Mexico Missouri message., 1914-10-29
CITY OF MISFORTUNE
PERoNNE, IN FRANCE, HAS HAD
NUMEROUS VlclsslTUDEs.
The Playthine Of War Through Many
centuries-Germans Have oecu-
pied II During the Present
Great European Conflict

History has Just repeated itself at
Peronne, France, for the fifth or sixth
time, with the occupation of the town
by Emperor Williams forces. Ii is
pretty, peaceful, sleepy town. in the
valley of the Disc, with no more APP
parent pretcntion than that of attend
ing to its own little business, and 1t is
all the more a wonder that IL has cut
such figure in history that IL has sue
cumbed to nearly every attack. There
can scarcely be any other reason than
that it's situation makes it a sort OF
stumbling block in the way of forces
bound for Amiens from the North.
King Charles the Simple first gave
Peronne right to Immortality by dying
of hunger while prisoner there in o29.
Charles the Bold began its series OF
capture by taking it in 1465 and added
TO its renown by imprisoning Louis NJ
there two days The latter revenged
himself on both Charles the Bold and
the town by capturing it in 1iTI The
duke of Nassau is the only one who
ever failed in an assault upon it. He
was beaten by woman, Catherine of
Polk, who rightfully has her statue in
the public square.
The duke of Wellington captured It
/ in his turn in 1915, and the Germans
| starved the little garrison out in the
/ closing days of the war of 1870, but
were obliged to allow it to march out
| with the honors of war. During nine
| days bombardment 81 of its 700 houses
were demolished and 600 were rem
dered uninhabitable. In this case the
German commander consented not to
levy war fine on the town and dis
pensed the inhabitants from all requi-
sitions which was all the same to
them, since there was nothing left in
the place worth having
This time, as has been the case with
most of the military operations, no
one but the general stan and the in
habitants of the region knew that the
town had been taken until its reoccu
patton by French troops was an
nounced.
The circumstances of the entry oil
the Germans was characteristic of the
|
struggle between a small detachment
of Alpine chasseurs and infantry or
the French side and a strong contin
gent of cavalry, the Germans entered
the town August 81, just as the sub
project left at the other side in al
automobile, carrying off the casl
of the post office and the tax depart
} ment, amounting to 100000 franc
gold and several millions in bonds
payable to bearer.
The mayor and his substitute wer,
both absent. Finding no one at tn
Hotel de Vile. Colonel Gottberg, tn,
German governor, sent for Monsleu
Line, city councillor, and informe,
him that 1t would be necessary for hin
to get together commission of do7
en- important citizens who should an
swer with their lives for the benevc
lent behavior of the citizens towar
, the German troops, and that the CON
mission must present itself to the gov
ernor within an hour or Monsieu
Line would be shot. From this con,
mittee the governor demanded a wa
contribution of 100000 francs. whic
I must be forthcoming the followin
morning.
I'VE certainly shall not pay It," r.
. piled Monsieur Line, because all tn
money of the city and the takings {
the fiscal department have been tran
. ported to Rouen, and all of the ric
citizens are at the seashore; all "
can do is supply your troops with whi
!, they need while here"