Class. Book COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT +J 1-1 H Oh MO 4) Pi ,£ ft SM s £ <3 C« lift a o ffl ■o 5 u a +-* a) 1 « s O .— i H S o ' © International News Service. 1. Belgian Riflemen on Road to Louvain, Awaiting Coming of Germans. 2. Mealtime for Belgian Defenders in the Field near Diest. Copyright by Underwood & Underwood. N. Y. 1. Servian Soldiers in the Trenches. 2. British Grenadier Guards Off for the Front. Most Terrible Conflict in History THE GREAT WAR in EUROPE Graphic Account of the Causes, Issues, and Operations of the Mighty Struggle for National Existence, Racial Independence, and Commercial Supremacy, Which Has Paralyzed Civilization. By Thomas H. Russell, A. M., LL. D. Noted Historical and Military Writer, Member American Historical Association, etc. With Introduction By Bishop Samuel Fallows, D. D., LL. D. Famous Civil War Chaplain, Chairman of the World Peace Movement, Chaplain Blue and Gray League, etc. Thrilling Stories of Modern Battles Involving Armies, Fleets and Aircraft Illustrated With Nearly 100 Actual Photographs from the Scenes of Strife. Copyright, 1914, BY J. R. PEPER NOV -9 1914 1 ~* C1.A388295 in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 1 DEDICATED | a a a a To the Cause of World-wide Peace, in rji a the belief that a recital of the horrors of a H War must lead to a conviction of its ab- [=j [■] solute injustice to the masses or civihza- 3 tion, who are the innocent sufferers from pj its frightful ravages and the willful waste pj of national resources by methods that reflect little credit upon Christian nations !=J in the Twentieth Century. H a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a -liiiiifii- T H E> COLORS. ICODyrlcM: ISM: By John.T. McOutoIieoo.) ' ,- .-.-.-.■, -^p^i-- JgJ*- ' "'-'. ■ ' - ' - .;.■ " •*.-■ .:■• -~ :-:'^.-- -^"^-^ v '^M'&ruae" ~ Black are -the Fields when the cannons cease r And White for evenawe, 6 -Chicago Tribune PREFACE In these days of tremendous action in Europe the public is eager for all forms of information regarding the momen- tous events that crowd the days — too eager to be content to await the conclusion of peace before studying the underlying causes of the widespread war and the records of its progress at every stage. It is therefore timely to present a volume like this, dealing with the conditions that have produced the European crisis of 1914, with the mighty issues at stake for almost every Old World country, and with the developments of the military and naval operations throughout the territory affected. In doing so, due regard has been had to the super-seriousness of the subject from every standpoint. In warfare, as in most other human affairs, there are always two or more sides to every story. The endeavor has been so to present the various sides in this book as to enable the reader to arrive at a fair judgment of the present situation and of the possibilities which the future has in store for the nations now locked in the deadliest struggle of ancient or modern times. Under the new modern conditions of warfare it is a task of vastly greater difficulty than ever before to record its vicissi- tudes, especially those of a war so colossal in its proportions and so tremendous in its import as that which has shaken the powers of Europe to their foundations and threatens more than one mighty throne, more than one national existence. But far sooner after the beginning of hostilities in 1914 than in any former struggle between great world powers the 7 8 PREFACE contending forces came into actual contact with each other and the tale of horror began to pierce the double veil of mili- tary secrecy and censorship. The first bloody engagements in Belgium were reported within a few days after the German advance began. The French forces were active in their lost provinces of Alsace and Lorraine within a week, and Serb- Austrian engagements were of daily occurrence. Before thirty days had elapsed stories of the actual occurrences behind the screen came from a multitude of sources besides the official reports. From the wounded and the escaping strag- glers, from the home letters of officers and soldiers in the field, from correspondents permitted to visit the blood-stained battlefields, from the victors in the various engagements, from fleeing peasants and other non-combatants, and, above all, from the triumphant parades and onward pressing of the early conquerors, it became possible to gather and piece together the actual story of the war. And as the days went by and the mighty forces engaged in the east and in the west of the vast arena fought and bled and died in continuous strife, the material needed by the chronicler came rapidly to hand, so that it could be acceptably presented in a shape of permanent value. In view of the fact that the subject is of absorbing interest to all the people of the American Continent, no matter what their origin or nationality may be, this record of the events of the world's greatest war is therefore put forth with some con- fidence that it will meet with wide acceptation and approval. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Introduction 13 I. Causes of the War 19 National and Race Prejudices— The Triple Alliance— The Triple Entente — Teuton vs. Slav — Influence of Russian Diplomacy — Russia vs. Austria — Control of Balkan Sea- ports — England's Commercial Supremacy Challenged by Germany — Assassination of Archduke Fran'cis Ferdinand of Austria by a Serb. II. How War Was Declared 31 Ultimatum by Austria to Servia— War Declared by Austria — Russia Mobilizes— Germany Declares War on Russia — France and England Involved— Germans Enter Belgium- Scenes in European Capitals. m. Armed Forces Involved 47 Strength of the Opposing Armies and Fleets— Millions of Men Under Arms— Attitude of Italy, Turkey and Greece- Organization of an Army— Heavy Artillery Used in the War. IV. The Nations at War 53 Rulers and Heirs Apparent of Countries Engaged— Areas and Populations— Their Exports and Imports, Principal Cities, Etc.— Europe's Map Often Changed— The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 — Japan Enters the War. V. Invasion of Belgium 69 Belgians Rush to Defense of Their Frontier— Towns Bom- barded and Burned— The Defense of Liege— A German Officer's Experience — An Englishman's Story— The Terri- ble Krupp Siege Guns — Destruction of Louvain — Fall of Namur — German Proclamation to Inhabitants. VI. Surrender of Brussels 91 Belgian Capital Occupied by the Germans Without Blood- shed—Important Part Played by American Minister Brand Whitlock— March of the Kaiser's Troops Through the City— Belgian Forces Retreat to Antwerp— Zeppelin Attacks on Antwerp — Dinant and Termonde Fall. 9 10 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE VII. At the German Front 109 Remarkable Story by American War Correspondent of His Visit to General von Boehn's Headquarters in the Field — The German Fighting Machine — The General's Version of Alleged German Atrocities. VIII. Britain Raises an Army 121 Earl Kitchener Appointed Secretary for War — A New Volun- teer Army — Expeditionary Force Landed in France — Field Marshal Sir John French in Command — Colonies Rally to Britain's Aid — The Canadian Contingent — Indian Troops Called For — Native Princes Offer Aid. IX. Early Battles of the War 137 Belgian Resistance to the German Advance — The Fighting at Vise, Haelen, Diest, Aers'chot and Tirlemont — Mons and Charleroi the First Great Battles of the War — Allies Make a Gallant Stand, but Forced to Retire Across the French Border. X. Official German Reports 161 Dispatches of the Wolff Telegraphic Agency, as Given to the German People During the March on Paris — Reports of Military and Naval Operations from the Standpoint of the German General Staff. XI. German Advance on Paris 174 Allies Withdraw for Ten Days, Disputing Every Inch of Ground with the Kaiser's Troops — Germans Push Their Way Through France in Three Main Columns — Official Reports of the Withdrawing Engagements — Paris Almost in Sight. XII. Battle of the Marne 184 German Plans Suddenly Changed — Direction of Advance Swings to the Southeast when Close to the French Capital — Successful Resistance by the Allies — The Prolonged En- counter at the Marne — Germans Retreat with Allies in Hot Pursuit for Many Miles. XIII. The Russian Campaign 205 Slow Mobilization of Troops — Invasion of German and Aus- trian Territory — Cossacks Lead the Van — Early Successes in East Prussia — "On to Berlin" — Heavy Losses Inflicted on Austrians — German Troops Rushed to the Defense of the Eastern Territory. CONTENTS 11 CHAPTER XIV. PAGE The Austro-Servian Campaign 228 Declaration of War by Austria — Bombardment of Belgrade — Servian Capital Removed — Seasoned Soldiers of Servia Give a Good Account of Themselves — Many Indecisive Engagements —Servians in Austrian Territory. XV. Military Leaders of Europe 236 Army Commanders and Staff Officers of the Nations at War — The Kaiser and His Family — Earl Kitchener of Khar- toum — Field Marshal Sir John French — King Albert of Belgium — The French Commander-in-Chief — Others in High Command. XVI. Americans in Europe 252 Thousands Stranded in Belligerent Countries When War Came — General Shortage of Funds — Much Suffering and Hardship — Exciting Scenes in London, Paris and Berlin — Uncle Sam Sends Relief Ships and Funds. XVII. Typical Experiences of Wartime 258 Scenes in the Fatherland — Conditions in Rural France — An Eyewitness's Story of the German Advance — Slaughter Fails to Stop Germans — Stories of American Visitors in Warring Countries. XVIII. Attitude of the United States 277 President Wilson's Plea for Calm and Impartial Behavior of Citizens — Proclamation of Neutrality — Early Offer of Mediation — Reception of the Belgian Commission — The National Day of Prayer for Peace. XIX. The Mystery of the Fleets 289 Movements of British Battleships Veiled in Secrecy — German Dreadnoughts in North Sea and Baltic Ports — Activity of Smaller Craft — English Keep Trade Routes Open — Several Minor Battles at Sea. XX. Submarines and Mines 302 Battleships in Constant Danger from Submerged Craft — Opinions of Admiral Sir Percy Scott — Construction of Modern Torpedoes — How Mines Are Laid and Exploded on Contact. XXI. Aero-Military Operations 309 Aerial Attacks on Cities — Some of the Achievements of the Airmen in the Great War — Deeds of Heroism and Daring — Zeppelins in Action — Their Construction and Operation. 12 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XXII. Battle of the Aisne 318 Most Prolonged Encounter in History Between Gigantic Forces — A Far-Flung Battle Line — Germans Face French and British in the Aisne Valley and Fight for Weeks — Armies Deadlocked After a Desperate and Bloody Struggle. XXIII. Fall of Antwerp 345 Great Seaport of Belgium Besieged by a Large German Force — Forts Battered by Heavy Siege Guns — Final Surrender of the City — Belgian and British Defenders Escape — Exodus of Inhabitants — Germans Reach the Sea. XXIV. The Wounded and Prisoners 359 Typical Precautions Used by the German Army — The Sol- dier's First-Aid Outfit — System in Hospital Arrangements — How Prisoners of War Are Treated — Regulations Are Humane and Fair to All Concerned. XXV. The Christmas Ship 367 Plan to Send Santa Claus Gifts From America to War- Stricken Children of Europe — A Widespread Response — Movement Indorsed by Press, Pulpit and Leading Citizens — Approved by Governments of Contending Nations. XXVI. Stories from the Battlefield 375 Thrilling Incidents of the Great War Told by Actual Com- batants — Personal Experiences from the Lips of Survivors of the World's Bloodiest Battles — Tales of Prisoners of War, Wounded Soldiers, and Refugees Rendered Homeless in the Blighted Arena of Conflict. XXVII. Later Events of the War Results of the Battle of the Rivers — Fierce Fighting in Northern France — Developments on the Eastern Battle Front — The Campaign in the Pacific — Naval Activities of the Powers. 409 INTRODUCTION By Bishop Samuel Fallows, D. D., LL. D., Famous Civil War Chaplain and Chairman of the World Peace Movement. "Too long o'er this fair blooming world The Hag of blood has been unfurled, Polluting God's fine day: Whilst, as each maddening people reels, War onward drives his scythed wheels, And, at his horse's bloody heels, Shriek murder and dismay." I arraign war in the name of the ghastly armies of the mangled dead; of the countless devastated and desolate homes; of the millions of broken-hearted, wailing widows fighting a grim and losing battle for bread; of helpless or- phans knowing no father's providence and care; of aged parents left without the strong hand of loving sons on which to lean. I arraign it in the name of the sacks and outrages and massacres which accompany it in so-called Christian lands; of unspeakable brutalities to innocent women and children; of the wanton destruction of venerated structures; of altars desecrated ; of sacred landmarks wiped out ; of art treasures rifled and ruined. I arraign it in the name of our common Humanity; in the name of the Christianity of the Prince of Peace. Israel Zangwill, in stirring, comprehensive lines, attacks the well-known aphorism, "In peace prepare for war." He approaches it mainly on the commercial side : "To safeguard peace we must prepare for war" — I know this maxim ; it was forged in hell. This wealth of ships and guns inflames the vulgar And makes the very war it guards against. 13 14 INTRODUCTION The God of War is now a man of business, With vested interests. So much sunk Capital, such countless callings, The Army, Navy, Medicine, the Church — To bless and bury, Music, Engineering, Red-tape Departments, Commissariats, Stores, Transports, Ammunition, Coaling-stations, Fortifications, Cannon-foundries, Ship-yards, Arsenals, Ranges, Drill-halls, Floating Docks, War-loan Promoters, Military Tailors, Camp-followers, Canteens, War-correspondents, Horse-breeders, Armorers, Torpedo-builders, Pipeclay and Medal Vendors, Big Drum Makers, Gold Lace Embroiderers, Opticians, Buglers, Tent-makers, Banner-weavers, Powder-mixers, Crutches and Cork Limb Manufacturers, Balloonists, Mappists, Heliographers, Inventors, Flying Men, and Diving Demons, Beelzebub and all his Hosts, who, whether In Water, Earth or Air, among them pocket, When trade is brisk, a million pounds a week ! This is true for the world at large. Were there Universal Peace, there would be no need to prepare for War. But swords are not yet beaten into plow-shares nor spears into pruning hooks. The Savage in the human breast has not yet been obliterated. The millenium is not yet here. We have not yet among the peoples of the earth the sentiment voiced by James Bryce, former Ambassador of Great Britain to the United States, that "Our country is not the only thing to which we owe allegiance. We need a spirit which will not only hate war because it is hideous and hellish, but will love and seek peace because it desires the welfare of the peoples." Christian Nations have not yet come around to Lowell's Philosophy : "Ez for war, I call it murder, There you have it plain and flat ; I don 't want to go no further Than my Testament for that." This very hour nearly the whole European world is at war. Christian Kings are hurling millions of men against INTRODUCTION 15 each other in one of the bloodiest wars of the ages. "The whole orb of the earth," as Cicero averred of the Roman Civil War, "is shaken by the tramp of contending hosts." But that orb, convulsed to its core to-day, is another orb than that of ancient times. Interlocked and interrelated are the interests of every man and woman and child in the whole round globe with that gigantic conflict across the seas. The whirligig of time brings about marvelous changes. If "politics makes strange bedfellows," so does war. Eng- land and Prussia were fighting together during the Napo- leonic Wars, and Waterloo was won by their joint forces. During the Crimean War, England and France were fighting against Russia. It was of the English and Scotch and Irish soldiers in that War that Bayard Taylor wrote : "They lay along the battery's side, Beneath the smoking cannon, Brave hearts from Severn and from Clyde, And from the banks of Shannon." To-day England and France and Russia are arrayed against Germany and incidentally against Austria. Every pocket, pantry and palate in the United States is affected. Our medicines, our clothing, as well as our iood, feel its bane- ful influence. Truly the world is one as never before. It is with august sorrow that all true Christians must view this unhappy and unholy War. I do not try to analyze its causes, they may be deep and widespread. Racial feeling, territorial boundaries, competitive commerce, may be among them. Very clearly the maxim, "Live and let live," has been disregarded. It would appear as though solemn treaties be- tween the great contending nations were but cobweb con- tracts, to be crushed in the mad caprice of the hour. The carrying on of the hideous conflict has been with weapons of destruction never used before. Human ingenuity has been put on the rack to devise them. In our great Civil War I saw brave men biting off their cartridges and loading their muskets at the muzzle. 16 INTRODUCTION To-day the rapid-firing guns can mow down scores and even hundreds at a single discharge. Cannon in which a man can hide himself belch forth their ponderous bolts of death. God's pure upper air has been made the scene of deadly combat. Huge monsters of destruction traverse that aerial sea and drop down their explosive, mangling bombs. And to the everlasting disgrace of the twentieth century, it has been stated that bombs have been hurled in the dead of night upon a peaceful, sleeping city in the wide encircling zone of the present war, and have torn in pieces men and women and children. I have just been reading in an old English chronicle of the barbarities practised in the eleventh century by the Danes and Scots and Picts and Saxons and Britons, the progenitors of many of these warring soldiers across the sea. I dare not rewrite the horrible story for American eyes. But a cele- brated chieftain by the name of Oliver, who had some hu- manity in him, gained the contemptuous surname of Burnakal, or the " Preserver of Children," from his dislike to the fa- vorite amusement of his soldiers — that of tossing infants on the points of their spears. "Women were maltreated and mangled. One of my religious periodicals has just recited the horrors of taking a town by storm a hundred years ago. "The blood of the most virtuous husbands and fathers, of the best moth- ers, of gray-haired ancients, of tender infants, stained the walls of the peaceful habitations and streamed out of the houses into the streets." I forbear going further with the terrible tale. This massacre took place in the village of Woerden in Holland. The victims were Dutch ; the murderers were soldiers of France. But in the most advanced century in the world's history, with its Peace Congresses, its Hague Tribunals, its far-flung banner of Missionary effort, its tens of thousands of Christian Pulpits, its world-wide humanitarian impulses, its refined art, its enlightening literature, the barbarous mutilating mis- siles are hurled from the skies, tearing and rending a defense- less # people. And this is done by a Christian Nation to a Christian Nation. This is twentieth-century warfare. Shame INTRODUCTION 17 upon every world Power for permitting it! General Sher- man said, ' ' War is Hell. ' ' But it was of war that had nothing of this character in it. For this is cool, deliberate, demoniacal murder. It has not one single redeeming feature in it. Let it be stopped, and stopped forever! In its relations to these Old "World nations, the United States occupies a unique and peerless position. She is the commanding neutral Power. The result of our stupendous Civil conflict has been the welding together of every portion of our common country, for we are one as we were not before the days of strife. An indissoluble unity of ideas binds us together, one flag of supremacy and glory waves above us. For its honor every drop of American blood and every dollar of American money are pledged. This "Mountain of the Lord's house, established in the top of the mountains and exalted above the hills," has seen all nations flow into it, as beheld thousands of years ago in Isaiah's prophetic vision. Every nation warring to-day had its representative fifty years ago fighting * l to keep our coun- try on the map of the earth, and our flag in heaven. ' ' Millions of them have come since to our shores. We have given them a cordial welcome. They are being fused into one mighty homogeneous whole. Events have proved that while they have not lost sympathy with the land of their nativity and with their kin now fighting in the European War, they are Americans, first and last. They are heeding the President's appeal not to break the American Nation's solidarity as a neutral Power by over- zealous advocacy of the position of any of the contending hosts. • # • One of the most gladdening and practical conceptions for the happiness of the children who are sufferers from the great European war now raging, is the Christmas ship to sail from our loved America to the lands beyond the sea. It is to go freighted with the gifts of love and sacrifice, to cheer the hearts and homes of the many, many thousands made desolate by this terrible conflict. 18 INTRODUCTION The movement began as a purely local one in the city of Chicago. It has now become national and international in its scope. It has not only been enthusiastically received by the pulpit and press throughout the land and by various human- itarian and benevolent organizations representing all faiths and shades of opinion, but by other neutral nations besides our own. The idea is an epoch-making one. It is fully carrying out the Spirit of Him Who came as a littie child among men, Who took little children up in His arms and blessed them, Whose advent in the world was heralded by the Angelic (Jhoir with songs of ''Peace on earth and goodwill to men." Surely the angels will help convoy this vessel to its destina- tion ! What untoid expressions of gladness and thankfulness will rise from the hearts to the lips of the saddened ones who shall receive the benefactions! Rainbows of hope and trust shall gleam from the widow's tears, and Heaven itself shall be reflected in the sparkle and glow of childish eyes. Fill the vessel then to the full with timely gifts. With them send the fervent prayer for Peace founded upon righteousness. Let it be a prayer for a world-wide peace that the prophecy of our own beloved Longfellow may be fulfilled among every nation, kindred, people and tongue : "Peace, and no longer from its brazen portals, The blasts of war 's great organ shake the skies ; But beautiful as songs of the immortals, Love's holy melodies arise. ^»awgg^^gg»«*g ?£,*£" Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 1. Servian Red Cross Nurses Ministering to the Wounded. 2. German Ambulance Corps at Work After a Battle. © International News Service. 1. French Cuirassier Being Fed by Belgian Woman. 2. Major Richardson of the British Army and Two of His Bloodhounds Used to Find Wounded Soldiers on Belgian Battlefields. Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. BELGIAN SOLDIERS IN DEEP TRENCHES AT HOFRTADE— MANY MILES OF SIMILAR TRENCHES WERE OCCUPIED BY THESE GALLANT DEFENDERS OF THEIR COUNTRY (c) Sun Printing and Publishing Assn. HIGHLANDERS, HOLDING ON TO THE STIRRUPS OF THE SCOTS GREYS, CHARGING WITH THE CAVALRY IN THE BATTLE AT ST. QUENTIN CHAPTER I CAUSES OF THE WAR National and Race Prejudices — The Triple Alliance — The Triple Entente — Teuton vs. Slav — Influence of Russian Diplomacy — Russia vs. Austria — Control of Balkan Seaports England's Commercial Supremacy Chal- lenged by *ermany — Assassination of Archduke Fran- cis Ferdl nd of Austria by a Serb. WITHIN" tJue space of less than a week from August 1, 1914, five of the six "great powers" of Europe became involved in a war that quickly developed into the greatest and most sanguinary struggle of all time. The European conflagration, long foreseen by statesmen and diplo- mats, and dreaded of all alike, had broken out. Beg^ning with the thunder of Austrian guns at Belgrade, the revei "ations of war were heard in every capital of the Old World. Austria's declaration of war against Servia was followed by the alignment of Germany with its Teuton neigh- bor against ti, forces of Russia, France and England. Italy alone, of the sL\ great powers, declined to align itself with its formal allies a-id made a determined effort at the outset to maintain its neutrality. Soon tb" v '"?hways of Europe resounded with the hoof- beats and'the uamp of marching hosts, with the rattle of arms and the rumble of artillery. Of such a war, once begun, no man could preset the end. But the world realized that it was a catastrophe of unparalleled proportions, a failure of civiliza- tion in its stronghold, a disaster to humanity. For more than forty years the great powers of Europe had ^een at peace with one another. Though war had threatened now and then, diplomacy had avoided the actual outbreak. Br.t that the dreaded conflict was inevitable had long been 19 20 CAUSES OF THE WAR recognized. For its coming immense armaments had been pre- pared, until the burdens of taxation laid upon the people had become in themselves a source of danger. But behind it all and the cause of all was the thirst for aggrandizement of empire, political, military, and commercial, and the mutual fear and jealousy of kings. Ranged on opposite sides and thus striving to maintain the ''balance of power," stood the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, and the Triple Entente of Russia, France, and England, watching each move of the other with suspicion, and ominously greeting each attempt to acquire new territory or to better commercial and strategic facilities by the control of a port or a trade route, with the savage rattle of the sword in the scabbard. THE CONTROL. OF SEAPORTS For generations Austria and Russia have struggled in an intricate diplomatic game for the control of Balkan seaports on the Mediterranean. The Balkan States have been the pawns and have moved at the will of their masters. Lying directly across Austria's commercial route to the iEgean by way of the Sanjak of Novi Bazar to Salonica, Servia inter- poses a bitter curb to Austria's dream of commercial and political aggrandizement. For this reason, Russia is Servia 's ally and supports it in every move. The destruction of Servia by Austria would mean the political and military control by Austria of the great route to Salonica and Constantinople. This could not be counte- nanced by Russia without war. Allied with Austria stood Ger- many and Italy, both with great interests in the Balkans, and ready at any cost to exclude Russia from the Mediterranean. With Russia in the Triple Entente were France and England, France eager to leap at the throat of Germany to regain Alsace-Lorraine and to wipe out the bitterness of defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, and England seeking but a pretext to check the growing power of Germany, which threat- ened her supremacy. Thus Europe stood with drawn sword watching the conflict beyond the Save. CAUSES OF THE WAR 21 AMBITIONS OF SERVIA Then came the recent Balkan Wars, and their outcome was viewed with alarm. Austria uneasily watched the approach of Servia to the Adriatic and the .ZEgean. The formation of the new new autonomous state of Albania, between Servia and the Adriatic, was all that prevented Austria from attacking Servia during that crisis. The terms of peace left the situa- tion, as it concerned Austria and Russia, practically as it had been. Austria made no further progress toward the sea, and Russia remained the ally of Servia. Bulgaria had failed in its efforts to reach Salonica. At this stage another element exerted its influence. Servia awoke to the possibility of a Greater Servia. An Empire of the Slavs had long been dreamed of. In Austria-Hungary itself millions of Slavs were dreaming of it and awaiting the disruption of Austria-Hungary, held together now, as they argue, only by the indomitable will of the old Emperor, Franz Joseph. The hatred between the Slavs and the Teutonic Austrians is intense. The annexation by Austria of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which Servians predominate, increased the Servian hatred and the indignation of the whole Slav world to the point of violence. A conflict was avoided with difficulty. These principalities had hoped to form part of a Greater Servia. Had not Russia been exhausted by the war with Japan, Servia would have called upon her ally and the crisis would have come then. As it was, the Balkans teemed with plots and counterplots against the Austrians, culminating in the assassination of the Arch-Duke and heir-apparent to the Austrian throne, Francis Ferdinand, known for his anti-Slav principles, and therefore feared and hated as the king to be. The assassination occurred at Serajevo in Bosnia, where Serv- ian disaffection was seething. Austria immediately laid the crime on the Servian government. AUSTRIA DECLARES WAR Failing in her peremptory demands for satisfaction, Aus- tria declared war, July 28, 1914, apparently for revenge, but behind her righteous indignation she still held in view her 22 CAUSES OF THE WAR traditional ambition, a port on the Mediterranean, to be se- cured by the complete control of the Novi Bazar route to Salonica, a route which, besides its commercial importance, is of tremendous strategic value to the nation which com- mands it. The treaty of Berlin of 1878, after the Russo- Turkish War, had given Austria the military, political, and commercial control of the route within the Sanjak of Novi Bazar, then a part of Turkey. But now, in the division of spoils following the Balkan Wars, Servia gained control of Novi Bazar, Pristina, Uskub, and Istip, or practically the entire route to a short distance north of Salonica, where the new boundaries of Greece had been extended. This meant that Austria saw herself shut out from the Sanjak, and only by the destruction and subsequent occupation of Servia could Austria regain her ascendancy over the route. Victory would mean a long step by Austria toward the sea. PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS The " balance of power" among European nations has hitherto been maintained because the formation of a single nation out of the Balkan States has not been possible. Al- though the people of these states have similar pursuits, and live much alike in all regions, they have preserved their orig- inal racial differences. A village of Albanians may be within a few miles of a village of Greeks. Yet through centuries both have remained racially distinct. Here and there the bar- riers have given way somewhat, but in general the races per- sist side by side, sometimes peaceably, more often in mutual distrust or open feud. Such division has been fostered by the great nations, and new states have been created, as re- cently Albania, since the formation of a great state in the Balkans by the union of all or the absorbing greatness of one, would overthrow the balance of power, and besides inter- pose an insurmountable obstacle between Austria and Russia, and the sea. Thus the states have been played against each other. Sometimes the game has been one of diplomacy, or one of force, hurling the states at each other's throats. Sometimes CAUSES OF THE WAR 23 the game has been one of treachery and assassination. Who can surmise the intricate plots and counterplots, or the insidi- ous influences, the fostering of hatred, the failure of hopes and ambitions, that led to the assassination at Serajevo? RACE AND RELIGIOUS PREJUDICES Religious conditions in the Balkans are as complicated as racial relations. In Bulgaria, a branch of the Bulgarian race is Mohammedan, as are half a million Turks and col- onists of the Eastern lowlands. The Albanians are largely Mohammedan. The bulk of the population of the Balkans, however, professes the Greek Orthodox faith. Even more than the Mohammedan labors for the spread of Islam, all good Greek Catholics pray for the day when Constantinople, sacred city of their faith, shall be rescued from the infidel, and the cross shall again be raised over the mosque of St. Sophia. Along the western coast of the Balkan Peninsula Roman Catholics are numerous. On the one hand pride of religion and prejudice of race, on the other mountain barriers, harbors and sounds, hill pas- tures and lowland plains — these are the internal conditions that have shaped the history of the Balkan states. From with- out the intrigues and ambitions of the great nations of Eu- rope have played upon or profited by these conditions, and of all the complex interrelations the present war is the outcome, and Europe is aflame with a great conflagration. NATIONS HURRIED INTO WAR The continent resounds with the tread of millions of marching men, but we cannot fail to hear too the wailing and weeping of women and children. One by one the nations leaped to the struggle. Germany, striking at the heart of France, violated the neutrality of Belgium, and aroused her stubborn resistance. England, indignant at the violation of international treaties, gathered her war forces to support Bel- gium and her allies against the German advance, and the order went out, ' ' Seek the enemy, and destroy him. ' ' At the present writing, battles rage on the Russian and German frontiers. The roar of naval combat is heard in the 24 CAUSES OF THE WAR North Sea. Little Servia, the cause of the mighty tumult, checks the advance of the Austrians. Italy, at first declar- ing her neutrality, thus breaking the Triple Alliance, watches her hereditary enemy, Austria, and is eager to avenge an- cient wrongs. The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Spain hold their forces in war order, to guard their in- tegrity. Everywhere the dark cloud of conflict spreads its terror and gloom over the land. Japan has taken the side of England and therefore that of Russia. Men, the pawns of royal intrigue, have been forced to march to the field of slaugh- ter, accompanied by memory of the weeping of their women and children, and the thought of the misery to fall upon them. A terrible toll of human life and human suffer- ing is being taken in the name of ' ' national honor, ' ' which is too often synonymous with the pride of kings or a selfish desire for commercial gain. BRITISH VIEW OF THE CASE Immediately after the general outbreak of hostilities each of the contending nations sought to lay the blame for the con- flagration upon the shoulders of some other. Thus the German blamed the Russian, France and England blamed Germany, Russia blamed Austria, and each nation, in official documents promptly given to the world, endeavored to justify its course of action. England's declaration of war followed the invasion of Bel- gium by German troops en route to France, and her action was upheld by the issuance of a " white book" in August, contain- ing copies of the diplomatic correspondence and " conversa- tions" that had passed between Sir Edward Grey, secretary of state for foreign affairs, and the chancelleries of Europe during the critical period immediately preceding the conflict. The British view of the immediate causes of war was sum- marized on September 12 by the Right Hon. Frederick Edwin Smith, K. C, M. P., organizer and director of the English official press bureau, in a statement as follows : "The British white book, embracing facts, not arguments, states our whole case. The neutrality of Belgium was violated CAUSES OF THE WAR 25 by Germany, which, equally with France and England, had guaranteed it. This was done deliberately, without an atom of provocation. Hence our first and immediate occasion for going to war. Germany had no quarrel with Belgium, France or England, but made preparations to attack France through Luxemburg and Belgium and proposed to us that we stand aside and see Belgian neutrality violated and France crushed for no reason except to gratify German lust for power. ENGLAND FIGHTS FOE HER EXISTENCE "Belgium was invaded simply because it happened to bar the shortest road to Paris. Before Germany sent a man across the frontier it knew that if it violated Belgian neutrality Eng- land would enter the field. Even when it was evident to the whole of Europe that Germany had embarked on the enter- prise for which it had been preparing for years, France, the first object of attack, kept its troops some miles from the frontier and waited for the Germans to take the first step in a war of pure aggression. Germany took advantage of this reluctance and pushed forward immense masses of troops into Belgium and France. ' ' We are fighting not only to fulfill our obligations to Bel- gium, but to preserve our own liberty and existence as a nation. Had Germany found us willing accomplices in her infamous scheme, had Belgium in the face of Germany's immense mili- tary power accepted the inevitable and made no resistance, France would or might be subdued. While we sat in disgrace- ful safety, the French colonies and fleet would be passed to the victors, who, established within thirty miles of the English coast, would possess with their allies a fleet and armies numer- ically larger than ours. Then when the time came for our downfall we should meet our fate without a friend in the world. 