New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-19
Correspondent Deserts,
Scene of Destruction
Around Meaux.
NOTHING SPARED
TO INHABITANTS
Houses Wrecked and Eve,
Furniture, CrOckery and
Pictures Broken.
[By Cabls 70 The rribn..

II
London, Sept. 18.-The followiD. Al.
patch was received tonight from a1A.
Chronicles" correspondent at Pas.
roles under date Of September Is.
81 left Meaux this morning IN "A.
rain and VIVID and found the ro.S,
muddy and in bad condition To A.
northeast. hoped to get near to S,,..
sons before night, but had littl. az.
pectatiOn of reaching the town itug
Within two or three miles Of Ms,vrI
came on the recent battlefield ov.,
which the Germans first advanced ,,a
then retired.
"a fine avenue of trees on the Ms.,,
and La Ferte- Million road had h..
much knocked about by shells ls,e.
branches and whole trees lying aloe.
the road. Telegraph wires wer, n
cut to the ground, and for many nils'
the road was Uttered with str,T
broken carts, ammunition Wago,,
empty shells, cases of clothing. Boa,
letters, knapsacks and dead hor,,,
The bodies had been mostly buried
saw only two uEburIed German al.
diers. Near the road in one place v,n
several hundred live shells which IL
been abandoned By the enemy. Trs
trunks along the road were scored i,
bullets.
Following the Scissors road % I,
Ferte Million | passed through Seysnl
villages which had been occupied n
Germans. All the empty houses Al
been wrecked. The furniture "a,
broken, pictures. ornaments and eroeI.
cry smashed, clocks ana bedstssd,
wantonly demolished. II appears % h
the German system TO wreck al uuoe.
cupled houses as matter Of primo.
pie.
Food Receipts Useless.
Peasants or others in this district
who remained in their homes were no,
molcsted beyond being requisitiOned
for food and other supplies. In sone
cases receipts were given by German
officers for the supposed value Of tie
thing taken, but these natu, ally are o.
no use to the holders.
AT MeauX | heard some gruesone
tales of German atrocities, the evidence
for which, however, was not convincing.
The village of Neucheies suffered Sc
yerely. Most OF the inhabitants had
fed, leaving their houses closed and
these were wrecked and looted, not
whole thing being left in them. Fur.
u!ture and every kind of Household
goods were carried out and broken up
The houses themselves we're dehled is
every way.
Few people had yet returned to
Ncuchelles. Most of them have los
their all. Vines even in many cases
were torn off house walls. Why Ger.
man officers should allow their men b
indulge in wanton crueltiss to poor
peasant people is more than one can
understand. II is impossible that such
wholesale and universal destruetiOa
could have been carried out without
their knowledge and approval
Troops Begin Looting.
AT La Ferte-Millon the wife Of
French officer who is one Of the gal.
liant defenders OF Maubeuge told Of
happenings there. La tie he'd two
German visitations, g enc British
and one French visit l.s woman had
several German officers quartered
her house who behaved we'll on the frs!
arrival of the Germans in La FtfN
The troops also behaved fairly vel.
Most of the notables in the town bad
fed or were hidden. The Mayor vas
eventually found in a cellar, and hs
and he cure were walked through ne
town by the Germans as hostages i'f
the good behavior of the inhabitants.
"A contribution in money and gOos
was levied on the town and paid. BE-
fore the troops finally left, howeTs''
they got out of hand and looted freely
| was told in La Ferte that French sup
port for the British troops hghtlng y
Mons arrived too late TO be OF any ~
sistance TO our troops, who had wi'
rible five days and behaved maghm'
Gently.
u spent the night of the 1lth IN :
small auherge in the hamlet OF raw
relies, fifteen miles south OF SolssenA
and was very glad to find some plae'
where I could get meal and co1en
sleep on. Favorelles has not sune1se.
The population remained IN s ss
houses and there was no severe nsas
ing near to them. Food, vine ana w.,
things were requisitioned, and asf 81
in all other villages, no payments "'
made for anything. t. "a,
al left Favorelles this morning
scissors. Favorellcs, Coney aho Is.1
port, villages on the small n0r s.,.5
tributary OF the River 0urcq, suns .,s
little at the hands Of the Eet us
The people remained on their are -.
am in their houses and were DOT Nv
Tested. -. AZ.
scending the Aisne Valley ! iGgAST =,
French battery on the road ltseiit, .,,I.
three days now this artillery y.,s ossr.
had been proceeding around SO'' RAE
the Germans having cedeu .sr,
ground. It is probable that they ' ~
only covering the retirement c u
bulk Of troops Of the extreme O''