The Detroit times., 1916-09-09
DIARY OF A FRENCH VILLAGE PRIEST
DJJRING THE BATTLE OF THE MARINE
German Wounded Fill Church. Hundreds Buried in Trenches


BATTERED 80 my request The Boches
we're happy 20 soc ne. Even those
who called themselves "eyangeiists"
welcomed nae Wih JOY had pre-
/ pared a few German phrases. wish
INK them promp, cure. and assur-
Ing them chat hey were not badly
hurt When D irt- they smiled At
NE. shook my hand and wished me
"au reyo!T
Soon all The grnly ~ the Kron-
prime passed through or their way
south rapidly. ln good order They
T marched al Che csc and SINGER We
1 victims q the moment were obliged
ITO recognize II ----Sr tAa
force. the soh5'g and the disci-
9lue They watched as as though
/ they were tstcc.~ltl They had en-
terel into new an5 rich country
When hey came ty rs ths- found
Iau IN abundance When they left
they lett -ot1.a< ,tsrl have
heard o. their mrv who ste beet
roots 90 uo. believe .- though :
have seen one ear o. -aH heart az
cabbage Ru rt1, was BIS taste.
not his necessity.
There were nor enough surgeons
to deal vitl $500 pen13eJ men The
wounds remained SIX ard seven
daya withou, tg,rs dressed The
Eaugyene and worse happened 20
them. so tha- the od3r Iccame in
/ sufera5le TWO wounded. suffering
from te.ar1s, were locked IN the
sarr.sty ana & was a, groa, trouble
that We succeeded in passing then.
water thrc3eh Tire broken windoS
panes The doctors worked with
zeal. 7 have seen .asm work There
WAS among them Professor ~ the
University o. Tg assc d!stin-
guished man who spoke good
French. Another. already old. with
a loag. white heard. often asked me
20 come and talk with him. We
spoke ot everything except The war.
ne was q brave man He AID not
blur Dr Friedal vas always ready
20 do ne a service. The chief sur
gcoa. Herr Weber. was always
courteous and kindly The or5erlles
tld their tasks well They took care
OF themselves Arst. but they did not
neglect the soldiers
There were n Triancour- two
Catholic chap,airs, who dii not
leave me a good Impression For
them, a. for the vulgar soldier. The
kaiser is all above all They held
against France all the oi!ous pre!l-
dices OF their comrades
One Of them had The spirit o. "a
pine. He showed ne things he ha &
taken from rayshed DWELLING and
demanded my spectacle case In
Vhich 10 carry bis walls Of holy oils
He tid not get it. Whom be left no
saii
After the war We shall cor
/ res pond
/ have no desire 20 hear % him
or 10 see aim again tn this aorl1
or he next. Tho other chaplain per
I. formed bis duty wogrhily However,
one felt they we're above all Prus-
SLAMS and soldiers a Protestant
I chaplain was there also Had !t not
been for the cross he wore one
would have taken him Ter some sort
q An sfaesr.
A the mon t'e9 IN The hospitals
I tLcy were laid in the court wa-d %
A stable Whc7 tven or sight bod IS
+ had teon collected they were placed
on a little wagon end hauled 20 the
/ cemetery. A. first the Teuton7
hauled this wagon ay band. very
doci'ely presided over these ~
nerals turn By turn t.tI VI lA55e
Fsuuette, eyaCue Of Gercog-t The
I Germans we're rather numerous az
+ The FIRST bur.aIs Igr-E the E-sy-
ers OF the priest they hstt them.
selves uncoverei AMI resfoC.ul and
afrerwar1 each threw pinch %
earth on 'he bodies ~ their cou-
rades This respect did HOs last
They had no respect FOR tine living.
Why should tu-y have Tor the dead
+ -n'y-.esen French soldiers AMI
IN Gerr ans arc Inferred IN our
! cemetery. Four Eoches are il-ied
. elsewhere
Later ne burial corvees were
made oy the French prisoners after
their departure Dy The men ~ We
village who displayed q great feyo-
ton. working all dav without vine
and almost without food The bodies