1 ' Even in the short time since the breaking out of the war Germany has made it plain that its main object is the destruc- tion of the British army, fleet and empire. Within the last few days Germany has suggested to France that it might secure peace on easy terms if it would join Germany in subduing Great Britain. The instant response to that attempt was the conclusion of an arrangement between France, Russia and 26 CAUSES OF THE WAR Great Britain binding themselves not to make terms with the enemy except by mutual agreement. "If any one doubts the statement that the real object of the war is the destruction of British power let him read the works of German leaders of thought, such as Reitschke and Bern- hardt These writers made no secret of their teachings or of the intentions of their country. But until the Kaiser gave the signal and moved his legions to attack Belgium, France and Eussia, only the most thoughtful and far-seeing Englishmen believed that Germany could seriously contemplate a crime so colossal simply to gratify an inordinate ambition. POINTS TO GREY^S ATTITUDE "Americans and other neutrals who take the trouble to read the white book must be driven to the conclusion that any statesman less patient than Sir Edward Grey and less deter- mined to spare no efforts to maintain peace at any but a dis- honorable price would have acceded to the request of the Russian prime minister and declared that Britain would sup- port Russia and France with all its resources should Austria and Germany persist in a course which must bring about a gen- eral conflagration. "So far from doing this, Sir Edward Grey told Herr Beth- mann-Hollweg that if the German government would make any reasonable proposals for the preservation of peace he would use his personal influence to persuade Russia and France to accept them, and if the powers refused 'the British govern- ment would have nothing more to do with the consequences.' "Germany's reply was to make a proposal, dishonoring to us, that we should stand aside while it invaded Belgium and crushed France, and then, when this offer was rejected with scorn, it moved its armies across the frontier. To-day the world is told that Germany was forced into war by rivals of her progress in the arts of peace. Seeking peace, we have been driven into war in defense of principles which, if they are no longer to be recognized, would make Europe a congeries of brigand nations recognizing might as the only right. "The justice of our cause has set the whole empire aflame with patriotism and raised in our great colonies and in India, CAUSES OF THE WAR 27 with its 300,000,000 people of different races and languages, a unity and enthusiasm which will make our ultimate victory- assured. " A WAE FOR COMMERCIAL SUPREMACY — ENGLAND VS. GERMANY By Guglielmo Ferrero, the noted Italian Historian and Authority on Militarism. In this gigantic war the combatants are actuated by differ- ent motives and for different interests. Each is acting with different means of offense and defense : each, in a word, occu- pies a position peculiar to itself. Let us examine this important point : For what reason has England taken the field on the side of France ? In the speech he delivered in the house of commons on August 3, Sir Edward Grey clearly denned England's position among the belligerents. It was then still free from any obliga- tions. The French and English general staffs had for some time been working out the plans of the eventual military opera- tions that the two governments might have to carry out, if they should some day find themselves fighting side by side. Everything was ready for an offensive and defensive alliance ; but the two governments had not yet assumed recip- rocal obligations of any kind. On the evening of August 3, England could still declare itself neutral, and it would seem that Germany was still that very day trying to persuade it not to take up arms. For what reason did England declare war on Germany on the day following? The apparent reason was Belgium. On that very day the chancellor of the German empire announced in the Reichstag "that Germany would violate the neutrality of Belgium, be- cause he who is fighting cannot heed international law. " And the next day England sent to Germany the ultimatum: "Re- spect Belgium or go to war." BELGIUM THE PRETEXT But Belgium was the pretext for the war rather than the reason — the magnificent pretext offered by Germany to the 28 CAUSES OF THE WAR party in England that for long had been wanting war. Eng- land also had guaranteed the neutrality of Belgium. By violating it Germany was affronting England, whose honor was now pledged to unsheathe the sword. In England friends of peace and partisans of war have been — and cannot fail to be — in agreement in recognizing that war was inevitable as soon as the German armies had crossed the Belgian frontier. But it is to be believed that, even if Germany had not impru- dently furnished England with that splendid pretext, England would have sought and found another. England's real eeason For a long time the Conservative party and a considerable section of the Liberal party of England had been agreed that if Germany should attack France, England must take the field with Russia in its defense in order to prevent Germany from further aggrandizement upon the continent and from becoming the arbiter of Europe. This is the real reason why England to-day stands side by side with France against Germany, just as a century ago it was directing the struggle against Napoleon. It is a most potent reason, for Germany has now reached a point in its history and development at which it might by fur- ther expansion become more dangerous to England than the Napoleonic empire was a century ago. Whosoever needs to be convinced of it has only to study the statistics of the production of iron, and there he will find the key to the Anglo-German conflict. England is the richer, but Germany has far the greater population. With some increase in territory upon the con- tinent and with its natural rapid growth this population might very soon be double that of England. So for England this war is a matter of life or death. IMPORTANCE OF IRON In a certain sense I should almost be tempted to say that the struggle between England and Germany is fiercer than that CAUSES OF THE WAR 29 between Germany and France. Germany and France are enemies for historic and moral reasons. In the last ten years Germany has become, after the United States, the second metal working nation in the world. In 1912 the United States manufactured about 30,000,000 tons of iron, Germany about 17,000,000, England 10,000,000. These figures explain everything, when we consider that iron is today the most important agency in world conquest. What can a people that produce so much iron do with it? What must it do with it? It is naturally impelled to manu- facture machinery, railroads, merchant vessels, ironclads, dreadnoughts. The development of the German merchant marine and the creation of the German war fleet, which have given such umbrage to England, were the natural effect of the rapid growth of German metallurgy. TEMPTATION TO EXPAND But when a people can construct so much machinery, so many railroads, so many cannon, so many ships of peace and war, and has not, like the United States, an immense con- tinent to populate with its railways, a people that lives crowded and crowded upon a small territory, will it not some day be tempted to make use of these arms and these materials in mak- ing room for itself in the world and in winning an empire to populate? Indeed England has perceived for some time that Germany, with its rich coal mines, its powerful metallurgy, its military traditions, its population that has now reached 65,000,000, might before long attempt to destroy the British empire and conquer, at least, part of it for itself if it should succeed in spreading out in Europe and in throwing down and weakening the continental rivals — France and Russia — which have ham- pered its movements. TWO DIFFERENT PRINCIPLES France represents, as it were, the qualitative principle; Germany the quantitative principle in modern civilization ; so, taking accoujit merely of interests, they might live prosper- ously side by side without suspecting each other or annoying 30 CAUSES OF THE WAR each other too much. But Germany and England could not; every excessive aggrandizement of the one is a menace and a peril for the other. Thus the war between England and Germany is absolutely different from that between France and Germany. One might almost call it a war of coal and iron, a mercantile conflict recall- ing the ancient struggles between Carthage and Syracuse, Genoa and Venice, but in colossal proportions and new forms. An immense revolution has taken place within a century in Europe and America. We have entered the great age of men, in which coal and iron are the most important instruments of power and wealth. And in the old world England and Ger- many are fighting between themselves for the primacy in coal and iron. r $!k THE CHIMES —Bradley in the Chicago Daily News. CHAPTER II HOW WAR WAS DECLARED Ultimatum by Austria to Servia — War Declared by Austria — Russia Mobilizes — Germany Declares War on Russia August 1 — France and England Involved — Germans Enter Belgium — Scenes in European Capitals. ON SUNDAY, June 28, 1914, a Servian student named Prinzep shot and killed the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the thrones of Austria-Hungary, and his morgan- atic wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, in the streets of Serajevo, a town in Bosnia which the royal couple were visiting. Nearly four weeks later, on July 23, the Austro-Hungarian government, fixing responsibility for the assassination upon Servian intrigues, presented to Servia a number of demands which formed a very drastic ultimatum, requiring compliance within forty-eight hours, with the alternative of war. Servia was required to condemn "the propaganda directed against Austria ' ' and to take proceedings against all accessories to the plot against the Archduke Francis Ferdinand who were in Servia. Austrian delegates were to supervise the proceedings, and Servia was also to arrest certain Servian officials whose guilt was alleged. These exorbitant conditions made it quite obvious that no concessions on Servia's part would be accepted. It was a plain prelude to war. Nevertheless, a virtual acceptance by Servia followed. Acting on the advice of Russia, Servia acceded to all that was required of her, making only two reservations of the most reasonable character. These reservations were found enough to serve as an excuse for war. Austria at once declared herself dissatisfied and though the actual declaration of war was 31 32 HOW WAR WAS DECLARED delayed for a brief period, a state of war practically existed between the two countries from Saturday evening, July 25. EFFORTS TO LOCALIZE THE WAR Then began efforts on the part of Great Britain to localize the war. Sir Edward Grey, the able foreign secretary in Mr. Asquith's cabinet, repeated solemn warnings in every chan- cellery of Europe. According to the English "white book," the very day that he was notified of the violent tone of Aus- tria's note to Servia — the day it was presented — he warned the Austrian Ambassador in London that if as many as four of the Great Powers of Europe were to engage in war, it would involve the expenditure of such a vast sum of money and such interference with trade, that a complete collapse of European credit and industry would follow. The reply of Russia to this warning was quite conciliatory. The Russian foreign minister, M. Sazonoff, assured the British minister that Russia had no aggressive intentions, and would take no action unless forced. Austria's action, M. Sazonofr added, in reality aimed at over- throwing Russia 's influence in the Balkans. Thus, on Monday, July 27, Sir Edward Grey was able to state in the House of Commons that his suggestion of a joint conference, composed of the Ambassadors of Germany, France and Italy, and himself, with a view to mediation between Aus- tria and Russia, had been accepted by all except Germany, which power had expressed its concurrence with the plan in principle, but opposed the details on the ground that there was a prospect of direct " conversations" (diplomatic exchanges; between Austria and Russia. This statement was believed in England to lack sincerity. On that Monday afternoon the Rus- sian Ambassador at Vienna warned Austria that Russia would not give way and expressed his hope that some arrangement might be arrived at before Servia was invaded. Austria's reply came next day in the shape of a formal dec- laration of war against Servia. Germany's attitude pro-austrian On July 30 Sir M. de Bunsen, British Ambassador at Vienna, made the following statement to Sir Edward Grey regarding the attitude of Germany in the crisis ; HOW WAR WAS DECLARED 33 "Although I am not able to verify it, I have private infor- mation that the German Ambassador (at Vienna) knew the text of the Austrian ultimatum to Servia before it was dis- patched, and telegraphed it to the German Emperor. I know from the German Ambassador himself that he endorses every line of it. ' ' Naturally enough the Russian foreign minister complained that ' ' conversations ' ' with Austria were useless in the face of such facts. Russia then declared that her forces would be mobilized the day that Austria crossed the Servian frontier. The attitude of Germany at once stiffened and it became evi- dent that Germany meant to regard even the partial mobiliza- tion of Russia as a ground for war, not only against Russia, but also against the latter 's ally, France. In vain Russia protested that her partial mobilization was merely a precaution. In vain did the Czar himself offer to give his word that no use would be made of any of his forces. Ger- many was aware, as subsequent facts have proved, that her own state of mobilization was very much further advanced than that of Russia. GERMAN ULTIMATUM TO RUSSIA By Friday, July 31, Germany was ready for the fray and a final ultimatum to St. Petersburg was launched. On the same day Russia declared war against Austria. By six o'clock on Saturday evening, August 1, war between Germany and Russia began, when Germany dismissed the Russian Ambassador, and by Sunday morning Germany was invading France. The next day, August 3, the German Ambassador left Paris and the French Ambassador at Berlin was ordered to demand his passports. At this point Great Britain passed from the position of general peacemaker to that of a principal. In the House of Commons on Monday, August 3, Sir Edward Grey stated that the question whether Austria or Russia should dominate the Southern Slav races was no concern of England, nor was she bound by any secret alliance to France. She was absolutely free to choose her course with regard to the crisis which had overtaken her. But there were two cardinal points in the situa- 84 HOW WAR WAS DECLARED tion which had arisen which ultimately concerned Great Brit- ain. The first essential feature of British diplomacy, said Sir Edward, was that France should not be brought into such a condition in Europe that she became a species of vassal state to Germany. On the morning of July 31, therefore, he had informed the German Ambassador that if the efforts to main- tain peace failed and France became involved Great Britain would be drawn into the conflict. In his speech of August 3 the British foreign minister also stated that he had given France on the previous day the writ- ten assurance that if the German fleet came into the English Channel or through the North Sea to assail her, the British fleet would protect her to the uttermost. TO PROTECT BELGIAN AUTONOMY On the same afternoon, in the same place, Sir Edward Grey reiterated the other dominant principle of British foreign pol- icy — that England can never look with indifference on the seizure by a great continental power of any portion of Belgium and Holland. More than a hundred years ago it was declared by Napoleon, who was a master of political geography, that Antwerp was ' ' a pistol leveled at the head of London. ' ' When on July 31 the British foreign minister inquired by telegraph both at Paris and Berlin whether the two govern- ments would engage to respect the neutrality of Belgium, France replied with an assurance that she was resolved to do so unless compelled to act otherwise by reason of the violation of Belgium's neutrality at the hands of another power. The German secretary of state, Herr von Jagow, replied that he could give no such assurance until he had consulted the Em- peror and Chancellor, and doubted whether he could give any answer without revealing the German plan of campaign. He furthermore alleged the commission of hostile acts by Belgium. Developments quickly followed. The German government proposed that Belgium should grant its armies free passage through Belgian territory. The proposal was accompanied by an intimation that Belgium would be crushed out of existence if it refused to comply. In fact, it was an ultimatum presented HOW WAR WAS DECLARED 35 at 7 o'clock on Sunday evening, August 2, to expire within twelve hours. Then came Sir Edward Grey's speech in parliament on August 3, when it was fully realized that Germany and Eng- land were on the verge of war. What followed was related in the House of Commons next day. SCENES IN PARLIAMENT Germany's reply to the speech by Sir Edward Grey, the British foreign secretary, indicating the attitude of Great Britain in regard to the contemplated violation of Belgian territory by Germany was a second ultimatum from Berlin to Brussels, saying Germany was prepared to carry through her plans by force of arms if necessary. The British government was officially informed by Bel- gium on August 4 that German troops had invaded Belgium and that the violation of that country's neutrality, which the British foreign secretary had intimated must be followed by action on the part of the British, had become an accomplished fact. Definite announcement of Great Britain's intentions under these circumstances was expected in the house of commons that afternoon. TELEGRAM SENT TO BERLIN On the assembly of the house the premier, Mr. Asquith, said that a telegram had been sent early in the morning to Sir Edward Goschen, British ambassador in Berlin, to the following effect: "The king of the Belgians has appealed to His Britannic Majesty's government for diplomatic intervention on behalf of Belgium. The British government is also informed that the German government has delivered to the Belgian govern- ment a note proposing friendly neutrality pending a free passage of German troops through Belgium and promising to maintain the independence and integrity of the kingdom and its possessions on the conclusion of peace, threatening in case of refusal to treat Belgium as an enemy. ' ' 36 HOW WAR WAS DECLARED Sir Edward Grey, the British foreign secretary, had re- quested an answer within twelve hours. Premier Asquith then read a telegram from the German foreign minister, which the German ambassador in London had sent to Sir Edward Grey. It was as follows : "Please dispel any distrust that may subsist on the part of the British government with regard to our intentions by repeating most positively the formal assurance that even in case of armed conflict with Belgium, Germany will under no pretensions whatever annex Belgian territory." The reading of this telegram was greeted with derisive laughter by the members of the house. Premier Asquith continued : "We understand that Belgium categorically refused to assent to a flagrant violation of the law of nations. "His majesty's government was bound to protest against this violation of a treaty to which Germany was a party in common with England and must request an assurance that the demand made upon Belgium by Germany be not proceeded with and that Belgium's neutrality be respected by Germany and we have asked for an immediate reply. "We received this morning from our minister in Brussels the following telegram: " 'The German minister has this morning addressed a note to the Belgian minister for foreign affairs stating that as the Belgian government has declined a well intentioned pro- posal submitted to it by the imperial German government the latter, deeply to its regret, will be compelled to carry out, if necessary by force of arms, the measures considered indis- pensable in view of the French menace.' " ENGLAND AND GERMANY AT WAR By 11 o'clock that evening England and Germany were at war. Their respective ambassadors were handed their pass- ports and Great Britain braced herself for a conflict that was felt to theaten her very existence as a nation. In defence of the violation of Belgian neutrality by the invasion of the little state, the Kaiser's government claimed to HOW WAR WAS DECLARED 37 have received authentic news that France meant to attack Germany through this neutral territory. But in the Reichstag on August 4 the German Chancellor, Von Bethmann-Hollweg, said: "Gentlemen, we are now in a state of necessity, and neces- sity knows no law! Our troops have occupied Luxemburg [an independent state] and are already on Belgian soil. Gen- tlemen, that is contrary to the dictates of international law. It is true that the French Government has declared at Brus- sels that France is willing to respect the neutrality of Belgium as long as her opponent respects it. We knew, however, that France stood ready for the invasion. France could wait, but we could not wait. A French movement upon our flank upon the lower Rhine might have been disastrous. So we were com- pelled to override the protest of the Luxemburg and Belgian governments. The wrong — I speak openly — that we are com- mitting we will endeavor to make good as soon as our military goal has been reached. Anybody who is threatened, as we are threatened, and is fighting for his highest possessions, can have only one thought — how he is to hack his way through. ' ' GERMAN VERSION" OF EVENTS IMMEDIATELY PEECEDING WAR WITH FRANCE AND RUSSIA In an official "white book" issued by the German govern- ment, on August 4, a few hours prior to the entrance of Eng- land into the arena, responsibility for the war in which Ger- many, Russia and France had engaged was placed squarely upon the shoulders of the Czar. While negotiations looking to a peaceful way out of the difficulties were pending, Russia, it was charged, invaded Germany, and a few hours later France opened hostilities. The German Emperor, it was set forth, in response to a suggestion from London and the appeal of the Russian mon- arch, was using his influence at Vienna to satisfy Russia regarding the intention of Austria in Servia, but in that very hour Russia was mobilizing her army. After a fruitless appeal to Emperor Nicholas to abandon his warlike preparations and so avert a peril to civilization, 38 HOW WAR WAS DECLARED the German government on the afternoon of July 31 instructed its ambassador at St. Petersburg to give notice that Germany would mobilize unless Russia suspended her military measures inside of twelve hours. At the same time France was given eighteen hours in which to declare whether she would remain neutral in a war between Russia and Germany. The white book continued as follows : "The imperial ambassador in St. Petersburg made the communication intrusted to him to M. Sazonoff (the Russian minister of foreign affairs) at midnight on July 31. After the term set for Russia had expired without the receipt of an answer to our question, his majesty the emperor at 5 p. m. on August 1, ordered the mobilization of the whole German army and the imperial navy. "The imperial ambassador in St. Petersburg had mean- while received a commission to communicate to the Russian government a declaration of war in the event that the Russian government should not give a satisfactory answer within the period allotted it. But before a report of the execution of this commission had arrived Russian troops crossed our frontier on the afternoon of August 1 and advanced on German ter- ritory. From this time on Russia has furthered the war against us. "In the meantime the imperial ambassador in Paris had placed the inquiry with which he was commissioned before the French cabinet at 7 p. m. on July 31. On August 1, at 1 o 'clock in the afternoon, the French prime minister communicated an ambiguous and unsatisfactory answer, which gave no clear idea regarding the attitude of France, as the author confined himself to declaring that France would do what her interests bade her to do. "A few hours later, at 5 p. m., the mobilization of the entire French army and navy was ordered. On the morning of the next day France opened hostilities." TELEGEAMS EXCHANGED On July 31 the Russian Emperor sent the following tele- gram to the German Emperor : "I thank thee from my heart for thy mediation, which HOW WAR WAS DECLARED 39 leaves a gleam of hope that even now all may end peacefully. It is technically impossible to discontinue our military opera- tion, which has been rendered necessary by Austrian mobiliza- tion. We are far from wishing for war, and so long as nego- tiations with Austria regarding Servia continue, my troops will not undertake any provocative action. ' ' I give thee my word upon it and I trust with my strength in God's grace and hope for the success of thy mediation at Vienna and for our countries ' and the peace of Europe. ( Signed) ' ' Thy Devoted Nicholas. ' ' THE KAISER^ REPLY To this the German Emperor replied : ■ ' In answer to thy appeal to my friendship and thy prayer for my help, I undertook mediatory action between the Austro- Hungarian government and thine. While this action was in progress, thy troops were mobilized against my ally, Austria- Hungary, in consequence of which, as I have already informed thee, my mediation was rendered nearly illusory. Neverthe- less, it is continued. But now I am in possession of trustworthy advices concerning the serious war preparations on my east- ern frontier, as well. "My responsibility for the safety of my empire compels me to counter-measures of defense. In my endeavors for the maintenance of the peace of the world I have gone to the extreme limit of the possible. It is not I that shall bear the responsibility for the peril which now threatens the civilized world. I lay it to thy hand to avert it, even at this moment. "No one menaces the honor and might of Russia, which all could have waited upon the result of my mediation. The friendship for thee and thy empire bequeathed to me by my grandfather on his deathbed has always been sacred to me, and I have remained true to Russia when it was in grave dis- tress, especially in your last war. The peace of Europe can yet be conserved by thee if Russia decides to discontinue her military measures, which threaten Germany and Austria- Hungary. (Signed) "William." 40 HOW WAR WAS DECLARED THE RUSSIAN VIEW At St. Petersburg on August 4 Emperor Nicholas issued a manifesto in which he outlined the events leading up to the declaration of war by Germany, and then said that "Russians will rise like one man and repulse the insolent attack of the enemy. ' ' The text of the manifesto follows : "By the grace of God, we, Nicholas II., emperor and auto- crat of all the Russias, king of Poland and grand duke of Finland, etc., to all our faithful subjects make known that Russia, related by faith and blood to the Slav peoples and faithful to her historical traditions, has never regarded her fates with indifference. "But the fraternal sentiments of the Russian people for the Slavs have been awakened with perfect unanimity and extraordinary force in these last few days when Austria-Hun- gary knowingly addressed to Servia claims inacceptable for an independent state. "Having paid no attention to the pacific and conciliatory reply of the Servian government and having rejected the benevolent intervention of Russia, Austria-Hungary made haste to proceed to an armed attack and began to bombard Belgrade, an open place. "Forced by the situation thus created to take necessary measures of precaution, we ordered the army and the navy put on war footing, at the same time using every endeavor to obtain a peaceful solution. "Pourparlers were begun amid friendly relations with Germany and her ally, Austria, for the blood and the property of our subjects were dear to us. "Contrary to our hopes in our good neighborly relations of long date, and disregarding our assurances that the mobili- zation measures taken were in pursuance of no object hostile to her, Germany demanded their immediate cessation. Being- rebuffed in this demand, Germany suddenly declared war on Russia. "Today it is not only the protection of a country related to us and unjustly attacked that must be accorded, but we HOW WAR WAS DECLARED 41 must safeguard the honor, the dignity and the integrity of Russia, and her position among the great powers. "We believe unshakably that all our faithful subjects will rise with unanimity and devotion for the defense of Russian soil ; that internal discord will be forgotten in this threatening hour ; that the unity of the emperor with his people will become still more close and that Russia, rising like one man, will repulse the insolent attack of the enemy. ' ' With a profound faith in the justice of our work and with a humble hope in omnipotent providence, in prayer we call God's blessing on holy Russia and her valiant troops. (Signed) " Nicholas/ ' GEBMAN CHANCELLOR MAKES ADDRESS The German Imperial Chancellor, Dr. von Bethmann- Hollweg, on August 1 addressed a great procession of demon- strators from the window of his official residence in Berlin, making a stirring speech. He said : "At this serious hour, in order to give expression to your feeling for your fatherland, you have come to the house of Bismarck, who, with Emperor William the Great and Field Marshal von Moltke, welded the German empire for us. "We wished to go on living in peace in the empire which we have developed in forty-four years of peaceful labor. 1 ' The whole work of Emperor William has been devoted to the maintenance of peace. To the last hour he has worked for peace in Europe and he is still working for it. "Should all his efforts prove vain and should the sword be forced into our hands we will take the field with a clear conscience in the knowledge that we did not seek war. We shall then wage war for our existence and for the national honor to the last drop of our blood. "In the gravity of the hour I remind you of the words of Prince Frederick Charles to the men of Brandenburg: 'Let your hearts beat for God and your fists on the enemy. ' ' ' Enthusiastic cheers and the singing of the national anthem greeted the close of the imperial chancellor's speech. BESET — San Francisco Chronicle. HOW WAR WAS DECLARED 43 PROCLAMATION BY THE KAISER A proclamation by Emperor William addressed to the German nation was published in the Official Gazette, August 7. The text was as follows : " Since the foundation of the German empire, it has been for forty- three years the object of the efforts of myself and my ancestors to preserve the peace of the world and to advance by peaceful means vigorous development. "Our adversaries, however, are jealous of the successes of our work and there has been latent hostility to the east and to the west and beyond the sea. "This has been borne by us till now, as we were aware of our responsibility and our power. "Now, however, these adversaries wish to humiliate us, asking that we should look on with folded arms and watch our enemies preparing themselves for the coming attack. ' ' They will not suffer that we maintain our resolute fidelity to our ally, who is fighting for her position as a great power and with whose humiliation our power and honor would equally be lost. "So the sword must decide. "In the midst of perfect peace the enemy surprises us. Therefore, to arms ! "Any dallying and temporizing would be to betray the fatherland. "To be or not to be, is the question for the empire which our fathers founded. To be or not to be, is the question for German power and German existence. 1 ' We shall resist to the last breath of man and horse, and we shall fight out the struggle even against a world of enemies. "Never has Germany been subdued when she was united. "Forward, with God, who will be with us as he was with our ancestors." ADDRESS BY CZAR NICHOLAS The Eussian Emperor with Grand Duke Nicholas on Au- gust 8 received the members of the council of the empire and the duma (the Russian parliament) in audience at the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg. Addressing them, the Emperor said : 44 HOW WAR WAS DECLARED "In these days of alarm and anxiety, through which Russia is passing, I greet you! Germany, following Austria, has declared war on Russia. "The enormous enthusiasm, the patriotic sentiments and the love and loyalty to the throne — an enthusiasm which has swept like a hurricane through the country — guarantee for me, as for you, I hope, that Russia will bring to a happy conclusion the war which the Almighty has sent it. " It is also because of this unanimous enthusiasm, love and eagerness to make every sacrifice, even of life itself, that I am able to regard the future with calm firmness. It is not only the dignity and honor of our country that we are defending, but we are fighting for brother Slavs, coreligionists, blood brothers. I see also with joy the union of the Slavs with Russia progressing strongly and indissolubly. "I am persuaded that all and each of you will be in your place to assist me to support the test and that all, beginning with myself, will do their duty. Great is the God of the Rus- sian fatherland. ' ' KING ALBEET TO THE BELGIANS On the outbreak of hostilities in Belgium King Albert addressed a note to the Belgian army as follows : "A neighbor, haughty in its strength, without the slightest provocation, has torn up the treaty bearing its signature and has violated the territory of our fathers because we refused to forfeit our honor. It has attacked us. Seeing its inde- pendence threatened, the nation trembled and its children sprang to the frontier, valiant soldiers in a sacred cause. I have confidence in your tenacious courage. I greet you in the name of Belgium, a fellow-citizen who is proud of you. ' ' CAPITALS BLAZE WITH MARTIAL FEVER There were scenes of patriotic fervor and martial ardor during the first few days of August in all the European capi- tals directly affected by the war. In London, Berlin, Paris, St. Petersburg and Vienna enthusiastic crowds filled the streets, singing national hymns and cheering their respective rulers and popular heroes. HOW WAR WAS DECLARED 45 Only here and there were thoughtful heads bowed in sor- rowful anticipation of coming woe. The residents of the capi- tals heard only the cheerful sounds of drum and fife. Not yet were their ears assailed by the groans of the wounded and the dying, the roar of the deadly siege gun and the infernal rattle of rifle fire, the shriek of shrapnel and the awful scream of the stricken horse. Not yet had the mournful procession of the myriads of maimed and shattered soldiers begun to wend its slow and painful way back from the front. Not yet had the tears of half a million widows and countless orphans begun to flow. Not yet had sack and outrage, lance and bayonet, torch and dynamite, begun to do their gruesome work among the homes of innocent peasants and defenseless townspeople. Not yet had the awful modern engines of destruction begun their task of " scientific" killing; nor had the uniformed cohorts of civilization fastened their grip upon each other's throats, to sate the world with slaughter. But all this, and more, was soon to come. The "war of the ages" had been launched and the cheering capitals of Europe were soon to be filled with the insignia of mourning, as the unknowing, unthinking victims of " national honor" began to fall by thousands on the battlefield, until the terrible total of Death's harvest had surpassed all the records of history and sorrow and suffering reigned supreme. Truly, "War is Hell — and the workers of the world roast in its fires." FELLOW- WORKERS — San Francisco Chronlcl*. CHAPTER III ARMED FORCES INVOLVED Strength of the Opposing Armies and Fleets — Millions of Men Under Arms — Attitude of Italy, Turkey and Greece — Organization of An Army — Heavy Artillery Used in the War. The Aemies of Europe Unorganized, Pnnntrv Peace Reserves Total War But wuntry Strength KeserTes strength available For Duty *Great Britain . .. 254,500 476,000 730,000 2,000,000 Germany 870,000 4,430,000 5,200,000 1,000,000 "France 720,000 3,280,000 4,000,000 1,000,000 Austria-Hungary 390,000 1,610,000 2,000,000 3,000,000 Russia 1,290,000 3,300,000 5,500,000 5,200,000 Italy 250,000 950,000 1,200,000 1,200,000 Belgium 42,000 180,000 222,000 400,000 "Netherlands 35,000 145,000 180,000 150,000 Denmark 14,000 56,000 70,000 125,000 Sweden 50,000 400,000 450,000 200,000 Norway 35,000 80,000 115,000 100,000 Bulgaria 60,500 320,000 380,000 100,000 Servia 32,000 208,000 240,000 60,000 Rumania 95,000 100,000 500,000 175,000 Switzerland 22,300 252,000 275,000 50,000 Turkey 400,000 300,000 700,000 2,000,000 * In the case of Great Britain, "Peace strength" excludes the native Indian army of 175,000. In the case of Trance, "Peace strength" includes colonial troops. In the case of Netherlands, ' ' Peace strength ' ' is exclusive of the colonial army of 36,000. The Navies of Europe Country jj fg g| || § | | || j gg Great Britain 29 10 38 42 70 227 58 85 137,500 Germany 19 7 20 9 45 141 47 30 66,783 France 17 15 18 13 87 173 90 60,621 Russia 9 4 8 6 9 105 23 48 52,463 Italy 8 8 7 13 35 73 20 33,095 Austria-Hungary 4 9 3 9 18 53 15 17,581 Sweden 1 8 51 7 5,715 Netherlands 6 11 8 33 8 11,164 Norway 1 4 3 26 o 1,003 Denmark 1 1 15 3 4,000 47 48 ARMED FORCES INVOLVED viyirizy millions rs~ the field It will be seen by a perusal of the foregoing table that the force b : the nations actually engaged in the war in Europe had a total war strength at the outbreak of hostilities of 1S.226,- Mfl men of all arms. To e number must be added the addi- tional troops raif treat Britain and bringing up her total am men. The number of these was . -till further increased by about - W native troops from India and 50,000 from Canada, Australia and New ukL This brings I grand total of forces involved to 19,1-: -~ men, inch] _ I all of whom were called ont anti. ast line" of each of the warring nations was under arms. add the war strength of other nations that partially mobilized in August. 1914. for self -defense and the preservation of their neutrality, including the Netherlands, Switzerland. I - ria and Bonmania. to say nothing of Italy, Bnavian countries and the large and effec- : Japan, we arrive at the enormous aggregate of - - d called to the colors in this European conflict — as* gg - i:-h dwarf s all previous records of war. In the enumeration, too, it is probable that the war strength of the le: '. _ mil - - is underestimated. Thus it of only ' . ."•00 men, Germany was prepared to place under arms a total of nearly //>. For - at a time, along the far-flung battle lines i the French border, arm. .. - a -- than 3,000,000 men have been eonfrc: _ w hile other millions have been engaged in Eastern Prussia and Galicia. IT.-.l" BEMAUTE HEDTBAL 7 ttitn le :' II - a subject of international curios- : of war. but the Italian government soon made it plain t. policy was one of absolute neutrality. uite of the fac: thai Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance, her king and sfl - : uen claimed that neither of her allies, Gem: I Austr: - stacked by a foreign ARMED FORCES INVOLVED 49 power, and that therefore, by the terms of the Triple Alliance, she was not obligated to take np arms on their behalf. There were besides two other good reasons for Italy's nentr aiity On the one hand she had enjoyed long friendship wit Britain, and felt nnder obligation for E:._ i rapport in obtaining Italian unity: and on the other hand the masses : the Italians were strongly opposed to i _ aid and comfort to Austro-Hungary the circnmstan: ~ r. Italian neutrality has therefore been maintained np to I present writing, and her army, with a total war strengl '... . "',000, although partially mobilized as a matter of precau- tion, has been kept out of the conflict >:::.:. us efforts ever, have been made to drag Italy intc the . (he German-Austrian si le, in I it was reported in Paris on S tember 17 that the German Kaiser had sent a telegTam to I Victor Emmanuel reading as follows : "Conqueror or conquered. I shall never forget your treason." The neutral attitude of their King, 1 j believed t have had the practically una ni mous support : U Italian people. For some time early in - - mber it was believeii that Turkey would join in the war on the ; : ' 7 German war vessels in the Mediterranean sough: refog the Dardanelles and were report* 1 sol 1 to Turkey inci- dent created considerable interest and Greece was - :o be preparing for war against Turkey in se i latt the conflict, but when the Franco- P ritis troops - o led in turning back the German advance on Pari-. - Turkish g eminent apparently concluded that nserel was the hett part of valor and continued to maintain neutrality. HGABTBAXIDH BF AS A] Military service is compulsory in all the nations no^ t war, except in Great Britai: the s y stem is one of volun- tary enlistment. Besides its i _ liar army almost eve: gi ..: nation has one. two or three reserves. In time e the regular armies are kept on a reduced or peace footing'. When war threatens they are enlarg their war fooling 50 ARMED FORCES INVOLVED creasing them to full strength, either by additional men drawn from the reserves or by recruiting, and by organizing, equip- ping and supplying them for active operations in the field. This process is known as "mobilization." There are two kinds of troops, namely, mobile and fixed, the latter being stationed in fortifications. The mobile troops are also of two kinds — those of the line, that is, the fighting men, including infantry, cavalry and artillery ; and those of the staff. Broadly speaking an army is organized for war as follows : INFANTRY A squad is 8 men under the command of a corporal. A section is 16 men under the command of a sergeant. A platoon is from 50 to 75 men under a lieutenant. A company is 3 platoons, 200 to 250 men, under a captain. A battalion is 4 or more companies under a major. A regiment is 3 or more battalions under a colonel, or a lieutenant-colonel. A brigade is 2 or 3 regiments under a brigadier-general. A division is 2 or more brigades under a major-general. An army corps is 2 or more brigades or divisions, supple- mented by cavalry, artillery, engineers, etc., under a major- general or lieutenant-general. CAVALRY A section is 8 men under a corporal. A platoon is 36 to 50 men under a lieutenant or junior captain. A troop is 3 to 4 platoons under a senior captain, or a major. A regiment is 4 to 6 squadrons under a colonel. A brigade is 3 regiments under a brigadier-general. A division is 2 or 3 brigades under a major-general. ARTILLERY A battery is 130 to 180 men, with 4 to 6 guns (8 in the Rus- sian army), under a captain. A group or battalion is 3 to 4 batteries under a major. A regiment is 3 to 4 groups (battalions) under a colonel. ARTILLERY USED IN THE WAR The awful destruction wrought by modern artillery has been one of the features of the war ; in fact, it may almost be ARMED FORCES INVOLVED 51 said to have been a war of artillery. Hence, a brief description of some of the guns used is given below. Howitzers of calibers larger than 4.7 inches and mortars are limited to siege purposes only, as their weight renders them impractical for field uses. Being of large caliber, they fire a heavier projectile at a low muzzle velocity and at a great angle of elevation, which enables them to drop the shell behind breastworks or parapets of open gun emplacements of modern forts on a line of arc more nearly perpendicular than would be possible by guns of high muzzle velocity. The trajectory of the latter is too flat for any given effective range to attain the above results, the projectile striking the parapet or passing clear over it. However, in fortifications of the first class, such as encircle Paris, heavy naval batteries are mounted, with an effective range of over twelve miles, and the city must be invested first before such cumbersome guns as mortars can be brought up and placed in position. As their range is less than that of the naval guns, it is quite evident that their mounting within the range of fire from the forts is a most critical, if not impossible, task, especially so when special roads have to be provided for their transportation across the terrain to the emplacements, which, in turn, require special concrete or other equally suit- able foundations, with casemates, etc., before the piece can be put into action. LIEGE NOT A CRITERION Experiences with fortresses of the second class, like Liege and Namur, cannot be considered satisfactory evidence as to the importance or destructive efficiency of the new weapons. Liege held out longer than the most skeptical critics expected it would, while at Namur the Germans succeeded only in en- trenching them within effective range, under cover of a dense fog. At Antwerp, however, they were proved efficient against British naval guns, brought from the Woolwich arsenal to take the place of Krupp pieces, contracted for with this firm and whose reasons for defaulting on their contract are too obvious by now to call for further comments. The efficiency of such a 52 ARMED FORCES INVOLVED mortar consists mainly of delivering a heavy charge of ex- plosive on a certain target, at a medium range, and here is where the rub is, just as in the case of the American dynamite cruiser Vesuvius, which was a complete failure, because it could not penetrate the range of high power naval guns to plant its charge. It is also quite evident by now that the issue of this war is being decided in the open field and not behind French fortified cities, consequently the Krupp mortar may be min- imized by every one but the Germans before the end of this conflict. FRENCH HAVE ADVANTAGE In the field artillery the French have a most decided ad- vantage over the Germans, in a heavier projectile, a higher velocity and, consequently, a greater range. The rate of fire a minute is almost double that of the German gun. But the most important advantage on the French side is the ' ' mechani- cal" timing of the bursting of the projectile instead of the fuse timing, as used in every other army. This has been a pro- found secret until this war began, and the terrible destructive- ness of the piece is principally due to this never erring in- genious device. As in rifle fire, where only the hits count, so in artillery fire it is the bursts of the projectiles at the exact range that count. With the fuse timer a variation of fifty yards is pretty close fire, and seldom attained, while with the mechanical timer a maximum variation of less than two yards was obtained in 500 rounds of fire, with ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 yards — while the vertical variations were less than 12 inches in the same number of rounds, without requiring any corrections in the laying (pointing) of the piece. The greatest execution is obtained by accurately timing the burst of projectiles "on graze, ' ' just passing over the skirmishers ' cover or trenches, and, as an exploding projectile scatters 260 lead balls or shrap- nel, each of which is effective enough to kill a man if it hits him, a fair idea can be had as to the destructiveness of these weapons. The bursting charge is called melinite, an explosive composition wiiose intensity of force is surpassed only by that of nitroglycerin. CHAPTER IV THE NATIONS AT WAR Rulers and Heirs Apparent of Countries Engaged — Areas and Populations — Their Exports and Imports, Prin- cipal Cities, Etc. — Europe's Map Often Changed — The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 — Japan Enters the War. R ULERS of the principal countries engaged in the great war of 1914, with the latest statistics of their area, pop- ulation, exports and imports, are as follows : GREAT BRITAIN Government — King, George V.; heir-apparent, Edward Albert, prince of Wales. Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury — H. H. Asquith. Secretary of War — Earl Kitchener. The British parliament, in which the highest legislative authority is vested, consists of the house of lords and the house of commons. The former in 1913 had 636 members and the latter 670. The sessions usually last from Febru- ary to August. Area and Population — The total area of England, Scot- land, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands is 121,391 square miles ; the total for the British Empire is 11,- 498,825 square miles. The total population of the empire in 1911 was 421,178,965. The population of the United Kingdom April 3, 1911, when the last census was taken, was : England, 34,045,290; Wales, 2,025,202; Scotland, 4,759,445; Ireland, 4,390,219 ; Isle of Man, 52,034 ; Channel Islands, 96,900. Total, 45,369,090. The population of the inner or registration district of the city of London was 4,522,961 in 1911. Including the outer belt 53 54 THE NATIONS AT WAR of suburban towns, which are within the metropolitan police district, the population of "Greater London" April 3, 1911, was 7,251,358. Exports and Imports — The total exports of the British Empire in 1912 were $5,745,542,500 ; of the United Kingdom, $2,996,339,000; total imports of the empire, $6,528,065,000; of the United Kingdom, $3,724,482,000. The total exports of the United Kingdom to the United States in 1913 were $295,564,940; imports, $597,150,307. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY Government. — Emperor of Austria and king of Hungary, Francis Joseph I; heir apparent, Archduke Charles Francis Joseph. The empire of Austria and the kingdom of Hungary are sovereign states, each with its own constitution, legislative bodies and systems of administration, co-ordinate in rank and mutually independent within the domain of home affairs. Foreign representation (embassies and consulates), the army and navy, customs (import and export duties), and the ad- ministration of the annexed provinces (Bosnia and Herze- govina) are, however, conducted in common. Legislation on matters affecting the interests of the dual monarchy as a whole is intrusted to the delegations — two bodies of sixty members each, chosen from among members of the two legis- lative chambers of Austria and Hungary respectively. Area and Population. — Area of Austria, 115,903 square miles ; of Hungary, 125,395 square miles. The population of Austria in 1910 was 28,324,940. The population of Hungary in 1910 was 20,886,787. Total population for both countries in 1910 was 49,211,727. Imports and Exports. — The value of the imports into the Austro-Hungarian customs territory in 1912 was $722,030,000 ; exports, $554,973,000. Chief imports are cotton, coal, wool, maize, tobacco, coffee and wines; principal exports, lumber and wool manufactures, sugar, eggs, barley, lignite, malt, leather, gloves and shoes. Imports from the United States in 1913, $23,320,690; exports to United States, $19,192,414. THE NATIONS AT WAR 55 GERMANY Government. — Emperor and king of Prussia, Wilhelm II.; heir-apparent, Prince Friedrich Wilhelm. Cabinet offi- cers: Imperial Chancellor. — Dr. Theobald von Bethmann- Hollweg. Foreign Affairs. — Herr Gottlieb von Jagow. The Prussian minister of war, Gen. Josias 0. 0. von Heeringen, while nominally having jurisdiction over Prus- sian army affairs only, represents the imperial government in the reichstag in military matters and is, for all practical purposes, German secretary for war. Of the various inde- pendent states of Germany only the kingdoms of Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria and Wurttemberg have their own ministers of war. Legislative authority is vested in a bundesrath, or senate, of 61 members, and a reichstag, or house, of 397 members. The latter are elected for five year terms on a popular fran- chise and the senators are appointed from the state govern- ments for each session. Area and Population. — The area of the states in the empire is 208,780 square miles; area of dependencies about 1,027,820 square miles; grand total, 1,236,600 square miles. The last federal census was taken Dec. 1, 1910. Accord- ing to this the population of the empire was 64,925,993. The estimated population of the foreign dependencies is 13,946,200. Exports and Imports. — Total exports (1912), $2,115,- 482,000; total imports, $2,449,517,000. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1913, Germany ex- ported $188,963,071 worth of merchandise to the United States and imported merchandise valued at $331,684,212. RUSSIA Government — Czar, Nicholas II.; heir-apparent, Grand Duke Alexis. Premier and Minister of Finance — F. Kokovtseff. Foreign Affairs — M. Sazonoff. 56 THE NATIONS AT WAR Legislative authority is vested in the czar, duma and coun- cil of the empire. Area and Population — Area, 8,764,586 square miles. Total population in 1911, 167,003,400. Imports and Exports — The total value of the imports in 1911 was $598,266,000; of the exports, $819,577,000. The ex- ports to the United States in 1913 amounted in value to $26,- 958,690; imports from the United States, $25,363,795. The chief exports are foodstuffs, timber, oil, furs and flax; im- ports, raw cotton, wool, metals, leather, hides, skins and machinery. SERVEA Government — King, Peter I. (Karageorgevitch) ; heir- apparent, Prince Alexander (second son). Legislative au- thority is vested in a single chamber, called ' ' skupshtina, ' ' of 3 60 elected members. Area and Population — Area, about 37,600 square miles. Population in 1910, 2,911,701 ; now about 4,550,000. The cap- ital, Belgrade, has 90,890 inhabitants. Exports and Imports — Total value of exports in 1911, $22,565,000; imports, $22,277,000. Exports to the United States in 1913, $694,393; imports, $7,616. The exports are mainly agricultural products and animals and the imports cotton and woolen goods and metals. BELGIUM Government. — King, Albert I. The legislative power is vested in the king, senate and chamber of representatives. The senate has 120 members and the chamber 186, or one for every 40,000 inhabitants. Area and Population. — Total area, 11,373 square miles. Total population, 1910, 7,423,784; estimated population, 1911, 7,490,411. Population of the largest cities December 31, 1911: Antwerp 308,618 Liege 167,676 Brussels (capital) . 646,400 Ghent 166,719 THE NATIONS AT WAR 57 Imports and Exports. — The imports in 1912 amounted to $899,722,000 and the exports to $753,001,000. The trade with the United States in 1913 was : Imports, $66,845,462 ; exports, $41,941,014. Chief imports are cereals, textiles and metal goods ; chief exports, cereals, raw textiles, tissues, iron, glass, hides, chemicals and machinery. FRANCE Government. — President, Raymond Poincare; term ex- pires 1920. Legislative authority is vested in the chamber of deputies and the senate. The former has 597 members, each of whom is elected for four years. The senate has 300 members elected for nine years. The presidential term is seven years. Area and Population. — France has a total area of 207,054 square miles. The area of the French colonies and depend- encies throughout the world is 4,367,746 square miles. Total population (1911) of France proper, 39,601,509. Imports and Exports. — The total imports in 1912 amount- ed to $1,534,515,000; exports, $1,280,816,000. Exports to the United States in 1913, $136,877,990; imports from, $146,100,- 201. The chief exports are textiles, wine, raw silk, wool, small wares and leather; imports, wine, raw wool, raw silk, timber and wood, leather, skins and linen. Europe's map often changed Whatever the final outcome of the war of 1914, it is more than probable that the map of Europe will once more be changed. From the earliest days the story of the nations at war is one of never-ending shifting of dominion. The boundary lines of European countries have been like the desert sands. The greatest of military authorities has made an analysis of the history of mankind, showing that in 3,357 years — from 1496 B. C. to 1861 A. D. — there were 227 years of peace and 3,130 years of war, or more than a dozen years of war for every one which was without strife. The peace of Europe has always been a myth. 58 THE NATIONS AT WAR In the last 250 years, which is historically a comparatively short time, one great nation, Poland, has been lost; two others, Germany and Italy, have come to their present national unity, and numerous other lesser States — Holland, Belgium, Switzer- land, Portugal and the Slav and Latin States of the Balkan peninsula — have been battlegrounds, losing and gaining their independence as if with the throw of the dice. In point of numbers involved, no other war can be com- pared to the present terrible conflict enshrouding the greater part of Europe, but in one year 1,300,000 men were called out and most of them perished, in the campaign of 1814. Between 1804 and 1815 Napoleon sent to their death more than 1,700,000 Frenchmen, to whom must be added probably 2,000,000 men born outside of France. Napoleon changed more boundary lines than any other man. THE THIRTY YEARS ' WAR Europe was devastated by the Thirty Years' War of Ger- many, the last great combat between Catholicism and Protes- tantism early in the seventeenth century. Germany, a federa- tion of States, was then called the Holy Roman Empire. The House of Hapsburg ruled the empire. Richelieu, the great French statesman, who had no religious prejudices and desired to crush the Hapsburgs, aided the Protestants. The war swept over Germany, Sweden, France and the Netherlands. When it ended Switzerland and the United Netherlands were freed from German dominion, and the States of what is now Ger- many were conceded to be separate from the Hapsburg rule and to be autonomous, or having the right of self-government. France penetrated to the east by the cession of the bishoprics of Metz, Toul and Verdun. Alsace went from Austrian hands to France. Sweden, great on the sea, received enough territory in North Germany to command the mouths of the three German rivers, the Oder, Elbe and Weser. The largest territory received by any of the German States was by Brandenburg, which later became Prussia and finally Germany. In 1701 the Elector Frederick of Brandenburg took the title of King of Prussia, and Prussia came to be the ex- ponent of German nationalism and enmity to Hapsburg domi- © International News Service. 1. Civic Guards Defending a Barricade in Suburbs of Brussels. 2. Belgian Soldiers Digging Trenches to Bury the Dead in a Harvest Field. r i s h ch F L V i> 'BRITISH FLEET 1M CRUISERS i I GERMAN , FLEET *SI S $- BATTLESHIPS 68 48 CRUISERS G R EAT 1 B C L A N & uvt< ^Jjjgp&S*. . i'^B.R I T A I N T >;,>4E,»u„t ,„.^.| _, __.< [6 00.0001 - - ,„ LONDON -^jS ♦Southampton -** «Si£ o ct k" o <. e DREADNOUGHTS 2 I 378 NOR T H HELI WIL -4 fl&EST „ '&* '' '' '"' ' *• fc v- " S R ST* n i ImCN ir - [Line of tStfe 2.000.000 * f VtteLtx Trainee Men 4.000.0 00 E\ BRUSSELS , 1 e.-?C«5v#JSft?'<'""> t «AMfHSi&' l- iter. VJ ,V " , "«^ Qspjieoj A , | MfVienr'iS;-- J ^-'»* '■ * MAYtN«E>*&- SWITZERLAND '-S «*V y.400.000 1 tf»2 000.000 I TOULON ' FRENCH FLEET CRUISERS 30 BATTLESHIPS 2 I ITALIAN FLEE' AREA CON T Ro l L T R A DC £D By * e \wg§r^$: Specially drawn by G. F. Morrell for The Graphic, London. War Map Showing Naval and Military Forces Sf PETERSBl m^ZjR*. o U S . S - .^fr .......s-t--^— r M :^7^r^ — 2:000.00b' I A A v *■'-,""" i iTotolofTraimdMEN 5.500.000 (JT -^T'-^icRAC&w " J5»«wfau*> .>", 9BR4 routi'- A & .v.. a L Yie' f l " ptw '« \ - .-^; msb *,: -« ; ;T._" i \ X - H U N G a «'' y'tC ^K J m en 2 .500.000 rwvsru^^^ ^*?$t -s so' 000^ ~"^V ^■ONTENEGWK? . Jf *&. f -*» ,. .^ISOO.OOOl* AREA ^CONTROLLED -.., BY L RUSSIAN \ ^ *• -^ »b v '* "i ^ x «*r "3* *^-'* i "^*c-— -•— ■ y 'it 4m % ; 1 ^>r-'~ / %.]3 OQ000l FLEET 88A1 rLESHfPi Wt-TANTI H, V*l 1700.000- e r ^l&zgZ .', IV A V.4 / n A IS M jlance; Also All the Fortresses and Naval Bases. Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 1. Motor-Propelled Field Kitchen in which the Meals of the Crown Prince of Germany were Prepared while Leading- His Army. 2. Field Telegraph Outfit at a Brigade Headquarters of the French Army. '5c 5 S tf £ s» .2 £ = fc ^ b S be ft WAKE Iff, ^T/Vmarshall is. c ,^-n^SOLOMON IS. N 4 SAMOA IS. POLU IS. TUTUILAIS. , PAGO PAGO I (US J V TAU IS ws> WHERE JAPAN ENTERED THE WAR The circles on this map surround Germany's Pacific possessions Kwangchauwan on the southern coast for ninety-nine years. On June 9, following, Great Britain leased for ninety-nine years a 200 square mile extension of territory on the main- land opposite Hongkong and about the same time Japan secured nonalienation pledges concerning the province of Fukien. Italy demanded a lease of Sanmun Bay, but did not press it because of popular opposition as expressed at home to a policy of expansion. LEADS TO "OPEN DOOR" DECLARATION All these territorial negotiations led up to the celebrated international "open door" declaration. While England had THE NATIONS AT WAR 67 long urged the policy of equality of opportunity for all nations in Chinese trade the United States accomplished the first broad recognition of that principle. As a result of negotiations by John Hay, the American secretary of state, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Russia and Japan early in 1900 agreed in guaranteeing the treaty rights of the United States and thus, through the most favored nation clause, the treaty rights of other nations in China should remain unimpaired in the territory except mili- tary or naval stations acquired or leased by each power, and that goods of the treaty powers should continue to be ad- mitted there on equal terms with those of the nation newly in possession. Great Britain and Germany supplemented this on October 16, 1900, by a definite agreement between them to uphold the policy of an open door in China, to abstain from seizure of territory themselves and to influence other governments, as far as possible, to the same end. The Anglo-Japanese alliance of February, 1902, for the protection of their respective interests in China and Korea was another factor of great importance. The immediate ob- ject of the alliance was understood to be the limitation of Russian expansion in Korea and Manchuria. THE AGE OF "EFFICIENCY. — Chicago Daily News M^WITMRLAND THE FRANCO-GERMAN BORDER At the north, a German Army from Luxemburg took Longwy after a long siege and advanced toward Paris via Verdun, while another German Army was overrunning Belgium. Luneville, further south, was also taken by a Ger- man force advancing eastward on the road to Paris. At the extreme south the French crossed through the passes of the Vosges (the mountain range between France and Alsace), and took Mulhausen and Altkirch. This invasion, however, was checked and the French forces were compelled to retire. CHAPTER V THE INVASION OF BELGIUM Belgians Rush to Defense of Their Frontier — Towns Bom- barded and Burned — The Defense of Liege — A German Officer's Experience — An Englishman's Story — The Terrible Krupp Siege Guns — Destruction of Louvain — Fall of Namur — German Proclamation to Inhabitants. AT 10 o'clock on the night of August 2 German troops crossed the Belgian frontier, coming from Aix-la- Chapelle, or Aachen, temporary headquarters of the gen- eral staff, and the bloody invasion of Belgium, involving the violation of its neutral treaty rights, began. Simultaneously the German forces entered the independent duchy of Luxem- burg to the south, en route to the French border, and also came in touch with French outposts in the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. The events that followed in Belgium furnished a genuine surprise to the world. Instead of finding the Belgian people indifferent to the violation of their territory and the Belgian army only a slight obstacle in the road to Paris, as was prob- ably expected by the German general staff, a most gallant and determined resistance was offered to the progress of the Ger- man hosts. The army of the little State was quickly mobilized for defense and its operations, while ineffectual in stopping the Kaiser's irresistible force, delayed its advance for three invaluable weeks, giving time for the complete mobilization of the French and for the landing of a British expeditionary force to co-operate with the latter in resisting the German approach to Paris. Just across the Belgian border lay the little towns of Vise and Verviers, and these were the first objects of German at- tack and Belgian defense. Both were occupied after desperate resistance by the Belgians and Vise was partly demolished by 69 70 INVASION OF BELGIUM fire in reprisal, it was claimed, for the firing by civilians on the German invaders. The subsequent bombardment and burning of towns and villages by the Germans were explained in every case as measures of revenge for hostile acts on the part of non-combatants and intended to prevent their occur- rence elsewhere by striking terror into the hearts of the Bel- gian populace. Whatever the pretext or the excuse, the his- torical fact remains that the result of the German progress NORTH SEA —Prom the Literary Digest— Copyright, 1914. by Funk & Wagnalls Company. BELGIUM— THE FIRST BATTLEFIELD OF THE WAR The map shows the more important railroad lines connecting the cities of Brussels, Antwerp and Namur and those of Northern France. Paris is 200 miles by rail from Brussels and 190 from Namur. INVASION OF BELGIUM 71 toward the Franco-Belgian frontier constituted a martyrdom for Belgium and gained for the plucky little kingdom the full- est sympathy of the civilized world. THE ATTACK OX LIEGE The ancient city of Liege was attacked by the German artillery on August 4. The town itself was occupied five days later, but the modern forts surrounding it continued for some time longer to hold out against the fierce German attack. It became necessary to bring up the heaviest modern Krupp siege guns in order to reduce them. Amidst all the plethora of events which crowded them- selves into the first few days following the outbreak of the war, none was more remarkable than the Belgian stand at Liege against the German advance. The struggle round Liege bids fair to become historic, and the garrisons of the Liege forts when they looked out fear- lessly from the banks of the Meuse on the vanguard of the German host, and took. decision to block its further progress, proved their claim once again to Julius Caesar's description of their ancestors, "The Belgians are the bravest of the Gauls.". THE FALL OF LIEGE News of the fall of Liege and the occupation of the city by German troops was received with great rejoicing in Berlin on August 8th. Dispatches received at Amster- dam from the German capital said: The news of the fall of Liege spread with lightning rapidity throughout Berlin and created boundless enthusiasm. The Emperor sent an aide-de-camp to announce the capture of the city to crowds that assembled outside the palace. Policemen on bicycles dashed along Unter den Linden pro- claiming the joyful tidings. Imperial Chancellor Bethmann- Hollweg drove to the castle to congratulate the Emperor on the victory and was enthusiastically cheered along the way. The newspapers declared that false reports which were known to have been circulated in foreign countries, that the Germans suffered a severe reverse before Liege, would no longer serve to conceal Germany's triumphs. The Lokal An- zeiger said of the reported victory: 72 INVASION OF BELGIUM I * It confirms our confidence that we can calmly await com- ing events. It was the prelude to deeds which will be spoken of as long as men live on earth." Another paper said : ' ' When our soldiers in the field learn of the surrender of Liege they will rejoice not only for the victory of our arms, but because of the assurance it gives that our march through Northern France cannot be stayed." GERMAN OFFICER^ EXPERIENCE AT LIEGE A vivid description of the fighting before Liege was given by a German officer who was seriously wounded in the battle. He described his experiences and feelings in a letter which read, in part, as follows : ' ' Our trip to the Belgian border was a triumphal proces- sion. It was pouring rain as we marched through the Ardennes. The towns seemed deserted. We had no rest and during the night were fired upon. 4 'At 5 a. m. August 6 we marched through the Ourthe val- ley, meeting obstacles everywhere. It was an awful march; the roads were blocked by felled trees and bowlders ; of bridges there were only remnants. In the afternoon we took up quar- ters in a village south of Liege. ' ' Seven o 'clock. An alarm is sounded ; the captain shouts 1 Storm Liege ! ' It is impossible. We cannot go farther ; the forts are thirty-five kilometers away, but we press on. " Thirty minutes pass and we are fired upon from the heights. Now shots are fired directly at us from nearer points. We draw our revolvers and rush forward. "The field is alive with troops of all arms. It is raining in torrents ; a thunderstorm is roaring and the night is pitch dark. We press on. We see soldiers fall. Now they fall in masses and do not rise. The sky clears, the moon shines ; we hear cannonading. "Suddenly we hear that our baggage has been attacked. One company turns back. The village has been burned down ; all the people shot. Such are the atrocities of the franc- tireurs (guerrillas, or civilian 'snipers'). I I Meanwhile we keep on, close to Liege, and turn off behind the wood. Four regiments lay down their knapsacks and ' iron INVASION OF BELGIUM 73 rations' are taken out. The last exhortation is given; we form in ranks for the charge. "Shells whiz past, but without aim. We gallop by our artillery, stuck helplessly in the mud up to the hubs. A wild hail of bullets burst on us from a point directly opposite. Our own men are firing upon us, but just in time we are recognized. ' ' Now we are directly in front of the firing line of the forts. There is wild clamoring. The parole ' Woerth ' is given. Friend and enemy look alike. COMRADES SLAIN BY HIS SIDE "I am lying before a barricade of trees and barbed wire, with my comrade, Lieut. G., on my left and the captain on my right. Shells explode all around; everywhere is the infernal noise of musketry fire. "The air is hot. A few yards ahead we may get better cover. I nudge Lieut. G. and ask, ' Shall we go forward ? ' No answer. He is dead. The captain jumps to his feet and falls back ; he is shot in the breast. I raise my arm, the company responds to my word of command. "I rush forward. A terrible blow throws me back three feet. I have received a shell in the left thigh. The pain is terrible. Before me an officer calls out his name, holds out his hand to me and then falls back — dead. 1 ' In front of me there is a flag and I try to crawl up to it. The bearer is dead. A second shot strikes me in the left arm ; a third in the right arm ; I bite the earth with pain. "A few steps in front are the Belgian rifle pits. Our men advance. I lie in one place nearly twelve hours, yet, despite the hail of bullets, nothing happens to me. "A doctor comes with bandages. At noon I am carried away. Shivering with fever, I meet our regiment. Its losses are terrible — three captains, six lieutenants, nearly all from my battalion. 1 ' I am taken to a field hospital. During the first few days I suffer terribly, but now I am much better. There are others who have to suffer greater pain than I ; that makes one keep quiet. 74 INVASION OF BELGIUM "I have lost everything. The clothes I wore were so soaked with blood that they were burned. A Russian brought me some underwear and a sympathetic little woman is washing and mending a uniform for me. ' ' AN ENGLISH STOCKBROKERS STORY Another story is told by Guy Menzies, an English stock- broker, who has a residence in Belgium and came through Liege after the German occupation. He said that the Germans, although they had gained the city, were not very joyful over their success, as they had before them the problem of getting out of the city again, the forts outside being capable of a cross-fire that would leave them little chance of making an exit save with heavy losses. He speaks of boulevards lined with Maxims, and of being astonished at the small amount of damage that had been done in the town. Two bridges had been blown up, and the other two were heavily guarded by the Germans. From Liege Mr. Menzies managed to make his way, with various narrow escapes both from the French and Ger- mans, towards Verviers. His story follows : "After I had passed Vaux-sous-Chevremont I began to see some of the terrible ravages which the German advance had brought about. At Romsee village, with about five hun- dred inhabitants, every house had been burned down by the Germans. "At this point three corps were firing, and I had some marvelous escapes from their shells. The Germans were ad- vancing from Herve through Soumagne and Zhendelesse and were pillaging the village of Maquee. As I passed through, women and children were flying away from their homes with terror-stricken cries, not knowing where to go. "When I reached Fleron the people were so terrified no one would take me in for the night or give me any food. I had to push on as far as Berne. I started again at 4 a. m. on Monday, but I lost my way and got to Soiron. RESULTS OF BELGIAN FIRE < i There I saw more terrible traces of the fire of the forts of Liege. The German field guns were lying by the side of the road disabled, with dead horses still in their harness. The INVASION OF BELGIUM 75 ground was littered with hundreds of corpses of German soldiers that had not been buried. The men were lying very close together, indicating that they were being put forward in close order. The wounds inflicted by the shell fire were ter- rible, and I hurried away from the scene as quickly as I could. "I got to my house at Petit Rochain at 8:30 Monday (August 9), having passed through Verviers. My friends were very scared and begged me to leave again as soon as possible. "Leaving Petit Rochain Wednesday, August 11, still on foot, I made my way for the Dutch frontier through Berneau and Moland. At Berneau, as I passed through, a great German army was encamped. There must have been nearly 100,000 men of all arms, among them the Death's Head Hussars, of which the Crown Prince is the colonel. "Near Verviers I saw two huge guns nine meters long being drawn along a road by thirty horses attached to each. At Magnee they were bringing up howitzers. The Germans were trying to make pontoon bridges over the Meuse at Vise, but as soon as they were completed I saw them destroyed by shot from Fort Pontisie. I was told this had happened twenty times before. "At Louvain we found King Albert in consultation with the general staff, his majesty dressed in a general's field uni- form. He looked smiling and confident. The roads leading into Brussels were crowded with mournful processions of Red Cross wagons bringing in the wounded, both Belgian and Ger- man ; walking by the side of the carts and comforting the suf- ferers were numerous priests and monks bearing a Red Cross badge. The scene was piteous and moved all beholders to tears. ' ' Soldiers returning from the front were greeted along the road by innumerable women and children, who handed them bottles of wine, bread and meat, and did not forget to be repaid with a kiss." A TERRIBLE GERMAN" WEAPON USED AT LIEGE AND NAMUR The monster siege guns or mortars used by the Germans against the forts of Liege and afterward at Namur appear to 76 INVASION OF BELGIUM have been a secret product of the Krupp gun factories and were described by an American correspondent at Berlin in September as follows : "The pinnacle of German war science is the 42-centimeter (16.5 inch) Krupp mortar, the most miraculous and powerful Aveapon designed in the history of war. "The Krupp mortar is the one unique and astonishing product of this month of fighting. It has smashed apparently impregnable fortifications like those of Liege and Namur, has been battering at the perfect defenses of Antwerp, and is ex- pected by German artillerists to blow open a roadway to Paris. "Mentioned by thousands, the Krupp mortar is known only by a few. The gun was invented eight years ago, but only those in the confidence of the Krupps know who the inventor is. He may be marooned with his secret, for he holds in his grasp the destiny of Germany. "For eight years the Krupps worked at the secret while guarding it with most rigorous precautions. This year they perfected it. This mortar fires the largest and most dangerous projectile ever shot from a weapon. In making it no single workman worked on more than one small piece, and one vital part of the machinery was made in Austria. KEPT SECRET FROM COMMITTEE "Even the artillery subcommittee of the Bundesrath was not informed this year. It was merely asked to withhold debate on the artillery situation, as something 'extraordinary' was being provided. That something extraordinary was first seen when the Liege forts, which could withstand any artillery fire known to Belgian officers, collapsed like shanties, burying hundreds of the garrison under the wreckage. "At Namur the same story was repeated. I have just read an account in an English newspaper of the capture of Namur, in which it is said that two French regiments coming to the relief of the garrison, found such carnage that they retired in awe. But the surprise of the Belgians was no greater than that of the German artillery officers themselves, who watched incredulously the miracle of the Krupp mortar. All that the official dispatches told the German public was that 'the enemy had not reckoned on the power of our artillery. ' INVASION OF BELGIUM 77 GUNNERS RETIRE TO A TUNNEL ' ■ So far as I can learn, what was done at Liege was this : "At some distance from a fort a space was cleared and a great mortar set in a concrete bed occupying a circle with a radius of 100 feet. Behind the mortar and outside this circle was a tunnel leading to a subterranean chamber. The great mortar was sighted, the projectile was set in place and then the gunners retired to their underground chamber, where they pressed a button and the mighty shot was fired. "The concussion was terrible. Anything within fifty feet of the gun at the time of explosion would be injured. Even men in the neighboring armies complained of headaches and toothaches from the jar and the same complaints were made by the men in the forts where the projectiles exploded. PASSES THROUGH THREE WALLS "The projectile pierced through one, two and three ordi- narily impenetrable walls and buried itself in a fourth. Here it lay silent many seconds, then exploded like a volcano, bring- ing to the ground in ruins every stone which had stood upon another. "A shot fired into the center of a fort buried itself deep in the ground and lay there as though gathering strength for its demoniacal eruption. Then, after twenty seconds, it exploded and razed the proudest walls in Belgium. "Each shell costs $2,500. What it contains nobody but the Krupps know. It is brought to the battlefield in pieces and assembled by the highest paid and most trusted of the Krupp engineers. It is aimed and loaded by them and not one member of the artillery corps in the Kaiser's army has anything to do with it. The slogan of these men is ' One shot for one fort. ' KRUPPS RECENTLY IN DISGRACE ' ' Not a year ago the name of Krupp was disgraced through- out the world. Yet the Krupps in applying modern science at Essen at that time had built the most remarkable community of comfortable homes in existence and by modern science had provided for their men in a manner surpassed by no other con- cern. The same science working along different lines built the Krupp 42-centimeter mortar. 78 INVASION OF BELGIUM ' ' There is something* significant in this combination. This science is German and not the Krupps'. It is willing to work for peace and happiness, but it has proved that it can work for war. The Germans are working for the survival of the most scientific. ' ' GENERAL LEMAn's REPORT General Leman, the Belgian commander who gained fame for himself by his defense of the Liege forts, was captured by the Germans. When made a prisoner, he sent a letter to King x *&$$ t v^&m .1 tiffinE «a«>K!*. * « LIEGE AND ITS RING OP FORTS Albert in which he tells how he held the Liege forts after August 6, when only the temporary arrest of the foe seemed longer possible. The letter read as follows : "After the honorable engagement of August 4, 5 and 6, I considered that the Liege forts could only play the role of forts of arrete (arrest or stoppage). I, nevertheless, main- tained the military government in order to co-ordinate the de- fense as much as possible and to exercise a moral influence upon the garrison. INVASION OF BELGIUM 79 "Your Majesty is not ignorant that I was at Fort Loncin on August 6 at noon. You will learn with grief that the fort was blown up yesterday at 5 :20 in the afternoon, the greater part of the garrison being buried under the ruins. That I did not lose my life in that catastrophe is due to my escort, who drew me from a stronghold whilst I was being suffocated by gas from exploded powder. I was conveyed to a trench, where I fell. A German captain gave me a drink and I was made a prisoner and taken to Liege. "I am certain that I have shown carelessness in this letter, but I am physically shattered by the explosion of Fort Loncin. In honor of our arms I have surrendered neither the fortress nor the forts. "I deign to ask your pardon, sire. In Germany, where I am proceeding, my thoughts will be, as they always have been, of Belgium and the King. I would willingly have given my life the better to serve them, but death was not granted to me. "Lieutenant-General Leman." General Leman's letter furnishes direct confirmation of the effect of the new ' ' Krupp mortar" (Germany's tremendous engine of death) at Liege. BLEW UP HIS FORT The French war office issued a report showing the valor of Major Nameche, the commanding officer of Fort Chaudfon- taine, one of the Liege strongholds, which commanded the railroad to Aix-la-Chapelle by Verviers and the tunnel to Chaudfontaine. A continual and extremely violent bombardment reduced the fort to a mere heap of ruins. Major Nameche judged that further resistance was impossible, blocked up the tunnel by running several locomotives into each other and set fire to the fuses leading to the mines surrounding the forts. His mission then accomplished, Major Nameche, deter- mined that the German flag should not fly even over the ruins of his fort, blew up the powder magazine, and perished. PEASANTS AND TOWNSPEOPLE FLEE Following the fall of Liege came a number of sanguinary engagements in northern Belgium ; the unopposed occupation 80 INVASION OF BELGIUM of Brussels on August 20, and a four days' battle beginning on August 23, in which the Germans forced back the French and British allies to the line of Noyon-LaFere across the northern frontier of France. In the northern engagements the Belgians gave a good account of themselves, but were everywhere forced to give way before the innumerable hosts of the Kaiser, though not without inflicting tremendous losses on the invaders. The retirement of the civilian population before the ad- vancing masses of the German army was a pathetic spectacle. It was a flight in terror and distress. On Tuesday, August 18, the German troops surged down upon Tirlemont, a town twenty miles southeast of Louvain, around which they had been massing for some days, presum- ably by rail and motor cars. The stories which had reached the inhabitants of Tirlemont of the happenings at surrounding towns and villages had not added to their peace of mind, and soon the moment for flight arrived. All kinds of civilians set out towards Brussels and Ghent for refuge. At times the road was full of carts bearing entire families, with pots and pans swaying and banging against the sides as the vehicles bumped over the roadway. The younger women, boys and menfolk who had been left in the towns and villages fled on foot. Priests, officials and Bed Cross helpers mingled with the crowd. This stream of unfortunates uprooted from their homes was thus described by an eyewitness : "These masses of broken-hearted people moved silently along, many weeping, few talking. With them they brought a few of their possessions, as pathetically miscellaneous as the effects one might seize in the panic haste of a hotel fire. Ox wagons, bundles and babies on clog-drawn carts or on men's backs, bicycles and handcarts laden with kitchen utensils, all mingled with the human stream. Here were to be seen sewing machines, beds, bedding, food, and there a little girl or boy with some toy clasped uncomprehendingly in a dirty hand; they also knew that danger threatened and that they must save what they held most dear. And even among these un- happy people there were some more unfortunate than the others — men and women who had no bundle, children who had no doll. All the way to Louvain there flowed this human INVASION OF BELGIUM 81 stream of misery. Back along the Tirlemont road rifle firing could be heard and entrenchments were to be seen in the town itself." These scenes between Tirlemont and Louvain were typical of those on every road leading to the larger cities of Belgium as the inhabitants fled before the approach of the dreaded Uhlans. FALL OF NAMUR On the afternoon of Sunday, August 23, the fortress of Namur was evacuated by the Belgians, and the town was later occupied by the Germans. The fortress was said to be as strong as Liege and it owed its importance in the present war to the fact that it was the apex of the two French flanks. One ran from Namur to Charleroi and the other by Givet to Mezieres. Warned by their experiences at Liege, the Germans made most determined efforts against Namur. From the north, south and east they were able to bring up their big guns unhindered, and by assaults at Charleroi and Dinant they endeavored to break the sides of the French triangle. Namur finally collapsed but clever strategy enabled the French to fall back upon their main lines. The fall of Namur, nevertheless, was a decided blow to the allies. This was admitted by the French minister of war, who said at midnight Monday, August 24, of the failure of the ''Namur triangle": "It is, of course, regrettable that owing to difficulties of execution which could not have been foreseen our plan of attack has not achieved its object. Had it done so it would have shortened the war, but in any case our defense remains intact in the face of an already weakened enemy. Our losses are severe. It will be premature to estimate them or to estimate those of the German army, which, however, has suffered so severely as to be compelled to halt in its counter- attack and establish itself in new positions." The object of the French triangle, having its apex at Namur, was to break the German army in two. The British troops, as related in another chapter, were cooperating with the French at Mons. 82 INVASION OF BELGIUM When the Belgians evacuated Namur the Germans had knocked to pieces three of the forts to the northeast of the town with howitzer fire. Between these forts they advanced and bombarded the town, which was defended by the Belgian Fourth Division. Namur was evacuated when the defenders found themselves unable to support a heavy artillery fire. The Germans attacked in a formation three ranks deep, the front rank lying down, the second kneeling, and the third standing. They afforded a target which was fully used by the men behind the Belgian machine guns. Some fifty or sixty howitzers were brought into action by the Germans, who concentrated several guns simultaneously on each fort and smothered it with fire. DESTRUCTION OF LOUVAIN At this stage of the war in Belgium an event occurred that riveted universal attention upon the German operations. On Tuesday, August 25, the beautiful, historic, scholastic city of Louvain, containing 42,000 inhabitants, was bombarded by the Germans and later put to the torch. The fire, which burned for several days, devastated the city. Many artistic and historical treasures, including the priceless library of Louvain University and several magnificent churches, centuries old, were totally destroyed. Only the Hotel de Ville (City Hall), one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe, was spared and left standing in the midst of ruins. The Rotterdam Telegraf, a neutral newspaper, declared that in the devastation of Louvain "a wound that can never be healed" was inflicted "on the whole of civilized humanity." Frank Jewett Mather, the well-known American art critic, bitterly denounced the act as one of wanton destruction, saying that Louvain "contained more beautiful works of art than the Prussian nation has produced in its entire history." Richard Harding Davis, the noted correspondent, wit- nessed part of the tragedy from the window of a car in which he was held prisoner by the Germans, and said in the New York Tribune : ' ' For two hours on Thursday night I was in what for six hundred years had been the city of Louvain. The Germans INVASION OF BELGIUM 88 were burning it, and to hide their work kept us locked in the railroad carriages. But the story was written against the sky, was told to us by German soldiers incoherent with excesses; and we could read it in the faces of women and children being led to concentration camps and of citizens on their way to be shot. ''The Germans sentenced Louvain on Wednesday to be- come a wilderness, and with the German system and love of thoroughness they left Louvain an empty, blackened shell. The reason for this appeal to the torch and the execution of non-combatants, as given to me on Thursday morning by General von Lutwitz, military governor of Brussels, was this : On Wednesday, while the German military commander of the troops in Louvain was at the Hotel de Ville talking to the burgomaster, a son of the burgomaster, with an automatic pistol, shot the chief of staff and German staff surgeons. "Lutwitz claims this was the signal for the Civic Guard, in civilian clothes on roofs, to fire upon the German soldiers in the open square below. He said also the Belgians had quick-firing guns, brought from Antwerp. As for a week the Germans had occupied Louvain and closely guarded all ap- proaches, the story that there was any gun-running is absurd. "Fifty Germans were killed and wounded. For that, said Lutwitz, Louvain must be wiped out. 1 ' No one defends the sniper. But because ignorant Mexi- cans, when their city was invaded, fired upon American sailors and marines, we did not destroy Vera Cruz. Even had Vera Cruz been bombarded, money could have restored it. Money can never restore Louvain. Great architects and artists, dead these six hundred years, made it beautiful, and their handi- work belonged to the world. With torch and dynamite the Germans have turned these masterpieces into ashes, and all the Kaiser 's horses and all his men can not bring them back again. ' ' AMERICAN GIRL'S AWFUL EXPERIENCE Here is the story of Marguerite Uyttebroeck, who lived through the sacking of Louvain and reached London Septem- ber 11 en route to the town where she was born — Assumption, Illinois — the youngest child of a family numbering nine. 84 INVASION OF BELGIUM Marguerite, aged 19, was sure that only her aged mother, who was with her, is alive. Three weeks before all her brothers and sisters were together with their parents in a farmhouse on the outskirts of Louvain. "My mother and father," the girl began, "went to the United States from Belgium twenty-five years ago and settled at Assumption. We farmed there, but a year ago we all moved back to Louvain, where father bought a farm outside the city and renewed old acquaintances. "There was fighting beyond Louvain the whole day and night before the Belgian soldiers began to run through the town with the Germans hot on the trail. We all hid at first and watched the pursuit between the shutters, but when the first scare was over we sat on the doorsteps and saw the parade of the German soldiers with their bands playing and their good order. "Nobody had an idea they would harm us, and it was almost like going to a theater to see them march by. They didn't pay any attention to us for a time, but when the soldiers were dismissed they began getting drunk. Then things be- came bad. "I was at a friend's house in the city, and the first thing I knew the house next door was on fire. "When we tried to rush out into the street bullets came against the door like hail. My girl friend's father and mother were killed in their own vestibule. We turned around and ran upstairs to the attic and stayed there until flames began coming through the walls. Then we got on to the roof and climbed along over other roofs to the end of the street, got down through the house and out into the back garden over the wall, and began to run through the fields toward my house. "It was dark. We ran almost into two Uhlans. One of them had an electric torch. He flashed it in my face and asked me where I was going. "When I told him in English that I was going to my house, he asked if I was English. I told him I was an American, but he only laughed. He was going to dismount when his horse took fright at something, pitched him on the ground and stunned him. I fled while the other Uhlan was caring for his comrade. INVASION OF BELGIUM 85 " When I reached my house I found the Germans had taken father and my four brothers prisoners, and had taken them away — where, mother did not know. "Aswe were trying to decide what to do another company of German soldiers came along, rode over the fence, and set fire to the house and barns. My two sisters told the soldiers what they thought of such wickedness and the last I saw of them they were being carried off by half a dozen soldiers, and never came back. " While the fire was burning fiercely I suddenly remem- bered a piece of paper a priest gave my mother in Assumption, Illinois, when I was born. It was in my room and was my only proof that I was an American. "So I ran around the house, climbed up over the trellis, and got into my room, already full of smoke. I took the paper, and then, with my mother, got back to the city and put her in a friend's house. "I started looking for my father, brothers, and sisters. My hunt lasted five days and nights, and during that time I saw many terrible sights. ' ' On the sixth day it was announced that trains would take us to Germany, and when the soldiers came they told some old men to line up and march to the station. They obeyed gladly. When they got to the station they were lined up against a wall and shot. "If the Belgian commission wants eyewitness proof of atrocities in Louvain I can tell them the names of women I saw outraged and then thrown into a fire, and other things even worse. ' ' The girl, with her mother, sailed for New York September 12th on the Megantic. GERMAN REPORT ON LOUVAIN An official communication of the German general staff on the occurrences at Louvain, Belgium, dated August 30th and made public September 19, 1914, was as follows : "The city of Loewen (Louvain) had surrendered and was given over to us by the Belgian authorities. On Mon- day, August 24th, some of our troops were shipped there and 86 INVASION OF BELGIUM intercourse with the inhabitants was developing quite friendly. "On Tuesday afternoon, August 25th, our troops, hearing about an imminent Belgian sortie from Antwerp, left in that direction, the commanding general ahead in a motor car, leaving behind only a colonel with soldiers (landsturm bat- talion 'Neuss') to protect the railroad. As the rest of the commanding general's staff with the horses was going to follow and was collected on the market place, suddenly rifle fire opened from all the surrounding houses, all the horses being killed and five officers wounded, one of them seriously. "Simultaneously fire opened at about ten different places in town, also on some of our troops just arrived and waiting on the square in front of the station and on incoming military trains. A designed cooperation with the Belgian sortie from Antwerp was established beyond a doubt. PRIESTS SHOT PUBLICLY "Two priests caught in handing out ammunition to the people were shot at once in front of the station. "The fight lasted till Wednesday, the 26th, in the after- noon (twenty-four hours), when stronger forces, arrived in the meantime, succeeded in getting the upper hand. The town and northern suburb were burning at different places and by this time have probably burned down altogether. 