The Washington herald., 1914-09-15
CAPTURE
VAST NARsPOILS
Enough Guns, Ammunition
and Rifles Taken to
Equip an Army.
BEST TROOPS PRISONERS
Thousands of Nile. of Territory Dew
astated. but Paris Is Believed
Henceforth Safe.
By FRANKLIN P. dERRIcK.

Paris, Sept. M-vast spoils OF wal
have fallen into the hands Of the allies
during the retreat Of the Germans and
every day sees this colossal store tin-
creased. During the past week the
French and English have taken enough
guns. ammunition, rides bayonets. and
other war supplies to equip an army.
Mighty numbers Of German prisoners
are being taken, the most OF them
Uhlans and Prussian infantrymen. the
flower of the German army.
Thousands Of square miles Of French
territory have been devastated and desc
lated by battle and troops Just through
the valleys Of the Marne. Disc, Ourcq.
Grand NORM. Petit Norm. and Aisne
rivers.
In the first place the confident spirit
which pervades the French army makes
1t obvious to the observer that the
French officers believe that the invasion
of France by Germany is at an end They
believe that Paris is henceforth safe. and
that the retreat OF the entire German
army win develop into q magnificent
rout But this Is only their opinion The
fortunes of war sometimes prove wild
gamble.
Series of battles.
During the past week the fighting has
not been one connected engagement It
has been a series OF battles which will go
down In war history bearing the names
OF the locations where they were fought.
Consequently there will be one fight
called the Battle Of Meau1; another
called the Battle OF the Marie Valley
another designated as the Battle Of the
ourcq and so on.
The German advance upon Paris was
an extended movement with a great
front more than zoo miles in length.
When the allies continued to give ground
Immediately north and northeast Of Paris
the Germans believed that serious re-
sistance was at an end.
During this advance sharp fighting oc-
CURED at some points and Northeast
France was flooded with small detach-
ments Of Uhlans who rode hither and
thither through the country. 1t must
be Acknowledged that in spite Of their
triumphant progress, the Germans did
little Iooting. The majority Of the de-
struction. came from fighting. It must
also be admitted that a great deal Of
damage was done By the French them
selves, who dynamited bridges, blew up
tunnels and destroyed railroads to I'M
pede the passage Of the invaders
Germans Flee from Meal.
The French entered one village on the
Ourcq (name withheld) at dusk, just as
the Germans had left In one large house
they found a dinner table spread, upon
which a dozen candles burned. The only
occupant Of the place was an cid woman.
VIII, said that a number of German ON
GERS (evidently the stafD had entered the
house, demanding food
They were well-behayed, but seemed
very tired" said the woman. They
were compelled to fee before they could
eat"
There was q good deal of hand to hand
fighting on the Ourcq, and at one point
ths French took a standard.
OF the German soldiers have seen the
greater part are finely set-up fellows,
but all are utterly worn out II they had
not been nearly exhausted and half
starved the result Of the fighting from
Paris to Verdun might have terminated
differently. The German prisoners are
amiable and seem to hold no hatred
against their captors with the exception
of the officers, who are surly and angry.
1 saw numerous instances where these
sun-browned, hardened veterans broke
down and wept like little children at the
kindnesses bestowed upon them by the
French priests and the French nurses.