The Washington times., 1918-12-29

the advsaby of making preparations for the removal of
the staff archives from the headquarters Epnoy The
artillery section Of the High Command then occupy
ing Great Headquarters St. Aubert few miles away
and these headquarters were evacuated.
1T was then heard discussed in the amazing way
1.-THE preparation of reacherous death traps for the VIC
torous soldiers of the Allies in the towns and villages
which abandoned One of these want to tell about
in detail because afterward heard its execution de-
scrbed in the mysterious gossip of Paris which seemed
to know all of the events at the 'front.' though the
newspapers told virtually nothing and the army
muniques less.
At this time many villages behind Arras toward the
s German side of No Mans Land had been lost. The
deadly barrage being used effectively by the British
artillery and almost every day the Allies came the
top with that superb dash which carried them well into
the enemys lines The staff officers in their moments of
relaxation at my chateau busted themselves in planning
murder traps-more, it seemed to out of vindicve
ness than with actual hope of seriously impeding the Brit
ish advance.
The British had been taught their lesson though and
the staff reports showed that the traps proving in
effective-the advancing troops preceded by
gneers who carefully erreted out the hidden mines and
explosives.
young captain who had been detached from Crown
Prince Ruuprecht'S staff to replace Prince Adoph
turned from stay of several days at the 'front.' during
which time he had been in active charge of company of
mine engineers detailed to prepare villages the firing
zone for evacuaton-capture that is by the Allies He
told his brother officers in the presence of General
der Waldau himself of trap he had in the village of
AagnlcOurt know WheLner or not II mad been
successful but he wanted to make wagers that had been
Cagncourt of the larger villages close to the
'front.' somewhat protected from the devastating artillery
of the British by group of low hills mounds behind
which il nestled. With the approach of the Allies the
inhabitants had hidden themselves in cellars hoping to be
delivered But when the Germans found necessary
the village to sraighten their lines in that imme-
date neighborhood, they removed all the inhabitants
drove them back toward Epnoy. That is they removed
all but oneand that one the young captain, whose
name have forgotten, proudly related, baby but
a few months old
The captain or his found the baby in its mothers
when they searched of the larger houses for
hiding tenants Near where the mother hiding was
the little ones crib. Then the captain recounted
great inspiration came to him" In a few hours as
soon the British realized that the Germans had evacu
ated this village they would pour it, There was no
time to plant mine which could be operated from
distance and yet the opportunity must not be lost TO
destroy few of the intrepid British
The young mother ordered TO Join the other in
habants being sent out of the village but soldier tore
the baby from her When she threw herself at the
soldiers feet another lifted her and with proddng bayo-
net. drove her along with the refugees
mine operated by electrical contact dew oe was
placed in the basement close beneath the ceiling Another
nine set some hundreds of feet away beneath the