troops  day  or  night.  Artillery  fire 
beginning  at  daybreak  and  continuing  till  dusk  might 
break  out  again  at  any  hour  of  the  night,  the  range  of  the 
enemy's  intrenchments  being  known.  Frequently  the  artillery 
seemed  to  open  fire  in  the  still  watches  of  the  night  for  no 
other  reason  than  to  prevent  the  enemy  in  his  trenches  from 
getting  any  sleep  at  all,  and  many  a  man  was  borne  to  the 
rear  on  both  sides  suffering  from  no  wound,  but  from  utter 


320  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

exhaustion — a  state  of  collapse  which  is  often  as  deadly  as 
shrapnel  to  the  soldier  in  the  held. 

For  weeks  at  a  time  the  only  real  rest  for  many  of  the 
troops  engaged  along  the  line  of  battle  came  in  snatches  of 
a  few  hours  when  they  were  temporarily  relieved  by  fresh 
troops  brought  up  from  the  rear,  and  these  in  their  turn  might 
be  soon  exhausted  by  the  continuous  strain  of  keeping  on  the 
alert  to  repel  attacks — or,  as  frequently  happened,  their  ranks 
might  be  decimated,  or  worse,  when  they  were  ordered  to  a 
charge.  Officers  and  men  suffered  alike  from  the  strenuous 
nature  of  the  demands  made  upon  them — and  so  far  as  actual 
casualties  are  concerned  the  battle  was  one  in  which  officers 
of  all  ranks,  in  all  the  armies,  suffered  perhaps  more  severely, 
in  proportion  to  the  number  engaged,  than  in  any  previous 
battle.  Hundreds  of  British  officers,  for  example,  were  among 
the  victims  whose  bones  lie  rotting  in  the  valley  of  the  Aisne, 
as  whole  pages  of  their  portraits  in  the  London  journals,  bear- 
ing many  of  the  best  known  names  in  the  British  Empire, 
testified  in  mute  protest  against  the  horrors  of  war.  And 
both  Germany  and  France  have  a  similar  "roll  of  honor. !' 


REPOKTS  OF  THE  BATTLE 

While  the  great  battle  of  the  Eivers  was  in  progress  the 
most  connected  stories  of  its  daily  developments  came  through 
the  British  official  news  bureau,  and  these  are  reproduced  in 
part  in  the  pages  that  follow.  The  author  of  these  reports  is 
believed  to  be  Colonel  Swinton,  of  Field  Marshal  French's 
staff,  who  is  generally  credited  with  having  contributed  to  the 
literature  of  the  war  some  of  the  most  interesting  and  enlight- 
ening accounts  of  the  operations  of  the  British  and  French 
armies  in  the  field.  And  these  reports  are  given  here, 
because  of  their  general  character  of  apparent  truth  and  fair- 
ness, and  in  the  absence  of  any  similar  reports  from  the  other 
side. 

It  must  be  remembered,  of  course,  that  Colonel  Swinton,  or 
whatever  officer  is  responsible  for  them,  naturally  minimizes 
the  British  losses  he  admits,  and  possibly  exaggerates  the 
losses  of  the  Germans.  Besides  this,  it  will  be  well  to  recollect 
that  the  reports  have  been  carefully  edited  by  the  British 
censors  before  being  given  to  the  public.    But,  taken  as  a 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 


821 


whole,  they  give  a  remarkably  vivid  picture  of  the  happenings 
along  the  Aisne  in  the  momentous  days  of  September  and 
October  that  tried  men's  souls;  while  the  stories  of  independ- 
ent and  neutral  observers  which  follow  the  British  official 
reports  further  illuminate  the  valley  of  death. 


In  the  above  view  the  Rivers  Marne,  Ourcq,  Aisne,  Oise,  and  Meuse  are  clearly 
shown,  exaggerated  in  size  for  convenience  of  reference.  The  position  of  tbe  Allies 
September  20,  1914,  is  shown  by  a  black  dotted  line  running  from  between  Amiens 
and  Peronne  to  Verdun  and  Nancy.  The  German  front  is  indicated  by  the  shaded 
sections,  which  also  show  the  German  lines  of  communication  or  retreat,  numbered 
from  1  to  7.  At  this  time  the  Allies  were  pushing  nort'i  to  Arras,  endeavoring  to 
turn  the  German  right  flank  in  command  of  General  von  Kluck. 

OPENING  OF  THE  GREAT  BATTLE 

The  following  report  from  the  British  headquarters  covers 
the  period  when  the  Allies'  forward  movement  was  halted 
along  the  Aisne  and  also  describes  the  terrain,  or  country,  in 
which  the  subsequent  fighting  occurred : 

"From  Thursday,  September  10,  the  British  army  made 


322  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

steady  progress  in  its  endeavor  to  drive  back  the  enemy  in 
co-operation  with  the  French.  The  country  across  which  it 
had  to  force  its  way,  and  will  have  to  continue  to  do  so,  is 
undulating  and  covered  with  patches  of  thick  wood. 

"Within  the  area  which  faced  the  British  before  the  ad- 
vance commenced,  right  up  to  Laon,  the  chief  feature  of 
tactical  importance  is  the  fact  that  there  are  six  rivers  run- 
ning across  the  direction  of  the  advance,  at  all  of  which  it  was 
possible  that  the  Germans  might  make  resistance.  These 
rivers  are,  in  order  from  the  south,  the  Marne,  Ourcq,  Vesle, 
Aisne,  Ailette  and  Oise. 

"The  Germans  held  the  line  of  the  Marne,  which  was 
crossed  by  our  forces  on  September  9,  as  a  purely  rearguard 
operation.  Our  passage  of  the  Ourcq  was  not  contested.  The 
Vesle  was  only  lightly  held,  while  resistance  along  the  Aisne, 
both  against  the  French  and  the  British,  has  been  and  still  is 
of  a  determined  character. 

"On  Friday,  September  11,  but  little  opposition  was  met 
with  along  any  part  of  our  front,  and  the  direction  of  the 
advance  was,  for  the  purpose  of  co-operating  with  our  allies, 
turned  slightly  to  the  northeast.  The  day  was  spent  in  rush- 
ing forward  and  gathering  in  various  hostile  detachments. 
By  nightfall  our  forces  had  reached  a  line  north  of  the  Ourcq, 
extending  from  Oulchy-le-Chateau  to  Longpont. 

"On  this  day  there  was  also  a  general  advance  of  the 
French  along  their  whole  line,  which  ended  in  a  substantial 
success,  in  one  portion  of  the  field  Duke  Albrecht  of  Wuert- 
temburg's  army  being  driven  back  across  the  Saulx,  and  else- 
where the  whole  of  the  artillery  of  a  German  corps  being- 
captured.     Several  German  colors  also  were  taken. 

"It  was  only  on  this  day  that  the  full  extent  of  the  victory 
gained  by  the  Allies  on  September  8  [at  the  Marne]  was 
appreciated  by  them,  and  the  moral  effect  of  this  success  has 
been  enormous.  An  order  dated  September  6  and  7,  issued 
by  the  commander  of  the  German  Seventh  Corps,  was  picked 
up.  It  stated  that  the  great  object  of  the  war  was  about  to  be 
attained,  since  the  French  were  going  to  accept  battle,  and 
that  upon  the  result  of  this  battle  would  depend  the  issue  of 
the  war  and  the  honor  of  the  German  armies. 

"On  Saturday,  the  12th,  the  enemy  were  found  to  be 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE  323 

occupying  a  very  formidable  position  opposite  us  on  the  north 
of  the  line  at  Soissons.  Working  from  the  west  to  the  east, 
our  Third  Army  Corps  gained  some  high  ground  south  of  the 
Aisne  overlooking  the  Aisne  valley,  to  the  east  of  Soissons. 
Here  a  long-range  artillery  duel  between  our  guns  and  those 
of  the  French  on  our  left  and  the  enemy's  artillery  on  the 
hills  continued  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  and  did 
not  cease  until  nearly  midnight.  The  enemy  had  a  very  large 
number  of  heavy  howitzers  in  well-concealed  positions. 

"At  Braisne  the  First  cavalry  division  met  with  consid- 
erable opposition  from  infantry  and  machine-guns  holding  the 
town  and  guarding  the  bridge.  With  the  aid  of  some  of  our 
infantry  it  gained  possession  of  the  town  about  midday,  driv- 
ing the  enemy  to  the  north.  Some  hundred  prisoners  were 
captured  around  Braisne,  where  the  Germans  had  thrown  a 
large  amount  of  field-gun  ammunition  into  the  river,  where 
it  was  visible  under  two  feet  of  water. 

FATEFUL  ENCOUNTER  BEGINS 

"On  our  right  the  French  reached  the  line  of  the  River 
Vesle.  On  this  day  began  an  action  along  the  Aisne  which  is 
not  yet  finished,  and  which  may  be  merely  of  a  rearguard 
nature  on  a  large  scale,  or  may  be  the  commencement  of  a 
battle  of  a  more  serious  nature. 

1 '  It  rained  heavily  on  Saturday  afternoon  and  all  through 
the  night,  which  severely  handicapped  transport. 

"On  Sunday,  the  13th,  extremely  strong  resistance  was 
encountered  by  the  whole  of  our  front,  which  was  some  fifteen 
miles  in  length.  The  action  still  consisted  for  the  most  part 
of  a  long-range  gunfire,  that  of  the  Germans  being  to  a  great 
extent  from  their  heavy  howitzers,  which  were  firing  from 
cleverly  concealed  positions.  Some  of  the  actual  crossings 
of  the  Aisne  were  guarded  by  strong  detachments  of  infantry 
with  machine-guns. 

"By  nightfall  portions  of  all  our  three  army  corps  were 
across  the  river,  the  cavalry  returning  to  the  south  side.  By 
early  next  morning,  three  pontoon  bridges  had  been  built,  and 
our  troops  also  managed  to  get  across  the  river  by  means  of 
the  bridge  carrying  the  canal  over  the  river. 

"On  our  left  the  French  pressed  on,  but  were  prevented 
by  artillery  fire  from  building  a  pontoon  bridge  at  Soissons. 


824  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

A  large  number  of  infantry,  however,  crossed  in  single  file  the 
top  girder  of  the  railway  bridge  left  standing. 

"During  the  last  three  or  four  days  many  isolated  parties 
of  Germans  have  been  discovered  hiding  in  the  numerous 
woods  a  long  way  behind  our  line.  As  a  rule  they  seemed 
glad  to  surrender,  and  the  condition  of  some  of  them  may  be 
gathered  from  the  following  incident : 

"An  officer  proceeding  along  the  road  in  charge  of  a  num- 
ber of  led  horses  received  information  that  there  were  some 
of  the  enemy  in  the  neighborhood.  He  gave  the  order  to 
charge,  whereupon  three  German  officers  and  106  men  surren- 
dered. 

EHEIMS  OCCUPIED  BY  GERMANS 

1 '  Rheims  was  occupied  by  the  enemy  on  September  3.  It 
was  reoccupied  by  the  French  after  considerable  fighting  on 
September  13. 

"On  the  12th,  a  proclamation,  a  copy  of  which  is  in  the 
possession  of  the  British  army,  was  posted  all  over  the  town. 
A  literal  translation  of  this  poster  follows : 

"  *  Proclamation — In  the  event  of  an  action  being  fought 
early  today  or  in  the  immediate  future  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Rheims,  the  inhabitants  are  warned  that  they  must  remain 
absolutely  calm  and  must  in  no  way  try  to  take  part  in  the 
fighting.  They  must  not  attempt  to  attack  either  isolated 
soldiers  or  detachments  of  the  German  army.  The  erection 
of  barricades,  the  taking  up  of  paving  stones  in  the  streets  in 
a  way  to  hinder  the  movement  of  troops,  or,  in  a  word,  any 
action  that  may  embarrass  the  German  army,  is  formally 
forbidden. 

"  'With  an  idea  to  securing  adequately  the  safety  of  the 
troops  and  to  instill  calm  into  the  population  of  Rheims,  the 
persons  named  below  have  been  seized  as  hostages  by  the  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  German  army.  These  hostages  will  be 
hanged  at  the  slightest  attempt  at  disorder.  Also,  the  town 
will  be  totally  or  partially  burned  and  the  inhabitants  will  be 
hanged  for  any  infraction  of  the  above. 

' '  '  By  order  of  the  German  authorities. 

( Signed )         "  '  The  Mayor.  ' 

"Here  followed  the  names  of  eighty-one  of  the  principal 


BATTLE  U.    THE  AISNE  825 

inhabitants  of  Rheims,  with  their  addresses,  including  four 
priests,  and  ending  with  the  words,  'And  some  others." 


HOW   THE   BATTLE   DEVELOPED 

The  following  descriptive  report  from  Field  Marshal  Sir 
John  French's  headquarters  was  September  22: 

"At  the  date  of  the  last  narrative.  September  14,  the  Ger- 
mans were  making  a  determined  resistance  along  the  River 
Aisne.  The  opposition  has  proved  to  be  more  serious  than 
was  anticipated. 

••The  action  now  being  fought  by  the  Germans  along  their 
line  is  naturally  on  a  scale  which,  as  to  extent  of  ground 
ered  and  duration  of  resistance,  makes  it  undistinguishable  in 
its  progress  from  what  is  known  as  a  'pitched  battle.' 

■  •  So  far  as  we  are  concerned,  the  action  still  being  con- 
tested is  the  battle  of  the  Aisne.  The  foe  we  are  fighting  is 
just  across  that  river,  along  the  whole  of  our  front  to  the  east 
and  west.  The  struggle  is  not  confined  to  the  valley  of  that 
river,  though  it  will  probably  bear  its  name. 

"On  Monday,  the  14th,  those  of  our  troops  which  had  on 
the  previous  day  crossed  the  Aisne,  after  driving  in  the  Ger- 
man rearguards  on  that  evening,  found  portions  of  the 
enemy's  forces  in  prepared  defensive  positions  on  the  r  - 
bank  and  could  do  little  more  1  -  score  a  footing  north  of 
the  river.  This,  however,  they  maintained  in  spite  of  two 
counter-attacks  delivered  at  dusk  and  10  p.  m.f  in  which  the 
fighting  was  severe. 

"During  the  14th  strong  reinforcements  of  our  troops 
were  passed  to  the  north  bank,  the  a  crossing  by  ferry, 

by  pontoon  bridges,  and  by  the  remains  of  permanent  brio1  -    - 
Close  co-operation  with  the  French  forces  was  maintained 
and  the  general  progress  made  was  good,  although  the  opposi- 
tion was  vigorous  and  the  state  of  the  roads,  after  the  heavy 
rain,  made  movements  slow. 

FTEST   CORPS   MAKES   CA.PTL'RE 

"One  division  alone  failed  to  secure  the  ground  it  expected 
to.  The  First  Army  Corps,  after  repulsing  repeated  attacks, 
captured  600  prisoners  and  twelve  guns.  The  cavalry  also 
took  a  number  of  prisoners. 

"There  was  a  heavy  rain  throughout  the  night  of  Sep- 


326  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

tember  14-15  and  during  the  15th  the  situation  of  the  British 
forces  underwent  no  essential  change.  But  it  became  more 
and  more  evident  that  the  defensive  preparations  made  by 
the  enemy  were  more  extensive  than  was  at  first  apparent. 
The  Germans  bombarded  our  lines  nearly  all  day,  using  heavy 
guns  brought,  no  doubt,  from  before  Maubeuge  as  well  as 
those  with  the  corps. 

"All  the  German  counter-attacks,  however,  failed,  although 
in  some  places  they  were  repeated  six  times.  One  made  on 
the  Fourth  Guards  Brigade  was  repulsed  with  heavy 
slaughter. 

"Further  counter-attacks  made  during  the  night  were 
beaten  off.  Rain  came  on  towards  evening  and  continued 
intermittently  until  9  a.  m.,  on  the  16th.  Besides  adding  to 
the  discomfort  of  the  soldiers  holding  the  line,  the  wet  weather 
to  some  extent  hampered  the  motor  transport  service,  which 
was  also  hindered  by  broken  bridges. 

"On  Wednesday,  the  16th,  there  was  little  change  in  the 
situation  opposite  the  British ;  the  efforts  made  by  the  enemy 
were  less  active  than  on  the  previous  day,  though  their  bom- 
bardment continued  throughout  the  morning  and  evening. 

"On  Thursday,  the  17th,  the  situation  still  remained  un- 
changed in  its  essentials.  The  German  heavy  artillery  fire 
was  more  active  than  on  the  previous  day.  The  only  infantry 
attacks  made  by  the  enemy  were  on  the  extreme  right  of  our 
position,  and,  as  had  happened  before,  they  were  repulsed 
with  heavy  loss,  chiefly  on  this  occasion  by  our  field  artillery. 

NATURE  OF  THE  FIGHTING 

"In  order  to  convey  some  idea  of  the  nature  of  the  fighting 
it  may  be  said  that  along  the  greater  part  of  our  front  the 
Germans  have  been  driven  back  from  the  forward  slopes  on 
the  north  of  the  river.  Their  infantry  are  holding  strong 
lines  of  trenches  amongst  and  along  the  edges  of  the  numerous 
woods  which  crown  the  slopes.  These  trenches  are  elaborately 
constructed  and  cleverly  concealed.  In  many  places  there  are 
wiic  entanglements  and  lengths  of  rabbit  fencing. 

"Both  woods  and  open  are  carefully  aligned,  so  that  they 
can  be  swept  by  rifle  fire  and  machine-guns,  which  are  invisible 
from  our  side  of  the  valley.  The  ground  in  front  of  the  infan- 
try is  also,  as  a  rule,  under  cross  fire  from  the  field  artillery 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISXE  327 

placed  on  neighboring  heights,  and  under  high  angle  fire 
from  pieces  placed  well  back  behind  the  woods  on  top  of  the 
plateau. 

"A  feature  of  this  action,  as  of  the  previous  fighting,  is  the 
use  by  the  enemy  of  numerous  heavy  howitzers,  with  which 
they  are  able  to  direct  long  range  fire  all  over  the  valley  and 
right  across  it.  Upon  these  they  evidently  place  great  reli- 
ance. 

"Where  our  men  are  holding  the  forward  edges  of  the 
high  ground  on  the  north  side  they  are  now  strongly  in- 
trenched. They  are  well  fed,  and  in  spite  of  the  wet  weather 
of  the  last  week  are  cheerful  and  confident. 

HEAVY  BOMBAKDMEXT  BY  EOTH  SIDES 

"The  bombardment  by  both  sides  has  been  heavy,  and  on 
Sunday,  Monday,  and  Tuesday  was  practically  continuous. 
Nevertheless,  in  spite  of  the  general  din  caused  by  the  reports 
of  the  immense  number  of  heavy  guns  in  action  along  our  front 
en  Wednesday,  the  arrival  of  the  French  force  acting  against 
the  German  right  flank  was  at  once  announced  on  the  east  of 
our  front  some  miles  away  by  the  continuous  roar  of  their 
quick-firing  artillery,  with  which  the  attack  was  opened. 

"So  far  as  the  British  are  concerned,  the  greater  part  of 
this  week  has  been  passed  in  bombardment,  in  gaining  ground 
by  degrees,  and  in  beating  back  severe  counter-attacks  with 
heavy  slaughter.  Our  casualties  have  been  severe,  but  it  is 
probable  that  those  of  the  enemy  are  heavier. 

"The  rain  has  caused  a  great  drop  in  the  temperature 
and  there  is  more  than  a  distant  feeling  of  autumn  in  the  air. 

"On  our  right  and  left  the  French  have  been  fighting 
fiercely  and  have  been  gradually  gaining  ground.  One  village 
already  has  been  captured  and  recaptured  twice  by  each  side 
and  at  the  time  of  writing  remains  in  the  hands  of  the  Ger- 
mans. 

"The  fighting  has  been  at  close  quarters  and  of  the  most 
desperate  nature,  and  the  streets  of  the  village  are  filled  with 
dead  of  both  sides. 

CHEEKING  MESSAGE  TO  THE  FKEXCH 

"As  an  example  of  the  spirit  which  is  inspiring  our  allies 
the  following  translation  of  an  Ordre  du  Jour  (order  of  the 


328  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

day),  published  on  September  9,  after  the  battle  of  Mont- 
mirail,  by  the  conimander  of  the  French  Fifth  Army,  is  given : 

"  'Soldiers:  Upon  the  memorable  fields  of  Montinirail, 
of  Vauchamps,  of  Champaubert,  which  a  century  ago  wit- 
nessed the  victories  of  our  ancestors  over  Bliicher's  Prussians, 
your  vigorous  offensive  has  triumphed  over  the  resistance  of 
the  Germans.  Held  on  his  flanks,  his  center  broken,  the  enemy 
now  is  retreating  towards  the  east  and  north  by  forced 
marches.  The  most  renowned  army  corps  of  old  Prussia,  the 
contingents  of  Westphalia,  of  Hanover,  of  Brandenburg,  have 
retired  in  haste  before  you. 

"  'This  first  success  is  no  more  than  the  prelude.  The 
enemy  is  shaken  but  not  yet  decisively  beaten.  You  have  still 
to  undergo  severe  hardships,  to  make  long  marches,  to  fight 
hard  battles.  May  the  image  of  our  country,  soiled  by  bar- 
barians, always  remain  before  your  eyes !  Never  was  it  more 
necessary  to  sacrifice  all  for  her. 

"  'Saluting  the  heroes  who  have  fallen  in  the  fighting  of 
the  last  few  days,  my  thoughts  turn  toward  you,  the  victors  in 
the  last  battle.    Forward,  soldiers,  for  France!' 

LETTER  FROM  A  GERMAN  SOLDIER 

' '  So  many  letters  and  statements  of  our  wounded  soldiers 
have  been  published  in  our  newspapers  that  the  following 
epistle  from  a  German  soldier  of  the  Seventy -fourth  Infantry 
regiment,  Tenth  Corps,  to  his  wife  also  may  be  of  interest : 

' '  '  My  Dear  Wife :  I  have  just  been  living  through  days 
that  defy  imagination.  I  should  never  have  thought  that  men 
could  stand  it.  Not  a  second  has  passed  but  my  life  has  been 
In  danger,  and  yet  not  a  hair  of  my  head  has  been  hurt. 

"  'It  was  horrible;  it  was  ghastly,  but  I  have  been  saved 
for  you  and  for  our  happiness,  and  I  take  heart  again,  although 
I  am  still  terribly  unnerved.  God  grant  that  I  may  see  you 
again  soon  and  that  this  horror  may  soon  be  over. 

"  'None  of  us  can  do  any  more;  human  strength  is  at  an 
end.  I  will  try  to  tell  you  about  it.  On  September  5  the 
enemy  were  reported  to  be  taking  up  a  position  near  St.  Prix, 
southeast  of  Paris.  The  Tenth  Corps,  which  had  made  an 
astonishingly  rapid  advance  of  course,  was  attacked  on  Sun- 
day. 

"  'Steep  slopes  led  up  to  the  heights,  which  were  held  in 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE  329 

considerable  force.  With  our  weak  detachments  of  the  Sev- 
enty-fourth and  Ninety-first  regiments  we  reached  the  crest 
and  came  under  a  terrible  artillery  fire  that  mowed  us  down. 
However,  we  entered  St.  Prix.  Hardly  had  we  done  so  than 
we  were  met  with  shell  fire  and  a  violent  fusillade  from  the 
enemy's  infantry.  Our  colonel  was  badly  wounded — he  is  the 
third  we  have  had.  Fourteen  men  were  killed  around  me. 
We  got  away  in  a  lull  without  my  being  hit. 

' '  '  The  7th,  8th,  and  9th  of  September  we  were  constantly 
under  shell  and  shrapnel  fire  and  suffered  terrible  losses.  I 
was  in  a  house  which  was  hit  several  times.  The  fear  of 
death,  of  agony,  which  is  in  every  man's  heart,  and  naturally 
so,  is  a  terrible  feeling.  How  often  I  have  thought  of  you, 
my  darling,  and  what  I  suffered  in  that  terrifying  battle 
which  extended  along  a  front  of  many  miles  near  Montmirail, 
you  cannot  possibly  imagine. 

"  'Our  heavy  artillery  was  being  used  for  the  siege  of 
Maubeuge.  We  wanted  it  badly,  as  the  enemy  had  theirs  in 
force  and  kept  up  a  furious  bombardment.  For  four  days  I 
was  under  artillery  fire.  It  was  like  hell,  but  a  thousand  times 
worse. 

' '  '  On  the  night  of  the  9th  the  order  was  given  to  retreat, 
as  it  would  have  been  madness  to  attempt  to  hold  our  position 
with  our  few  men,  and  we  should  have  risked  a  terrible  defeat 
the  next  day.  The  first  and  third  armies  had  not  been  able 
to  attack  with  us,  as  we  had  advanced  too  rapidly.  Our  morale 
was  absolutely  broken;  in  spite  of  unheard-of  sacrifices  we 
had  achieved  nothing. 

"  *I  cannot  understand  how  our  army,  after  fighting  three 
great  battles  and  being  terribly  weakened,  was  sent  against 
a  position  which  the  enemy  had  prepared  for  three  weeks,  but, 
naturally,  I  know  nothing  of  the  intentions  of  our  chiefs ;  they 
say  nothing  has  been  lost. 

"  i  In  a  word,  we  retired  towards  Cormontreuil  and  Rheims 
by  forced  marches  by  day  and  night.  We  hear  that  three 
armies  are  going  to  get  into  line,  intrench  and  rest,  and  then 
start  afresh  our  victorious  march  on  Paris.  It  was  not  a 
defeat,  only  a  strategic  retreat.  I  have  confidence  in  our 
chiefs  that  everything  will  be  successful. 

i  l  i  Our  first  battalion,  which  has  fought  with  unparalleled 


330  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

bravery,  is  reduced  from  1,200  to  194  men.    These  numbers 
speak  for  themselves.'  " 


EVENTS  FROM  SEPTEMBER  21  TO  24 

The  next  report  from  the  official  chronicler  at  the  front, 
dated  September  24,  was  in  part  as  follows : 

"The  enemy  is  still  maintaining  himself  along  the  whole 
front,  and  in  order  to  do  so  is  throwing  into  the  fight  detach- 
ments composed  of  units  from  the  different  formations,  the 
active  army,  reserve,  and  landwehr,  as  is  shown  by  the  uni- 
forms of  prisoners  recently  captured. 

"Our  progress,  although  slow  on  account  of  the  strength 
of  the  defensive  positions  against  which  we  are  pressing,  has 
in  certain  directions  been  continuous,  but  the  present  battle 
may  well  last  for  some  days  more  before  a  decision  is  reached, 
since  it  now  approximates  nearly  to  siege  warfare. 

' '  The  nature  of  the  general  situation  after  the  operations 
of  the  18th,  19th,  and  20th,  cannot  better  be  summarized  than 
as  expressed  recently  by  a  neighboring  French  commander  to 
his  corps:  'Having  repulsed  repeated  and  violent  counter- 
attacks made  by  the  enemy,  we  have  a  feeling  that  we  have 
been  victorious.' 

"So  far  as  the  British  are  concerned,  the  course  of  events 
during  these  three  days  can  be  described  in  a  few  words.  Dur- 
ing Friday,  the  18th,  artillery  fire  was  kept  up  intermittently 
by  both  sides  during  daylight.  At  night  the  Germans  counter- 
attacked certain  portions  of  our  line,  supporting  the  advance 
of  their  infantry  as  always  by  a  heavy  bombardment.  But 
the  strokes  were  not  delivered  with  great  vigor  and  ceased 
about  2  a.  m.  During  the  day's  fighting  an  aircraft  gun  of 
the  Third  Army  Corps  succeeded  in  bringing  down  a  German 
aeroplane. 

ARTILLERY  FIRE  BECOMES  MONOTONOUS 

"On  Saturday,  the  19th,  the  bombardment  was  resumed 
by  the  Germans  at  an  early  hour  and  continued  intermittently 
under  reply  from  our  guns,  which  is  a  matter  of  normal 
routine  rather  than  an  event. 

"Another  hostile  aeroplane  was  brought  down  by  us,  and 
one  of  our  aviators  succeeded  in  dropping  several  bombs  over 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE  331 

the  German  line,  one  incendiary  bomb  falling  with  considerable 
effect  on  a  transport  park  near  LaFere. 

"A  buried  store  of  the  enemy's  munitions  of  war  also  was 
found  not  far  from  the  Aisne,  ten  wagonloads  of  live  shells 
and  two  wagons  of  cable  being  dug  up.  Traces  were  discov- 
ered of  large  quantities  of  stores  having  been  burned — all 
tending  to  show  that  as  far  back  as  the  Aisne  the  German 
retirement  was  hurried. 

"On  Sunday,  the  20th,  nothing  of  importance  occurred 
until  the  afternoon,  when  there  was  an  interval  of  feeble  sun- 
shine, which  was  hardly  powerful  enough  to  warm  the  soaking 
troops.  The  Germans  took  advantage  of  this  brief  spell  of 
fine  weather  to  make  several  attacks  against  different  points. 
These  were  all  repulsed  with  loss  to  the  enemy,  but  the  casual- 
ties incurred  by  us  were  by  no  means  light. 

"The  offensive  against  one  or  two  points  was  renewed  at 
dusk,  with  no  greater  success.  The  brunt  of  the  resistance 
naturally  has  fallen  on  the  infantry.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that 
they  have  been  drenched  to  the  skin  for  some  days  and  their 
trenches  have  been  deep  in  mud  and  water,  and  in  spite  of  the 
incessant  night  alarms  and  the  almost  continuous  bombard- 
ment to  which  they  have  been  subjected,  they  have  on  every 
occasion  been  ready  for  the  enemy 's  infantry  when  the  latter 
attempted  to  assault.  Indeed,  the  sight  of  the  troops  coming 
up  has  been  a  positive  relief  after  long,  trying  hours  of  inac- 
tion under  shell  fire. 

OBJECT  OF   GERMAN"  ATTACKS 

"The  object  of  the  great  proportion  of  artillery  the  Ger- 
mans employ  is  to  beat  down  the  resistance  of  their  enemy  by 
concentrated  and  prolonged  fire — to  shatter  their  nerve  with 
high  explosives  before  the  infantry  attack  is  launched.  They 
seem  to  have  relied  on  doing  this  with  us,  but  they  have  not 
done  so,  though  it  has  taken  them  several  costly  experiments 
to  discover  this  fact. 

"From  statements  of  prisoners,  it  appears  that  they  have 
been  greatly  disappointed  by  the  moral  effect  produced  by 
their  heavy  guns,  which,  despite  the  actual  losses  inflicted, 
has  not  been  at  all  commensurate  with  the  colossal  expendi- 
ture of  ammunition  which  has  really  been  wasted. 

"By  this  it  is  not  implied  that  their  artillery  fire  is  not 


332  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

good.  It  is  more  than  good — it  is  excellent.  But  the  British 
soldier  is  a  difficult  person  to  impress  or  depress,  even  by 
immense  shells  filled  with  a  high  explosive,  which  detonate 
with  terrific  violence  and  form  craters  large  enough  to  act  as 
graves  for  five  horses. 

