The Washington times., 1917-03-26
GERMANSLEAVEBUT
WRECK BEHIND THEM
Whole Country Blasted and
Scared as Troops Fall
Back in France.
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ov.rv,h,, ..cr,sc.1 much Of their
,,aI,,skIa ,rsra r,s,sriaI NOT bav-
80 ~ a. No,,n,a,a. =,
10, a,,or,,
oSrDeu wire on spooi' =, .;
m', mhere. mere W. 49,, -
Haliroao cars were oio" W anu
piIcheo IN ruins Desiue ene
Inc Whole region now rssemUIes
succession OF raiiroaa puiuihs
camps IN the iar west. ihousanus VI
men are rebuilding roaos' Drloslns
craters where ROADS ana railroads
were mined, even laying ooWn mile
after mile OF boardwalk brought for
ward in sections to make passage
possible over oceans OF mud.
R..o,.,ru.t,o, II. Rapid.
Ihe speed OF rehaoiiitation Is unoe-
lievable. The roads are covered by an
unending double procession of supply
trains ammunitIon. timber and road
materials Iorries Allied with troons
goi,s e, ra,,,,srd ar,ntia. going hscL
forS more.
we visited Nesle, q Sonsioera raoIe
French Iines This e. the one nnde.
stroyed town abandoned by the Ger
mans, because they had concentrated
there the civil population from the
ng .4uIuns couhy j.,
,or tha n's . -" @ o
tbair go ~ haSsinn IT, az @ s
80. er'. ou tne nisn
,yor,a,a 80 IT, go. a.. .ne
sya a-caD, sn,ha-. ter 49,. ~ III ~
jren were taIan su.v hy ,hs CO
mans tba r,sr 70 urnrE ,hs ,,n a.
some cases 20 ,,o-L in othar. o.. a.. :"
moral nnrnnsas 'oi I'M
This nIace us aI,.d u,,,h u,u
dren ola mar ond S,or,a,, a,aein ei,i
blind. wrecks NJ buu,anity TIL, -
been I'm German bands s,,.a s',. @
20. 1914. They had been svstemstIc.
aIIv terrorizod D,,i His,1
pitched bombs about ths .,,cati ~.
many nights warning The nsonIs 20
remain in their houses Tbey ars am
dazed, many of them insane or near IN
sanity. They said that long sgo ,hav
wouId-have starved had ~ mot heen
for American relief.
rhshe
After visit to the area evacuated
by the Germans and occunied hy thao
Rritisb q e. mn 1o,o aa,,.....,
- 1~D'ui why
'"e ieu'ons "ithore". Theirs Is not
d strategic, retreat to victory, as Won
iliinu % wouia nave Germany be
feat. Testimony to supnort This 4.
seen everywhere.
II Is true that months ago the Ger
mans foresaw the danger OF their line
being forced and began preparing a
new line far in the rear. called the
Hindenburg line. But this was only
a precaution. They did not desire to
retire to IL until they were forced to
do so. when the pressure of the Brit
ish became SO fast and insistent that
II was really impossible for the Ger
mans to retreat quickly enough TO
avoid disaster.
The British stan learned Of the ex.
istence of the Hindenburr line
months ago. The Germans tbougbt
their secret was secure long after 1be
British and French stars knew ~ N
II indicates that the Germans 40 not
intend 10 abandon trench yar,aso -
risk a great action ~ ,ha 80, Tte.
troops are NOT eouaI 10 tho.a ~
allies In sucb aehtIre ha.a,, % .t e
have haen trained g. .roaL 'eS
tions- Moreover the Carron ,,,or.Io
has. been ruined ~ ra,arna -
only cbeerTuI carroo, -
oners '"e PiiS
English Are Confident.
The individual EngII.b .o,dto
nov nosi,Iva ,hat -. e
=, 1t nc Supeiior 10 TWO
Tba Carnnn. 70 get AT them;
that the Tommy is right in this est.
mate. Won Hindenburg does not intend
70 enShce an open Iieid action. In
sleau ne mas oullt this new line OF