The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-04-28
EGREAT FORTRESS FROM
H|NDENbURC LINE To
THE GERMAN FRONTIER
Germany Has Spent Millions Of Francs Defending Occu-
pied Territory Which Allies Now Seek-The People
Await Deliverers.

! OF the centres from which the Ameri-
can Commission for the Relief Of Bel
GUM and Northern France distributed
American food. There are enormous
/ Storehouses on the outskirts Of the
/ city, but last December when l was
there there was only sufficient food TO-
! three months. Unless another quar-.
terly food allowance has been shipped
there the German army will not be able
| 10 confiscate much OF the food which
! Uncle Sam has sent. Charleyille is lm-
portant to the Germans because it Is
! the headquarters on the Western front
from which all operations are directed
! When General Won Falkenhayn was
! chief Of the General Staff he and the
Kaiser had their headquarters here,
but since Field Marshal Won linden
! burg has directed the German forces
i only su6-general staff has BEEN lC-
Gated in Charleville. When the French
/ reach this city they will probably be
surprised to find so few French inhabi.
tants, because the Germans over two
years ago compelled nearly every
| French man. woman and child to leave.
Unless the Allies are able 10 break
! through the Western line and compel
the Germaps 10 retreat in disorder;
unless the morale Of the German army
lis broken, 4 slow, ruthless retreat may
! be expected in this occupied district.
/ And in case the retreaters take their
; time it is certain that they will dyla-
mite or burn everything which they
! are compelled to leave.
| In most of these cities the French
| and Belgian inhabitants have been
awaiting day and night for over two
years the return Of the Allied armies.
!They have been awaiting delivcrancr.
Their suffering they show in every
| thing they do. | have seen women
standing in the doorways OF partially
t destroyed homes, and their faces
showed such bitterne IS. haired. such
suffering and distress. that one would
think they could neither cry nor laugh
again have seen children playing i'll
! the streets with dolls and toys which
they had before the sur. because they
ihaye not had an opportunity 10 e2:
new ones. Little girls play with heal
! less and armlesS dolls. and consider
even these little playthln2S as suffer
! rrs under the invaders. A few months
ago. when travelled through most CT
! this territory, there was not dn ounce
lof candy 10 be bought any place. One
could buy small quantities Of milk
chocolate. but it WAS so expensive TINT
children could not buy it. These child
ircn of France have probably forgotten
what candy tastes like. just as they no
longer know how ii is TO play with d
| real pretty new doll.
4 number of times when | talked to
shopkeeperS and convinced them that
! | was an American | heard pathetic
tales of suffering and depression.
when The people in this territory met
! an American it was the same as meet
ing a friend from the other side Of
the firing line - the people are 80
grateful 10 the American relief COM
mission. The German deportation
measures have been the ones which
ihave caused the greatest distress.
tThose who have not been sent away