The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-28
Visit to Soissons

l 1dNt Just ltluT1icu IfOn1 d nOlDI trip through the battlefelds to Soissons where Germany made her costiest and all but successful attempt to break through the French lines and where fu- rlous fights. which in any other war woulc have been called battles, are still being fought
 Everywhere I saw visible traces of these horrible encounter when men be- come fiercer and more bloodthirsty than the most ferocious beasts
 I passed along a road lined with the chnrred remnants of scores of automo- piles. l raced through villages where only here and there scared face came into sight behind ruined wall.
 I remember Dammartin, where bat tie ragged for days, and where the little church is the only building left intact and where 40o0 civilians were busy bury ing the dead. French and English, in hig common graves. The Germans are not buried, but are simply piled up and set afire. Many of these fires were still smoking.
 met an old peasant who left his small plot of ground when the enemy came. but who was now returning to take up his work with the inperturbable sticism Of the French farmer.
 Half an hours ride and we reached Seniis, which the Germans destroyed be- cause arms were found in some of the houses. Only a single house was left standing, a hotel, "Le cerf blanc," owned by q German who offered it as headquar- ters to the German staff. The names of the German officers were still to be seen written in chalk on the doors of the bedrooms.
 On we went, racing through village after village determined not to look upon those endless pictures of misery, and as the sun went down. we caught sight of a Lo.~ Iat xxthn heap of ruins, but the priest had sus- pcnded it's little bell from wooden struc- ture next to the church, and as we en- tased the village it was ringing Angelus We entered the heap of ruins and saw a painting of the Virgin left untouched above the decorated altar. Among the bricks on the floor lay the church rec ords and the sacred vessels while the priest was kneeling in prayer. He paid no attention to us but raised his arms toward the Madonna. Around him 2 1 score of villagers, old men, women, and young girls were knceing.
 Praying for Enemies Let us pray for our enemies, tn' priest said flor they do not know wha 1 they are doine.' Never have these sim l pie words of the dying Savior impressed me more deeply than at this moment when I heard this old priest praying fol l those who had ruined his sacred church 1 We spent the night at small inn where our hosts filled our ears witt 1 tales of the Germans.
 l At dawn we went on, often stopped b, patrols evidence that we were approach ] ing the firing line. Tn the distance WI could hear the growing and rumbin. | of the guns.
 l We reached the old chateau wher l soldiers had evidently been billeted. Tn l park was ruined. the courtyard full Q 1 debris, the doors of the barns were oper 1 the fodder and grain gone. dog fle' 1 when it saw us while the old gate I keeper came from his lodge to meet ua l He showed us through the chateau | the tears running down hls old cheeks | We went through dozens of magnificen rooms with remnants of costly furniture ] A German general and his staff had bee stopping here. and made merry in antici patton of their entry into Paris Not | single room where speeches had not bee
 made. The labels of the bottles toi whether it was the officers or the me 1 who had feasted. There is not a singi bottle left in the cellar, said the old ma with sigh.
 l The magnificent banquet hall facln 1 the garden stood as the Seimans ha loft it, it's table set for F. and fade 1 flowers at each cover. Champagne bo ! ties were still standing in the solid si
 yer coolers. They had an excellent coo
 Of their own along, said the gatekcepc
 suw the image of this feast perol