Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-15
GERMAN VANDALS
WRECK ALL N0Y0N
Realizing They Are MOTTO Re-
turn, Destroy Nearly All
Of Buildings.
THEIR ACTS SHOW SPITE
ny PAUL AYREs ROCKWELL.

BY PAUL AYRES ROCKWELL.
Cableeram to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1918.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. Sept
TENDER 14.-The Germans fulfilled the
threat they made when they were
driven from Noyon by the French.
They then declared that they would
destroy the historic little city before
they retired from the region imme-
diately to the north.
I entered Noyon a few days ago
with Senator Noel, the city's mayor,
and walked all about the streets with
him examining the damage: Tnere Is
not one structure in all of Noyon that
has escaped injury by fire or shell or
both.
wrecked, Perhaps 10 per cent may
nossibly be repaired and made disable,
hnt what remains standing OF the
90 per cent must be pulled down
and carried away and buiIdlng De re-
mmenced from the cellar upward.
Search for Death Traps.
IT was quite by accident that I was
nermitted to enter Noyon. Ever since
the zouaves and tirailleurs drove the
invaders from the city entrance 70
Noyon has been forbidden 10 an say az
the military engineers. who are are
charged with searching the ruins for
mines and death traps which captured
Germans declared had been placed an
about the town. saw g MESSAGE
wednesday night from Gen: Hum.
bert's information ofiicer stains, my t tnto
II was b srlii I decided to visit the u
entity and push forward II posslnle
along the Noyon-Ham road toward
Guiscard.
tional highway from Compeigne, over
wa ,.lIn have ebbed and flowed since
August, 1914, and along which count
Loss battles were fought even before
the history of France began. Com
pielgne and Noyon were important
garrison camps during Roman Gays;
The route connecting them followed
The Disc river. the same as today.
Warnings on Signs.
We arrived at the city limits OF
principal streets leading to the cen
ter Of the city, was blocked by huge
wooden signboards on which was
marked in two-foot-high black let
tiers. mines. Danger de mort. De.
Tense d'entrer." ('Mines Danger OF
death. Entrance fo forbid a;g ,; sqSe
This one was riddled by bullets: 1t
was a relic Of the. invasion; Ger
man road sign directing conveys TO,
ward Guiscard, Chauny, Ham and
other places. .,.o.
elderly and rather pathetic civilians
and several French officers. We de-
scended from the automobile to in
o,1ire for news of the battle raging
ahead, having no hope Of entering
Noyon itself. But two of the civil
ians were Senator Noel ana ms 40
joiant," or assistant mayor. NJ Jouve.
They were just preparing to enter
the city for the first time since 1t
was freed from the Germans. One OF
the officers said that a few minutes
previously he had received orders that
war correspondents accredited to the
French armies be allowed entrance
We were invited to join the party
which comprised the first persons not
members of Gen. Humbert's army to
re-enter Noyon.
Closely Bound to America.
.Noyon feels closely bound to Amer
ica," said Mayor Noel. America aided
the city in many ways following its
Noyon was the first city in France to
float the United States flag over the
city hall after America entered the
war, the flag having been presented
to us by the city of Washington"
We walked between two rows Of roof
less, crumbling. piles Of brick and
stone that once had sheltered some OF
Noyons 1000 Inhabitants before the
war. The streets were almost block
ed with rubbish. although paths had
been cleared over the worst spots.
when a town is carried by as
sault, inevitably certain amount OF
damage is done about which one can
not complain, for during war there
is such thing as military necessity
said the mayor. But the army that
deliberately wreaks destruction upon
city is composed only of barba-
rians. Photographs made by aviators
who flew low over Noyon the morn
ing our troops recaptured the city
show many buildings and streets al
most intact. Look at the city to.
dayr
Every day since the Germans were
forced to leave Noyon their heavy
and light guns have shelled the City
airplanes have dumped quantities OF
bombs upon 1t. We examined the city
hospital, the asylum for the aged and
various schools. All were entirely
wrecked. The official residence of the
mayor, an imposing stone structure
had been partially blown in and there
were shell holes in the walls, but
1t is possible to repair the building.
Calvin Birthplace Wrecked.
The house in which John Calvin was
born has been blasted by shells and
flames and is unrecognizable.
The mayors voice shook with pain
full emotion when we arrived at the
Hotel de Vile. "Ah, my poor Hotel
de Ville!' he exclaimed. The facade
alone remains erect of the fifteenth
century structure that was Noyon's
most beautiful and the city's pride
The carvings that ornamented the
facade were disfigured and broken,
The earth and bricks in the streets
of Noyon were still stained yellow
where the mustard gas still chung
Every little way an upfurned space
marked where mine had been un.
earthed by the engineers who were
busy searching the streets and build
ings that we passed.
|AUSTRIANS SAY ALLIES
EMPLOY POWERFUL GAS
Vienna Paper, IN Explaining Re
suits, Declares "Huge Flames