Amador ledger., 1906-04-20
from N0TESAND OBSERVATIONS
Compiled by NmRMackrill

and heads in commotion. The civil
edihs, cite1,nenf M4o cSna were in wild state of ex
| Cu1rassiers!' while the dragons in
return SHOUTED "a Berlin" and "Vive
Ia France!
At a corner I met Captain Maui
bourg, struggling through the crowd.
He greeted me seriously. s"I am on
ny NY %ay Teyiment to the e Var Var Once he said
I am called for conference. e.1e come ane
with me. You Americans are always
ingenious. You may be of assistance" /"
that was & a memorable meeting-.one
ators, uniformed Generals, and the
President, with his Ministers, discussed
the many questions before them until
Weli W. /, nigh gh morning; morning For q time watt
Summoned. Captain Maubo9yrg Mnbcly was ans
nounced me as Monsieur Adams, of
the United States, a graduate of West
the world" and intimated that 1 might
have suggestions of value had
spent my time, while waiting. in the
and Germany. I had understood that
the German forces were approaching
from points south of the Vosges Noun
tains, with. a view. perhaps, to cutting
ultimately making it German territory.
French troops were being hurried to
the frontier, assembling at Luneville,
at Chaumont. and at Belfort. 1t ap-
at once.
'If 1 mistake not" I said, "the Ger
man approach of 1870 was similar
so ent of Paris F off from the SOUTH q the
that they would a second time adopt
this plan? What evidence have you
that the main attack is to the south
east of Paris?"
agents." replied the President. I'VE
are advised that the whole force of
the German attack is in that direc-
ton"
They may be right" rejoined.
But would it not be well to see what
is going on to the north? What would
struck across the south of Belgium,
and cut off communication between
Paris and the Channel? Is that move
out of the question:
were thinking hard. 'It is not likely
began General Brugere, famous as
gtrategist. But, by Heaven. M. le
must reconnoitre in that direction.
However, it is several hundred miles
to the Belgian frontier
permission. that this lead be followed
at once I replied "Can you not i'm
press all the automobiles in Paris,
and hurry the greatest possible num-
tier; war ballon might be sent i'm
mediately to reconnoitre. I should be
glad to OFFER my services in this con-
nection."
very bold talk for an American in
the presence of generals grown gray
in military service. I had only passed
through West Point. Because of a
partial blindness I had never
been admitted to the service; yet I
had studied war for several years, and
had learned that 1t is never safe to
trust to mere reports of agents.
. For an hour more the plan was dls-
cussed, and finally adopted. And thus,
almost unwittingly, became involved
in a series of the most stirring Incl
dents-the war balloon reconnaissance,
my marvellous escape, the terrific
fighting at Monte Pelier, the spectacle
of the greatest naval battle in history,
and personal encounters in defense of
the sweetest woman in the world
all these will live in memory to the
end of my days.
When the French government de-
cides that it wants anything belonging
to it's citizens, there is no red tape
to be unwound. From the moment
that the plan was adopted, orders flew
thick and fast, by telegraph. by. tele-
phone, by word of mouth. Within ten
hours upwards of i've thousand auto
mobiles were assembled on the out.
skirts of Paris. The response OF
citizens and of automobile companies