Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-14
FRENCH FLAME AGAINST ENEMY

port upon them. and after that all the
machinery was removed and much of
II was broken and rhe industry Of the
people was ruined.
A few days ago there were heart
rending scenes when 5000 males be-
tween the ages of rourteen and sixty
were sent away further into the German
linee. They were assembled In the
chief square, where they carried little
parcels and handbags, and from their
wives and mothers and children there
rose loud waillng and the men wept as
they embraced those who were dear to
them, and there was agony of human
hearts
why write any more? There reaches
me the astounding news that Germany
has surrendered. II this be true. and
I can hardly believe II, because after
nil these years of war the Imagination
cannot adapt itself to the belief of such
n sudden ending. there will be no need
70 write any more of these horrors. but
benceforth there will be joy of record
ing the gradual healing of the heart OF
the world and getting back to life after
ali this death, and the memorial or all
| that heroic youth which has fallen in
| the gaining of this victory by which
| liberty comes to us again, and. justice
| is done.
seIle River Crossed
Tn order to cover It's retreat and pre-
vent our forcing the pace too hard along
| those crowded roads, where It's transport
| 10 etrun- hack in twisted knots of traf-
| ac. slashed by our gunfire and harassed
by our flying men, the German COM
! mand ordered their rear-guard troops
70 hold out TO the death on the RIVER
Selle. east of Cambria. and there during
the last two days our men have peen
irving to force a passage to the FUR
ther bank.
Saturday, after stubborn and heroic
efforts not less astonishing in human
courage than the storming OF the Scheldt
Canal, they achieved their purpose, and
the river is theirs and they are on the
high bank beyond.
This River Selle does not look !m-
portant on the map, and Its name Is un-
| familiar, but for the enemy 1t was
strong defensive position, because It's
banks are cut very sharply down TO the
stream, twenty feet wide and hVe rect
deep, which winds around the villages
| of Solesmes. Briastre. Neuville, lie "a
teau, st. Denim and Neuville-St. Sou
plet, each one of these places having
/
held this line in strength, with field ar
| tillery supporting them, and all tRe ad-
| vantage of ground was on their side.
our troops were West Ridings and
| East Yorks, Lancashire Fusiliers and
Manchestors. Some IF these men had
| fought their way toward the river by
| series Of small battles, very fierce whlie
| they lasted, in and around the villages
of Clary. Caudry and Betry, where the
| cavalry worked with them.
A Scottish battalion marched fifteen
| miles and fought twelve before reaching
| the River Selle. 1t passed through
the Welsh troops. who have won high
honor by their long progress and terrihc
| staying power. and took Clary after
| sharp battle at o'clock on the morn
| ing Of october 8. Our men reacneo
! Betry at O'Clock in the afternoon
and the neighboring village of Troisviile'
with assistance from the cavalry. They
| then pushed on to Neuville. and the
banks of the River Selle. Here they
realized the deadly nature of'th ground
ahead of them, where that wide ribbon
of water curled beneath sharp-cut banks
upon which the enemy was In strehgth
with massed machine guns.
| For a time they could do nothing IN
face of that fire, but they had orders
| to get across, and they set about the
| iob like many of their comrades north
and south of them, faced with the same
| nroblem, The river was strewn Win
tree trunks cut down by the Germans
and some of the men got across py
creeping out on these logs among noat'
ing brush-wood, and others waded across
nm 70 their necks in the water. but they
had to come back because OF the hail
from the machine guns.
| In the night. between dusk and dawn.
they made bridges between Montighy ana
| Neuvilly. covered by the Worcesters, ana
| in the morning the Highlanders ana
others stormed the passage OF the Selle
and fought their way up to the heights
on the further banks and had desperate
/ fighting on the railway between Ameri-
val and Neuvilly, tx the German main
line of resistance.
Further north. above Neuvilly, the
Lancashire Fusiliers, Manchesters and
West Ridings had succeeded in crossing
the stream by wading and log-crawi'
ing under a frightful sweep of bullets
and found many Germans in camou'
flaged trench on the o;ner bank. They
cut their way through, smashing dowr
new wire and went on 500 yards to the
railway, killing many of the enemy
and taking nearly fifty prisoners.
A little further north. still the York
shire troops. who had crossed the river
the day before, had to come back a:
best they could under fierce counter-at