The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1914-10-01
BY E. ALEXANDER POWELL

ago the government of Belgium re-
quested me to place before the Ameri- |
can people a list Of specific and au-
thenticated atrocities committed by
the German armies upon Belgian non
q combatants.
Today General Won Boehn, com
handing the Ninth Imperial field
army, acting mouthpiece of the Ger
man general staff, has asked me to
place before the American people the
herman version of the incidents in
question.
80 far as / am aware | am the only
correspondent in the present war who
mas motored for an entire day through
the ranks of the advancing German
army, who has dined as a guest of the
tGerman army commander and his
stan, and who has had the progress
OF the army on the march arrested in
order to obtain photographs of the
kGerman troops.
u Thls unusual experience came about
IN curious and roundabout way.
Invited by General Won Boehn.
Ghent last Tuesday between a Ger
man military automobile and a Bel
CLAN armored car, in which two Ger
sman soldiers were wounded, American
Vice Consul Van Hee persuaded the
Durgomaster to accompany him i'm
mediately to the headquarters OF Gen
eral Won Boehn to explain the circum-
stances and ask that the city should
not be held responsible for the unfor-
tunate affair
In the course of the conversation
with Mr.. Van Hee General Won Boehn
remarked that copies of papers con-
tanning articles written by Alexander
Powell criticizing the German treat
ment Of the Belgian civil population
had come to his attention and said he
regretted he could not have an oppor-
tunity to talk with Powell and give
him the German version.
Mr.. Van Hee said by a fortunate
coincidence happened to be in Client,
| whereupon the general asked him to
bring me out to dinner the following
1 day, and issued safe conduct through
\ the German lines.
Though nothing was said about a
photographer, l took with me Pho
togyapher Donald Thompson. AS there
\ was some doubt regarding the pro-
priety of taking Belgian driver into
the German lines, l drove the car
myself.
In Midst Of kalser's Men.
Half a, mile out of Sottehem our
broad debouched into the great high
way which leads through Lille to
Paris. We suddenly found ourselves
IN the midst of the German army. 1t
was sight never to be forgotten.
Far as the eye could see stretched
olid columns of marching men, press
ing westward, ever westward.
The army was advancing in three
mighty columns along three parallel
roads. These dense masses of NOV
ng men in their elusive blue gray
Uniforms looked for all the world like
three monstrous serpents crawling
across the countryside.
American flags which fiuttered from
Bur windshield proved a passport in
themselves and as we approached the
3 close locked ranks they parted to let
us through.
For five solid hours, travelling al
ways at express train speed, we mo-
tored between the walls of the march
ling men. In time the constant shuttle
of boots and the rhythmic swing OF
gray-clad arms and shoulders grew
maddening and l became obsessed
with the fear that l would send the
car blowing into the human wedge
on either side.
Miles Of German Soldiers
1t seemed that the ranks never
would end, and as far as we were con
cerned they never did, for we never
saw or heard the end of that mighty
column.
We passed regiment after regiment
hrigade after brigade OF infantry, and
liter them hussars, uhlans, cuiras
ers, field batteries, more infantry
ore field guns, ambulances, then
iege guns, each drawn by 80 horses
engineers, telephone corps, pontoon
wagons, armored motor cars, more
a. uhlans, the sunlight cleaning on their
forest of lances, more infantry in
spiked helmets, all sweeping by as
irresistible as a mighty river. with
their faces turned toward France.
This was the Ninth field army and
composed the very flower of the EN-
pire. including the magnificent troops
of the Imperial guard. 1t was first
and last a fighting army. The men
were all young. They struck me as
Jbeing keen as razors and as hard as
mails. The horses were magnificent
AThey could not have been better. The
Geld guns of the Imperial guard were
| almost twice the size Of any used BY
our army.
ThIrty-twe Horses Draw Howitzsr.
But the most interesting Of all. Of
course, we're the FIVE gigantic hoWit
xers. each drawn by is pairs of horses
These howitzers can tear q city te
pieces Mt a distance Of dozen miles
Every contingency seems to have
been foreseen. Nothing was left to
chance or overlooked. Maps OF Bel
rinm. with which every soldier is pro
| vsded. are the finest examples Of
\ fopography have ever seen. livery
-. s.r,,, building every elumI