New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-28
Area from T indenburg Line
To Frontier One Solid Fortress
Entire Territory Covered with Trenches and Systems of
Defence-Slow and Ruthless Retreat TO Be Expected
People Await Allies as Deverers
By CARL w. ACKERMAN

''.h "taullul cnatcauS were COM
PEELED to give them up entirely or 10
I'VE in one or two rooms upstairs and
turn the other parts Of the chateaus
over 20 German officers.
Hatred for Germans Intense
The contempt and hatred which these
people have for the Germans cannot be
described. II is so extensive and so
deep that the German ARM from time
10 time, fearing its own safety. has
tempted TO win the friendship OF
the people. ! have seen officers 90
through these cities and give money to
the chlldrer. hoping in that way 20 win
their friendship. But. it was not sue
cessful. Children had been taught BY
their parents not TO accent ANYTHING
which was offered them. In some cities
the Germans have opened schools Ger
man officers who could speak French
and who had been teachers in German,
were placed in charge. One day in
Munich ] met a Young officer who had
school near Sedan. lie said that
although he had been there n year he
had been unsuccessful. Even the chill
dren were so belliRerent. he remarked,
that they spat on him whenever he said
anything good about Germany. lie de-
cla-ed Germany feared the effects of
TINS hatred after the war and that the
army was trying Jery method known
10 education T. make friends of the
children. But. he added. he had learned
that Il was a hopeless task. because the
mothers of the children were so loyal
to France that they had only one
thought-the complete defeat and de-
structlon OF the German army Ger
many spent thousands Of marks having
textbooks printed for these French
children in an attempt 10 teach them
the German viewpoint OF the war. The
army also spent considerable money
printing newspapers and magazines in
French for the information Of the older
people.
But while this occupied territory has
been made a great fortress as far back
as the German frontier it is still the
home for several million French and
Belgian citizens, who hope and pray
for the hour Of their deliverance. In
some cities where the German army
has taken over the beautiful churches
and cathedrals the people have had 70
worship out Of doors or in their own
homes.
Allies Freeing Tortured Beings
As the Allies advance they are not
only freeing these human beings who
for two years have been tortured by
the war. but they are capturing day by
day positions which it has taken the
Germans two years to defend As they
march on they are also capturing Yep
peiin harhors and threatening the Ger
man control Of the Belgian coasts,
which. as Sir John Z. Jellicoe stated
recently is one Of the knotty problems
which the Allies have to face in solving
the submarine danger. The German
navy has made the coast of Belgium a
strong fertilization. From every i'm
nortant harbOr submarines can obtain
supplies. As the British advance into
France and Belgium this strategic ma
rino point Of Germany will be more and
more threatened. and the destroyers,
torpedo boats and submarines which
are modified Oft the coast Of Belgium
will be forced out or be captured. In Ma
muir there are three Zeppelin sheds. and
in q number Of other Belgian cities
these Zeppelin hangers nave been con-
structcd az a great cost of money and
labor.
The last time I was in this occupied
territory one Of the officers pointed TO
the defence lines and said that this
country was so well defended that 1t
would be impossible for the Allies 20
break through in anything less than ten
years. But. at that time, he did not eX-
pect American Intervention, nor a Rus
sian republic. nor such large English
army 70 be lined up against Germany.
During the Somme battles the morale
Of the German troops was on the point