Evening star., 1918-06-17
CITY OF COMP|ECNE IS
TOPIC OF WAR BULLETIN
Geographic Society Discusses Mu-
nicipality Along Line of Huns
Attempted Advance.

Compiegne, the most important city
along the line Of the attempted ad.
vance of the Germans on the Noyon-
Montdidier front, is the subject Of the
following war geography bulletin is
sued recently from the Washington
headquarters of the National Geo
graphic Society:
Situated on the southeast bank Of
the River Disc. just mile below it's
confluence with the Aisne, the city Of
Compiegne, with population Of H.
900 at the outbreak of the war. is
fifty-two miles by rail northeast of
Paris, on the Paris-St. Quentin rail-
way, forty-five miles southeast of
Amiens and twenty-five miles west of
Soissons.
"It is one Of the most interesting
cities in this part of France, having
been known as Compendium in the
days of Clovis. It's beautiful location
on the northwestern fringe of the
a favorite country residence Of many
French monarchs. The forest, which
contains more than $4,000 acres and
is f1fty-efght miles in circumference,
was for centuries a great royal hunt.
ing preserve.
Palace Well Preserved.
"It was Louis XIV who commits
cent palace, which is still well pre-
served, and 1t was that monarch who
here welcomed Marie Antoinette. the
Inflated daughter of Maria Theresa,
5e whea sa brd the Of ags &c Of
the future Louis XVI. 1t was here
also that that other Austrian princess,
Marie Louise. spent her brief but
happy honeymoon with Napoleon l..
As an evidence Of the emperor's in-
fatuation for his bride Gan infatua-
ton which caused Metternich to
write that he is SO evidently in love
with her that he cannot conceal his
feelings and all his customary ways
wishes). there is still to be seen in
the park surrounding the palace an
iron trellis which he ordered built
to remind the nineteen-year-ol
empress of her favorite trellis at
This incident 10 reminiscent of the
devotion displayed by the BabyIonian
king who built one Of the seven won
ders of the world-the hanging gar
dens-in order that his bride might
not be without her native mountain
scenery even on the plains Of the
Euphrates.
ut was at Compiegne that one Of
the saddest episodes in French his
tory occurred-the capture of Joan
of Arc by the Burgundians in 1890.
followed by her martyrdom at the
stake just twelve months later at
Rouen.
Industrial Town Before War.
Before the war Compiegne was
an Industrial town of considerable
Importance. its chief activities being
bodybuilding, ropemaking, distilling
and the manufacture Of chocolate.
machinery, sacks. chemicals and hats.
It also carried on q thriving river
borne traffic in timber and coal. and
its asparagus farms were famous.
'Tn 1914 Compiegne offered q stern
resistance to the Prussians. and in
the Franco -Prussian conflict Of 1870
1871 1t was one OF the headquarters
Of the German army.
Now and for all time to come
| Compiegne will be dear to the hearts
Of the French people, not because
| It was once a favorite residence of
Louis XIV, Louis XVI, Napoleon I,
Louis Philippe and Napoleon III. but
| because on Christmas eve. 1894. there
was born here Georges Guynemer,
| ace of aces the foremost airman
| of France. who before his tragic
death at the age of twenty-three
had won every honor that his grate-
| full country could bestow upon the
| AAfondarn