The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1914-09-17
GERMANS SUDDENLY CHANGE PLANS
WHEN ALMOST At GATES OF PARIS
sy ". n. YoMLiMsoM.


Nantes.-In this vast war In France
. diversion has been developed OF far
greater significance than that worked
ON the German plan BY Lese. Liese
only interrupted that plan. Just when
It seemed certain OF success. the plan
had been definitely changed.
Why vas 1t changed when Paris ~
peared within reach!
After my nrst Journey along the
hattie line ! indicated the rapid i'd
vance OF the German right wing NOV
Ing directly on Paris through Amiens.
The tunnels Of Amiens were blown up
behind the last train Of fugitives Of
whom ! was one. Saturday. August
~. the enemy seemed irresistible.
The northwest coast of France a. far
- Dieppe was In their hands.
But even thea ! had reason to be-
heve the allies were favorably dis
posed to check that advance.
was unpleasantly surprised on my
second Journey south to find that at
Beauvais, south of Amiens, was
actually between the French and Ger
man forces.
A rapid and perilous fight from
there along the German front brought
me to Criel, 80 miles north OF Paris.
found the British headquarters and
center Of the allies there. That night,
September 2. the main armies were
In contact. I spoke to British sol.
diers engaged that day at Senlis, only
IL miles from the Paris Notifications.
DC Dattis Beginning.
Paris was within sound OF the Ger.
man guns. A stupendous battle was
beginning.
The German forces were beginning
to strike as got into Paris. But the
allies were between and ranged ON
either flank Of the Germans in the
northeasterly direction to Aumale and
Aezieres.
The scenes in Paris will never bs
forgotten.
Parisians could learn nothing from
their heavily censored press. They
could not believe me when told them
the English infantry had encountered
the Prussian cavalry close to their
city. There were. however, NO signs
Of panic.
Indeed. have seen nothing Of that
sort In the whole French war area.
What one saw In Paris was grief.
The streets and railway stations
became filled with weary. anxious
fugitives. Was there anything on
earth which could stop the Germansf :
The French soldiers smiled content
edly when discussing the matter. It
looked bad enough. they admitted, but
what II the Prussians thought 10,
tooY
Driven Back Nov.
And now there II not one Prussian
50 close to Paris. They realize that
something to their disadvantase has
occurred and have changed their
minds about at $3.50 a. m. The train
was 50 full Of refugees that they were
massed In corridors propped up
against each other asleep. I had part
OF q compartment floor to sleep on.
The horrors of that journey are
part of the Armageddon, NO doubt.
But they DO not come into this mar.
rative.
I'VE crept stealthily through long
lighted tunnels. The wheels hardly
moved.
A few days before the country to
the east was only possible" as
Frenchmen put It. The Germans
were everywhere. As we now pro-
gressed l became conscious that a
weight had been lifted from that mart
Of France.
The Germans Gone.
The Germans had gone. There was
no doubt Of 1t. We saw men fishing
and pulling carrots in . district that
but . few days before seemed over
run by the enemy's legions.
What was to stop them? Apparent.
ly very little. The French force, l
can vouch. was far too weak to be
effective. It really looked as though
there were an invitation for them to
come that way.
Had the three days battle 1t Creil
checked the enemy? Something mo
mentoas had happened.
To the northeast. the Germans had
passed Rheims. A hurried motor
journey showed In that direction the
land was clear
It was, quite evident they had
changed their plan of attack and their
front and were marching southeast
with their usual rapit3fty.
New Move seea.
I set out to discover what had hap
pened. Was the battle fought by the
German right At Creii intended to
mask new German movement to
break through the French forces
ranged northeasteriy through Rheims
The German forces had been NOV
ing with exceptional mobility and
strength almost due south from the
line of Lille and Namur
The French and British forces had
been forced back from position to po-
sttiOn. Indeed. IL is. wonderful the