Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-09-11
ASSOCIATED PRESS coRRE.
spoNDENT DESCRIBES SCENES
OF EARLY DAYS OF WAR.
GERMANS SCATTER FRENCH
IN RAPID ATTACK ON BELGIUM
French Retreat So Hurriedy That
Dead Are Left Unburied and Wound.
ed Lie Dying on Battle Ground-De-
termined Resistance by Allied Forces
Near Thuin and euissiere.

London, Sept. IA correspondent
of the Associated Press, who has been
thru Belgium. sends long message
from Rotterdam which was rather
heavily censored but which seems to
be an account of the invasion of Bel
GUM from German point of view.
The story follows:
From Brussels the German army
poured over Belgium like IL Hood tide
spreading like fan in the direction of
Beaumont, Maubeauge. Mons and Lille.
Joining in the south of Belgium with
other army corps proceeding from DIM
ant and Givet.
French Scatter in Disaster.
"'Tney Went from 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 o. the
Germans in Belgium to about $4,000.
From the Binche country south
ward In the direction of Manbeauge in
Vulnerable skirmishes occurred from
Aug. 23 10 Aug. 26.
AT Bray, just west of Bincne, the
French and English We're repulsed by
the Germans. The French ratreated To
Bonne Esperanto, .,.lere. after an
other skirmish they fell back thru
Merbes Saint Marie and Meribles lie
Chateau, 10000 Ensl,sh retiring to
Jeumont at the ,atue time.
Determined Resistance by Allies.
engagements in the vicinity of Buis-
siere and Thuin constituted the most
determined resistance offered by the
allies. After two days of artillry duel
which swept the surrounding country.
the entire right wing OF the allies
withdrew far to the southWard. This
gave the Germans an opportunity to
sweep thru Beaumont and approach
Maubeauge from the 'outh.
The English and French were, on
Aug. %. driven across the Sambre
river, where on the south bank of the
river. In thirty mile front. fighting
continued for three days.
The correspondent saw actual firing
In the direction Of Maubeuge on Aug.
26. when white puffs of the German
shrapnel clouded the horizon, but the
forward movement of the German col
umns was so fast that when the cor
respondent reached the scene of the
recent firing the column had advanced
ten miles southwark.
French Wounded Uncared For.
The German wounded In all cases
were Immediately cared for, the dead
buried as fast as tho army continued
on the march, while the French dead
were left unburied and ths wounded
in some cases remained on the battle
field for three days before receiving
attention.
The large proportion of the French
wounded died from lack of attention
and from exposure. No cases were
observed where French medical men
We're left behind to take care Of the
wounded. The German medical corps
was occupied with its own wounded
and was hurried on with the forced
marches made by the Germans.
THE French dead in all sorts Of
conveyances were common sight and
squares and cemeteries with unfinished
graves gave mute evidence of hur
ried French retreat.
Thrilling Battle in the Clouds.
Dove shaped German aeroplanes
whirred constantly over the country
and occasionally one saw French avi-
ators far enough aloft 10 be out of
range of the special German. guns de-
signed for the destruction of air craft.
II saw duel between French and
German machines both of which We're
disabled in hard battle. After ca
reening downward in giant circles the
two machines plunged to the earth al
most side by side and were com
pleteAiy shattered while the aviators
We're instantly killed. while aloft both
pilots and their assistants Kept up a
lively exchange of revolver shots.
simultaneously, judging fiom ths
equilibrium Of the machines. they
reached their marks. After vain ef-
forts by the aviators TO regain con-
troll both machines fell to the earth
like meteors."