1 '  The  German  howitzer  shells  are  from  eight  to  nine  inches 
in  calibre,  and  on  impact  they  send  up  columns  of  greasy  black 
smoke.  On  account  of  this  they  are  irreverently  dubbed  'coal 
boxes,'  'Black  Marias,'  or  'Jack  Johnsons'  by  the  soldiers. 

"Men  who  take  things  in  this  spirit  are,  it  seems,  likely  to 
throw  out  the  calculations  based  on  loss  of  morale  so  care- 
fully framed  by  the  German  military  philosophers. 

"The  German  losses  in  officers  are  stated  by  our  prisoners 
to  have  been  especially  severe.  A  brigade  is  stated  to  be 
commanded  by  a  major;  some  companies  of  foot  guards  by 
one-year  volunteers ;  while  after  the  battle  of  Montmirail  one 
regiment  lost  fifty-five  out  of  sixty  officers. 

LETTER  FOUND  ON  GERMAN  OFFICER 

"The  following  letter,  which  refers  to  the  fighting  on  the 
Aisne  and  was  found  on  a  German  officer  of  the  Seventh 
Reserve  Corps,  has  been  printed  and  circulated  to  the  troops : 

' '  '  Cerny,  South  of  Paris,  Sept.  17. — My  Dear  Parents : — 
Our  corps  has  the  task  of  holding  the  heights  south  of  Cerny 
in  all  circumstances  till  the  Fourteenth  Corps  on  our  left 
flank  can  grip  the  enemy's  flank.  On  our  right  are  other 
corps.  We  are  fighting  with  the  English  guards,  Highlanders 
and  Zouaves.  The  losses  on  both  sides  have  been  enormous. 
For  the  most  part  this  is  due  to  the  too-brilliant  French 
artillery. 

' '  '  The  English  are  marvelously  trained  in  making  use  of 
ground.  One  never  sees  them  and  one  is  constantly  under  fire. 
The  French  airmen  perform  wonderful  feats.  We  cannot  get 
rid  of  them.  As  soon  as  an  airman  has  flown  over  us,  ten 
minutes  later  we  get  shrapnel  fire  in  our  position.  We  have 
little  artillery  in  our  corps ;  without  it  we  cannot  get  forward. 

"  'Three  days  ago  our  division  took  possession  of  these 
heights  and  dug  itself  in.  Two  days  ago,  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, we  were  attacked  by  immensely  superior  English  forces — 
one  brigade  and  two  battalions — and  were  turned  out  of  our 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE  333 

positions.  The  fellows  took  five  guns  from  us.  It  was  a  tre- 
mendous hand-to-hand  fight. 

"  'How  I  escaped  myself  I  am  not  clear.  I  then  had  to 
bring  up  support  on  foot.  My  horse  was  wounded  and  the 
others  were  too  far  in  the  rear.  Then  came  up  the  Guard 
Jager  Battalion,  Fourth  Jager,  Sixth  Regiment,  Reserve  Regi- 
ment Thirteen,  and  Landwehr  Regiments  Thirteen  and  Six- 
teen, and,  with  the  help  of  the  artillery,  we  drove  the  fellows 
out  of  the  position  again.  Our  machine-guns  did  excellent 
work;  the  English  fell  in  heaps. 

' '  '  In  our  battalion  three  iron  crosses  have  been  given.  Let 
us  hope  that  we  shall  be  the  lucky  ones  the  next  time. 

"  'During  the  first  two  days  of  the  battle  I  had  only  one 
piece  of  bread  and  no  water.  I  spent  the  night  in  the  rain 
without  my  greatcoat.  The  rest  of  my  kit  was  on  the  horses, 
which  have  been  left  miles  behind  with  the  baggage  and  which 
cannot  come  up  into  the  battle  because  as  soon  as  you  put  your 
nose  up  from  behind  cover  the  bullets  whistle. 

' '  '  War  is  terrible !  We  are  all  hoping  that  a  decisive  battle 
will  end  the  war.  Our  troops  already  have  got  round  Paris. 
If  we  beat  the  English  the  French  resistance  will  soon  be 
broken.  Russia  will  be  very  quickly  dealt  with ;  of  this  there 
is  no  doubt. 

"  'We  have  received  splendid  help  from  the  Austrian 
heavy  artillery  at  Maubeuge.  They  bombarded  Fort  Cerfon- 
taine  in  such  a  way  that  there  was  not  ten  meters  of  parapet 
which  did  not  show  enormous  craters  made  by  the  shells. 
The  armored  turrets  were  found  upside  down. 

"  'Yesterday  evening  about  6,  in  the  valley  in  which  our 
reserves  stood,  there  was  such  a  terrible  cannonade  that  we 
saw  nothing  of  the  sky  but  a  cloud  of  smoke.  We  had  few 
casualties. ' 

TELEPHONE  AN  AID  TO  SPIES 

"Espionage  is  carried  on  by  the  enemy  to  a  considerable 
extent.  Recently  the  suspicions  of  some  of  the  French  troops 
were  aroused  by  coming  across  a  farm  from  which  the  horses 
had  been  removed.  After  some  search  they  discovered  a  tele- 
phone which  was  connected  by  an  underground  cable  with  the 
German  lines,  and  the  owner  of  the  farm  paid  the  penalty  in 
the  usual  way  in  war  for  his  treachery. 


334  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

"  After  some  cases  of  village  fighting,  which  occurred  ear- 
lier in  the  war,  it  was  reported  by  some  of  our  officers  that  the 
Germans  had  attempted  to  approach  to  close  quarters  by  forc- 
ing prisoners  to  march  in  front  of  them.  The  Germans  have 
recently  repeated  the  same  trick  on  a  larger  scale  against  the 
French,  as  is  shown  by  the  copy  of  an  order  issued  by  the 
French  officials.  It  is  therein  referred  to  as  a  ruse,  but  if  that 
term  can  be  accepted,  it  is  a  distinctly  illegal  ruse. 

REFERS  TO  RHEIMS  CATHEDRAL 

"Full  details  of  the  actual  damage  done  to  the  cathedral 
at  Rheims  will  doubtless  have  been  cabled,  so  that  no  descrip- 
tion of  it  is  necessary.  The  Germans  bombarded  the  cathe- 
dral twice  with  their  heavy  artillery. 

1 '  One  reason  it  caught  fire  so  quickly  was  that  on  one  side 
of  it  was  some  scaffolding  which  had  been  erected  for  restora- 
tion work.  Straw  had  also  been  laid  on  the  floor  for  the  recep- 
tion of  German  wounded.  It  is  to  the  credit  of  the  French 
that  practically  all  the  German  wounded  were  successfully 
extricated  from  the  burning  building. 

"There  was  no  justification  on  military  grounds  for  this 
act  of  vandalism,  which  seems  to  have  been  caused  by  exas- 
peration born  of  failure — a  sign  of  impotence  rather  than  of 
strength." 


FIVE  MORE  DAYS  OF  BATTLE 

On  September  29  Field  Marshal  French's  headquarters 
reported  as  follows: 

"The  general  situation  as  viewed  on  the  map  remains 
practically  the  same  as  that  described  in  the  last  letter,  and 
the  task  of  the  army  has  not  changed.  It  is  to  maintain  itself 
until  there  is  a  general  resumption  of  the  offensive. 

"No  ground  has  been  lost.  Some  has  been  gained,  and 
every  counter-attack  has  been  repulsed — in  certain  instances 
with  very  severe  losses  to  the  enemy. 

"Of  recent  events  an  actual  narrative  will  be  carried  on 
from  the  25th  to  29th,  inclusive.  During  the  whole  of  this 
period  the  weather  has  remained  fine. 

"On  Friday,  the  25th,  comparative  quiet  reigned  in  our 
sphere  of  action.  The  only  incident  worthy  of  special  mention 
was  the  passage  of  a  German  aeroplane  over  the  interior  of 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE  335 

our  lines.  It  was  flying  high,  but  drew  a  general  fusillade 
from  below,  with  the  result  that  the  pilot  was  killed  outright 
and  the  observer  was  wounded.  The  latter  was  captured  by 
the  French. 

' '  That  night  a  general  attack  was  made  against  the  greater 
part  of  the  Allies'  position,  and  it  was  renewed  in  the  early 
morning  of  Saturday,  the  2Gth.  The  Germans  were  every- 
where repulsed  with  loss.  Indeed,  opposite  one  portion  of  our 
lines,  where  they  were  caught  in  mass  by  our  machine-guns 
and  howitzers  firing  at  different  ranges,  it  is  estimated  that 
they  left  1,000  killed  or  wounded. 

"The  mental  attitude  of  our  troops  may  be  gauged  from 
the  fact  that  the  official  report  next  morning  from  one  corps, 
of  which  one  division  had  borne  the  brunt  of  the  fighting,  ran 
thus  laconically:  'The  night  was  quiet  except  for  a  certain 
amount  of  shelling  both  from  the  enemy  and  ourselves. ' 

AN   ALL-DAY  ATTACK 

"  At  3 :40  a.  m.  an  attack  was  made  on  our  right.    At  5  a.  m. 

there  was  a  general  attack  on  the  right  of  the th  division, 

but  no  really  heavy  firing.  Further  ineffectual  efforts  to  drive 
us  back  were  made  at  8  a.  m.  and  in  the  afternoon,  and  the 
artillery  fire  continued  all  day. 

"The  Germans  came  on  in  'T'  formation,  several  lines 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  followed  almost  immediately  by  a  column 
in  support.  After  a  very  few  minutes  the  men  had  closed  up 
into  a  mob,  which  afforded  an  excellent  target  for  our  fire. 

"On  Sunday,  the  27th,  while  the  German  heavy  guns  were 
in  action,  their  brass  bands  could  be  heard  playing  hymn  tunes, 
presumably  at  divine  service. 

"The  enemy  made  an  important  advance  on  part  of  our 
line  at  6  p.  m.,  and  renewed  it  in  strength  at  one  point,  with, 
however,  no  better  success  than  on  the  previous  night.  Snip- 
ing continued  all  day  along  the  whole  front. 

"On  Monday,  the  28th,  there  was  nothing  more  severe  than 
a  bombardment  and  intermittent  sniping,  and  this  inactivity 
continued  during  Tuesday,  the  29th,  except  for  a  night  attack 
against  our  extreme  right. 

A  TYPICAL  BATTLE  INCIDENT 

"An  incident  that  occurred  Sunday,  the  27th,  serves  to 
illustrate  the  type  of  fighting  that  has  for  the  last  two  weeks 


336  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

been  going  on  intermittently  on  various  parts  of  our  lines.  It 
also  brings  out  the  extreme  difficulty  of  ascertaining  what  is 
actually  happening  during  an  action  apart  from  what  seems 
to  be  happening,  and  points  to  the  value  of  good  intrench- 
ments. 

"At  a  certain  point  in  our  front  our  advance  trenches  were 
on  the  north  of  the  Aisne,  not  far  from  a  village  on  a  hillside 
and  also  within  a  short  distance  of  German  works,  being  on  a 
slope  of  a  spur  formed  by  a  subsidiary  valley  running  north 
and  a  main  valley  of  the  river.  It  was  a  calm,  sunny  after- 
noon, but  hazy,  and  from  our  point  of  vantage  south  of  the 
river  it  was  difficult  exactly  to  locate  on  the  far  bank  the  well- 
concealed  trenches. 

"From  far  and  near  the  sullen  boom  of  guns  echoed  along 
the  valley,  and  at  intervals  in  a  different  direction  the  sky 
was  flecked  with  the  almost  motionless  smoke  of  anti-aircraft 
shrapnel. 

1 '  Suddenly  and  without  any  warning,  for  the  reports  of  the 
distant  howitzers  from  which  they  were  fired  could  not  be  dis- 
tinguished from  other  distant  reports,  three  or  four  heavy 
shells  fell  into  the  village,  sending  up  huge  clouds  of  dust 
and  smoke,  which  ascended  in  a  brownish-gray  column.  To 
this  no  reply  was  made  by  our  side. 

"Shortly  afterwards  there  was  a  quick  succession  of  re- 
ports from  a  point  some  distance  up  the  subsidiary  valley  on 
the  side  opposite  our  trenches  and  therefore  rather  on  their 
flank.  It  was  not  possible  either  by  ear  or  by  eye  to  locate  the 
guns  from  which  the  sounds  proceeded.  Almost  simultaneously, 
as  it  seemed,  there  was  a  corresponding  succession  of  flashes 
and  sharp  detonations  in  the  line  along  the  hillside  along  what 
appeared  to  be  our  trenches. 

"There  was  then  a  pause  and  several  clouds  of  smoke 
rose  slowly  and  remained  stationary,  spaced  as  regularly  as 
poplars. 

"Again  there  was  a  succession  of  reports  from  German 
quick-firers  on  the  far  side  of  the  misty  valley  and  like  echoes 
of  detonations  of  high  explosives ;  then  the  row  of  expanding 
smoke  clouds  was  prolonged  by  several  new  ones.  Another 
pause  and  silence,  except  for  the  noise  in  the  distance. 

"After  a  few  minutes  there  was  a  roar  from  our  side  of 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE  837 

the  main  valley  as  our  field  guns  opened  one  after  another  in 
a  more  deliberate  fire  upon  the  positions  of  the  German  guns. 
After  six  reports  there  was  again  silence  save  for  the  whirr 
of  shells  as  they  sang  up  the  small  valley.  Then  followed 
flashes  and  balls  of  smoke — one,  two,  three,  four,  five,  six — as 
the  shrapnel  burst  nicely  over  what  in  the  haze  looked  like 
some  ruined  buildings  at  the  edge  of  the  wood. 

TRYING  TO  ENFILADE  THE  TRENCHES 

" Again,  after  a  short  interval,  the  enemy's  gunners  re- 
opened with  a  burst,  still  further  prolonging  the  smoke,  which 
was  by  now  merged  into  one  solid  screen  above  a  considerable 
length  of  the  trenches  and  again  did  our  guns  reply.  And  so 
the  duel  went  on  for  some  time. 

"Ignoring  our  guns,  the  German  artillerymen,  probably 
relying  on  concealment  for  immunity,  were  concentrating  all 
their  efforts  in  a  particularly  forceful  effort  to  enfilade  our 
trenches.  For  them  it  must  have  appeared  to  be  the  chance 
of  a  lifetime,  and  with  their  customary  prodigality  of  ammuni- 
tion they  continued  to  pour  bouquet  after  bouquet  of  high 
explosives  or  combined  shrapnel  and  common  shells  into  our 
works. 

"Occasionally,  with  a  roar,  a  high  angle  projectile  would 
sail  over  the  hill  and  blast  a  gap  in  the  village.  One  could 
only  pray  that  our  men  holding  the  trenches  had  dug  them- 
selves in  deep  and  well,  and  that  those  in  the  village  were  in 
cellars. 

"In  the  hazy  valleys,  bathed  in  sunlight,  not  a  man,  not  a 
horse,  not  a  gun,  nor  even  a  trench  was  to  be  seen.  There 
were  only  flashes,  and  smoke,  and  noise.  Above,  against  the 
blue  sky,  several  round,  white  clouds  were  hanging.  The  only 
two  visible  human  souls  were  represented  by  a  glistening  speck 
in  the  air.  On  high  also  were  to  be  heard  more  or  less  gentle 
reports  of  the  anti-aircraft  projectiles. 

"But  the  deepest  impression  created  was  one  of  sympathy 
for  the  men  subjected  to  the  bursts  along  that  trench.  Upon 
inquiry  as  to  the  losses  sustained,  however,  it  was  found  that 
our  men  had  been  able  to  take  care  of  themselves  and  had  dug 
themselves  well  in.  In  that  collection  of  trenches  on  that 
Sunday  afternoon  were  portions  of  four  battalions  of  British 


338  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

soldiers — the  Dorsets,  the  West  Kents,  the  King's  Own  York- 
shire light  infantry,  and  the  King's  Own  Scottish  Borderers." 


AEMIES  IN  A  DEADLOCK 

Later  reports  from  the  Aisne  valley,  up  to  October  17, 
when  the  big  battle  had  been  five  weeks  in  progress,  indicated 
little  change  in  the  general  situation.  Bombardments  and 
artillery  duels,  varied  by  general  attacks,  occurred  daily  all 
along  the  line.  The  main  positions  of  both  armies  were  firmly 
held,  though  the  French  had  gained  some  ground  north  of 
Rheims  and  continually  threatened  the  German  center.  The 
left  of  the  Allies'  line  had  crept  north  to  and  beyond  Arras, 
where  there  was  severe  fighting  for  several  days ;  and  at  the 
end  of  the  thirty-fifth  day  of  the  battle  of  the  Rivers  the  lines 
of  the  opposing  armies  extended  almost  continuously  from 
beyond  Arras  on  the  northwest,  south  in  a  great  curve  to  the 
Aisne  valley,  thence  east  to  Verdun,  where  the  Crown  Prince's 
army  kept  hammering  away  at  that  fortress  without  success, 
and  thence  southwest  to  Nancy  and  the  Alsatian  border. 

By  this  time  the  armies  of  the  center  were  in  a  species  of 
deadlock.  The  strain  on  both  sides  had  long  promised  to  get 
beyond  human  endurance  and  the  antagonists  of  the  Aisne 
were  likened  by  a  French  officer  to  two  exhausted  pugilists, 
who  would  soon  be  unable  to  inflict  further  punishment  upon 
each  other.  But  there  was  no  sign  of  "throwing  up  the 
sponge"  on  either  side,  though  beyond  the  actual  sphere  of 
conflict  it  was  felt  that  ' '  something  must  give  way  soon. ' ' 


A  BLAZING  VALE  OF  DEATH 

Writing  on  September  16,  the  fourth  day  of  the  battle,  a 
special  correspondent  behind  the  British  lines  by  Senlis  and 
Chantilly,  said : 

"I  have  passed  through  a  smiling  land  to  a  land  wearing 
the  mask  of  death;  through  harvest  fields  rich  with  great 
stacks  snugly  builded  against  the  winter  to  the  fields  of  a 
braver  harvest;  by  jocund  villages  where  there  is  no  break  in 
the  ebb  and  flow  of  everyday  life  to  villages  and  towns  that 
despoiling  hands  have  shattered  in  ruins. 

"And  I  have  passed  up  this  Via  Dolorosa  toward  the  very 
harvesting  itself — toward  those  great  plains  stretching  away 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE  339 

on  the  banks  of  the  River  Aisne,  where  the  second  act  of  this 
drama  of  battles  is  at  this  moment  being  played. 

"Details  of  this  fight,  which,  as  I  write,  reaches  its  fourth 
day  of  duration,  are  very  scanty,  but  partly  from  personal 
observation  and  partly  from  information  which  has  reached 
me  I  know  that  the  struggle  so  far  has  been  a  terrible  one, 
equal  to,  if  not  greater  than,  the  struggle  on  the  banks  of  the 
Marne. 

"The  events  of  Monday  (September  14)  revealed  a  foe  bat- 
tling desperately  for  his  life ;  and  this  defense  of  General  von 
Kluck's  army  demanded  of  the  Allies  their  utmost  strength 
and  determination. 

"Picture  this  battlefield,  which  will  assuredly  take  its  place 
with  that  of  the  Marne  as  one  of  the  greatest  combats  of  the 
greatest  war.  Through  the  middle  of  it  flows  the  great  river, 
passing  from  the  east  to  the  west.  The  banks  of  the  river  here 
are  very  steep.  Above  the  plain,  which  sweeps  away  from  the 
northern  bank,  rises  the  ' ' massif ' '  of  Laon.  It  is  an  ideal  area 
for  great  movements  and  for  artillery  work  directed  upon  the 
valley  of  the  river.  Passing  eastward  a  little,  there  are  the 
heights  behind  the  city  of  Rheims  and  above  the  Vesle,  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Aisne.  Here  again  nature  has  builded  a  strong- 
hold easy  to  defend,  difficult  exceedingly  to  attack. 

"I  know  of  heroic  work  against  these  great  lines,  work 
that  will  live  with  the  most  momentous  of  this  struggle.  I 
know  of  smashing  attacks  the  thought  of  which  takes  one's 
breath  away.  I  have  heard  narratives  of  the  trenches  and  of 
the  bridges — these  engineers,  French  and  English,  have  indeed 
'played  the  game' — which  no  man  can  hear  unmoved ;  how  the 
columns  went  down  again  and  again  to  the  blazing  death  of 
the  valley,  and  how  men  worked,  building  and  girding  in  a 
very  inferno — worked  with  the  furious  speed  of  those  whose 
time  of  work  is  short. 

HEROISM  IN  THE  TRENCHES 

"And  in  the  trenches,  too,  the  tale  of  heroism  unfolds  itself 
hour  by  hour.  Here  is  an  example,  one  among  ten  thousand, 
the  story  of  a  wounded  private :  'We  lay  together,  my  friend 
and  I.  .  .  .  The  order  to  fire  came.  We  shot  and  shot  till 
our  rifles  burned  us.  Still  they  swarmed  on  towards  us.  We 
took  careful  aim  all  the  while.     "Ah,  good,  did  you  see  that?" 


840  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

I  turned  to  my  friend  and  as  I  did  so  heard  a  terrible  dull 
sound  like  a  spade  striking  upon  newly  turned  earth.  His 
head  was  fallen  forward.  I  spoke,  I  called  him  by  name.  He 
was  moaning  a  little.  Then  I  turned  to  my  work  again.  They 
are  advancing  quickly  now.  Ah !  how  cool  I  was.  I  shot  so 
slowly,     ...     so  very  slowly. 

"  'And  then — do  you  know  what  it  feels  like  to  be 
wounded?  I  rose  just  a  little  too  high  on  my  elbow.  A  sting 
that  pierces  my  arm  like  a  hot  wire — too  sharp  almost  to  be 
sore.  I  felt  my  arm  go  away  from  me — it  seemed  like  that — 
and  then  my  rifle  fell.  I  believe  I  was  a  little  dazed.  I  looked 
at  my  friend  presently.     He  was  dead. ' 

THE  GRIM  STORY  OF  SENLIS 

''So,  on  these  green  river  banks  and  across  these  fair 
wooded  plains  the  Germans  make  their  great  stand — the  stand 
that  if  they  are  defeated  will  be  their  last  in  France.  And 
meanwhile  behind  them  lie  the  wasted  fields  and  the  broken 
villages.  It  is  impossible  adequately  to  describe  the  scenes 
which  I  have  witnessed  on  the  line  of  the  great  retreat,  but 
here  and  there  events  have  had  place,  which,  in  truth,  cry  to 
high  heaven  for  report.    Of  such  is  the  grim  story  of  Senlis. 

' '  I  spent  many  hours  in  Senlis  and  I  will  recount  that  story 
as  I  saw  it  and  as  I  heard  it  from  those  who  lived  through  the 
dreadful  procession  of  days.  On  Saturday,  September  5,  the 
Germans  reached  this  beautiful  old  cathedral  town  and  entered 
into  occupation.  They  issued  a  proclamation  to  the  inhab- 
itants calling  upon  them  to  submit  and  to  offer  no  sort  of 
resistance  on  pain  of  severe  reprisals. 

"But  the  inhabitants  of  Senlis  had  already  tasted  the 
bitter  draft  of  war  making.  The  people  had  become  bitter 
to  the  point  of  losing  care  of  their  own  safety.  They  were 
reckless,  driven  to  distraction. 

"Bitter  was  the  price  exacted  for  the  recklessness!  The 
trouble  began  when,  exasperated  beyond  measure  by  their 
insolence,  a  brave  tobacconist  declared  to  a  couple  of  the  Prus- 
sians: 'I  serve  men,  not  bullies.'  He  followed  his  words 
with  a  blow  delivered  fiercely  from  the  shoulder. 

"The  infuriated  soldiers  dragged  him  from  his  shop  and 
hurled  him  on  his  knees  in  front  of  the  door.  His  wife  rushed 
out  shrieking  for  mercy.     Mercy !    As  well  ask  it  of  a  stone ! 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE  341 

A  shot  rang  out.  .  .  .  Another.  .  .  .  Man  and  wife 
lay  dead. 

"  Immediately  the  news  of  this  murderous  act  flew  through 
the  town.  Outraged  and  furious,  the  conquerors  marched  in- 
stantly to  the  house  of  the  mayor — their  hostage — and 
arrested  him.  They  conveyed  him  without  a  moment's  delay 
to  the  military  headquarters,  where  he  was  imprisoned  for  the 
night.  On  Wednesday  morning  a  court-martial  sat  to  decide 
his  fate.  A  few  minutes  later  this  brave  man  paid  for  the 
indiscretion  of  his  people  with  his  life,  dying  splendidly. 

"And  then  guns  were  turned  on  this  town  of  living  men 
and  women  and  children.  Shells  crashed  into  the  houses,  into 
the  shops,  into  the  station.  At  Chantilly,  seven  kilometers 
away,  the  amazed  inhabitants  saw  a  great  column  of  black 
smoke  curl  up  into  the  air;  they  guessed  the  horrible  truth. 
Senlis  was  burning. 

"The  work,  however,  was  interrupted.  At  midday  the 
glad  tidings  were  heard,  'The  Turcos  are  here.'  "Within  the 
hour  broken  and  blazing  Senlis  was  re-relieved  and  rescued. 
The  Turcos  pursued  and  severely  punished  the  enemy. 

"Today  these  streets  are  terrible  to  look  upon.  House 
after  house  has  been  shattered  to  pieces — broken  to  a  pile  of 
stones.  One  of  the  small  turrets  of  the  cathedral  has  been 
demolished,  and  a  rent  has  been  torn  in  the  stone  work  of  the 
tower.     The  station  is  like  a  wilderness. ' ' 

RHEIMS  CATHEDRAL  DAMAGED 

A  correspondent  gives  a  vivid  account  of  the  German  bom- 
bardment of  Rheims,  during  the  battle  on  the  Aisne,  as  viewed 
by  him  from  the  belfry  of  the  famous  cathedral. 

"What  a  spectacle  it  was!"  he  said.  "Under  the  cold, 
drifting  gray  rainclouds  the  whole  semicircle  of  the  horizon 
was  edged  by  heights  on  which  the  German  batteries  were 
mounted,  three  miles  away. 

"There  was  nothing  but  the  inferno  of  bursting  shells, 
those  of  the  Germans  landing  anywhere  within  the  space  of 
a  square  mile.  Sometimes  it  was  just  outside  the  town  that 
they  fell,  trying  to  find  the  French  troops  lying  there  in  their 
trenches,  waiting  to  go  forward  to  the  attack  of  the  hills,  when 
their  artillery  should  have  prepared  the  way. 

"The  cathedral  tower  made  a  wonderful  grand  stand  from 


342  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

which  to  watch  this  appalling  game  of  destruction.  It  was 
under  the  protection  of  the  Red  Cross  flag,  for  directly  the 
shells  began  to  hit  the  cathedral  in  the  morning  some  German 
wounded  were  brought  in  from  a  hospital  nearby  and  laid  on 
straw  in  the  nave,  while  Abbe  Andreaux  and  a  Red  Cross  sol- 
dier pluckily  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  tower  and  hung  out  two 
Geneva  flags. 

"The  crescendo  scream  the  shells  make  has  something 
fiendish  in  it  that  would  be  thrilling  apart  from  the  danger 
of  which  it  is  the  sign.  You  hear  it  a  full  second  before  the 
shell  strikes,  and  in  that  time  you  can  tell  instinctively  the 
direction  of  its  flight. 

"Then  comes  the  crash  of  the  explosion,  which  is  like  all 
the  breakages  you  ever  heard  gathered  into  one  simultaneous 
smash. ' ' 

SAVING   THE   GERMAN   WOUNDED 

A  few  of  the  German  shells  struck  the  cathedral  and  set  it 
on  fire.  The  scene  was  thus  described  by  Abbe  Camu,  a  priest 
of  Rheims : 

"It  was  all  over  in  an  hour.  There  were  two  separate 
fires.  We  put  the  first  out  with  four  buckets  of  water,  all  we 
had  in  the  place,  but  soon  another  shell  struck  the  roof  and  the 
wind  drove  the  flames  along  the  rafters  inside  of  the  nave.  We 
rushed  up,  but  it  was  flaming  all  along  and  as  we  could  do 
nothing,  we  hurried  down. 

"There  were  holes  in  the  ceiling  of  the  nave  and  sparks 
began  to  fall  through  them  into  a  great  heap  of  straw,  ten 
feet  high  and  twenty  yards  long,  which  the  Germans  had  piled 
along  the  north  aisle.  We  tried  to  catch  the  sparks  in  our 
hands  as  they  fell,  and  such  of  the  German  wounded  as  were 
able  to  walk  helped  us.  But  the  first  spark  that  fell  on  the 
pile  set  it  blazing.  There  was  time  to  think  of  nothing  but 
getting  out  the  wounded. 

1 '  They  screamed  horribly.  We  carried  many  of  those  that 
could  not  walk,  while  others  dragged  themselves  painfully 
along  to  the  side  door  in  the  north  aisle.  Those  who  had 
only  hand  and  arm  wounds  helped  their  comrades.  We  got 
out  all  except  thirteen,  whose  bodies  were  left  behind. 

"When  at  last  I  came  out  of  the  flaming  building  I  found 
the  whole  body  of  wounded  huddled  together  around  the  doors. 


BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE  343 

Opposite  to  them  was  a  furiously  hostile  crowd  of  civilians  of 
the  town  and  a  number  of  soldiers  with  their  rifles  already 
leveled. 

"I  sprang  forward.     'What  are  you  doing?'  I  cried. 

"  'They  shall  all  burn,'  shouted  the  soldiers  in  answer. 
'They  shall  go  back  and  burn  with  the  cathedral  or  we  will 
shoot  them  here.' 

"  'You  are  mad!'  I  exclaimed  in  reply.  'Think  of  what 
this  means.  All  the  world  will  hear  of  the  crime  the  Germans 
have  committed  here,  and  if  you  shoot  these  men  the  world 
will  know  that  France  has  been  as  criminal  in  her  turn.  Any- 
how,' I  said,  'you  shall  shoot  me  first,  for  I  will  not  move.' 

' '  Unwillingly  the  soldiers  lowered  their  rifles  and  I  turned 
to  six  German  officers  who  were  among  the  wounded  and  asked 
if  they  would  do  what  I  told  them  to.  They  said  they  would 
and  I  asked  them  to  tell  their  men  to  do  the  same.  Then  I 
formed  them  up  in  a  solid  body,  those  who  could  walk  unaided 
carrying  or  helping  those  who  could  not.  I  put  myself  at  the 
head  and  we  set  off  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  which  is  only  a  few 
hundred  yards  away. 

"Well,  then  the  crowd,  mad  with  grief  and  rage,  set  on  us. 
I  can't  describe  it.  You  have  never  seen  anything  so  dreadful 
as  that  scene.  They  beat  some  of  the  Germans  and  some  of 
them  they  got  down. 

"  'Can't  you  help  me?'  I  called  to  a  French  officer  I  caught 
sight  of. 

