Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-17
ROMANCE, TRAGEDY AND COMEDY
in THE THEATRE OF WAR

me French papers are recalling an In.
teresting reply which General Pau made
year ago when his admirers proposed
TO present him a sword of honor upon the
occasion Of his giving up command of the
10th Army Corps
81 certainly should not accent tho sword
OF honor that you and other well-mean-
ing patriots think of giving me-" he said.
such rocompense must be reserved
1or the man who shall lead our victori-
Gus armes beyond Metz and Strassburg,
beyond the Rhine. into the very heart of
the German Empire. AS for me, modest
worker in times of peace, enemy TO pub
licity and popularity, it is sufficient that
| have the confidence of those who have
served under my orders, and the suffragcs
Of good people such as you"
At the village of Lourches, In northern
France, a wounded French sergeant out
ragged by German brutality, shot Frus-
sian officer Before being shot he was
given water by a dauntless lad, Emile
DeSpres, who tnereupon was also con-
demned to immediate execution. Just as
the soldiers were bandagng the boys
eyes preparatory TO firing the German
captain, with a cruel smile, cried cynic
ally, II give YOU life on condition that
you act as executioner of this sergeant.
He asked for water, you'll give him lead"
After moments hesitation the boy
agreed. TO the horror of his comrades.
Seizing rifle. he aimed at the sergeants
breast Then, suddenly turning, he blew
a hole through the sneering German. He
was hacked to pieces with bayonets.
La Presze publishes an interview with
the private soldier Turcot, who with his
comrade Broussard, captured the first
German flag. He Is now in the hospital
at Mortargis, slightly wounded I'm the
back by spent bullet Turcot tells q
regiment wandering in wood, when he
saw wounded German standard bearer
trying to hide his flag. Calling COM
rade, Turcot attacked the German and
seized the flag. Then came the hardest
part, the withdrawal carrying the trophy
amidst a storm of bullets. His knapsaclS
was pierced ten times and his rife broken
in his hands.
correspondent writes that between
Chateau de Casteau and Lobbes, a par
ticularly desolatcd ncighburhoOd from
whence the inhabitants had fed. the
Germans found a hungry canary in an
abandoned farmhouse. without having
experienced the genuine, almost womanly,
tenderness of the German soldiers, one
would have called their feeding of the
canary an affectation, or at best a pass
ing whim, but it was typical
A story has reached Paris of the coura-
geous action of Nine. Macherez, of Sois-
sons. When the Germans arrived there
they demanded to see the Mayor, who
was absent. None of the officials re-
sponded to the CALL whereupon Nine.
Macherez went to the Germans and said:
There is no Mayor here. but / answer
for every one and everything-as you will
have to do If depredations are COM
mitted."
After disputing the acquisitions and the
conditions of the Germans, the coura-
Geous woman saved Scissors on easy
terms.
Alan Bott, writing to the London
Chronicle from Bordeaux, says: "French
athletes have been distinguishing them
ago a notice appeared in the official ga
zettc that corporal named Georges
Andre had been promoted to sergeant
before members of his regiment and rec
commended for military medal. The
paper suggested that this might refer
to Georges Andrea, to whom the French
Premier recently alluded as an all-around
athlete and the best Rugby three-quarter,
and who was second in the London Olym-
pic games. From inquiries 1t is learned
that this is indeed the case. and follow
ing Is the story of how Andrea, who Is
with the French army in Lorraine, won
his honors:
with six men he went into village to
find rooms for the officers. In the market
place was large band Of Germans, who
set upon the small detach-