The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-25
F|VE-DAY TRIP TO FRONT
WITH THE GERMAN ARMY.
Impression Is of Some Great Indus
trial Undertaking Rather Than
War as Pictured.
VIEW OF GREAT BATTLEFIELD

Infantry and Field Positions Cannot
Be Discerned, So Cleverly Are They
Concealed-Good Marching Disci-
pline Always Observed.
WITH THE GERMAN ARMY BE-
FORE METZ. September 80 (by courier
to Holland and mail to New York, cor
respondence OF the Associated Press).-
A five day trip to the front has taken
tho Associated Press correspondent
through the German fortress OF May
enco, Saerbruecken and Metz; through
the frontier regions between Metz, and
the French fortress line from Verdun
to Toul into tho actual battery posi-
tions from which German and Austrian
heavy artillery were pounding their
eight and twelve-ipch shells into the
French barrier forts, and the ranks of
tho French fold army which has re-
placed the crumbling Qualifications Of
steel and cement with ramparts of flesh
and blood.
Impressions are those of some great
Industrial undertaking with powerful
machinery in operation and endless
supply trains bringing up raw ma
teriais, rather than OF war as pictured.
From an observation point on hill
side above st. Mihiei. ;hc great battle
field on which the German army is en-
doavorinG to break through the line
of barrier forts between Verdun and
Toul and tho opposing French forces
could be surveyed In It's entirety. In
tho foreground lay the level valley OF
the Mouse. with the towns OF st. Mihiei
and Bannancourt lying on the green
landscape. Beyond and behind the VAL
ley rose tier OF hills on which the
French at this writing hold a strong
ly intrenched position. checking the
point of the German attack, while
French forces from north and south
beat upon sides of the triangle. trying
to force 1t back across the Mouse and
out from the vltals of the French
fortress line.
OCCASIONAL AEROPLANE f.
HOVERS OVER LINES
Bursting shells threw up their colors
of white or black fog around the edges
OF the panorama. Cloudlets Of white
smoke here and there showed where
position was being brought under
shrapnel hre; An occasional aeroplane
could be picked out lowering over the
lines, but tho infantry and the field bat
terry positions could not be dscerned,
even with high-power field glass, so
cleverly had the armies taken cover.
About three miles away, across the
Meuse, Quadrangular mound OF black
marked the location of Fort Les<P aro-
ches. which had been shelled by the
German mortars the night before.
Fort Craonne had been stormed by the
Bavarians two days earlier, after it's
heavy guns had been put out OF action,
and IT was stated that Fort Lyonville,
fifteen miles to the south and out of
range of vision, was then very nearly
silenced, only one of It's armored tur-
rets continuing to answer tho lombard
ment. The correspondent had spent
the previous night Mt the fortress town
or Metz sleeping under tho same roof
with Prince Oscar of Prussia, in
vallded from the field, In a state of
physical breakdown: Prince William OF
Hohenzollern. father-in-law of ex-King
Manuel. and other officers either
watching or engaged in the operations
In the field, and had Travelled by auto
mobile to the battle front, thirty-fve
miles to the west. For the first part
of the distance the road led through
hills on which are located the chain of
forts comprising the Fortress of Metz,
usually so skillfully masked and con-
cealed by woods or blended with the
hillsides that nothing out Of the or
binary was apparent No troops were
seen. and men and women were work.
Ing in the fields and vineyards.
Beyond Gorze. the road leading
southwest through Chambley, st. Be-
noit. Vigneuilles to st. NIihiel was
crowded with long columns of ammuni-
| ton wagons and automobile trucks.
Good marching discipline was observed
part Of the road being always left free
for the passage of staff automobiles or
marching troops.
DESERTED COUNTRY
SHOWS DEVASTATION
few miles below Gorxe, the French
frontier was passed and from this point
with Its deserted country farms, rotting
shocks of wheat and uncut fields OF
grain trampled down by infantry and
SCARED with trench excavations for
batteries and pits caused by exploding
shells, showed wars devastating heel
prints.
AT st. Benoit, party Of some 800
French prisoners was encountered. They
were evidently elite troops of the line
and were treated almost with Difference
by their guards. They were the sur
vivor5 OF the garrison OF Romancamp
fort, who, had put up such desperate
and spirited defense as TO win the
whole-hearted admiration and respect
of German officers and men. This ar
mored turrets and cemented bastions
constructed after the best rules of for
t!fcations OF n few years ago, had been
battered about their ears In an un-
usually short time by German and Aus
trian siege art.
Their guns had been silenced and
trenches We're pushed up to within five
yards of their wreck before they re-
treated to the casemates. Here they
fused every summons to surrender
Hand grenades were brought up, bound
to backing OF boards, and exploded
against the openings into the case
mates, filling these with showers Of
steel splinters.
Pioneers. creeping up to the dead
angle or the classmates, where the de-
tenders fire could not reach them, d.
rected smoke tubes against apertures
into the citadel, filling the rooms with
suffocating smoke and gases. Have
you had enough?" they were asked after
tho first smoke treatment.
mol" was tho defiant answer. The
treatment was repeated second and
then third time, the response to the
demand for surrender growing weak
er until the defenders could no long
er raise their rifles and the fort was
taken.
IN RECOGNITION
OF GALLANT STAND
When the survivors were able to
march out, they found their late OPP
Not