"  'You  will  never  get  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville  like  this,'  he 
replied,  so  I  forced  my  wounded  through  the  gateway  of  a 
private  house  and  we  managed  to  close  the  gates  after  us. 

' '  They  had  been  roughly  handled,  some  of  them,  and  they 
stayed  there  a  day  and  a  night  before  we  could  move  them 
again. ' ' 

[The  damage  done  to  the  cathedral  at  Rheims,  by  the  way, 
though  by  no  means  slight,  inexpressibly  sad  arid  truly  re- 
grettable, was  not  nearly  so  great  as  was  indicated  by  many 
early  reports.  The  friends  of  architectural  art  and  beauty 
hope  to  see  the  cathedral  fully  restored  at  no  distant  date.] 
"slatjghtek"  at  soissons 

Much  of  the  fighting  during  the  battle  of  the  Aisne  cen- 
tered around  Soissons.  On  September  16  a  correspondent 
described  the  fighting  there  as  follows: 


344  BATTLE  OF  THE  AISNE 

"For  the  last  three  hours  I  have  been  watching  from  the 
hills  to  the  south  of  the  town  that  part  of  the  terrific  struggle 
that  may  be  known  in  history  as  the  battle  of  Soissons. 

"It  has  lasted  for  four  days,  and  only  now  can  it  be  said 
that  victory  is  turning  to  the  side  of  the  Allies. 

"The  town  itself  cannot  be  entered  for  it  still  is  being 
raked  both  by  artillery  and  rifle  fire,  and  great  columns  of 
smoke  mark  several  points  at  which  houses  are  burning. 

"The  center  of  the  fighting  lies  where  the  British  and 
French  pontoon  corps  are  trying  to  keep  the  bridges  they 
have  succeeded  in  throwing  across  the  river. 

"Men  who  have  come  from  the  front  line  tell  me  that  the 
combat  there  has  been  a  positive  slaughter.  They  say  that 
the  unremitting  and  desperate  firing  of  these  four  days  and 
nights  puts  anything  else  in  modern  warfare  into  the  shade, 
that  river  crossings  are  as  great  an  objective  on  one  side  to 
take  and  keep  as  on  the  other  to  destroy." 

SEVEN  DAYS  OP  HELL 

A  wounded  soldier,  on  being  brought  back  to  the  hospital 
at  Paris,  after  only  one  week  in  the  valley  of  the  Aisne,  said 
in  a  dazed  sort  of  way  : 

"Each  day  was  like  the  others.  It  began  at  6  o'clock  in 
the  morning  with  heavy  shellfire.  There  was  a  short  interval 
at  which  it  stopped,  about  5 :30  every  day.  Then  in  the  night 
came  the  charges,  and  one  night  I  couldn't  count  them.  It 
was  awful — kill,  kill,  kill,  and  still  they  came  on,  shoving  one 
another  over  on  to  us.  Seven  days  and  nights  of  it  and  some 
nights  only  an  hour's  sleep ;  it  was  just  absolute  hell !" 

None  of  the  wounded  found  another  word  to  describe  the 
battle  and  the  sight  of  the  men  bore  it  out.  Muddied  to  the 
eyes,  wet,  often  with  blood  caked  on  them,  many  were  suffering 
from  the  curious  aphasia  produced  by  continued  trouble  and 
the  concussion  of  shells  bursting.  Some  were  dazed  and 
speechless,  some  deafened,  and  yet,  strange  to  say,  said  a 
correspondent,  no  face  wore  the  terrible  animal  war  look. 
They  seemed  to  have  been  softened,  instead  of  hardened,  by 
their  awful  experience. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

FALL  OF  ANTWERP 

Great  Seaport  of  Belgium  Besieged  by  a  Large  German 
Force — Forts  Battered  by  Heavy  Siege  Guns — Final 
Surrender  of  the  City — Belgian  and  British  Defenders 
Escape — Exodus  of  Inhabitants — Germans  Reach  the 
Sea. 

WHEN  the  battle  of  the  Marne  ended  in  favor  of  the  Allies 
and  the  Germans  retired  to  take  up  a  defensive  position 
along  the  Aisne,  the  Belgian  army  renewed  its  activities 
against  the  invader.  With  the  fortified  city  of  Antwerp  as 
their  base,  the  Belgians  began  (on  September  10)  an  active 
campaign,  having  for  its  object  the  reoccupation  of  their  cities 
and  towns  which  had  been  taken  and  garrisoned  by  German 
troops.  In  some  cases  they  were  successful  in  regaining  pos- 
session of  points  which  they  had  been  forced  to  abandon  dur- 
ing the  German  advance  in  August,  and  there  were  many  hot 
encounters  with  the  Germans  who  were  left  to  hold  open  the 
German  lines  of  communication  through  Belgium.  But  the 
forces  of  the  Kaiser  were  too  numerous  and  too  mobile  for 
successful  opposition,  and  soon  the  Belgian  army,  despite  the 
most  gallant  efforts,  was  compelled  once  more  to  retire  behind 
the  outer  forts  of  Antwerp  and  there  await  the  coming  of  an 
enemy  who  was  approaching  in  force. 

For,  halted  at  the  Aisne  and  unable  to  make  headway 
against  the  Allies  in  the  direction  of  Paris,  the  German  general 
staff  late  in  September  determined  upon  the  complete  conquest 
of  Belgium.  Though  at  the  outset  it  was  said  that  Germany 
intended  only  to  use  Belgian  territory  as  a  convenient  thor- 
oughfare into  France,  and  to  pay  for  all  damage  done  by  its 
army  in  passing  through  Belgium,  the  determined  resistance 

345 


346  FALL  OF  ANTWERP 

of  the  Belgians  when  invaded,  and  the  success  of  the  Allies 
in  halting  the  advance  upon  Paris  and  turning  it  into  a 
retreat  at  the  Marne,  appear  to  have  inflamed  the  German 
generals  with  a  desire  to  crush  Belgium  completely  under  an 
iron  heel.  An  object  lesson  of  the  power  and  possibilities  of 
the  great  fighting  machine  must  be  given  somewhere.  Halted 
in  France  by  the  Franco-British  armies  and  meeting  with 
varying  fortunes  against  the  Russian  hosts  in  the  eastern 
campaign,  Germany  chose  to  make  Belgium  once  more  the 
international  cockpit  and  hurled  an  army  against  Antwerp. 
This  move,  if  successful  (as  it  proved  to  be)  would  serve  two 
purposes — first,  the  further  punishment  of  Belgium  for  her 
unexpected  resistance,  and  second,  the  striking  of  a  direct 
blow  at  Great  Britain,  the  possession  of  Antwerp  being 
strategically  regarded  as  ' '  a  pistol  leveled  at  the  head  of 
London. '  '■ 

THE  SIEGE  OF  ANTWERP 

In  the  third  week  of  September  the  Germans,  having 
massed  a  force  believed  to  be  sufficient  for  the  capture  of 
Antwerp,  brought  up  their  heavy  Krupp  siege  guns  which 
had  been  used  successfully  at  Liege  and  Namur,  and  planted 
them  within  their  seven-mile  range,  so  as  to  command  the 
outer  belt  of  forts  east  and  south  of  the  city.  [See  map  of 
the  fortifications  of  Antwerp  on  page  102.]  These  huge  how- 
itzers were  reinforced  by  heavy  siege  guns  furnished  by  Aus- 
tria. The  fortification  system  of  Antwerp  was  believed  by 
its  builders  to  be  practically  impregnable,  but  they  had  not 
reckoned  with  the  tremendous  shattering  power  and  great 
range  of  the  latest  Krupp  siege  guns.  For  Antwerp  was 
destined  to  fall,  her  outer  and  inner  defenses  broken  down, 
within  ten  days  from  the  time  the  siege  began  in  earnest. 

BRITISH  MARINES  AID  DEFENDERS 

The  number  of  German  troops  engaged  before  Antwerp 
was  variously  estimated  at  from  80,000  to  200,000.  The  siege 
proper  began  on  Tuesday,  September  29.  For  more  than  a 
week  previously  there  had  been  daily  engagements  in  the 
suburbs  of  the  city  and  on  several  occasions  the  Belgians 
made  a  sortie  in  force,  only  to  encounter  overwhelming  num- 
bers of  the  German  enemy,  before  whom  they  were  compelled 


FALL  OF  ANTWERP  347 

to  retire  behind  the  shelter  of  the  forts.  In  all  these  engage- 
ments the  Belgians  gave  a  good  account  of  themselves  and 
inflicted  severe  losses  on  the  enemy.  But  the  odds  against 
them  were  too  great  and  then  when  the  great  siege  guns 
began  to  thunder,  it  was  soon  realized  that  the  city  was  in 
imminent  danger. 

King  Albert  did  all  in  his  power  to  encourage  the  defense 
and  by  his  presence  among  his  troops  on  the  firing  lines  around 
the  city  added  greatly  to  his  reputation  as  a  patriotic  soldier. 
A  force  of  several  thousand  British  marines,  coming  from 
Ostend,  aided  the  Belgian  defense  in  the  last  days  of  the 
siege,  but  all  efforts  were  unavailing.  One  by  one  the  forts 
succumbed  to  the  German  fire  with  which  the  Belgian  guns 
could  not  cope,  and  German  troops  penetrated  nearer  and 
nearer  to  the  doomed  city. 

Finally,  on  October  9,  wThen  the  inhabitants  were  in  a  state 
of  terror  as  a  result  of  the  long-continued  bombardment  of  the 
forts,  and  the  shelling  of  the  city,  further  resistance  was  seen 
to  be  useless,  the  defending  forces,  Belgian  and  British,  made 
their  escape  to  Ostend  or  into  the  neutral  territory  of  Holland, 
the  city  formally  capitulated  through  the  Burgomaster,  and 
occupation  by  the  Germans  followed  immediately.  The  bulk 
of  the  British  marines  made  their  way  back  to  Ostend,  but 
a  rearguard,  consisting  of  2,000  British,  together  with  some 
Belgians,  was  cut  off  by  the  advance  of  the  Germans  across 
the  Scheldt,  and  rather  than  surrender  to  them  marched 
across  the  border  into  Holland  and  surrendered  arms  to  the 
Dutch  authorities.  The  men  were  interned  and  will  be  held 
in  Holland  till  the  end  of  the  war.  It  is  probable  that  this 
rearguard  was  deliberately  sacrificed  to  enable  the  Anglo- 
Belgian  army  to  make  good  its  retreat. 

The  fate  of  Antwerp  shows  what  might  have  happened  to 
Paris  had  the  Germans  been  able  to  bring  up  their  great  siege 
guns  to  the  outer  fortifications  of  the  French  capital  and  pro- 
tect them  while  they  performed  their  tremendous  task  of 
battering  the  defenses  to  pieces.  The  wrecking  of  Antwerp's 
outer  and  inner  forts  in  ten  days  proves  that  solid,  massive 
concrete,  chilled  steel  and  well-planned  earthworks  afford 
little  or  no  security  against  the  monstrous  cannon  of  the  Kai- 


348  FALL  OF  ANTWERP 

ser's  armies.     There  appeared  to  be  but  one  way  of  with- 
standing them. 

As  seems  to  have  been  demonstrated  in  the  valley  of  the 
Aisne,  they  are  apparently  ineffective  against  field  forces 
deeply  intrenched  in  a  far-flung  line. 

THE  FIGHTING  OUTSIDE  ANTWEEP 

Early  on  Tuesday  morning,  October  6,  one  of  the  fiercest 
of  the  engagements  outside  Antwerp  ended  with  the  crossing 
of  the  Kiver  Nethe  by  the  Germans  and  their  approach  to  the 
inner  forts.  Monday  had  been  the  sixth  day  of  the  siege  and 
the  Belgian  army  was  fighting  with  reckless  courage  to  save 
Antwerp.  As  a  precaution,  the  boilers  of  all  the  German 
ships  lying  in  the  harbor  were  exploded  on  Sunday,  in  order 
to  prevent,  if  possible,  use  of  these  ships  as  transports  for 
German  troops  across  the  North  Sea  or  elsewhere.  The  det- 
onation of  the  bursting  boilers,  resounding  through  the  city, 
set  the  excited  Sunday  crowd  very  near  to  a  panic.  This  was 
accelerated  by  the  constant  fear  of  airship  attacks,  and  most 
of  the  population  that  was  not  already  in  active  flight  from  the 
city  sought  safety  in  cellars. 

The  entire  war  has  presented  no  greater  picture  of  desola- 
tion than  that  of  the  hosts  fleeing  from  the  last  Belgian 
stronghold.  For  forty-eight  hours  before  the  city  fell  great 
crowds  of  the  citizens,  dumb  with  terror  as  the  huge  German 
shells  hurtled  over  their  heads,  were  fleeing  toward  Englan  1 
and  Holland  in  such  numbers  that  the  hospitality  of  those 
countries  was  likely  to  be  taxed  to  the  utmost. 

The  suburban  town  of  Lierre  was  bombarded  early  in  the 
week,  the  church  was  destroyed,  and  a  number  of  citizens 
killed  and  wounded.  The  next  day  the  village  of  Duffel  was 
bombarded  and  the  population  fled  into  Antwerp.  Many  still 
had  confidence  in  the  ability  of  the  Antwerp  forts  to  with- 
stand the  German  attack. 

Although  the  Germans  succeeded  in  crossing  the  Nethe, 
their  repeated  attempts  to  effect  a  passage  over  the  Scheldt 
were  repulsed  and  they  then  concentrated  their  attention  on 
an  approach  to  Antwerp  from  the  southeast.  In  their  trenches 
the  Belgians  resisted  gallantly  to  the  last.  "Most  wonder- 
ful, ' '  said  an  American  observer  on  October  7, ' '  is  the  patient, 


FALL  OF  ANTWERP 

unfaltering  courage  of  the  average  Belgian  soldier,  who  has 
been  fighting  for  nine  weeks.  Tired,  with  hollow  eyes,  un- 
kempt, unwashed  and  provided  with  hasty,  though  ample, 
meals,  he  is  spending  most  of  the  time  in  the  trenches. 

''King  Albert,  the  equal  of  any  soldier  in  his  devotion  to 
duty,  daily  exposes  himself  to  personal  danger,  while  the 
Queen  is  devoting  her  time  to  the  hospitals. ' ' 

The  effect  of  the  German  siege  artillery  was  especially 
destructive  near  Vosburg.  Several  villages  suffered  heavily 
and  the  barracks  at  Contich  were  wrecked.  The  forts  at 
Waelhem  and  Wavre-St.  Catherines  were  totally  destroyed 
by  the  terrific  shell  fire. 

Most  of  the  fighting  around  Antwerp  was  a  battle  of 
Krupps  against  men.  Every  day  and  night  the  fighting  con- 
tinued with  deadly  effect  against  the  forts,  while  the  shrapnel 
and  shell  made  many  of  the  trenches  untenable. 

As  fast  as  the  Belgians  were  compelled  to  withdraw  from 
a  position  the  Germans  moved  up  and  occupied  it.  The  Bel- 
gians fought  stubbornly  with  infantry  and  frequently  they 
repulsed  the  Germans,  but  these  repulses  always  meant  a 
renewal  of  the  artillery  attacks  by  the  Germans,  with  the 
eventual  retirement  of  the  Belgians  until  the  end  of  endurance 
was  reached  and  the  city  defenses  were  evacuated  by  their 
brave  garrison. 

An  instance  of  the  tenacity  with  which  the  infantry  stuck 
to  their  positions  was  reported  from  the  Berlaere,  where  the 
commanding  officer  and  his  aid-de-camp  were  in  one  of  the 
most  exposed  positions.  Sandbags  protected  them  for  some 
time,  but  at  last  the  aid-de-camp  was  struck  by  shrapnel  and 
had  his  face  virtually  blown  away.  Unperturbed  by  this  ter- 
rible proof  of  the  danger  of  his  position,  the  commanding 
officer  stuck  to  his  post,  and  for  further  shelter  placed  the 
body  of  his  junior  over  his  body.  In  this  position  he  lay 
firing,  whenever  possible,  from  8  o  'clock  in  the  morning  until 
4  in  the  afternoon. 

FIERCE  FIGHT  TO  CROSS  NETHE 

The  crossing  of  the  River  Nethe  was  attended  by  great  loss 
to  the  Germans.  They  hurled  their  infantry  recklessly  against 
the  Belgian  trenches,'  and  while  they  lost  enormous  numbers, 
eventually  succeeded  in  crossing  the  river. 


350  FALL  OF  ANTWERP 

One  of  the  -unsuccessful  attempts  was  described  by  an  inde- 
pendent observer  as  follows: 

"The  Germans  succeeded  in  getting  a  pontoon  completed 
and  they  came  down  to  the  river  bank  in  solid  masses  to  cross 
it.  As  they  came  every  Belgian  gun  that  could  be  turned  on  the 
spot  was  concentrated  on  them  and  they  were  blown  away, 
blocks  of  them  at  a  time,  and  still  the  masses  came  on. 

4 '  The  Belgian  officers  spoke  with  enthusiasm  of  the  steadi- 
ness and  gallantry  with  which,  as  each  German  company  was 
swept  away,  another  pushed  into  its  place.  But  it  was  a  dread- 
ful sight,  nevertheless. 

"At  last  the  bridge  went,  shattered  and  blown  to  bits.  The 
Belgian  guns  continued  for  a  while  to  search  the  opposite  river 
bank,  but  the  Germans  fell  back  and  no  more  masses  of  men 
came  down  to  where  the  pontoon  had  been.  Allowing  for  all 
exaggerations,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  German  loss  must 
have  been  extremely  heavy. ' ' 

Near  Termonde,  on  Wednesday,  the  7th,  the  fighting  was 
just  as  fierce.  The  Belgians  had  four  batteries  of  field  guns 
there  which  succeeded  in  destroying  the  locks  of  the  river  (the 
Scheldt),  thus  flooding  a  part  of  the  river  and  blocking  the  Ger- 
mans. Later  they  engaged  in  a  hot  duel  with  the  German  artil- 
lery. Two  of  the  Belgian  batteries  were  completely  destroyed 
early  in  the  action  and  all  of  the  men  serving  them  were  killed. 
Not  until  the  last  of  the  remaining  guns  were  put  out  of  action 
did  the  Belgians  withdraw. 

Of  the  casualties  in  and  around  Antwerp  during  the  siege 
it  is  possible  only  to  make  an  estimate.  It  was  said  after  the 
Germans  entered  the  city  that  their  total  loss  in  killed,  wounded 
and  missing  was  near  forty-five  thousand  men.  German  officers 
were  credited  before  the  attack  with  saying  that  they  would 
sacrifice  100,000  men,  if  necessary,  to  take  Antwerp.  It  is  prob- 
able that  the  German  casualties  numbered  at  least  twenty-five 
thousand,  while  the  Belgian  losses  in  actual  killed  and  wounded 
were  probably  five  thousand.  The  latter  fought  from  en- 
trenched positions,  while  the  heavy  German  losses  were  sus- 
tained in  the  open  and  at  the  river  crossings.  The  casualties 
among  the  British  marines,  who  arrived  only  a  day  or  two  be- 
fore the  city  capitulated,  were  comparatively  insignificant. 


FALL  OF  ANTWERP  351 

STORY    OF   AN    EYEWITNESS — HARROWING    SCENES   ATTENDING   THE 
FALL  OF  ANTWERP  AND  THE  EXODUS  OF  ITS  PEOPLE 

A  vivid  picture  of  the  pathetic  scenes  attending  the  fall  of 
Antwerp  was  given  by  Lucien  A.  Jones,  correspondent  of  the 
London  Daily  Chronicle,  who  wrote  on  October  11th  as  follows: 

"Antwerp  has  been  surrendered  at  last.  The  bitterest  blow 
which  has  fallen  upon  Belgium  is  full  of  permanent  tragedy, 
but  the  tragedy  is  lightened  by  the  gallantry  with  which  the 
city  was  defended.  Only  at  last  to  save  the  historic  buildings 
and  precious  possessions  of  the  ancient  port  was  its  further 
defense  abandoned.  Already  much  of  it  had  been  shattered 
by  the  long-range  German  guns,  and  prolonged  resistance 
against  these  tremendous  engines  of  war  was  impossible. 
Owing  to  this  the  siege  was  perhaps  the  shortest  in  the  annals 
of  war  that  a  fortified  city  has  ever  sustained.  Heroic  efforts 
were  made  by  the  Belgians  to  stem  the  tide  of  the  enemy's 
advance,  but  the  end  could  not  long  be  delayed  when  the  siege 
guns  began  the  bombardment. 

"It  was  at  three  minutes  past  noon  on  Friday,  October  9th, 
that  the  Germans  entered  the  city,  which  was  formally  surren- 
dered by  Burgomaster  J.  De  Vos.  Antwerp  had  then  been 
under  a  devastating  and  continuous  shell  fire  for  over  forty 
hours. 

' '  It  was  difficult  to  ascertain  precisely  how  the  German  at- 
tack was  planned,  but  the  final  assault  consisted  of  a  continuous 
bombardment  of  two  hours '  duration,  from  half  past  7  o  'clock 
in  the  morning  to  half -past  9.  During  that  time  there  was  a 
continuous  rain  of  shells,  and  it  was  extraordinary  to  notice 
the  precision  with  which  they  dropped  where  they  would  do 
the  most  damage.  The  Germans  used  captive  balloons,  whose 
officers  signaled  the  points  in  the  Belgian  defense  at  which  they 
should  aim. 

GERMAN  GUNS  CONCEALED 

"The  German  guns,  too,  were  concealed  with  such  clever- 
ness that  their  position  could  not  be  detected  by  the  Belgians. 
Against  such  methods  and  against  the  terrible  power  of  the 
German  guns  the  Belgian  artillery  seemed  quite  ineffective. 
Firing  came  to  an  end  at  9.30  on  Friday,  and  the  garrison  es- 
caped, leaving  only  ruins  behind  them.  In  order  to  gain  time 
for  an  orderly  retreat  a  heavy  fire  was  maintained  against  the 


852  FALL  OF  ANTWERP 

Germans  up  to  the  last  minute  and  the  forts  were  then  blown 
up  by  the  defenders  as  the  Germans  came  in  at  the  gate  of 
Malines. 

"I  was  lucky  enough  to  escape  by  the  river  to  the  north  in 
a  motorboat.  The  bombardment  had  then  ceased,  though  many 
buildings  were  still  blazing,  and  while  the  little  boat  sped  down 
the  Scheldt  one  could  imagine  the  procession  of  the  Kaiser's 
troops  already  goose-stepping  their  way  through  the  well-nigh 
deserted  streets. 

MANY  HARKOWING  SCENES 

* '  Those  forty  hours  of  shattering  noise  almost  without  lull 
seem  to  me  now  a  fantastic  nightmare,  but  the  sorrowful  sights 
I  witnessed  in  many  parts  of  the  city  cannot  be  forgotten. 

"It  was  Wednesday  night  that  the  shells  began  to  fall  into 
the  city.  From  then  onward  they  must  have  averaged  about 
ten  a  minute,  and  most  of  them  came  from  the  largest  guns 
which  the  Germans  possess,  'Black  Marias,'  as  Tommy  Atkins 
has  christened  them.  Before  the  bombardment  had  been  long 
in  operation  the  civil  population,  or  a  large  proportion  of  it, 
fell  into  a  panic. 

"It  is  impossible  to  blame  these  peaceful,  quiet-living 
burghers  of  Antwerp  for  the  fears  that  possessed  them  when  a 
merciless  rain  of  German  shells  began  to  fall  into  the  streets 
and  on  the  roofs  of  their  houses  and  public  buildings.  The 
Burgomaster  had  in  his  proclamation  given  them  excellent  ad- 
vice, to  remain  calm  for  instance,  and  he  certainly  set  them  an 
admirable  example,  but  it  was  impossible  to  counsel  perfection 
to  the  Belgians,  who  knew  what  had  happened  to  their  fellow- 
citizens  in  other  towns  which  the  Germans  had  passed  through. 

FOUGHT  TO  GET  ON  THE  BOATS 

"Immense  crowds  of  them — men,  women  and  children — 
gathered  along  the  quayside  and  at  the  railway  stations  in  an 
effort  to  make  a  hasty  exit  from  the  city.  Their  condition  was 
pitiable  in  the  extreme.  Family  parties  made  up  the  biggest 
proportion  of  this  vast  crowd  of  broken  men  and  women.  There 
were  husbands  and  wives  with  their  groups  of  scared  children, 
unable  to  understand  what  was  happening,  yet  dimly  con- 
scious in  their  childish  way  that  something  unusual  and  ter- 
rible and  perilous  had  come  into  their  lives. 


FALL  OF  ANTWERP  858 

"  There  were  fully  40,000  of  them  assembled  on  the  long 
quay,  and  all  of  them  were  inspired  by  the  sure  and  certain 
hope  that  they  would  be  among  the  lucky  ones  who  would  get 
on  board  one  of  the  few  steamers  and  the  fifteen  or  twenty  tug- 
boats available.  As  there  was  no  one  to  arrange  their  sys- 
tematic embarkation  a  wild  struggle  followed  amongst  the 
frantic  people,  to  secure  a  place.  Men,  women  and  children 
fought  desperately  with  each  other  to  get  on  board,  and  in  that 
moment  of  supreme  anguish  human  nature  was  seen  in  one  of 
its  worst  moods;  but  who  can  blame  these  stricken  people? 

APPALLED  BY  THE  HORROR  OF  WAR 

"They  were  fleeing  from  'les  barbares,'  and  shells  that 
were  destroying  their  homes  and  giving  their  beloved  town  to 
the  flames  were  screaming  over  their  heads.  Their  trade  was 
not  war.  They  were  merchants,  shopkeepers,  comfortable 
citizens  of  middle  age  or  more ;  there  were  many  women  and 
children  among  them,  and  this  horror  had  come  upon  them  in 
a  more  appalling  shape  than  any  in  which  horror  had  visited 
a  civilized  community  in  modern  times. 

"There  was  a  scarcity  of  gangways  to  the  boats,  and  the 
only  means  of  boarding  them  was  by  narrow  planks  sloping  at 
dangerous  angles.  Up  these  the  fugitives  struggled,  and  the 
strong  elbowed  the  weak  out  of  their  way  in  a  mad  haste  to 
escape. 

"By  2  o'clock  Thursday  most  of  the  tugboats  had  got  away, 
but  there  were  still  some  15,000  people  who  had  not  been  able 
to  escape  and  had  to  await  whatever  fate  was  in  store  for  them. 

A  GREAT  EXODUS  OF  INHABITANTS 

"At  the  central  railway  station  incidents  of  a  similar  kind 
were  happening.  There,  as  down  by  the  river,  immense 
throngs  of  people  had  assembled,  and  they  were  filled  with 
dismay  at  the  announcement  that  no  trains  were  running.  In 
their  despair  they  prepared  to  leave  the  city  on  foot  by  cross- 
ing the  pontoon  bridge  and  marching  towards  the  Dutch  fron- 
tier. I  should  say  the  exodus  of  refugees  from  the  city  must 
have  totaled  200,000  men,  women  and  children  of  all  ages,  or 
very  nearly  that  vast  number,  out  of  a  population  which  in 
normal  times  is  321,800. 


354  FALL  OF  ANTWERP 

"I  now  return  to  the  events  of  Thursday,  October  8th.  At 
12.30  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  bombardment  had  already- 
lasted  over  twelve  hours,  through  the  courtesy  of  a  Belgian 
officer  I  was  able  to  ascend  to  the  roof  of  the  cathedral,  and 
from  that  point  of  vantage  I  looked  down  upon  the  scene  in 
the  city. 

"All  the  southern  portion  of  Antwerp  appeared  to  be  deso- 
late ruin.  Whole  streets  were  ablaze,  and  the  flames  were 
rising  to  a  height  of  twenty  and  thirty  feet. 

"From  my  elevated  position  I  had  an  excellent  view  also 
of  the  great  oil  tanks  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Scheldt.  They 
had  been  set  on  fire  by  four  bombs  from  a  German  Taube  aero- 
plane, and  a  huge  thick  volume  of  black  smoke  was  ascending 
two  hundred  feet  into  the  air.  It  was  like  a  bit  of  Gustave 
Dore  's  idea  of  the  infernal  regions. 

CITY  ALMOST  DESERTED 

"The  city  by  this  time  was  almost  deserted,  and  no  attempt 
was  made  to  extinguish  the  fires  that  had  broken  out  all  over 
the  southern  district.  Indeed  there  were  no  means  of  dealing 
with  them.  For  ten  days  the  water  supply  from  the  reservoir 
ten  miles  outside  the  city  had  been  cut  off,  and  this  was  the 
city's  main  source  of  supply.  The  reservoir  was  just  behind 
Fort  Waelthen,  and  a  German  shell  had  struck  it,  doing  great 
mischief.  It  left  Antwerp  without  any  regular  inflow  of  water 
and  the  inhabitants  had  to  do  their  best  with  the  artesian  wells. 
Great  efforts  were  made  by  the  Belgians  from  time  to  time  to 
repair  the  reservoir,  but  it  was  always  thwarted  by  the  Ger- 
man shell  fire. 

KILLED  BEFORE   HIS   WIFE'S  EYES 

"After  leaving  the  cathedral,  I  made  my  way  to  the  south- 
ern section  of  the  city,  where  shells  were  bursting  at  the  rate 
of  five  a  minute.  With  great  difficulty,  and  not  without  risk, 
I  got  as  far  as  Rue  Lamoiere.  There  I  met  a  terror-stricken 
Belgian  woman,  the  only  other  person  in  the  streets  besides 
myself.  In  hysterical  gasps  she  told  me  that  the  Bank 
Nationale  and  Palais  de  Justice  had  been  struck  and  were  in 
flames,  and  that  her  husband  had  been  killed  just  five  minutes 
before  I  came  upon  the  scene.     His  mangled  remains  were 


Copyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood,  N.  Y. 

1  FRENCH  TURCOS  DIVIDING   THEIR   GERMAN   SPOILS   AT   MEAUX 

2  BELGIANS   CONGRATULATING  PRIVATE   LANGE,  OF  THE   12TII   REGIMENT  OF  IN- 

FANTRY   WHO  WAS  DECORATED  BY  KING  ALBERT  FOR  KILLING  A  GERMAN 
'colonel  AND  FOURTEEN  MEN   AT   HORSTAL.   AUGUST  25 


Above— f Left)  Archduke  Frederick  of  Austr  a,  in  command  of  the  Austrian  forces. 

(Ki«ht)  General  Count  von   Moltke,  chief  of  German  staff. 
Below— (Left)   Archduke  Charles  Francis,  heir  to  the  Austrian  throne. 

(Right)   Baron  von  Hoetzendorff,  chief  of  the  Austrian  staff,  with  Military  Secretary. 


*  E 


a,   c 


FALL  OF  ANTWERP  855 

lying  not  one  hundred  yards  away  from  where  we  were 
standing. 

