Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-29
FREED PRISONERS
POUR INTO NAMUR
Crowd Meuse Steamboats,
and All Roads Into Brit
ish Lines
IC A v A L r Y IN HUY
Germans Turning Over Worn
Out Material to Fill Terms
of Armistice
C A v AL r Y IN HUY
By PHILIP GIBBS
Special Cable to Erening Public Ledger

Copyright. 1918. By Ncrr York Times co.
With the British Armies, Nov. 81
fdelayedh
BY slow stages leaving a space OF
six and a half miles or so between
them and the retiring enemy, our
troops of the Second and Fourth
Armies are drawing near TO the Ger
man frontier. Today, going out from
Narnur, have been to our furthest
outpost line. held by cavalry screen
Mt the town of Huy. on the Meuse,
some twelve and n half miles beyond
Namur itself Later in the day saw
the arrival OF the first patrols Of
Canadian infantry
''where is our front line?" I asked
one of the men, and not trying to be
funny, but with military gravity, he
said, "In the center Of the High
street. sir"
Remembering the old front lines
which were drawn across the Internal
ruin of battlefields and where no man
showed his body without certain
death. this new front line struck me
as being very funny / enjoyed the
Joke of Il as I went through Hwy
and looked through plate glass win
dows-there was never a window pane
within fifteen miles of the old front
line-at boxes Of chocolates and sweet
meats. at TauChnit2 editions Of Eng
lish authors. at portraits of King AL.
bert and his Queen and at fancy goods
jn many bright shops all hung with
flags, such as one might find in Cam
+ tethury or Exeter the week before
Christmas in times of peace.
1t was n good place for the front
i line, and that was certainly the onin-
ion of the cavalrvmnn who strolled ur
and down the streets under the glad
Z eyes of Belgian girls, who greeted
them as heroes and deliverers. &C
cording to the words Of welcome hung
in streamers across the archways.
A Picturesque Old Town
The name of Huy, this stopping
place on the wav TO the Rhine, is not
famous in world history. as far as
Z know, but is a picturesque old town
of considerable size. where the broad
Meuse sweeps around in a sudden
curve below the high limestone cliffs
which all the way from Namur are
sheer above the deep gorge of the
river valley. rough-hewn and Jagged
like the battlements and Keeps and
watchtowers Of medieval castles.
I From the ravines between these
rocks rise the turre'j and gables OF
Belgian chateauS like the castles on
the Rhine, and above them are pine
woods with tall masts through which
there is red glow of withered under
growth. This scenery Is strangely like
that of the Rhine and gives the men
a foreknowledge Of what they will see
when they reach that river, which i!
their journeys end.
s On the broad waters of the MeuSf
are many barges which pleasure boats
used to pass in time Of peace, and
down the stream from Huy CaEIe some
of those small steamers today. crowded
with passengers. They stood tightly
together on the upper and lower decks
and by q glance l knew what manner
of men they were. They were boat
loads of liberated prisoners - French
British and Italian-coming to Namur
to swell the crowds, which as l write
and all day long are gathered outside
the railway station there, waitir for
trains to take them to another station
on their homeward way.
Lucky Man on Meuse
These boatloads on the Meuse were
lucky ones. eased at last of their packs
and able to rest their weary feet. Scores
of thousands of their comrades in mis-
cry are tramping along the road back
from the German lines They come
struggling along in small groups, keep
ing company by some tie of Comrade.
ship made by the roadside. easing of
one mans load by stronger arms. the
sharing of a bit of bread. common memo.
ries of misery or word of greeting
in a tongue they understand.
Yesterday on my journey to NamuI
and today, outward from Namur. me-
thousands of them, and they all had the
same look Of men who were pushing OF
to some goal of their hearts desire
Though the packs on their shoulder!
press hard and their tired feet stumbl,
over every stone and rut, they wer,
going toward home, but with a far call
still to Manchester and Shropshire and
Padua and Mantua and Poitieres and
Toulouse.
One could not tell to what army they