Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-07
.DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS
IN WAKE OF GERMAN ARMY
American ambassador Sharp Reports
on i0O-Aiile Trip Through
Northern France.
HUNDREDS TAKEN AS CApTlvEs
Towns Totally Destroyed for No lp.
parent Military Reason - Never
Before i'm History OF World Such
Thorough Destruction Wrought.
fRv Asaocia,ol rrcss-1


WASHINGTON. April 6.--Ncvcr he
fore i'm the history Of the world has
there been such a thorough destruction
wrought by either Il vanuuished or VIC
torious army AS that which the Ger
mans wrought In Northern France. ac-
cording to the report OF n hundred
mile trip in that section by .Amba ssador
SHARP. made public too day at the state
Department..
Towns were totally destroyed" the
ambassador reported. FOR no apparent
military reason. and in many OF tho
smaller villages scarcely a house re-
mains with roof intact"
From the town OF Ham. several hun
dred people, nearly half Of them girls
and women over fifteen years of age.
were reported taken away as prisoners.
The statement given out at the de-
nartmcnt follows:
~ telegram from the American am
hasSador at Paris, dated April |. states
that. upon the Invitation of the French
governments he visited on March 3
many Of the French towns recently re-
taken in the invaded territory. lie was
accompanied by one OF the miIitar'
attaches to the embassy. He found
that the various reports circulated in
France which have appeared in Amer
lean newspapers in regard to the dc.
plorable conditions were in no way cX-
nGHcratcd.
SCENE OF DESuI.kTION
H. IN RECON0UERED REGION
throughout the recouquercd terri
tory there rcigns "a scene OF dcsola-
ton. and this is not only true where
German military operations might pos
sinly excuse destruction i'm the blow
ing up Of bridges. tclcgra phic and tclc-
phouic connections. railway lines and
the block ing of highways Ivy telling
trees which protected the German re-
treat. hut towns were totally DESTROYED
for no apparent military reason. Pri-
vatc houses along the country high
way including some OF the most beau.
;iful chatcauX OF great value. were
completely Cuttcd by explosives systc-
maticaliy planted or by fire. Agricul-
tural implements on the farms were de-
stroycd. churches anu cathedraiS were
reduced to a mass of ruins by lire or
by explosives.
"a, the town OF Ham tho mother OF
six children told me that her husband
and two daughters. one eighteen and
the other hftccn years of age had been
carried away by the Germans 1T the
time OF the evacuation. Upon rcmon-
stratinE. She had been told that. as AN
alternative, she might find their bodies
in the canal in the rear OF her house
She stated that out OF the towns total
population. several hundred people had
becu compelled To accompany the Ger
mans nearly hall Of whom were girls
and women over fifteen years OF age.
y large number of French people. il !
believed, in the evacuated town and
surrounding country were compelled T.
go with the Germans. from the fact
that few arc nov To bc found there.
II inspected on my trip more than
100 miles in the invaded territory. and
left with the conviction that never he
fore in the history Of the world had
there been such "a thorough destruct ion
wrought by either "a vauuuiShcd or vie
torious army