' '  F^xcept  for  the  lurid  glare  of  burning  buildings,  which  lit 
up  the  streets,  the  city  was  in  absolute  darkness,  and  near  the 
quay  I  lost  my  way  trying  to  get  to  the  Hotel  Wagner.  For 
the  second  time  that  day  I  narrowly  escaped  death  by  shell. 
One  burst  with  terrific  force  about  twenty-five  yards  from  me. 
I  heard  its  warning  whirr  and  rushed  into  a  neighboring  porch. 
Whether  it  was  from  the  concussion  of  the  shell  or  in  my 
anxiety  to  escape  I  caromed  against  the  door  and  tumbled 
down,  and  as  I  lay  on  the  ground  a  house  on  the  opposite  side 
crashed  in  ruins.  I  remained  still  for  several  minutes,  feeling 
quite  sick  and  unable  to  get  up.  Then  I  pulled  myself  together 
and  ran  at  full  speed  until  I  came  to  a  street  which  I  recognized. 

TAKE  KEFUGE  IN  CELLARS 

"How  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Antwerp  remained  in 
the  city  that  night  it  is  impossible  to  say,  but  they  were  all  in 
the  cellars  of  their  houses  or  shops.  The  Burgomaster,  M.  De 
Vos,  had  in  one  of  his  several  proclamations  made  many  sug- 
gestions for  safety  during  the  bombardment,  for  the  benefit 
of  those  who  took  refuge  in  cellars.  Among  the  most  useful 
of  them,  perhaps,  was  that  which  recommended  means  of 
escape  to  an  adjoining  cellar.  The  power  of  modern  artil- 
lery is  so  tremendous  that  a  cellar  might  very  well,  become  a 
tomb  if  a  shell  fell  on  the  building  overhead. 

"Sleep  was  impossible  that  night,  in  the  noise  caused  by 
the  explosion  of  shells  in  twenty  different  quarters  of  the 
town.  About  6  o'clock  I  was  told  that  it  was  time  we  got 
out,  as  the  Germans  were  entering  the  city.  We  hurried  from 
the  hotel  and  found  the  streets  completely  deserted.  I  walked 
down  to  the  quay-side,  and  there  I  came  across  many  wounded 
soldiers,  who  had  been  unable  to  get  away  in  the  hospital 
boat. 

"On  the  quay  piles  of  equipment  had  been  abandoned.  A 
broken-down  motor-car,  kit-bags,  helmets,  rifles  and  knap- 
sacks were  littered  in  heaps.  Ammunition  had  been  dumped 
there  and  rendered  useless.  The  Belgians  had  evidently  at- 
tempted to  set  fire  to  the  whole  lot.  The  pile  of  stuff  was  still 
smoldering.     I  waited  there  for  half  an  hour,  and  during  that 


356  FALL  OF  ANTWERP 

time  hundreds  of  Belgian  soldiers  passed  in  the  retreat.  Just 
about  this  time  a  pontoon  bridge  which  had  been  the  means 
oi  the  Belgian  retreat  was  blown  up  to  prevent  pursuit  by 
the  Germans. 

"At  8  o'clock  a  shell  struck  the  Town  Hall,  and  about  8 :15 
another  shell  shattered  the  upper  story  and  broke  every  win- 
dow in  the  place. 

BURGOMASTER  PARLEYS  WITH  GERMANS 

''That  was  the  German  way  of  telling  the  Burgomaster 
to  hurry  up.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  M.  De  Yos  went  out 
in  his  motor-car  toward  the  German  line  to  discuss  the  con- 
ditions on  which  the  city  should  be  surrendered. 

"At  9:30  o'clock  the  bombardment  of  the  city  suddenly 
ceased,  and  we  understood  that  the  Burgomaster  had  by  this 
time  reached  the  German  headquarters.  Still  we  waited,  pain- 
fully anxious  to  learn  what  would  be  the  ultimate  fate  of  Ant- 
werp. Belgian  soldiers  hurried  by  and  at  10:30  proclama- 
tions were  posted  on  the  walls  of  the  Town  Hall  urging  all  in 
the  city  to  surrender  any  arms  in  their  possession  and  begging 
all  to  remain  calm  in  the  event  of  the  Germans'  occupation. 
A  list  was  also  posted  of  several  prominent  citizens  who  were 
appointed  to  look  after  the  interests  of  those  Belgians  who 
remained. 

1 '  The  '  impregnable '  city  of  Antwerp  had  fallen,  but  with- 
out dishonor  to  its  gallant  defenders." 


GERMAN    MILITARY    GOVERNOR    OF    ANTWERP    APPOINTED GERMAN 

OFFICIAL  REPORTS 

On  October  10  Baron  von  der  Schutz  was  appointed  mili- 
tary governor  of  Antwerp.  It  was  expected  that  the  city 
would  become  the  base  for  Zeppelin  attacks  upon  England 
and  also  for  a  German  naval  campaign  in  which  mines  and 
submarines  would  play  an  important  part.  This  was  inti- 
mated in  dispatches  from  Berlin  following  the  German  occu- 
pation of  the  city. 

The  German 'General  Staff,  in  announcing  the  capture, 
added  that  they  could  not  estimate  the  number  of  prisoners 
taken.  "We  took  enormous  quantities  of  supplies  of  all 
kinds,"  said  the  official  statement. 


FALL  OF  AX  TWERP  Z57 

The  German  military  commander  of  Antwerp  warned  the 
people  against  committing  overt  acts  against  the  Germans, 
which  would,  he  said,  be  punished  according  to  the  laws  of 
war,  and  "may  lead  to  the  demolition  of  your  beautiful  city." 
Personal  protection  and  immunity  from  property  loss  were 
promised  those  who  abstained  from  hostile  ac 

Prince  August  Wilhelm,  the  fourth  son  of  the  Kaiser,  was 
among  the  first  to  penetrate  the  fortifications  at  Antwerp. 
The  Prince  sent  an  enthusiastic  m  to  the  Kaiser,  who 

replied,  bestowing  the  Iron  Cross  upon  the  Prince  and  upon 
General  von  Beseler,  the  German  commander. 

Before  the  fall  of  Antwerp  the  Belgian  government  moved 
its  headquarters  to  Ostend,  and  later,  when  the  Germans  ad- 
vanced upon  that  city,  to  Havre,  France. 

King  Albert  and  the  Belgian  field  army  made  good  theh: 
retreat  from  Antwerp  an  1  in  the  following  week  harassed  the 
German  advance  upon  the  coast  of  the  Straits  of  Dover. 
There  was  a  fierce  battle  near  Termonde,  in  which  the  Bel- 
gians were  assisted  by  British  cavalry  and  infantry.  Ostend 
was  occupied  by  German  troops  a  week  after  Antwerp  fell, 
but  the  Allies  had  by  that  time  gathered  a  large  force  to  dis- 
pute the  progress  of  the  Germans  across  the  frontier  towards 
the  coast  cities  of  northern  France. 

Some  alarm  at  the  near  approach  of  the  invaders  was  felt 
in  Dunkirk  and  in  Boulogne,  but  on  October  20  the  Allies 
were  holding  their  own  all  along  the  northwestern  frontier  of 
France  and  the  German  advance  along  the  coast  was  checked 
by  the  Belgian  army  at  the  Yser  river.  The  line  of  battle  of 
the  Allies  and  the  Germans,  in  the  w  theater  of  war, 

then  extended  from  the  North  Sea,  near  the  Franco-Belgian 
border,  south  to  Lille  and  Arras,  southeast  to  the  valley  of  the 
Aisne,  and  thence  by  way  of  Mezieres  and  Verdun  southeast 
to  Alsace. 


THE  PEACE  HYMN 

By  the  Rev.  John  Haynes  Holmes 

Sung  to  the  tune  of  "St.  Agnes"  (J.  B.  Dykes) 

[This  hymn  was  recommended  by  the  Federal  Council  of  Churches  and 
the  Church  Peace  Union  to  be  sung  in  the  churches  of  the  United  States  on 
the  Day  of  Prayer  for  Peace,  Sunday,  October  4,  designated  in  the  proclama- 
tion of  President  Wilson.] 

God  of  the  Nations,  near  and  far, 

Ruler  of  all  mankind, 
Bless  Thou  Thy  people  as  they  strive 

The  paths  of  peace  to  find. 

The  clash  of  arms  still  shakes  the  sky, 

King  battles  still  with  king, 
Wild  through  the  frighted  air  of  night 

The  bloody  tocsins  ring. 

But  clearer  far  the  friendly  speech 

Of  scientists  and  seers, 
The  wise  debate  of  statesmen  and 

The  shout  of  pioneers. 

And  stronger  far,  the  clasped  hands 

Of  labor's  teeming  throngs, 
Who  in  a  hundred  tongues  repeat 

Their  common  creeds  and  songs. 

0  Father,  from  the  curse  of  war 

We  pray  Thee  give  release, 
And  speed,  oh  speed  the  blessed  day 

Of  Justice,  Love  and  Peace. 

358 


CHAPTER  XXIV  . 

THE  WOUNDED  AND  PRISONERS 

Typical  Precautions  Used  by  the  German  Army — The 
Soldiers'  First- Aid  Outfit — System  in  Hospital  Ar- 
rangements— How  Prisoners  of  War  Are  Treated — 
Regulations  Are  Humane  and  Fair  to  All  Concerned. 

MODERN  armies  take  the  best  possible  care  of  their 
wounded  and  none  has  brought  this  department  of  war- 
fare to  greater  perfection  than  the  Germany  army.  One 
detail  of  this  work  shows  the  German  army  at  its  best. 

Every  soldier  has  sewn  under  a  corner  of  his  coat  a  strip 
of  rubber  cloth.  Under  this  strip  is  a  piece  of  antiseptic  gauze, 
a  strip  of  bandage  and  plaster  and  cloth  for  the  outer  bandage. 
This  cloth  bears  in  simple  pictures  directions  for  dressing 
every  sort  of  wound. 

When  a  soldier  is  wounded  either  he  or  some  comrade  rips 
open  this  package  and  applies  at  once  the  life  saving  dressing, 
which  will  last  at  any  rate  until  the  soldier  is  brought  to  a 
station,  where  the  first  scientific  attention  is  given. 

Through  this  simple  and  inexpensive  device  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  German  soldiers,  who  have  been  slightly 
wounded  in  battle,  have  returned  to  their  comrades  within  a 
few  days  completely  well  and  have  taken  their  places  in  the 
ranks  once  more.  Without  this  care  a  large  percentage  of  the 
wounds  would  become  inflamed,  as  has  been  the  case  with 
hundreds  of  wounded  French  prisoners  captured  by  the  Ger- 
mans. 

The  ordinary  procedure  of  caring  for  the  wounded  in  the 
German  army  is  for  the  sanitary  corps,  which  is  well  provided 
with  stretchers  and  bandages,  to  gather  up  the  wounded  on  or 

359 


360       THE  WOUNDED  AND  PRISONERS 

near  the  firing  lines  and  bring  them  to  a  gathering  point  a 
little  way  behind  the  lines. 

Here  the  army  surgeons  are  ready  to  begin  work  at  once 
upon  the  most  urgent  cases.  They  are  assisted  by  members  of 
the  corps,  who  remove  the  temporary  bandages,  and  put  on 
dressings  which  will  last  until  the  soldier  reaches  a  hospital. 
Then  from  this  first  gathering  point  the  wounded  soldiers  are 
put  on  stretchers  in  Red  Cross  wagons  and  carried  to  the  field 
hospitals  a  few  miles  farther  back,  where  doctors  and  nurses 
are  at  work. 

HOSPITALS  IN  VILLAGE  CHURCHES 

These  hospitals  are  usually  established  in  village  churches 
or  town  halls.  One  room  is  cleared  and  arranged  for  an  operat- 
ing room,  where  bullets  and  pieces  of  shell  are  removed  and 
amputations  are  made  if  necessary. 

"I  have  just  visited  such  a  field  hospital,"  said  a  corre- 
spondent with  the  right  wing  of  the  German  army  in  France, 
writing  on  September  28.  "It  was  in  a  little  whitewashed 
village  church  heated  by  a  stove.  Everywhere  were  white 
beds  made  of  straw  and  covered  with  sheets.  Perhaps  twenty 
wounded  were  here,  including  two  captured  Irishmen.  They 
lay  quite  still  when  the  army  doctor  ushered  us  in,  for  they 
were  too  seriously  wounded  to  pay  much  attention  to  any- 
thing. 

' '  Near  this  hospital  was  another  in  a  town  hall.  While  we 
were  there  a  consulting  surgeon  arrived  to  investigate  the 
condition  of  a  seriously  wounded  lieutenant,  whose  leg  might 
need  amputation.  Two  orderlies  put  the  patient  on  a  stretcher, 
and  he  was  taken  into  the  next  room  for  examination.  Later 
in  the  day  the  amputation  was  performed. 

MOVED   TO   HOSPITALS  IN   CITIES 

"From  these  little  field  hospitals,  as  soon  as  the  men  can 
be  moved,  they  are  taken  to  some  general  hospital  in  the  near- 
est large  city,  where  several  thousands  can  be  cared  for.  Such 
a  hospital  exists  in  this  neighborhood  in  the  building  of  a  nor- 
mal college,  where  every  corner  is  used  in  housing  wounded 
men. 

' '  I  made  a  quick  trip  through  this  building  and  the  memory 
of  it  is  one  of  the  most  heartrending  pictures  I  have  of  the  war. 


THE  WOUNDED  AND  PRISONERS       361 

Room  after  room  was  filled  with  the  victims  of  the  conflict. 
Every  man  was  seriously  wounded.  Some  had  suffered  ampu- 
tations and  the  heads  of  others  were  so  bandaged  that  no  fea- 
ture could  be  seen,  only  a  tube  to  the  nose  permitting  breathing. 

HORROR  IN"  HOSPITAL  SIGHTS 

"In  one  room  a  surgeon  had  a  soldier  on  the  operating 
table  and  was  pulling  pieces  of  shell  from  a  huge  hole  in  the 
inner  side  of  one  of  his  legs.  On  a  stretcher  on  the  floor,  wait- 
ing for  his  turn  to  come  under  the  surgeon's  care,  was  an 
officer.  His  face  was  covered  with  blood,  he  was  waving  his 
arms  wildly  and  gasping  for  air.  This  scene  left  an  impression 
of  the  utmost  horror  upon  me. 

"Slightly  wounded  soldiers,  whom  it  is  not  necessary  to 
leave  for  a  while  in  the  field  hospitals,  are  sent  directly  to 
these  larger  hospitals  and  thence,  after  a  short  convalescence, 
are  loaded  into  Red  Cross  trains  and  sent  home  for  recovery. 
Later  they  return  to  take  their  places  in  the  regiments.  Such 
trains  can  be  seen  daily  along  any  main  line  of  railroad.  In 
some  cases  freight  cars  with  straw  bedding  are  used. 

' '  One  of  the  finest  examples  of  charity  given  during  the  war 
is  a  splendid  Red  Cross  train  entirely  equipped  as  a  modern 
hospital,  even  having  a  first  class  operating  room.  This  was 
given  to  the  German  army  by  the  citizens  of  Wilmersdorff,  who 
also  employed  an  excellent  surgeon.  Scores  of  lives  will  be 
saved  through  a  small  outlay  of  money. 

GRAVEYARDS  ON  BATTLEFIELDS 

1  'Near  the  large  hospital  I  visited  was  a  graveyard  where 
there  were  scores  of  neatly  marked  fresh  graves,  each  bearing 
a  cross  or  tablet  with  the  name  of  the  soldier  and  his  regiment, 
division  and  corps  marked  on  it.  In  some  cases  comrades  had 
added  a  word  or  two  of  scripture.  The  deaths  are  too  numer- 
ous for  an  imposing  ceremony  at  each  burial,  but  for  every  one 
an  army  chaplain  reads  scripture  and  offers  a  short  prayer, 
while  a  few  comrades  stand  by  with  bared  heads. 

"The  identity  of  each  soldier  is  easily  determined  from  the 
name  plate  which  he  wears  in  a  little  leather  purse  suspended 
from  around  the  neck.  After  a  battle  these  plates  are  gath- 
ered from  the  dead  and  from  these  the  death  lists  are  made 


362        THE  WOUNDED  AND  PRISONERS 

out.  [It  was  said  that  after  the  battle  of  the  Marne  no  fewer 
than  68,000  of  these  name  plates  or  tags  were  found  collected 
in  one  place. — Ed.] 

"  After  a  battle  where  the  deaths  mount  into  the  thousands 
some  field  will  be  shut  off  for  a  cemetery  and  there  the  bodies 
are  buried,  each  grave  receiving  some  kind  of  a  cross  wherever 
it  is  possible,  but  here  no  names  can  be  attached.  There  will 
be  many  homes  in  which  there  will  be  vacant  places  and  where 
it  will  not  even  be  known  where  the  absent  ones  are  buried. 

KAISER  INSISTS  ON  ENTERING 

"While  here  I  heard  a  touching  story  about  a  lieutenant 
who  was  dying  in  the  hospital,  while  the  Kaiser  was  inspect- 
ing it.  The  Kaiser  came  to  the  room  where  the  officer  lay  and 
the  attendants  asked  him  not  to  enter,  as  a  man  was  dying. 
The  Kaiser  immediately  pushed  his  way  in,  went  up  to  the  lieu- 
tenant, put  his  hand  on  the  officer's  shoulder,  and  said  in 
German :    l  Hello,  here  I  am ! ' 

"The  lieutenant  began  murmuring  with  his  eyes  closed. 

"  *I  have  been  dreaming  and  I  dreamed  that  my  Kaiser 
came  to  me,  put  his  hand  on  my  shoulder  and  spoke  to  me.' 

"  'Open  your  eyes,'  said  the  Kaiser. 

' '  The  lieutenant  obeyed,  smiled  a  smile  of  recognition,  and 
then  closed  his  eyes  in  the  final  sleep. 

SURGEONS  WIN  IRON  CROSSES 

"So  far,  according  to  official  announcement,  there  have 
been  between  50,000  and  60,000  wounded  and  immediately  after 
a  great  battle  the  sanitary  corps  has  been  unable  to  cope 
quickly  enough  with  the  work,  but  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances the  provision  made  has  been  ample.  The  number  of 
the  sanitary  corps  was  determined  upon  the  experience  in  the 
Russo-Japanese  war,  in  which  the  losses  were  by  no  means  so 
heavy  as  they  have  been  in  this  war,  but  where  in  a  few  cases 
numbers  have  been  lacking  the  surgeons  and  their  assistants 
have  put  forth  herculean  efforts.  Many  surgeons  are  now 
wearing  the  iron  cross  for  bravery,  winning  the  insignia  by 
dragging  out  wounded  from  the  rain  of  bullets. 


THE  WOUNDED  AND  PRISONERS       363 

TKEATMENT  OP  PRISONERS  OF  WAR 

The  prisoner  of  war  has  been  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the 
news  that  has  come  from  the  seething  caldron  of  Europe. 
Many  thousands  of  prisoners  have  been  taken  from  the  con- 
tending armies  by  their  adversaries.  For  them  the  average 
American  reader,  perusing  "war  news"  in  the  comfort  of  his 
security  from  the  great  conflict,  has  felt  perhaps  a  grain  of 
sorrow  and  wondered  vaguely  what  horrors  befell  them  after 
capture. 

Early  in  September  the  German  war  department  sent 
broadcast  a  statement  that  30,000  Russians  had  been  taken 
prisoners  by  the  German  soldiers  after  heavy  battles  in  East 
Prussia,  particularly  around  Ortelsburg,  Hohenstein  and  Tan- 
nenburg.  The  statement  mentioned  the  fact  that  among  the 
prisoners  were  many  Russian  officers  of  high  rank. 

What  is  done  with  these  prisoners,  how  they  are  handled 
and  treated  and  whether  high  officials  are  punished  more 
severely  than  mere  privates,  are  questions  frequently  asked 
and  seldom  answered,  for  the  procedure  followed  in  such  mat- 
ters is  but  little  known. 

REGULATIONS  ARE  HUMANE  TO  ALL 

The  international  laws  of  warfare,  embodied  in  The  Hague 
conventions,  the  Geneva  convention  and  the  declaration  of 
London,  contain  provisions  that  provide  expressly  what  man- 
ner of  treatment  shall  be  accorded  prisoners  of  hostile  nations 
who  are  taken  in  battle.  If  these  provisions  of  international 
law  are  lived  up  to,  the  lot  of  the  prisoner  of  war  is  not  so  hard 
as  many  people  have  been  led  to  believe. 

There  have  been  interspersed  in  the  war  news  from  biased 
sources  insinuations  that  the  soldiers  of  this  or  that  nation 
have  ruthlessly  violated  the  provisions  of  the  international 
laws  governing  warfare,  and  the  Kaiser  has  been  accused  of 
treating  The  Hague  convention  as  so  much  waste  paper.  The 
news  from  abroad  has  not  revealed  any  unfairness  to  the  many 
thousands  of  soldiers  who  are  prisoners  of  war,  so  it  must 
be  assumed  that  with  respect  to  them,  at  least,  the  laws  have 
been  observed.  That  such  is  the  case  may  be  assumed  also 
from  the  fact  that  the  nation  which  captures  its  enemy's  sol- 
diers and  makes  prisoners  of  them  is  held  entirely  responsible 


864       THE  WOUNDED  AND  PRISONERS 

for  whatever  happens  and  shoulders  at  once  a  responsibility 
that  is  commensurate  with  the  number  of  prisoners  who  are 
taken  and  detained. 

The  law  of  warfare  says  that  a  prisoner  must  be  as  fair 
with  his  captors  as  they  are  with  him.  He  must  be  "humanely 
treated,"  so  it  is  prescribed,  and  when  he  is  questioned  by  his 
captors  he  must  give  his  true  name  and  the  rank  he  holds  in 
the  army  which  has  been  defeated  and  of  which  he  was  once  a 
part.  Contrary  to  general  belief,  he  is  not  stripped  of  "every- 
thing" and  thrown  into  a  dungeon  and  fed  on  a  crust  of  bread 
and  a  mug  of  stale  water.  His  captors  do  not  deprive  him  of 
his  personal  possessions,  except  weapons,  horses  and  military 
papers. 

Furthermore,  they  must  give  him  complete  religious  lib- 
erty, and  it  is  specifically  decreed  that  he  must  be  given  oppor- 
tunity to  attend  a  church  of  the  denomination  to  which  he 
belongs.  And  there  he  may  pray  as  much  for  the  success  of 
his  own  nation  or  the  much-desired  relief  from  detention  as 
the  state  of  his  mind  dictates. 

PRISONERS  MAY  BE  CONFINED 

The  prisoner  of  war  may  be  interned  in  a  town  or  a  fort,  or 
even  a  camp,  according  to  the  convenience  of  his  captors,  but 
the  enemy  may  not  confine  him,  except,  the  law  says,  as  "an 
indispensable  measure  of  safety,"  and  then  only  as  long  as 
the  circumstances  make  it  necessary.  Of  course  the  law  gives 
the  commanding  officer  considerable  leeway  in  such  matters, 
for  he  is  left  to  determine  when  the  "indispensable"  occasion 
arises. 

At  other  times  when  the  prisoner  is  at  liberty,  he  is  subject 
to  all  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  army  of  the  government 
that  captured  him,  and  if  he  refuses  to  obey  the  rules  or  acts 
in  an  insubordinate  manner  toward  the  officers  in  command, 
he  may  be  punished  and  disciplined  according  to  his  offense. 
And  here  it  is  again  left  to  the  discretion  of  his  captors  as  to 
what  measure  of  punishment  shall  be  inflicted  upon  him. 

ATTEMPTS  AT  ESCAPE 

If  a  prisoner  of  war  attempts  to  escape  and  his  captors  are 
vigilant  to  the  extent  of  retaking  him  before  he  leaves  the  ter- 
ritory they  occupy,  or  before  he  has  a  chance  to  rejoin  his  own 


THE  WOUNDED  AND  PRISONERS       365 

army,  he  may  be  severely  punished.  On  the  other  hand,  if  he 
eludeshis  captors  and  makes  a  clean  getaway  and  his  army 
is  again  unfortunate,  and  he  is  captured  the  second  time,  the 
perfectly  good  escape  from  previous  captivity  must  go  unpun- 
ished and  he  must  be  treated  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  just  as 
though  he  had  not  made  the  successful  dash  for  liberty  and 
further  glory. 

The  government  that  holds  prisoners  of  war  is  chargeable 
with  their  maintenance  and  must  provide  them  with  food,  cloth- 
ing and  shelter  as  good  as  that  provided  for  its  own  troops. 
The  officers  of  the  captors  are  required  to  keep  records  of  all 
the  prisoners  under  their  charge,  and  if  relief  societies,  which 
have  been  extensively  formed  by  the  women  of  Europe  and 
many  American  women  as  well,  wish  to  minister  to  their  needs 
and  comforts,  the  officers  in  command  must  afford  them  every 
possible  facility.  And  if  the  friends  of  prisoners  or  the  wel- 
fare societies  see  fit  to  send  them  presents  and  clothing,  medi- 
cine and  other  necessities,  such  goods  must  be  admitted  to  them 
free  of  any  war  duty  that  might  be  imposed  by  the  nation 
holding  them,  and  the  railroads  owned  by  the  government  are 
bound  to  carry  such  supplies  free  of  transportation  charges. 

CAPTIVES  MUST  BE  PAID  FOR  WORK 

Prisoners  of  war  may  be  put  to  work  by  the  government 
that  captures  them  and  the  duties  must  be  assigned  with  a  view 
to  their  aptitude,  fitness  and  rank.  The  tasks  must  not  be 
unduly  severe,  so  as  to  border  on  cruelty,  and  they  must  have 
no  bearing  whatever  on  the  operations  of  the  war.  The  prison- 
ers must  be  paid  for  the  work  they  do,  moreover,  at  a  rate  equal 
to  that  being  paid  to  the  soldiers  of  the  national  army,  and 
prisoners  may  be  authorized  to  work  for  the  public  service, 
for  private  persons  or  on  their  own  account. 

The  wages  of  these  prisoners,  the  law  says,  must  go  toward 
improving  their  condition,  and  the  balance  must  be  paid  them 
after  their  release,  with  the  proper  deduction  for  their  board 
and  keep.  When  officers  of  hostile  armies  who  are  captured 
are  put  to  work  they  must  get  the  same  wage  rate  as  is  paid  to 
the  corresponding  officers  of  the  government  whose  captives 
they  are.  All  these  moneys  must  be  ultimately  refunded  by 
their  own  governments  to  their  captors  after  the  war  is  over, 


366       THE  WOUNDED  AND  PRISONERS 

peace  is  declared  and  the  intricate  problems  of  indemnities 
come  up  for  solution. 

A  prisoner  of  war  may  even  be  paroled  by  his  captors,  and 
this  is  done  sometimes  when  he  is  disabled  or  there  are  circum- 
stances that  prompt  his  enemies  to  let  him  go  to  those  who  are 
near  and  dear  to  him.  When  parole  is  granted  to  a  prisoner 
he  makes  a  solemn  pledge  and  promise  that  he  will  live  up  to 
the  terms  under  which  he  is  released,  and  even  his  own  nation 
may  not  ask  him  to  perform  a  service  that  is  inconsistent  with 
that  pledge. 

BREAKER  OF  A  PAROLE 

It  goes  hard  with  the  prisoner  on  parole  who  is  caught 
fighting  against  the  nation  that  released  him,  for  he  is  not 
entitled  to  be  treated  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  and  the  judgment 
meted  out  to  him  is  as  terrible  as  it  is  sure.  Certain  codes  of 
honor  are  supposed  to  be  observed  even  in  international  war- 
fare, and  a  soldier  who  breaks  his  word  of  honor  is  considered 
the  most  despicable  of  men. 

No  matter  how  long  the  military  authorities  of  a  nation 
decide  to  detain  the  prisoners  they  take  in  battle,  they  may 
not  put  them  to  death  or  even  wound  them.  The  procedure 
of  taking  prisoners  is  only  for  one  purpose,  and  that  is  to 
weaken  the  opposing  armies.  When  soldiers  are  declared 
prisoners  of  war  they  surrender  their  arms  and  if  they  obey 
the  code,  do  not  try  to  overpower  their  captors.  This  par- 
ticular feature  of  the  rule  of  war  is  usually  lived  up  to,  for  the 
effort,  if  it  fails,  is  punished  by  instant  slaughter,  and  if  the 
dispatches  from  the  scenes  of  the  operations  now  going  on  are 
anywhere  near  the  truth  the  reason  for  certain  acts  described 
as  " barbarous  cruelty"  is  made  apparent. 


CHAPTEE  XXV 

THE  CHRISTMAS  SHIP 

Plan  to  Send  Santa  Glaus  Gifts  From  America  to  War- 
Stricken  Children  of  Europe — A  Widespread  Response 
— Movement  Indorsed  by  Press,  Pulpit  and  Leading 
Citizens — Approved  by  Governments  of  Contending 
Nations. 

THINK  of  an  American  ship,  flying  a  flag  of  purest  white 
with  a  single  golden  star  and  one  significant  word — 
" Inasmuch,"  sailing  in  safety  across  the  war-patrolled 
waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  through  the  English  Channel  with 
its  bristling  array  of  naval  sentinels;  piloted  unscathed 
through  the  deadly  mine-fields  of  the  North  Sea  and  the  gun- 
guarded  Straits  of  Gibraltar;  not  merely  unmolested,  but 
honored  and  saluted  by  all  alike,  by  dreadnoughts  and  super- 
dreadnoughts,  destroyers  and  cruisers,  citadels  and  garri- 
sons, torpedo  boats  and  submarines,  merchantmen  and  fishing 
folk,  of  all  the  nations  waging  bitter  war ;  bearing  a  message 
of  peace  and  good-will  from  the  prosperous  people  of  the 
New  World  to  the  distracted  people  of  the  Old,  with  a  full 
cargo  of  Christmas  gifts  for  the  innocent  little  victims  of 
war: — think  of  such  a  spectacle  and  what  it  means  to  hu- 
manity, and  then  thank  God  that  you  are  an  American  citizen 
and  may  have  had  a  part  in  making  it  come  to  pass ! 

For  this  voyage  of  the  golden-starred  Christmas  ship  is 
no  mere  dream,  but  a  definite  plan  of  human  benevolence, 
inaugurated  by  a  great  Chicago  newspaper,  indorsed  by  many 
leading  journals  of  the  United  States,  and  soon  to  be  carried 
out  by  the  aid  of  the  children  of  America.  The  plan  was 
launched  on  September  5th  by  Mr.  James  Keeley,  editor  of 

367 


368  THE    CHRISTMAS    SHIP 

the  Chicago  Herald,  in  a  remarkable  open  letter  to  the  Chil- 
dren of  America,  which  has  been  well  characterized  as  "a 
beautiful  letter"  and  is  here  reproduced  in  full  as  follows: 

[From  the  Chicago  Herald  of  Saturday,  Sept.  5,  1914.] 

To  the  Children  of  America  : 

"Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these 
my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me." — St.  Matthew,  xxv,  40. 

When  daddy  goes  to  work  each  morning  you  expect  him 
to  come  home  at  night.  You  would  be  very  sad  if  he  did  not, 
wouldn't  you? 

