South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-10
GERMANS RIGHT
STILL RETREATlNG
AS FIGHT RACES

allies and the French capital
The two chief factors in all the
army on the French soil has been
artillery and exhaustion II is un-
! doubtedly a contest of guns and en-
durance. When the Germans push
ed southwark they came at fun speed
/ in an effort 10 wear out the allies
Now the allies are attempting TO do
the same thing by maintaining the
/ most vigorous and persistent advance
possible. There have been few if any
/ fights in which artillery has not play
ed a conspicuous part.
Germans Move East.
While the great battle is raging in
eastern France, the northern part
west OF a line drawn from Paris TO
Abbeville, is being cleared of Ger
mans. a German force which oc-
cupied Gisor, 20 miles southwest of
Beaubaine, has been compelled TO
evacuate and move eastward.
An English correspondent who has
just returned to the capital gives a
/ lively description Of the fighting at
Meux which is on the Marine, so miles
east Of Paris He was an eye-wit-
ness OF part of the conflict which cen
tered around Meux where the Ger
man lines finally gave way and fell
back
Describes Battle.
Il came upon the battle at Meux
with startling suddenness." said the
correspondent. My motor car had
just topped a little rise overhanping
the town when il was stretched out
like a panorama before my eyes. For
some time I had been hearing the
growl Of the artillery and knew that
the allied forces were in action
against the Germans. | stopped my
automobile upon the crest and looked
upon thrilling scenes before that. Be
hind a piece of thicket could see
troops and far distant along the range
of hills were several batteries of ar
tillery.
In the foreground were a cluster
of cottages surrounded by fields. In
the fields were a number Of hay
stacks, some Of which had been set
on fire. In another field a number of
frightened horses were galloping
about. Opposite the German guns,
about five or six miles distant,
of French artillery The day was clear
and the clouds of white smoke which
rolled upward drifted lazily in the up
per currents. Far overhead and dis
tinct against the sun cruised the in
evitable German aerOplane.
Il could see shrapnel bursting in
the air with little clouds of squirting
DldCh SIlOhes IoF the Germans charge
their shells with powder which gives
off a black smoke so that they can
ascertain where the shrapnel are
falling. / could see showers of dirt
spraying upward where shells ric-
cochetted on the ground. German
shells were falling in the fields just
beyond MeuX. We could see a long
twisting snake-like line of new earth.
where the French mad thrown up en-
ROY oh IL. 4
see the French soldiers moving about,
being easily distinguishable by their
bright uniforms.
Town Is DesOlate.
81 pushed onward into the town.
How changed it was from the peace
full, sleepy little French village of a
week before. 1t was desolate and
empty. Homes had been burned or
wrecked by shells The bridge was
blown into a shapeless mass. The
streets were like avenues in a city of
the dead. But soon l saw that the
town had not been deserted, for when
the chasseurs came Gathering through
with the iron shod hoofs of their
horses ringing upon the cobbles, many
a shutter was cautiously opened and
heads peeped forth to see whether the
troopers were French, English or
Germans.
Looking upward l saw several
more aerOplaneS, but could not tell
whether they were French or Ger
man. 1 could see shells bursting be-
meath the machines and marvelled
how the gunners could tell whether
they were firing upon friend or foe
Curious scenes attend every bat
tie, but one of the most unusual that
/ witnessed was in MeuX. A shell fell
in a street and tore up a great hole.
Dirt and stones rained upon all the
buildings in the neighbOrhood.
passed by Immediately afterward and
when some one opened a shutter TO
look out L caught a glimpse of a wOm-
an sitting within the room darning
as though nothing was happening. ON
all sides of her battle ragged; she alone
seemed to be calm.
Warned Out Of Fields.
Il tried TO get into the fields flank
ing Marine to see what was happening
where the infantry and cavalry were
believed to be engaged but an old
man warned me back. Hell itself
seems to have been turned loose he
said.
Il turned and made off toward
Paris and as I again passed over the
hill tops the sound Of the cannonade
was in my ears and my last glimpse
was that of smoke that drifted above
the fields and the geysers of earth
from bursting shells"
The future movements OF the Ger
man army are the merest guess work.
for no one seems to know what
strategy the invaders will attempt TO
extricate themselves from their pres
ent predicament. Refugees report
that the northwest wing Of the army
is falling back in the direction Of
Dunkirk. II this is true the Ger
mans are using the same route they
followed when they came into France.
Refugees report that a number Of
fugitives who hid themselves in the
woods were killed by artillery fire.
According 10 reports both official and
unofficial. the allies are gaining west
of La re-Champenoise. North Of
SeZanne Ia Fere- ChampenOise and
Vitry-Le- Francois is the center where
both sides have heavy bodies of
troops maSsed.
1t is too early 10 say whether the
rearward movement of the Germans
Is the beginning Of Il general retreat
or whether the invaders are drawing
in their right wing from Marine.
Won Kluk il Alarmed.