Omaha daily bee., 1918-11-13
The Capture of Sedan
New York Times.

| Trlcolor stirS the blood OF AfnerlSahs we siai
| always honor the name OF Lafayette and oui
gratitude for the aid of France in the dark days
| when the young republic was fighting its way
| into the light will never die. 1t has fallen to
! troops of the United States under Pershing to
be the first to enter Sedan in the great offensive
of the western allies before which the Germans
have been retreating to their frontier, leaving
thousands of prisoners and great spoil OF guns
in the hands of the French, British, Belgians,
Americans, one of the most disastrous retire
ments in history
1t seems only the other day that Pershlng
stood at the grave of the Frenchman so be-
loved of Washington, and spoke those words
that will always be memorable: We have
come, Lafayettew For 48 years "revanche' for
the woe they suffered at Sedan has been written
on the hearts of Frenchmen. The word has
been synonym for the defeat, humiliation, and
abasement that the Germans inflicted upon a
proud nation in the war of 1870. Who could
have dreamed in all the intervening years OF
waiting and forbearance that it would not be
the Tricolor, but the Stars and Stripes of the
ally of the American revolution which the eyes
of Frenchmen living in Sedan would see stream
ing in victorious battle above their town in the
war wa that was to settle the long score with Ger
many? To Americans as well as Frenchmen
what thrill there is in the news contained IN
Mr.. James dispatch to the Times
In the First army's remarkable six days ad-
vance of 40 kilometers it not only liberated 100
French villages and several thousand civilians,
but also captured the city of Sedan liberating
5000 French folk. 1t also cut the main German
railroad system of communication from the
western front through Luxembourg. Moreover,
the Americans have driven the German Fifth
and Third armies, which were holding the pivot
of the whole front, in full retreat"
To the mind of every American soldier so
fortunate as to take part in the glorious entry
into Sedan must have occurred the contrast be-
tween the rout of the Germans, which he was
witnessing, and their arrogant triumph in those
days of August 1870, so somber for France. By
forced marches the Third and Fourth German
armies had taken positions between Metz,
where Bazaine was shut up, and Chalons, and
the Germans had pressed MacMahon's army
back toward the Belgian frontier. foiling his at
days of fierce fighting, MacMahon decided to
make stand at Sedan then fortress. and he
occupied the heights surrounding it on the west,
north and east The Germans outnumbering
the French two to one encircled MacMahon's
army. Battle was joined on September l, Wurt-
temberg troops blocking French retreat upon
Mezieres, and the Bavarians Saxons, Prussians,
and the Kings Guard attacking the whole
French line. Few battles have been so brief
and decisive. After carrying the village of
Bazeilles the Germans brought their heavy ar
tillery 500 guns, to the heights above Sedan
and began to be mbard the town. to which the
French had fallen back On the second day
Napoleon III, who was with the l-starred
French army, raised the white flag. Two thou-
sand, nine hundred officers and $4,000 men laid
down their arms; the French emperor became
prisoner and with this disaster the second
empire fell.
There is no fortress of Sedan to- surrender
today A residential and industrial place now,
it is to be hoped that the retreating Germans
have spared its churches the college, museum
and the remains of the castle of the 18th CEN
fury. The battle for Sedan by the Americans
began, it MAY be said on September 26. and in
an advance of "a miles the fighting has been of
desperate character. For sentimental as well
as for strategic reasons the Germans have
fought hard to keep the enemy from across the
sea out of Sedan. Lines of communication be-
tween Metz and Belgium have been cut by the
American victory, which must have cost the
Germans far greater losses than the French suf-
fered in the Chalons- Sedan campaign.
Sedan now means to Germany disaster that
has eclipsed the triumph of 1870 Americans,
who were supposed to be impotent to transport
armies across the Atlantic, have been the in
struments of the revenge for which the French
had longed.