1 ' On the part of the Belgian Government a general rising of the population against the enemy had been organized for a long time. Depots of arms were found, where to each gun was attached the name of the citizen to be armed. NOT WITHIN HAGUE AGREEMENTS "A spontaneous rising of the people has been recognized at the request of the smaller states at the Hague conference as being within the law of nations, as far as weapons are carried openly and the laws of civilized warfare are being observed ; but such rising was only admitted in order to fight the attacking enemy. ' ' In the case of Loewen the town already had surrendered without any resistance, the town being occupied by our troops. Nevertheless, the population attacked on all sides INVASION OF BELGIUM 87 and with a murderous fire the occupying forces and newly- arriving troops, which came in trains and automobiles, know- ing the hitherto peaceful attitude of the population. ' ' Therefore, there can be no question of means of defense allowed by the law of nations, nor a warlike guetapens (am- bush), but only of a treacherous attempt of the civil popula- tion all along the line, and all the more to be condemned as it was apparently planned long beforehand with a simulta- neous attack from Antwerp, as arms were not carried openly, and women and young girls took part in the fight and blinded our wounded, sticking their eyes out. "severest measures justified" "The barbarous attitude of the Belgian population in all parts occupied by our troops has not only justified our sever- est measures, but forced them on us for the sake of self- preservation. The intensity of the resistance of the popu- lation is shown by the fact that in Loewen twenty-four hours were necessary to break down their attack. "We, ourselves, regret deeply that during these fights the town of Loewen has been destroyed to a great extent. Needless to say that these consequences are not intentional on our part, but cannot be avoided in this infamous franc- tireur war being led against us. "Whoever knows the good-natured character of our troops cannot seriously pretend that they are inclined to needless or frivolous destruction. "The entire responsibility for these events rests with the Belgian Government, which with criminal frivolity has given to the Belgian people instructions contrary to the law of nations and incited their resistance, and which, in spite of our repeated warnings, even after the fall of Luettich (Liege), have done nothing to induce them to a peaceful attitude." BELGIANS DENY CIVILIAN FIRING The third section of the report of the Belgian commission appointed to inquire into alleged breaches of international law by the Germans was published September 20th and denied the German allegation that the inhabitants of Louvain 88 INVASION OF BELGIUM brought on the destruction of the town by firing on the Germans. It follows in part: ' ' The inhabitants of Louvain took no part in the fighting. Moreover, the destruction of the town came eleven days after the last Belgian troops had evacuated the district. Witnesses declare that the first shots were fired by intoxicated German soldiers at their own officers. Another fact established is as follows: "A crowd of 6,000 to 8,000 men, women and children were taken by the One Hundred and Sixty-second Regiment of German Infantry August 28th to the Louvain Riding School, where they spent the night. The place of confinement was so small that all had to remain standing. The sufferings were so great that several children died in their mothers' arms and a number of women lost their reason." PROCLAMATION" TO CONQUERED TOWNS The commanders of the German troops issued a proclama- tion to the inhabitants of every Belgian town they occupied, as follows: "Citizens — A body of the German army under my com- mand has occupied your city. Inasmuch as the war is carried on only between the armies, I guarantee in due form the life and private property of all the inhabitants under the following conditions : "1. The inhabitants must strictly avoid every hostile act against the German troops. "2. Food and forage for our men and horses are to be furnished by the inhabitants. Every such delivery will be paid for at once in coin, or a receipt will be issued, to be redeemed after the termination of the war. "3. The inhabitants are to house our soldiers and horses in the best manner, and to keep their houses lighted at night. "4. The inhabitants are to put the roads in a passable condition, to remove all obstacles erected by the enemy and to give the best support to our troops in order that they may be able to fulfill their task, doubly difficult in a hostile land. I shall adopt the most stringent measures as soon as the above conditions are not observed. INVASION OF BELGIUM 89 " Every citizen will be shot who is found with a weapon in his hands or committing any act whatever hostile to our troops." DAMAGE TO VILLAGES NEAR NAMUR The Namur newspaper, L'Ami de l'Ordre, which was for a time published under German censorship, gave a detailed summary of the buildings destroyed and the civilians killed in adjacent towns and villages, as follows: Tamines, 100 houses and 80 killed ; Gelbressee, 19 houses ; Franc- Waret, 16 killed; Wartel, 19 houses; Temploux, 18 houses and 2 killed; St. Gerard, 30 houses; Oret, 50 houses and the town hall ; Bremer, 70 houses and 15 killed ; Ermeton- Sur-Biert, 85 houses ; Stare, 60 houses ; Morialme, 15 houses ; Cleriux, many houses and many persons ; Boussulez-Walcourt, 54 houses; Gresnas les Courbin, almost destroyed; Mariem- bourg, almost destroyed; Baeswaever, many houses; Wavre, many houses. GERMAN SUCCESSES IN BELGIUM From the German standpoint, the invasion of Belgium as part of the planned march to Paris, though it met with unexpected resistance, was successful. The first round of the great international conflict ended with the honors on the German side, though the round was not decisive. The Anglo-French allies met with several serious reverses and the power and mobility of the German military machine was demonstrated. Though halted and perhaps seriously delayed at Liege and Namur, it "rolled back the allies' defense from Switzerland to the North Sea." The Belgian army, with French aid, kept the Germans from entering Brussels until August 20th and then retired behind the forts at Antwerp. The Kaiser's troops then overran practically all of Belgium, took Namur, fought back the British at Mons, forced the Allies south over the border at several points, and finally succeeded in occupying Lille, Roubaix and Valenciennes on the first line of French defense against invasion from the north. Simultaneously the French towns of Longwy and Luneville, to the east, were gained after severe fighting, 90 INVASION OF BELGIUM while the French invasion of Alsace-Lorraine, at first suc- cessful, was speedily checked. Thus when the first month of war ended, the Germans had made good with their plan of seizing Belgium as a base of operations against France and had arrived in full force at the first line of French defenses, well on the way to the coveted goal, Paris. But poor little Belgium, the " cockpit of Europe,' ' ran red with blood. "*-" s s-:~'-/-.^.:-.'-.^.^^i— -- ,SS THE ROAD TO YESTERDAY — New York Times. CHAPTER VI SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS Belgian Capital Occupied by the Germans Without Blood- shed — Important Part Played by American Minister Brand Whitlock — March of the Kaiser's Troops Through the City — Belgian Forces Retreat to Antwerp — Zeppelin Attacks on Antwerp — Dinant and Ter- monde Fall. AFTER the usual reconnaissances by Uhlans and motor- cycle scouts, the van of the German army arrived at Brussels, the capital city of Belgium, on August 20. The seat of government had been removed three days before to Antwerp. The French and Russian ministers also moved to Antwerp, leaving the affairs of their respective countries in the hands of the Spanish legation. Brand Whitlock, United States minister to Belgium, remained at Brussels and played an important part in negotiations which led to the unresisted occupation and march through the city by the Germans in force on August 21 and the consequent escape of Brussels from bombardment and probable ruin. At the approach of the German army the inhabitants of the capital were stricken with fear of the outcome. When the Belgian civic guards and refugees began pouring into the city from the direction of Louvain, they brought stories of un- speakable German atrocities, maltreatment of old men and children, and the violation of women. ' 'The Belgian capital reeled with apprehension," said an American resident. "Within an hour the gaiety, the vivacity, and brilliancy of the city went out like a broken arclight. The radiance of the cafes was exchanged for darkness ; whispering groups of residents broke up hurriedly and locked themselves into their homes, where they put up the shutters and drew in their tricolored Belgian flags. 91 92 SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS ' l The historic Belgian city went through a state of morbid consternation, remarkably like that from which it suffered on June 18, 1815, when it trembled with the fear of a French vic- tory at Waterloo. "In less than twenty-four hours the Belgian citizens were chatting comfortably with the German invaders and the alle- gations of German brutality and demoniacal torture dissolved into one of the nryths which have accompanied all wars. "Neither in Brussels nor in its environs was a single of- fensive act, so far as I know, committed by a German soldier. In a city of over half a million people, invaded by a hostile army of perhaps a quarter of a million soldiers, no act, suf- ficiently flagrant to demand punishment or to awaken protest came to my attention. ' ' SUERENDER OF CITY DEMANDED Prior to the occupation the German commander had sent forward a flag of truce demanding the surrender of the city. This was at midnight of Wednesday, August 19. The Belgian commandant replied that he was bound in honor to defend the town. Brand Whitlock, the United States minister, then came to the fore. He recommended to the commandant and to Burgo- master Max the unconditional surrender of the city, pointing out how resistance might bring increased misfortune on the citizens. But the military commander remained adamant until orders arrived from King Albert consenting to the surrender of the city. Mr. Whitlock was later congratulated officially by the king for his action. Undoubtedly he had a great deal to do with saving Brussels. GERMAN MARCH A WONDERFUL SIGHT The German entry into Brussels was a wonderful and im- pressive sight. Never, probably, was there a military spec- tacle on so vast a scale that went on without a hitch. "It was impossible to believe," said an eyewitness, "that these men had been fighting continuously for ten days or that they had even been on active service. First of all came a few cyclists, then a detachment of cavalry; then a great mass of SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS 93 infantry; then machine guns and field guns and more infan- try ; then huge howitzers ; then a pontoon train and then more infantry from Thursday until Sunday morning without a break. ' ' The pontoon trains were impressive. The pontoons were carried upside down on trolleys drawn by six horses. All cavalry horses, as well as the horses of the artillery and com- missary, were in wonderful condition. ' ' The men also were very fresh and keen. Each company was accompanied by a traveling stove, the fire of which was never out. There always was some hot drink ready for the troops, and the German soldiers told me that it is only this hot coffee and soup which keeps them going on long forced marches. "The inhabitants of Brussels turned out by thousands to watch this endless procession of Germans as they marched, singing all sorts of songs and national airs. They sang in ex- cellent tune, one company taking up the refrain as soon as an- other stopped. Like everything else, their singing is organ- ized perfectly. "An aeroplane kept its station ahead of the advancing host and it signaled both day and night by dropping various col- ored stars. What these signals meant we did not know, but all movements of the troops were regulated by them. "I became overwhelmed after watching this immense mass of men marching by without a hitch for three days. I never believed such a perfect machine could exist. "In all about 250,000 men passed through and thousands more never entered the city, but marched south direct from Louvain. These German soldiers, many of them, marched thirty miles daily for six successive days. Some were so weary that they slept as they walked and occasionally one fell ex- hausted, whereupon an officer would kick and prod until he awoke him. The man was then given hot coffee. The men are slaves of discipline and routine." THRILLING PICTURE OF THE SCENE An even more vivid picture of the march of the mighty German host through Brussels was given by Richard Harding 94 SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS Davis, who in the New York Tribune described his impres- sions of the stream of armed men, rolling like fog through the echoing streets continuously for three days. It bore no resem- blance to a parade or review, for these are human things, and as Mr. Davis said: ' ' The entrance of the German army into Brussels soon lost the human quality. It was lost as soon as the three soldiers who led the army bicycled into the Boulevard du Regent, and asked the way to the Gare du Nord. When they passed, the human note passed with them. * ' What came after them, and twenty-four hours later was still coming, was not men marching, but a force of nature like a tidal wave, an avalanche, or a river flooding its banks. At this minute it is rolling through Brussels as the swollen waters of the Conemaugh Valley swept through Johnstown. "At the sight of the first few regiments of the enemy we were thrilled with interest. After, for three hours, they had passed in one unbroken steel-gray column, we were bored. But when hour after hour passed and there was no halt, no breath- ing time, no open spaces in the ranks, the thing became un- canny, unhuman. You returned to watch it, fascinated. It held the mystery and menace of fog rolling toward you across the sea. THE DISGUISING GRAY-GREEN UNIFORMS ' ' The gray of the uniforms worn by both officers and men helped this air of mystery. Only the sharpest eye could de- tect, among the thousands that passed, the slightest differ- ence. All moved under a cloak of invisibility. Only after the most numerous and severe tests at all distances, with all ma- terials and combinations of colors that give forth no color, could this gray have been discovered. That it was selected to clothe and disguise the German when he fights is typical of the German staff in striving for efficiency to leave nothing to chance, to neglect no detail. "After you have seen this service uniform under condi- tions entirely opposite, you are convinced that for the German soldier it is his strongest weapon. Even the most expert marksman can not hit a target he can not see. It is a gray- green, not the blue-gray of the American Confederates. It is SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS 95 the gray of the hour just before daybreak, the gray of unpol- ished steel, of mist among green trees. "I saw it first in the Grand Place in front of the Hotel de Ville. It was impossible to tell if in that noble square there was a regiment or a brigade. You saw only a fog that melted into the stones, blended with the ancient house fronts ; that shifted and drifted, but left you nothing at which you could point. "Later, as the army passed below my window, under the trees of the Botanical Park, it merged and was lost against the green leaves. It is no exaggeration to say that at a hun- dred yards you can see the horses on which the Uhlans ride, but can not see the men who ride them. "If I appear to overemphasize this disguising uniform it is because, of all the details of the German outfit, it appealed to me as one of the most remarkable. The other day, when I was with the rear guard of the French Dragoons and Cuiras- siers and they threw out pickets, we could distinguish them against the yellow wheat or green corn at half a mile, while these men passing in the street, when they have reached the next crossing, become merged into the gray of the paving- stones and the earth swallows them. In comparison, the yel- low khaki of our own American army is about as invisible as the flag of Spain. GERMAN EQUIPMENT MOST THOROUGH "Yesterday Major-General von Jarotzky, the newly- appointed German military governor of Brussels, assured Burgomaster Max that the German army would not occupy the city, but would pass through it. It is still passing. I have followed, in campaigns, six armies, but, excepting not even the American army, the Japanese, or the British, I have not seen one so thoroughly equipped. I am not speaking of the fighting qualities of any army, only of the equipment and organization. The German army moved into this city as smoothly and as compactly as an Empire State Express. There were no halts, no open places, no stragglers. "This army has been on active service three weeks, and so far there is not apparently a chin-strap or a horseshoe missing. It came in with the smoke pouring from cook-stoves 96 SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS on wheels, and in an hour had set up post-office wagons, from which mounted messengers galloped along the line of column, distributing letters, and at which soldiers posted picture post- cards. "The infantry came in in files of five, two hundred men to each company ; the Lancers in columns of four, with not a pen- nant missing. The quick-firing guns and field-pieces were one hour at a time in passing, each gun with its caisson and am- munition-wagon taking twenty seconds in which to pass. "The men of the infantry sang ' Fatherland, My Father- land.' Between each line of song they took three steps. At times two thousand men were singing together in absolute rhythm and beat. When the melody gave way, the silence was broken only by the stamp of iron-shod boots, and then again the song rose. When the singing ceased the bands played marches. They were followed by the rumble of siege-guns, the creaking of wheels, and of chains clanking against the cobblestones, and the sharp, bell-like voices of the bugles. "For seven hours the army passed in such solid column that not once might taxicab or trolley-car pass through the city. Like a river of steel it flowed, gray and ghostlike. Then, as dusk came and as thousands of horses' hoofs and thou- sands of iron boots continued to tramp forward, they struck tiny sparks from the stones, but the horses and the men who beat out the sparks were invisible. "At midnight pack-wagons and siege-guns were still pass- ing. At 7 this morning I was awakened by the tramp of men and bands playing jauntily. Whether they marched all night or not I do not know ; but now for twenty-six hours the gray army has rumbled by with the mystery of fog and the per- tinacity of a steam-roller." HISTORIC TREASURES OP BRUSSELS The city of Brussels, thus occupied by the Germans, con- tains art treasures that are priceless. The museum and pub- lic galleries are filled with masterpieces of the Flemish and old Dutch school, while the royal library comprises 600,000 volumes, 100,000 manuscripts and 50,000 rare coins. Unques- tionably the Brussels Museum is one of the most complete on the Continent. SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS 97 A prominent historic landmark of Brussels is the King's House (also called the Dreadhouse), an ancient structure, re- cently renovated. Within its walls both the Counts Egrnont and Hoorn spent the last night before their execution, in 1567, by the hirelings of the Duke of Alva, the Spanish Philip II 's tyrannical governor of the Netherlands, who, by means of the sword and the Inquisition, sought to establish the Catholic religion in those countries. Brussels boasts another historic relic known the world over — the equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon, who led the Crusaders to the Holy Land. It stands upon the Place Royale, and was unveiled in 1848. The magnificent Town Hall of Brussels would probably have suffered destruction, together with the city's other beau- tiful buildings, had not the government yielded without a struggle. HEAVY WAR TAX LEVIED General von der Goltz, appointed by the Kaiser military governor of Belgium, levied a war tax of $40,000,000 on the capture of the capital. Other cities occupied by the Germans were also assessed for large sums, which in several instances had to be paid immediately on pain of bombardment. It was announced September 1 that the four richest men in Belgium had guaranteed the payment to Germany of the war tax. The four men were Ernest Solvay, the alkali king; Baron Lam- bert, the Belgian representative of the Rothschilds; Raoul Warocque, the mine owner, and Baron Empain, the railway magnate. BELGIANS RETREAT TO ANTWERP After the German occupation almost normal conditions were soon restored in Brussels, so far as civic life was con- cerned. It was speedily announced that the Germans intended to regard the whole of Belgium as a German province and to administer it as such, at least during the continuance of the war. The Belgian army retired to the north within the forti- fications of Antwerp, where they were joined by French troops, but desultory fighting against the German invader continued at many points and the Franco-British allies soon came into contact with the advancing German army and dis- 98 SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS putecl its progress along the Mons-Charleroi line to the south of Brussels, as related in a subsequent chapter. The retreat of the Belgian forces to Antwerp has been pronounced by military experts to have been a masterly piece of precaution and strategy. It is said that nothing could have been wiser than to forsake the unfortified town of Brussels, and to become intrenched in a city like that of Antwerp, which was surrounded by a strong series of almost unassailable re- doubts. Moreover, with the establishment of the Belgian headquarters at this point of defense the people of Holland are said to have felt their neutrality was more than ever safe- guarded and assured. The Paris Figaro said : "By the encampment of a large force of European allies on the northwest of Belgium the safety of Holland is more than ever assured. Holland is a country which depends alto- gether upon the support and the neutral policy of adjacent monarchies, hence the relief which was experienced by the Queen of Holland when forces of France and Belgium took up their position as a kind of outpost in Antwerp. Antwerp is very well protected by fortifications, against which the Ger- man cavalry will throw themselves in vain.'* ZEPPELIN ATTACK ON ANTWEEP The first German demonstration against Antwerp took the form of a night attack on the sleeping city, August 24-25, by a Zeppelin airship, which dropped eight bombs. The result, according to the dispatches, was the killing of seven civilians, four of whom were women, the wounding of eight others, and the damaging of many buildings. Much indignation was ex- pressed over this slaughter of non-combatants in their sleep, and the Belgian Government determined to make it an inter- national issue on the ground that the attack constituted a vio- lation of Article XXVI of the Fourth Convention of The Hague. This article provides that "the officer in command of an attacking force must, before commencing a bombard- ment, except in cases of assault, do all in his power to warn the authorities." The New York Staats-Zeitung, however, maintained that this was ' ' a hypocritical cry of protest, ' ' and declared that, if the bombs had fallen on Berlin or Strasburg SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS 99 instead of Antwerp, ''the matter would be dismissed with the statement that such is war." ANOTHER ZEPPELIN ATTACK The night of September 2 was signalized by a second Zep- pelin attack on Antwerp. Several bombs were thrown and considerable damage done. William G. Shepherd, staff correspondent of the United Press at Antwerp, forwarded an interesting description of the attack. He said: " Before this war, experts used to say perfection of terri- ble instruments of killing would only tend to make war im- possible. It doesn't do that, though. I watched the Zeppelin dropping bombs upon Antwerp last night, and such perfection only makes war more terrible, with a refinement of barbarism. As I saw the Zeppelin depart it seemed that the best argument against war was that it turned men into such merciless de- mons as these Zeppelin murderers. "The wildest flights of imagination couldn't approach what happened in Antwerp twelve hours ago. Early in the evening a Belgian captain took me the rounds of his company stationed in the center of the city. His men were divided into small squads in a dozen streets. "They were sitting on the sidewalks with their backs against the building walls, drinking hot coffee, which had been brought to them in an automobile. It seemed that his men were pretty well spread out in case of an attack by the Ger- mans, but the captain said there were 30,000 soldiers scat- tered over the city in the same way. Later the reason was apparent. 1 ' Not until 1 o 'clock in the morning did the big red harvest moon begin to sink. It left the streets in pitch darkness. The city was so tranquil and still that the crackle of the dry au- tumn leaves which had fallen from the elms in the public square seemed noise. It was chilly, too, and the soldiers on the sidewalks were wrapped up in their big overcoats, and too drowsy or too comfortable to challenge. AWAKENED BY SOLDIERS "An hour and a half later I was awakened by soldiers talking excitedly in the street beneath my window. But above 100 SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS the sound of their voices was another noise, a terrific whir- ring, high in the air. I jumped from bed, rushed to the win- dow and looked upward. There was a terrific explosion, far away, a deep booming roar. A moment later a spark came whirling and circling through the air like a shooting star gone mad. It sank into the skyline of roofs and another explosion boomed out. "And then up against the stars I saw the Zeppelin, per- haps a mile high and out over the outskirts of the town. "Another spark fell and there was a third explosion. Then a new sound filled the air. It began far away. It was the rattle of rifles — thousands of them. The firing grew nearer and louder. There were sharp orders. Under my window the soldiers began to shoot, the flashes lighting my room. They held their rifles straight upward. The sound grew louder and louder. Within a minute the din was indescrib- able. 30,000 MEN SHOOTING "Thirty thousand soldiers were shooting, each as fast as he could fire with his magazine rifle. The orders were not to try to hit the Zeppelin unless it was overhead. Every man's duty was to shoot straight up. "They were filling the air with steel. They were putting up a fence of metal a mile high around the city and palace. They filled the air with death to anything that entered the zone above Antwerp. The big guns in the forts around the city began to boom. Aeroplane machine guns mounted on auto- mobiles dashed about the streets, adding their burring, rat- tling sound to the din. "In the midst of it all there were eight more of the big bass booms, the voice of the Zeppelin bombs, in quick succes- sion. To the last, in the midst of the bullets and superhuman confusion, the supermen in the Zeppelin had tried to stick to the job. Two of the eight bombs fell within twenty and thirty meters of the Red Cross hospitals; the other six beat a Gar- gantuan tattoo on the field around the wireless station, which the airmen were evidently trying to destroy. The holes in the earth about the station were each the size and shape of a cis- tern. SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS 101 "Ten minutes of firing had made the Antwerp sky un- healthful. "As the last batch of bombs went over the sides of the car the balloon arose and sped away from the city. "The firing died out slowly. Half an hour later the Zep- pelin was reported at a point twelve miles away. Two chil- dren, three women and five men had been injured — though none seriously — and three houses destroyed. Nearly all the terrified families of the city had taken refuge in the cellars, for a week before the same Zeppelin had bombarded the town and killed several persons. The bullets fired by the soldiers came falling from the sky, but aside from breaking skylights they caused no injury. Folks going to work this morning picked them up for souvenirs." During the month of September there were also several cavalry and artillery attacks on Antwerp, but these were as a rule easily repulsed by the forts and their Belgian defenders. THE CITY AND PORT OF ANTWERP Antwerp is one of the largest, most modernly equipped and efficient ports in Europe. It is only a short distance across the English Channel, and is the head of 1,200 miles of canals in Belgium which connect with the canal systems of Holland, France and Germany. On the harbor alone over $100,000,000 has been spent and extensions are in progress which will cost $15,000,000 more. For the prosperity of Belgium, Antwerp is many times more important than Brussels, the capital. While the country has an enormous amount of coal and many factories and other industries, these would be of little value without the imports which enter through Antwerp. The city has about 360,000 inhabitants. Although located fifty-three miles inland on the Scheldt River, it has natural advantages for harbor purposes which have been recognized since the seventh century. Napoleon looked over the spot and started large harbor construction. LEGEND OF THE GIANT The origin of the first inhabitants of the city is unknown, but their commercial nature makes itself manifest in the se- 102 SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS lection of the city site, and this nature seems to have been transmitted to those who now operate the port. In all of the jewelry shops of Antwerp can be found sou- venir spoons of the hand of a man. The legend goes that long years ago a terrible giant levied a tax on all goods going up or coming down the river, to half the value of the goods. He cut off and threw into the River Scheldt the right hand of any person who infringed this tariff. The souvenir spoons relate ANTWERP AND ITS FORTIFICATIONS to this old yarn. In addition the Flemish word "antwerpen" is supposed to have originated in the word for hand and the word "werpen," to throw. A lieutenant under Julius Caesar is said to have gone to Antwerp and engaged the terrible giant in a battle. The giant's head was ordered severed from his body, and his hand was cut off and thrown into the river. This fable is incor- porated in a statue that stands opposite the town hall in Ant- werp. SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS 103 Ever since that time, according to popular belief, Antwerp has encouraged commerce. Over eighty different steamboat lines use the docks and quays. The passenger lines include boats to New York and Boston, New Orleans, London, Liv- erpool, Manchester, Grimsby, South American ports, Cuba, the Congo, East and South Africa and the far East. In 1912 a total of 6,973 ocean-going vessels entered the port, and 41,000 other vessels. Antwerp in 1870 ranked fifth in the ports of the world. Today it is believed to be second or third. Ten years ago the freight received from the inland was principally by the canals. Approximately 2,300,000 tons were received by rail and 5,500,- 000 tons by canal boats. This ratio has not been maintained, but the canal traffic now is much larger than the rail tonnage. This gives an idea of the extensive use to which the European countries put their canals, and the reader may guess the value of the city at the head of the canal system to the Germans. BLOODLESS CAPITULATION OF GHENT Historic Ghent, with its quarter of a million inhabitants, was also surrendered peaceably to the Germans, and again the energy and initiative of an American, United States Vice- Consul J. A. Van Hee, had much to do with the avoidance of tragedy and destruction. Learning that the advance guard of the German army was only a few miles outside the city, the burgomaster went out on the morning of September 8 to parley with Gen. von Boehn — in the hope of arranging for the German forces not to enter. An agreement finally was reached whereby the Ger- mans should go around Ghent on condition that all Belgian troops should evacuate the city, the civic guard be disarmed, their weapons surrendered, and the municipal authorities should supply the Germans with specified quantities of pro- visions and other supplies. The burgomaster was not back an hour when a motor car driven by two armed German soldiers appeared in the streets. At almost the same moment that the German car entered 104 SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS the city from the south a Belgian armored car, armed with a machine gun, with a crew of three men, entered from the east on a scouting expedition. The two cars, both speeding, encountered each other at the head of the Rue Agneau, directly in front of the American consulate. Vice-consul Van Hee, standing in the doorway, was an eyewitness to what followed. The Germans, taken completely by surprise at the sight of the foe's grim war car in its coat of elephant gray, bearing down upon them, attempted to escape, firing with their car- bines as they fled. Notwithstanding the fact that the side- walks were lined with onlookers, the Belgians opened on the fleeing Germans with their machine guns, which spurted lead as a garden hose spurts water. The driver, fearing the Germans might escape, swerved his powerful car against the German motor precisely as a polo player ' ' rides off ' ' his opponent. The machine gun never ceased its angry snarl. The Germans surrendered, both being wounded. Appreciating that Ghent stood in imminent danger of meeting the terrible fate of its sister cities, Aerschot and Louvain, sacked and burned for far less cause, Mr. Van Hee hurriedly found the burgomaster and urged him to go along instantly to German headquarters. They found General von Boehn and his staff at a chateau a few miles outside the city. The German commander at first was furious with anger and threatened Ghent with the same punishment he had meted out to the other places where Germans were fired on. Van Hee took a very firm stand, however. He told the general the burning of Ghent would do more than anything else to lose the Germans all American sympathy. He reminded him that Americans have a great sentimental interest in Ghent because the treaty of peace be- tween England and the United States was signed there just a century ago. The general finally said: "If you will give me your word that there will be no further attacks upon Germans in Ghent, and that the wounded soldiers will be taken under American protection and returned to Brussels by the consular authori- SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS 105 ties when they have recovered, I will agree to spare Ghent and will not even demand a money indemnity. ' ' The news that Mr. Van Hee had succeeded in his mission spread through the city like fire in dry grass and when he re- turned he was acclaimed by cheering crowds as tne saviour of Ghent. THE BURGOMASTEE 's APPEAL Blazoned on the front of the Town Hall suddenly ap- peared a great black-lettered document. It was a manly and inspiring proclamation by the burgomaster, similar to the splendid proclamation issued by M. Adolphe Max, burgomas- ter of Brussels, just before the German entry. He assured the inhabitants that he and all the town officials were remaining in their places, and that so long as life and liberty remained to him he would do all in his power to protect their honor and their interests. He reminded them that under the laws of war they had the right to refuse all information and help to the invaders ; and called upon each citizen, or his wife, to refuse such information and help. Finally, he urged the citi- zens to remain calm, and stay in their homes. "Vive la Belgique! Vive Ghent!" The proclamation ended in great capitals with this patriotic cry. DINANT AND TERMONDE FALL But other cities and towns of Belgium were not as for- tunate as Brussels and Ghent in escaping damage and de- struction. Dinant, a town of 8,000 inhabitants, fifteen miles south of Namur, and dating back to the sixth century, was partially destroyed by the Germans in their advance on September 3 and 4. Early reports stated that a number of the most promi- nent citizens had been executed, including Mr. Humbert, owner of a large factory, who was slain in the presence of his wife and children. The Germans alleged that citizens had fired on them from the heights about the city. They then drove all of the inhabi- tants out, shot some of the men as examples, took the gold from the branch of the National Bank and burned the business section. 