Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-14


battles of the whole war. one of the
most important of the French victories
the success that made the Marne pos
sible. the rally and stand of the French
srxtnies a bout Nancy. escaped the fame il
armed. Only in legend. in the romance
d the kaiser with his cavalry waiting
- the hills to enter the Lorraine capital,
the battle live
9 A Much-Studied Battlefield.
When | went to France one of the
hopes had cherished was that l might
he permitted to visit this battlefield. to
see the ground on which great battle
hal been fought. that was still unknown
country. in the main. for those who have
&ritten on the war. The Lorraine field
was the tieid on which France and Ger
aaany mad planned for generation to
fight. Had the Germans respected the
Neutrality of Belgium. ii is by Nancy,
by the gap between the Nosges and the
hills of the MeuSe. that they must have
bxoken into France. The Marine was
battlefield which was reached by chance
AID fought over by hazard but every
foot of the Lorraine country had been
eiudied for the fight long years in ad-
Gance. Here war followed the natural
course. followed the plans OF the gen
eral staff prepared years in advance.
Gndeed / had treasured over Years a
plan of the bait lie of Nancy. contained
l.! a French book written years ago,
which might serve as the basis for
, s:ory of what happened. as il was
. iitten as a prophecy of what was to
Come.
.,uen the great general staff was
pleased to grant my request to see the
tst,iefield of Nancy ] was advised to
S;,1el by train to that town. accom-
esnied BY an officer from the general
etan. and informed that 1 should there
6Ieet an officer of the garrison. who
you'd conduct me to all points of in
te.est and explain II detail the various
ihases OF the conflict. Thus II fell out.
snd I have to thank Commander Leroux
for the courtesy and consideration which
Hade this excursion successful
The Old and the New Lines.
In peace time one goes from Paris to
Mncy in five hours. and the distance is
about that from New York to Boston,
bx Springfield. In war all is different.
a1d the time almost doubled. Yet there
aSe compensations. Think of the New
York Boston trip as bringing you be-
yond New Haven TO-, the exact rear of
battle. of battle but fffteen miles away.
with the guns booming in the distance
I'd the aeroplanes and balloons in full
v6w. Think also of this same trip,
which from Hartford TO Worcester
follows the line OF a battle not yet
jts traces in ruined villages. in shat
tered houses. On either side of the
railroad track the graves descend to
nfet the entertainments: YOU can mark
THE advance and the retreat by the
clpsses which nil the fields. The gar
Gsns that touch the railroad and ex-
tsSld TO the rear OF houses in the little
toSRus are filed with graves. Each in
Closure has been fought for at the
point of the bayonet. and every gar
ufi wall recalls the Chateau oil Hou-
t6lirnout at Waterloo.
All this was two years ago. but there
- today. also. East of Barbecue the
md n line is cut by German shell IRE
how. From Fort Camp des Romans
sIspye st. MIhiel. German guns sweep
ire railroad near Commercy. and one
has TO turn south by a long detour. as
II one went 20 Boston by Fitch burg,
travel south through the country OF
Jeanne d'Arc and return BY Toul.
wnese forts loon out upon III. invaded
land. Thus one comes 70 Nancy by
E!-it. ara only by night. for twenty
inl!es b2yrnd there are Germans and
- German cannon. which not SO org
:'rJ mt 8 s:t-ii into the town ard ~
IA. ri = whole city DiJck beside rht
- I'll station. II II tins sight o. this
Tuia - you enter the Gown which re-
ir,aiI- ye. tha; you are - IN" 'front.'.
b. ;r,rc arr o.mer reminders.
Sent-ies o. the Air.
40 ~ 90 "G- dinner in the cafe
fa,.,s ;ao bssJ'.fi Place S.am!zlas
We were ,..z:"ia-d b. strange and
curious drumming, s,,,rd CAM ~,
=. :,
'''' '''1 '''''''' W. -" ~ ''foP-diie
o. "a h:. 10 lights. :-d and green
1ise ,noz- II = ship. IT Was shc rrst of
svvera! III, nf.ht patrol. rising SLOWLY
ANA -.,-tdttF- ana ta.n aweepin.. OF ~,
- :, l.i.- curve .OsYera the en.frx's line
The vet,' the seutTies Of III. air
NSr-n were - Aus~s. IA while We slept
TOY men - senrry-go an the air as vel!
a. "n t=a "-..-n apout III, capital Of
I"!iaiu-- luen t!te zen rcni shtS on the
L!iil "essr - Li'i!. %'' eepi.E The hqr-