Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1914-10-28
BY c. w. WILLIAMS

was permitted to pass several DAYS In
the zone OF military activity" on Gre
oentlals obtained at the personal re
quest or Ambassador Herrick that we
might describe the destruction caused
oy the Germans In unfortified towns
Although have given a pledge TO say
nothing concerning the movement Of
the troops or of certain points visited
L am permitted now to send a report
or part OF my experiences
We crossed the entire battlefield OF
the Marne. passed directly behind the
lines OF the battle on the Aisns. ac-
| cidentally getting under fire for an
entire afternoon and lunching in a ho-
tel to the orchestra OF bursting shells,
one end or the building being blown
away during the bombardment.
We witnessed battle between an
armored French monoplane and a
German battery. and also had the ex-
perience Of being accused of being
German spies by two men wearing the
English uniform, who. on failing to ac-
count for their own German accent.
were speedily taken away under guard
with their numbers up" as the French
communicate expressed what awaited
them
likens Battle to Cyclone.
On account OF our exceptional Gre
| deutials we were able to see more
actual war than many correspond
ents. who. when they learned that
permits to get to the front were not
forthcoming, went anyway, usually
falling into the hands Of the military
authorities. Getting arrested has
been the chief business. OF the war
correspondents in this war. even our
accidental View OF the fighting being
sufficient to cause our speedy return
to Paris under parole.
Going over the battlefield OF the
! Marine, we found the battle had fol-
lowed much the same tactics as a cy-
clone. in that in some places nothing.
not even the haystacks. had been dis
turbed. while in others everything
the villages. roads and fields, had been
utterly devastated by shells.
Wa talked with the inhabitants OF
every village and always heard the
same story--that during occupation
the Germans had offered little trouble
activities to looting and wasting the
provisions: also that when retreatlng
they had destroyed all the food they
were unable to carry
Fire Baptism In Church.
Our baptism of fire appropriately
came while We were in a church At
noon OF the second day we motored
into a deserted village and were
| stopped by sentry, who acknowl-
edged our credentials. but warned us
| If we Intended TO proceed to beware
Of bullets. But there was no hostile
! sound to alarm us.
! AS we drove Carelessly over the
| brow OF d hill where the road dipped
| down valley into the town we were
| In direct line with the German fire,
as great holes In the ground and fall
en- trees testified.
! 1t is wonder our big motor car
was not an immediate mark On the
way we noticed a church steeple shot
/ completely off so. after finding an inn
where the proprietor came from the
cellar and offered to guard our car
and prepare luncheon, We decided first
/ TO examine the church. The inn-keep-
or explained that We had come during
q lull in the bombardment. but the 81
lent. deserted place lulled all sense Of
danger
Shell Hits Sanctuary.
The yerger showed us over the
church and we were walking through
the ruined nave when suddenly we
heard sound like the shrill whistling
Of the wind
1T begins again" our conductor said
simply
A3 the speech ended We heard a
loud boom and the sound OF falling
masonry as the shell struck the far
/ end Of the building
We hurried TO the hotel the shells
screaming overhead We saw tho build
ings tumbiing into ruins. glass fall
ing like fine powder. and remnants OF
furniture hanging grotesquely from
scraps OF masonry
All my life I had wondered what
would be the sensation II ever was
under fire-would ] be afraid? To
my intense relief / suddenly became
fatalistlc. was under fire with a
vengeance, but instead OF being afraid
7 kept saying to myself
Being afraid won't help matters;
besides. nothing will happen II we
just keep close 20 the walls and away
from the middle Of the streets"
Accusers Taken as Spies.
On the way ne wet two men ia
English uniforms. who later de-
nounced us as spies We hailed them
and they replied that they had been
cut OF from their regiment and were
now Fighting with the French Just
as luncheon was announced eight sol
diers filed into the hotel. arrested as
and marched us before the command
ant. who saw that our papers were
all right. but suggested that on ac-
count OF the dangerous position we
leave ass soon as possible. we asked