The Washington times., 1916-02-05
DESCRIBES HEROIC
MAUDEUGE DEFENSE
Territorials Put Up Glorious Bat.
tie Against Great Hordes Of
German Forces.
By WILLIAM PHILIP s1MMs,

PARIS (By MaiD, Jan. 1.-THE mys-
terry of the fall OF, Maubeuge has at Ia at
been cleared up. after seventeen months
or rumors and doubts. Instead Of the
surrender Of the French fortress nsv-
ing been due to treason, as intimated
py German sources, the defense of the
citadel is said to have brcn one OF IN,
brilliant actions OF the war.
nm IN an exclusive interview with n
french OFFICER. a member Of the staff
or General Fournier. military governor
or Maubeugc, who has cached this
country after escaping from a German
prisons where he was sent with the 9TH
er o1ricers OF the garrison. the whole
story In detail was made known.
"Maubeuge was not another Metz"
he said. but n new Belfort General
Fournier began fortifying the ap-
breaches to the place on August e.
torIals. They dug thirteen mi miles ser,,t Of
trenches around the city, showing great
Iorethought. as at that time trench
IiGhting ! dan In had not begun. They strung
l.oU'ooo square yards Of barbed wire
toned fifty mobile batteries of artillery
NJ strategic points, as we'll as many
dummy batteries to fool the enemy.
More Than 2 10 1.
The city was invested towards the
>''S - sHsBhrt w DtVVO 'GlHldllS aRalngt
our 10000 tmritorials, The Germans
were commanded by General Won Zwchl
In the presence of the kaiser's nephew.
Prince Leopold of Prussia. For nine days
furious battle ragged. all the German
heavy artillery being brought up from
Liegc and Namur, including the 05 mill
meter and APO milimctcr howItzers.
Ieaseiessly shells rained on the forts
day aud night. causing u reign of ter
Ior.. for in addition to the clty's resi-
dents there were 10000 refugees, mostly
women, children and old people from
the North, quartered In the tSwn.
The German shell fire was directed
by aeroplanes and spies who had been
on the Job for years. living in Maubeuge
ana ostensibly engaged In business
there One by one the fifty batteries
were picked off. Tho arsenal was fired
by a German shell and 1900 French
shells exploded inside at one time Peo-
pie all over the city were knocked down
by the force of the explosion. Tho
water. water. gas. electricity. telephones and
the city, including tho hospitals. was
burning.
Outside the city. in the trenches. tho
troops fought on without relief as we
a curtain of artillery fire. We made
four sorties. once charging to within
POO yards Of the German nortars
Tho city wrecked and on Arc. our
ammunition exploded. and means Of re-
sistance dwindled. General Fournier sur
rendered on September S, when tho
Germans began hurting shells into the
quarter packed with refugees. To fight
on would have meant but one thing:
the alaughter of women and babies.
When the Germans entered they were
a astonished to find 1t defended only by
torritorials. They believed they were
attacking a big garrison Of actives. In
recognition OF the brave defense Of the
ftgsl lnl Enhl t..11
keep his sword. Fournier refused. be-
raues the other officers were not grant
ed the same courtesy. He said:
Whatever their lot is. I will share
Il. What Is good enough for them Is
good enough for me.
Heartbroken But Proud.
General Fournier was sent TO tho
prison at Torgu. in Silesia. lie
Is a heartbroken man. but proud He
held out against tremendous odds. sus-
tanning what was certainly the might
est bombardment the world has ever
seen.
Before the Germans entered all arms
and other war materials were destroyed
and regimental flags burned to keep
them from failing into the enemy
hands.
"Tournicr's defense of Maubeuse was
not merely heroic: It was of great
military value. During the bGttle OF
he Marine which ended in II Crushing
icfcat Of the Germans aftG< several
critical days he held up $1,000 of the
lower II the Kaisers army
After the fall of Maubeuge it was too
ate for these men to do any good, the
ide at the Marne had turned on Sep
enlber s, and two days later II was
complete. Had Fournier not held out
as he did. and had he let the Germans
BASS without opposition. things might
very conceivably have turned out an
other way.
The rumors nf treason scattered by
Germans in order to demoraliZe French
roops had absolutely no foundation In
,act."