The Arvada enterprise., 1914-10-15
BATTLE OF SCISSORS AS SEEN
BY WRITER ON FIRING LINE
BY JOHN ASHTON.
Special Correspondent Of the Chicago

Paris to rest up day or two and get
a few necessaries after a week at the
front of the left wing of the allied
armies who are facing General Won
Kluck's army.
Farther to the east in a line ex.
tending from Reims to near Verdun
the French are holding their ground
against a fierce onslaught of the Ger.
mans under the prince OF Wurtem-
burg.
will recount what l have wit
messed during the last few days:
Leaving Meaux. we made our way
through Varennes and Lily, the scene
of fierce fighting during the battle Of
the Marine, some details OF which l
gave in my first letter. All the dead
have now been inferred and the
wounded removed from the several
deserted villages through which we
passed.
Find Wrecked German Plane.
Eefore arriving at Leerte Milon we
came across German aeroplane
which had been brought down by the
British. The English flying squad
have been doing grand work In the
cir not only as scouts but In attacking
hostile air craft. 1t is reported that
no less than seventeen German avia-
tors have fallen victims to the Eng
1ish flying men.
On approaching Villers-Cotterets. in
the middle of the forest of that name.
We came across several military auto
mobiles, lying by the side Of the route.
which the Germans had abandoned in
their hurried flight to the north. Two
Of these were marked Field Post
field or military post. A little far
Their on We encountered six large Ger
man motor trucks which had evil
IDENTIFY been destroyed by the Ger
mans; everything was burnt up ex-
cept the iron work. These wagons
had been left in the road to delay
pursuit, but the French had over
turned them into the ditch on each
side Of the road.
Meet German Prisoners.
It was dark when we arrived at
Villers:C otterets. Before we had time
to get out Of our auto heard cry:
"Voile les Allemands!" there come
the GermansD and, indeed, moving
gray mass soon came into sight, sur
rounded by a cavalry escort There
were about 100 of them. prisoners,
marching in the cold rain. Many Of
them wore Red Cross arm bands. and
l noticed a few officers among the
bunch. Their expressionn was sour
and sullen, but considering their pri-
vations, they looked fit enough phys
ically.
These were men that had got lost
in the forest and failed to catch up
with their columns. Many prisoners
are taken in a similar way on both
sides. Sometimes they come strag-
Cling in half starved to death.
Pass Night In a Chateau.
We passed the night in an old chat
eau. The town was full of troops.
and the hotels packed with officers,
so we we're very lucky to get under
cover at all. A few days previously
the Germans had occupied the town.
the stat, having made their headquar-
ters at this same chateau. The cham.
her maid left in charge of the house
ttbe owner and his wife having fied)
told us that the Germans had taken
awav acme valuable Gobeun tapes
tries. the smaller tapestries had been
lef, They had also taken away some
silver Mate. hut had left behind many
uieces Of considerable value.
We slept on the floor In the H.
brary. in a separate building, one OF
tho finest priyate libraries | have ever
seen. containing several thousand vol
umes very elegant secretaire in
the library had been forced up. the
contents ransacked, and the top
wrencbed off and thrown on the floor.
7 had nothing to cover me with, and
as II was cold I slept very little.
We could hear the guns booming
tho greater mart Of the night.
A,,ro,.h IN. Elrino Line.
H. ~. ,i.o,,,o,