Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-10-29
CORRESPONDENT WITH GERMAN ARMY
WALKS AMID BULLETS IN BATTLE

| command. The Belgian soldiers were
about three hundred yards ahead
backing out of town, as l said, and
firing as they retired.
Relentlessly pressed, the Belgians
moved out Of town, crossed the bridge
over the River Dyle and marched
about eight hundred yards down the
river, where they hastily took posi-
ton.
Hides on a Prison Porch.
1 saw several fires started by Bel
gian shells and I passed the famous
cathedral of st. Rombold, which had
been badly damaged. We crossed sew
eral bridges, the Belgians firing on US
at right angles from down the river.
On the bridge the Germans advanced
as fast as they could run, making US
keep ahead of them. On the lasS
bridge l crossed I found myself alone
n a German officer. He inspected
my flag, heard my story and told me
to take refuge in the porch of the
prison, which stood close by, and wait
until the general came up.
Whole columns kept on coming, all
crossing the bridge at run in groups
Of 20. After them came light naval
guns drawn by marines. The general
staff followed soon after and also took
shelter behind the prison. Apparent
ly, the Belgian artillery had been
warned of this fact, for their shells be-
gan to burst near the prison.
Several wounded soldiers we're
brought into the Office and l marveled
at their fortitude
l also was surprised to see the Ger
man officers expose themselves with
absolute disregard of their lives. Dur
ing all the street fighting they were al
ways among their men, commanding
them to take shelter near the walls or
behind projecting corners. I saw the
soldiers doing this while the officers
themselves were walking right in the
middle of the road The officer with
whom I crossed the last bridge chat
ted with me, utterly Indifferent to the
fact that bullets were flying about us
and f1attening themselves against the
iron work of the bridge.
Given Staff Officer Guard.
I interviewed Admiral Won Schroe-
der, commanding the marine division.
He was hearty old sea dog, smoking
a short German pipe and dressed like
a yachtsman. He told me that | might
return to Antwerp and tell the Bel
gians there that he would be with
them in a couple of weeks.
you also may wire London" said
the admiral, that l will be there in a
couple of months" AS / had had
enough of marching toward Antwerp
at the head of an attacking column, I
begged the admiral to let me go to
Brussels.
Granted said the admiral Not
only this, but two staff officers will
take you in their motor car
They did so, treating me with the
greatest cordially. The country pre-
sented a shocking aspect. Every vii
lage church and farm building had
been burned to the ground, all going
down before the tide of fire The fields
were desolate and the inhabitants had
fed. AS we passed a village called
Hopstade | saw four 46-centimeter
(18.1-inch) guns being put into posi-
ton. l knew then that Antwerp as a
fortress was doomed.
Charged with Being Spy.
On my arrival in Brussels the Ger
mans consideration for me came to
an end abruptly for the time being.
I was sent to the war Office building,
the upper rooms in which had been
converted into prison. Here | was
brought before a judge and subjected
to drastic search and cross-examina-
ton. The detectives found some good
war maps, with penciled indications of
the position of the German artillery,
notes I had taken for myself, and also
a camera with undeveloped films of
pictures that l had taken in
the course of my journeyings within
both the German and the Belgian
lines.
On this evidence l was charged
with being a spy, in spite Of the abun-
dant proof of my position as a CORE
spondent The judge bIuntly told me
that 1 might be shot the next morn
ing, and this suggestion was promptly
made to the commanding general, who
me to appear before him.
Again | stated my case. Unlike the
Judge, the general seemed more anx-
icus to do justice than to shoot al
legged spies.
Held Until Antwerp Falls.
you have important information
about our dispositions before Ant
werp," said he. This information
you gained by passing through forbid
len territory, and I see that you noted
down the position of our heavy ar
tillery. You must remain under
guard here until Antwerp is in our
hands; then you may go free
l cannot say how / rejoiced when
the day of my release dawned nor
how sorrowful I felt for my fellow
prisoners I left behind. AS soon as
Antwerp fell the Germans set about
repairing the roads between that city
and Brussels.
the Frenchman he was an English |