106 SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS On September 4 the town of Termonde met a similar fate. This town, 16 miles from Ghent, was fired in several places before the Kaiser's troops passed on. They also blew up a bridge over the River Escaut to the north, seeming to re- nounce for the moment their intrusion into the country of the Waes district. Afterward they directed an attack against the southwest front position of the Antwerp army and were re- pulsed with great losses. Describing the burning of Termonde by the Germans, a Ghent correspondent said : "By midday Sunday the blaze had assumed gigantic pro- portions and by Sunday evening not a house stood upright. This was verified at Zele, where there were thousands of refu- gees from Termonde. The Germans also pillaged Zele. The suburb of St. Giles also suffered from bombardment and fire. ' ' A courier who knew Termonde as a flourishing town with fine shops, an ancient town hall of singular beauty and a num- ber of churches of historic interest, found the place on Sep- tember 11 a smoldering ruin, except for the town hall and one church, on a stone of which he saw the inscription "1311." These two structures were left intact, without so much as a broken window. Termonde was burned for much the same reason as Lou- vain. On September 4 a German force came back from the field after having been severely handled by the Belgians, and the German commander, it is said, exclaimed: " It is our duty to burn them down ! ' ' The inhabitants were given two hours ' grace, and German soldiers filed through the town, breaking windows with their rifles. They were followed by other files of troops, who sprayed kerosene into the houses, others applied lighted fuses and the town was systematically destroyed. BOMBARDMENT OF MALINES On Thursday night, August 27, the German artillery bom- barded the ancient Belgian town of Malines. During the bom- bardment many of the monuments in the town were hit by shells and destroyed. When the artillery had ceased firing the inhabitants of Malines were advised to leave the town, SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS 107 and many of the refugees, including a number of priests in civilian dress, spent the night in the church at Duffel. Amongst the damaged buildings were the Hotel de Ville, the Courts of Justice, the Church of St. Pierre, and the Cathe- dral of St. Rombold. The Church of St. Pierre was totally destroyed, but the tower of the cathedral remained intact. The famous peal of bells, however, was destroyed during the earlier stages of the bombardment. The town of Malines had a population of 55,000 inhabi- tants. Its history goes back a very long way. In 915 it came under the rule of the Bishops of Liege, and it is still regarded as the ecclesiastical capital of Belgium; in 1332 it was pur- chased by the Count of Flanders. Malines is well known to all tourists for its ancient buildings, some of them of the utmost beauty and dignity. The Cathedral of St. Rombold is a cruciform Gothic church with a tower 324 feet in height. SCENES AT CARTENBARG, BELGIUM Mr. A. J. Dawe, a prisoner of war and eyewitness of scenes at Cartenbarg, just north of Brussels, thus described the sights he saw there on August 28 : "For three terrible hours we had to stand watching the destruction. The Germans who were guarding us told us that from certain houses shots had been fired by the civilians during the morning upon a passing German troop, and that several Uhlans had been killed. They began upon the houses from which the shots were supposed to have been fired. These houses were soon spitting with fire and shooting up great flames. Here and there the fire soon spread along the whole street. The women and children were herded together and set aside. We heard the quick sounds of rifleshots as the es- caping civilians were picked off. It was a terrible and brutal business — we had not yet seen Louvain, and to us it was our first experience of the real horrors of war. ' ' DESOLATION IN BELGIUM Cardinal Mercier, Archbishop of Malines, Belgium, when in Rome attending the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XV as successor to the lamented Pius X, whose death on Au- gust 19 was partly due to grief over the war, gave out an in- 108 SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS terview in which his eminence painted a terrible picture of the miseries suffered by his unhappy country as a result of the German invasion. "I can't shut my eyes without seeing again the bodies of the Belgians," said the cardinal. "Desolated towns, villages and blood everywhere. I wanted to stay among my priests and remain with the holocaust of innocent victims of the sav- agery of the Germans. "As I traveled through Belgium the spectacle of its un- happiness seemed to bear me back to my devastated Malines, to the side of my king and my suffragan of Liege, today a hos- tage, tomorrow, perhaps, a martyr. All along the roads I could see unburied bodies mingled with the carcasses of horses, and I could recognize some of the faces. "What has taken place in Belgium is not war, but the out- come of hate. The Germans are taking their revenge for the stigma attached to them as violators of neutral territory. "In undefended towns, after having bombarded the houses they have given the churches to the flames and have used the wooden statues on the altars as torches to light them to their deeds of blood. In Malines, a peaceable and undefended town, they made a target of the Church of St. Rombold. "These bomb-carrying Germans wanted to strike at the head of Belgium ; they wished to raze to the ground the Bel- gians ' intellectual capital, throwing into flames alike the contents of laboratories and libraries. Ought not the word 'Droit,' ('Right') standing out in letters of gold on the old buildings, to have made them shudder? "German deeds in Belgium have nothing to do with war either in the old days of chivalry or in its modern and historic form. "When the lake of blood left by the Germans in Belgium has dried up it will be necessary to look for a slab of stone large enough to be a record of these crimes against the rights alike of Heaven and humanity. ' ' CHAPTER VII AT THE GERMAN FRONT Remarkable Story by American War Correspondent of His Visit to Gen. von Boehn's Headquarters in the Field — The German Fighting Machine — The General's Ver- sion of Alleged German Atrocities. ONE of the most vivid descriptions of the German army in the field was sent from the headquarters of the Ninth Imperial army at Chateau Lafere, near Renaix, Bel- gium, by Mr. E. Alexander Powell, war correspondent of the New York World, whose facile pen presented not only a re- markable panoramic picture of the German fighting machine as it rolled before his eyes, but also gave General von Boehn's version of the atrocities alleged to have been committed by the German troops in several of the smaller towns and cities of Belgium. Mr. Powell's thrilling story is of historic inter- est and read as follows : Three weeks ago the government of Belgium requested me to place before the American people a list of specific and au- thenticated atrocities committed by the German armies upon Belgian noncombatants. Today (September 9) General von Boehn, commanding the Ninth Imperial Field Army, acting mouthpiece of the German general staff, has asked me to place before the Amer- ican people the German version of the incidents in question. So far as I am aware I am the only correspondent in the present war who has motored for an entire day through the ranks of the advancing German army, who has dined as a guest of the German army commander and his staff, and who 109 110 AT THE GERMAN FRONT has had the progress of the army on the march arrested in order to obtain photographs of the German troops. This unusual experience came about in a curious and roundabout way. After an encounter in the streets of Ghent last Tuesday between a German military automobile and a Belgian armored car, in which two German soldiers were wounded [as described in the preceding chapter], American Vice Consul Van Hee persuaded the burgomaster to accom- pany him immediately to the headquarters of General von Boehn to explain the circumstances and ask that the city should not be held responsible for the unfortunate affair. In the course of the conversation with Mr. Van Hee, Gen- eral von Boehn remarked that copies of papers containing articles written by Alexander Powell criticizing the German treatment of the Belgian civil population had come to his attention and said he regretted he could not have an oppor- tunity to talk with Powell and give him the German version. Mr. Van Hee said that by a fortunate coincidence I hap- pened to be in Ghent, whereupon the general asked him to bring me out to dinner the following day, and issued a safe conduct through the German lines. TAKES AN AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER Though nothing was said about a photographer, I took with me Photographer Donald Thompson. As there was some doubt regarding the propriety of taking a Belgian military driver into the German lines, I drove the car myself. Before we passed the city limits of Ghent things began to happen. Entering a street, which leads through a section inhabited by the working classes, we found ourselves in the midst of a mob of several thousand excited Flemings. Above the sea of threatening arms, brandished sticks, and angry faces rose the figures of two German soldiers with carbines slung across their backs, mounted on work horses. It seems they had strayed into the city by mistake. As we approached a burly Belgian raised a cane and the crowd made a concerted rush for the Germans. A blast from my siren opened a lane through the crowd and I drove the car alongside the terrified Germans. AT THE GERMAN FRONT 111 "Quick," shouted Van Hee in German, "off your horses. Into the car. Hide your rifles. Sit on the floor. Keep out of sight. ' ' The crowd, seeing its prey escaping, surged around us with a roar. For an instant things looked ticklish indeed. Van Hee jumped on the seat. "I am American consul," he shouted. "These men are under my protection. You civilians are attacking German soldiers in uniform. If a hair of these men's heads is harmed your city will be burned about your ears." At that moment a Belgian shouldered his way through the crowd and leaped on the running board. Quick as a thought Thompson knocked up the man's hand and the same instant I threw on the power. The big car leaped forward like a startled horse, the mob scattering like autumn leaves be- fore it. It was a close call for every one concerned, but a much closer call for Ghent, for had those German soldiers been murdered by the civilians in the city streets no power on earth could have saved the city from vengeance. General von Boehn told me so himself. HELP FOR U. S. REFUGEES A few minutes later, as playlets follow each other in quick succession on the stage, the scene changed from tragedy to a screaming farce. As we came thundering into the little town of Sotteghem in a sleepy hollow of Belgium, we saw in the center of the town square a pyramid at least ten feet high of wardrobe trunks, steamer trunks, and suitcases. From the summit of this extraordinary monument floated an American flag. As our car came to a sudden halt there was a chorus of exclamations in all dialects from Maine to Southern Cali- fornia and from the door of a nearby cafe there came pouring a flood of Americans. They proved to be a lost detachment of that great army of tourists which at the beginning of hos- tilities started its mad retreat for the coast, leaving Europe strewn with baggage. This particular detachment had been caught at Brussels and as food supplies were running short they determined to 112 AT THE GERMAN FRONT make a dash for Ostend. Perhaps " crawl" would be a better word, for they made the journey as far as Sotteghem in two cumbersome farm wagons. Upon reaching Sotteghem the Belgian drivers, hearing that the German army was approach- ing, refused to go farther and unceremoniously dumped their passengers in the town square. When we arrived they had been there twenty-four hours. It was a mixed assemblage. Two school teachers, women of fashion, a Pennsylvania farmer, and a quartet of professional tango dancers from San Francisco, who had been doing a turn at the Palais du Danse in Brussels, were in the crowd. Van Hee and I skirmished about, and after much argument succeeded in getting two farm carts to transport the fugitives into Ghent. For the thirty-mile journey the thrifty peasants demanded $80. The last I saw of the refugees they were perched on top of the luggage, piled on two creaking carts, rumbling down the road to Ghent, with their huge American flag flying above them, and singing at the top of their voices, "We'll never go there any more. ' ' MILES OF GERMAN SOLDIERS Half a mile out of Sotteghem our road debouched into the great highway which leads through Lille to Paris. We sud- denly found ourselves in the midst of the German army. It was a sight never to be forgotten. Far as the eye could see stretched solid columns of marching men, pressing westward, ever westward. The army was advancing in three mighty columns along three parallel roads. These dense masses of moving men in their elusive blue-gray uniforms looked for all the world like three monstrous serpents crawling across the countryside. American flags which fluttered from our windshield proved a passport in themselves and as we approached the close-locked ranks they parted to let us through. For five solid hours, traveling always at express train speed, we motored between the walls of the marching men. In time the constant shuffle of boots and the rhythmic swing of gray-clad arms and shoulders grew maddening and I be- AT THE GERMAN FRONT 113 came obsessed with the fear that I would send the car plowing into the human wedge on either side. It seemed that the ranks never would end, and as far as we were concerned they never did, for we never saw or heard the end of that mighty column. We passed regiment after regiment, brigade after brigade, of infantry, and after them hussars, Uhlans, cuirassiers, field batteries, more infantry, more field guns, ambulances, then siege guns, each drawn by thirty horses, engineers, telephone corps, pontoon wagons, armored motor cars, more Uhlans, the sunlight gleaming on their forest of lances, more infantry in spiked helmets, all sweeping by as irresistible as a mighty river, with their faces turned toward France. This was the Ninth field army and composed the very flower of the empire, including the magnificent troops of the Imperial Guard. It was first and last a fighting army. The men were all young. They struck me as being keen as razors and as hard as nails. The horses were magnificent. They could not have been better. The field guns of the Imperial Guard were almost twice the size of any used by our army. THIRTY-TWO HOESES DRAW ONE GIANT HOWITZER But the most interesting of all, of course, were the five gi- gantic howitzers, each drawn by sixteen pairs of horses. These howitzers can tear a city to pieces at a distance of a dozen miles. Every contingency seems to have been foreseen. Nothing was left to chance or overlooked. Maps of Belgium, with which every soldier is provided, are the finest examples of topography I have ever seen. Every path, every farm build- ing, every clump of trees, and every twig is shown. At one place a huge army wagon containing a complete printing press was drawn up beside the road and a morning edition of the Deutsche Krieger Zeitung (German War News) was being printed and distributed to the passing men. It contained nothing but accounts of German victories of which I never had heard, but it seemed greatly to cheer the men. Field kitchens with smoke pouring from their stovepipe funnels rumbled down the lines, serving steaming soup and 114 AT THE GERMAN FRONT coffee to the marching men, who held out tin cups and had them filled without once breaking step. There were wagons filled with army cobblers, sitting cross-legged on the floor, who were mending soldiers' shoes just as if they were back in their little shops in the Father- land. Other wagons, to all appearances ordinary two-wheeled farm carts, hid under their arched canvas covers machine guns which could instantly be brought into action. The medical corps was as magnificent as businesslike. It was as perfectly equipped and as efficient as a great city hos- pital. Men on bicycles with a coil of insulated wire slung be- tween them strung a field telephone from tree to tree so the general commanding could converse with any part of the fifty -mile-long column. The whole army never sleeps. When half is resting the other half is advancing. The soldiers are treated as if they were valuable machines which must be speeded up to the high- est possible efficiency. Therefore, they are well fed, well shod, well clothed, and worked as a negro teamster works mules. SOLDIER GIVEN TERRIFIC BEATING Only men who are well cared for can march thirty-five miles a day week in and week out. Only once did I see a man mis- treated. A sentry on duty in front of the general headquar- ters failed to salute an officer with sufficient promptness, whereupon the officer lashed him again and again across the face with a riding whip. Though welts rose with every blow, the soldier stood rigidly at attention and never quivered. As we were passing a German outpost a sentry ran out and signaled us : "Are you Americans ?" "We are," I said. "Then I have orders to take you to the commandant," he said. "But I am on my way to see General von Boehn. I have a pass signed by the general himself," I said. "No matter," the man stubbornly insisted, "you must come with me to the commander. He has so ordered. " So 3 ^ o .a *! • I > 4) d .Sffi © Intei i ri:i:\< _'. RUINS II RED CROSS DOG FINDING A WOUNDED SOLDIER ON THE BATTLEFIELD OF HOUSES BURNED BY GERMANS AT MELLE TYPICAL OF MANY SIMILAR SCENES THROUGHOUT BELGIUM — : ed oj 0/ oj .9 2 ,3 a a O PW 43 0J Si 3 P -3 1-4 p oa > P ' *S 3g.gi fiffi+JOfl o u p -fe.9 ©Sg Qj~ < a ?'<4-. _. ' «S "^toP . O .06 06 oj o 6r Q , Q-K ^ °S. '■9 * g-a oj j ^ P OJ > c;^ q_ o oj y » - " cs o o Q ^&^E .„— ««^ 03c a patht rman d ace arty g- A Iding, them, Lond (U 03 r-» 03 06 ±; cc U ?ne to war. It is well adapted to cheer the spirits of the men. it has just enough of the simple sentiment of the soldier heart to appeal to those who have left home far behind in order to fight their country's foes in a foreign Ian I C03O1A2TDEBS OF THZ CAHADIAH P0BGE The list of brigade commanders of the Canadian expedi- lary force was announced as follows : 132 BRITAIN RAISES AN ARMY Officers commanding the four infantry brigades: Lieut. - Col. R. E. W. Turner, V. C., D. S. 0., of Quebec, a veteran of the South African war, mentioned in dispatches for especially gallant service ; Lieut.-Col. S. M. Mercer, Toronto, Command- ing Officer of the Queen's Own Rifles; Lieut.-Col. A. W. Cur- rie of Victoria, Commanding Officer of the 50th Fusiliers; Lieut.-Col. J. E. Cohoe of St. Catharines, Commanding Offi- cer of the 5th Militia Infantry Brigade. The officers appointed to command the artillery brigade were: Lieut-Col. H. E. Burstall of Quebec, of the Artillery Headquarters Staff. Officer in command of the Strathcona Horse, Lieut.-Col. A. C. MacDonald, D. S. 0., of Winnipeg, a South African veteran. Officer in command of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lieut.-Col. C. M. Nelles of Toronto, Inspector of Cavalry for Militia Headquarters. The commanding officer of the whole army division was an English general selected by the British War Office. It was understood that the Canadian troops would land in the south of England and march through London to train- ing quarters at Aldershot and Salisbury Plains, the infantry going to Aldershot and the artillery to Salisbury Plains, for several weeks' training under active service conditions before going to the firing line. CANADA FIGHTS AGAINST AUTOCRACY "Canada will spend its last dollar and shed its last drop of blood fighting for the principle of democracy, against that of autocracy, as exemplified in the present European conflict." This was the emphatic statement made by Sir Douglas Cameron, lieutenant-governor — chief executive — of the prov- ince of Manitoba, passing through Chicago on September 28. "Great Britain is not fighting for empire," he said. "It is not fighting for greater commercial gains. We are fighting for the annihilation of autocracy and it is the sentiment of die people of Canada that they will fight against Germany's domination to the bitter end. "England does not want more commerce, except as it can be gained through the paths of peace. We would not draw BRITAIN RAISES AN ARMY 133 the sword to increase it, but we will fight to the last drop of blood to protect it. "The men of Canada have responded nobly to the call to arms. We have sent about 31,800 provincial troops, every one a volunteer, and we have that many more already enlisted if they are needed. Our trouble is to equip them as fast as they enlist. "In Canada we are turning our attention to agricultural pursuits. Wheat is at a premium; a farmer can get from $1 to $1.10 per bushel in cash for wheat on his wagon. All Europe will be in dire need of foodstuffs next year and for some years to come and we in Canada hope to profit by the opportunity. ' ' Economic conditions in the dominion received a terrible blow when the war came; we were shocked, staggered, and business has received a hard setback ; finances are depressed. The government has offered help to the banks, but they do not need it yet. "We want immigrants in our country — Germans or any other good, strong, virile nationality. We have no quarrel with the German people. We like them; they are used to a high standard of living and are the finest kind of citizens. "To my mind, this war cannot be of long duration. Ger- many, with all its preparedness, could not lay by stores enough to support 65,000,000 people for any great length of time when there is no raw material coming in. The country will be starved out, if not beaten in the field, for I do not believe Germany can gain control of the high seas and cover the world with its merchantmen." INDIAN TROOPS CALLED FOR The announcement by Lord Kitchener in the House of Com- mons late in August that native troops from India were to be summoned to the aid of the British army in France "came like a crash of thunder and revealed a grim determination to fight the struggle out to a successful finish. " There was some talk in England of increasing the army by temporary conscription, but Premier Asquith declined to con- sider any such proposal. In the House of Commons on September 9 a message was 134 BRITAIN RAISES AN ARMY read from the Viceroy of India, which said that the rulers of the Indian native states, nearly 700 in number, had with one accord rallied to the defense of the empire with personal offers of services as well as the resources of their states. Many of the native rulers of India also sent cables to King George offering him their entire military and financial re- sources, while the people of India by thousands offered to volunteer. Conditions in India were indeed so satisfactory, from the British standpoint, that Premier Asquith was able to announce that two divisions (40,000) of British (white) soldiers were to be removed from India. The aid that India could offer was not lightly to be consid- ered. The soldiery retained by the British and the rajahs, con- stituting India's standing army, amount to about 400,000, not taking into consideration the reserves and the volunteers. The rajahs maintain about 23,000 soldiers, who are named Imperial Service Troops, expressly for purposes of Imperial defense, and these have served in many wars. They served with British, German, French, and United States troops in China from Sep- tember, 1900, to August, 1901, and gained the highest laurels for efficiency and good conduct. The first Indian troops called for by Lord Kitchener in- cluded two divisions of infantry and a brigade of cavalry, add- ing about 70,000 combatants to the allied armies in France, with approximately 130 pieces of artillery, both light and heavy, and howitzers. Twelve Indian potentates were selected to accompany this expeditionary force. These included the veteran Sir Pertab Singh, regend of Jodhpur; Sir Ganga Bahadur, Maharajah of Bikanir, and Sir Bhupindra Singh, Maharajah of Patiala. The expeditionary force contained units of the regular army and contingents of the Imperial Service Troops in India. From twelve states the viceroy accepted contingents of cavalry, infantry, sappers and transport, besides a camel corps from Bikanir. The Maharajah of Mysore placed $1,600,000 at the dis- posal of the Government in connection with the expenditure for the expeditionary force. In addition to this gift, the Ma- harajahs of Gwalior and Bhopal contributed large sums of BRITAIN RAISES AN ARMY 135 money and provided thousands of horses as remounts. Ma- harajah Repa offered his troops and treasure, even his pri- vately-owned jewelry, for the service of the British King and Emperor of India. Maharajah Holkar of Indore made a gift of all the horses in the army of his state. A similar desire to help the British Government was shown by committees representing religious, political, and social asso- ciations of all classes and creeds in India. In the House of Lords on August 28 Earl Kitchener an- nounced that the first division of the troops from India was already on the way to the front in France. At the same time the Marquis of Crewe, secretary of state for India, said: "It has been deeply impressed upon us by what we have heard from India that the wonderful wave of enthusiasm and loyalty now passing over that country is to a great extent based upon the desire of the Indian people that Indian soldiers should stand side by side with their comrades of the British army in repelling the invasion of our friends ' territory and the attack made upon Belgium. We shall find our army there reinforced by native Indian soldiers — high-souled men of first-rate train- ing and representing an ancient civilization ; and we feel certain that if they are called upon they will give the best possible account of themselves side by side with our British troops in encountering the enemy. ' ' KING GEORGE PRAISES COLONIES On September 9 a message from King George to the British colonies, thanking them for their aid in Britain's emergency, was published as follows : 1 ' During the last few weeks the peoples of my whole empire at home and overseas have moved with one mind and purpose to confront and overthrow an unparalleled assault upon the continuity of civilization and the peace of mankind. "The calamitous conflict is not of my seeking. My voice has been cast throughout on the side of peace. My ministers earnestly strove to allay the causes of the strife and to appease differences with which my empire was not concerned. Had I stood aside when in defiance of pledges to which my kingdom was a party, the soil of Belgium was violated and her cities made desolate, when the very life of the French nation was 136 BRITAIN RAISES AN ARMY threatened with extinction, I should have sacrificed my honor and given to destruction the liberties of my empire and of mankind. "I rejoice that every part of the empire is with me in this decision. "Paramount regard for a treaty of faith and the pledged word of rulers and peoples is the common heritage of Great Britain and of the empire. My peoples in the self-governing dominions have shown beyond all doubt that they whole-heart- edly indorse the grave decision it was necessary to take, and I am proud to be able to show to the world that my peoples oversea are as determined as the people of the United Kingdom to prosecute a just cause to a successful end. 1 ' The Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia and the Dominion of New Zealand have placed at my disposal their naval forces, which have already rendered good service for the empire. Strong expeditionary forces are being pre- pared in Canada, Australia and New Zealand for service at the front, and the Union of South Africa has released all Brit- ish troops and undertaken other important military responsi- bilities. "Newfoundland has doubled the number of its branch of the royal naval reserve, and is sending a body of men to take part in the operations at the front. From the Dominion and Provincial governments of Canada, large and welcome gifts of supplies are on their way for use both by my naval and mili- tary forces. "All parts of my oversea dominions have thus demon- strated in the most unmistakable manner the fundamental unity of the empire amidst all its diversity of situation and circumstance. ' ' A message similar to the foregoing was addressed by King George to the princes and the people of India. The King's eldest son, the young Prince of Wales, volun- teered for active service at the outset of the war and was gazetted as a second lieutenant in the First Battalion, Grena- dier Guards. He also inaugurated and acted as treasurer of a national fund for the relief of sufferers by the war. This fund soon grew to $10,000,000 and steadily climbed beyond that amount. CHAPTER IX EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR Belgian Resistance to the German Advance — The Fighting at Vise, Haelen, Diest, Aerschot and Tirlemont — Mons and Charleroi the First Great Battles of the War — Allies Make a Gallant Stand, but Forced to Retire Across the French Border. FROM the first day of the German entry into Belgium brief and hazy reports of battles between the patriotic Belgians and the invaders came across the Atlantic. Many absurd and mischievous reports of repeated Belgian ''victories" were received throughout the month of August. These were for the most part rendered ridiculous by the steady advance of the German troops. The resistance of the Belgians was gallant and persistent, but availed only to hinder and delay the German advance which it was powerless to stop. Up to August 23, there were no "victories" possible for either side, because never until then were the opposing armies definitely pitted against each other in an engagement in which one or the other must be broken. All the time these Belgian "victories," which were no more than resistances to German reconnoissances, were being reported, the German line was not touched, and behind that line the Germans were methodically massing. When they were ready they came on. The Belgian army retired from the Diest-Tirlemont line, from Aerschot and Louvain, from Brussels, because to have held these positions against the overwhelming force opposed to them would have meant certain destruction. The rearguards held each of these 137 138 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR points with the greatest heroism so long as that was neces- sary, and then retired in good order on the main force. VISE ATTACKED AND FIRED The first fighting of any severity in Belgium occurred at Vise, near the frontier, early in the German advance. Ger- man troops crossed the frontier in motors, followed by large bodies of cavalry, but the Belgians put up a stubborn resist- ance. The chiefs of the Belgian staff had foreseen the inva- sion and had blown up the bridges of the River Meuse outside the town, as well as the railway tunnels. Time after time the Belgians foiled with their heavy fire the attempts of the Germans to cross by means of pontoons. Vise itself was stubbornly defended. Only after a protracted struggle did the Germans master the town, which they fired in several places on entering. BATTLES OF HAELEN-DIEST At the end of the first week of the Belgian invasion it was estimated that the Germans had concentrated most of their field troops, probably about 900,000 combatants, along a 75- mile line running from Liege to the entrance into Luxemburg at Treves. With this immense army it was said there were no less than 5,894 pieces of artillery. This was only the first-line strength of the Germans, the reserves being massed in the rear. Part of the right wing was swung northward and westward in the direction of Antwerp, and swept the whole of northern Belgium to the Dutch frontier. On August 10 the Belgian defenders fought a heavy en- gagement with the Germans at Haelen, which was described in the dispatches as the first battle of the war. A Belgian victory was claimed as the result, the German losses, it was said, being very heavy, especially in cavalry, while the Bel- gian casualties were reported relatively small. But the Ger- man advance was merely checked. The covering troops were speedily reinforced from the main body of the army and the advance swept on. The result of the Haelen engagement was thus described in the dispatches of August 13 : "The battle centered around Haelen, in the Belgian EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 139 province of Limbourg, extending to Diest, in the north of the province of Brabant, after passing round Zeelhem. "At 7 o'clock last evening all the country between the three towns mentioned had been cleared of German troops, except the dead and wounded, who were thickly strewn about the fire zone. Upward of 200 dead German soldiers were counted in a space of fifty yards square. "A church, a brewery and some houses in Haelen were set afire, and two bridges over the Demer were destroyed by Belgian engineers. "Great quantities of booty were collected on the battle- field, and this has been stacked in front of the town hall of Diest. Many horses also were captured. "The strength of the German column was about 5,000 men. ' ' Another report said of the encounter: "A division of Belgian cavalry, supported by a brigade of infantry and by artillery, engaged and defeated, near the fortress of Diest, eighteen miles northeast of Louvain, a divi- sion of German cavalry, also supported by infantry and by artillery. "The fighting was extremely fierce and resulted in the Germans being thrown back toward Hasselt and St. Trond." Meanwhile the forts at Liege, to the southeast, still held out, though fiercely bombarded by German siege guns. The fortress of Namur was also being attacked. The Germans had bridged the river Meuse and were moving their crack artillery against the Belgian lines. French troops had joined the Belgian defenders and the main battle line extended from Liege on the north to Metz on the south. A visit to Haelen and other towns by a Brussels corre- spondent August 17, "showed the frightful devastation which the Germans perpetrated in Belgian territory. "For instance, at Haelen itself houses belonging to the townspeople have been completely wrecked. Windows were broken, furniture destroyed, and the walls demolished by shell fire. Even the churches have not been respected. The parish church at Haelen has been damaged considerably from shrapnel fire. 140 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR "On the battlefield there are many graves of Germans marked by German lances erected in the form of a cross." ON THE BATTLEFIELD OF DIEST A correspondent of the New York Tribune said : "Across the battlefield of Diest there is a brown stretch of harrowed ground half a furlong in length. It is the grave of twelve hundred Germans who fell in the fight of August 11. All over the field there are other graves, some of Ger- mans, some of Belgians, some of horses. When I reached the place peasants with long mattocks and spades were turn- ing in the soil. For two full days they had been at the work of burial and they were sick at heart. Their corn is ripe for cutting in the battlefield, but little of it will be harvested. Dark paths in their turnip fields are sodden with the blood of men and horses." The Belgians, in contempt of German markmanship, had forced the enemy to the attack, which had been made from three points of the field simultaneously. The fighting had been fierce, but now that both sides had swept on, no one seemed to know how those in the fight had really fared. Only by the heaps of dead could one make estimate: "At least, there were most dead on the side toward the bridge. A charge of 300 Uhlans, who were held in check for a short time by seventeen Belgians at a corner, seems, how- ever, to have come near success. The derelict helmets and lances that covered the fields show that the charge pressed well up to the guns and to the trenches in the turnip fields where the Belgian soldiers lay. On the German left mitrail- leuses got in their work behind, and in the houses on the out- skirts of the villages. Five of these houses were burned to the ground, and two others farther out broken all to pieces and burned. In a shed was a peasant weeping over the dead bodies of his cows. "It would be easy now at the beginning of this war to write of its tragedy. The villages have each a tale of loss to tell. All of the twelve hundred men in the long grave were men with wives, sweethearts, and parents. All the Belgian soldiers and others who were buried where they fell have mourners. EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 141 A LETTER FROM THE GRAVE "A letter which I picked up on the field and am endeavor- ing to have identified and sent her for whom it is intended will speak for all. It is written in ink on half a sheet of thin notepaper. There is no date and no place. It probably was written on the eve of battle in the hope that it would reach its destination if the writer died. This is the translation : " ' Sweetheart: Fate in this present war has treated us more cruelly than many others. If I have not lived to create for you the happiness of which both our hearts dreamed, remember my sole wish now is that you should be happy. For- get me and create for yourself some happy home that may re- store to you some of the greater pleasures of life. For myself, I shall have died happy in the thought of your love. My last thought has been for you and for those I leave at home. Accept this, the last kiss from him who loved you.* "Postcards from fathers with blessings to their gallant sons I found, too, on the field, little mementos of people and of places carried by men as mascots. Everywhere were broken lances of German and Belgian, side by side ; scabbards and helmets, saddles and guns. These the peasants were col- lecting in a pile, to be removed by the military. High up over the graves of twelve hundred, as we stood there, a German biplane came and went, hovering like a carrion crow, seeking other victims for death. ' i In the village itself death is still busy. A wounded Ger- man died as we stood by his side and a Belgian soldier placed his handkerchief over his face. Soldiers who filled the lit- tle market-place may be fighting for life now as I write. The enemy is in force not a mile away from them, and in a moment they may be attacked. It is significant that all German prisoners believed they were in France. The deception, it appears, was necessary to encourage them in their attack, and twelve hundred dead in the harrowed field died without knowing whom or what they were fighting.' ' THOUGHT THEY WERE IN FRANCE A number of German prisoners were taken by the Belgians during the fighting at Haelen-Diest. From these it was I ! 142 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR learned that the German soldiers really believed they were fighting in France. At Diest it is said that 400 surrendered the moment they lost their officers and were surprised to learn that they were in Belgium. King Albert of Belgium was constantly in the field dur- ing the early engagements of the war, moving from point to point inside the Belgian lines by means of a high-powered automobile, in which he was slightly wounded by the explosion of a shell. He was thus enabled to keep in touch with the field forces, as well as with his general staff, and speedily endeared himself to the Belgian soldiery by his personal dis- regard of danger. The Belgians by their gallant fight against the trained legions of Germany quickly won the admiration even of their foes. The army of Belgium was brought up to its full strength of 300,000 men and everywhere the soldiers of the little coun- try battled to halt the invaders. Often their efforts proved effective. The losses on both sides were truly appalling, the Germans suffering most on account of their open methods of attack in close order. But their forces were like the sands of the sea and every gap in the ranks of the onrushing host was promptly filled by more Germans. TIELEMONT AND LOUVAIN The fighting at Tirlemont and Louvain was described by a citizen of Ostend, who says he witnessed it from a church tower at Tirlemont first and later proceeded to Louvain. He says: " Until luncheon time Tuesday, August 18, Tirlemont was quiet and normal. Suddenly, about 1 o 'clock, came the sound of the first German gun. The artillery had opened fire. i 'From the church tower it was possible to see distinctly the position of the German guns and the bursting of their shells. The Belgians replied from their positions east of Louvain. It was a striking sight, to the accompaniment of the ceaseless thud-thud of bursting shells with their puffs of cottonlike smoke, tearing up the peaceful wheat fields not far away. EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 143 BELGIANS RETIRE AT LOUVAIN 1 ' Gradually working nearer, the shells began to strike the houses in Tirlemont. This was a signal for the populace, which had been confident that the Belgian army would pro- tect them, to flee. All they knew was that the Germans were coming. From the tower the scene was like the rushing of rats from a disturbed nest. The people fled in every direc- tion except one. 1 ' I moved down to Louvain, where everything seemed quiet and peaceful. The people sat in the cafes drinking their evening beer and smoking. Meanwhile the Belgian troops were retiring in good order toward Louvain. TOWN IN PANIC WITH REFUGEES "By midnight the town was in the throes of a panic. Long before midnight throngs of refugees had begun to ar- rive, followed later by soldiers. By 11 o'clock the Belgian rear guard was engaging the enemy at the railroad bridge at the entrance to the town. "The firing was heavy. The wounded began to come in. Riderless horses came along, both German and Belgian. These were caught and mounted by civilians glad to have so rapid a mode of escape. TROOPS HINDERED BY CIVILIANS "I remember watching a black clad Belgian woman run- ning straight down the middle of a road away from the Germans. Behind her came the retiring Belgian troops, dis- heartened but valiant. This woman, clad in mourning, was the symbol of the Belgian populace. "At some of the barricades along the route the refugees and soldiers arrived simultaneously, making the defense dif- ficult. All about Tirlemont and Louvain the refugees inter- fered with the work of the troops. The road to Brussels always was crowded with refugees and many sorrowful sights were witnessed among them as they fled from the homes that had been peaceful and prosperous a few days before. 