Over  in  Europe,  where  kings  rule,  millions  of  fathers  are 
being  sent  to  work  by  the  kings — the  work  of  war.  The  kings 
tell  them  to  go  and  fight  and  they  have  to  go,  even  if  there  is 
no  one  left  at  home  to  earn  money  to  buy  food  and  clothing 
and  pay  the  rent.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  fathers  will 
never  come  home  to  their  little  boys  and  girls.  They  will  be 
killed  by  the  fathers  of  other  little  boys  and  girls,  who  do  not 
really  hate  them,  but  who  kill  because  they  have  been  ordered 
to  do  so. 

You  will  have  a  Merry  Christmas.  You  are  looking  for- 
ward to  the  day  when  Christ  was  born.  You  know  that  father 
and  mother  will  be  with  you  on  Christmas  day.  You  know 
that  Santa  Claus  will  come  from  the  frozen  North,  his  sleigh 
laden  with  gifts  for  you. 

Have  you  stopped  to  think  what  is  going  to  happen  on 
Christmas  day  to  the  children  of  Europe  whose  Santa  Claus 
fell  dead  on  the  battlefield  when  father  dropped  with  a  bullet 
in  his  heart — the  father  whose  kiss  and  cheery  "Up,  lazy 
boots,  Kris  Kringle  has  been  here!"  once  awoke  them  on 
Christ's  birthday? 

For  these  bereaved  children  there  will  be  no  Kris  Kringle. 
His  sleigh  bells  will  not  jingle  on  the  frosty  air  in  the  Black 
Forest,  and  the  snows  of  the  Russian  steppes  will  be  untrod- 
den by  the  good  saint's  galloping  reindeer.  Stockings  will 
hang  limp  and  empty  in  many  a  French  cottage  and  the  smoky 
chimneys  of  England  will  know  him  not.    No  doll  for  little 


THE   CHRISTMAS   SHIP  869 

Jane  and  no  red  mittens  for  Brother  John !  No  soldiers,  all 
red  and  shining,  that  Karl  had  hoped  for — 0,  what  a  mockery 
at  this  Christmastide — and  Gretchen  had  dreamed  of  a  set 
of  dishes  with  roses  around  the  edge  and  a  beautiful  big  bou- 
quet in  the  center !  Ivan  and  Francis  and  Paul  and  Marie — 
all  their  little  dreams  have  died  in  war. 

One  million  Christmas  tragedies — think  of  it!  You  chil- 
dren know  how  big  they  are.  And  there  will  be  suffering; 
the  dumb  grief  of  the  widowed  mother,  who  has  given  her 
all  and  yet  stands  at  Christmas  time  with  empty  hands;  the 
physical  agony  of  the  hungry  and  the  underclad;  the  "sor- 
row's crown  of  sorrow" — that  of  remembering  happier  things. 

Children  of  America,  if  you  could  help  you  would,  wouldn't 
you?    And  you  may. 

You  can  be  Santa  Claus  to  those  little  boys  and  girls  whose 
daddies  died  fighting  for  their  country.  You  can  stretch  out 
your  hands  across  the  sea  bearing  messages  of  love  and  hope 
and  sympathy  to  the  children  of  a  war-ridden  continent — 
messages  from  fortunate  America  to  unfortunate  Europe. 

You  can  send  that  doll  to  Jane  and  those  mittens  to  John. 
Yes,  by  the  thousands. 

Ivan  will  not  feel  the  cold  when  the  stockings  you  knit 
are  pulled  upon  his  chubby  legs. 

Gretchen 's  eyes  may  fill  with  tears,  but  she  will  smile 
through  them  when  that  big  red  comforter  is  wrapped  round 
neck  and  ears. 

Don't  you  want  to  help?    Of  course  you  do!  Listen: 

Let  each  little  boy  and  each  little  girl  be  a  Kris  Kringle. 
Isn't  that  a  fine  thought?  Wouldn't  you  love  to  be  that  great 
saint?  Wouldn't  you  love  to  put  your  gifts  in  a  sleigh  and 
take  the  reins  in  your  hands  and  drive  the  reindeer  over  the 
roofs  of  the  houses,  slipping  down  the  chimneys  and  leaving 
your  gifts  for  those  who  badly  need  them? 

Can  you  do  it?  Of  course  you  can.  You  can  help  load  the 
sleigh  and  you  can  shut  your  eyes  and  feel  the  reins  in  your 
fingers  and  drive  the  reindeer  up  and  down  the  lanes  in  Eng- 
land, lined  with  thatch-roofed  cottages,  through  the  vineyards 
of  France  and  the  stubble  fields  of  Belgium,  across  the  white- 
mantled  stretches  of  Russia,  up  and  down  the  highways  of 


370  THE    CHRISTMAS   SHIP 

Germany,  over  the  hills  of  Austria  and  along  the  frozen  Dan- 
ube to  the  Servian  peasant's  hut,  stopping  to  leave  a  surprise 
— a  catch-the-breath  surprise — for  your  little  brother  and 
sister  whose  father  is  dead. 

You  may  live  to  be  a  hundred  years  old,  you  may  travel 
all  over  the  world  and  see  its  wonders  and  delights,  but  never 
will  you  have  such  a  journey  as  that. 

How  can  you  do  all  this? 

Just  in  the  easiest  kind  of  a  way,  but  you've  got  to  do  it 
yourself  to  get  the  real  joy  of  it.  Earn  money  to  buy  the  pres- 
ents or  make  them  yourself.  Every  boy  knows  how  to  earn 
money  so  he  may  go  to  the  circus.  Ask  father  to  let  you  split 
the  kindling,  carry  in  the  coal,  carry  out  the  ashes,  look  after 
the  furnace — and  make  him  pay  you  for  it.  Save  the  pennies 
that  are  given  you  for  candy.    Deny  yourself  something. 

If  you  are  a  girl,  couldn't  you  knit  a  pair  of  gloves  or 
socks  or  comforters?  Wouldn't  it  be  good  to  know  that  the 
gloves  are  keeping  warm  a  pair  of  little  hands  like  yours? 
Wouldn't  it  be  fine  to  know  that  the  comforters  are  covering- 
frosted  ears  and  protecting  delicate  throats? 

And  you  must  have  some  toys  that  have  outgrown  their 
charm  for  you.    Send  them! 

Then  there  is  another  thing  you  can  do.  Ask  father  and 
mother  to  beg  Santa  Claus  to  give  to  a  boy  or  girl  in  Europe 
one  of  the  gifts  that  is  intended  for  you! 

"Yes,"  I  hear  you  say.  "I  will  be  Santa  Claus  to  those 
poor  little  orphan  children !" 

And  then  you  ask:  "But  how  can  my  gift  reach  the  child 
that  needs  it?"  By  the  train  and  by  the  boat  and  the  train 
again. 

And  then  you  say  again : 

"But  the  papers  say  that  English  ships  and  French  ships 
and  German  ships,  all  armed  with  cannon,  will  stop  the  boat 
carrying  my  gift." 

They  will  not. 

England  and  France  and  Germany  intend  to  salute  the 
boat  that  is  carrying  your  gift — not  to  stop  it.  Your  ship 
will  be  a  ship  of  Good-will.  It  will  be  Santa  Claus' ship.  And 
all  the  countries  at  war  will  dip  their  flags  to  it  as  such. 


THE    CHRISTMAS   SHIP  871 

All  you  have  to  do  is  to  provide  the  gifts.  The  Chicago 
Herald  will  look  after  all  other  details.  It  will  organize  a 
bureau  which  will  answer  your  questions. 

Write  to  the  Christmas  Ship  Editor  for  help. 

It  will  see  that  your  gift  reaches  the  boat  that  will  take  it 
to  Europe. 

^  It  will  see  that  your  gift  is  put  into  hands  which  will  place 
it  in  the  fatherless  home  on  Christmas  morning. 

And  it  will  tell  every  day  all  about  what  other  boys  and 
girls  in  our  country  are  doing  in  this  work  of  love. 

Just  think  what  a  brave  sight  the  ship  will  make  that  car- 
ries your  gift  to  Europe!  Can't  you  picture  it,  laden  with 
the  thousands  upon  thousands  of  presents  from  the  children 
of  America?  It  will  be  officered  and  manned  by  the  fathers 
of  little  boys  and  girls  who  will  take  every  care  that  it  safely 
reaches  the  countries  which  are  sunk  in  the  want  of  war. 

Everybody  who  sees  it  will  know  what  it  is ;  for  it  will  fly 
two  flags. 

One  will  be  your  flag,  the  flag  you  love,  the  beautiful  Stars 
and  Stripes. 

The  other,  too,  will  be  your  flag.  It  will  be  a  white  flag. 
On  its  snowy  surface  will  be  a  single  golden  star,  the  "Star 
of  Hope."  The  motto  on  that  flag  will  be  the  single  word 
"Inasmuch."  Ask  father  and  mother  to  read  the  sentence 
in  the  Bible  with  which  that  word  begins. 

TO   THE   GROWN-UPS 

To  Parents — Help  your  children  to  learn  lessons  of  vital 
importance :  The  joy  of  giving,  the  desirability  of  self-denial, 
the  sweetness  of  sympathy,  the  horrors  of  war  and  the  blessed- 
ness of  peace.  This  is  a  world-wide  peace  movement  that  will 
bear  fruit — possibly  soon,  but  ultimately,  assuredly. 

To  School-teachers — In  all  your  books  can  you  find  a 
more  vital  topic?    Teach  it. 

To  Clergymen — You  have  texts  galore.  Preach  this  idea 
— for  your  Master  is  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

(Signed)     J.  Keeley. 


872  THE  CHRISTMAS  SHIP 

AN   ENTHUSIASTIC  RESPONSE 

The  response  to  Mr.  Keeley's  appeal  was  instantaneous 
and  enthusiastic.  Letters  and  telegrams  of  approval  and 
encouragement  poured  in  from  all  over  the  United  States. 
The  plan  of  the  Santa  Claus  ship  was  cordially  indorsed  by 
President  Wilson  and  by  Vice-President  Marshall ;  by  gover- 
nors, senators  and  representatives  in  congress;  by  hundreds 
of  newspapers  and  thousands  of  the  clergy;  by  leading  citi- 
zens of  national  fame;  by  fathers  and  mothers  from  Maine 
to  California,  and  by  every  American  child  to  whom  the  idea 
was  explained. 

A  typical  letter  of  encouragement  was  written  by  Ella 
Flagg  Young,  superintendent  of  schools  of  Chicago,  who  said : 

"It  is  a  wonderful  idea — this  promise  of  a  toy  ship  to 
carry  a  message  from  the  children  of  America  to  the  unhappy 
children  of  Europe.  And  it  was  presented  in  a  beautiful 
letter — a  letter  which  every  child  in  the  United  States  and 
the  parents  of  every  child  should  read  and  keep. 

"A  toy  ship — a  messenger  from  America  to  Europe,  car- 
rying light  where  all  is  darkness,  peace  where  all  is  murder 
and  suffering,  love  where  there  is  only  hate!  It  is  a  big 
thought,  big  in  its  immediate  purpose,  big  in  its  almost  un- 
limited potentialities.  I  see  in  it  better  boys  and  girls,  finer, 
stronger  men  and  women.  I  see  in  it  self-denial  and  sym- 
pathy turned  from  abstract  ideals  to  realized  human  attri- 
butes.   In  it  I  see  all  of  these  and  more. 

"I  see  fathers  and  mothers  dwelling  less  on  the  horror 
and  tragedy  of  war  and  more  on  its  pitiful  futility  and  need- 
lessness.  I  see  children  growing  to  maturity  with  fixed  ideals 
of  love  and  sympathy  and  mutual  helpfulness.  I  see  mur- 
der turned  to  sympathy,  horror  to  sweetness  and  hate  to  love. 

"Of  course,  this  is  only  a  beginning,  only  a  first  step  in 
a  course  which  should  be  taken  up  and  followed  not  only  by 
children  but  also  by  parents  and  teachers  and  ministers  and 
priests.  Such  things  take  time,  just  as  all  growths,  all  evolu- 
tions take  time.  But  the  Santa  Claus  ship  is  on  the  right 
course,  its  prow  is  turned  to  the  rising  sun,  and  at  the  end  of 
its  journey  lies  a  greater  and  better  and  nobler  world. 

"Self-sacrifice,  love  of  man  to  man  and  child  to  child, 


THE  CHRISTMAS  SHIP  873 

broken  barriers  of  race,  religion,  nation  and  language — these 
will  form  the  cargo  of  the  Christmas  ship  more  truly  even 
than  the  toys  and  clothes  which  comprise  its  material  freight. 

1  'No  wonder  that  great  men-of-war  should  dip  their  flags 
to  the  toy  ship — for  warriors,  like  other  men,  have  in  them 
that  spark  of  the  divine  which  needs  only  the  breath  of  a 
single  disinterested,  selfless  thought  to  awaken  the  highest 
and  the  noblest  that  is  in  human  nature. 

"Hats  off  to  the  toy  ship — to  the  flag  with  the  single  golden 
star!" 


WARSHIP  TO  CARRY  CHILDREN'S  GIFTS 

The  United  States  Government  officially  endorsed  the 
Christmas  ship  plan  on  October  5th,  when  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  announced  that  the  vessel  to  be  laden  with  the  cargo  of 
gifts  from  American  children  would  be  a  warship  flying  the 
American  flag.  This  decision  was  made  public  in  the  follow- 
ing letter  addressed  by  Secretary  Daniels  to  the  Washington 
representative  of  the  Chicago  Herald : 

"My  Dear  Mr.  O'Laughlin:  I  take  great  pleasure  in  informing 
you  that  I  have  arranged  to  send  an  American  warship,  the  vessel  to 
be  selected  later,  to  European  waters  during  the  later  part  of  Novem- 
ber *  #  *  £0  carry  the  Christmas  cargo  of  useful  presents  which 
ninety-odd  newspapers  of  this  country  have  so  thoughtfully  collected 
from  the  generous  people  of  our  own  country. 

"It  is  a  beautiful  spirit  which  has  prompted  this  portion  of  the 
press  of  the  United  States  and  the  people  who  have  responded  to  their 
appeal  to  lavish  upon  the  distressed  little  ones  of  European  countries 
these  tokens  of  liberality. 

"This  unselfish  enterprise,  I  feel  confident,  bespeaks  our  own 
gratitude  to  God  for  the  peace  which  now  prevails  within  our  own 
boundaries  and  at  the  same  time  breathes  forth  the  universal  prayer 
from  the  hearts  of  our  countrymen  that  the  distress  of  nations  across 
the  waters  may  soon  be  ended. 

"Again  assuring  you  of  my  delight  that  the  navy  is  able  in  some 
measure  to  further  your  plans  and  purposes,  believe  me,  cordially 
yours,  (Signed)  "  Josephus  Daniels, 

' '  Secretary  of  the  Navy. ' ' 

Among  the  newspapers  referred  to  by  Mr.  Daniels  were 
some  of  the  most  influential  dailies  in  America. 


374 


THE   CHRISTMAS   SHIP 


The  collection  of  gifts  to  be  forwarded  to  Europe  on  the 
Christmas  ship  was  made  chiefly  through  the  medium  of  depots 
established  at  convenient  points  in  all  the  many  cities  that 
took  an  active  part  in  the  movement.  The  response  to  the  call 
for  suitable  gifts  was  generous  and  prompt,  so  that  a  full 
cargo  of  large  intrinsic  value  was  made  ready  for  the  sailing 
of  the  ship  of  war  which  carried  the  golden-starred  flag  of 
peace  and  goodwill,  floating  in  honor  with  the  naval  ensign  of 
the  United  States. 

"Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these 
my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  Me." 


FORGOTTEN 


Detroit  Times. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

Thrilling  Incidents  of  the  Great  War  Told  by  Actual  Com- 
batants— Personal  Experiences  from  the  Lips  of  Sur- 
vivors of  the  World's  Bloodiest  Battles — Tales  of 
Prisoners  of  War,  Wounded  Soldiers  and  Refugees 
Rendered  Homeless  in  Blighted  Arena  of  Conflict. 

HAND-TO-HAND  FIGHTING 

CAVALRY  fighting  on  the  banks  of  the  River  Marne  in 
the  year  1914  was  almost  identical  with  the  charge  in 
the  days  when  Hannibal's  Numidian  horse  charged  at 
Romans  at  Lake  Trasimene,  or  when  Charles  Martel  and  the 
chivalry  of  France  worsted  the  Moors  and  saved  Europe  on 
the  plains  of  Tours. 

A  good  description  of  a  cavalry  charge  was  given  by 
Private  Capel  of  the  Third  British  Hussars,  a  veteran  of  the 
Boer  war,  who  took  part  in  the  fighting  beginning  at  Mons 
and  was  separated  from  his  regiment  in  a  charge  at  Coulom- 
miers,  in  the  battle  of  the  Marne,  when  his  horse  fell. 

' 'You  hear,"  said  he,  "the  enemy's  bugles  sounding  the 
charge.  Half  a  mile  away  you  see  the  Germans  coming  and 
it  seems  that  in  an  instant  they  will  be  on  you.  You  watch 
fascinated  and  cold  with  a  terror  that  makes  you  unable  to 
lift  an  arm  or  do  anything  but  wait  and  tremble. 

"They  come  closer  and  still  you  are  horrorstruck.  Then 
you  feel  your  horse  fretting  and  suddenly  you  start  from  your 
daze,  and  fear  changes  suddenly  to  hate.  Your  hand  goes  to 
the  saber  hilt,  your  teeth  clinch  and  you  realize  that  you  must 
strike  hard  before  the  enemy,  who  is  now  very  close,  can 
strike.    Every  muscle  tightens  with  the  waiting. 

"Before  your  own  bugles  have  sounded  two  notes  of  the 
charge  you  find  yourself  leaning  forward  over  the  neck  of 

375 


376    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

your  galloping  horse.  All  the  rest  is  a  mad  gallop,  yells  of 
the  enemy  and  your  own  answer,  a  terrible  shock  in  which  you 
are  almost  dismounted,  and  then  you  find  yourself  face  to  face 
with  a  single  opponent  who,  standing  up  in  the  stirrups,  is 
about  to  split  your  head.  You  notice  that  you  are  striking 
like  a  fiend  with  the  saber. 

"After  that  madness  passes  it  seems  almost  like  a  complex 
maneuver  and  soon  you  find  yourself  riding  for  dear  life — 
perhaps  to  escape,  perhaps  after  the  Germans.  You  then 
realize  that  you  have  been  whipped  and  that  the  charge  has 
failed,  or  you  see  the  backs  of  the  fleeing  enemy,  feel  your 
horse  straining  in  pursuit  and  know  that  you  have  gained  a 
victory. ' ' 

FRIGHTFUL  MORTALITY  AMONG  OFFICERS 

The  official  reports  of  the  loss  of  life  in  the  battles  in 
France  tell  of  the  large  number  of  officers  killed.  Sharp- 
shooters on  both  sides  have  had  instructions  to  aim  at  officers. 
These  sharpshooters  are  often  concealed  far  in  advance  of 
their  troops.  Their  small  number  and  their  smokeless  powder 
make  their  discovery  most  difficult.  This  lesson  was  learned 
at  great  cost  to  the  British  during  the  Boer  war. 

Dispatches  from  Bordeaux  stated  that  letters  found  on 
dead  and  captured  German  officers  prove  the  truth  of  reports 
regarding  the  terrible  mortality  in  the  German  ranks,  espe- 
cially among  officers.  In  the  Tenth  and  Imperial  Guard  Corps 
of  the  German  army  it  is  said  that  only  a  few  high  ranking 
officers  escaped  being  shot,  and  many  have  been  killed.  The 
German  officers  have  distinguished  themselves  by  their  cour- 
age, according  to  the  stories  of  both  British  and  French  who 
fought  them. 

An  officer  of  an  Imperial  Guard  regiment,  who  was  taken 
prisoner  after  being  wounded,  said : 

"My  regiment  left  for  the  front  with  sixty  officers;  it 
counts  today  only  five.    We  underwent  terrible  trials." 

A  German  artillery  officer  wrote: 

"Modern  war  is  the  greatest  of  follies.  Companies  of 
250  men  in  the  Tenth  Army  Corps  have  been  reduced  to 
seventy  men,  and  there  are  companies  of  the  guard  com- 
manded by  volunteers  of  a  year,  all  the  officers  having  dis- 
appeared." 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    377 

SAYS  GERMANS  FOUGHT  EVERY  DAY 

The  following  is  from  a  letter  written  during  the  pro- 
longed battle  of  the  Aisne  by  a  lieutenant  of  the  Twenty-sixth 
German  Artillery: 

"The  Tenth  Corps  has  been  constantly  in  action  since  the 
opening  of  the  campaign.  Nearly  all  our  horses  have  fallen. 
We  fight  every  day  from  5  in  the  morning  till  8  at  night, 
without  eating  or  drinking.  The  artillery  fire  of  the  French 
is  frightful.  We  get  so  tired  that  we  cannot  ride  a  horse,  even 
at  a  walk.  Toward  noon  our  battery  was  literally  under  a 
rain  of  shrapnel  shells  and  that  lasted  for  three  days.  We 
hope  for  a  decisive  battle  to  end  the  situation,  for  our  troops 
cannot  rest.  A  French  aviator  last  night  threw  four  bombs, 
killing  four  men  and  wounding  eight,  and  killing  twenty  horses 
and  wounding  ten  more.  We  do  not  receive  any  more  mail, 
for  the  postal  automobiles  of  the  Tenth  Corps  have  been  de- 
stroyed." 

HOW  IT  FEELS  TO  BE  WOUNDED 

Many  men  in  the  trenches  have  proved  themselves  heroes 
in  the  war.    A  wounded  British  private  told  this  story : 

1  '  We  lay  in  the  trench,  my  friend  and  I,  and  when  the  order 
to  fire  came  we  shot,  and  shot  till  our  rifles  burned  up.  Still 
the  Germans  swarmed  on  toward  us,  and  then  my  friend  re- 
ceived a  bad  wound.  I  turned  to  my  work  again,  continuing 
to  shoot  slowly.    Then  I  rose  a  little  too  high  on  my  shoulder. 

"Do  you  know  what  it  is  like  to  be  wounded!  A  little 
sting  pierced  my  arm  like  a  hot  wire ;  too  sharp  almost  to  be 
sore,  and  my  rifle  fell  from  me.  I  looked  at  my  friend  then 
and  he  was  dead." 

In  one  casualty  list  made  public  by  the  British  war  office 
in  September,  sixteen  officers  were  reported  killed,  thirty-eight 
wounded  and  ten  missing.  The  famous  Coldstream  Guards 
and  the  Black  Watch  regiments  were  among  the  sufferers. 

HOW  GENERAL  FINDLEY  DIED 

A  correspondent  in  France  described  the  death  of  General 
Neil  Douglas  Findley  of  the  British  Royal  Artillery  as  fol- 
lows: 

"When  at  dawn  the  British  advance  continued  toward 
Soissons  the  enemy  was  fighting  an  exceptionally  fierce  rear- 


378    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

guard  action.  A  terrible  shell  fire  was  directed  against  our 
artillery  under  General  Findley,  temporarily  situated  in  a 
valley  by  the  village  of  Prise.  It  seemed  a  matter  of  moments 
when  we  should  have  to  spike  our  guns  and  General  Findley 
saw  the  urgency  for  action. 

"  'Boys,'  his  voice  echoed  down  the  line,  'we  are  going  to 
get  every  gun  into  position.'  Then  deliberately  the  general 
approached  a  regimental  chaplain  kneeling  beside  a  gunner. 
1  Here  are  some  of  my  personal  belongings,  chaplain.  See  that 
they  don't  go  astray.' 

' '  One  by  one  our  guns  began  to  blaze  away  and  the  general 
had  a  word  of  encouragement  and  advice  for  every  man.  In 
vain  his  staff  tried  to  persuade  him  to  leave  the  danger  zone. 

"Our  range  was  perfect,  the  German  fire  slackened  and 
died  away  and  with  a  yell  our  men  prepared  to  advance.  The 
outburst  came  too  soon,  one  parting  shell  exploding  in  a 
contact  with  Findley 's  horse,  shattering  man  and  beast. ' ' 

KILLED   FOE  IN   REVOLVER   DUEL 

While  their  men  battled  on  a  road  near  Antwerp,  it  is  said 
that  a  Belgian  cavalry  sergeant  and  an  officer  of  German 
Uhlans  fought  a  revolver  duel  which  ended  when  the  Belgian 
killed  his  foe,  sending  a  bullet  into  his  neck  at  close  range. 

The  daring  Uhlans  had  approached  close  to  the  Antwerp 
fortifications  on  a  reconnoitering  expedition.  They  were  seen 
by  a  small  Belgian  force,  which  immediately  went  out  on  the 
road  to  give  battle.  As  they  neared  each  other,  the  German 
commander  shouted  a  jibe  at  the  Belgian  sergeant.  There 
was  no  answer,  but  the  sergeant  rode  at  a  gallop  straight  for 
the  Uhlan.  Miraculously  escaping  the  shots  aimed  at  him,  he 
drew  up  alongside  the  officer  and  informed  him  that  his  life 
was  to  be  forfeited  for  the  insulting  words  he  had  uttered. 
Both  began  firing  with  their  revolvers,  while  at  the  same  time 
their  men  clashed. 

Only  a  few  of  the  soldiers  witnessed  the  thrilling  duel,  for 
they  themselves  were  fighting  desperately.  After  their  offi- 
cer's death  the  Uhlans  withdrew,  leaving  a  number  of  dead. 
Someone  carried  word  of  the  duel  to  King  Albert,  who  had 
just  arrived  in  Antwerp,  and  he  called  before  him  and  per- 
sonally congratulated  the  sergeant,  Henri  Pyppes.    The  latter 


STORIES  FRO 31  THE  BATTLEFIELD    379 

was  wounded  in  the  arm  by  one  of  the  Uhlan's  bullets,  but  he 
refused  to  be  taken  to  the  hospital  and  remained  on  duty  in 
the  field. 

LITTLE  STORIES  FROM  FRANCE 

Count  Guerry  de  Beauregard,  a  French  veteran  of  the 
war  of  1870,  thus  announced  the  death  of  a  son  at  the  front : 
' '  One  son  already  has  met  the  death  of  the  brave  beyond  the 
frontier  at  the  head  of  a  squadron  of  the  Seventh  Hussars. 
Others  will  avenge  him.  Another  of  my  sons,  an  artilleryman, 
is  with  the  general  staff.  My  eldest  son  is  with  the  Twenty- 
first  Chasseurs.    Long  live  France ! " 

A  wounded  French  soldier  who  was  taken  to  Marseilles 
verified  a  remarkable  story  of  his  escape  from  death  while 
fighting  in  German  Lorraine.  The  soldier  owes  his  life  to  a 
small  bust  of  Emperor  William,  which  he  picked  up  in  a  vil- 
lage school  and  placed  in  his  haversack.    A  German  bullet 


THE  BRUTE.  HE  KNEW  NO  BETTER— DO  WE? 

— ClfTcland  Plain  Dealer. 


380    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

struck  the  bust  and,  thus  deflected,  inflicted  only  a  slight 
wound  on  the  soldier. 

Twenty  German  prisoners  taken  during  the  melee  near 
Crecy,  were  herded  together  in  a  clearing,  their  rifles  being 
stacked  nearby.  In  a  rash  moment  they  thought  that  they 
were  loosely  guarded  and  made  a  combined  rush  for  the 
rifles.  "They  will  never  make  another,"  was  the  laconic  re- 
port of  the  guard. 

SAYS  DEAD  FILLED  THE  MEUSE 

Edouard  Helsey  of  the  Paris  newspaper,  Le  Journal,  re- 
ported to  be  serving  with  the  colors,  wrote  under  date  of 
August  29: 

"It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  the  number  of  Germans 
killed  last  week.  Whole  regiments  were  annihilated  at  some 
points.  They  came  out  of  the  woods  section  by  section.  One 
section,  one  shell — and  everything  was  wiped  out. 

"At  two  or  three  places  which  I  am  forbidden  to  name 
corpses  filled  the  Meuse  until  the  river  overflowed.  This  is 
no  figure  of  speech.  The  river  bed  literally  was  choked  by 
the  mass  of  dead  Germans.  The  effect  of  our  artillery  sur- 
passes even  our  dreams." 

SAD  PLIGHT  OF  FRENCH  FUGITIVES 

M.  Brieux,  the  noted  French  dramatist,  who  witnessed  the 
arrival  at  Chartres  of  a  train  full  of  fugitives  who  had  fled 
from  their  homes  before  the  German  advance,  described  his 
experience  for  the  Figaro.  The  fleeing  people  gathered  round 
him  and  told  him  stories  and  he  wrote  his  impressions  as 
follows : 

' '  Children  weep  or  gaze  wide-eyed,  wondering  what  is  the 
matter.  Old  folks  sit  in  gloomy  silence.  Women  with  hag- 
gard cheeks  and  disheveled  hair  seem  to  belong  to  another 
age. 

"They  tell  of  invaders  who  scattered  powder  around  or 
threw  petroleum  into  their  houses  and  then  set  them  afire. 

"And  when  did  this  happen?  Yesterday!  It  is  not  a 
matter  of  centuries  ago  in  distant  climes,  but  yesterday,  and 
quite  near  to  us.  Yet  one  cannot  believe  it  was  really  yester- 
day that  these  things  were  done." 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    381 

One  of  the  fugitives  explained  to  M.  Brieux  why  after  the 
first  hour  of  their  flight  she  had  to  carry  her  elder  child  as 
well  as  her  baby.    She  showed  him  a  pair  of  boots. 

"I  felt  the  inside  with  my  fingers,"  says  Brieux.  " Nails 
had  come  through  the  soles.  I  looked  at  the  child's  feet. 
They  were  dirty  with  red  brown  clots.    It  was  blood. ' ' 

"why  do  we  kill  one  another?" 

"A  Frenchman,  mortally  wounded  in  the  chest,  appealed 
to  me  in  the  dumb  sign  language  of  those  nearer  death  than 
life  for  a  drink  of  water,"  says  a  correspondent  who  wit- 
nessed some  of  the  fighting  at  the  Marne.  After  he  had 
sipped  it  he  fell  back  to  the  ground.  "  'Monsieur,  are 
the  Germans  Christians?'  he  asked.  'Why,  certainly,'  I 
replied.    'Then,'  said  he,  'why  do  we  kill  one  another?'  " 

Why  do  we  kill  one  another?  When  civilized  nations 
shall  have  answered  that  simple  question,  war  will  have  be- 
come only  a  horrible  nightmare  that  is  past. 

IN  THE  "VALLEY  OF  DEATH" 

The  fiercest  fighting  of  all  that  preceded  the  Russian  vic- 
tory at  Lublin  was  in  a  gorge  near  the  village  of  Mikolaifr", 
which  the  Russian  soldiers  reverently  named  the  "Valley  of 
Death." 

