Evening star., 1918-07-28
BY PAUL AYREs RoCKWELL,

Ok PAUL Ak yhES HOChWELL.
Cablesfam to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1918.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. July
24.-The full story of the second Ger
man invasion south of the Marne and
of how the Huns forced their way
across the river at q reckless cost
in human lives. only to be obliged a
few days later to beat a humiliating
retreat. will probably never be told.
although it furnishes dramatic pages
in the history of this war
On Monday visited the largest
portion of the region south of the
Marne SO lately occupied by the
enemy and which had not yet been
cleared of the debris of battle. 1
walked along the principal lines of
combat and talked with the men who
faced the Germans here.
It was only after repeAted and ter
rife efforts that the enemy was able
to cross the Marne on both sides of
Dormans, July Is. The French troops
on the north bank resisted until the
last man had been overwhelmed by
the waves of charging "feldgrauen."
Battling to the Death.
The following episode is charac-
teristic Of the manner in which the
French fought:
Commandant Fargo Of the 251st
Infantry found himself and two COM
panies Of men surrounded in Mel
lerai hamlet and Basieux village by
the German advance. The COM
mandant sent a carrier pigeon mes
sage to the divisional headquarters
stating:
"7:30 ja.m.-Am encircled but hold
ing out. Boche infltration Is going
on by way of Baalieux. Have artil-
lery fire. Senegalese wood cut down
and carried away by the enemy. No
news from Cuisles. At the present
moment our 15ss are firing some
line in Coheke wood. Fargo"
During seven more hours the va
liant commander, fully realizing the
desperateness of his plight, resisted
as he had promised. At the end of
this time he saw that resistance was
was exhausted and the Germans were
preparing for assault.
Just as the enemy was entering the
village Commandant Fargo sent his
last carrier pigeon asking the French
artillery to fire upon the Germans and
himself. Few messages are more
moving than this:
$3.50 p.m.-The boches are upon US.
We are lost but have accomplished
fine task. Have the artillery fire
upon Coheke and Baslieux. Enemy
groups are altering in along the north
edges of Rodemat wood. Fargo"
Huns Lost With Bridges.
Having overcome by force OF NUM-
bers just such defense all along the
north banks Of the MArne, the Gers
mans concentrated q stupendous can
non FIRE on the opposite bank. They
threw across the river more than
twenty boat bridges, and hastened
men across under heavy French ar
tillery fire and rain of bombs from
allied aeroplanes.
Several bridges were destroyed while
crowded with Germans, but thousands
reached the south bank. The French
held Bourdonnerie. plateau, but in fill
tering through the ravines on both
sides the position was carried after
a tremendous hand-to-hand fight.
lie Breuil village was the German
objective. but the French held off the
enemy along the line of the brook
of La Chapelle Mont Helon. Ameri-
can infantrymen and engineers also
took part in the defense.
The survivors of the company gar
risQning a slope near the river bank
were surrounded by the foe, but they
decided not to surrender. Hiding in
a wheat field, they let the enemy
pass and then attacked from behind