The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-07-17
BAND WIPED OUT
LEADING CHARGE
French Composer Tells of MuSi-
clans Playing Till All But
One Fall.
WROTE MARCH IN TRENCHES
Camille Decreus, French Composer,
Describes Death of Collisnon-
Tells of Life in Trenches
With French Soldiers.

New York.-Having served as a
volunteer in the army until incapaci-
tation through rheumatism brought
about his honorable discharge, Camille
Decreus, a well-known French COM
poser and pianist, who two years ago
made a tour of this country with
Ysaye, the violinist, has just arrived
here, and is a guest of ex-senator
William A. Clark at the latter's coun-
try place near Greenwich, Conn.
NJ. Decreus was a member of the
same regiment with C~ollignon, former
project, general secretary to the pres
ident of the republic, and councillor
of the state, who at the age of fifty
eight enlisted, insisted upon remain
ing a private, and whose memory is
now perpetusted at every roll call of
the gallant Forty-sixth Regiment of
infantry, as is that of La Tour d'Au-
vergne, first grenadier of the repub-
lie.
NJ. Decreus knew Collienon, and
after the latter's death, in the inter-
walls of duty. he composed the funeral
march which was a feature of the me-
mortal service held at F~ontainebleau
recently, and which NJ. Decreus had
arranged.
Il was at Juvisy with my friend
Tourret when the war broke out, and
we had been guests of Senator Clark
at his chateau of Ivry. at ~Petitbourg,
near by" said M. Decreus. 81 had
/ nnuar haan in tho ornu Nhnn NV
class was first called to the colors l
was rejected because of failure to pass
the physical examination. But when
our country was threatened, my friend
Tourret and l. unlike many French
artists and musicians who hocked to
this country, and who have, / fear
created an impression in America that
a Frenchman following such a profes
sion places it above patriotism and
military service, felt we owed some
thing to France, and volunteered
They rejected Tourret, but they took
me.
Describes Life in Trenches.
in two days we were at Scissors
and Immediately we were sent to the
trenches. That was in August. Now
at that point l must confess that life
in the trenches was not very exciting
Since September both sides have helC
about the same positions, with the ex
ception of the incident in January
when the river rose, carried off {
bridge and left part of our force OF
its farther side. The Germans imme
diately attacked and forced the French
back over to the main body.
1T should be explained that on,
reason for the apparent inactivity a
Scissors was the fact that in thei
taken the precaution to prepar,
trenches in the quarries. situated Of
a high plateau. Granite trenches ar,
something whose taking would requir
the sacrifice Of a tremendous numbe
of men. The French generals, follow
ing Joffre's policy of saving his so
diers and wearing out the enemy b
nibbling, think that in time they wi
be able to surround the plateau.
Most of the while in the trenche
in those days it was a case of maxim
the time pass. We played cards t
the accompaniment Of shells scream
, ing overhead or tearing up the cart
; in the trench. Whenever the explC
sion would bury some of our soldier
we would dig them out again and n
sumo our occupations. the effort bein
always to keep in good humor. w
became hardened to the visits OF tn
shells and used to crack Jokes an
make wagers about where they woul
land. In fact, at one point we wei
so near the German trenches that "
used to crack jokes with the German