Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1915-12-20
NANCY STILL
OCCUPYING
FRONT SEAT


NANCY, France, Dec. 19.-Nancy,
the old capital of the Duchy of Lor-
raine had for more than two score
Of years the hazardous privilege of
occupying n front seat in the theatre
of a probable war. Targets for can
non" the ccnscripts sent to Nancy
were called. 1t was here the iron
division of the famous Twentieth
army corps was stationed with the
Twenty sixth brigade of cavalry, not
to undertake the supposedly impos-
sible task of saving Nancy but to
receive and deaden the first shock.
The story has been told of the
French officer who, anticipating war
in June Of last year, sold his little
country property near Nancy, bought
villa in Belgium and congratulated
himself that his family would be far
outside the vortex.
While the stout fortress of Namur
was crumbling undder the blows OF
the heavy German guns, unfortified
Nancy. defended by Castelnau, proved
irnnreenable. The French officers
family fled to France with Belgium
refugees at the same time that En-
peror William, who, with 10000 cav
airy of the guard had awaited the
moment for this triumphal entry into
Nance turned back toward Metz.
As 20 the purchaser of the officers
& country place. he has not seen
German soldier. and since August "A.
1914 the sound OF the cannon has
bccr growing fainter and less ire
o,,ent in his cars 1t is only when
the wind is right that Nancy hears 4
only once did the German artillerN
got close enough under cover o.
,,iobt to lombard the city. then X
ala less damage than the dozen
visits of German aeroplanes and
Zenpe1ins. Nearly every one OF those
visits vas tragic because every one
vented Ia soc the aircraft The two
children and wife of a barber in the
Pue Saiut-Jean stepped to the doof
IA get a look at a Tauhe enc morn
inc. all three were killed. together
vim four other persons. while the
barber escaped without scratch.
rou ucople were killed by a bomb
tbat cen under the windows of the
prefecture.
The second attempt Of the Ger
mans "a lombard Nancy with their
,oa,.v Guns is still the talk of Nancy
one Of the 15-inch long range naval
niacas. nut in position near the cha
tom SaIfns (SaIzburg) to send INTO
\apc,- the same destruction that
they hurled into Dunkirk, was dls-
covered by air scouts. The Frehch
advanced their heavy artillery 10
aas,. range and destroyed the big
g,,n and IT'S formation before 1t had
fired single shot, according to the
report.
Nancy appears today to be any
thing but a military headquarters
ONLY few soldiers on leave. few
convalesceut wounded and officers
on various missions give it the sem
bIance of a garrison town. The SOL
diars quarters in the barracks
are occupied by a thousand or so Of
| families and debris of families from
different parts Of Lorraine. await
! ing the moment to return home
| Among them are 81 children called
the orphans of Pont d Moisson
because their parents have remained
! in the little town shelled recently in
the work of national defense by turn
| ing out 600. 600 trench sacks, work
at which they can earn 40 cents
! dav besides their board and lodg-
! ing. It is rather coarse work for
| some of them, expert in the finest
| embroidery.
Nancy's industrial. commercial and
! educational life has gone on unin-
| terrupted and modified only by if
! ficulties of fuel and transportation.
| The medical college, law school and
| other branches of the university have
| not missed a day of their regular
| terms and the public schools were
| never closed.