Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-14
SCARLET WOMAN SAVED
TOWN FROM DESTRUCTION
Heroine Gave Timely Warning
That Roulers Had Been Mined
by Germans.

Bryn Mawr, Pa, Jan. 1f.--~Major
Anthony J.. Geyelin. the first American
TO enter lille after it was evacuated by
the Germans, arrived nj Bryn Mawr
Saturday night. In an interview he
described the American system of trnns-
portation Of troops and supplies IN France.
He was in the Railroad Transport Service
under Major General W w. Atterbury, n
former Pennsylvania official. The story
OF how the Americans took hold OF the
tremendous jon OF handling long line oi
communications ia not the least oi tho big
stories OF the war, but il was mn incident
which had nothing whatever to do with
the railroads that impressed Major
Geyelin.
II was a big-little story--the story Of
the heroine" who saved Roulers and
the Allied trooe who entered 1t after the
German retirement, from being blown to
eternity.
"As the Germans were driven back,
Major Geyclin explained, the rapid move
ments Of tho armies took them further
and further away from the railroads,
Was sent to the British and French fronts
tn see how they were dealing with this
situation how they were pushing their
rail lines ahead We wanted TO learn
from them, for the American armies, like
wise. were getting away from us.
That trip took me into the territory
most devastated by the wrr. II WAS worst
around Ypres. There were no roads no
towns Just piles OF powdered bricks and
mortar and perhaps sign bearing the
name of q town or village thar bad once
been there.
"We went out under barrage and
watched the British build bridge Of
boats across tho Lya. with the shells rain
ing all around Sometimes our machine
had To get of Che vestige of n road and
go around shell crates through field.
Once we almost pumped into the Ger
man lines Thcrr was an observation bal
loon Of the Germans thero and they spot
ted us and piece Of shell hit the top of our
car
'tBv chance | wns the first American
officer to enter Lille and VIC found il TO be
the first town they had evacuated with
cut destroying II was Just after Presl-
dent Wilson s note IN which he declared
that no one could treat with an enemy who
continued the wanton destruction ot
critics and towns and still protested n dc
sire for peace The city was looted thor
oughlv and systematically. All their loot
ing and destruction was systematic and
directed
What one saw in Lille is Understandable
the JOY OF the people at their deliver
anoe was something beyond words aud
when they learned that was an American
they surrounded our car and would not
let us go They even got up a reception
by the mayor and his cabinet and
sirned The first name IN a big book they
provided Tor the names Of their deliver
ers. Americans had saved Lille from
starvation. so the attitude OF the people
toward tho first American To enter their
city may bc readily understood We
found just six days supply Of food in the
city and every bit of it was food that had
beer provided by the Belgian Relief Com
mission.
Two days Ic ore they evacuated.
Major Geyelin said, the Germans moved
out the entire civilian population and IN
the meantime cleaned up all he loot
they could Then thtv mined the town and
the civilians were permitted Ia return
This brought cut the story OF the
heroine of Roulers, as Major Geyelin
learned il while he was in the place.
She was woman OF the streets who
had been friendly with the Germans
during their long occupancy and she WAS
twice an outcast among her own people
30 the Germans trusted her and she knew
where dozen German officers were hid
den to do the work of exploding the mines
when the time came
II was nice plan. which would kill 2
good many soldiers, Of course, and the
old men and women and children who
remained III RoulerS would be killed also