Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-09

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the 'Marne might
we'll be called the cockpit of
the world, for it is in the CEN
ter of territory that has been
the battle ground of centuries.
The course Of history has
been altered many, many
times by the struggles that
have occurred in France and
Belgium.
It was at the Marine the Germans
were stopped in their first thrust
toward Paris. which definitely
checked the initial offensive OF the
present great war, and 1t looks as II
It was at the Marne that the allies
are beginning their final offensive
which is expected to move on and
on until the Stars and Stripes. the
Union Jack and the Tricolor go
marching into Berlin.
Among all tho cities OF France
few rival little Scissors in its record
OF siegcs 1t has always been a
center OF military interest-some-
times of crucial Importance.
Caesar gave the name OF Novio-
dunum to the capital OF the power
ful tribe of the Suessiones, who oc-
cupied twelve towns and were one OF
the greatest Of the Gallo peoples.
At the beginning of the empire,
however, Noviodunum took I h e
name of Augusta Sucssionqm. and
afterward that of SuessionaS II is
this town which is generally identi-
fled with the present Scissors. 1t
was walled and fortified. and was
the starting point of the great mill
tary roads to Rheims. Paris, Cha
teau-Thierry, Meaux, St quentin
and Amiens.
o.. In 297 st. Crispin and st Crispin-
yam. who introduced Christianity into
the town of the Suessiones, suffered
martyrdom there, but their work
was continued by their successor, St
Sinitius, who became the first bishop
OF scissors. After the barbarians
had crossed the Rhine and the
Meuse, scissors became the me-
tropolis of the Roman possessions in
northern Gaul until, in 4S6, Clovis
the Frank defeated the Roman
Syagrius in a great battle on its out
skirts of the town and put an END to
the Roman dominion in that part of
Europe. After his victory Clovis
went to Rheims and was baptized as
Christian, and 1t was with the oil
OF the sacred phial that was believed
m h,y
from heaven for Clovis's baptism
that all the later rulers wished to be
consecrated as kings of France.
1t was at scissors that Pepin the
Short was proclaimed king and
crowned by the papal legate before
his formal coronation at st. Denis.
Under Charles the Fat. in $50. the
Normans attacked the town and,
though they failed to take it, they
devastated the country roundabout.
In 923 another great battle took
place just outside the walls Of Sois-
sons, in which Charles the Simple
was defeated by the troops of Ru-'i
dolph of Burgundy. In 94S Hugh the
Great besieged the town and burned
part of it
Scene of Bloodshed During
Middle Ages.
During the middle ages Solssons
was the chief town of a countship
whose lords were frequently at war
with their overlords, the Capetian |
kings of France, or with the citizens
OF the town, and bloody battles there |
were a commonplace. In 1155, at |
an assembly of prelates and barons
held at Scissors Louis VII issued a I
famous decree forbidding all private
wars for a space of ten years. Dur
ing the Hundred Years War Sois,
sons suffered terribly. In 1414 II /
was wrested from the Buwlndians,
who then held it. by the Armagnacs.
under the dauphin, and thoroughly
sacked, and during the next twenty
years Il was captured, rccaptured,
attacked, concentrated and laid
waste again and again. In 1914
Charles V sacked It; two decades
later 1t was taken by the Ilugnenols, I
who sacked IL again, razed lts K
churches and held IL for SIX months.
During the days Of the league II
Joined the Catholic party. In the
eighteenth century European con-
ference was held there. II
In the Napoleonic wars It played
an important part In 1914 It was
captured by Napolcous foes and re-
captured by the French, and, in
1915, after Waterloo, the yanquished
hosts Of Napoleon gathered at Sois-
sons. On August Ia, 1915, 1t was
iaken by the Russians. After that
the town enjoyed a period of peace
until 1870. when. after a lombard
ment OF four days, II surrendered
10 the Germans on october Is.
The German advance 10 the Marne
IN 1914 left Scissors unharmed, but
the town suffered severely from
bombardments during the battle of
tho Alsne; and, in January 1915.
when the Aisne rose and carried ,
away most of the bridges behind the
French line in that vicinity, the Ger ]
mans made gains in the neighbor- /
hood and inflicted considerable !
damage upon the town
a picturesque incident in the his ]
tory Of scissors is the fact that for ,
nine years, when he was an exile {
from England. 1t was the residence
OF Thomas a Beckett He sought
refuge In the great Abbey Of st, Jean ,
oes Nignes. founded in 1915, whose d.
ancient portal and clolsters Of the T
century, with some fine /,
L