New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-22
RHEIMS BOMBARDMENT
REACHES TENTH WEEK
After LuT Caused by Lack Of Ammunition Germans
Renew Attack with Vigor-Tribune's Paris Cor
respondent Gives Interesting War Details.

have swept il clean Of provisions Of
every kind, so that half d million men,
holding a 100-kilometre line of front
from Rheims TO Nerdun, are now de-
pendent on Germany for food and sup
plies. The result is the troops are
poorly fed, and hunger is added to their
other priyatons.
Enemy Under Great Strain.
Signs are not wanting that the strain
on the German soldiers has almost
reached the breaking point. A curious
incident of the truth, which I can vouch
for, occurred on Thursday evening,
when a French infantryman left his
trench for few moments in the dark
ness. lie had difficulty in finding il
again, and just as he thought ne had
reached il he heard the challenge:
OVER gent da?" from a sentry. None
of your jokes, old man." was his reply,
thinking that one Of his comrades was
pulling his leg" An instant later he
was fabbergasted 10 find himself face
to face with a bearded Prussian. The
surprise was mutual. The Prussian,
seeing he was unarmed (the French
man had left his rifle in his trench,
asked him what he was doing there.
The Frenchman explained, and the
Prussian began in broken French 10
talk about his terrible sufferings. He
said he was the father of five children,
and declared he was almost starving.
The Frenchman. who also is q father
of a family. was so touched that he
gave him Jumps Of bread and a tin Of
compressed meat from his haversack.
"Why don't you surrender" asked
the Frenchman. Because the French
shoot all their prisoners" replied the
German. "That is not true" answered
the Frenchman you will be well fed
and well treated" The other seemed
doubtful and said he must consult his
comrades.
The next morning at daybreak the
thirty-three Germans in the trench held
up their rifles. butt uppermost, as a
sign Of surrender. Then they laid them
on the border of the trench and came
over in a body and surrendered.
Officers and Men Surrender.
Two days later the officer and fifty
three men came in. This is the first in
stance ] have heard Of an officer head
ing the surrender of his men. Yester-
day another officer and seventy men
surrendered. They said they could no
longer endure their suferings.
This looks like the beginning OF
debacle. The French believe that if the
German commander sees that the posi-
tion in the trenches is becoming unten-
able he will advance all his forces and
deliver a last desperate battle on the
plains Of Champagne Il is for this
reason that the French are massing i'm
mense bodies OF troops behind the pres
ent lines They believe that once they
get the enemy in the open victory is
assured
1t is certain that the present posi-
ton Of the Germans cannot be pro-
longed indefinitely. The French will
make no attempt 70 dislodge them by
q frontal attack on their intrenched po-
sitions, as they could only be carried at
an immense loss of life. The present
position of the stalemate will therefore
continue either until German defeat
in the north will force troops holding
the line at Rheims, St Menehould and
Verdun to retreat, in order TO escape