The  gorge  was  full  of  dead  men,  lying  in  heaps,  accord- 
ing to  an  officer  who  participated  in  the  battle.  "When  we 
attacked  at  3  o'clock  in  the  morning,"  he  said,  "the  gorge 
contained  15,000  Austrians,  a  large  proportion  of  whom 
were  mowed  down  by  the  artillery  fire  which  plowed  through 
the  valley  in  the  darkness.  The  Austrians  surrendered  and  we 
entered  the  gorge  to  receive  their  arms,  while  their  general 
stood  quietly  on  a  hill  watching  the  scene.  Eight  of  his 
standards  being  turned  over  to  the  Russians  was  more  than 
he  could  bear,  for  he  drew  a  pistol  and  shot  himself." 

GENERAL    USE    OF    KHAKI    UNIFORMS 

The  war  put  everybody  into  khaki,  with  a  few  exceptions. 
On  the  battle  line  or  in  the  field  the  English  soldier  and  the 
English  officer  get  out  of  their  richly  colored  and  historic 


382    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

uniforms  and  into  khaki,  of  a  neutral  hue.  The  Germans  are 
in  gray.  The  Austrians  have  most  of  their  soldiers  in  khaki, 
and  the  Russians  all  wear  khaki-colored  cloth.  The  French 
still  cling  to  their  blue  coats  and  brilliant  red  trousers,  al- 
though steps  are  being  taken  to  reclothe  the  army  in  more 
modern  fashion,  and  the  Belgians  have  a  uniform  that  is  very 
similar  to  the  French. 

The  French  and  Belgian  officers  are  dangerously  orna- 
mented with  gilt  trimmings  during  warfare  and  present  such 
brilliant  targets  that  some  of  the  Belgian  regiments  during 
hard  fighting  with  the  Germans  have  lost  nearly  all  of  their 
leaders. 

The  new  twentieth  century  mode  of  warfare  puts  the  ban 
on  anything  that  glitters,  even  the  rifle  barrels,  bayonets  and 
sabers. 

A  BELGIAN  BOY  HEEO 

On  a  cot  in  the  Red  Cross  hospital  at  Ostend,  September 
12,  lay  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  war.  He  is  Sergeant  van  der 
Bern  of  the  Belgian  army,  and  only  17  years  old.  He  was 
only  a  corporal  when  he  started  out  with  twenty-nine  men 
on  a  reconnoitering  expedition  during  which  he  was  wounded, 
but  displayed  such  valor  that  his  bravery  was  publicly  re- 
lated to  all  the  soldiers,  and  Van  der  Bern  was  promoted. 

Van  der  Bern  and  his  little  command  came  suddenly  upon 
a  band  of  fifty  Uhlans  while  on  their  expedition.  Outnum- 
bered, his  men  turned  and  fled.  The  corporal  shouted  to  them 
and  dashed  alone  toward  the  Germans.  The  other  Belgians 
rallied  and  threw  themselves  upon  the  Uhlans.  Within  a  few 
minutes  only  Van  der  Bern  and  two  others  of  his  command 
remained.  Twenty-seven  Belgians  were  dead  or  wounded. 
Within  a  few  minutes  more  the  corporal's  companions  fell, 
mortally  wounded.  Then  the  boy  picked  them  up  and  dis- 
playing almost  superhuman  strength  carried  them  to  safety. 
As  he  was  making  his  retreat,  burdened  by  the  two  wounded 
men,  Van  der  Bern  was  hit  twice  by  German  bullets.  He 
staggered  on,  placed  his  men  in  charge  of  the  Red  Cross  and 
without  a  word  walked  to  headquarters  and  reported  the 
engagement.    Then  he  fell  in  a  faint. 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    383 

WHEN    THE    GERMANS    RETREATED 

A  vivid  description  of  the  rout  and  retreat  of  the  Ger- 
mans during  hurricane  and  rain  on  September  10,  which 
turned  the  roads  into  river  ways  so  that  the  wheels  of  the 
artillery  sank  deep  in  the  mire,  was  given  by  a  correspondent 
writing  from  a  point  near  Melun.  He  described  how  the 
horses  strained  and  struggled,  often  in  vain,  to  drag  the  guns 
away,  and  continued : 

"I  have  just  spoken  with  a  soldier  who  has  returned 
wounded  from  the  pursuit  that  will  go  down  with  the  terrible 
retreat  from  Moscow  as  one  of  the  crowning  catastrophes 
of  the  world.  They  fled,  he  declares,  as  animals  flee  who  are 
cornered,  and  know  it. 

"Imagine  a  roadway  littered  with  guns,  knapsacks,  car- 
tridge belts,  Maxims  and  heavy  cannons  even.  There  were 
miles  and  miles  of  it.  And  the  dead — those  piles  of  horses 
and  those  stacks  of  men!  I  have  seen  it  again  and  again, 
men  shot  so  close  to  one  another  that  they  remained  standing 
after  death.  The  sight  was  terrible  and  horrible  beyond 
words. 

"The  retreat  rolls  back  and  trainload  after  trainload  of 
British  and  French  are  swept  toward  the  weak  points  of  the 
retreating  host.  This  is  the  advantage  of  the  battleground 
which  the  Allies  have  chosen.  The  network  of  railways  is 
like  a  spider's  web.  As  all  railways  center  upon  Paris,  it  is 
possible  to  thrust  troops  upon  the  foe  at  any  point  with  al- 
most incredible  speed,  and  food  and  munitions  are  within 
arm's  reach." 

PRINCE    JOACHIM    WOUNDED 

Prince  Joachim,  youngest  son  of  Emperor  William,  was 
wounded  during  a  battle  with  the  Russians  and  taken  to 
Berlin.  On  September  15  it  was  reported  from  Berlin  that 
the  wound  was  healing  rapidly,  despite  the  tearing  effect 
of  a  shrapnel  ball  through  the  thigh.  The  empress  and  the 
surgeons  were  having  considerable  trouble  in  keeping  the 
patient  quiet  in  bed.  He  wanted  to  get  on  his  feet  again  and 
insisted  that  he  ought  to  be  able  to  rejoin  his  command  at  the 
front  in  about  a  fortnight. 

"The  prince  treats  the  wound  as  a  trifle,"  said  the  Berlin 
dispatch.    ' '  He  smilingly  greeted  an  old  palace  servant  whom 


884    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

he  had  known  since  childhood  with  the  remark:  'Am  I  not 
a  lucky  dog?'  " 

From  an  officer  who  was  with  Prince  Joachim  when  he 
was  wounded  the  following  description  of  the  incident  was 
obtained : 

"It  was  during  the  hottest  part  of  the  battle,  shortly 
before  the  Russian  resistance  was  broken,  that  the  prince, 
who  was  with  the  staff  as  information  officer,  was  dispatched 
to  the  firing  line  to  learn  how  the  situation  stood.  He  rode  off 
with  Adjutant  Captain  von  Tahlzahn  and  had  to  traverse 
the  distance,  almost  a  mile,  under  a  heavy  hail  of  shell  and 
occasional  volleys. 

"As  the  Russian  artillery  was  well  served  and  knew  all 
the  ranges  from  previous  measurements,  the  ride  was  not  a 
particularly  pleasant  one,  but  he  came  through  safely  and 
stood  talking  with  the  officers  when  a  shrapnel  burst  in  their 
vicinity.  The  prince  and  the  adjutant  were  both  hit,  the 
latter  receiving  contusions  on  the  leg,  but  the  shot  not  pene- 
trating. 

"To  stop  and  whip  out  an  emergency  bandage  which  the 
prince,  like  every  officer  and  private,  carries  sewed  inside 
the  blouse,  and  bind  it  around  the  thigh  to  check  the  bleeding- 
was  the  work  of  but  a  moment.  It  was  a  long  and  dangerous 
task,  however,  to  get  him  back  to  the  first  bandaging  station, 
about  a  mile  to  the  rear,  under  fire  and  from  there  he  was 
transported  to  the  advanced  hospital  at  Allenstein,  where  he 
remained  until  he  was  able  to  travel. 

"Prince  Joachim,  who  was  already  recommended  for  the 
Iron  Cross  for  bravery  before  Namur,  received  the  decora- 
tion shortly  before  he  was  wounded.  The  prince,  who  has 
many  friends  in  America,  conveyed  through  his  adjutant  his 
thanks  for  assurances  of  American  sympathy  and  interest." 

EX-EMPRESS  DEVOTED  TO  FRANCE 

The  aged  ex-Empress  Eugenie  of  France,  widow  of  Na- 
poleon III,  has  been  living  for  many  years  in  retirement  in 
the  county  of  Hampshire,  England.  She  was  recently  visited 
by  Lord  Portsmouth,  an  old  friend,  who  found  the  illustrious 
lady  full  of  courage  and  devotion  to  the  French  cause  in  the 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    385 

present  war.     In  explaining  her  failure  to  treat  her  guest 
as  she  would  have  desired,  the  empress  said: 

' '  I  cannot  give  you  dinner  because  most  of  the  men  of  my 
kitchen  have  gone  to  war." 

A  "  BATTLESHIP  ON  WHEELS  " 

Just  before  the  war  France  added  to  its  equipment  the 
most  modern  of  righting  devices.  It  is  a  train  of  armored 
cars  with  rapid-fire  guns,  conning  towers  and  fighting  tops. 
As  a  death-dealing  war  apparatus  it  is  the  most  unique  of 
anything  used  by  any  of  the  nations.  This  "battleship"  on 
wheels  consists  of  an  armored  locomotive,  two  rapid-fire  gun 
carriages  and  two  armored  cars  for  transporting  troops. 
The  rapid-fire  guns  are  mounted  in  such  manner  that  they 
can  be  swung  and  directed  to  any  point  of  the  compass. 
Rising  from  the  car  behind  the  locomotive,  is  a  conning  tower 
from  which  an  officer  takes  observations  and  directs  the  fire 
of  the  rapid-fire  guns.  Rails  running  on  top  of  the  cars  per- 
mit troops  to  fire  from  the  roof  of  the  cars.  For  opening 
railway  communications  this  "battleship  on  wheels"  is  un- 
excelled. 

GAVE   HIM  A  FORK   TO   MATCH 

The  scene  is  a  village  on  the  outskirts  of  Muelhausen,  in 
Alsace.  A  lieutenant  of  German  scouts  dashes  up  to  the  door 
of  the  only  inn  in  the  village,  posts  men  at  the  doorway  and 
entering,  seats  himself  at  a  table. 

He  draws  his  saber  and  places  it  on  the  table  at  his  side 
and  orders  food  in  menacing  tones. 

The  village  waiter  is  equal  to  the  occasion.  He  goes  to 
the  stables  and  fetches  a  pitchfork  and  places  it  at  the  other 
side  of  the  visitor. 

"Stop!  What  does  this  mean?"  roared  the  lieutenant, 
furiously. 

1 '  Why, ' '  said  the  waiter,  innocently,  pointing  to  the  saber, 
' '  I  thought  that  was  your  knife,  so  I  brought  you  a  fork  to 
match." 

DECORATED  ON"  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

On  a  train  loaded  with  wounded  which  passed  through 
Limoges,  September  11,  was  a  young  French  officer,  Albert 
Palaphy,  whose  unusual  bravery  on  the  field  of  battle  won 
for  him  the  Legion  of  Honor. 


886    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

As  a  corporal  of  the  Tenth  Dragoons  at  the  beginning  of 
the  war,  Palaphy  took  part  in  the  violent  combat  with  the 
Germans  west  of  Paris.  In  the  thick  of  the  battle  the  cav- 
alryman, finding  his  colonel  wounded  and  helpless,  rushed  to 
his  aid. 

Palaphy  hoisted  the  injured  man  upon  his  shoulders,  and 
under  a  rain  of  machine  gun  bullets  carried  him  safely  to  the 
French  lines.  That  same  day  Palaphy  was  promoted  to  be 
a  sergeant. 

Shortly  afterward,  although  wounded,  he  distinguished 
himself  in  another  affair,  leading  a  charge  of  his  squad 
against  the  Baden  guard,  whose  standard  he  himself  cap- 
tured. 

Wounded  by  a  ball  which  had  plowed  through  the  lower 
part  of  his  stomach  and  covered  with  lance  thrusts,  he  was 
removed  from  the  battlefield  during  the  night,  and  learned 
he  had  been  promoted  to  be  a  sublieutenant  and  nominated 
chevalier  in  the  Legion  of  Honor. 

This  incident  of  decorating  a  soldier  on  the  battlefield 
recalls  Napoleonic  times. 

"after  you/'  said  the  frenchman 

Lieutenant  de  Lupel  of  the  French  army  is  said  to  have 
endeared  himself  to  his  command  by  a  most  unusual  exhibi- 
tion of  what  they  are  pleased  to  term  "old-fashioned  French 
gallantry. ' ' 

Accompanied  by  a  few  men,  Lieutenant  de  Lupel  succeeded 
in  surrounding  a  German  detachment  occupying  the  station 
at  Mezieres.  The  lieutenant,  on  searching  the  premises,  came 
upon  the  German  officer  hiding  behind  a  stack  of  coal.  Both 
men  leveled  their  guns,  and  for  a  moment  faced  each  other. 

"After  you,"  finally  said  the  Frenchman  courteously. 

The  German  fired  and  missed  and  Lieutenant  de  Lupel 
killed  his  man. 

The  French  soldiers  cheered  their  leader,  and  he  has  been 
praised  everywhere  for  his  action. 

a  "walking  wood"  at  crecy 
A  correspondent  describes  a  "walking  wood"  at  Crecy. 
The  French  and  British  cut  down  trees  and  armed  themselves 
with  the  branches.     Line  after  line  of  infantry,  each  man 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    387 

bearing  a  branch,  then  moved  forward  unobserved  toward 
the  enemy. 

Behind  them,  amid  the  lopped  tree  trunks,  the  artillery- 
men fixed  themselves  and  placed  thirteen-pounders  to  cover 
the  moving  wood. 

The  attack,  which  followed,  won  success.  It  almost  went 
wrong,  however,  for  the  French  cavalry,  which  was  following, 
made  a  detour  to  pass  the  wood  and  dashed  into  view  near 
the  ammunition  reserves  of  the  Allies. 

German  shells  began  falling  thereabouts,  but  British  sol- 
diers went  up  the  hills  and  pulled  the  boxes  of  ammunition 
out  of  the  way  of  the  German  shells.  Ammunition  and  men 
came  through  unscathed.  By  evening  the  Germans  had  been 
cleared  from  the  Marne  district. 

CHAPLAIN  CAPTURES  AUSTRIAN  TROOPERS 

The  Bourse  Gazette  relates  the  story  of  a  Russian  regi- 
mental chaplain  who,  single-handed,  captured  twenty-six  Aus- 
trian troopers.  He  was  strolling  on  the  steppes  outside  of 
Lemberg,  when  suddenly  he  was  confronted  by  a  patrol  of 
twenty-six  men,  who  tried  to  force  him  to  tell  the  details 
of  the  position  of  the  Russian  troops. 

While  talking  to  the  men,  the  priest  found  that  they  were 
all  Slavs,  whereupon  he  delivered  an  impassioned  address, 
dwelling  on  the  sin  of  shedding  the  blood  of  their  Slav 
brethren. 

At  the  end  of  the  address,  the  story  concludes,  the  troopers 
with  bent  heads  followed  the  priest  into  the  Russian  camp. 

A   BRITISH    CAVALRY    CHARGE 

Here  is  a  picturesque  story  of  a  British  cavalry  charge 
at  Thuin,  a  town  in  Belgium  near  Charleroi,  and  the  subse- 
quent retreat  to  Compiegne : 

1  'On  Monday  morning,  August  24,  after  chafing  at  the 
long  delay,  the  2nd  British  Cavalry  Brigade  Jet  loose  at  the 
enemy 's  guns.  The  9th  Lancers  went  into  action  singing  and 
shouting  like  schoolboys. 

"For  a  time  all  seemed  well;  few  saddles  were  emptied, 
and  the  leaders  had  charged  almost  within  reach  of  the 
enemy's  guns  when  suddenly  the  Germans  opened  a  mur- 


888    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

derous  fire  from  at  least  twenty  concealed  machine  guns  at 
a  range  of  150  yards. 

"The  result  was  shattering,  and  the  Lancers  caught  the 
full  force  of  the  storm.  Vicomte  Vauvineux,  a  French  cav- 
alry officer  who  rode  with  the  brigade  as  interpreter,  was 
killed  instantly.  Captain  Letourey,  who  was  the  French  mas- 
ter of  a  school  in  Devon,  was  riding  by  the  side  of  Vauvineux, 
and  had  a  narrow  escape,  as  his  horse  was  shot  from  under 
him.    Other  officers  also  fell. 

"While  the  bulk  of  the  brigade  swerved  to  the  right  the 
others  held  on  and  rode  full  tilt  into  wire  entanglements 
buried  in  the  grass  thirty  yards  in  front  of  the  machine 
guns,  and  were  made  prisoners.  Three  regiments  of  the  best 
cavalry  in  the  British  went  into  the  charge,  and  suffered 
severely.  The  18th  Hussars  and  the  4th  Dragoons  also  suf- 
fered, but  not  to  the  same  extent  as  the  others. 

"A  happy  feature  of  the  charge  was  the  gallant  conduct 
of  Captain  Grenfell,  who,  though  twice  wounded,  called  for 
volunteers  and  saved  the  guns.  It  is  said  that  he  has  been 
recommended  for  the  Victoria  Cross. 

"After  this  terrible  ordeal  the  British  brigade  was 
harassed  for  fourteen  days  of  retreat,  the  enemy  giving  them 
rest  neither  day  nor  night.  At  2  o'clock  each  morning  they 
were  roused  by  artillery  fire,  and  every  day  they  fought  a 
retiring  action,  pursued  relentlessly  by  the  guns. 

"It  was  a  wonderful  retreat.  Daily  the  cavalry  begged 
to  be  allowed  to  go  for  the  enemy  in  force  to  recover  lost 
ground,  but  only  once  were  they  permitted  to  taste  that  joy, 
at  the  village  of  Lassigny,  which  they  passed  and  repassed 
three  times. 

"The  Germans  made  repeated  efforts,  which  were  always 
foiled,  to  capture  the  retreating  transport.  It  had,  how- 
ever, many  narrow  escapes.  At  one  point  it  escaped  by  a 
furious  gallop  which  enabled  the  wagons  to  cross  a  bridge 
less  than  an  hour  ahead  of  the  enemy.  The  engineers  had 
mined  the  bridge  and  were  waiting  to  blow  it  up.  They  sent 
a  hurry-up  call  to  the  transport,  and  the  latter  responded 
with  alacrity.  The  bridge  was  blown  up  just  in  time  to  sep- 
arate the  two  forces. 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    889 

"At  Compiegne  the  brigade  for  the  first  time  saw  and 
welcomed  their  French  brothers-in-arms." 

BOY  SCOUT  HERO  OF  THE  WAR 

One  of  the  popular  heroes  of  Belgium  is  Boy  Scout  Ley- 
sen,  who  has  been  decorated  by  King  Albert  for  his  valor 
and  devotion  to  his  country. 

This  young  man,  who  was  born  at  Liege,  is  described  as  of 
almost  uncanny  sharpness,  with  senses  and  perceptions  as 
keen  as  an  Indian.  He  was  able  to  find  his  way  through  the 
woods  and  pass  the  German  sentinels  with  unerring  accuracy. 

Leysen  made  his  way  through  the  German  lines  from 
Antwerp  for  the  tenth  time  on  Sunday,  September  6,  carry- 
ing dispatches  to  secret  representatives  of  the  Belgian  gov- 
ernment in  Brussels.  He  discovered  and  denounced  eleven 
German  spies  in  Belgium,  and  performed  a  variety  of  other 
services,  and  all  without  impairing  his  boyish  simplicity. 

KAISER  ASKS  FOR  PRAYERS 

After  the  first  three  weeks  of  war,  Emperor  William 
requested  the  supreme  council  of  the  Evangelical  Church 
throughout  the  German  empire  to  include  the  following 
prayer  in  the  liturgy  at  all  public  sendees  during  the  war : 

"Almighty  and  most  merciful  God,  God  of  the  armies,  we 
beseech  Thee  in  humility  for  Thy  almighty  aid  for  German 
Fatherland.  Bless  our  forces  of  war;  lead  us  to  victory  and 
give  us  grace  that  we  may  show  ourselves  to  be  Christians 
toward  our  enemies  as  well.  Let  us  soon  arrive  at  a  peace 
which  will  everlastingly  safeguard  our  free  and  independent 
Germany. ' ' 

SPIRIT   OF   FRENCH   WOMEN 

When  sympathy  was  expressed  in  Paris  for  a  poor 
woman,  mother  of  nine  sons,  eight  of  whom  were  at  the  front, 
she  replied:  "I  need  no  consolation.  I  have  never  forgotten 
that  I  was  flogged  by  Prussians  in  1870.  I  have  urged  my  sons 
to  avenge  me  and  they  will." 

As  one  train  of  soldiers  for  the  front  moved  out  of  a 
Paris  railway  station  two  girls  who  had  bravely  kissed  fare- 
well to  a  departing  man  turned  away,  and  one  began  to  cry, 
but  the  other  said:  "Keep  up  a  little  longer,  he  can  still 
see  us." 


390    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

Another  carried  a  baby,  and  as  her  husband  leaned  out 
of  the  window'  and  the  train  started  she  threw  it  into  his 
arms,  crying:  " Leave  it  with  the  station  master  at  the  next 
station,  and  I  will  fetch  it ;  you  must  have  it  for  another  few 
minutes." 

A  Paris  painter,  called  for  military  duty,  was  obliged  to 
leave  his  wife  and  four  children  almost  destitute.  When  he 
communicated  with  his  wife  on  the  subject  she  replied:  "Do 
your  duty  without  worrying  about  us.  The  city,  state  and 
our  associations  will  look  after  us  women  and  children."  In 
her  letter,  the  wife  enclosed  a  money  order  for  $1  out  of 
$1.20,  the  total  amount  of  money  which  she  possessed. 

KILLS  MANY  WITH  ARMORED  CAR 

Lieutenant  Henkart,  attached  to  the  general  staff  of  the 
Belgian  Army,  perfected  a  monitor  armored  motor  car  which 
was  successfully  used  by  the  Belgians. 

During  the  war  the  officer  engaged  in  reconnoitering  in 
one  of  his  armored  cars.  He  had  several  encounters  with 
Uhlans,  of  whom  he  killed  a  considerable  number,  virtually 
single-handed.  His  only  assistants  in  his  scouting  trips  were 
a  chauffeur,  an  engineer  and  a  sharpshooter. 

On  one  occasion  the  party  killed  five  Uhlans.  Two  days 
later  it  killed  seven  and  on  another  occasion  near  "Waterloo, 
the  auto  ran  into  a  force  of  500  Germans  and  escaped  after 
killing  twenty-five  with  a  rapid-fire  gun,  which  was  mounted 
on  the  motor  car. 

A  GERMAN  RUSE  THAT   FAILED 

A  Belgian  diplomat  in  Paris  related  an  incident  he  ob- 
served at  Charleroi.    He  said: 

"Twenty  Death's  Head  Hussars  entered  the  town  at  7 
o'clock  in  the  morning  and  rode  quickly  down  the  street, 
saluting  and  calling  out  'Good-day'  to  those  they  met,  saying, 
'We  are  friends  of  the  people.' 

"Mistaking  them  for  English  cavalrymen,  the  people 
cried  'Long  live  England!'  The  Belgian  soldiers  themselves 
were  deceived  until  an  officer  at  a  window,  realizing  their 
mistake,  ran  to  the  street  and  gave  the  alarm.  The  Belgian 
soldiers  rushed  quickly  to  arms  and  opened  fire  on  the  fleeing 
Germans,  of  whom  several  were  killed." 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    391 

DIED  WRITING  TO  HIS  WIFE 

Here  is  a  story  of  a  heroic  death  on  the  battlefield,  told 
simply  in  a  letter  found  in  the  cold  hands  of  a  French  soldier 
who  had  just  finished  writing  it  when  the  end  came .  "I  am 
awaiting  help  which  does  not  come,"  the  letter  ran.  "I  pray 
God  to  take  me,  for  I  suffer  atrociously.  Adieu,  my  wife  and 
dear  children.  Adieu,  all  my  family,  whom  I  so  loved.  I  re- 
quest that  whoever  finds  me  will  send  this  letter  to  Paris  to 
my  wife,  with  the  pocketbook  which  is  in  my  coat  pocket. 
Gathering  my  last  strength  I  write  this,  lying  prostrate  under 
the  shell  fire.  Both  my  legs  are  broken.  My  last  thoughts 
are  for  my  children  and  for  thee,  my  cherished  wife  and  com- 
panion of  my  life,  my  beloved  wife.    Vive  la  France !" 

IN   THE  PARIS  MILITARY  HOSPITAL 

A  visitor  to  the  military  hospital  within  the  intrenched 
camp  of  Paris,  just  outside  the  city  walls,  said  on  Septem- 
ber 18: 

1 '  Men  of  all  ranks  are  there,  from  the  simple  private  to  a 
general  of  division.  There  is  no  sign  of  discouragement  or 
sadness  on  the  pale  faces,  which  light  up  with  the  thought  of 
returning  to  battle. 

"I  saw  hundreds  of  men  lying  on  the  beds  in  the  wards 
with  varieties  of  wounds,  no  two  being  identical.  This  Turco 
— or  African  soldier — suffered  from  a  torn  tongue,  cut  by  a 
bullet,  which  traversed  his  cheek.  Another  had  lost  three 
fingers  of  his  left  hand.  A  bullet  entered  the  temple  of  this 
infantryman  and  fell  into  his  mouth,  where  by  some  curious 
reaction  he  swallowed  it. 

"Many  of  the  patients  are  suffering  from  mere  flesh 
wounds.  One  poor  fellow  whose  eye  was  put  out  by  a  bullet 
said:  "That's  nothing.  It  is  only  my  left  eye  and  I  aim 
with  my  right.  I  need  the  lives  of  just  three  Germans  to  pay 
for  it." 

SMOKE  AS  WOUNDS  ARE  TREATED 

"The  Turcos,  though  terrible  hand-to-hand  fighters,  are 
hard  to  care  for.  They  have  great  fear  of  pain  and  it  is 
difficult  to  bandage  their  wounds.     The  doctors  give  them 


392    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

cigarettes,  which  they  smoke  with  dignity  as  if  performing 
a  ritual. 

"All  the  African  soldiers  were  wrathful  at  a  German 
officer  lying  in  a  neighboring  room.  They  muttered  in  a 
sinister  fashion,  ' To-morrow!'  and  put  two  hands  to  the 
neck.  I  understood  this  to  mean  that  they  would  strangle 
him  to-morrow.  Much  vigilance  is  required  to  keep  the  officer 
out  of  their  reach. 

"One  Turco  killed  two  Prussians  with  his  bayonet  and 
two  with  the  stock  of  the  gun  in  a  single  fight.  His  body  is 
covered  with  the  scars  of  years  of  fighting  in  the  service  of 
France.  When  asked  if  he  liked  France  he  replied :  '  France 
good  country,  good  leaders,  good  doctors.'  He  seemed  to 
mind  his  wound  less  than  the  lack  of  cigarettes." 

SPIRIT   OF   BELGIAN   SOLDIERS 

Writing  from  Antwerp  on  September  1,  William  G. 
Shepherd,  United  Press  staff  correspondent,  illustrated  the 
spirit  of  the  soldiery  of  Belgium  by  the  following  story: 

"The  little  Belgian  soldier  who  climbed  into  the  compart- 
ment with  me  was  dead  tired ;  he  trailed  his  rifle  behind  him, 
threw  himself  into  the  seat  and  fell  sound  asleep.  He  was 
ready  to  talk  when  he  awoke  an  hour  later. 

"  'Yes,  I  was  up  all  night  with  German  prisoners,'  he  said. 
'It  was  a  bad  job,  there  were  only  sixteen  of  us  to  handle 
200  Germans.  We  had  four  box  cars  and  we  put  twenty- 
five  prisoners  in  one  end  of  the  car  and  twenty-five  in  the 
other,  and  the  four  of  us  with  rifles  sat  guard  by  the  car  door. 

"  'We  rode  five  hours  that  way  and  I  expected  every  min- 
ute that  the  whole  fifty  Germans  in  the  car  would  jump  on 
us  four  and  kill  us.  Four  to  fifty;  that's  heavy  odds.  But 
we  had  to  do  it.  You  see  there  aren't  enough  soldiers  in  Bel- 
gium to  do  all  the  work,  so  we  have  to  make  out  the  best 
we  can.' 

"That's  the  plucky  little  Belgian  soldier,  all  over. 

"In  the  first  place,  he's  different  from  most  soldiers,  be- 
cause he  is  willing  to  fight  when  he  knows  he's  going  to  lose. 

"  'We  have  to  make  out  the  best  we  can,'  is  his  motto. 

"In  the  second  place,  he's  a  common-sense  little  fellow. 
Even  while  he's  fighting,  he's  doing  it  coolly,  and  there  is 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    393 

no  blind  hatred  in  his  heart  that  causes  him  to  waste  any 
effort.    He  gets  down  to  the  why  and  wherefore  of  things. 

"  'I  really  felt  sorry  for  those  German  prisoners,'  said 
a  comrade  of  the  first  soldier.  'They  were  all  decent  fellows. 
They  told  me  their  officers  had  fooled  them.  They  said 
the  officers  gave  them  French  money  on  the  Herman  frontier 
and  then  yelled  to  them,  ' '  On  into  France ! ' '  They  went  on 
three  days  and  got  to  Liege  before  they  knew  they  were  in 
Belgium  instead  of  France. 

"  'We  didn't  want  to  hurt  Belgium,'  they  told  us,  'be- 
cause we're  from  Alsace-Lorraine  ourselves.' 

"  'You  see,'  continued  the  logical  little  Belgian,  'it  wasn't 
their  fault,  so  we  couldn't  be  mad  at  them.' 

"That  is  the  Belgian  idea — cool  logic. 

"  'Why  did  you  fight  the  Germans?'  I  asked  a  high  gov- 
ernment official. 

"  'Because  civilization  can't  exist  without  treaties,  and 
it  is  the  duty  that  a  nation  owes  to  civilization  to  fight  to 
the  death  when  written  treaties  are  broken, '  was  the  reply. 

"  'It  must  be  a  rule  among  nations  that  to  break  a  treaty 
means  to  fight.  The  Germans  broke  the  neutrality  treaty 
with  Belgium  and  we  had  to  fight.' 

"  'But  did  you  expect  to  whip  the  Germans?' 

"  'How  could  we?  We  knew  that  hordes  of  Germans 
would  follow  the  first  comers,  but  we  had  no  right  to  worry 
about  who  would  be  whipped;  all  we  had  to  do  was  to  fight, 
and  we've  done  it  the  best  we  could.' 

"It  has  been  a  cool-headed  logical  matter  with  the  Bel- 
gians from  the  start.  Treaties  are  made  with  ink;  they're 
broken  with  blood,  and  just  as  naturally  and  coolly  as  the 
Belgian  diplomats  used  ink  in  signing  the  treaties  with  Ger- 
many so  the  Belgian  soldiers  have  used  their  blood  in  trying 
to  maintain  the  agreements." 

