Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-13


gical mistake and the great turning point
in the war. To this the final subjection
os Germany will be traced and through
this miscalculation Won Kluck lost his
rank and position in the army
His retreat, however, was one of the
most mastery in the whole course of Eu-
ropean history, for 1t had seemed as IL
his whole army must be captured
Though his losses were tremendous, he
yet managed to retire. Everywhere we
saw soldiers, guns, sentinels and long
cavalcades winding their way amidst
clouds of dust to the front All along the
railway line were stationed sentinels, and
the train itself was packed with soldiers.
The countryside was entirely deserted,
except for the soldiers. Where the in
habitants had vanished to / do not know,
probably to Paris. Not a sodl was to be
seen anywhere for miles upon miles. Then
in the distance we would see a great cloud
OF dust which gradually grew bigger and
bigger and a glint-like fire would shine
out suddenly. 1t was a regiment of he'll
meted soldiers on their way to the front,
with horses, great guns and hundred
wagons following behind. Here and
there some old man in blue linen Gmock
would spring up from some lonely cottage
to stare, open-mouthed, at the cavalcade..
Our journey was not easy, for many
bridges en- route had been blown up in
order to check the German advance, and
these bridges had been patched up for the
time being and must be crossed with
great care. However, no one felt In the
least uneasy, for these things are but
trihes incidental to travelling in this re-
gion.
DETECTIVES ON TRAIN,
Several plain-clothes French detectives
were on board the train. and 1t was
Nn 70 tactics and bn-
haviour. After chatting pleasantly with
you and finding out as much as they
could in that way they would suddenly
demand to see all your papers and ask
you a series of most searching questions.
was particularly struck with the beau
tiful white roads. all leading to the
front, and by their deserted appearance.
One Of the detectives informed me that
civilians are forbidden to walk on these
roads, as they have been entirely taken
over by the military authorities.
Near Epernay, where the whole valley
Is so beautiful and the river winds It's
way through green tobacco fields, we
saw the body of a dead French soldier
floating in the Merne. At one time the
bodies were thick in that river. Tall
poplar trees line its banks and weeping
willows droop lazily, while the water
itself is a curious shade of bright green.
The houses in that district are all of
pale pink shade, with roofs a deep and
mellow red. The red-capped sentries,
with their cleaning bayonets, made an
other splash of color ana the bluest Of
blue skies shone serenely above.
At Epernay we stopped to have all pas
sengers examined, and the railway plat
form was the setting for scene such. as
no stage has ever yet produced. Every
possible shade of blue, pink, red and
yellow was fully represented in the cos
tunes of the soldiers, for the French uni
forms are quite Kaleidoscope in colorinB
They crowded the little platform, for
there were more soldiers there than the
station could we'll hold. A babel OF voices
went on in great confusion-gendarmes,
detectives, officers. zouaves, hussars' Red
Cross surgeons, Moroccans, cavalrymen
and army service men.
An interesting Belgian noncommissioned
officer, Isidore Mort, an "apto-mitrail-
leuse" of the I'd Division Cavalry, was In
our carriage, who but the night before |
had been at the front, and he talked In |
a most interesting fashion.
Apparently the greater part or his work |
was TO drop bombs from aeroplanes on
the German troops and trenches, and also
to hurl hand grenades from armored
mOtorcars.
yesterday was lighting at the Maison
du Passeur near Ypres," said he. 1T Is
iust a pretty little house on the edge or
a stream, but we have been ightlng there
since last October, and that little stream
holds $1,000 cOrpses This Is the npst
leave l have had since the war began
'But isn't II most insanitary thereF
inquired one Of his hearers.
.;Tha air Is perhaps a trine odlous'
said M. Mort, cheerfuly, hut we take
hyglenic precautions. Every day we make
coffee from the water OF that stream, anu
n does not make us Ill. Yes, ! DO assure
YOU that there are 5000 poales OF I5, pel
gians. French and Germans In the User
tberei They crowd the place, but one
Inst nav no attention TO sights one sees
Tbe stream is narrow, only 10 yards "iae'
ana the Germans occupy one DahA "hi'e
we have the other. ..-..t
,The Germans" he eontlnueo' l
.be women and children with IeIooi.y
unbelievable. All the stoties i. 80 tbsn
M atrocity are indeed true. more nan
'r,e All Alost. near Brussels, they tooh
n ,ttis cbildren By the feet, swung
- ~ ro,,pd and round their heads ana
-..-i.. tban, al us One little BABY sifl
~ st nv feet, her back and skull DloAeh
4 MANY places. 1t is q praeuce SI tns
7ermans 10 50 hurl the 9ouhS ell,itartS
md have seen many ihiai's
n .II tn's a true that the Germans drive
~ - Frsnoh ana Belgian women ard chill
le ne. 4, Sront OF them. so that they may
lleL slt,.a - the IRE and protect the soldiers
asked a listener a. hundred times"
IN have witnessed Il q hunotee eii.', .'ll
ala Sergeant Mort AZ Alosl y ''',iss
rom -, rs thev drove an the civilians,
lAileeS women and children, before them.
lleH, sniendid position. our big guns
we nsi' compiete command Of the road
laylns ~ women ana children came
2 ut NOW could sc are2 Il vas q ter
5sie alternative! re must sl,lsi tlla
,5r r1ns 6n the Germans. tn1s Aii'iNs -N