The Topeka state journal., 1918-07-25
German Emperor Saw Troops
Swept From Hills.
Slept First Night in Wine Gel.
lar at Chateau Thierry.
HOTEL is NOW IN RUINS
His Abode Has Been Reduced
by American ARTILLERY.
Huns Paid Enormous Price in
Life for Defense.

With the Americans on the Marine.
July 24.-From the aged civilians who
were left Chateau Thierry, details
were learned today of the German oc-
cupatton OF, the city and of a visit by
the kaiser. The latter arrived on the
Marne on June 8. He expected to
stand on hill 204 and watch his troops
debouch from Belleau wood. reach the
Paris highwar in the rear of the pre-
pared French positions and capture
La Forte then Meaux and finally
Paris.
But the sudden attack of the
American marines on Belleau wood
broke up his German plan and dis
civilians W re kept in the cellars for
thirty-six hours.
The kaiser, while in Chateau
Thierry. stopped at the Elephant
hotel. At night he slept in the hotels
wine cellar. The hotel is now in ruins
from shell fire.
Today the Universal Service cores
pondent viewed Vaux, Bouresches
and Belleau wood from the German
side and saw the tremendous diff
culties that faced the Americans in
storming these places, each of which
was dominated by the enemy's guns.
Hill 204 command all the positions
around Vaux, which lies at the foot
of the hills slope. From former Ger
man battery emplacements, sur
rounded by German graves and rotting
corpses 1 could look into Vaux viii
lage, and from the former positions
on the high ground east of Bouresches
1 could see every American trench as
well as the principal German defense
line and the narrow gauge line along
the Marine embankment.
The Germans, holding the Belleau
railway station, swept the wood with
their artillery fire.
What an enormous price in life the
Germans paid during the battle is
testified to by the innumerabie graves
and uncountable corpses that still lie
unburied. American burying parties
were busy today interring the dead
enemies. The sustained allied fire had
prevented the Germans from bringing
| in even their wounded. So intense and
we'll directed was the American artil-
lery in the days preceding the big at
tack that the Germans were forced to
| live underground.
Meals Ready to Serve.
- Further investigation disclosed the
| suddenness Of the German evacuation
| OF Chateau Thierry which formed
the tip of the salient. Cooked meats
ready to be served were found in the
| officers billets untouched. Many
Germans left behind portions of their
| clothing. A hundred thousands rounds
| of ammunition for field and machine
| guns were abandoned as well as thou
sands of cases of hand grenades, hun
| dreds of machine guns, and many field
| guns.
The Germans had no time TO de-
| stroy their signal service between
Chateau Thierry and other points on
| the Marne front. leaving the wires and
| instruments intact. Even large col
lection of rubber and brass that had
been seized from the civilians of Cha
| teau Thierry was not taken along
when the German retreat began.
I The resistance they encountered this
| afternoon was more stubborn Ar
mored cars and tanks were Used to
destroy the machine gun nests issu-
ing volleys of cross fire.
| The advancing troops refused to
await the field guns. They sniped
and grenaded their way thru the Ger
man machine gun defences.
American mounted infantry and
French cavalry effected junction and
dashed forward in columns charging
down the roads and thanking the Ger
man machine gun positions.