The sun., 1918-09-16
NORROY VILLAGERS e.
EMBRACE YANKEES
They Tell LiberatOrs Germans
Carried OFF All Able
Bodied Men.
Nv HERBERT BAILEY.
Special Cable Despatch 10 THE srS from the
London Times SeSrice.

BY HERBERT BAILEY.
Special Cable Despatch 10 The SUI from the
London Times SeSrice.
Copyright. 1918; oil rights reserred.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY on THE
LORRAINE FRONT. Sept. 15.-After Fri
days fighting. when the Americans re-
PEELED several local counter attacks and
pushed on. taking Norroy village. north
of Pont-a- Mousson. yesterday was COM
parativcly quiet the consolidation Of
the ground taken and the patrolling of
the advanced lines we're the main tasks.
at any time since the beginning of the
attack and their activity in the air was
greatly increased
When the Americans entered Norroy
they were met by fourteen French
civilians who embraced them, much to
their embarrassment. Some of these
said that the Germans had treated them
very badly. refusing to allow them to
cook even the vegetables grown in their
own gardens and robbing them of the
lief Commission.
When the Germans withdrew they took
away all the able bodied men of military
age in addition to the priest who had
charge of the Red Cross and American
Relief funds.
Knew Nothing of Unihed Comma nd
ST Mihel never heard of Marshal
Foch. I had a strange experience in
meeting an Irish girl who had been in
the town all through the German occu-
patton. While walking in the main
street stopping to chat with civilians
who hastened to shake hands with me a
voice with an Irish brogue greeted me
with questions. Are you Americans?'
We answered that We were the first to
enter the town.
This Irish girl is Miss Sline Henry of
Dunlore, County Louth. She exclaimed
exultantly. How wonderful why. I'm
Irish :" She told us the story OF her
life in St Mlhiel, speaking English with
occasional breaks into. French. She
said:
II lived with my aunt here. We got
very little to eat and were forced to
find shelter in a cave whenever the
| Smelling began. Those who consented to
work for the Germans washing clothes
paper money, the conversion OF which
was guaranteed.
Imprisoned As a Spy.
81 was imprisoned for three weeks on
suspicion of being a spy. Our greatest
| troubles were getting food. clothes and
news Of the outside world. Every day
we had to go out to buy our food from
the supplies the American Relief Com
! mission sent through Belgium. but IT was
not a great deal. Bread often was I'M
| obtainable. The Germans were in SIM
liar plight
Clothes too came through the RELIEF
committee but the majority of us hat
| to dress az best we could as the Germans
soon after they arrived emptied tn,
shops. To get news OF our relatives WI
had to apply to the Red Cross. I go,
| news of my father on several occasions
but although I often wrote to him
doubt II he got my messages. for he al
ways asked for news
1--WE were supplied with the Gdcctt,
des Ardcnnes. newspaper printed b,
| the Germans in French for the occupied
regions and filled with only what tn,
| Germans wished US to believe About {
year ago became dispirited when reac
! of German successes day after day. bu
| 1t was only momentary. and / used t,
| tell the Germans 1t would come RICH
| for US one day.
! when they left the Germsps seemed
10 think that something had gon,
wrong. We knew nothing OF the Allies
successes and the first indications of tn,
retreat were when the Germans mad,
preparations to evacuate the town.
Threat to Burn Town.
Three days ago we suspected some
thing from the movement Of the Germa,
heavy Artillery. followed by daily with
drawals of light artillery but We knew
nothing except what the soldiers haI
limited Yesterday evening a German
nurse who lived in st, Mlhiel wa
coming here for tea. but an officer Gale,
to tell us that the nurse had gone ava,
and he insisted on taking tea In he
place
He said that the Americans, Of who's
presence in France we had read in tn
Gazette dcs Ardennes. were advancin
| ana the Germans were leaving towi
We were ordered TO stay in after
o'clock In the evening and the threa
was made that the town would be burne
IL we we're caught out OF doors. W
were to leave our houses only betwee
IL and 3 O'Clock to-day to buy food
AN day yesterday the Germans wer
| marching out They left behind tw
engineers VINO blew IN the telcphon
station, but they all were gone al
o'c!ocE. Then We were free. but
was not until three French officers an
forty men arrived at $50 81 'ock tn
next morning tn we dared to brin
out our nation6. nags, The peopl
wept for JOY when they saw the Frenc
troops, crowded around them, excited
shaking hands and crying 'Vlve
France (" Fl"