The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-12-07


GERMAN HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE. Nov. Five miles behind
Monthois hill lies the pleasant little
French town of Nouziers. and Vouziers
interested me for three reasons. The
first was an excellent hot dinner which
followed long ride in the keen aut-
umn air; the second was a church
which was touched below with the
rich. true taste of mediaevalism and
disfgured above with tin tower that
proclaimed the nineteenth century; the
third was a charming statue TO Taine.
\ troop OF officers came in from the
south of Nouziers and sat down at the
long tables in the Hotel du Commerce
with the Koln and Leipzig and Kob-
lentz papers of the day before spreao
out before them and tried to learn
from them just what the English part
OF the great offensive had accomplish
ed far TO the northwest around Arras
and Souchez and Givenchy and Lens
and Loos and La Bassee.
Mere Ignorance Helped.
In the way of actual reading matter
about those operations this tablefull
had far less than you I'm America had
in the noon editions of your afternoon
papers of that day. But il they had
less TO read they also had less misin
formation, and ! am sure that II we
had read and believed what you were
reading and ] fear. believing. on the az
ternoon of the dinner at the Commerce
we should not have stayed to finish
the meal but have been in wild flight
to the northeastern frontiers OF France.
For, you see. since that day we have
learned down here in France what
some American newspapers said the
onensive was accomplishing. The
statements made us rub our eyes and
wonder whether we were still really in
France and whether in view of what
the papers said about rolling bacR-
and "crumpling up" we had a military
right TO be here. The fact remains.
however. that for many months the
German line has held in front of You
ziers and it is still holding
a Half Admirable Church.
Having appreciated the dinner, /
strolled out TO appreciate the church
though appreciation of IL is a mixed
emotion. -Four or FIVE hundred years
ago the people and clergy of this re.
gion started the building of church.
and they succeeded to admiration to
about half the extent of their inten-
tions. Then they grew weary or ran
out Of money. and the Vouziers church
ceased TO be notable. above its facade,
which is rich, weighty. and full Of feel
ing
Higher up il is monstrous. for the
nineteenth century capped the work
of the masters with a square tower
Overlaid with tin In American We
used to build such contraptions over
fife engine houses for the purpose
OF drying hose
The clergy and people OF Vouziers
undoubtedly feel that they have their
full share OF trouble at present, and
no humane man would wish them
more. But II. i'm the coure OF the
wars varying fortune. the Germans
should find Il necessary 10 blow the
tin tower off the Vouziers church n
great wrong would be righted. Tor
half OF Vouziers church Is one of the
glores OF the Champagne, while the
other half IL a crime. and must have
been n source Of anguish TO Taine,
who was born almost within the
shadow OF the tower and who had
taste
Birthplace Of Tsine.
Eigthy-seven years ago Hippolyte
Taine. who had a juster apprehension
Of the nuances OF English literature
than any Englishman who ever wrote
about English literature. was born m
fConefnued ON pao. r1.-.,N