The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-02-20

stroy several bridges which we're in
range Of his guns. These bridges per
mitted the Germans to move quickly
and bring with them their heavy artil-
lery.
Throw Down Guns and Run.
AT the first charge, It is said, the
soldiers from the Midi" threw down
their guns. tore off their h%aversacks
M ran, crying: Save yourselves!"
The battle line stretched from Ste.
Genevieve beyond the Bots de Cham
penoux. with the Twentieth corps at
the end near Ste. Genevieve. and Join
ing the other corps, which faced the
German left wing.
The panic of the French right wing
left a wide road clear for the Germans
directly to the doors of Nancy. But
the Twentieth stretched its line to
front the three German corps and
heroically awaited the charge. The
Germans advanced after a heavy rain
Of projectiles. and, with crowded
ranks, music ahead, charged the thin
French line. So -aliantly and deter
minedly did the Twentieth hold that
the Germans were repulsed with enor.
nous losses.
There was an actual strike in the
trenches here recently. All plans had
been laid for a French attack at two
o'clock. However, the territorials re-
fused to march. This sounds like a
strong statement, but / have 1t from
the soldiers themselves, and from
other sources.
The Germans are so well intrencheG
that the territorials feel it would be
suicide to charge with the bayonet. Sc.
they went on strike until the artillery
shall have destroyed the trenches
They say charging trenches is not
their work; something like asking tho
cook to make beds when there is also
a chambermaid.
Agree to Shoot Wildly.
A section of the extreme right of the
French army of the Woevre, guarding
a part of the Haupt de Rieupt, was Oh
extremely good terms with the oppos
ing German force. Both Germans and
French were territorial troops, com
posed of family men. They visited
each other often, exchanging wine and
cigars, and showing each other por
traits of their wives and children
Finally, they agreed that it was fool
ish to kill each other and leave their
families in misery. So they made q
compact to shoot over each other'l
heads when their officers insisted that
they fire.
This condition went on for nearly
two months and a half. Meanwhile,
unknown to the French territorials, the
French engineering corps had been
digging a mine with which to blow up
the German trenches with melinite. AT
last the French soldiers persuaded the
Germans to end the situation by de-
sorting in a body. So one DAY the Ger
a left their trenches, and, holding
a white flag in advance, came toward
the French lines, expecting to be well
coined by the French t~erritorials. But
in a house back of the French trenches
the French officers saw the movement,
anu plSSStu Ill6 UulJOu WulCu eAplOu6u
the melinite in front of the German
trenches. There was a flash, a deafen-
ing report. The Germans flew into the
air! Few escaped death or serious in.
jury.
The French territorials were en-
ragged because of the action of their Of
ficers, and wept because of this seem
ing treachery to their German oppo-
nents. l am perfectly satisfied that
this is a true account, but it must also
be kept in mind that it is a common
belief among French officers that the
Germans frequently show the white
flag as a ruse, in order to get closer to
the French lines.