The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-11-26
CERMAN TROOPS
|BEHEAD MAJOR
lIdIers Abandon Cannon and
Fehlcles and Start on Rush
Toward Rhine.
ToRY or Ex.PRIsoNER
|hilip Rosen, of New York,
Tells of Cruelties to Pris-
oners in Germany.
(By Henry G. Wales. J

Wy AiCuIy VI. w dlcS.J
Paris, Nov. 26.-Q. N. S.)-Ma-
pinegunner Philip Rosen. of New
fork City. Ninth infantry, who was
aptured while defending the Marne
ridgehead at Chateau Thierry on
nne 7, during the marines attack
~ Belleau Wood. was the first of
the liberated American prisoners to
ARRIVE in Paris. His own uniform
had been shot away before he was
9aptured. and he was attired in a
french uniform when he reached this
4ty.
N Rosen was wounded four times in
lis bitter struggle, bullets penetrat-
,o)g his legs and stomach, and he re-
ined consciousness in a German
y }Dspital In Laon, where he was at
nded by a captured British colonel
Drgeon.
in five weeks Rosen's wounds had
pt yet fealed, but he was evacuated
)om the hospital because the Ger
x)ans were emptying all their hospi-
us preparatory to the July is Of
xnsive.
|t'{The American, who could not then
leak word of French, was sent
~ prison camp at Bruyeres. along
nth 1900 French, and it did not
IKE him long to pick the French
language. and learn to talk 1t like
III native.
|A Dawn to Darkness.
III Rosen was put to work and from
|&hwn to darkness he handled am.
|Jhunition and supplies. When the
|Derman drive failed and the allies
|1egan their counter attack on July
|1S, the prisoners were put to work
l1igging reserve trenches.
In September the American was
lent back to Mont Cornet. where he
Mas kept at work continuously dig
ling reserve lines.
RI The day before the armistice was
|signed (Nov 10); British airman
|who had been bombing Marionburg. |
Milling many Germans, was shot !
down and he informed Rosen that |
the truce was to be signed the fol-
lowing day.
At o'clock on Nov. II, the Ger
nan commander announced that hos !
Mites would cease, and that prison. |
RS would be released.
M The French captives waited for the
erving of. rations, but not Rosen.
ie started for freedom on the jump
Ind Immediately began passing the
|rhe bcches, thinking that Rosen was
Frenchman, gave him food.
Prussia Major Beheaded.
At Bailleul, Rosen saw German
hoops behead n Prussian major and
every hand artillerymen' and
Ansport drivers were cut ling traces
"a abandoning their cannon and
v&hicles.
Eoldiers drove off all the livestock
luwards the Rhine and gathered up
Ru the poultry. Other liberated cap
lives Joined Rosen and soon there
Was quite a party. Most Of them
we're in their bare feet but the for
ner machinegunner was able to Sc
cure n pair of boots from a dead
German soldier.
Crosses Frontier.
Rosen crossed the front IN the
Capelle sector where the
herman armistice envoys had ira
perscd the lines. On the journey he
baw a German shoot down a starv-
ng Frenchman for pulling up beet
Eoots. 1t was hike of 1875 miles
but the American finally finished 1t
II st. Quentin. There he was for
innate enough to get lift on an
american army motortruck as far rs
Eompiegne. Thence to Paris he
Travelled by train.
"The Germans did OF treat me ,
Inv worse than they did the others,
Tut then they thought | was French.
wing to my uniform" said Rosen.
The British got the worst treat
hent of all. The Itali rs and Rus
|ians were ignored. They had neither
bod nor clothing, and fought like
lamp dogs for bits Of grub. I never
aw another American prisoner dur
ng my captivity. They made us
|andle shells and dig trenches so
lear to the front that frequently we
gere under fire. But as the others
tood for it, so did I.
Lost Their Nerve.
"The Germans lost their nerve
npidly after July. The under Off
ers and enlisted men seemed to be
waiting the end. i
"At night 1t was terrible, with the !.
british bombing airplanes just rails ,,
hg hell everywhere. Food was scarce :
md bad, hut we got used to 1t and
suppose we got about the same as q
he German soldiers themselves"
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