Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-10-15
BY JOHN ASHTON.
Special Correspondent Of the Chicago

Tribune.
Paris.-I have just returned to
Paris to rest up day or two and get
a few necessaries after week at the
front of the left wing of the allied
armies who are facing General Won
Kluck's army.
Farther to the east in line ex-
tending from Reims to near Verdun
the French are holding their ground
against a fierce onslaught OF the Ger
mans under the prince OF Wurtem-
burg.
I will recount what ! have wit
messed during the last few days;
Leaving Meaux, we made our way
through Varennes and Lily. the scene
OF fierce fighting during the battle OF
the Marne, some details of which
gave in my first letter. All the dead
have now been inferred and the
wounded removed from the several
deserted villages through which we
passed.
Find Wrecked German Plane.
Before arriving at Leerte Million we
came across a German aeroplane
which had been brought down by the
British. The English flying squad
have been doing grand work in the
air not only as scouts but in attacking
hostile air craft. 1t is reported that
no less than seventeen German AVA
tors have fallen victims to the Eng
lish flying men.
On approaching Villers-Cotterets, In
the middle of the forest of that name
we came across several military auto
mobiles, lying by the side OF the route,
which the Germans had abandoned In
their hurried flight to the north. TWO
Of these were marked Field Post
field or military post. A little far
Their on we encountered six large Ger
man motor trucks which had evil
,,ently been destroyed by the Ger
Y,ans; everything was burnt up ex'
cept the iron work. These wagons
had been left in the road to delay
pursuit, but the French had over
turned them into the ditch on each
side of the road.
Meet German Prisoners.
II was dark when we arrived at
villers-C otterets. Before we had time
to get out of our auto heard a cry:
wolfe les Allemands!" there come
the Germans!) and, indeed, moving
gray mass soon came into sight, sur
rounded by a cavalry escort. There
were about 100 of them, prisoners,
marching In the cold rain. Many OF
them wore Red Cross arm bands, and
noticed few officers among the
bunch Their expressionn was sour
and sullen, but considering their pri-
vations, they looked fit enough phys
lcally.
These were men that had got lost
In the forest. and failed to catch up
with their columns Many prisoners
are taken in similar way on both
sides. Sometimes they come strag-
Cling in half starved to death.
Pass Night IN a Chateau.
We passed the night in an old chat
eau. The town was full OF troops.
and the hotels packed with officers,
so we were very lucky to get under
cover at all. A few days previously
the Germans had occupied the town,
the staff having made their headquar-
ters at this same chateau. The cham
Der maid left in charge Of the house
(the owner and his wife having fed
told US that the Germans had taken
away some valuable Gobelin tapes
tries; the smaller tapestries had been
left. They had also taken away some
silver plate, but had left behind many
pieces of considerable value.
We slept on the floor In the IL
brary, in separate building, one of
The finest private libraries have ever
peen, containing several thousand vol
umes. A very elegant secretaire in
The library had been forced up, the
contents ransacked, and the top
wrenched of and thrown on the floor.
I had nothing to cover me with, and
as it was cold | slept very little.
We could hear the guns booming
the greater part of the night
Approach the Firing Line.
Starting out early in the direction
Of Scissors, we came upon the Thir-
teenth regiment of French artillery,
ut but five miles from the latter town.
We could hardly believe, we were so
close to the firing line, but there they
were, twelve guns known as the Sew
enty-five), pounding away across the
valley to where the Germans were in
trenched.
able distance and approached the bat
teries on foot. The ammunition wag-
ons and extra horses and men were
III drawn up silent and motionless
behind hedge short distance from
the guns. There was no danger then,
as the Germans we're replying only to
other French batteries lower down the
valley.
Very soon the men not busy at the
guns began to surround US. begging
tobacco and cigarettes. II is an aw-
full thing for these poor soldiers to be
deprived of the comforting weed.
saw great deal Of this later, on the
Geld and at hospitals.
We had intended to go directly into
scissors by the main road, but the
French officers dissuaded us, saying
that the Germans would certainly
shell our autos. So we went by an
other route, to go by Vauxbuin, a
village lying In the bottom of the val
ley. two and one-half miles from
scissors.