144 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR BRUSSELS FILLED WITH REFUGEES 1 'Brussels is filled with refugees from surrounding towns, despite the large numbers who left the city for Ghent and Ostend during the last few days," said a correspondent, writing from Ghent on August 20. "The plight of most of the refugees is pitiable. Many are camped in the public square whose homes in the suburbs have been fired by the Prussians. The roads leading into Brussels have been crowded all day with all kinds of con- veyances, many drawn by dogs and others by girls, women and aged peasants. ' ' Most of these people have lost everything. Few of them have any money. The peasant is considered lucky who suc- ceeded in saving a single horse or a cow. "Military men characterize the German force which is moving across Belgium as overwhelming, saying it consists of at least two or three army corps. The advance of this huge force is covered over the entire thirty-mile front by a screen of cavalry. The Germans had no difficulty in taking Louvain, which was virtually undefended. "In the high wooded country between Louvain and Brus- sels the Germans found an excellent defensive position. Hav- ing occupied Louvain, the Kaiser's troops pushed forward with great celerity, the cavalry opening out in fan-shaped formation, spreading across country. "At one point they ran into a strong force of Belgian artillery, which punished them severely. Later in the day a Belgian scouting force reached Louvain and found it unoc- cupied, but received imperative orders to fall back, because of the danger of being outflanked and annihilated." ALLIES MEET THE INVADERS By August 20 the Germans were in touch with the French army that had advanced into Belgium and occupied the line Dinant-Charleroi-Mons, the right of the French resting on Dinant and the left on Mons, where they were reinforced by the British expeditionary force under Field Marshal French. EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 145 There was a heavy engagement at Charleroi, and a four days ' battle was begun at Mons August 23. Slowly but surely the Franco-British army was forced back across the French border, to take up a new position on the line, Noyon-Chanu- La Fere, which constituted the second line of the French de- fense. The German right, opposing the British, was under com- mand of General von Kluck ; General von Buelow and General von Hausen commanded the German center opposing the Franco-Belgian forces between the Sambre and Namur and the Meuse. The Grand Duke Albrecht of Wuerttemberg oper- ated between Charleroi and the French border fortress of Maubeuge. The German Crown Prince led an army far- ther east, advancing toward the Meuse. The Crown Prince of Bavaria commanded the German forces far- ther south toward Nancy, and General von Heeringen was engaged in repulsing French attacks on Alsace-Lorraine, in the region of the Vosges mountains, where the French had met with early successes. Meanwhile on August 18 the town of Aerschot had been the scene of a bloody engagement and was occupied and partly destroyed by the Germans. The occupation of Brussels fol- lowed on August 20-21 and the German line of communica- tions was kept open by a line of occupied towns. After overwhelming the Belgians the Kaiser's great ad- vance army swept quickly into deadly conflict with the allies. The first mighty shock came at Charleroi, where the French were forced back, and on August 23 came the first battle with the British at Mons. THE BATTLE OF MONS FOUR DAYS OF FIGHTING RETREAT OF THE ALLIES All England was thrilled on the morning of September 10 when the British government permitted the newspapers to publish the first report from Field Marshal Sir John D. P. French, commander-in-chief of the British army allied with the French and Belgians on the continent, telling of the heroic fight made by the British troops, August 23-26, to keep from being annihilated by the Germans. 146 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR The withdrawal of the British army before the German advance was compared to the pursuit of a wildcat by hounds, the English force backing stubbornly toward the River Oise, constantly showing its teeth, but realizing that it must reach the river or perish. The report of Field Marshal French created much surprise in England, as it was not known until his statement was made public just how hard pressed the British army had been. The communication was addressed to Earl Kitchener, the secretary for war, and its publication indicated that the gov- ernment was responding to the public demand for fuller infor- mation on the progress of operations, so far as the British forces in France were concerned. The report, as published in the London Gazette, the official organ, was as follows : FIELD MARSHAL FRENCH 's REPORT "The transportation of the troops from England by rail and sea was effected in the best order and without a check. Concentration was practically completed on the evening of Friday, August 21, and I was able to make dispositions to move the force during Saturday to positions I considered most favorable from which to commence the operations which General Joffre requested me to undertake. The line extended along the line of the canal from Conde on the west, through Mons and Binche on the east. "During August 22 and 23 the advance squadrons did some excellent work, some of them penetrating as far as Soig- nies (a town of Belgium ten miles northeast of Mons) and several encounters took place in which our troops showed to great advantage. "On Sunday, the 23d, reports began to come in to the effect that the enemy was commencing an attack on the Mons line, apparently in some strength, but that the right of the position from Mons was being particularly threatened. "The commander of the First Corps had pushed his flank back to some high ground south of Bray and the Fifth Cavalry evacuated Binche, moving slightly south. The enemy there- upon occupied Binche. EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 147 "The right of the third division under General Hamilton was at Mons, which formed a somewhat dangerous salient and I directed the commander of the Second Corps if threat- ened seriously to draw back the center behind Mons. "In the meantime, about five in the afternoon, I received a most unexpected message from General Joffre by telegraph, telling me that at least three German corps were moving on my position in front and that a second corps was engaged in a turning movement from the direction of Tournai. He also informed me that the two reserve French divisions and the Fifth French Army Corps on my right were retiring. CHOSE A NEW POSITION "In view of the possibility of my being driven from the Mons position, I had previously ordered a position in the rear to be reconnoitered. "This position rested on the fortress of Maubeuge on the right and extended west to Jenlain, southeast of Valenciennes on the left. The position was reported difficult to hold be- cause standing crops and buildings limited the fire in many important localities. "When the news of the retirement of the French and the heavy German threatening on my front reached me, I endeav- ored to confirm it by aeroplane reconnoissance, and as a result of this I determined to effect a retirement to the Maubeuge position at daybreak on the 24th. "A certain amount of fighting continued along the whole line throughout the night and at daybreak on the 24th the second division from the neighborhood of Harmignies^ made a powerful demonstration as if to retake Binche. This was supported by the artillery of both the first and the second divisions while the first division took up a supporting posi- tion in the neighborhood of Peissant. Under cover of this demonstration the Second Corps retired on the line of Dour, Quarouble and Frameries. The third division on the right of the corps suffered considerable loss in this operation from the enemy, who had retaken Mons. "The Second Corps halted on this line, where they in- trenched themselves, enabling Sir Douglas Haig, with the First Corps, to withdraw to the new position. 148 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR NIGHT ATTACK ON THE LEFT ' ' Toward midnight the enemy appeared to be directing his principal effort against our left. I had previously ordered General Allenby with the cavalry to act vigorously in advance of my left front and endeavor to take the pressure off. "About 7:30 in the morning General Allenby received a message from Sir Charles Fergusson, commanding the fifth division, saying he was very hard pressed and in urgent need of support. On receipt of this message General Allenby drew in his cavalry and endeavored to bring direct support to the fifth division. "During the course of this operation General DeLisle of the Second Cavalry Brigade thought he saw a good oppor- tunity to paralyze the further advance of the enemy's infan- try by making a mounted attack on his flank. He formed up and advanced for this purpose, but was held up by wire about 500 yards from his objective. GENERAL SMlTH-DORRIEN IN RETREAT 1 ' The Nineteenth Infantry Brigade was brought by rail to Valenciennes on the 22d and 23d. On the morning of the 24th, they were moved out to a position south of Quarouble to sup- port the left flank of the Second Corps. With the assistance of cavalry Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien was enabled to effect his retreat to a new position. "At nightfall a position was occupied by the Second Corps to the west of Bavay, the First Corps to the right. The right was protected by the fortress of Maubeuge, the left by the Nineteenth Brigade in position between Jenlain and Bavay and cavalry on the outer flank. The French were still retir- ing and I had no support except such as was afforded by the fortress of Maubeuge. ARMY IN GREAT PERIL "I felt that not a moment must be lost in retiring to an- other position. I had every reason to believe that the enemy's forces were somewhat exhausted and I knew that they had suffered heavy losses. The operation, however, was full of danger and difficulty, not only owing to the very superior forces in my front, but also to the exhaustion of the troops. EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 149 ' ' The retirement was recommenced in the early morning of the 25th to a position in the neighborhood of Le Cateau and the rear guard were ordered to be clear of Maubeuge and Bavay by 5 :30 a. m. ''The fourth division commenced its detrainment at Le Cateau on Sunday, August 23, and by the morning of the 25th eleven battalions and a brigade of artillery with the divisional staff were available for service. I ordered General Snow to move out to take up a position with his right south of So- lesmes, his left resting on the Cambrai-Le Cateau road south of La Chapriz. In this position the division rendered great help. "Although the troops had been ordered to occupy Cam- brai-Le Cateau-Landrecies position and ground had, during the 25th, been partially prepared and entrenched, I had grave doubts as to the wisdom of standing there to fight. ' l Having regard to the continued retirement of the French right, my exposed left flank, the tendency of the enemy's western corps to envelop me, and, more than all, the exhausted condition of the troops, I determined to make a great effort to continue the retreat till I could put some substantial obsta- cle, such as the Somme or the Oise between my troops and the enemy. KETREAT IS ORDERED "Orders were therefore sent to the corps commanders to continue their retreat as soon as they possibly could toward the general line of Vermand, St. Quentin and Ribemont, and the cavalry under General Allenby were ordered to cover the retirement. Throughout the 25th and far into the evening the First Corps continued to march on Landrecies, following the road along the eastern border of the forest of Mormal, and arrived at Landrecies about 10 o'clock. I had intended that the corps should come further west so as to fill up the gap between Le Cateau and Landrecies, but the men were exhausted and could not get further in without a rest. "The enemy, however, would not allow them this rest and about 9:30 that evening the report was received that the Fourth Guards brigade in Landrecies was heavily attacked 150 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR by troops of the Ninth German army corps, who were coming through the forest to the north of the town. FRENCH AID IS GIVEN "At the same time information reached me from Sir Doug- las Haig that his first division was also heavily engaged south and east of Marilles. I sent urgent messages to the com- mander of two French reserve divisions on my right to come up to the assistance of the First Corps, which they eventually did. "By about 6 in the afternoon the Second Corps had got into position, with their right on Le Cateau, their left in the neighborhood of Caudry, and the line of defense was con- tinued thence by the fourth division toward Seranvillers. "During the fighting on the 24th and 25th the cavalry became a good deal scattered, but by early morning of the 26th General Allenby had succeeded in concentrating two brigades to the south of Cambrai. "On the 24th the French cavalry corps, consisting of three divisions under General Sordet, had been in billets, north of Avesnes. On my way back from Vavay, which was my poste de commandemente during the fighting of the 23d and the 24th, I visited General Sordet and earnestly requested his co- operation and support. He promised to obtain sanction from his army commander to act on my left flank, but said that his horses were too tired to move before the next day. "Although he rendered me valuable assistance later on in the course of the retirement, he was unable for the reasons given to afford me any support on the most critical day of all — namely, the 26th. GERMANS USE HEAVY GUNS "At daybreak it became apparent that the enemy was throwing the bulk of his strength against the left of the posi- tion occupied by the Second Corps and the fourth division. At this time the guns of four German army corps were in posi- tion against them, and Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien reported to me that he judged it impossible to continue his retirement at daybreak. "I sent him orders to use his utmost endeavors to break EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 151 off the action and retire at the earliest possible moment, as it was impossible for me to send him support. "The French cavalry corps under General Sordet was coming up on our left rear early in the morning, and I sent him an urgent message to do his utmost to come up and sup- port the retirement of my left flank, but owing to the fatigue of his horses he found himself unable to intervene in any way. ' ' There had been no time to intrench the position properly, but the troops showed a magnificent front to the terrible fire which confronted them. ARMY FACED ANNIHILATION "At length it became apparent that if complete annihila- tion was to be avoided retirement must be attempted, and the order was given to commence it about 3 :30 in the afternoon. The movement was covered with most devoted intrepidity and determination by the artillery, which had itself suffered heavily, and the fine work done by the cavalry in the further retreat from the position assisted materially the final comple- tion of this most difficult and dangerous operation. "I cannot close the brief account of this glorious stand of the British troops without putting on record my deep appre- ciation of the valuable services rendered by Sir Horace Smith- Dorrien. I say without hesitation that the saving of the left wing of the army under my command on the morning of the 26th could never have been accomplished unless a commander of rare and unusual coolness, intrepidity and determination had been present to personally conduct the operations. t c rj^g re t r eat was continued far into the night of the 26th and through the 27th and the 28th, on which date the troops halted on the line from Noyon, Chauny and LeFere. PRAISES SORDET 's HELP "On the 27th and 28th I was much indebted to General Sordet and the French cavalry division which he commands for materially assisting my retirement and successfully driv- ing back some of the enemy on Cambrai. General d'Amade also, with the Sixty-first and Sixty-second Reserve divisions, moved down from the neighborhood of Arras on the enemy's 152 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR right flank and took much pressure off the rear of the British forces. 1 ' This closed the period covering the heavy fighting which commenced at Mons on Sunday afternoon, August 23, and which really constituted a four days' battle. "I deeply deplore the very serious losses which the Brit- ish forces suffered in this great battle, but they were inevi- table, in view of the fact that the British army — only a few days after concentration by rail — was called upon to with- stand the vigorous attack of five German army corps. "It is impossible for me to speak too highly of the skill evinced by the two general officers commanding army corps, the self-sacrificing and devoted exertions of their staffs, the direction of troops by the divisional, brigade and regimental leaders, the command of small units by their officers and the magnificent fighting spirit displayed by the noncommissioned officers and men. [Signed] "J. D. P. French, "Field Marshal." TOLD BY A WOUNDED SOLDIER A British soldier, who was wounded in the fight during the retreat from Mons, told the following story of the battle there : "It was Sunday, August 23, and the British regiments at Mons were merry-making and enjoying themselves in lei- sure along the streets. Belgian ladies, returning from church, handed the soldiers their prayer books as souvenirs, while the Belgian men gave the men cigarettes and tobacco. "About noon, when the men were beginning to think about dinner, a German aeroplane appeared overhead and began throwing out a cloud of black powder, which is one of their favorite methods of assisting batteries to get the range. "No sooner had the powder cloud appeared than shrapnel began to burst overhead and in a moment all was confusion and uproar. But it didn't take the regiments long to get into fighting trim and race through the city to the scene of opera- tions, which was on the other side of the small canal, in the suburbs. EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 153 ' ' Here our outposts were engaging the enemy fiercely. The outposts lost very heavily, most of the damage being done by shells. The rifle fire was ineffective, although at times the lines of contenders were not more than 300 yards apart. "The first reinforcements to arrive were posted in a glass factory, the walls of which were loop-holed, and we doggedly held that position until nightfall, when we fixed bayonets and lay in wait in case the enemy made an attempt to rush the po- sition in the darkness. DESTROY BRIDGES BEHIND THEM "About midnight orders came to retire over the canal and two companies were left behind to keep the enemy in check temporarily. After the main body had crossed the bridge was blown up, leaving the two outpost companies to get across as best they could by boats or swimming. Most of them man- aged to reach the main body again. "The main body retired from the town and fell back through open country, being kept moving all night. When daylight arrived it was apparent from higher ground that Mons had been practically blown away by the German artil- lery. "Throughout the morning we continued to fight a rear- guard action, but the steady march in retreat did not stop until 6 o'clock in the evening, when the British found them- selves well out of range of the German artillery in a quiet valley. "Here all the troops were ordered to rest and eat. As they had been without food since the previous morning's breakfast it was rather amusing to see the soldiers going into the turnip fields and eating turnips as though they were apples. "At 8 o'clock all lights were extinguished, the soldiers were ordered to make no noise and the pickets pushed a long distance backward. Long before dawn the troops were hastily started again and continued the retirement. "By noon the enemy was again heard from and a large detachment was assigned the task of fighting to protect our rear. 154 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR WATCH DUEL IN AIR "During the afternoon both the German and British armies watched a duel in the air between French and German aeroplanes. The Frenchman was wonderfully clever, and succeeded in maneuvering himself to the upper position, which he gained after fifteen minutes of reckless effort. Then the Frenchman began blazing away at the German with a revolver. "Finally he hit him, and the wounded German attempted to glide down into his own lines. The glide, however, ended in the British lines near my detachment, the West Kent In- fantry. We found the aviator dead when we reached the ma- chine. We buried him and burned the aeroplane. "At dusk a halt was made for food, and as the Germans had fallen behind the English spent a quiet night. At dawn, however, we found the Germans close to our heels, and several regiments were ordered to prepare intrenchments. This is tedious and tiresome work, especially in the heat and with- out proper food, but we quickly put up fortifications which were sufficient to protect us somewhat from the artillery fire. "It was not long before the German gunners found the range and began tearing up those rough fortifications, con- centrating their fire on the British batteries, one of which was completely demolished. Another found itself with only six men. Both these disasters bore testimony to the excellent markmanship of the German gunners. OFFICER. SPIKES THE GUNS "As it became evident that we must leave these guns be- hind and continue the retreat, an officer was seen going around putting the guns out of action, so that they would be of no use to the Germans. His action required cool bravery, be- cause the Germans, having found the range, continued firing directly at these batteries. "Things rapidly got hotter, and the commanding officer ordered a double-quick retreat. We were not long in doing the retiring movement to save our own skins. "I was wounded at this time by a Maxim bullet. For a EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 155 moment I thought my head had been blown off, but I recov- ered and kept on running until I reached a trench, where I had an 'opportunity to bandage the wound. I rushed off to the ambulances, but found the doctors so busy with men worse off than I that I went back to my place in the line." THE BATTLE AT CHAKLEKOI The loss of life in the Franco-German battle near Char- leroi was admittedly the greatest of any engagement up to that time. It was at Charleroi that the Germans struck their most terrific blow at the allies' lines in their determination to gain the French frontier. Though the tide of battle ebbed and flowed for awhile the French were finally forced to give way and to retreat behind their own frontier, while the Brit- ish were being forced back from their position at Mons. The fighting along the line was of the fiercest kind. It was a titanic clash of armies in which the allies were compelled to yield ground before the superior numbers of the German host. One of the wounded, who was taken to hospital at Dieppe, said of the fighting at Charleroi : "Our army was engaging what we believed to be a sec- tion of the German forces commanded by the crown prince when I was wounded. The Germans at one stage of the bat- tle seemed lost. They had been defending themselves almost entirely with howitzers from strongly intrenched positions. The Germans were seemingly surrounded and cut off and were summoned to surrender. The reply came back that so long as they had ammunition they would continue to fight. "The howitzer shells of the Germans seemed enormous things and only exploded when they struck the earth. When one would descend it would dig a hole a yard deep and split into hundreds of pieces. Peculiarly enough the howitzer shells did much more wounding than killing. The other shells of the Germans, like cartridges, the supply of which they seemed to be short of, did only little damage. AEEOS CONSTANTLY ABOVE "The German aeroplane service was perfect. An air- craft was always hovering over us out of range. We were certain within an hour after we sighted an aeroplane to get 156 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR the howitzers among us. Whenever we fired, however, we did terrific execution with our seventy-five pieces of artillery. I counted in one trench 185 dead. Many of them were killed as they were in the act of firing or loading. ''The ground occupied by the Germans was so thick with dead that I believe I saw one soldier to every two yards. You might have walked for a mile on bodies without ever putting foot to the ground. They buried their dead when they had time, piling fifteen or twenty in a shallow pit. ' ' THE FRENCH IN ALSACE-LORRAINE On August 9 the advance guard brigade of the French right wing, under General Pau, a veteran of the Franco-Prus- sian war of 1870-71, invaded Alsace, fought a victorious action with an intrenched German force of equal numbers and occu- pied Muelhausen and Kolmar. The news of the French entry into the province lost in 1871 was received all over France with wild enthusiasm. The mourning emblems on the Stras- burg monument in Paris were removed by the excited popu- lace and replaced by the tricolor flag and flowers in token of their joy. Muelhausen was soon after retaken by the Ger- man forces, only to be recaptured later by the French and then evacuated once more. On the day of the first French occupation of Muelhausen France declared war against Austria in consequence of the arrival of two Austrian army corps on the Rhine to assist the main German army. After the French occupation of Muelhausen a large Ger-. man army was sent to the front in Alsace-Lorraine and suc- ceeded in dislodging the French from that city, but not with- out severe fighting. Two weeks after the war began the French defeated a Bavarian corps in Alsace and for awhile General Pau more than held his own in that former province of France. On August 21 the Germans drove back the French who had in- vaded Lorraine, and occupied Luneville, ten miles inside the French border. About the same time the French reoccupied Muelhausen, EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 157 after three days' fighting around the city. Another French army was reported to be within nineteen miles of Metz. But before the end of the month the French had been compelled to evacuate both their former provinces. They continued during September, however, to make frequent assaults on the German frontier positions, but without regaining a sure foothold on German soil, the bulk of their efforts being de- voted to the defense of their own frontier strongholds. FIGHTING AROUND NANCY An official dispatch from the foreign office in Paris, dated August 28, said : ''Yesterday the French troops took the offensive in the Vosges mountains and in the region between the Vosges and Nancy, and their offensive has been interrupted, but the Ger- man loss has been considerable. "Our forces found, near Nancy, on a front of three kilo- meters, 2,500 dead Germans, and near Vitrimont, on a front of four kilometers, 4,500 dead. Longwy, where the garrison consisted of only one battalion, has capitulated to the Crown Prince of Germany after a siege of twenty-four days. ' ' FRENCH TRAPPED IN ALSACE The German view of early operations in Alsace-Lor- raine was given in the following dispatch September 2 from the headquarters of the general staff at Aix-la-Chapelle : "The French forces were trapped in Alsace-Lorraine. Realizing that the French temperament was more likely to be swayed by sentiment than by stern adherence to the rules of actual warfare, the German staff selected its own battle line and waited. The French did not disappoint. They rushed across the border. They took Altkirch with little oppo- sition. Then they rushed on to Muelhausen. Through the passes in the Vosges mountains they poured, horse, artillery, foot — all branches of the service. Strasburg was to fall and so swift was the French movement that lines of communi- cation were not guarded. "Then the German general staff struck. Their troops from Saarburg, from Strasburg and from Metz, under the command of General von Heeringen, attacked the French all 158 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR along the line. They were utterly crushed. The Germans took 10,000 Frenchmen prisoners and more than one hundred guns of every description. Alsace-Lorraine is now reported absolutely cleared of French troops. 1 'The armies of Crown Prince Frederick Wilhelm and of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria are moving in an irre- sistible manner into France. In a 3-day battle below Metz the French were terribly cut up and forced to retreat in al- most a rout. It is declared that in this engagement the French lost 151 guns and were unable to make a stand against the vic- torious Germans until they had passed inside of their sec- ondary line of defense." THE GERMAN "SPY POSTERS " Just prior to the declaration of war, cable dispatches from Paris told of a remarkable series of posters dotting the coun- tryside of France. These posters, innocently advertising "Bouillon Kub," a German soup preparation, were so clev- erly printed by the German concern advertising the soup, that they would act as signals to German army officers lead- ing their troops through France. In one of our photographic illustrations, one of these "spy posters" is seen posted on the left of an archway past which the French soldiers are marching en route to meet the Germans near the Alsace frontier. The ingenuity of the signs was remarkable. Thus a square yellow poster would carry the information, "Food in abun- dance found here," while a round red sign would advertise, ' ' This ground is mined. ' ' Many geometrical figures and most of the colors were utilized, and animal forms, flowers and even the American Stars and Stripes were employed to con- vey their messages of information. The French Minister of the Interior got wind of the sys- tem, and orders were telegraphed throughout France to de- stroy these posters. Bouillon Kub, therefore, is no longer ad- vertised in France. a soldier's experience under fire A wounded French soldier described his experiences un- der fire during the Alsace campaign. He said in part : EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR 159 " There! A blow in the breast, a tearing in the body, a fall with a loud cry and a terrible pain; there I lay one of the victims of this terrible day. My first sensation was anger at the blow, my second an expectation of seeing myself ex- plode, for, judging by the sound of the ball, I believed I had a grenade in my body; then came the pain, and with it help- lessness and falling. "Oh, how frightful are those first moments! Where I was hit, how I was wounded, I could form no idea; I only felt that I could not stir, saw the battalion disappear from sight and myself alone on the ground, amid the fearful howl- ing and whistling of the balls which were incessantly striking the ground around me. "With difficulty could I turn my head a little, and saw behind me two soldiers attending on a third, who was lying on the ground. Of what happened I can give no account except that I cried for help several times as well as I could, for the pain and burning thirst had the upper hand. At last both of them ran to me, and with joy I recognized the doctor and hospital attendant of my company. " 'Where are you wounded?' was the first question. I could only point. My blouse was quickly opened, and in the middle of the breast a bloody wound was found. The balls still constantly whizzed around us; one struck the doctor's helmet, and immediately I felt a violent blow on the left arm. Another wound ! With difficulty I was turned round, to look for the outlet of the bullet ; but it was still in my body, near the spine. At last it was cut out. They were going away — ' The wound in the arm, doctor. ' This, fortunately, was looked for in vain ; the ball had merely caused a blue spot and had sunk harmlessly into the ground. "I extended my hand to the doctor and thanked him, as also the attendant, whom I commissioned to ask the sergeant to send word to my family. The doctor had carefully placed my cloak over me, with my helmet firmly on my head, in order in some measure to protect me from the leaden hail. "Thus I lay alone with my own thoughts amid the most terrible fire for perhaps an hour and a half. All my thoughts, as far as pain and increasing weakness allowed, were fixed on 160 EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR my family. Gradually I got accustomed to the danger which surrounded me, and only when too much sand from the strik- ing bullets was thrown on my body did I remember my little enviable position. At last, after long, long waiting, the sani- tary detachment came for me. ' ' THE REAL TRAGEDY OF WAR It is not a pleasant picture — this story of the French sol- dier. It has little in it of the grandeur, the beat of drums, the sound of martial music, which is supposed to accompany war. The tread of marching feet has died away, the excite- ment is gone, and man the demon is supplanted by man the everyday human creature of suffering and home folks and fear. It is only a personal account of an individual experience, yet in it may be found the real significance and the real trag- edy of war ; for, after the fighting is over, after the intoxica- tion of legalized murder has gone, after nations turn their attention from victories to men, it is the aggregate of indi- vidual experiences which counts the costs of war. Thousands of German, French, Belgian, Austrian, Eus- sian, and British men in the prime of life have been miserably slain and lie in obscure graves of which the enemy now is the guardian, while others writhe in the agony of lingering wounds or sullenly brood over their fate in the dull routine of mili- tary prisons. In every part of the warring countries mothers weep over the sons they shall see no more, and wives over the husbands snatched from them forever. In many a man- sion, in many a comfortable home, in many a peasant's cot- tage, the empty chair is eloquent of the absent father, brother, husband or son who shall be absent forever. CHAPTER X OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS Dispatches of the Wolff Telegraphic Agency as Given to the German People During the March on Paris — Reports of Military and Naval Operations from the Standpoint of the German General Staff. THE complete official reports of the German Wolff Tele- graphic Agency, dealing with military operations up to the time when the German advance on Paris was checked are given below. These dispatches were carefully censored and while given out on the dates mentioned do not in all cases refer to engagements occurring on those dates. They present the German official version of the operations in the field, both east and west, as given to the German people, for whom they were prepared, and make an intensely interesting recital in comparison with the fuller and more highly colored reports that emanated from British, French and Russian sources dur- ing the same period. Naturally enough, nothing is said in these dispatches about the efficiency and gallantry of the forces of the enemy in the operations referred to. START OF HOSTILITIES RELATED AUG. 3. — The commander of the small cruiser Augsburg, Capt. Andreas Fisher, gives the following message by signal : ' ' I am bombarding the war harbor of Libau and am in conflict with enemy's cruiser. I have laid mines. The war harbor of Libau is burning." Luxemburg has been occupied by troops of the Eighth Army Corps to protect the German railroad there. In the night of the 1st and 2d of August an enemy's air- ship was observed in flight from Ker Kerjeuich to Andernach. On the same night a hotelkeeper of Kochem and his son made 161 162 OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS an attempt to blow up the Kochem tunnel. Both were shot. Airships of the enemy were observed flying from Duren toward Cologne. A French airship was shot down near Wesel. In Eydkuhnen Russian patrols have entered and the post- office at Bilderweitschen has been destroyed. The enemy crossed the frontier at many places. ATTACK BY RUSSIAN PATROLS The Russian patrols attacked the railway bridge over the Warthe at Eichenried. Two Germans were slightly wounded ; Russian losses not known. At attempt of the Russians to attack the Miloslaw was prevented. The railway authorities at Johannisburg and forest offi- cials of Bialla report that tonight strong Russian columns with artillery crossed the frontier at Schwidden southeast of Bialla and that two squadrons of Cossacks are riding in the direction of Johannisburg. The telephone connection be- tween Lueck and Bialla has been cut. German railroad workers near Illowo retired under the fire of Russians. Although no German soldier is on French soil, the French have crossed the German frontier without declaring war and have occupied the villages of Gothestal, Metzertal and Mar- kirch and have occupied the Schlucht pass. A further viola- tion of neutrality lies in the fact that French fliers in great numbers have flown into Germany over Belgium and Holland. SAY FRENCH VIOLATED NEUTRALITY AUG. 4. — Until now no German troops have crossed the French frontier. French troops, however, have attacked our frontier posts since Sunday; this in spite of the agreements of the French government to respect a neutral zone of ten kilometers on both sides of the frontier. French companies have occupied German villages since last night. Bomb throw- ing aviators have flown into Baden and Bavaria and through Belgium into the Rhine provinces, thereby violating Belgian neutrality. They are attempting to destroy our railroads. Consequently, France has commenced the attack upon us and brought about war. The safety of the empire forces us OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS 163 into retaliation. The Kaiser has given the necessary orders. The German ambassador in Paris has been told to obtain his passes. GREAT BRITAIN DECLARED WAR AUG. 5. — Yesterday afternoon, shortly after the speech of the chancellor, in which he openly admitted that Belgian ter- ritory had been occupied, thereby committing a breach of international law, and had declared the willingness of the German government to indemnify for whatever harm was done, the English ambassador, Sir Edward Goschen, appeared in the reichstag to present to Secretary von Jagow a message from his government. In this message was a request that the German govern- ment should answer as quickly as possible the question whether it would give the assurance that there would be no violation of Belgian neutrality. Secretary von Jagow an- swered at once that this was not possible, and again explained why it was that Germany was forced to take steps to prevent an invasion of the French army. Shortly after 7 o'clock the English ambassador appeared in the foreign office to declare war and to request his passes. As we hear, the government placed military requirements before anything else, although it was forced to reckon with the fact that such action would give England reasons or a pre- tense to intervene. RUSSIAN DEFENSES BROKEN Shortly after troops at Soldau left this morning to attack strong Russian cavalry, which were attempting penetration into East Prussia, they were attacked by a strong brigade of Russian cavalry. Under the fire of German troops the Rus- sian cavalry attack failed because of most severe losses. The Russian cavalry brigade was destroyed. Yesterday afternoon German cavalry attacked Kabarty, the Russian frontier village east of Stallupoenen. The garri- son of Kabarty fled from the village, which was then occu- pied. A division of Russian cavalry which watched the conflict did not take part. The enemy's frontier defense is herewith broken through, which is for us of the greatest im- portance. The Russian detachment is being followed. 