The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1915-01-22

Before Soissons january rs -By
courier to Berlin, Jan 20.-Via Lon
GOA. Jan. 21-At the headquarters of
certain German army yesterday eve
ming General Won Kuck and his staff
celebrated the battle and their sol
diers at scissors in typical German
military fashion, with a simple sol.
diers meal, a bowl Of punch brewed
by the expert hands of Won Kluck
himself, a graceful little speech by
the general, aad a silent toast to
the dead-both French and German.
The earth was still dropping on the
graves Of the fallen So many men
rershed during the eight days of the
bitter struggle for the heights across
the river from scissors that today,
The fourth after the close Of the battle,
the plateau and gorges are stin
strewn thickly with dead although A.
coo members OF the landsturm have
been engaged without a pause in
clearing UP the battlefield
Most of the German dead have
been given to the earth, but French
iniantrymen in their farto-be-seen
red and blue uniforms, swarthyfac-
ed Turcos, Colonials Alpine rifle
men. and bearded territorials still
are sprawlng in attitudes along the
heights. in the deep cut gorges of
tie plateau and across the flat val
ley bed on the north short Of the
Aisne
The battle of scissors. so called in
default Of a better name, although it
really was fought across the river
from that city, in the number of men
engaged and the extent OF the losses,
would rank with Bull Run or Antie-
tam of the American civil war or with
Woerth IN the Franco-Prussan war;
but in this war it passes as an Incl
dent in the campaign worthy only Of
passing mention i'm the official report
No newspaper description of the
battle has been written from the Ger
man side The Associated Press rep
rescntatiye was the first and up to
the present the only newspaper man
10 inspect the battle field and have
opportunity to supplement the brief
official reports with descriptive de.
tails gathered on the spot
The results OF the German success
are regarded here as highly impor.
tant The French were expelled from
the heights north of the Aisne-van-
tage ground from which they had
hoped to launch a successful attack
against the big elbow in the German
me-and driven across the river
which now runs brimful and at many
places it is overflowing its banks be
tween the two armies.
The French retain fooJaold north
of The river only at one point 81
Paul-where the bridge from Sois-
sons crosses and hold this apparent
iy on suffrance since the bridge head
is completely commanded by German
artillery on the heights.
The battle Logan January S. Sc
we're bombardment from field guns
and heavy artillery was followed by
French charge The Germans
could not make an effective defense
aeaiust this onslaught. The French
vita great dash, carried part Of the
German positions, but by their sue
cess they dampened the yigor OF their
artillery which could not be contIn-
ued without endaugering their own
men
The German guns In turn opened a
heavy fire on the rearward commu1i-
cations of the French. preventing the
bringing mp of reinforcements. A des-
perate hand to4hand struggle, on fair
ly even terms, ragged four days and
nights in the valley aad on the wood
ed spur crowned by the sAot-wrecked
buildings Of La Perriere farm. Mel
ther side gained a decisive adyan
tage.
General Won Kluck meanwhile was
gathering forces for a counter stroke
which came not through the valley
o0t across the high plateau to the
eastward, a large part OF which was
weld by the French. The surface oi
'ne plateau which is fairly level was
crossed by row after row Of deer
trenches, each trench with clea'
Y @ield for its guns.
1t seems impossible in cold lgh
OF day and after the passing Of the
tA'itement of battle. 10 conceive o