Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-09-22
Vast Area Of Belgium Without
Single living Person Where
Thousands Thrived For
merry.
IRRESISTIBLE RUSH OF
kAlSER'S VAST HOSTS
Every Evidence Indicates Swift
Retreat Of French Forces
Across Border at Beginning
of War.
tA--eelated Press corr-.peaaeasr.,

fAssecIsfed Press Ccrrespondenee.l
Rotterdam. Sept ii-By imagining
the sweep Of flood tide up a broad
tidal river one can picture the advance
OF the German army through Belgium
now creeping. now racing. Il defied
resistance with each forward iunge.
Temporarily DETECTED at such points
as Liege and Namur, the body OF II
moved irresistably forward. u.fing
what Il could not Immediately destroy.
The result is rumpIed. depleted
country. strewn with the flotsam OF
this tide-scsttered French epaulets and
torn uniforms ground into the soil.
shallow trenches filled with French
gunsibroken at the stock, and French
itnapsacks with their contents spilled
everywhere on the landscape.
At Intervals there are newly made
graves without cross or stone to
mark them, and every village. hospl-
tai church. villa and chateau IL crowd
cd with The wounded. Fields which
have escaped the scourge and in which
harvests still stand IN giant hay cocks.
pyramid-shaped like the monument
which supports the Lion of Waterloo.
only emphasize the surrounding waste;
the purple luster of cabbage beds and
the vivid green OF enormous beet
fields look as out Of place as hot beds
In 2 morgue.
Inhabitants Have Fled.
The impression Is not to be given,
however, that the greater part Of Bel
GUM. or even the sections over which
the Germans have passed has been
left in ruins. II is the sudden flight
of the inhabitants that has given the
country its chief appearances OF DESC
lation. In hay fields moving ma
chimes and carts are TO be found In
the exact position in which they were
left by farmers IN the midst of days
work. with the prints Of hoofs show
ing where the horses had been led
away by German soldiers.
On the road from Solre-sur- SANDER
through sHohfignies. 81 Christopher
TO Beaumont. along which the French !
were driven in headlong flight after
two days artillery engagement. Au-
gust a.. "a. the complete evacuation !
of the inhabitants left sense Of
dreariness and utter depression which |
choked one like a nightmare.
Not n Person Visible.
Doors of houses still remained OPP |
en-, cattle beloved from deserted
barns and half finished glasses OF
weak Belgian cognac marked places
where groups had gathered and hasti- !
ly disappeared. In this area not a hui
man soul moved or breathed. Ii was
like the unearthing of an ancient city
like Pompeii stricken In the midst OF
its daily occupations without sign
of impending catastrophe.
In house a neglected canary pick !
ed at the bars Of its cage and Bel
gian shepherd dog solemnly guarded \
the door. Along the road on each side
French trenches at intervals of only |
a few hundred yards marked the |
French retreat. In the midst of the
debris l picked up short blue coat
belonging to sergeant of the Eigh-
teenth French Zouavcs. Under IL was
a half picked chicken, which the off
Ger was apparently preparing to cook.
There was also spilled knapsack
close at hand with razor and toilet
articles on the ground and pinned UNI
der an empty champagne bottle the
Interrupted letter Of a French soldier
This read:
Interrupted Letter.
We are being slowly forced back by
the Germans who are coming like a
tprrenf yrbrouuh .opae HINDER of our
commander we have been separated
from ancers and cuirassiers But, we
make a last stand and"
On the boundary line between
France and Belgium lay the body OF
a French dragon, clad in the resplen-
dent uniform coat striped with gold
braid and flaring red trousers. lie had
fallen into a half dug trench. toward
the foot of4al towering stone monu-
ment which marked the frontier OF
his country. fsw
In other regions where the Germans
had passed without resistance. the
peasants stiiIl pursued their daily
daily chores as in times of peace. But
1t was the women and children who
did the farm work. Some Of these
women complained that their nus
bands had been taken by the Ger
mans as hostages to prevent sniping
from the houses and had never re-
turned. Women who kept small es-
ADJUSTMENTS along the Belgian coun-
trysides. were in the peculiar circum-
stance of having lost the contents OF
their wine cellars and having ac-
CURED tidy sums of German coin,
which they could not use.
Resigned to Conditions.
AS consequence those who fol-
lowed the German advance through 7
Belgium found provisions and wine at
great premium, and very greatly de-
preciated German currency which the
natives were doing their best to dis
pose Of. But with few exceptions
'hey bore their misfortunes with
resignation that was half stolid and
half philosophy
one woman showed wrecked wine
eeiiar. where German soldiers had
i'sst dined and then slept. kiteheni