RIFLES  USED  BY  NATIONS  OF   WAR 

In  the  present  war  Germany  uses  a  Mauser  rifle,  with  a 
bullet  of  8  millimeters  caliber,  steel  and  copper  coated. 
Great  Britain's  missile  is  the  Lee-Enfield,  caliber  7.7  mm., 
the  coating  being  cupro-nickel. 

The  French  weapon  is  the  Lebel  rifle,  of  8  mm.  caliber, 
with  bullets  coated  with  nickel,    Russia  uses  Mossin-Nagant 


394    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

rifles,  7.62  mm.,  with  bullets  cupro-nickel  coated.  Austria's 
chief  small  arm  is  the  Mamilicher,  caliber  8  mm.,  with  a  steel 
sheet  over  the  tip. 

Hitting  a  man  beyond  350  yards,  the  wounds  inflicted  by 
all  these  bullets  are  clean  cut.  They  frequently  pass  through 
bone  tissue  without  splintering. 

When  meeting  an  artery  the  bullet  seems  to  push  it  to 
one  side  and  goes  around  without  cutting  the  blood  channel. 

Amputations  are  very  rare  compared  with  wars  of  more 
than  fifty  years  ago.  A  bullet  wound  through  a  joint,  such 
as  the  knee  or  the  elbow,  then  necessitated  the  amputation 
of  the  limb.    Now  such  a  wound  is  easily  opened  and  dressed. 

Even  Russia,  which  made  a  sad  sanitary  showing  in  the 
war  with  Japan,  now  has  learned  her  lesson  and  has  efficient 
surgical  arrangements. 

All  the  nations  use  vaccine  to  combat  typhoid,  the  scourge 
which  once  decimated  camps,  and  killed  1,600  in  the  Spanish- 
American  war. 

GERMAN    UHLANS   AS   SCOUTS 

Concerning  the  German  Uhlans,  of  whom  so  much  has 
been  heard  in  the  European  war,  Luigi  Barzini,  a  widely 
known  Italian  war  correspondent,  said: 

"The  swarms  of  cavalry  which  the  Germans  send  out 
ahead  of  their  advance  are  to  be  found  everywhere — on  any 
highway,  on  any  path.  It  is  their  business  to  see  as  much 
as  possible.  They  show  themselves  everywhere  and  they 
ride  until  they  are  fired  upon,  keeping  this  up  until  they  have 
located  the  enemy. 

"Theirs  is  the  task  of  riding  into  death.  The  entire 
front  of  the  enemy  is  established  by  them,  and  many  of  them 
are  killed — that  is  a  certainty  they  face.  Now  and  then,  how- 
ever, one  of  them  manages  to  escape  to  bring  the  information 
himself,  which  otherwise  is  obtained  by  officers  in  their  rear 
making  observation. 

"At  every  bush,  every  heap  of  earth,  the  Uhlan  must  say 
to  himself:  'Here  I  will  meet  an  enemy  in  hiding.'  He 
knows  that  he  cannot  defend  himself  against  a  fire  that  may 
open  on  him  from  all  sides.  Everywhere  there  is  danger  for 
the  Uhlan — hidden  danger. 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    395 

"Nevertheless  he  keeps  on  riding,  calmly  and  undis- 
turbed, in  keeping  with  German  discipline." 

FOUGHT  WITHOUT  SHOES 

The  Paris  Matin  relates  that  on  the  arrival  of  a  train 
bringing  wounded  Senegalese  riflemen  nearly  all  were  found 
smoking  furiously  from  long  porcelain  pipes  taken 
from  the  enemy  and  seemingly  indifferent  to  their  wounds. 
One  gayly  told  of  the  daring  capture  of  a  machine  gun  by 
eighteen  of  his  comrades.  The  gun,  he  said,  was  brought 
up  by  a  detachment  of  German  dragoons  and  the  Senegalese 
bravely  charged  and  captured  everything. 

Though  their  arms  and  bodies  were  hacked  by  sabers, 
the  Senegalese  complained  of  nothing  but  the  obligation  to 
fight  with  shoes  on.  Before  going  into  battle  at  Charleroi 
they  slyly  rid  themselves  of  these  impediments  and  came 
back  shod  in  German  footwear  to  avoid  punishment  for  losing 
equipment. 

KILLED  A  GENERAL 

The  shot  which  resulted  in  the  death  of  Prince  von  Bue- 
low,  one  of  the  German  generals,  was  fired  by  a  Belgian  pri- 
vate named  Rosseau,  who  was  decorated  by  King  Albert  for 
his  conduct  in  the  battle  of  Haelen. 

Rosseau  was  lying  badly  wounded  among  his  dead  com- 
rades when  he  saw  a  German  officer  standing  beside  his 
horse  and  studying  a  map.  Picking  up  a  rifle  beside  a  dead 
German,  Rosseau  fired  at  this  officer  and  wounded  him.  The 
officer  proved  to  be  Prince  von  Buelow.  Exchanging  his  hat 
for  the  German  general's  helmet  and  taking  the  general's 
horse,  Rosseau  made  his  way  to  the  Belgian  lines  and  was 
placed  in  a  hospital  at  Ghent. 

HOW  A  GERMAN   PRINCE  DIED 

The  Hanover  Courier  gave  the  following  account  by  an 
eyewitness  of  the  death  of  Prince  Frederick  William  of  Lippe 
at  Liege: 

"On  all  sides  our  detachment  was  surrounded  by  Belgian 
troops,  who  were  gradually  closing  in  for  purposes  of  exter- 
minating us.    At  the  prince's  command  we  formed  a  circle 


396    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

eight  deep,  maintaining  a  stubborn  defense.  At  length  a 
strong  division  arrived  to  support  us.  The  prince  raised 
himself  from  a  kneeling  position  and  turned  to  the  standard 
bearer,  who  lay  prone  beside  him,  covering  the  standard  with 
his  body. 

"  'Raise  the  standard,'  commanded  the  prince,  'so  that 
we  may  be  recognized  by  our  friends.' 

"The  standard  bearer  raised  the  flag,  waving  it  to  and 
fro.  This  action  immediately  brought  upon  the  standard 
bearer  and  the  prince  a  violent  fusillade.  The  standard  was 
shot  away  and  at  the  same  moment  the  prince  was  struck 
in  the  chest  and  expired  instantly. ' ' 

BAILWAY  STATION  A  SHAMBLES 

Mrs.  Herman  H.  Harjes,  wife  of  the  Paris  banker,  who, 
with  other  American  women,  was  deeply  interested  in  relief 
work,  visited  the  North  railroad  station  at  Paris  on  Sep- 
tember 1  and  was  shocked  by  the  sights  she  saw  among  the 
Belgian  refugees. 

"The  station,"  said  Mrs.  Harjes,  "presented  the  aspect 
of  a  shambles.  It  was  the  saddest  sight  I  ever  saw.  It  is 
impossible  to  believe  the  tortures  and  cruelties  the  poor  un- 
fortunates had  undergone. 

"I  saw  many  boys  with  both  their  hands  cut  off  so  that 
it  was  impossible  for  them  to  carry  guns.  Everywhere  was 
filth  and  utter  desolation.  The  helpless  little  babies,  lying 
on  the  cold,  wet  cement  floor  and  crying  for  proper  nourish- 
ment, were  enough  to  bring  hot  tears  to  any  mother's  eyes. 

"Mothers  were  vainly  besieging  the  authorities,  begging 
for  milk  or  soup.    A  mother  with  twelve  children  said : 

"  'What  is  to  become  of  us?  It  seems  impossible  to  suffer 
more.  I  saw  my  husband  bound  to  a  lamppost.  He  was 
gagged  and  being  tortured  by  bayonets.  When  I  tried  to 
intercede  in  his  behalf,  I  was  knocked  senseless  with  a  rifle. 
I  never  saw  him  again.'  " 

BURIED    ON   THE   FIELD 

The  bodies  of  the  dead  in  this  war  were  not,  with  occasional 
exceptions,  returned  to  their  relatives,  but  were  buried  on 
the  field  and  where  numbers  required  it,  in  common  graves. 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    397 

Valuables,  papers  and  mementoes  were  taken  from  the  bodies 
and  made  up  in  little  packets  to  be  sent  to  the  relatives,  and 
the  dead  soldiers,  each  wrapped  in  his  canvas  shelter  tent, 
as  shroud,  were  laid,  friend  and  foe,  side  by  side  in  long 
trenches  in  the  ground  for  which  they  had  contested. 

GERMAN    LISTS    OF    THE    DEAD 

In  the  German  official  Gazette  daily  lists  of  the  dead, 
wounded  and  missing  were  published.  The  names  marched 
by  in  long  columns  of  the  Gazette,  arrayed  with  military  pre- 
cision by  regiments  and  companies,  batteries  or  squadrons — 
first  the  infantry  and  then  cavalry,  artillery  and  train. 

The  company  lists  were  headed  usually  by  the  names  of 
the  officers,  killed  or  wounded ;  then  came  the  casualties  from 
the  enlisted  strength — first  the  dead,  then  the  wounded  and 
the  missing.  A  feature  of  the  early  lists  was  the  large  propor- 
tion of  this  last  class,  reports  from  some  units  running  mo- 
notonously, name  after  name,  "missing"  or  "wounded  and 
missing" — in  mute  testimony  of  scouting  patrols  which  did 
not  return,  or  of  regiments  compelled  to  retire  and  leave  be- 
hind them  dead,  wounded  and  prisoners,  or  sometimes  of  men 
wandering  so  far  from  their  comrades  in  the  confusion  of 
battle  that  they  could  not  find  and  rejoin  their  companies 
for  days. 

THE   LANCE   AS   A   WEAPON 

An  attempt  was  made  in  lists  of  the  German  wounded  to 
give  the  nature  and  location  of  the  wound.  These  were  prin- 
cipally from  rifle  or  shrapnel  fire.  A  scanty  few  in  the  cavalry 
were  labeled  "lance  thrust,"  indicating  that  the  favorite 
weapon  of  the  European  cavalry  has  not  done  the  damage  ex- 
pected of  it,  although  the  lance  came  more  into  play  in  the 
later  engagements  between  the  Russian  and  German  cavalry 
divisions. 

"fatherland  or  death!" 

Writing  from  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Germany,  on  August  29th, 
Karl  H.  von  Wiegand,  manager  of  the  Berlin  bureau  of  the 
United  Press,  said : 

"America  has  not  the  faintest  realization  of  the  terrible 
carnage  going  on  in  Europe.    She  cannot  realize  the  deter- 


398    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

mi  nation  of  Germany,  all  Germany — men,  women  and  children 
— in  this  war.  The  German  Empire  is  like  one  man.  And 
that  man's  motto  is  'Vaterland  oder  Tod!'  (Fatherland  or 
Death!) 

"English  news  sources  are  reported  here  as  telling  of  the 
masterly  retreat  of  the  allies.  Here  in  the  German  field  head- 
quarters, where  every  move  on  the  great  chess-board  of  Bel- 
gium and  France  is  analyzed,  the  war  to  date  is  referred  to 
as  the  greatest  offensive  movement  in  the  history  of  modern 
warfare." 

GERMAN    PLANS   WELL   LAID 

The  German  offensive  plans  were  well  laid.  No  army  that 
ever  took  the  field  was  ever  so  mobile.  Thousands  of  army 
autos  have  been  in  use.  Each  regiment  had  its  supply.  The 
highways  were  mapped  in  advance.  There  was  not  a  cross- 
road that  was  not  known.  Even  the  trifling  brooks  had  been 
located.  Nothing  had  been  left  to  chance  and  the  advance 
guard  was  accompanied  by  enormous  automobiles  filled  with 
corps  of  sappers  who  carried  bridge  and  road  building 
materials. 

THE   TERRIBLE   KRUPP   GUNS 

How  well  the  German  plans  worked  was  shown  when  Na- 
mur,  which,  it  was  boasted,  would  resist  for  months,  fell  in 
two  days.  The  terrible  work  of  the  great  Krupp  weapons, 
whose  existence  had  been  kept  secret,  is  hard  to  realize.  One 
shot  from  one  of  these  guns  went  through  what  was  consid- 
ered an  impregnable  wall  of  concrete  and  armored  steel  at 
Namur,  exploded  and  killed  150  men. 

And  aside  from  the  effectiveness  of  these  terrible  weapons, 
Belgian  prisoners  who  were  in  the  Namur  forts  declare  their 
fire  absolutely  shattered  the  nerves  of  the  defenders,  whose 
guns  had  not  sufficient  range  to  reach  them. 

GERMANS   DEFY   DEATH 

"It  makes  you  sick  to  see  the  way  that  the  Germans  liter- 
ally walk  into  the  very  mouth  of  the  machine  guns  and  cannon 
spouting  short-fused  shrapnel  that  mow  down  their  lines  and 
tear  great  gaps  in  them,"  said  a  Belgian  major  who  was 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    399 

badly  wounded.  "Nothing  seems  to  stop  them.  It  is  like  an 
inhuman  machine  and  it  takes  the  very  nerve  out  of  you  to 
watch  it." 

SPIRIT   OF   GERMAN   WOMEN 

"The  women  of  Germany  are  facing  the  situation  with 
heroic  calmness,"  said  Eleanor  Painter,  an  American  opera 
singer  on  landing  in  New  York  September  7th,  direct  from 
Berlin,  where  she  had  spent  the  last  four  years.  "It  is  all 
for  the  Fatherland.  The  spirit  of  the  people  is  wonderful. 
If  the  men  are  swept  away  in  the  maelstrom  of  war,  the 
women  will  continue  to  fight.  They  are  prepared  now  to 
do  so. 

"There  are  few  tears  in  Berlin.  Of  course  there  is  sor- 
row, deep  sorrow.  But  the  German  women  and  the  few  men 
still  left  in  the  capital  realize  that  the  national  life  itself  is 
at  stake  and  accept  the  inevitable  losses  of  a  successful  mili- 
tary occupation.  There  is  a  grim  dignity  everywhere.  There 
are  no  false  ideas  as  to  the  enormity  of  the  struggle  for 
existence.  A  great  many  Germans,  in  fact,  realizing  that  it 
is  nearly  the  whole  world  against  Germany,  do  not  believe 
that  the  Fatherland  can  survive.  But  they  are  determined 
that  while  there  is  a  living  German  so  long  will  Germany 
fight. 

FATHER   AND   TEN   SONS   ENLIST 

"A  German  father  with  his  ten  sons  enlisted.  General 
von  Haessler,  more  than  the  allotted  three-score  years  and 
ten,  veteran  of  two  wars,  offered  his  sword.  Boys  who  vol- 
unteered and  who  were  not  needed  at  the  time  wept  when 
the  recruiting  officers  sent  them  back  home,  telling  them  their 
time  would  come. 

"The  German  women  fight  their  own  battles  in  keeping 
back  tears  and  praying  for  the  success  of  the  German  arms. 
Hundreds  of  titled  women  are  at  the  front  with  the  Red  Cross, 
sacrificing  everything  to  aid  their  country.  Baroness  von 
Ziegler  and  her  daughter  wrote  from  Wiesbaden  that  they 
were  en  route  to  the  front  and  were  ready  to  fight  if  need  be. 

"Even  the  stupendous  losses  which  the  army  is  incurring 
cannot  dim  the  love  of  the  Fatherland  nor  the  desire  of  the 
Germans,  as  a  whole  nation,  to  fight  on.     I  speak  of  vast 


400    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

losses.  An  officer  with  whom  I  talked  while  en  route  from 
Berlin  to  Rotterdam,  told  me  of  his  own  experience.  He  was 
one  of  2,000  men  on  the  eastern  frontier.  They  saw  a  de- 
tachment of  Russians  ahead.  The  German  forces  went  into 
battle  singing  and  confident,  although  the  Russian  columns 
numbered  12,000.  Of  that  German  force  of  2,000  just  fifty 
survived.    None  surrendered." 

FEARFUL  STATE  OF  BATTLEFIELDS 

Dead  men  and  horses,  heaped  up  by  thousands,  lay  putre- 
fying on  the  battlefields  of  the  Aisne,  Colonel  Webb  C.  Hayes, 
U.  S.  A.,  son  of  former  President  Hayes,  declared  in  Washing- 
ton on  Oct.  7,  on  his  return  from  observing  the  war  and  its 
battlefields.  He  was  the  bearer  of  a  personal  message  to  Presi- 
dent Wilson  from  the  acting  burgomaster  of  Louvain. 

"When  I  left  Havre  on  Sept.  27,"  he  said,  "the  Allies 
were  fearful  that  they  would  not  be  able  to  penetrate  to  the 
German  line  through  the  mass  of  putrefying  men  and  horses 
on  the  battlefields,  which  unfortunately  the  combatants  seem 
not  to  heed  about  burying.  I  don't  see  how  they  could  pass 
through  these  fields.  The  stench  was  horrible,  and  the  idea 
of  climbing  over  the  bodies  must  be  revolting  even  to  brave 
soldiers." 

Col.  Hayes  had  been  on  the  firing  line ;  he  had  visited  the 
sacked  city  of  Louvain  as  the  guest  of  Germans  in  an  armored 
ear ;  he  had  been  in  Aix-la-Chapelle,  at  the  German  base,  and 
had  seen  some  of  the  fighting  in  the  historic  Aisne  struggle. 

"It  is  a  sausage  grinder,"  he  declared. 

"On  one  side  are  the  Allies,  apparently  willing  to  sacrifice 
their  last  man  in  defense  of  France ;  on  the  other  are  the  Ger- 
mans, seemingly  prodigal  of  their  millions  of  men  and  money 
and  throwing  man  after  man  into  the  war. ' ' 

"What  about  the  alleged  atrocities  in  Belgium?"  he  was 
asked. 

"Well,  war  is  hell ;  that's  about  the  only  answer  I  can  give 
you.  The  real  tragic  feature  of  the  whole  war  is  Belgium.  Its 
people  are  wonderful  folk — clean,  decent,  respectable.  What 
this  nation  should  do  is  to  concentrate  its  efforts  to  aid  the 
women  and  children  of  Belgium.  Help  for  hospitals  is  not  so 
much  needed,  but  the  fate  of  these  people  is  really  pathetic." 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    401 

Asked  for  a  brief  description  of  what  he  saw  along  the 
battle  line,  Col.  Hayes  declared : 

' '  The  battle  front  these  days  is  far  different  from  what  it 
used  to  be.  There  are  few  men  to  be  seen,  and  practically  no 
guns.  All  are  concealed.  Shrapnel  flies  through  the  air  and 
bursts.  That  is  the  scene  most  of  the  time.  In  the  hand-to- 
hand  fighting  bayonets  are  used  much  by  the  French,  while  the 
Turcos  use  knives." 

' '  Shall  you  go  back  1 ' '  Col.  Hayes  was  asked. 

"Does  anyone  wish  to  visit  a  slaughterhouse  a  second 
lime? "he  replied. 

PRINCES  WOUNDED  BY  THE  FOE 

Prince  August  William,  the  fourth  son  of  Emperor  Wil- 
liam, was  shot  in  the  left  arm  during  the  battle  of  the  Marne 
and  Emperor  William  bestowed  the  Iron  Cross  of  the  first 
class  on  him. 

Prince  Eitel,  the  Kaiser's  second  son,  was  wounded  during 
the  battle  of  the  Aisne.  Up  to  October  7  four  of  Emperor  Wil- 
liam *s  sons  had  been  placed  temporarily  hors  de  combat. 

Prince  George  of  Servia,  while  leading  his  battalion  against 
the  Austrians  September  18,  was  hit  by  a  ball  which  entered 
near  the  spinal  column  and  came  out  at  the  right  shoulder. 
The  wound  was  said  not  to  be  dangerous. 

HOW  THE  SCOTSMEN  FOUGHT 

At  St.  Quentin,  France,  the  Highland  infantrymen  burst 
into  the  thick  of  the  Germans,  holding  on  to  the  stirrups  of  the 
Scots  Greys  as  the  horsemen  galloped,  and  attacked  hand  to 
hand.  The  Germans  were  taken  aback  at  the  sudden  and 
totally  unexpected  double  irruption,  and  broke  up  before  the 
Scottish  onslaught,  suffering  severe  losses  alike  from  the 
swords  of  the  cavalry  and  from  the  Highlanders'  bayonets. 
The  scene  of  this  charge  is  depicted  in  one  of  our  illustrations. 

TWO  TRAGIC  INCIDENTS 

During  the  Russian  retreat  through  the  Mazur  lake  dis- 
trict, in  East  Prussia,  a  Russian  battery  was  surrounded  on 
three  sides  by  the  enemy's  quick  firers.  The  infantry  was  on 
the  other  side  of  the  lake,  and  the  Russian  ammunition  was 


402    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

exhausted.  In  order  to  avoid  capture,  the  commander  ordered 
the  battery  to  gallop  over  the  declivity  into  the  lake.  His  order 
was  obeyed  and  he  himself  was  among  the  drowned. 

During  an  assault  on  the  fortress  of  Ossowetz,  a  German 
column  got  into  a  bog.  The  Russians  shelled  the  bog  and  the 
single  road  crossing  it.  The  Germans,  in  trying  to  extricate 
themselves,  sank  deeper  into  the  mire,  and  hundreds  were 
killed  or  wounded.    Of  the  whole  column,  about  forty  survived. 

IX  THE  BRUSSELS  HOSPITALS 

A  peculiar  incident  of  the  war  is  noted  by  a  doctor  writing 
in  the  New  York  American,  who  went  through  several  of  the 
great  Brussels  hospitals  and  noted  the  condition  of  the 
wounded  Belgian  soldiers.  These  soldiers  carried  on  the 
defense  of  their  country  with  a  valor  which  the  fighting  men 
of  any  nation  might  admire  and  envy.    The  writer  remarks : 

"Two  facts  struck  me  very  forcibly.  The  first  was  the 
very  large  number  of  Belgian  soldiers  wounded  only  in  the 
legs,  and,  secondly,  many  of  the  soldiers  seem  to  have  collapsed 
through  sheer  exhaustion. 

"In  peace  times  one  sees  and  hears  little  or  nothing  of 
extreme  exhaustion,  because  in  times  of  peace  the  almost 
superphysical  is  not  demanded.    War  brings  new  conditions. 

"These  Belgian  soldiers  were  at  work  and  on  the  march 
during  stupendous  days,  practically  without  a  moment's 
respite.  They  went,  literally,  until  they  dropped.  As  a  medi- 
cal man,  their  condition  interested  me  enormously. 

"What  force  of  will  to  fight  and  struggle  until  the  last 
gasp !  The  exhaustion  one  sees  often  in  heat  strokes  and  in 
hot  climates  is  commonplace,  but  this  type  of  exhaustion  is,  by 
itself,  the  final  triumph  of  brave  spirits. 

"The  victims  presented  a  very  alarming  appearance  when 
first  I  met  them.  They  seemed  almost  dead ;  limp,  pale,  and 
cold.  Recovery  usually  is  not  protracted;  in  every  case  the 
men  knocked  out  in  this  manner  expressed  a  fervent  desire  to 
return  at  once  to  the  ranks. 

"So  many  Belgians  have  been  shot  in  the  legs  that  this 
fact  has  aroused  considerable  surprise  in  medical  circles.  It 
is  not  a  matter  of  chance. 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    403 

"When  German  prisoners  came  in  and  were  interrogated, 
the  explanation  was  forthcoming  that  orders  had  been  given 
to  fire  low,  no  doubt  in  the  belief  that  the  man  hit  in  the  leg 
must  be  immediately  hors  de  combat.  This  was  certainly 
humane  of  the  Germans,  as  such  wounds  heal  speedily.  The 
German  wounded,  on  the  other  hand,  have  been  hit  for  the 
most  part  about  the  body." 

GERMAN  WARNING  TO  FRENCH  TOWNS 

Following  is  the  text  of  a  proclamation  published  in  French 
and  posted  in  all  towns  occupied  by  the  Germans : 

"All  the  authorities  and  the  municipality  are  informed  that 
every  peaceful  inhabitant  can  follow  his  regular  occupation 
in  full  security.  Private  property  will  be  absolutely  respected 
and  provisions  paid  for. 

' '  If  the  population  dare  under  any  form  whatever  to  take 
part  in  hostilities  the  severest  punishment  will  be  inflicted  on 
the  refractory. 

"The  people  must  give  up  their  arms.  Every  armed  indi- 
vidual will  be  put  to  death.  Whoever  cuts  telegraph  wires, 
destroys  railway  bridges  or  roads  or  commits  any  act  in  detri- 
ment to  the  Germans  will  be  shot. 

"Towns  and  villages  whose  inhabitants  take  part  in  the 
combat  or  who  fire  upon  us  from  ambush  will  be  burned  down 
and  the  guilty  shot  at  once.  The  civil  authorities  will  be  held 
responsible.  (Signed)     Von  Moltke." 

MOTORS  IN  THE  RUSSIAN  ARMY 

The  Russian  army  has  always  placed  much  dependence  on 
its  horses,  having  a  vast  number,  but  it  has  realized  the  import- 
ance of  the  motor  vehicle  in  warfare  and  already  it  is  much 
better  equipped  than  other  nations  suppose.  An  illustration 
of  the  fact  is  the  following,  related  by  a  Red  Cross  man  who 
accompanied  the  Russian  forces  into  eastern  Germany: 

"I  was  walking  beside  one  of  our  carts.  We  could  hear 
heavy  artillery  fire  as  we  went,  when  shouts  from  our  people 
behind  warned  us  to  get  off  the  road.  We  pulled  onto  the 
grass  as  there  came  thundering  past,  bumping  from  one  rough 
place  to  another  on  the  poor  road  and  going  at  a  sickening  pace, 
a  string  of  huge  motor  cars  crowded  with  infantrymen.    They 


404    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

looked  like  vehicles  of  the  army  establishment,  all  apparently 
alike  in  size  and  pattern  and  each  carrying  about  thirty  men. 

1 '  They  were  traveling  like  no  motor  wagon  that  I  ever  saw 
— certainly  at  not  less  than  forty  miles  an  hour.  The  pro- 
cession seemed  endless.  I  didn't  count  them,  but  there  were 
not  less  than  a  hundred,  and  perhaps  a  good  many  more.  That 
was  General  Rennenkampf  reinforcing  his  threatened  flank." 

"a  little  bbass  tag" 

From  time  to  time  the  dispatches  have  stated  that  the 
German  army  officers  have  shipped  to  Berlin  thousands  of 
little  brass  identification  tags,  taken  from  the  bodies  of  their 
dead.  This  inspired  a  Michigan  poet  to  write  the  following 
pathetic  lines,  published  in  the  Detroit  Free  Press : 

All  that  is  left  of  her  wonderful  son 

Is  a  little  brass  tag; 
All  of  her  baby  that  shouldered  a  gun 

Is  a  little  brass  tag. 
He  that  so  proudly  marched  off  in  the  line, 
Clear-eyed  and  smiling  and  splendid  and  fine, 
Is  home  once  again  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine, 

Just  a  little  brass  tag. 

He  with  the  eyes  that  were  kindly  and  blue 

Is  a  little  brass  tag; 
He  with  the  shoulders  so  square  and  so  true 

Is  a  little  brass  tag. 
He  that  stepped  forward  to  follow  the  flag, 
To  ride  with  a  saber  or  march  with  a  Krag, 
You'll  find  him  now,  with  thousands,  shipped  home,  in  a  bag, 

Just  a  little  brass  tag. 

Oh,  mother,  the  boy  you  're  so  hungry  to  see 

Is  a  little  brass  tag; 
The  end  of  your  dreams  of  the  man  he  would  be 

Is  a  little  brass  tag; 
Your  beautiful  visions  of  splendors  have  fled, 
Your  wonderful  man  of  to-morrow  lies  dead ; 
He  went  as  a  soldier,  but  comes  home  instead 

Just  a  little  brass  tag. 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    405 

VALLEY  OF  DEATH   ON  THE  AISNE 

A  non-combatant  who  succeeded  in  getting  close  to  the 
firing  lines  on  the  Aisne  when  the  great  battle  had  raged  con- 
tinuously for  five  weeks,  wrote  as  follows  on  October  21st  of 
the  horrors  he  had  witnessed: 

' '  Between  the  lines  of  battle  there  is  a  narrow  strip,  vary- 
ing from  seventy  yards  to  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  which  is  a 
neutral  valley  of  death.  Neither  side  is  able  to  cross  that 
strip  without  being  crumpled  by  fire  against  which  no  body 
of  men  can  stand.  The  Germans  have  attempted  to  break 
through  the  British  and  French  forces  hundreds  of  times  but 
have  been  compelled  to  withdraw,  and  always  with  severe 
losses. 

' '  A  number  of  small  towns  are  distributed  in  this  narrow 
strip,  the  most  important  being  Craonne.  The  Germans  and 
French  have  reoccupied  it  six  times  and  each  in  turn  has 
been  driven  out.  The  streets  of  Craonne  are  littered  with  the 
dead  of  both  armies.  The  houses,  nearly  all  of  which  have 
been  demolished  by  exploding  shells,  are  also  full  of  bodies  of 
men  who  crawled  into  them  to  get  out  of  the  withering  fire 
and  have  there  died.  Many  of  these  men  died  of  sheer  ex- 
haustion and  starvation  while  the  battle  raged  day  after  day. 

"Both  armies  have  apparently  abandoned  the  struggle  to 
hold  Craonne  permanently,  and  it  is  now  literally  a  city  of  the 
dead. 

"  It  is  a  typical  French  village  of  ancient  stone  structures ; 
the  tiny  houses  all  have,  or  had,  gables  and  tiled  roofs.  These 
have  mostly  been  broken  by  shell  fire.  Under  the  shelter  of 
its  buildings  both  the  Germans  and  French  have  been  able  at 
times  to  rescue  their  wounded. 

"This  is  more  than  can  be  said  of  the  strip  of  death 
between  the  battle  lines.  There  the  wounded  lie  and  the  dead 
go  unburied,  while  the  opposing  forces  direct  their  merciless 
fire  a  few  feet  above  the  field  of  suffering  and  carnage.  I  did 
not  know  until  I  looked  upon  the  horrors  of  Craonne  that  such 
conditions  could  exist  in  modern  warfare. 

"I  thought  that  frequent  truces  would  be  negotiated  to 
give  the  opposing  armies  an  opportunity  to  collect  their 
wounded  and  bury  their  dead.    I  had  an  idea  that  the  Red 


406    STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD 

Cross  had  made  war  less  terrible.  The  world  thinks  so  yet, 
perhaps,  but  the  conditions  along  the  Aisne  do  not  justify  that 
belief.  If  a  man  is  wounded  in  that  strip  between  the  lines 
he  never  gets  back  alive  unless  he  is  within  a  short  distance 
of  his  own  lines  or  is  protected  from  the  enemy's  fire  by  the 
lay  of  the  land. 

