Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-09-11
.CENSORS WORK HARD
ON INVASION STORY
Account Of Early Fighting in Bel
gium Tells of Hardships
of Soldiers

London. Sept. II. A. MA cor
respondent of the Associated Press
who has been through Belgium sends
long message from Rotterdam which
was rather heavily censored through
out, but which appears to be an ac-
count of the invasion of Belgium OBJ
tanned from German point of view
Something was deleted at the begin
ming. The story follows:
From Brussels the German army
| poured over southern Belgium into
France, spreading like a fan in the
direction of Beaumont, Maubeuge
Mons and Lille. joining in the south OF
Belgium with other army corps total
ling forty army corps or over a mil
lion and a half of men.
They went over the French border
without serious resistance. the French
scattering before them in great dis
order, leaving behind much war ma
terial, their retreat extending as far
as the forest of Normal in Northern
France. Several rear guard actions
| occurred, resulting in considerable
losses to both sides and bringing up
the losses of the Germans in Belgium
to about $4,000. Southwark in the
direction of Maubeuge, innumerable
skirmishes occurred from August 23 to
August rs. At Bray, west of Binche
the French and English were repulsed
by the Germans. The French then re-
treated to Bonne and Esprante where
they fell back, 10000 English retiring
to Jeumont at the same time.
Determined Resistance
Engagements in the vicinity OF
Buissierre and Thuin constituted the
most determined resistance offered by
the allies. After two days artillery
duel which swept the surrounding
country and demolished almost every
structure the right wing of the allies
withdrew far to the southwark. This
gave the Germans an opportunity to
sweep through Beaumont and ap-
proach Maubeuge from the south.
Meanwhile the other corps had ap-
preached Maubeuge from the north
entirely investing the fortress. The
English and French were, on August
%, driven across the Sampre river
where, on the south bank of the river
in thirty mile front, fighting con
tinued for three days.
The German wounded in all cases
were well cared for and the dead
buried as fast as t}.S4 army continued
on the march whilethe French dead
were left unburied and the wounded
in some cases remained in the bat
tlefield for three days before receiving
lattention
Large numbers of French wounded
were brought into Solre-o on -Sambrt
| from the surrounding woods whittier
many had dragged themselves to es.
cape. Every conceivable kind of build.
ing such as the chateau, schoolhouse
and inn was used as a hospital
Die From Exposure
"A large portion of the French
wounded died from lack of prompt at.
tention and long exposure in the oper
without food or drink. No cases were
observed where French medical mer
were left behind to take care of theil
wounded. The German medical corps
was fully occupied with the treatment
of its own wounded and was hastened
onward by the forced marches of ex.
ltraordinary speed and duration made
| by the Germans.
THE French dead in all sorts oi
IconVeyances, were common sigh
and squares and semeteries with un.
! finished graves, gave mute evidence
of a hurried French retreat. Dove
shaped German aeroplanes whirre(
constantly over the country and occa
sionally one saw French aviators faI
enough aloft to be out of range Of
the special German guns designed fol
the destruction of air craft.
"I saw a duel between French anC
German machines, both of which were
disabled in a hard battle. After ca
reening downward in giant circles th'
two machines plunged to the eartf
almost side by side and were com
pletely shattered while the aviator
were instantly killed. While alof
both the pilots and their assistant
kept up a lively exchange of revolve,
shots"