The Washington times., 1916-02-05

working 5000 iaborers with 25,OO6 terri.
torlals They dug thirteen miles Of
trenches around the city. showing great
fffGrSStt,h0pshs ffgSt,%S ut, as at & that time trench
100000 square @ "oy yarSs SHso8i il bnTSed T%Rs Tirs
on a million and half stakes and sta
toned fifty mobile batteries of artillery
at strategic points, as we'll as many
More Than 2 10 1.
THE city was invested towards the
end of August BY 5000 Germans against
our $1,000 teRritorials1 The Germans
were commanded by General Won zwehl
in the presence of the kaisers nephew,
Prince Leopold of Prussia. For nine days
q furious battle ragged, all the German
heavy artillery being brought up from
Liege and Namur, including the 05 mill
meter and 42o milimeter howitzers.
Ceaselessly shells rained on the forts
dav and night, causing a reign of ter
Tor.. for in addition to the citys resi-
dents there were 10000 refugees, mostly
women, children and old people from
the North, quartered in the tOwn.
THE German shell fire was directed
by aeroplanes and spies who had been
on the Job for years, living in Maubeuge
and ostensibly engaged in business
there. Ono by one the fifty batteries
were picked off. The arsenal was fired
by German shell and 1000 French
shells exploded inside at one time. Peo-
pie all over the city were knocked down
by the force of the explosion Tho
water, gas, electricity, telephones and
telegraph were instantly cut off and
the city, including tho hospitals, was
burning.
Outside the city. in the trenches. the
troops fought on without relief as we
were prevented from reachiHg them by
a curtain Of artillery fire. We made
four sorties, once charging to within
S00 VnFna nf t6n
THE city wrecked and on Are, our
ammunition exploded. and means of re-
sistance dwindled, General Fournier CUR
rendered on September 5, when tho
Germans began hurting shells into the
quarter packed with refugees. To fight
on would have meant but one thing:
the slaughter of women and babies.
when the Germans entered they we're
astonished to find 1t defended only by
territorials. They believed they were
attacking a big garrison Of actives. In
recognition of the brave defense Of the
citadel Won Zwehl told FouPpier to
caues the other officers were not grant
ed the same courtesy. He said;
Whatever their lot is, I will share
it. What is good enough for them is
good enough for me-
HeartbrOken But Proud.
General Fournier was sent TO the
military prison at Torgu, in silesia. He
is a heartbroken man, but proud. He
held out against tremendous odds. sus-
tanning what was certainly the might
lest 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 5
hands.
"Fournier's defense of Maubeuge was
not merely heroic; Il was of great
military value. During the b2ttle OF
the Marne which ended in a /rushing
defeat of the Germans aftC/ several
critical days he held up $4,000 of the
flower OF the Kaiser's army.
After the fail of Maubeuge II was too
late for these men to do any good, the
tide at the Marne had turned on Sep
tember s, and two days later It was
complete. Had Fournier not held out