Evening star., 1914-10-04
Went Hunting During LuII of
Battle on Champagne
Growers Preserves.
BREWERY ALONE STANDS
IN FERE CHAMPENOISE
ALI Other Buildings Raced by Ger.
man Shells and Torches-Coun-
try Threatened Is Desolate.
BY C. INMAN BARNETT.

Paris correspondent of the New York Tribune.
There Is nothing more difficult at pres
ent than to reach the fighting line from
Paris. Not only are the military au-
thorities opposed for strategical rea-
sons. but the conditions of the rail-
ways due to the German invasion rem
der anything like rapid progress out
of the question. When I left Paris
with the ambition to reach Rheims. all
that Paris would do was to sell me
ticket to Sezanne station, eighty
miles distant. After that 1t would oe
matter of luck.
Ny travelling companions were !wo
sent to visit the battlefield OF the
Marne in order to estimate the damage
done by the Germans. with a view 70
arE cut "na fon Them as
nniers to Sezanne the whole country is
ruin and desolation.
The third traveller was an official OF
the telegraph department.. At each sta
asking: Are you working in both di-
rections?" you" being the telegraph
wires which the Germans have cut by
the thousands.
The village of Fere Champennoise was
a picture of desolation. Only quar-
ter of the inhabitants were left The
only building that escaped was the
brewery. The Germans may lombard
cathedrals, but they respect any place
where beer is made. Hardly any food
was left.
Germans Loot Hotel.
The landlord of the Hotel de Paris
gave me graphic description of the
German occupation in his hotel. Every
seized all the linen, tablecloths, sheets.
by gun butts. The Germans had burst
open every cupboard and wardrobe, had
packed into a covered wagon belonging
napkins and towels. which they had
to the landlord, taken two horses from
the landlord, taken two horses from the
the stable and carried everything off.
Before leaving they ripped up the
cloth Of the billiard tables with sabres.
They emptied the cellars of s1,600
worth. Of wine, which they either drank
or poured away. The hotel possesses a
mechanical piano. This they dragged
into the street, where they danced all
the evening. While they were dancing
shells were screaming overhead from
the French batteries before and the
German batteries behind the town.
There was not a cigarette. cigar or an
ounce of tobacco for twenty miles
around. Every shop had been plum
dered
Our route from Champennois to YER
tus, twelve miles distant, lay over the
immense battlefield. where the Teuton
army, under Gen. Won Bulow. had
fought the French in a desperate three
day struggle. 1t is an ideal battle
ground-a rolling plain. twelve miles
broad and about thirty miles long, dot
ted with small woods and clumps OF
trees, with here and there a typical
Champagne village, its houses, with
their red-tiled roofs, clustering around
the church.
found pleasing act of humanity
on the part of a German officer. The
landlord of the Hotel de Commerce.
where 1 lodged. a young man of twen-
ty-eight years. suffers from such acute
heart trouble that any over excitement
might be instantly fatal. 1 found
written in chalk. in German. on the
wall of the cafe the following notice:
The owner of this cafe is sick; he
has need of tranquility and consider
ate treatment. Soldiers are. therefore,
ordered to remain on the seats outside
or in the front room of the cafe.
First Lieutenant
The journey from Vertus to Epernay
was entirely uneventful
The German invaders. wherever they
went. made no secret of their intention
to annex the Champagne province to
they explained, they did so little ma
terial damage to the vineyards. as they
considered they would be injuring their
own property.
Crown Prince Shot Partridges.
At the village of LIE Mesnil, a few
miles from Epernay. we met NJ.
Rondeau. the owner of the wagons with
which we were travelling He courteously
asked US to finish the journey in his
automobile. Before leaving LIE Mesnil.
however, he had couple of business
calls. The first was to Albert Royer. the
leading wine grower of the place. 1t was
in Rogers house that the Prussian
crown prince. the Grand Duke of
Mecklenberg and the Duke of Wurt-
temberg lodged during the German oc-
cupation of lie Mesnil.
Roger informed me Of the extraor-
dinary fact that during the two days
the crown prince remained at Lemes-
nit he went partridge shooting in the
preserves belonging to Pol Roger. the
famous champagne grower, who is
mayor of Epernay. His unfortunate
soldiers. who had been tramping un-
ceasingly for weeks were not even
given these two days rest, but had to
go out and act as beaters to the three
royal sportsmen.
The bag. it appears was a magnin-
Pol Roger, the proprietor of the shoot
ing. has other things to do just now
than to kill partridges.
Our second visit was to NJ. Launois
another wealthy wine grower. He had
as enforced guests a number of officers
Of the Prussian Guards He had q curl
Gus adventure with one Of them, which
pVSSS tHdt ofiiCcIS OI tndt CORPS de elite
are just as capable Of brutality as those
OF the line. One Of them, a major, or
dered NJ. Launois. a gray-haired man OF
sixty-five, to brush his boots On Lau-
nois making an indignant refusal the
German major drew his revolver and de-
clared that il he did not instantly brush
his boots he would blow his brains out
Saved by a Count.
you can shoot me. If you like" re.
marked NJ. Launois. II am a Frenchmar
and I will never brush the boots of g
Prussian.''
AS the major was about to fire, Coun
Won Hardenberg another officer of tn,
guard. entered the room just in time I,
intervene and prevent his comrade from
carrying out his threat
Before Won Hardenberg left he wrot
a letter, In somewhat Indifferent French
to NJ Launois, asking him after tn,
war to send him one of the pups of ;
shooting dog belonging to NJ Launois
which he had greatly admired Thi
request shows the curious German
mentality. which seems to think tina
when the war Is over France and Ger
many will resume relations as the,
were before the hostilities. They seen
unconscious of the fact that they ar
sowing the seeds of an undying hatre,
which will outlive several generations
Police Gather in Loiterers.