The state herald., 1914-09-25
o. {. ALEXANDER POWELL

tsy sSeb'o w tuo SuCaHo tTtpuUo'l
Headquarters in the Field of the
Ninth Imperial Army. Chateau Lafere,
uear Renaix, Belgium.-Three weeks
ago the government of Belgium re-
euested me to place before the Ameri-
can people list Of specific and au-
thenticated atrocities committed by
the German armies upon Belgian nom
combatants.
Today General Won Boehn. COM
manding the Ninth Imperial field
army. acting mouthpiece of the Ger
man general staff. has asked me to
place before the American people the
German version Of the incidents In
question.
So far as am aware am the only
correspondent in the present war who
has motored for an entire day through
the ranks Of the advancing German
army. who has dined as guest Of the
German 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
German troops.
This unusual experience came about
In q curious and roundabout way.
Invited by General Won eoehn.
After an encounter in the streets OF
Client last Tuesday between Ger
man military automobile and a Bel
gtan armored car, in which two Ger.
man soldiers were wounded. American
Vice Consul Van Hee persuaded the
burgomaster to accompany him i'm
mediately to the headquarters of Cen
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 Ghent,
whereupon the general asked him to
bring me out to dinner the following
day. and issued safe conduct through
the German lines.
Though nothing was said about
photographer, l took with me Pho
tographer Donald Thompson. As there
was some doubt regarding the pro-
Lot nj fok naIp lrt,, t,t
the German lins. drove the car
myself
In Midst Of kaIser's Men.
Half a mile out of Sottehem our
road 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 a sight never to be forgotten.
Far as the eye could see stretched
solid 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.
ing 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
our Windshield proved passport in
themselves and as We approached the
close locked ranks they parted to let
US through.
For five solid hours. travelling al.
ways nj express train speed. we mo.
tored between the walls of the march.
ing men. In time the constant shuttle
of boots and the rhythmic swing OF
maddening and became obsessed
with the fear that | would send the
car plowing into the human wedge
on either side.
Miles Of German Soldiers.
II seemed that the ranks never
would end. and M 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
brigade after brigade OF infantry, and
after them hussnrs. uhlans. cuiras-
siers. neld batteries. more infantry.
more field guns, ambulances, then
siege guns. each drawn by 30 horses.
engineers, telephone corps. pontoon
wagons. armored motor ears. more
uhlans. the sunlight cleaning on their
forest OF lnncoa, more Infantry In
spiked helmets. all sweeping by ns
irresistible M mighty river. with
their faces turned toward France,
This was the Ninth iicld army and
composed the very nower OF the EN-.
pirc. including the magnificent troops
OF the imperial guard. It was first
and last u fighting army. The men
were all young. They struck me nm
being keen as rasors and ms hard an
nails. The horses were magnificent.
They could not have been better The
field guns OF the Imperial guard were
ai,nasf fwiea tho sixa of any uand by