164 OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS GERMAN CAVALRY GREETED AUG. 6. — German cavalry yesterday occupied Wilun, south of Kalisz. They were treated by the population with rejoicing. Briey, northwest of Metz, has been occupied by German troops. Russian cavalry divisions attempted to break through the German frontier defenses at Schwidden, east of Johannis- burg, and Grotken, between Lautenburg and Soldau. They were thrown back and retired to Russian territory. The Russian cavalry division which was thrown back at Soldau received further losses at its return to Russia at Neidenburg. LIEGE ATTACK NOT A DEFEAT AUG. 7. — Our vanguards entered Belgium day before yes- terday and an insignificant detachment made with the great- est bravery a surprise attack upon Liege. A few mounted men entered the city and sought to overpower the commander, who was only saved from capture by flight. The surprise attack on the modern fortification itself was unsuccessful. Troops are in contact with the enemy in front of the forti- fication. Naturally the entire press of our enemy will stamp this attempt, which has no importance upon the progress of military operations, as a defeat. For us, however, is this one of the solitary eternal deeds in the history of war and an evi- dence of the death-daring enterprise of our troops. CAPTURE OF LIEGE REPORTED AUG. 8. — The stronghold Liege has been taken. After the detachments which attempted the surprise attack upon Liege had been strengthened the attack was carried out. Yes- terday morning at 8 o'clock the stronghold was in German possession. CRUISER AMPHION SUNK AUG. 9. — Fairly reliable rumors say that the Koenigin Luise, a North Sea steamer taken over by the imperial marine, was attacked while laying mines by an English torpedo boat flotilla under the convoy of the small cruiser Amphion and was sunk. The Amphion itself struck one of the mines laid OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS 165 by the Koenigin Luise and went down. The English lost 130 men and 150 were saved. Some of the six officers and 140 men of the Koenigin Luise also were saved. The third Russian cavalry division crossed the frontier at Romeiken, south of Eydkuhnen, but upon the appearance of German cavalry retired to Russian soil. Work is pro- gressing in Poland to restore the railroads destroyed by the Russians, as also is the work on the bridge between Schop- onitz and Sosnowice. The railway Alexandrowno-Wlozlawek is again passable. German frontier troops in Upper Alsace have been at- tacked by the French coming from the direction of Belfort. The advance of the French troops was halted and at AltMrch they are already retiring in the direction of Belfort. enemy's loss heavy at liege AUG. 10. — Liege is safe in our hands. The loss of the enemy was heavy; our losses will be made public as soon as they are reliably known. The transportation of 3,000 to 4,000 Belgian prisoners has already commenced. According to dispatches at hand one-fourth of the Belgian army faced us at Liege. The frontier troops at Bialla, ten kilometers east of Jo- hannisburg, have thrown back an attacking Russian cavalry brigade. Eight guns and many ammunition wagons fell into our hands. fkench defeat at MUELHAUSEN AUG. 11. — The enemy advancing in the direction of Muel- hausen from Belfort was forced from a fortified position west of Muelhausen and thrown back in a southerly direction. The losses of our troops were not heavy; the French losses were great. This French force was apparently the 7th army corps and an infantry division of the garrison of Belfort. Three companies of the frontier troops at Eydkuhnen, supported by hastily advancing field artillery, have thrown back the 3d Russian cavalry division across the frontier at Schleuben. PRISONERS TAKEN IN LORRAINE AUG. 12. — A mixed brigade of the French 15th army corps, which had been pushed forward, was engaged by our 166 OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS troops near Lagarde in Lorraine. The enemy was thrown back with heavy losses into the forest of Paroy northwest of Luneville, and left in our hands one flag, two batteries, four machine guns, and about 700 prisoners. One French general has fallen. His imperial majesty's armored cruiser Goeben and the small cruiser Breslau reached the neutral Italian port of Mes- sina Aug. 5, after their enterprise on the Algerian coast, and coaled up from German ships. The harbor was watched by English warships which had come into contact with our ves- sels. Nevertheless they were able on the evening of the 6th of August to break through from Messina and to win the high seas. Further it is impossible to tell for particular reasons. German submarines have, in the last few days, sailed along the east coast of England and Scotland, clear to the Shetland islands. It is impossible to give any further in- formation concerning the results of this trip. GERMAN SOIL " CLEARED OF ENEMY" AUG. 13. — Near Muelhausen German troops have cap- tured ten French officers and 513 men. Further, four guns, ten conveyances and a large number of rifles were captured. German soil is cleared of the enemy. AUG. 14. — Near Lagarde, more than 1,000 unwounded prisoners of war have fallen into the hands of the German troops, more than a sixth of the two French regiments that were in action. AUG. 15. — In the east two Russian cavalry divisions, fol- lowed by infantry, have pressed forward. After they had burned a small town, Margrabowa, lying near the border, these troops have again retired across the frontier. A Rus- sian cavalry corps stationed near Mlawa has retired south before the advance of a German column. Otherwise the gathering and placing of the troops is being carried out according to plans. Not a single hostile action has been able, up to the present moment, either to turn aside or hold up the German plan of action. All contrary reports spread by enemies are false. AUG. 17. — The Kaiser left Berlin at 8 o'clock yesterday (Sunday) morning in the direction of Mayence. OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS 167 AUG. 18. — The action near Muelhausen was an unfore- seen occurrence. One and one-half hostile army corps had pushed their way into upper Alsace while our troops in that neighborhood were still gathering. Notwithstanding, they attacked the enemy without hesitation and threw him back in the direction of Belfort. After this they followed out their prearranged plan of march. In the meanwhile a small detachment from the garrison of Strassburg was defeated on the 14th of the month. Two battalions with cannons and machine guns had forced their way into the Schirmeck pass in the Vosges mountains. They were overpowered by hostile artillery fire from Donon. In the narrow road through the pass cannon and machine guns had been shot to pieces and were left there, useless. In any case they were seized as booty and the enemy later marched to Schirmeck. This is an insignificant war occurrence, that has no influence on the operations, but which will stand as a warn- ing example to our troops of foolhardiness and carelessness. The garrison troops once more rallied and reached the fortress unfollowed. Although they lost their guns, they did not lose their courage. Whether treason on the part of the peasant landholders entered into the occurrence is yet to be determined. RUMORS OF SEA BATTLE From a trip of several submarines along the English coast, the boat U15 has not yet come back. According to reports in English newspapers the U15 was destroyed in a battle with English war vessels. What losses if any resulted from this it is not possible to determine. Mlaw (on the railway line Marienburg-Warsaw) has been occupied by German troops. AUG. 19. — On the 17th an action took place near Stall- upoenen in which troops of the 1st army corps fought with unequaled courage so that a victory was gained. More than 3,000 prisoners have fallen into our hands. A large number of Russian machine guns that could not be brought back were rendered useless. 168 OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS FIRST CONFLICT NEAR NAMUR AUG. 20. — The French 5th cavalry division was thrown back by our cavalry near Pervez, north of Namur, with heavy losses. Bavarian and Badenese troops defeated the French 55th infantry brigade, which had pushed forward to Weiler, fifteen kilometers northwest of Schlettstadt, inflicted heavy losses and threw the enemy back over the Vosges. Our troops took one field battery, a heavy battery, a flag and 500 prisoners at Tirlemont. Our cavalry took from the enemy two guns and two machine guns near Pervez. BRITISH SUBMARINE SUNK AUG. 20. — The two small cruisers, Strassburg and Stral- sund have in the last days made a dash into the southern part of the North Sea. The Strassburg sighted two hostile sub- marines under the English coast, one of which she sank at some distance with a few shots. The Stralsund exchanged shots with several torpedo boat destroyers at a distance. Two destroyers were damaged. On this occasion, as well as on a scouting trip of airships clear to the Skagerack, it was determined that the German coast and German waters were free from hostile vessels, and that neutral shipping could pass unhindered. A telegram from Kiaochow in indorsement of the message concerning the Japanese ultimatum reads : 11 Stand ready to carry out my duty to the end. 1 1 GOUVERNEUR. ' ' GERMANS OCCUPY BRUSSELS AUG. 21. — German troops entered Brussels yesterday. Under the leadership of the Crown Prince of Bavaria, troops of all German countries won a victory yesterday be- tween Metz and the Vosges. The enemy, pushing forward in Lorraine with strong forces, was thrown back all along the line with heavy losses. Many thousand prisoners and a large number of guns were taken. The entire result of the battle cannot yet be estimated, as the battle field takes up more space than our entire army took up in the battles of 1870-71. Our troops, inspirited by an irre- OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS 169 sistible forward motion, are following the enemy and have kept up the battle till the present time. AUG. 22. — The French forces defeated by our troops be- tween Metz and the Vosges were followed by our troops yes- terday. The retreat of the French has become a rout. To the present moment more than 10,000 prisoners have been taken, and at least fifty guns have been seized. The strength of the defeated forces is set at more than eight army corps. TAKE 8,000 RUSSIAN PRISONERS AUG. 23. — Strong Russian forces are advancing against the line Gumbinen-Angerburg. The 1st army corps again engaged troops advancing against Gumbinen Aug. 20 and threw them back. On this occasion 8,000 prisoners and eight guns were taken. No word had been heard for some time from one division of the army corps. This division had fought against two hostile cavalry divisions and yesterday returned to the 1st army ccrps with 500 prisoners. Further Russian reinforcements are advancing north of the Pergel and south of the Masurian sea line. Concerning the further conditions silence must still be kept, in order that our actions be not betrayed. Concerning the advances in the west, further information will be given out in a short time. A new attempt of the enemy to march into upper Alsace has been defeated by the victory in Lorraine. The enemy in upper Alsace also is retreating. VICTORIES ON FRENCH BORDER AUG. 24. — The troops under the leadership of the Crown Prince of Bavaria, who were victorious in Lorraine, have crossed the Luneville-Blamont-Cirey line. The 21st army corps entered Luneville today. The pursuit is beginning to bring fruits. Besides large numbers of prisoners and colors, the left wing, pressing forward into the Vosges, has already made booty of 150 guns. The army of the German crown prince has today carried the pursuit onward toward Longwy. That of Duke Albert of Wuerttemberg advancing on both sides of Neuf chateau has completely defeated a French army which had pressed over the Semois. Duke Albert is now in pursuit. Large numbers 170 OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS of guns, colors and prisoners, including several generals, have fallen into their hands. West of the Meuse our troops are pressing forward on Maubeuge. An English cavalry division advancing against their front has been defeated. CROWN PRINCE NEAR LONGWY North of Metz the German crown prince and his army, advancing on both sides of Longwy, have thrown back the enemy. The German guns have been booming before Namur since day before yesterday. From Sarayevo the following message has been received by the general marine staff: "On the 20th of August the Servian position, 950 meters high, at Visegrad, was taken. Marines were in the first line. Three dead, two officers and twenty-one men injured. Condi- tion of men excellent. Maj. Schneider." This has reference to our Scutari detachment, which, since retirement from Scutari, has joined the Austrian operations. FORTS AT NAMUR FALL AUG. 25. — Of the fortress of Namur, five forts and the city are in our possession. Four forts are being bombarded. Their fall appears to be near. AUG. 27. — All the forts of Namur have fallen, as has also Longwy after brave resistance. Against the left wing of the army of the German crown prince strong forces have marched from Verdun in the east, which have been beaten back. Upper Alsace has been cleared of the French, except for small de- tachments west of Colmar. CRUISER MAGDEBURG SUNK The small cruiser Magdeburg in the course of a dash into Finnish waters ran aground in the neighborhood of the Island Odensholm in a fog. Assistance from other ships was im- possible because of the thick weather. As it was impossible to bring the ship off it was blown up during engagement with a far greater number of Russian warships and sank honor- ably. Under the enemies' fire a greater part of the crew of the cruiser was rescued by the torpedo boat "V26." The losses Xtl ~ V > © Sun Printing and Publishing Assn A remarkable combined attack near Cambrai. Massed German brigade decimated at short range by masked French artillery and field guns, supported by British cavalry. This incident occurred during the retreat of the allies from Mons and Charleroi, a deadly trap being laid for the advancing German infantry. A desultory fire from the French infantry, stationed at intervals between the masked guns, drew the Germans across an intervening field. As the French rifle fire was purposel.v iminished, a massed brigade of Germans proceeded to cross the fatal ground. When they were within range of about 250 yards, the French artillery suddenly sent a hurricane of shrapnel through the lerman ranks, while the ambuscaded machine guns, it is said, literally cut many of the German afantrymen in two. — Drawn by H. W. Koekkek from sketches supplied by Dr. N. Monroe Hopkins, n eyewitness of the scene.. *..h rV*J? mi •«. ■a e © International News Service. 1. A Belgian Dog-Drawn Machine Gun at Liege. 2. Dog Artillery Getting into Position for Action on a Frontier Hilltop. CHARGE OF THE BRITISH 9TII LAWYERS ON A GERMAN BATTERY DURING THE BATTLE OP MONS The battery had inflicted heavy losses on the British troops. All the gunners were cut down and the guns put out of action. — Drawn by Dudley Tennant for The Graphic, from notes by a trooper. OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS 171 of the Magdeburg and the "V26" have not been exactly de- termined. Up to the present moment seventeen dead, twenty- one wounded and eighty-five missing, among them the com- mander of the Magdeburg, have been reported. The rescued will reach the German harbor today. The list of the lost will be given out as soon as possible. ENGLISH COMPLETELY DEFEATED AUG. 28. — The English army, which had been joined by three French territorial divisions, has been completely de- feated north of St. Quentin. The entire army is retreating over St. Quentin. Several thousand prisoners, several field batteries and a heavy battery have fallen into our hands. Southeast of Mezieres our troops are pushing the fight across the Meuse along a wide front. After nine days of mountain fighting our left wing has pushed the French moun- tain troops back into the neighborhood east of Epinal and is advancing farther victoriously. FRENCH CANNOT AID BELGIANS Brussels' mayor informed the German commander that the French government has declared to the Belgian govern- ment that it is in nowise able to assist in offensive movements as France herself has been forced to take the defensive throughout. AUG. 29. — Manonvillier, the strongest outer fort of the French, is in possession of the Germans. Our troops in east Prussia, under the leadership of Gen- eral von Hindenberg, have defeated the advancing Russian Narew army, five army corps and three cavalry divisions strong, in a three-day battle in the neighborhood of Gilgen- burg and Ortelsburg and are following them across the border. NAVAL LOSS AT HELIGOLAND Yesterday morning, under the cover of fog, several Eng- lish cruisers and two English torpedo boat flotillas (about twenty destroyers), stole up into the German gulf of the North Sea, northwest of Heligoland. Several single engage- ments took place between them and our lighter war vessels. 172 OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS Small German cruisers pressed steadily toward the west and in so doing, because of the thick weather, were brought into contact with several large armored cruisers. The Ger- man cruiser Ariadne, fired upon at close range by heavy guns from the cruisers of the Lion class, sank after an honorable conflict. The greater part of the crew, about 250 men, was saved. In addition, the torpedo boat V187 went down under heavy bombardment from a small cruiser and ten destroyers. She went down with guns firing. The chief of the flotilla and the commander fell. The greater part of the crew was saved. Two small cruisers, the Koeln and the Mainz, were missed. According to a Reuter dispatch from London they were sunk in battle at the same time against superior forces. A part of their crews (nine officers and eighty-one men) apparently were rescued by English ships. According to the same source, the English ships were badly damaged. LINER SUNK IN NEUTRAL PORT AUG. 31. — According to a report from Las Palmas, the North German Lloyd steamer Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, outfitted as a German auxiliary cruiser, was sunk by the Eng- lish cruiser Highflyer as she lay at anchor in the neutral waters of the Spanish colony of Rio del Oro. SEPT. 1. — The army of General von Kluck drove back an attempted French flank attack in the neighborhood of Combles, using one army corps. The army of General von Buelow, after having taken prisoner an English infantry bat- talion in the course of his advance, has completely defeated an outnumbering French army at St. Quentin. The army of General von Hausen has pushed back the enemy on the Aisne near Rethel. ADVANCE TOWARD THE AISNE The army of the Duke of Wuerttemberg, while crossing the Meuse, came in contact with stronger hostile forces and was forced to return in part over the river. The army once more won the crossing and is now advancing toward the Aisne. The fort Les Aqvelles, in the rear of the army, has fallen. OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORTS 173 Forces of the German crown prince have continued the advance toward and over the Meuse. The fortress of Mont- medy fell after the commander and the entire garrison were taken prisoners in the course of a sally. The armies of the crown prince of Bavaria and of General von Heeringen are continuing the battle in French Lorraine. GREAT VICTORY OVER RUSSIA In the east the reported victory of the army of General von Hindenberg takes on greater importance than was at first supposed. Notwithstanding the renewed opposition which the enemy offered at Neidenburg, their defeat was complete. Three army corps have been destroyed and 60,000 prisoners, among these two commanding generals, many guns and col- ors, have fallen into our hands. The remaining Russian troops in northern East Prussia have begun to retreat. NAPOLEON'S DOUBLE " The world's mine oyster, which I witb sword wiU open " — Vorw&rts (New York) CHAPTER XI GERMAN ADVANCE ON PARIS Allies Withdraw for Ten Days, Disputing Every Inch of Ground With the Kaiser's Troops — Germans Push Their Way Through France in Three Main Columns — Official Reports of the Withdrawing Engagements — Paris Almost in Sight. FLUSHED with their successes over the Allies at Mons and Charleroi, the Germans pushed their advance toward the French capital with great celerity and vigor. During the last week of August and the first few days of September, it appeared inevitable that the experience of Paris in 1870-71 was to be repeated and that a siege of the city by the German forces would follow immediately. It was conceded that the armies of the Allies had been forced back and that Paris was endangered. The German advance was general, all along the line. The flower of the Kaiser's army had marched through Belgium and pushed back the lines of the Allies to the formidable rows of forti- fications that surround Paris. The Germans advanced in three main columns, constantly in touch with one another, from the right, passing through Mons, Cambrai and Amiens, to the extreme left in Lorraine. The center threatened Ver- dun, and from that point the right advance swept through Northern France like an opening fan, with the fortress of Verdun as the pivot. Three million men were engaged in the main struggle. "When the Germans first reached the Franco-Belgian frontier near Charleroi they were opposed by 700,000 French and 150,- 000 British troops. After being driven back the Allies began 174 GERMAN ADVANCE ON PARIS 175 assembling 1,000,000 men between the frontier and Paris. The Allies hoped to hold the whole German army in check while the Russians pursued their successes in eastern Ger- many. French troops guarded the entire frontier, battling to check the other German invading columns. The holding of the Germans, once they broke through the fortifications that formed the chief reliance of the French, would be impossible. The next stand would be around Paris, which was well forti- fied. The invaders were, of course, attempting to get through where there were no forts. ALLIES MAKE STRENUOUS RESISTANCE Strenuous resistance to the onward movement of the Ger- man enemy was made by the Allies from day to day, but for a period of ten days there was an almost continual retire- ment of the French and British upon Paris. It was in fact a masterly retreat, but a retreat nevertheless. From the line of La Fere and Mezieres, occupied by the Allies after the bat- tles at Mons and Charleroi, they fell back 70 miles in seven days, disputing every step of the way, but withdrawing grad- ually to the line of defenses around the French capital. From Cambrai the Germans pushed through Amiens to Beauvais; from Peronne to Roye, Montdidier, Creil, and on to the forest of Chantilly. From the region of Le Cateau and St. Quen- tin the German advance was by Noyon to Compiegne (famous for its memories of Joan of Arc's famous sortie), at which point the Allies made a desperate stand and the Germans had to fight for every inch of ground. They then passed through Senlis, which was first bombarded, down to Meaux, almost within sight of Paris, the head of the German army resting on a line between Beaumont, Meaux and La Ferte, at which point the resistance of the Allies finally forced a change in German plans. Other German forces passed through Laon, Soissons and Chateau Thierry. Farther to the east, the road from Mezieres led the Germans to Rheims, Mourmelon, and opposite Chalons on the River Marne. Another German army from the direction of Longwy, under the command of the Crown Prince, was operating through Suippes and on the wooded Argonne plateau, with 176 GERMAN ADVANCE ON PARIS its five passes, famous in the action of 1792 which preceded the battle of Valmy. At the entrance to this hilly country stands the little town of Sainte Menehould, where there was severe fighting with the French. Here the German Crown Prince made his headquarters. The great plain of the Argonne is full of most wonderful ecclesiastical buildings and many magnificent cathedrals, townhalls and ancient fortresses were passed by the warring armies in their advance and withdrawal, some of these his- toric structures sustaining irreparable damage. The German advance continued southward toward Paris until September 4. RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF THE BRITISH All reports agree that during the retirement of the Allies, the Germans pursued the British headquarters staff with un- canny precision throughout the ten days from Mons back to Compiegne. After fierce street fighting in Denain and Lan- drecies Sir John French withdrew his headquarters to Le Cateau, which was at once made the target of a terrific bom- bardment. The town caught fire, burning throughout one night, and the British headquarters had to be evacuated, this time in favor of St. Quentin, in the local college. Here the same thing happened and Field Marshal French was com- pelled once more to retire, to the neighborhood of Com- piegne. In an official report issued on Sunday, September 6, it is stated that, "The 5th French army on August 29 advanced from the line of the Oise River to meet and counter the Ger- man forward movement and a considerable battle developed to the south of Guise. In this the 5th French army gained a marked and solid success, driving back with heavy loss and in disorder three German army corps, the 10th, the Guard, and a reserve corps. In spite of this success, however, and all the benefits which flowed from it, the general retirement to the south continued and the German armies, seeking persist- ently after the British troops, remained in practically con- tinuous contact with the rearguards. "On August 30 and 31 the British covering and delaying troops were frequently engaged, and on September 1 a very GERMAN ADVANCE ON PARIS 177 vigorous effort was made by the Germans, which brought about a sharp action in the neighborhood of Compiegne. This action was fought principally by the 1st British Cavalry Bri- gade and the 4th Guards .Brigade and was entirely satisfactory to the British. The German attack, which was most strongly pressed, was not brought to a standstill until much slaughter had been inflicted upon them and until ten German guns had been captured. The brunt of this affair fell upon the Guards Brigade, which lost in killed and wounded about 300 men." This affair was typical of the numerous rearguard en- gagements fought by both the British and the French forces during their retirement. MASTEELY TACTICS IN RETIRING Pressing hard upon the rear of the Allies for ten days was the greatest military machine that has ever been assembled in one cohesive force. Through Belgium had poured nearly 2,000,000 German troops, made up of about 800,000 first-line soldiers and more than 1,000,000 reserves. The twenty-six- hour march of part of the German army through Brussels was stunning evidence of the might of the "war machine," and despite fierce fighting all the way, the great army had never faltered in its 150-mile advance in Belgium. But the numerical might of the German advance was matched by the masterly tactics of the Allies in retiring. By these tactics, in which General Joffre, the French commander- in-chief, co-operated with the British field-marshal, Sir John French, the Allies prevented their lines being overwhelmed by the superior numbers of their foe, but the German right flank and center, strung out over a line more than 150 miles long, northeast of Paris, kept smashing on. Losses were frightfully heavy, but the Kaiser's order was "Take Paris!" It was believed certain that the German general staff had staked everything on investing Paris immediately, by com- pletely breaking down the opposition massed between the Ger- man lines and the city. Paris had therefore prepared for the siege, with her great circles of forts strengthened and her food supply replenished. Many of the residents fled the city in panic, fearing a repetition of the dread days of 1871, with their privation and distress, but the spirit of the French peo- 178 GERMAN ADVANCE ON PARIS pie generally remained unshaken and General Gallieni, mili- tary governor of Paris, assumed complete control of the situ- ation in the city. GOVERNMENT MOVED TO BORDEAUX On August 26 the French cabinet had resigned in a body and it was reconstructed on broader lines under Premier Viviani to meet the demands of the national emergency. German troops were reported within 40 miles of Paris on September 3, and at 3 A. M. of that day a proclamation was issued by President Poincare, announcing that the seat of government would be temporarily transferred from Paris to Bordeaux. The minister of the interior stated that this de- cision had been taken "solely upon the demand of the military authorities because the fortified places of Paris, while not necessarily likely to be attacked, would become the pivot of the field operations of the two armies. ' ' The text of President Poincare 's proclamation was as follows : "endure and fight!" "Frenchmen: For several weeks our heroic troops have been engaged in the fierce combat with the enemy. The cour- age of our soldiers has won for them a number of marked ad- vantages. But in the north the pressure of the German forces has constrained us to retire. This situation imposes on the president of the Eepublic and the government a painful de- cision. "To safeguard the national safety the public authorities are obliged to leave for the moment the city of Paris. Under the command of its eminent chief, the French army, full of courage and spirit, will defend the capital and its patriotic population against the invader. But the war must be pursued at the same time in the rest of the French territory. "The sacred struggle for the honor of the nation and the reparation of violated rights will continue without peace or truce and without a stop or a failure. None of our armies has been broken. "If some of them have suffered only too evident losses, the gaps in the ranks have been filled up from the waiting reserve GERMAN ADVANCE ON PARIS 179 forces, while the calling out of a new class of reserves brings us tomorrow new resources in men and energy. ' 'Endure and fight! Such should be the motto of the allied army, British, Russians, Belgians and French. ''Endure and fight! While on the sea our allies aid us to cut the enemy's communications with the world. "Endure and fight! While the Russians continue to carry a decisive blow to the heart of the German empire. "It is for the government of this republic to direct this re- sistance to the very end and to give to this formidable struggle all its vigor and efficiency. It is indispensable that the government retain the mastery of its own actions. On the demand of the military authorities the government there- fore transfers its seat momentarily to a point of the territory whence it may remain in constant relations with the rest of the country. It invites the members of parliament not to remain distant from the government, in order to form, in the face of the enemy, with the government and their colleagues, a group of national unity. 1 ' The government does not leave Paris without having as- sured a defense of the city and its entrenched camp by all means in its power. It knows it has not the need to recom- mend to the admirable Parisian population a calm resolution and sangfroid, for it shows every day it is equal to its great- est duties. "Frenchmen, let us all be worthy of these tragic circum- stances. We shall gain a final victory and we shall gain it by untiring will, endurance and tenacity. A nation that will not perish, and which, to live, retreats before neither suffering nor sacrifice, is sure to vanquish." The removal of the French government departments to Bordeaux was accomplished within twenty-four hours and the southern city became at once a center of remarkable ac- tivity. Ambassador Herrick, representing the United States, remained in Paris to render aid to his fellow-countrymen who were seeking means of returning to America and were more than ever anxious to get away when a state of siege became imminent. 180 GERMAN ADVANCE ON PARIS A radical change in the French military operations was put in effect after the Germans had swept in from Belgium, and had taken the cities of Lille, Roubaix, and Longwy. The French army had attempted to strike and shatter the Germans at their weakest point, and failed. Paris prepared for the worst when the Kaiser's conquer- ing army reached La Fere, about seventy miles away. From Amiens to La Fere the Germans pressed their attack hardest. As the Allies were seen to be gradually falling back, reserve troops were assembled in Paris and the forts put in readiness for siege. THE FORTIFICATIONS OF PAEIS Paris has one of the strongest fortification systems of any city in the world. The siege of the giant city would be a much greater undertaking than forty-four years ago, as the forti- MAF OF FRENCH CAPITAL, WITH STABS INDICATING: POSITION OF FOBTIFICATIONS. GERMAN ADVANCE ON PARIS 181 fications have been essentially augmented and strengthened since the Franco-Prussian war. The fortifications consist of the old city walls, the old belt of forts and the new enceinture of the fortified camps, which have been advanced far outside of the reach of the old forts. The main wall, ten meters (33 feet) high, consists of ninety- four bastions and is surrounded by a ditch fifteen meters wide. Behind the wall a ringroad and a belt line run around the city. The belt of old forts surrounds this main fortification of the city at a little distance and consists of not less than six- teen forts. Those farthest advanced are hardly half a mile distant from the main wall. The experiences of the last war, the immense progress of the artillery, and especially the wider reach of the modern siege guns induced the French army authorities to build a belt of still stronger forts, which surrounds the old fortress of 1870 like a protective net. The forts, redoubts and batteries belonging to this last belt of fortifications are situated at least two miles from the city limits proper, and even Versailles is taken into this belt of fortifications. The circumference of the circle formed by them is 124 kilometers (nearly 77 miles) and the space included in it amounts to 1,200 square kilometers. This new belt of fortifi- cations consists of seven forts of the first class, sixteen forts of the second class and fifty redoubts or batteries, which are connected with each other by the " Great Belt Line," of 113 kilometers (71 miles). FORM LARGE FORTIFIED CAMPS The strongest of these forts form fortified camps, large enough to give protection to strong armies and also the pos- sibility for a new reconcentration. There are three of these camps. The northern camp includes the fortifications from the Fort de Cormeilles on the left to the Fort de Stains on the right wing, with the forts of the first class, Cormeilles and Domont, and the forts of the second class, Montlignon, Montmorency, Ecouen and Stains, and it is protected in the rear by the strong forts in the vicinity of St. Denis. The eastern camp goes from the Ourcq canal and the forest of Bondy to the Seine, and its main strongholds are the forts of 182 GERMAN ADVANCE ON PARIS Vaujours and Villeneuve-St. Georges, with the smaller forts of Chelles, Villiers, Champigny and Sully. On the left bank of the Seine the southwestern camp is situated, including Versailles, whose main forts are those of St. Cyr, Haut-Buc, Villeras and Palaiseau, to which the large redubt of Bois d'Arcy and the forts of Chatillon and Hautes- Bruyeres, situated a little to the rear, belong likewise. To invest this strongest fortress of the world the line of the Germans ought to have a length of 175 kilometers and to its continuous occupation, even if the ring of the investing masses were not very deep, a much greater number of troops would be necessary than were used in 1870 for the siege of Paris. GERMAN AMMUNITION CAPTURED A correspondent at Nanteuil, September 12, thus described the capture of a German ammunition column while the Ger- mans were feeling their way toward Paris: "The seven-kilometer column was winding its way along Crepy-en-Valois when General Pau sent cavalry and artillery to intercept it. The column was too weakly guarded to cope with the attack, and so was captured and destroyed. This capture had an important bearing on the subsequent fighting. "A noticeable feature of the operations has been the splen- did marching qualities of the French troops. This was dis- played especially when two divisions, which were sent to intercept the expected attempt of the Germans to invest Paris, covered eighty kilometers (491/2 miles) in two stages." ALLIES PLAN TO PROTECT PARIS The plan of the Allies on September 1 was to make a deter- mined stand before Paris, in the effort to protect the city from the horrors of a siege. With their left wing resting on the strongly fortified line of the Paris forts and with their right wing strengthened by the defensive line from Verdun to Bel- fort, they would occupy a position of enormous military strength. If the Germans concentrated to move against their front the French reserve armies could assemble west of the Seine, move forward and attack the German invading columns in flank. GERMAN ADVANCE ON PARIS 183 If in their effort to continue the great turning movement the Germans pushed forward across the Seine and attempted by encircling Paris to gain the rear of the allied armies, the French could mass their reserve corps behind their center at Rheims, push forward against the weakened German center in an attack that if successful would cut off the German invading columns and expose them to annihilation. Such were the conditions and the possibilities when the German advance reached its climax on September 4. POSITION OF HOSTILE ARMIES. SEPTEMBER 4, 1914 Heavy dotted line denotes battle front of the Allies; lighter line the position of the German Troops. CHAPTER XII BATTLE OF THE MARNE German Plans Suddenly Changed — Direction of Advance Swings to the Southeast When Close to the French Capital — Successful Resistance by the Allies — The Prolonged Encounter at the Marne — Germans Retreat With Allies in Hot Pursuit for Many Miles. SUDDENLY the German plans were changed. With Paris almost in sight, almost within the range of their heavy artillery, the German forces on the right of the line on September 4 changed the direction of their advance to a southeasterly course, which would leave Paris to the west. The people of the gay capital, who for several days had been preparing themselves once more for the thunder of the Prus- sian guns, began to breathe more freely, while all the world wondered at the sudden and spectacular transformation in the conditions of the conflict. What had happened? Why was the advance thus checked and the march on Paris abandoned? Was it a trick, designed to lead the Allies into a trap? Or were the German troops too exhausted by forced marches and lack of rest to face the determined resistance of the allied forces before Paris? These were the questions on every tongue, on both sides of the Atlantic, while the military experts sought strategic reasons for the change in German plans. When the movement towards the east began the right of the German forces moved through Beaumont and L'Isle towards Meaux, apparently with the intention of avoiding Paris. Their front some twenty-four hours later was found to be extending across the River Marne as far south as Cou- 184 BATTLE OF THE MARNE 185 lommiers and La Ferte-Gaucher, the two opposing lines at that time stretching between Paris on the left flank and Ver- dun on the right. On Monday, September 7, there came news that the south- ward movement of the German army had been arrested, and that it had been forced back across the Marne to positions where the German right wing curved back from La Ferte- sous-Jouarre along the bank of the River Ourcq, a tributary of the Marne, to the northward of Chateau Thierry. All this territory forms part of the district known as the "Bassin de Paris." Then came a turn in the tide of war and the German plans were temporarily lost sight of when the Allies assumed the offensive along the Marne and the Ourcq and the Germans began to fall back. For four days their retreat continued. Ten miles, thirty miles, forty-five miles, back toward the northeast and east the invaders retired and Paris was relieved. The tide of battle had thrown the Germans away from the French capital and Frenchmen believed their retire- ment was permanent. BATTLE OF THE MARNE Important and interesting details of the battle of the Marne and the movements that preceded it are given in an official report compiled from information sent from the head- quarters of Field Marshal Sir John French (commander-in- chief of the British expeditionary forces), under date of Sep- tember 11. This account describes the movements both of the British force and of the French armies in immediate touch with it. It carries the operations from the 4th to the 10th of September, both days inclusive, and says: "The general position of our troops Sunday, September 6, was south of the River Marne, with the French forces in line on our right and left. Practically there had been no change since Saturday, September 5, which marked the end of our army's long retirement from the Belgian frontier through Northern France. "On Friday, September 4, it became apparent that there was an alteration in the advance of almost the whole of the 186 BATTLE OF THE MARNE first German army. That army since the battle near Mons on the 23d of August had been playing its part in a colossal strategic endeavor to create a Sedan for the Allies by out- flanking and enveloping the left of their whole line so as to encircle and drive both the British and French to the south. THE CHANGE IN GERMAN STRATEGY "There was now a change in its objective and it was observed that the German forces opposite the British were beginning to move in a southeasterly direction instead of con- tinuing southwest on to the capital, leaving a strong rear guard along the line of the River Ourcq (which flows south of and joins the Marne at Lizy-sur-Ourcq) to keep off the French Sixth Army, which by then had been formed and was to the northwest of Paris. They were evidently executing what amounted to a flank march diagonally across our front. "Prepared to ignore the British as being driven out of the fight, they were initiating an effort to attack the left flank of the main French army, which stretched in a long curved line from our right toward the east, and so to carry out against it alone an envelopment which so far had failed against the combined forces of the Allies. "On Saturday, the 5th, this movement on the part of the Germans was continued and large advance parties crossed the Marne southward at Trilport, Sammeron, La Ferte-sous- Jouarre and Chateau Thierry. There was considerable fight- ing with the French Fifth Army on the French left, which fell back from its position south of the Marne toward the Seine. "On Sunday large hostile forces crossed the Marne and pushed on through Coulommiers and past the British right, farther to the east. They were attacked at night by the French Fifth, which captured three villages at the point of bayonets. ALLIES TAKE THE OFFENSIVE "On Monday, September 7, there was a general advance on the part of the Allies. In this quarter of the field our forces, which had now been reinforced, pushed on in a north- easterly direction in co-operation with the advance of the BATTLE OF THE MARNE 187 French Fifth Army to the north and of the French Sixth Army to the eastward against the German rearguard along the River Ourcq. "Possibly weakened by the detachment of troops to the eastern theater of operations and realizing that the action of the French Sixth Army against the line of Ourcq and the advance of the British placed their own flanking movement in considerable danger of being taken in the rear and on its flank, the Germans on this day commenced to retire toward the northeast. "This was the first time that these troops had turned back since their attack at Mons a fortnight before and from reports received the order to retreat when so close to Paris was a bitter disappointment. From letters found on dead soldiers there is no doubt there was a general impression among the enemy's troops that they were about to enter Paris. GERMAN RETREAT IS HASTENED "On Tuesday, September 8, the German movement north- eastward was continued. Their rear guards on the south of the Marne were being pressed back to that river by our troops and by the French on our right, the latter capturing three villages after a hand-to-hand fight and the infliction of severe loss on the enemy. ' ' The fighting along the Ourcq continued on this day and was of the most sanguinary character, for the Germans had massed a great force of artillery along this line. Very few of their infantry were seen by the French. The French Fifth Army also made a fierce attack on the Germans in Montmirail, regaining that place. "On Wednesday, September 9, the battle between the French Sixth Army and what was now the German flank guard along the Ourcq continued. "The British corps, overcoming some resistance on the River Petit Morin, crossed the Marne in pursuit of the Ger- mans, who now were hastily retreating northwest. One of our corps was delayed by an obstinate defense made by a strong rear guard with machine guns at La Ferte-sous- Jouarre, where the bridge had been destroyed. 