Barton County democrat., 1915-01-29
CAUSE OF ALLIES Is
NOW DESPERATE.
Dutch Correspondent Tells of Bel
gian Officer Who Says France
Does Not Realize Truth.

1
and DixmOnde, and after various
shifts was finally landed in a
hospital at Eu. His interesting
statements refer to the battles in
the North of France.
81 was taken behind the line of
battle with "a officers, including
two lieutenant generals. We lost
much blood, and were obliged to
wait eight hours, as we insisted
that the seriously wounded should
be cared for first. The battle in
which all the Belgian forces took
part were more desperate, more
bitter than any that occurred be-
fore, even the frightful carnage
at TOngeren and Meline. We
threw away our caps and led the
troops with drawn swords. In the
actual clash we seized bayOnetS
from the wounded and used them
against the enemy. After this en-
gagement our lines were greatly
thinned, but we made happy by
the tribute paid us by JOffre, who
was at headquarters at the time.
I'VE were called heroes, de-
feated heroes, alas! Our defeat
was chiefly due to the defective
means of conveying orders to the
troops. We spoke only in French
our men nothing but Flemish.
That made a terrible mix-up. Be-
fore we were sent to Saint Omer
we received a visit from King Al
bert. He looked very tired and
dealhly pale. There was little
confidence in his speech, but he
expressed the hope that the Allies
would win. Come back soon, my
dear comrades; we shall anxious
ly await your recovery he said
at parting.
"On The way to Saini-Omer we
saw how greatly Belgium needed
her defenders. All the hospitals
were crowded with wounded. The
poor devils were not faring well.
There was a general lack of food.
Everything TO the 'front.' was the
order. Supply trains were COM
ing up but there was nothing for
the BelgianS. Hundreds of them
died and we're buried on French
soil.
"Our men were crowded to-
geiher with The unciviliZed colon.
ial troops. The sight was disgust.
ing. The blacks would stop theiI
wounds with sand, and such the
blood out of each others LAGER.
ated flesh. Many of them were
out of their minds and would
jump out of the windows of the
train; little attention was paid
TO them. Everything was in con.
fusion at Saint-Omer. We were
so indignant at the preference thai
was shown TO the Allies that we
refused to enter The quarters,
which, by The way, were thick
with filth, until our men had been
assigned 10 quarters fit for hu-
man habilalion. QuarrelS broke
out, which cast a queer light on
the fraternal feeling among the
Allies.
Saint -Omer is a strong military
base, where there are more wound
ed than fighters fit for service.
Sentiment is very much depreSS-
ed. The civilians long ago took
their departure. Every house has
been requiSitiOned by the army
headquarters. Everything is un-
der rigid surveillance. When we
arrived they told us that three
German spies had been Summari-
ly shot. Some novel provisions
attacks. which would create ines
timable damage at this point. We
drineS and Paulhan are on guard
here. Paulhan, who was wounded
in one of his flights, is again fit
for duty.
"The misery increased the far
ther we retired from the actual
scenes of war. The French losses
must be uncanny in their extent.
There is not a village without an
emergency hospital. In Able
vile and surroundings there are
$4,000 wounded. Everybody
speaks of Picardye as Frances
Hospital
81 don't believe people in Paris,
Bordeaux, Lyon or MarSeille have
any idea of the true condition, OF
their hope of victory would be
seriously shattered. Every French
officer | spoke to declared in a
voice half veiIed with tears: OuI