Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-05
Advance Of Germans at Amiens
Like Moving Forward of
Nation, Says Witness.
FIGHT LASTS FIVE DAYS
British and Aids Now Down opeo.
merits, but Fresh Legions
Compel Retreat. 4
(snecial Cable to Chicago HersI,

mel was broken up and the Germans
entered into possession OF the town
on Aug %, the front of the allied
armies was in a crescent from Able
Vile. south of Amiens on wooded
heights, and thence in an irregular
line to south Of Mezieres.
The British forces, under Sir John
French, were at the left of the ce--
ter, supporting the heavy thrustfor-
ward of the main German advance.
while the right was commanded By
General Pau.
On Sunday afternoon fighting was
resumed along the whole line. TIE
German vanguard by this time had
been supported by fresh army corps,
| which had been brought from Be-
| GUM.
At least 100000 men were on the
move, pressing upon the allied forces
with a ferocity of attack which has
never before been equaled. Their cav
airy swept across a great tract OF
| country, squadron by squadron, like
| the mounted hordes of Attilia, but
armed with the dreadful weapons Of
modern warfare.
Their artillery was in enormous
numbers and their columns advanced
under cover of it, not like an army,
but rather like a moving nation do
not think, however, with equal pres
sure at all parts of the line. 1t formed
itself into a battering ram with
pointed end and this was thrust at the
heart of the English wing.
Impossible to Resist.
It was impossible to resist this on
slaught If the British forces had
stood against it they would have been
crushed and broken. Our gunners were
magnificent and shelled the advancing
German columns so that the dead lay
heaped up along the way which was
leading down to Paris; but, as one Of
them told me:
at made no manner of difference.
AS soon as we had smashed one lot,
another followed, column after column,
and by sheer weight Of numbers. We
could do nothing to check them"
After this the British forces fell
back, fighting all the time. The line Of
the allies was in the shape of ~;
t Germans thrust their main attack
deep into the angle This position re-
NAMED the same Until Monday, or
rather had completed itself by that
date. the retirement of the troops be-
ing maintained with mastery skill and
without undue haste.
River choked With Dead.
Meanwhile General Pau was sustain.
ing g terrific attack on the French ceo-
ter by the German left center, which
eliminated on (date omitted.) The
River Disc, which runs between bean
tiful meadows, was choked with
corpses and red with blood.
From an eye witness of this great
battle, an officer of an infantry regF
men who escaped with a slight wound
l learned that the German onslaught
had been repealed by :. series Of bril-
liant bayonet and cavalry charges.
The Germans" he said, had the
elite of their army engaged against US,
including the Tenth Army Corps anu
the Imperial Guard, but the heroism oil
our troops was sublime. Every man
knew that the safety OF France &C.
pended upon him and was ready to
sacrifice his life, if need be, with Joyful
Gave Great Punishment
'They not only resisted the enemys
attack, but took the offensive. and, ID
spite OF their overpowcring numbers
game them tremendous punishment
They had TO recoil before our guns
Hundreds of them were bayoneied
and hundreds were hurled into ZIG
river. The whole field of battle WIS
outlined by dead and dying men whohi
hey had TO abandon. Certainly tnen
osses were enormous, and felt tha
he German retreat was in full swihs
and that we could claim a real victor!
or the time being
Pau Compelled to Yield.
Nevertheless the inevitable happen
ID, owing to the vast reserves OF tA0
,nemy. who brought up four diVisions'
md General Pau was compelled I"
give ground.
On Tuesday German skirmishsis
With light artillery were coming soutI
ward and the sound of their hela
,uus greeted my ears. Presently
aw the figure of a French dragoon'
With his carbine slung behind h's
Jack. He was standing by the SIDE o.
number of gunpowder bags. \ niue
arther away were little groups OF So,
ierS at work by two bridges, ouo
yer a stream and one over a roao,
hey were working very calmly ana
ould see what they were doing. lhey
fere mining the bridges TO blow the"
p at q given signal
AS | went farther | saw the stree's
'ere strewn with broken bottles anu
tered with wire entanglements' ART
lly and carefully made.
Trap for German Army.
II was obvious that there was very
rim business being done and that the
oldiers were waiting for something 70
appen. At the railway station
aiekly learned the truth. The Ger
ans were only few miles away IN
-eat force, At any moment they mighA