The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-11-12
BATTLE SCARED
PART OF GERMANY
Route Of French Invaders Has
Seen Many Battles.
TOWNS OFTEN LAID WASTE.

Places on the Road TO coInsr, Capital
Of Upper Aisses, Have Been Rebuilt
Time and -StratsoieaI and in
dustriai Importance Of Muslhaussn,
Seat Of Local Government
The line of the French advance into
southern Germany Is through a war
SCARED. war ravaged part OF central
Europe In every mile Of their march
they are In sight or Ii hilltop crowned
by a castle that once commanded a
strategic point. but that In frontier
wars wnged by French. German. Aus
TRAN or Swiss was fought over, burned
and destroyed until today only pile
OF ruins marks the spot where II stood.
Alt Brelsach. which lies on their
right on the march to Colmar and
which tops n great basaltic rock that
rises 200 feet from the Rhine. formerly
wns the key to southern Germany ana
TO the land which these troops set out
70 conquer. Their forefathers destroy
ed It In the last century. and new de-
limitations OF territory and modern
means Of defense relegated this IA
nous old fortress to the scrap heap, |
and Neu Breisach. Muelhausen. Col
mar and Belfort, which 1t once pro-
tccted have now become military CEN
tiers and points of strategic Importance.
In their advance they passed through
two valleys They went from Bel
fort through the valley OF small trib-
utary OF the Sayoureuse In the protec-
ton OF their own outer defense and
then, crossing into Germany, followed
a tributary of the III to Altkirch. From
there they passed northwnrd along the
valley OF Ill The small villages along
the way had all suffered much as had
the old defenses Most OF them at
some time In their history had been the
scenes OF bitterly contested battles and
had been so often rebuilt that few Of
them stand on their original sites.
Built on Single Street.
They are generally built along a sin
gle street in a struggling line of houses
with white pastered walls and ex.
posed wooden crossbeams with one or
two larger stone buildings that are the
storehouse and wine press. The wood
eli structures go up frst In the flames
kinded by the torch of the invader or
the fire OF the artillery. and the stone
remain standing riddled with
bullets that future generations show
with pride as the towns battle scars.
But the soil OF the valleys is rich. and
the people always return when the
storm passes.
Altklrch. which the French captured,
is the largest OF the towns ON their
march TO Muehausep- 1t Is pictur.
esquely situated.
Muelhausen is the most important
town OF Upper Alsace. for not only is
Il the seat OF government for the dis
trict. but 1t Is one of the great manu-
featuring points Of southern Germany
md rullr,.ld center Of great value
both commercially and strategically. /,
OF Value to Germany.
The strategic value of its railroads 9
les IN the fact that by them relief eau r
De buried 10 this part or Alsaee on '
both sides OF the Rhine: troops can be =
'qnt to the defense CT the French from
fer at three points and the protec- 4
a}n of Rhine bridges at Neuenburg +
mn Alt Brelsach. a
The character of Notifications at n
Muelhausen has been preserved as one
,s the secrets Of the German army. :,
Fhe French works were dismantled, '
md In their place were substituted de
enses as formulated 10y German mill {
AIRY engineers.
Colmar Hes seventeen miles TO the
forth Of MuehauSen In the III valley Y
I Is the capital of Upper Alsace. but It le
las neither as large population nor a
o high \ rank either as q commercial Il
II manufacturing town Colmar. be-
ldes the main trunk line from Strass. E,
'urg to Basel has road running up Ia
ne Of the Asatlan valleys to Muenster e'
nd from there 60 within few miles 81
Z the French border II has. too. IN
he westward which passes through N
he Important strategic point Of Neu W
crosses the Rhine az Alt to
'reisach. and from there. sklrting The W
laiserstuhL joins the main Baden line
t Treihurg and Rugel b,
Colmar's foF0hrat!ons except on the TT
Side have never been con ca
idered important It's capture would m
till leave Men Breisacb as the chief
OF this part OF the valley d.
nd Of the bridge over the Rhine be al
cath the ancient fortress of Breisach. ST,
- ha