The Ordway new era., 1914-09-18
GERMANS SUDDENLY CHANGE PLANS
WHEN ALMOST AT GATES OF PARIS
~ H. u. roML,NsoN.

greater stgnineance than that worked
on the German plan By Leee Lege
only interrupted that plan Just when
II seemed certain OF saceess. the plan
had been definitely changed
Why was Il changed when Paris ap-
PeAred within reach-
Sfter my frst Journey along the
battle line ! indicated the rapid ad-
vance Of the German right wing nov
ing directly ON Paris through Amiens-
The tunnels OF Amiens we're blown up
behind the last tyain Of fusitives Of
whom ! vas one Saturday, August
-. the enemy seemed irresistible
The northwest coast Of France n far
a. Dieppe vas In their hands
But even then bad reason to BE-
heve the allies were favorably dis
posed to check that advance
I was unpleasantly surprised ON my
second journey south to fnd that ut
Bcanvais- south Of Amiens. was
actually between the French and Ger
man forces.
A rapid and periloas flight nom
there along the German front brought
me to Criel. 30 miles north Of Paris
I fosnd the British headquarters and
center Of the allias there That nixht,
September ,. the main armies were
In contact spoke to British sol
aiefs ensaSed that day at Senlix. only
II miles from the Paris forttfcations.
DIG osetis Dssiaaiss.
Paris vas within sound Of the Ger
man guns A stnpendous battle vas
beginning.
Tho German forces uere beginning
to strike ~ got into PARA But the
allies were between and ranged on
either flank OF the Germans In the
northeastesiy direction to Aumale and
Ae1iereA
The scenes in Paris will never Be-
forgotten
Parisians could learn nothing from
their heavily censored press They
could not believe me when told them
the Enslish infantry had encountered
the Prussian cavalry close to their
city. There were. however, no signs
OF panic
Indeed. have seen nothing Of that
sort In the whole French war area
What one saw in Paris was grief.
The streets and railway stations
became filled with weary. anxious
fusftfves. Was there anything on
earth which could stop the Germansr
The French soldiers smiled content
edly when discussing the matter. 1t
looked bad enough. they admitted. but
What IL the Prusstans thought sos
too?
Drivea Back Now.
And now there u not one Prussian
20 close to Paris They realize that
something to their disadvantage has
occurred and have changed their
minds about At $3.50 = m. The train
was 20 full of refugees that they were
massed in corridors propped up
against each other asleep I had part
Of = compartment floor to sleep on.
The horrors of that journey are
part Of the Armageddon, no doubt.
But they do not come into this mar.
rative-
We crept stealthily through long
lighted tunnels The wheels hardly
moved.
A few days before the country to
the east was only possible" y
Ffenchmen put IT. The GermSas
were everywhere- As we now pro
gressed became conscious that
weight had been lifted from that part
Of France.
The Germans cons.
The Germans had gone. There was
no doubt Of it We saw men fishing
and pulling carrots in q district that
but q few days before seemed over
run BY the enemy's legions.
What was to stop them. Apparent
" very little The French force, I
can vouch. was far too weak to be
effective II really looked as though
there were an invitation for them to
come that way
Had the three days. battle at crefl
checked the enemy. Something mo-
mentous had happened
To the northeast the Germans had
passed Rheims A hurried motor
journey showed In that direction the
land was clear
II was quite evident they had
changed their plan of attack and their
front and were marching southeast
With their usual rapidity.
New Move Seen.
/ set out to discover what had hap
pened Was the battle fought by the
German right At Creil intended to
mask . new German movement to
break through the French forces
ranged norshezsteriy through Rheims.
The German forces had been NOV
Ing with exceptional mobility and
strength almost due south from the
line Of Lille and Namur.
The French and British forces had
been forced back from posi,ion to 20
sition- Indeed, II IL wonderful the
FRONTIER OF RUSSIA I