The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1914-12-25
BRAVES COMMANDMENT

Edinburgh, Scotland; Dec. 21.-In
letter to a friend in Edinburgh,
Frenchwoman resident in scissors de-
scribes wildly the measure of suffer-
ing and misery which have been in
flicted upon the people of northeastern
France even as upon the Belgians.
Following the recovery Of the allies
offensive after the drive almost to the
walls of Paris and their decisive vic
tory at the Marine, Scissors became a
holly contested point of strategic
Importance.
Eventually the Germans were dri-
ven from the city, but not beyond ar
tillery range. The letter in part fol-
lows:
I'VE have remained in our house,
for we really could not bring our
selves to leave it and all our pos
sessions, although most of the inhabi
tants have left the town.
For three months the bombardment
of the town has continued sometimes
for days and nights without ceasing,
and then we hide in the cellar.
you have no idea what terrible en-
gines of war the Germans have. Seeing
everything around US burn and fall to
pieces, we live in sort of nightmare.
The house of Dubois next to u.s. is in
ruins, and St. Jean des Vignes is
practically a heap of stones-indeed,
everything in our quarter is demolish-
ed. Fortunately our house has so far
escaped, though all the tiles are
smashed and the windows broken by
ho IF bA datnn otinn
con their way back from the Marine
the Germans took possession of all
the quarries along the hills to the
north, which they had carefully pre-
pared on their way south, with con-
crete and iron, making of them verita-
BILE forts. They are terribly clever,
and now they are Smelling scissors
from the quarries of Paisley, Clancy,
and Crony, from which they can also
dominate all the main roads into the
town. They have the light railway to
Coucy, which enables them to revictual
from the rear. From Coucy and
Chauny they have the main lines right
to Germany, so that they can bring up
reinfol cements as they require them.
"They have driven away all the
inhabitants, and take everything
movable they come across. We had
samples of this in Scissors, where
they remained for two full days. We
had eighteen billeted on us. Every
unoccupied house they broke open and
took away everything in their wagons
and automobiles. Nothing that could
be lifted did they spare-furniture
linens, bedding, contents of cellars,
everything went, and from the farms
and -four mills they took all corn
of every kind, -four, and all live stock
absolutely clean sweep.
cit is not war of soldiers, but of
robbery and dest1 uction, such as /
suppose the world has never seen, and
which should not be allowed. Why
lombard open, unfortifed towns and
villages? But they have said they will
ravish all France.
81 forget to tell you that Crouy, Cuff
fies, Vailly, and all these villages you
know so we'll, are all RACED to the
ground-churches houses, everything
nothing remains.
Gas 1 write, the bombardment COM
mences afresh, and l must run. The
room is shaking, and the table dances.
Who knows, it is perhaps our turn
now, for, as have told you, we await
the shrapnel that is to finish us off.
cannot do housework, sewing, or, in
deed, anything. We are almost at the
end of our endurance"