1 '  This  protracted  and  momentous  battle,  which  raged  day 
and  night  for  so  many  weeks,  became  a  continuous  nightmare 
to  the  men  engaged  in  it,  every  one  of  whom  knew  that  upon 
its  issue  rested  one  of  the  great  deciding  factors  of  the  war. ' ' 

BEITISH  AID  FOR  FRENCH  WOUNDED 

The  following  paragraphs  from  a  letter  received  October 
15th  by  the  author  from  an  English  lady  interested  in  the 
suffrage  movement,  give  some  idea  of  the  spirit  in  which  the 
people  of  England  met  the  emergency;  and  also  indicate  the 
frightful  conditions  attending  the  care  of  the  wounded  in 
France : 

"London,  October  7,  1914. — The  world  is  a  quite  different 
place  from  what  it  was  in  July — dear,  peaceful  July !  It  seems 
years  ago  that  we  lived  in  a  time  of  peace.  It  all  still  seems 
a  nightmare  over  England  and  one  feels  that  the  morning 
must  come  when  one  will  wake  up  and  find  it  has  all  been  a 
hideous  dream,  and  that  peace  is  the  reality.  But  the  facts 
grow  sadder  every  day,  as  one  realizes  the  frightful  slaughter 
and  waste  of  young  lives.     *     *     * 

"But  now  that  we  are  in  the  midst  of  this  horrible  time, 
we  can  only  stop  all  criticism  of  our  Government,  set  our  teeth, 
and  try  to  help  in  every  possible  way.  All  suffrage  work  has 
stopped  and  all  the  hundred-and-one  interests  in  societies  of 
every  kind  are  in  abeyance  as  well.  The  offices  of  every  kind 
of  society  are  being  used  for  refugees,  Red  Cross  work,  unem- 
ployment work,  and  to  meet  other  needs  of  the  moment. 

' '  Every  day  of  our  time  is  taken  up  with  helping  to  equip 
'hospital  units,'  private  bodies  of  doctors  and  nurses  with 
equipment,  to  go  to  France  and  help  the  French  Red  Cross 
work  among  the  French  wounded.  The  situation  in  France 
at  present  is  more  horrible  than  one  can  imagine.  Our  Eng- 
lish soldiers  have  medical  and  surgical  help  enough  with  them 
for  first  aid.    Then  they  are  sent  back  to  England,  and  here 


STORIES  FROM  THE  BATTLEFIELD    407 

all  our  hospitals  are  ready  and  private  houses  everywhere 
have  been  given  to  the  War  Office  for  the  wounded.  But  the 
battlefield  is  in  France ;  many  of  the  French  doctors  have  been 
shot;  the  battle-line  is  200  miles  long,  and  the  carnage  is 
frightful. 

"Last  week  we  sent  off  one  hospital  unit,  and  a  messenger 
came  back  from  it  yesterday  to  tell  us  awful  facts — 16,000 
wounded  in  Limoges  for  one  place,  and  equal  numbers  in 
several  other  little  places  south  of  Paris — just  trains  full  of 
them — with  so  little  ready  for  them  in  the  way  of  doctors 
or  nurses.  One  hears  of  doctors  performing  operations  with- 
out chloroform,  and  the  suffering  of  the  poor  fellows  is 
awful. ' ' 


MUST  PEACE  WAIT  FOR  THIS? 


— Chicago   Daily    News,    Sept.    21. 


FOR  ALL  WE  HAVE  AND  ARE 

BY  KUDYAED  KIPLING 

For  all  we  have  and  are, 

For  all  our  children's  fate, 
Stand  up  and  meet  the  war — 

The  Hun  is  at  the  gate ! 
Our  world  has  passed  away 

In  wanton  overthrow; 
There's  nothing  left  to-day 

But  steel  and  fire  and  woe. 
Though  all  we  know  depart, 

In  courage  keep  your  heart. 

Once  more  we  hear  the  word 

That  sickened  earth  of  old — 
No  law  except  the  sword 

Unsheathed  and  uncontrolled. 
Once  more  it  knits  mankind, 

Once  more  the  nations  go 
To  meet  and  break  and  bind 

A  crazed  and  riven  foe. 

Comfort,  content,  delight, 

The  ages'  slow-bought  gain, 
They  shriveled  in  a  night — 

Only  ourselves  remain 
To  face  the  naked  days 

In  silent  fortitude, 
Through  perils  and  dismays, 

Renewed  and  re-renewed. 
Though  all  we  made  depart 

The  old  commandments  stand — 
In  patience  keep  your  heart, 

In  strength  lift  up  your  hand. 

No  easy  hopes  or  lies 

Shall  bring  us  to  our  goal — 
But  iron  sacrifice 

Of  body,  will  and  soul. 
There's  but  one  task  for  all, 

For  each  one  life  to  give : 
Who  stands  if  Freedom  fall  ? 

If  England  dies,  who  live  ? 

408 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

LATER  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR 

Results  of  the  Battle  of  the  Aisne — Fierce  Fighting  in  North- 
ern France — Developments  on  the  Eastern  Battle  Front 
— The  Campaign  in  the  Pacific — Naval  Activities  of  the 
Powers. 

WITH  a  battle  front  reaching  from  the  Belgian  coast  on 
the  North  Sea  to  the  frontier  of  Switzerland,  or  a  total 
distance  of  362  miles,  the  operations  in  the  western 
theater  of  war  toward  the  end  of  October  were  being  con- 
ducted on  a  more  gigantic  scale  than  was  ever  witnessed 
before.  On  both  sides  reinforcements  were  being  rushed  to 
the  front.  German  efforts  to  break  through  the  Allies'  lines 
were  concentrated  on  the  main  center  at  Verdun  and  on  the 
right  flank  of  the  Allies'  left  wing,  above  its  elbow,  between 
Noyon  and  Arras,  while  powerful  coincidal  movements  were  in 
progress  on  the  extreme  western  end  of  the  line  in  Belgium 
and  on  the  southeastern  wing  in  Alsace.  At  Verdun  con- 
tinuous fighting  of  the  fiercest  character  had  been  going  on 
for  over  sixty  days,  surpassing  in  time  and  severity  any  in- 
dividual battle  in  history.  The  army  of  the  Crown  Prince  had 
been  unable  to  force  the  French  positions  in  the  vicinity  of 
Verdun  and  the  check  sustained  by  the  Germans  at  this  point 
early  in  the  campaign  constituted  a  principal  cause  of  General 
von  Kluck's  failure  in  his  dash  toward  Paris. 

All  along  the  tremendous  battle  front  the  allies '  lines  as  a 
rule  held  firm  in  the  thirteenth  week  of  the  war,  when  the 
great  conflict  had  entered  upon  what  may  well  be  called  its 
fourth  stage.  The  third  stage  may  be  said  to  have  ended  with 
the  fall  of  Antwerp  and  the  subjugation  of  all  Belgium  but  a 
small  portion  of  its  southwestern  territory.  On  the  main  front 
the  Allies  were  maintaining  the  offensive  at  some  vital  points, 
while  repulsing  the  German  assaults  at  others.    One  or  two 

409 


410  LATER  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR 

of  the  French  forts  commanding  Verdun  had  fallen  but  the 
main  positions  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  French,  and  all 
along  the  line  it  was  a  case  of  daily  give-and-take. 

FIERCE  FIGHTING  IN  FLANDERS 

After  capturing  Antwerp  the  Germans  pushed  on  to 
Ostend,  an  ''open"  or  unfortified  town,  and  occupied  it  with 
slight  resistance  from  the  Belgian  army,  which  was  reforming 
its  broken  ranks  to  the  south,  between  Ostend  and  the  French 
frontier,  and  preparing  to  contest  the  passage  of  the  Kaiser's 
forces  across  the  River  Yser.  Moving  northward  from  Lille, 
the  Allies  encountered  the  Germans  at  Armentieres,  which 
was  occupied  by  a  Franco-British  force  and  there  was  also 
fierce  fighting  at  Ypres,  where  there  is  a  canal  to  the  sea.  For 
more  than  a  week  the  Belgians  gallantly  held  the  banks  of  the 
Yser  in  spite  of  the  utmost  endeavors  of  the  Germans  to  cross, 
and  it  was  not  until  October  24  that  the  latter  finally  succeeded 
in  getting  south  of  the  river,  with  the  French  seaport  of 
Dunkirk  as  their  next  objective  point.  Bloody  engagements 
were  fought  at  Nieuport,  Dixmude,  Deynze  and  La  Bassee. 

At  this  time  the  battle  line  formed  almost  a  perpendicular 
from  Noyon  in  France  north  to  the  Belgian  coast,  south  of 
Ostend.  A  battle  raged  for  several  days  in  West  Flanders  and 
Northern  France  and  both  sides  claimed  successes.  The 
losses  of  the  Allies  and  the  Germans  were  estimated  in  the 
thousands  and  the  wounded  were  sent  back  to  the  rear  by  the 
trainful.  In  the  Flemish  territory  the  flat  nature  of  the  terrain, 
with  its  numerous  canals  and  almost  total  absence  of  natural 
cover,  made  the  losses  especially  severe.  The  passage  of  the 
Yser  cost  the  Germans  dearly  and  Dixmude  was  strewn  with 
their  dead.    And  their  advance  could  get  no  farther. 

The  necessity  of  holding  the  French  ports,  Dunkirk  and 
Calais,  was  fully  realized  by  the  Allies,  who  threw  large  rein- 
forcements into  their  northern  line.  The  Germans  also  drew 
heavily  on  their  center  and  left  wing  to  reinforce  the  right,  and 
for  a  while  the  forces  opposing  one  another  at  the  extreme 
western  end  of  the  battle  front  were  greater  than  at  any  other 
point.  The  Germans  were  firmly  held  on  a  line  running  from 
south  of  Ostend  to  Thourout,  Roulers  and  Menin,  the  last 
mentioned  place  being  on  the  border  north  of  Lille.  Flanking 
attacks  being  no  longer  possible,  as  the  western  flanks  of  both 


LATER  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR  411 

armies  rested  on  the  North  Sea,  the  Germans  were  compelled 
to  make  a  frontal  assault  along  the  line  formed  by  the  Belgian 
frontier.  As  the  Belgian  troops,  assisted  by  a  British  naval 
brigade,  were  pushed  back  from  the  Yser,  they  were  gradually 
merged  into  the  army  of  the  allies,  by  whom  they  were  re- 
ceived with  the  honors  due  the  men  who  had  made,  for  twelve 
long  weeks,  such  a  gallant  and  determined  defense  of  their 
country  against  invasion  and  despoilment. 

BRITISH  WAESHIPS  AID  BELGIANS 

Soon  after  the  German  occupation  of  Ostend,  several  Brit- 
ish warships  shelled  the  German  positions  in  and  around  the 
city  and  aided  in  hampering  the  German  advance  along  the 
coast.  The  principal  vessels  engaged  in  this  work  were  three 
monitors  which  were  being  completed  in  England  for  the 
Brazilian  government  when  the  war  started  and  which  were 
bought  by  the  admiralty. 

These  monitors,  which  had  been  renamed  Mersey,  Humber 
and  Severn,  drew  less  than  nine  feet  of  water  and  could  take 
up  positions  not  far  from  shore,  from  which  their  6-inch  guns 
and  4.7-inch  howitzers,  of  which  each  vessel  carried  two,  were 
able  to  throw  shells  nearly  four  miles  across  country,  the  range 
being  given  them  by  airmen. 

French  warships  of  light  draft  later  joined  the  British 
monitors  and  destroyers  and  assisted  in  patrolling  the  coast, 
shelling  German  positions  wherever  the  latter  could  be  discov- 
ered by  the  aeroplane  scouts.  One  reported  feat  of  the  naval 
fire  was  the  destruction  of  the  headquarters  of  a  German  gen- 
eral, Von  Trip,  in  which  the  general  and  his  staff  lost  their 
lives. 

German  destroyers  and  submarines,  which  had  apparently 
been  brought  down  the  coast  of  Holland,  operated  against  the 
combined  fleets  from  a  base  in  the  deep  canal  that  connects 
Bruges  and  Zeebrugge.  Their  attacks  were  persistent,  but  up 
to  October  28  the  German  torpedoes  had  failed  to  find  their 
mark;  and  likewise  every  effort  of  the  French  and  British 
squadrons  to  destroy  the  submarines  had  failed. 

INDIAN  TROOPS  IN  ACTION 

The  first  word  of  the  employment  of  British  Indian  troops 
at  the  front  came  on  October  27,  when  it  was  reported  that  in 
the  fighting  near  Lille  a  reserve  force  of  Sikhs  and  Ghurkas, 


412  LATER  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR 

the  former  with  bayonets  and  the  latter  with  the  kukri  (a 
short,  curved  sword)  played  havoc  with  an  attacking  force  of 
Germans.  ''Never  has  there  been  such  slaughter,"  said  the 
dispatches.  "Twenty  thousand  German  dead  and  wounded, 
nearly  half  the  attacking  force,  lay  upon  the  field,  while  the 
British  losses  did  not  exceed  2,000." 

THE  FRENCH  CAMPAIGN  IN  ALSACE 

At  the  end  of  October  the  French  right  wing  in  Alsace- 
Lorraine  was  reported  to  be  making  distinct  progress.  It  was 
said  to  be  advancing  through  the  passes  of  the  Vosges  in  the 
midst  of  heavy  snowstorms.  Paris  reported  that  the  Ger- 
mans, who  were  attempting  a  movement  against  the  great 
French  frontier  fortress  of  Belfort,  had  been  driven  back  with 
heavy  losses,  while  from  other  sources  the  Germans  were  re- 
ported to  be  bringing  up  heavy  mortars  for  the  bombardment 
of  Belfort.  There  were  persistent  reports  of  German  defeats 
in  Alsace,  but  these  were  repeatedly  denied  in  Berlin.  The 
situation  in  the  territory  coveted  by  the  French  appeared  to 
resemble  that  farther  west — neither  side  was  making  much 
headway. 

THE  RUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN 

In  the  eastern  theater  of  war  the  conflict  during  October 
was  waged  with  fortunes  that  favored,  first  one  side  and  then 
the  other.  Contradictory  claims  were  put  forth  from  time  to 
time  by  Petrograd,  Vienna  and  Berlin,  but  the  net  result  of 
the  operations  at  the  end  of  the  thirteenth  week  of  the  war 
appeared  to  be  that  while  the  intended  Russian  march  on 
Berlin  had  been  completely  checked,  the  Germans  had  been 
repulsed  with  heavy  losses  in  all  their  attempts  to  cross  the 
Vistula  and  occupy  Warsaw,  the  capital  of  Russian  Poland, 
which  was  at  one  time  seriously  threatened. 

The  fighting  along  the  Vistula  was  fierce  and  prolonged 
for  several  days  at  a  time.  The  Germans  made  numerous 
attempts  to  cross  the  river  at  different  points  by  means  of 
pontoon  bridges,  but  these  were  destroyed  by  the  Russian 
artillery  as  fast  as  completed.  The  slaughter  on  both  sides 
was  considerable.  On  October  28  the  Russian  battle  front 
reached  from  Suwalki  on  the  north  to  Sambor  and  Stryj  on 
the  south,  a  distance  of  about  267  miles.    The  German  opera- 


LATER  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR  413 

tions  on  the  Vistula  were  still  in  progress  and  Poland  fur- 
nished the  main  arena  of  battle.  East  Prussia  was  practically- 
free  from  Russian  troops,  save  at  a  few  points  near  the  bound- 
ary, but  they  strongly  maintained  their  positions  in  Galicia. 

THE  AUSTRO-SERVIAN  CAMPAIGN 

After  eleven  weeks'  bombardment  by  the  Austrians,  the 
Servian  defenders  of  Belgrade  were  still  bravely  resisting, 
although  half  the  city  had  been  destroyed.  The  situation  was 
such  as  to  cause  at  once  astonishment,  pity  and  admiration. 

In  the  open  field  the  Servians  continued  to  hold  their  own 
against  the  Austrian  forces  opposed  to  them.  Their  Monte- 
negrin allies,  under  General  Bukovitch,  were  reported  to  have 
defeated  16,000  Austrians,  supported  by  six  batteries  of  ar- 
tillery, at  a  point  northeast  of  Serajevo.  The  battle  termi- 
nated in  a  hand-to-hand  bayonet  conflict  which  lasted  four 
hours.  The  Austrians  are  said  to  have  lost  2,500  men,  killed 
and  wounded,  while  the  Montenegrins  claimed  that  their  losses 
amounted  to  only  300  men. 

The  trial  of  Gavrio  Prinzip,  the  assassin  of  the  Archduke 
Francis  Ferdinand  of  Austria,  and  twenty-three  of  his  alleged 
accomplices,  had  been  proceeding  at  Serajevo  and  the  Serv- 
ians and  Montenegrins  had  made  desperate  but  futile  at- 
tempts to  capture  the  city  and  liberate  the  prisoners.  On 
October  27  the  latter  were  all  found  guilty  of  treason  and  four 
were  later  sentenced  to  death.  Thus  was  punished  by  Aus- 
trian law  the  crime  that  furnished  the  sad  but  insufficient 
excuse  for  the  world's  greatest  war. 

THE  CAMPAIGN  IN  THE  PACIFIC 

Late  in  October  the  Kaiser  was  reported  to  have  ordered 
the  surrender  of  Tsing  Tau,  the  German  city  in  Kiauchau, 
China.  The  place  had  been  battered  for  weeks  by  land  and 
sea  by  the  Japanese  forces,  and  the  surrender  was  ordered,  it 
was  said,  to  save  the  German  forces  and  civilians  from  cer- 
tain annihilation  if  a  defense  by  the  garrison  to  the  end  were 
to  be  carried  on.  German  warships  were  powerless  to  assist 
the  beleaguered  city,  as  Japanese  and  English  war  vessels  had 
driven  them  far  from  the  coast  of  China. 

The  Japanese  cruiser  Takachiho  was  sunk  by  a  mine  in 
Kiauchau  Bay  on  the  night  of  October  17.  One  officer  and 
nine  members  of  the  crew  are  known  to  have  been  saved. 


414  LATER  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR 

The  cruiser  carried  a  crew  of  284  men.    Her  main  battery  con- 
sisted of  eight  6-inch  guns. 

MAIN  FLEETS  STILL  INACTIVE 

Up  to  the  last  week  in  October  the  main  fleets  of  the  war- 
ring powers  were  still  inactive,  but  rumors  of  intended  Ger- 
man naval  activity  were  frequent.  The  cat-and-mouse  atti- 
tude of  the  British  and  German  fleets  in  the  North  Sea  was 
continued,  the  Germans  lying  snug  in  their  ports,  protected 
by  their  mines  and  submarines,  while  the  British  battleships 
lay  in  wait  at  all  points  of  possible  egress.  The  situation 
tried  the  patience  of  the  people  of  both  countries  and  there 
were  frequent  demands  for  action  by  the  great  and  costly 
naval  armaments.  But  the  Germans  apparently  were  not  ready 
to  risk  a  general  engagement,  and  the  British  could  not  force 
them  to  come  out  and  fight.  The  British  admirals,  therefore 
had,  perforce,  to  pursue  a  policy  of  ' '  watchful  waiting, ' '  irk- 
some as  it  was  to  all  concerned,  and  "the  tireless  vigil  in  the 
North  Sea,"  as  it  was  termed  by  Mr.  Asquith,  was  maintained 
day  and  night.  No  sea  captain  becalmed  in  the  doldrums  ever 
whistled  for  a  wind  more  earnestly  than  the  British  Jack  tars 
prayed  for  a  chance  at  the  enemy  during  those  three  months 
of  playing  the  cat  to  Germany's  mouse;  and  on  the  other 
hand,  the  German  sailors  were,  no  doubt,  equally  desirious 
of  a  chance  to  demonstrate  the  fighting  abilities  of  their  brand- 
new  battleships.  All  were  equally  on  the  qui  vive,  for  any 
hour  might  bring  to  the  Germans  the  order  to  put  to  sea,  and 
to  the  British  the  welcome  cry  of  "Enemy  in  sight!" 

CARING  FOR  BELGIAN  REFUGEES 

The  plight  of  the  Belgian  people,  including  the  refugees 
in  Holland,  England  and  France,  was  pitiable  in  the  extreme 
and  by  the  end  of  October  had  roused  the  sympathy  of  the 
entire  world.  A  conservative  estimate  placed  the  number  of 
Belgians  expatriated  at  1,500,000  out  of  a  population  of  7,000,- 
000.  On  October  26  Mr.  Brand  Whitlock,  United  States  min- 
ister to  Belgium,  reported  that  the  entire  country  was  on  the 
verge  of  starvation,  while  Holland  and  England  had  their 
hands  full  caring  for  the  Belgians  who  had  sought  refuge  in 
those  countries.  In  eight  cities  of  Holland  there  were  said  to 
be  500,000  Belgian  refugees.  Over  70,000  arrived  in  London 
in  one  week  and  a  central  committee  in  London  had  twenty- 


LATER  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR  415 

seven  subcommittees  at  work  in  different  cities  in  England, 
Scotland  and  Wales,  placing  the  refugees  in  homes  as  rapidly 
as  possible.  The  humanitarian  problem  of  taking  care  of  the 
Belgians  was  one  of  tremendous  responsibility,  but  the  people 
of  the  three  countries  in  which  most  of  them  sought  refuge 
rose  nobly  to  the  occasion  and  spared  no  effort  to  lessen  their 
sufferings. 

MORE  CANADIANS  FOR  THE  FRONT 

It  was  announced  in  Ottawa,  Canada,  on  October  19  that 
the  Dominion  Government  had  decided  to  put  30,000  more 
men  in  training  in  Canada,  to  be  despatched  to  England  when 
ready.  As  soon  as  the  first  unit  of  15,000  was  embarked, 
probably  in  December,  another  15,000  men  would  be  enlisted  to 
replace  them,  the  plan  being  to  keep  30,000  men  continuously 
in  training,  to  be  drawn  upon  in  units  of  10,000  or  15,000  as 
soon  as  equipped,  during  the  continuance  of  hostilities  in 
Europe.  Thus  with  the  32,000  Canadian  volunteers  already 
landed  in  England,  and  8,000  under  arms  guarding  strategic 
points  in  the  Dominion,  Canada  would  soon  raise  100,000  men 
as  part  of  her  contribution  to  Imperial  defense. 


THE  COST  IN  HUMAN  LIFE 

The  following  estimate  of  casualties  for  the  first  three 
months  (thirteen  weeks)  of  the  war  is  made  from  the  best  fig- 
ures obtainable  at  the  time  of  going  to  press.  The  casualties 
represent  an  average  of  about  16  per  cent  of  the  forces  actively 
engaged  in  the  field.  No  complete  official  figures  are  obtain- 
able, but  the  best  are  those  given  out  by  the  British  war  office, 
which  up  to  the  end  of  the  tenth  week  of  the  war  reported 
casualties  amounting  to  32,000  men,  or  about  16  per  cent  of  the 
British  expeditionary  forces  in  the  field  at  that  time,  which 
may  be  taken  as  a  general  ratio.  Great  Britain's  casualties 
in  officers  during  the  same  time  amounted  to  1,203,  including 
280  killed,  625  wounded  and  298  missing. 

German  estimates  of  the  Allies '  losses  up  to  the  middle  of 
October  placed  the  figure  at  725,000  and  Berlin  officials  then 
admitted  German  losses  amounting  to  225,000.  The  grand 
total  of  1,347,000  killed,  wounded  and  missing  (thelatter  in- 
cluding prisoners  of  war)  on  all  sides,  as  estimated  in  the  fol- 
lowing table,  is  therefore  probably  well  grounded  in  fact. 


416  LATER  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR 

ESTIMATED    LOSSES    OF    EUROPEAN    FOECES    IN    THE    FIELD    UP    TO 

OCTOBER  31,  1914 

Killed.       Wounded.      Missing.         Total. 

Germany 100,000         250,000  30,000  380,000 

Austria  60,000        125,000  40,000  225,000 

Total  160,000        375,000  70,000  605,000 

France 65,000  170,000  62,000  297,000 

Belgium  25,000  55,000  25,000  105,000 

Russia 40,000  125,000  50,000  215,000 

Great  Britain....  15,000  38,000  9,000  62,000 

Servia  15,000  35,000  5,000  55,000 

Montenegro   2,000  6,000  500  8,500 

Total  162,000        429,000        151,500  742,500 

Grand  Total. .  .322,000        804,000        221,500        1,347,500 

DAILY  COST  OF  WAR 

The  daily  cost  of  the  present  war  to  the  nations  engaged 
in  the  struggle  is  estimated  at  not  less  than  $54,000,000  a  day 
— a  sum  which  fairly  staggers  the  imagination.  This  enor- 
mous cost  of  the  armies  in  the  field  gives  a  decided  advantage 
to  the  nation  best  supplied  with  the  1 1  sinews  of  war ' '  and  may 
contribute  to  a  shortening  of  hostilities.  War  is  indeed  a 
terrible  drain  upon  the  resources  of  a  nation  and  only  a  few 
there  are  that  can  stand  many  months  of  war  expenditures 
like  those  of  August-October,  1914,  amounting  in  the  grand 
aggregate  to  nearly  five  billions  of  dollars  ($5,000,000,000). 

TURKEY  ENTERS  THE  WAR 

On  October  29  an  act  which  was  regarded  in  Russia  as 
equivalent  to  a  declaration  of  war  by  Turkey  was  committed 
at  Theodosia,  the  Crimean  port,  when  that  town  was  bom- 
barded without  notice  by  the  cruiser  Breslau,  flying  the 
Turkish  flag,  but  commanded  by  a  German  officer  and  manned 
by  a  German  crew.  The  Breslau  was  a  former  German  ship, 
and  was  said  to  have  been  purchased  by  the  Turkish  govern- 
ment, with  the  German  battleship  Goeben,  when  they  sought 
refuge  in  the  Dardanelles  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  from 
the  French  and  British  fleets  in  the  Mediterranean. 


LATER  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR        416a 

Turkey's  abrupt  entrance  into  the  European  conflict  was 
the  overshadowing  feature  of  the  war  as  the  third  month  of 
its  duration  ended. 

After  the  bombardment  of  Theodosia,  the  Russian  port  of 
Odessa  was  the  next  point  of  attack  by  Turkish  warships. 
October  29  and  30  several  Russian  vessels,  including  two  tor- 
pedo-boats, were  sunk  by  the  Breslau  and  Goeben,  aided  by 
other  Turkish  war  vessels,  and  these  irrevocable  acts  were 
regarded  as  throwing  Turkey  on  the  side  of  Germany  and 
Austria  in  the  war.  German  diplomacy  at  Constantinople 
was  believed  to  be  responsible  for  Turkey's  action,  with  which 
the  Russian  authorities  at  Petrograd  professed  to  be  well  sat- 
isfied, as  it  would  give  them  an  opportunity  to  clean  up  the 
entire  Balkan  situation  and  possibly  gain,  by  the  defeat  of 
Turkey,  their  long-coveted  means  of  exit  from  the  Black  Sea. 

The  Allies  apparently  were  by  no  means  surprised  at  the 
action  of  the  war  party  in  the  Ottoman  Empire,  headed  by 
Enver  Pasha.  There  was  danger  that  the  Turkish  develop- 
ments would  embroil  Italy,  Greece  and  Roumania  in  the  war, 
while  the  attitude  of  Bulgaria  was  in  doubt.  It  was  regarded 
as  a  foregone  conclusion  that  Greece  would  seize  the  chance 
to  make  war  on  Turkey,  her  ancient  enemy,  while  popular 
sentiment  in  Italy,  whose  forces  had  been  mobilizing  ever 
since  the  beginning  of  the  war,  was  in  favor  of  joining  the 
Allies  if  events  forced  the  nation  to  enter  the  conflict. 

The  Turkish  army  was  reported  to  be  inefficiently  equipped 
and  poorly  fed,  and  English  authorities  expressed  the  belief 
that  the  action  of  Turkey  would  not  change  the  military  situ- 
ation, but  would  doom  Turkey  in  Europe  to  complete  extinc- 
tion. It  was  assumed  that  overt  acts  would  soon  bring  Turkey 
into  a  state  of  war  with  the  Allies  and  that  the  Dardanelles 
would  then  be  forced  by  the  British  and  French  fleets,  which 
would  take  care  of  the  Turkish  vessels  in  the  Black  Sea,  in- 
cluding the  former  German  ships,  Breslau  and  Goeben. 

BATTLE   OF  THE  AISNE  PROLONGED 

The  operations  in  the  valley  of  the  Aisne  had  by  this  time 
taken  on  the  character  of  a  prolonged  siege.  Both  sides  were 
strongly  intrenched  and  apparently  prepared  for  an  indefinite 
resistance.    But  there  was  no  relaxation,  either  of  vigilance 


<cf¥7 
416b        LATER. EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR 

of  of  active  efforts  to  gain  the  upper  hand.  Artillery  duels, 
day  and  night  attacks  by  infantry  with  machine  guns,  and 
countless  aerial  reconnoissances  continued  to  the  point  of 
monotony.  The  troops  on  both  sides  became  inured  to  the  life 
in  the  trenches  and  as  the  days  and  weeks  passed  sought  to 
make  themselves  comfortable  in  their  dug-out  shelters  against 
shrapnel  and  shell.  As  the  cold  weather  approached  the  con- 
test developed  into  a  test  of  human  endurance  as  well  as  of 
courage  and  military  skill.  Despite  the  most  reckless  recon- 
noitering,  there  seemed  to  be  no  weak  points  in  the  line  for 
either  side  to  penetrate. 

But  while  the  battle  of  the  Aisne  and  the  operations  at 
Verdun  seemed  thus  to  continue  indecisive  their  results  were 
seen  in  strategic  developments  elsewhere.  The  siege  of  Ant- 
werp and  the  German  march  to  the  North  Sea  in  an  endeavor 
to  force  a  way  into  France  by  the  way  of  the  coast  cities,  were 
undoubtedly  prompted  by  the  prolongation  of  the  struggle  in 
the  center.  The  great  fighting  machine  had  been  halted  and  a 
demonstration  of  its  powers  was  needed  to  maintain  its  repu- 
tation, inspire  its  units  and  sustain  the  spirit  of  the  Father- 
land. Belgium,  with  its  seaports,  offered  the  opportunity  and 
became  the  victim  of  the  deliberate  attack  which  drove  250,000 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Antwerp,  Ostend  and  nearby  Belgium 
towns  and  villages  from  their  homes  into  pathetic  exile. 

GERMANS  RETIRE  IN  BELGIUM 

On  October  31  it  was  reported  that  the  Allies,  after  severe 
fighting,  had  reoccupied  Lille  and  advanced  a  considerable 
distance  to  the  east.  There  were  also  indications  of  a  Ger- 
man retirement  in  Belgium.  Ostend  was  said  to  have  been 
evacuated  by  the  Germans,  who  were  apparently  fortifying 
a  new  defensive  position  near  Zeebrugge,  after  sustaining 
losses  reported  to  aggregate  40,000  killed  and  wounded  at  the 
Yser  River,  in  futile  attempts  to  push  southward  along  the 
coast.  The  fighting  in  Flanders  had  been  the  fiercest  and 
most  desperate  of  the  entire  campaign. 


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