188 BATTLE OF THE MARNE "On Thursday, September 10, the French Sixth Army continued its pressure on the west while the Fifth Army by forced marches reached the line of Chateau Thierry and Dor- mans on the Marne. Our troops also continued the pursuit on the north of the latter river and after a considerable amount of fighting captured some 1,500 prisoners, four guns, six machine guns and fifty transport wagons. ' ' Many of the enemy were killed or wounded and the nu- merous thick woods which dot the country north of the Marne are filled with German stragglers. Most of them appear to have been without food for at least two days. "Indeed, in this area of the operations, the Germans seem to be demoralized and inclined to surrender in small parties. The general situation appears to be most favorable to the Allies. "Much brutal and senseless damage has been done in the villages occupied by the enemy. Property has been wantonly destroyed. Pictures in chateaus have been ripped up and houses generally have been pillaged. "It is stated on unimpeachable authority also that the inhabitants have been much ill-treated. TRAPPED IN A SUNKEN EOAD "Interesting incidents have occurred during the fighting. On the 10th of September part of our Second Army Corps, advancing into the north, found itself marching parallel with another infantry force some little distance away. At first it was thought this was another British unit. After some time, however, it was discovered that it was a body of Germans retreating. "Measures promptly were taken to head off the enemy, who were surrounded and trapped in a sunken road, where over 400 men surrendered. "On September 10 a small party under a noncommissioned officer was cut off and surrounded. After a desperate resist- ance it was decided to go on fighting to the end. Finally the noncommissioned officer and one man only were left, both of them being wounded. "The Germans came up and shouted to them: 'Lay down BATTLE OF THE MARNE 189 your arms!' The German commander, however, signed to them to keep their arms and then asked to shake hands with the wounded noncommissioned officer, who was carried off on his stretcher with his rifle by his side. "Arrival of reinforcements and the continued advance have delighted our troops, who are full of zeal and anxious to press on. SUCCESS OF THE FLYING CORPS ' ' One of the features of the campaign on our side has been the success obtained by the Royal Flying Corps. In regard to the collection of information it is impossible either to award too much praise to our aviators for the way they have car- ried out their duties or to overestimate the value of the intelli- gence collected, more especially during the recent advance. "In due course certain examples of what has been effected may be specified and the far-reaching nature of the results fully explained, but that time has not arrived. "That the services of our Flying Corps, which has really been on trial, are fully appreciated by our allies is shown by the following message from the commander-in-chief of the French armies, received September 9 by Field Marshal Lord Kitchener : " 'Please express most particularly to Marshal French my thanks for the services rendered on every day by the English flying corps. The precision, exactitude and regu- larity of the news brought in by its members are evidence of their perfect organization and also of the perfect training of the pilots and the observers. — Joseph Joffre, General.' "To give a rough idea of the amount of work carried out it is sufficient to mention that during a period of twenty days up to the 10th of September a daily average of more than nine reconnaissance flights of over 100 miles each has been main- tained. FIVE GERMAN PILOTS SHOT "The constant object of our aviators has been to effect an accurate location of the enemy's forces and, incidentally, since the operations cover so large an area, of our own units. Nevertheless, the tactics adopted for dealing with hostile air craft are to attack them instantly with one or more British 190 BATTLE OF THE MARNE machines. This has been so far successful that in five cases German pilots or observers have been shot while in the air and their machines brought to ground. "Asa consequence the British Flying Corps has succeeded in establishing an individual ascendancy which is as service- able to us as it is dangerous to the enemy. "How far it is due to this cause it is not possible at present to ascertain definitely, but the fact remains that the enemy have recently become much less enterprising in their flights. Something in the direction of the mastery of the air already has been gained in pursuance of the principle that the main object of military aviators is the collection of information. "Bomb dropping has not been indulged in to any great extent. On one occasion a petrol bomb was successfully exploded in a German bivouac at night, while from a diary found on a dead German cavalry soldier it has been discov- ered that a high explosive bomb, thrown at a cavalry column from one of our aeroplanes, struck an ammunition wagon, resulting in an explosion which killed fifteen of the enemy." LOSSES AT THE MARNE ENORMOUS Some idea of the terrific character of the fighting at the Marne and of the great losses in the prolonged battle may be gained from the following story, telegraphed on September 14 by a correspondent who followed in the rear of the allied army: "General von Kluck's host in coming down over the Marne and the Grand Morin rivers to Sezanne, twenty-five miles southwest of Epernay, met little opposition, and I believe little opposition was intended. The Allies, in fact, led their opponents straight into a trap. The English cavalry led the tired Germans mile after mile, and the Germans believed the Englishmen were running away. When the tre- mendous advance reached Provins the Allies' plan was accomplished, and it got no farther. "Fighting Sunday, September 6, was of a terrible char- acter, and began at dawn in the region of La Ferte-Gaucher. The Allies' troops, who were drawn up to receive the Ger- mans, understood it would be their duty to hold on their very BATTLE OF THE MARNE 191 best that the attacking force at Meaux might achieve its task in security. The battle lasted all night and until late Monday. "The Germany artillery fire was very severe, but not accurate. The French and English fought sternly on and slowly beat the enemy back. "Attempts of the Germans to cross the Marne at Meaux entailed terrible losses. Sixteen attempts were foiled by the French artillery fire directed on the river and in one trench 600 dead Germans were counted. COUNTRY STREWN WITH DEAD "The whole country was strewn with the dead and dying. When at last the Germans retired they slackened their rifle fire and in once place retired twelve miles without firing a single shot. One prisoner declared that they were short of ammunition and had been told to spare it as much as possible. "Monday saw a tremendous encounter on the Ourcq. In one village, which the Germans hurriedly vacated, the French in a large house found a dinner table beautifully set, with candles still burning on the table, where evidently the German staff had been dining. A woman occupant said they fled pre- cipitately. "There was a great deal of hand-to-hand fighting and bayonet work on the Ourcq, which resulted in the terrible Magdeburg regiment beating a retreat. "Monday night General von Kluck's army had been thrown back from the Marne and from the Morin and to the region of Sezanne and his position was serious. Immediate steps were necessary to save his line of communications and retreat. To this end reinforcements were hurried north to the Meaux district and the Ourcq and tremendous efforts were made to break up the French resistance in this section. GERMAN GUNS ARE SILENCED "The second attempt on the Ourcq shared the fate of the first. Though all Monday night and well on into Tuesday the great German guns boomed along this river, the resistance of the allies could not be broken. 'Hold on!' was the com- mand and every man braced himself to obey. While the 192 BATTLE OF THE MAKNE Oureq was being held the struggle of Sezanne was bearing fruit. "The German resistance on Thursday morning was broken. I heard the news in two ways : from the silence of the German guns and from the wounded who poured down to the bases. "The wounded men no longer were downhearted, but eager to rejoin the fray. On every French lip was the exclamation that 'They are in full retreat!' and 'They are rushing back home!' and in the same breath came generous recognition of the great help given by the British army. "The number of wounded entailed colossal transportation work. I counted fifteen trains in eight hours. A fine, grim set of men, terribly weary but amiable, except for the officers. GERMANS LEAVE SPOILS BEHIND "The enemy crossed the Marne on the return journey north under great difficulties and beneath a withering fire from the British troops, who pursued them hotly. The Ger- man artillery operated from a height. There was again much hand-to-hand fighting and the river was swollen with dead. "Tuesday night the British were in possession of La Ferte- sous-Jouarre and Chateau Thierry and the Germans had fallen back forty miles, leaving a long train of spoils behind them. "On the same day, in the neighborhood of Vitry-le-Fran- cois, the French troops achieved a victory. Incidentally they drove back the famous Imperial Guard of Germany from Sezanne, toward the swamps of Saint Gond, where, a century ago, Napoleon achieved one of his last successes. The main body of the guard passed to the north of the swamps, but I heard of men and horses engulfed and destroyed. " 'It is our revenge for 1814,' the French officers said. 'If only the emperor were here to see.' BRITISH KEEP UP PURSUIT "Wednesday the English army continued the pursuit to- ward the north, taking guns and prisoners. 1 ' On that day I found myself in a new France. The good BATTLE OF THE MARNE 198 news had spread. Girls threw flowers at the passing soldiers and joy was manifested everywhere. "The incidents of Wednesday will astound the world when made known in full. I know that two German detachments of 1,000 men each, which were surrounded and cornered hut which refused to surrender, were wiped out almost to the last man. The keynote of these operations was the tremendous attack of the Allies along the Ourcq Tuesday, which showed the German commander that his lines were threatened. Then came the crowning stroke. "The army of the Ourcq and of Meaux and the army of Sezanne drew together like the blades of a pair of shears, the pivot of which was in the region of the Grand Morin. The German retreat was thus forced toward the east and it speed- ily became a rout." EETEEAT SEEN FROM THE SKY The best view of the retreating German armies was obtained, according to a Paris report, by a French military airman, who, ascending from a point near Vitry, flew north- ward across the Marne and then eastward by way of Rheims down to the region of Verdun and back again in a zigzag course to a spot near Soissons. He saw the German hosts not merely in retreat, but in flight, and in some places in disorderly flight. "It was a wonderful sight," the airman said, "to look down upon these hundreds and thousands of moving military columns, the long gray lines of the Kaiser's picked troops, some marching in a northerly, others in a northeasterly direc- tion, and all moving with a tremendous rapidity. 1 ' The retreat was not confined to the highways, but many German soldiers were running across fields, jumping over fences, crawling through hedges, and making their way through woods without any semblance of order or discipline. "These men doubtless belonged to regiments which were badly cut up in the fierce fighting which preceded the general retreat. Deprived of the majority of their officers, they made a mere rabble of fugitives. Many were without rifles, having 194 BATTLE OF THE MARNE abandoned their weapons in their haste to escape their French and British pursuers." GERMANS ABANDON GUNS The London Times correspondent describes the German retreat in a hurricane, with rain descending in torrents, the wayside brooks swollen to little torrents. "The gun wheels sank deep in the mud, and the soldiers, unable to extricate them, abandoned the guns," he said. "A wounded soldier, returned from the front, told me that the Germans fled as animals flee which are cornered and know it. ' ' Imagine the roadway littered with guns, knapsacks, car- tridge belts, Maxims and heavy cannon. There were miles of roads like this. "And the dead! Those piles of horses and those stacks of men I have seen again and again. I have seen men shot so close to one another that they remained standing after death. "At night time the sight was horrible beyond description. They cannot bury whole armies. "In the day time over the fields of dead carrion birds gathered, led by the gray-throated crow of evil omen with a host of lesser marauders at his back. Robbers, too, have descended upon these fields. "Trainload after trainload of British and French troops swept toward the weak points of the retreating host. "The Allies benefited by this advantage of the battle- gound; there is a network of railways, like the network of a spider's web." FIGHTING DESCRIBED BY U. S. OFFICERS Two military attaches of the United States embassy at Paris, Lieut.-Col. H. T. Allen and Capt. Frank Parker, both of the Eleventh cavalry, U. S. A., returned on September 15 from an automobile trip over the battlefield where from Sep- tember 8 until the night of September 11 the French and Germans were fiercely engaged. This battle was the one which assured the safety of Paris. On September 1 the German left and center were sep- arated, but like a letter "V" were approaching each other, BATTLE OF THE MARNE 19.5 with Paris as their objective. Had the Allies attacked at that time they would have had to divide their forces and, so weakened, give battle to two armies. By retreating they drew after them the two converging lines of the V and when the Germans were in wedge-shaped formation, attacked them on the flank and center at Meaux and made a direct attack at Sezanne. The four days' battle at Meaux ended with the Germans crossing the river Aisne and retreating to the hills north and west of Soissons. Col. Allen and Capt. Parker saw the end of the battle north of Sezanne, which resulted in the retreat of the Germans to Rheims. The battles, as Col. Allen and Capt. Parker describe them, were as follows: On the 8th the Germans advanced from a line stretching from Epernay and Chalons, a distance of twenty-five kilome- ters (sixteen miles). In this front, counting from the German right, were the Tenth, the Guards, the Ninth and Twelfth Army Corps. The presence of the Guards, the corps d' elite of the German army, suggested that this was intended to be a main attack upon Paris and that the army at Meaux was to occupy the center. The four combined corps numbered over 200,000. The French met them, they assert, with 190,000. The Germans advanced until their left was at Vitry-le- Francois and their right rested at Sezanne, making a column 15 miles long, headed west toward Paris. The French butted the line six miles east of Sezanne, in the forests of La Fere and Champenoise. It was here that the greater part of the fight occurred. It was fighting at long distance with artillery and from trench to trench with the bayonet. THIRTY THOUSAND MEN KILLED During the four days in which fortune rested first on one flag and then on another 30,000 men of both armies are said to have been killed and a considerable number of villages were wiped from the map by the artillery of both armies. Two miles from Sezanne a French regiment was destroyed by an ambush. The Germans had thrown up conspicuous trenches and with decoys sparsely filled them. From the forest in the rear the mitrailleuse was trained on the French. 196 BATTLE OF THE MARNE The French infantry charged this trench and the decoys fled, making toward the flanks, and as the French poured over the trenches the hidden guns swept them. In another trench the American attaches counted the bodies of more than 900 German guards, not one of whom had attempted to retreat. They had stood fast with their shoul- ders against the parapet and taken the cold steel. Every- where the loss of life was appalling. In places the dead lay across each other three and four deep. TURCOS FIERCEST FIGHTERS OF ALL "The fiercest fighting of all seems to have been done by the Turcos and Senegalese. In trenches taken by them from the guards and the famous Death's Head Hussars, the Ger- mans showed no bullet wounds. In nearly every attack the men from the desert had flung themselves upon the enemy, using only the butt or the bayonet. Man for man no white man drugged for years with meat and alcohol is a physical match for these Turcos, who eat dates and drink water," said Richard Harding Davis, who saw the end of the fighting at Meaux. "They are as lean as starved wolves. They move like panthers. They are muscle and nerves and they have the comforting belief that to die killing a Christian sends them straight to the seventh heaven. "As Kipling says, 'A man who has a sneaking desire to live has a poor chance against one who is indifferent whether he kills you or you kill him.' The French are almost invar- iably using these black men to lead the charges. Some think this shows they do not value their black brothers. On the contrary, they so use him because they know that in help- yourself fighting few white men care to face him. ' ' NIGHT BATTLE DESCRIBED BY SOLDIER The following narrative of a night engagement during the prolonged battle of the Marne is quoted from a French sol- dier 's letter to a compatriot in London : ' ' Our strength was about 400 infantrymen. Toward mid- night we broke up our camp and marched off in great silence, of course not in closed files, but in open order. We were not BATTLE OF THE MARNE 197 allowed to speak to each other or to make any unnecessary noise, and as we walked through the forest the only sound to be heard was that of our steps and the rustling of the leaves. It was a perfectly lovely night ; the sky was so clear, the atmosphere so pure, the forest so romantic, everything seemed so charming and peaceful that I could not imagine that we were on the warpath, and that perhaps in a few hours this forest would be aflame, the soil drenched by human blood, and the fragrant herbs covered with broken limbs. "Yet all those silent, armed men, marching in the same direction as I did, were ever so many proofs that no peace meeting or any delightful romantic adventure was near, and I wondered what thoughts were stirring all those brains. Suddenly a whisper passed on from man to man. It was the officer's command. A halt was made, and in the same whisper we were told that part of us had to change our direction so that the two directions would form a V. A third division pro- ceeded slowly in the original direction. COMMANDS ARE WHISPERED "I belonged to what may be called the left leg of the V. After what seemed to be about half an hour, we reached the edge of the forest, and from behind the trees we saw an almost flat country before us, with here and there a tiny little hill, a mere hump four or five feet high. On the extreme left-hand side the land seemed to be intersected by ditches and trenches. "Another whispered command was passed from man to man, and we all had to lie down on the soil. A moment after- ward we were thus making our way to the above-mentioned ditches and trenches. It is neither the easiest nor the quickest way to move, but undoubtedly the safest, for an occasional enemy somewhere on the hills at the farther end of the field would not possibly be able to detect us. I don't know how long it took us to reach the ditches, which were, for the greater part, dry ; nor do I know how long we remained there or what was happening. "We were perfectly hidden from view, lying flat down on our stomachs, but we were also unable to see any- thing. Everybody's ears were attentive, every nerve was strained. The sun was rising. It promised to be a hot day. 198 BATTLE OF THE MARNE FIRST SHOT IS HEARD ' ' Suddenly we heard a shot, at a distance of what seemed to be a mile or so, followed by several other shots. I ventured to lift my body up in order to see what was happening. But the next moment my sergeant, who was close by me, warned me with a knock on my shoulder not to move, and the whis- pered order ran, ' Keep quiet ! Hide yourself ! ' Still, the short glance had been sufficient to see what was going on. Our troops, probably those who had been left behind in the forest, were crossing the plain and shooting at the Germans on the crest of the hill, who returned the fire. "The silence was gone. We heard the rushing of feet at a short distance ; then, suddenly, it ceased when the attacking soldiers dropped to aim and shoot. Some firing was heard, and then again a swift rush followed. This seemed to last a long time, but it was broken by distant cries, coming appar- ently from the enemy. I was wondering all the time why we kept hidden and did not share in the assault. "The rifle fire was incessant. I saw nothing of the battle. Would our troops be able to repulse the Germans? How strong were the enemy? They seemed to have no guns, but the number of our soldiers in that field was not very large. ATTACKED WITH BAYONETS "A piercing yell rose from the enemy. Was it a cry of triumph? A short command rang over the field in French, an order to retreat. A swift rush followed; our troops were being pursued by the enemy. What on earth were we waiting for in our ditches? A bugle signal, clear and bright. We sprang to our feet, and 'At the bayonet!' the order came. We threw ourselves on the enemy, who were at the same time attacked on the other side by the division which formed the other 'leg' of the V, while the 'fleeing' French soldiers turned and made a savage attack. "It is impossible to say or to describe what one feels at such a moment. I believe one is in a state of temporary mad- ness, of perfect rage. It is terrible, and if we could see our- selves in such a state I feel sure we would shrink with horror. "In a few minutes the field was covered with dead and wounded men, almost all of them Germans, and our hands BATTLE OF THE MARNE 199 and bayonets were dripping with blood. I felt hot spurts of blood in my face, of other men's blood, and as I paused to wipe them off, I saw a narrow stream of blood running along the barrel of my rifle. "Such was the beginning of a summer day." SCENES ON THE BATTLEFIELD Writing from Sezanne a few days after the battle of the Marne a visitor to the battlefield described the conditions at that time as follows: "The territory over which the battle of the Marne was fought is now a picture of devastation, abomination and death almost too awful to describe. "Many sons of the fatherland are sleeping their last sleep in the open fields and in ditches where they fell or under hedges where they crawled after being caught by a rifle bullet or piece of shell, or where they sought shelter from the mad rush of the f ranc-tireurs, who have not lost their natural dex- terity with the knife and who at close quarters frequently throw away their rifles and fight hand to hand. "The German prisoners are being used on the battlefield in searching for and burying their dead comrades. Over the greater part of the huge battlefield there have been buried at least those who died in open trenches on the plateaus or on the high roads. The extensive forest area, however, has hardly been searched for bodies, although hundreds of both French and Germans must have sought refuge and died there. The difficulty of finding bodies is considerable on account of the undergrowth. "Long lines of newly broken brown earth mark the graves of the victims. Some of these burial trenches are 150 yards long. The dead are placed shoulder to shoulder and often in layers. This gives some idea of the slaughter that took place in this battle. "The peasants, who are rapidly coming back to the scene, are marking the grave trenches with crosses and planting flowers above or placing on them simple bouquets of dahlias, sunflowers and roses. 200 BATTLE OF THE MARNE FOUGHT ON BEAUTIFUL CHATEAU LAWNS ' ' Some of the hottest fighting of the prolonged battle took place around the beautiful chateau of Mondement, on a hill six miles east of Sezanne. This relic of the architectural art of Louis XIV occupied a position which both sides regarded as strategically important. "To the east it looked down into a great declivity in the shape of an immense Greek lamp, with the concealed marshes of St. Sond at the bottom. Beyond are the downs and heaths of Epernay, Eheims and Champagne, while the heights of Argonne stand out boldly in the distance. To the west is a rich agricultural country. "The possession of the ridge of Mondement was vital to either the attackers or the defenders. The conflict here was of furnace intensity for four days. The Germans drove the French out in a terrific assault, and then the French guns were brought to bear, followed by hand-to-hand fighting on the gardens and lawns of the chateau and even through the breached walls. ' ' Frenchmen again held the building for a few hours, onl y to retire before another determined German attack. On the fourth day they swept the Germans out again with shell fire, under which the walls of the chateau, although two or three feet thick, crumpled like paper." The same correspondent described evidences on the battle- fields of how abundantly the Germans were equipped with ammunition and other material. He saw pyramid after pyra- mid of shrapnel shells abandoned in the rout, also innumer- able paniers for carrying such ammunition. These paniers are carefully constructed of wicker and hold three shells in exactly fitting tubes so that there can be no movement. The villages of Oyes, Villeneuve, Chatillon and Soizy-aux- Bois were all bombarded and completely destroyed. Some fantastic capers were played by the shells, such as blowing away half a house and leaving the other half intact; going through a window and out by the back wall without damaging the interior, or going a few inches into the wall and remaining fast without exploding. Villeneuve, which was retaken three times, was, including its fine old church, in absolute ruins. BATTLE OF THE MARNE 201 A SERIES OF BATTLES The battle line along the Marne was so extended that the four-days' fighting from Sunday, September 6, to Thursday morning, September 10, when the Germans were in full retreat, comprised a series of bloody engagements, each worthy of being called a battle. There were hot encounters south of the Marne at Crecy, Montmirail and other points. At Chalons-sur-Marne the French fought for twenty-four hours and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. General Exel- mans, one of France's most brilliant cavalry leaders, was dangerously wounded in leading a charge. There was hard fighting on September 7 between Lagny and Meaux, on the Trilport and Crecy-en-Brie line, the Ger- mans under General von Kluck being compelled to give way and retire on Meaux, at which point their resistance was broken on the 9th. General French's army advanced to meet the German hosts with forced marches from their temporary base to the southeast of Paris. The whole British army, except cavalry, passed through Lagny, and the incoming troops were so wearied that many of them at the first opportunity lay down in the dust and slept where they were. But a few hours ' rest worked a great change, and a little later the British troops were following the German retreat up the valley with bulldog tenacity. The British artillery did notable work in those days, according to the French military surgeons who were stationed at Lagny. At points near there the bodies of slain Germans who fell before the British gunners still littered the ground on September 10, and the grim crop was still heavier on the soil farther up the valley, where the fighting was more desperate. As far as possible the bodies were buried at night, each attending to its own fallen. MANY SANGUINARY INCIDENTS Sanguinary incidents were plentiful in the week of fight- ing to the south of the Marne. In an engagement not far from Lagny the British captured thirty Germans who had 202 BATTLE OF THE MARNE given up their arms and were standing under guard when, encouraged by a sudden forward effort of the German front, they made a dash for their rifles. They were cut down by a volley from their British guards before they could reach their weapons. "Among dramatic incidents in the fighting," according to an English correspondent, "may be mentioned the grim work at the ancient fishponds near Ermenonville. These ponds are shut in by high trees. Driving the enemy through the woods, a Scotch regiment hustled its foes right into the fishponds, the Scotchmen jumping in after the Germans up to the middle to finish them in the water, which was packed with their bodies." This scene is illustrated on another page. VAST GRAVEYARD AT MEAUX Some idea of how the Germans were harassed by artillery fire during their retreat was obtained on a visit to the fields near Meaux, the scene of severe fighting. The German in- fantry had taken a position in a sunken road, on either side of which were stretched in extended lines hummocks, some of them natural and some the work of spades in the hands of German soldiers. The sunken road was littered with bodies. Sprawling in ghastly fashion, the faces had almost the same greenish-gray hue as the uniforms worn. The road is lined with poplars, the branches of which, severed by fragments of shells, were strewn among the dead. In places whole tops of trees had been torn away by the artillery fire. Beside many bodies were forty or fifty empty cartridge shells, while fragments of clothing, caps and knapsacks were scattered about. Tins destruction was wrought by batteries a little more than three miles distant. Straggling clumps of wood intervened between the batteries and their mark, but the range had been determined by an officer on an elevation a mile from the gunners. He telephoned directions for the firing and through glasses watched the bursting shells. THE BATTLE AT CRECY A graphic picture of the fight in Crecy wood was given by a correspondent who said : BATTLE OF THE MARNE 203 The French and English in overwhelming numbers had poured in from Lagny toward the River Marne to reinforce the flanking skirmishers. One of the smaller woods south- east of Crecy furnished cover for the enemy for a time, but led to their undoing. The Allies' patrols discovered them in the night as the Germans were moving about with lanterns. Suddenly the invaders found their twinkling glow-worms the mark for a foe of whom they had been unaware. Without warning a midnight hail storm from Maxims screamed through the trees. The next morning scores of lanterns were picked up in the wood, with the glasses shattered. A dashing cavalry charge by the British finally cleared the tragic wood of the Germans. BRITISH BLOW UP A BRIDGE At Lagny one of the sights of the town was a shattered bridge, which was blown up by General French as soon as he got his army across it. At that time British infantry and artillery had poured through the town and over the bridge for several days. General French's idea was to keep raiding detachments of German cavalry from incursions into the beautiful villas and gardens of the western suburbs. Fifteen minutes after the bridge had been reduced to a twisted mass of steel and broken masonry a belated order came to save it, but the British engineers who had received the order to destroy it had done their work well. The inhabitants were cleared out of all the neighboring houses, which were shaken by the terrific explosion when the charge was set off. Every window in the nearby houses was shattered. - The people of Lagny took the destruction of their beautiful bridge in good part. They were too grateful for their deliv- erance from the Germans to grumble about the wrecked bridge. GERMAN LOSSES AT THE MARNE There is no doubt that the German losses in the engage- ments at the Marne far exceeded those of the Allies and were most severe, in both men and material. The Germans made incredible efforts to cross the Marne. The French having destroyed all the bridges, the Germans tried to construct 204 BATTLE OF THE MARNE three bridges of boats. Sixteen times the bridges were on the point of completion, but each time they were reduced to matchwood by the French artillery. "There is not the slightest doubt," said a reliable corre- spondent, "that but for the superb handling of the German right by General von Kluck, a large part of Emperor Wil- liam's forces would have been captured at the Marne. The allied cavalry did wonders, and three or four additional divi- sions of cavalry could have contributed towards a complete rout of the Germans." The general direction of the German retirement was north- east, and it was continued for seventy miles, to a line drawn between Soissons, Rheims and Verdun. A week after the battle the field around Meaux had been cleared of dead and wounded, and only little mounds with tiny crosses, flowers and tricolored flags recalled the terrible struggle. The inhabitants of neighboring villages soon returned to their homes and resumed their ordinary occupations. FALL OF MAUBEUGE While the fighting at the Marne was in progress, German troops achieved some successes in other parts of the theater of war. Thus, the fortified French town of Maubeuge, on the Sambre river midway between Namur in Belgium and St. Quentin, France, fell to the Germans on September 7. The investment began on August 25. More than a thousand shells fell in one night near the railway station and the Rue de France was partially destroyed. The loss of life, however, was comparatively slight. At 11 :50 o 'clock on the morning of September 7 a white flag was hoisted on the church tower and trumpets sounded ' ' cease firing, ' ' but the firing only ceased at 3 :08 o 'clock that afternoon. In the meantime the greater part of the garrison succeeded in evacuating the town. The German forces marched in at 7 :08 o 'clock that evening. The retreat of the German forces from the Marne ended the second stage of the great war. CHAPTER XIII THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN Slow Mobilization of Troops — Invasion of German and Aus- trian Territory — Cossacks Lead the Van — Early Suc- cesses in East Prussia — "On to Berlin" — Heavy Losses Inflicted on Austrians — German Troops Rushed to the Defense of the Eastern Territory. WHEN at 7: 30 o'clock on the evening of August 1, 1914, the German Ambassador at St. Petersburg handed the declaration of war to the Russian foreign minister, the immediate reason was that Russia had refused to stop mobilizing her army, as requested by Germany on July 30. The general mobilization of the Russian army and fleet was proclaimed on July 31 and martial law was proclaimed forthwith in Germany. The government of the Kaiser had given Russia twenty-four hours in which to reply to its ulti- matum of the 30th. Russia paid no attention to the ultimatum, but M. Goremykin, president of the Council of the Russian Empire, issued a manifesto which read : " Russia is determined not to allow Servia to be crushed and will fulfill its duty in regard to that small kingdom, which has already suffered so much at Austria's hands." Austria-Hungary declared war against Russia on August 6. From that time on the Russian army had two main objec- tives — first, the Austrian province of Galicia, and second the eastern frontier of Germany, across which lay the territory known as East Prussia. And while the early days of the great conflict saw a German host pouring into Belgium, animated by the battle-cry, * ' On to Paris ! ' ' the gathering legions of the Czar headed to the west and crossed the Prussian frontier with hoarse, resounding shouts of "On to Berlin!" 205 206 THE RUSSIAN CA3IPAIGN MOBILIZATION WAS SLOW The mobilization of the Russian army was slow compared with that of Germany, France and Austria, and some weeks elapsed after the declaration of war before Russia was pre- pared to attack Germany with the full force of which it was capable. The immense distances to be traversed by troops proceeding to the frontier and by the reserves to their re- spective depots caused delays that were unavoidable but were minimized by the eagerness of the Russian soldiery to get to the front. In Russia, as in all the other great countries en- gaged in the conflict, with the probable exception of Austria, the war was popular and a wave of patriotic enthusiasm and martial ardor swept over the land, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, from St. Petersburg to Siberia. In Russia military service is universal and begins at the age of 20, continuing for twenty-three years. There are three divisions of the Russian army — the European, Cau- casian and Asiatic armies. Military service of the Russian consists of three years in the first line, fourteen years in the reserve (during which time he has to undergo two periods of training of six weeks each) and five years in the territorial reserve. The Cossacks, however, hold their land by military tenure and are liable to serve at any time in the army. They provide their own horses and accouterments. The total strength of the Russian army is about 5,500,000 men ; the field force of the European army consists of 1,000,000 soldiers with about the same number in the second line. There were besides at the beginning of the war over 5,000,000 men un- organized but available for duty. AEMY REORGANIZED RECENTLY Since the disastrous war with Japan the Russian army has been reorganized and it has profited largely by the harsh experience of the Manchurian campaign. The physique of the Russian infantryman is second to none in Europe. The Russian "moujik" (peasant) is from childhood accustomed to cover long distances on foot, so that marches of from 30 to 40 miles are covered without fatigue by even the youngest recruits. They wear long boots, which are made of excellent soft leather, so that sore feet were THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 207 quite the exception even in Manchuria, where very long marches were undergone by many of the units. Each regiment of infantry contains four battalions com- manded by a major or lieutenant-colonel. The battalion con- sists of four companies of 120 men, commanded by a captain, so that each regiment on a war footing numbers upwards of 2,000 men. The Russian cavalry is divided into two main categories. There are the heavy regiments of the Guard, which consist mainly of Lancer regiments, and there are also numberless Cossack or irregular cavalry regiments, which are recruited chiefly from the districts of the River Don and the highlands of the Caucasus. The horses of the Russian horse and field artillery are distinctly poor and very inferior to those of the cavalry. The artillery is therefore somewhat slow in coming into action. But the horses, while weedy-looking, are very hardy and pull the guns up steep gradients. The Russian gunners prefer to take up " indirect" rather than "direct" positions. Batteries are also rather slow in changing positions and in moving up in support of their infantry units. THE RUSSIAN COSSACKS What the Uhlans are to the German army, the Cossacks of the Don and the Caucasus are to the Russians — scouts, advance guards and " covering" cavalry. They are good all- round fighters, capable of long-continued effort and tireless in the saddle; they are also trained to fight in dismounted action. As a soldier the Cossack is altogether unique; his ways are his own and his confidence in his officers and himself is perfect. His passionate love of horses makes his work a pleasure. The Cossack seat on horseback is on a high pad- saddle, with the knee almost vertical and the heel well drawn back. Spurs are not worn, and another remarkable thing is that he has absolutely no guard to his sword. The Russian soldier scorns buttons; he says, "They are a nuisance; they have to be cleaned, they wear away the cloth, they are heavy, and they attract the attention of the enemy." The Cossack pony is a quaint little beast to look at, but the finest animal living for his work, and very remarkable 208 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN for his wonderful powers of endurance. The Cossack and his mount have been likened to a clever nurse and a spoilt child — each understands and loves the other, but neither is com- pletely under control. The Cossack does not want his horse to be a slave, and recognizes perfectly that horses, like chil- dren, have their whims and humors and must be coaxed and reasoned with, but rarely punished. The famous knout (whip) is carried by the Cossacks at the end of a strap across the left shoulder. Most of the men are bearded and in full dress, with the high fur cap stuck jauntily on the head of square cut hair, the Cossack presents a picturesque and martial fig- ure. The appearance of these men is quite different from that of the clean-shaven regular infantryman of the Russian army. BUSSIAN PLAN OF CAMPAIGN While the direct objective of the Russians was Berlin, there were many reasons why a bee-line course could not be followed. Germany had prepared an elaborate defense sys- tem to cover the direct approaches to Berlin, and the fortresses of Danzig, Graudenz, Thorn, and Posen were important points in this scheme. The nature of the country also adapts itself to these defensive works and would make progress slow for an attacker. Moreover, as Austria and her forces mobilized before Rus- sia, a diversion was created by the Austrian invasion of south Poland, in which the Germans also took the offensive. Under these circumstances the Russian plan of campaign resolved itself into three parts : — (1) A northern movement from Kovno and Grodno on Insterburg and Konigsberg as a counter-attack. (2) A central movement from Warsaw towards Posen with supporting movements north and south. (3) A southern movement on Lublin in Poland to repulse the invaders combined with a movement from the east on Lemberg in order to turn the Austrian flank. The first purpose of Russia was to clear Poland of enemies, as they threatened the Russian left flank. At the same time Russia took the offensive by an invasion of Prussia in the THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 209 north. This latter movement led to a victory at Gumbinnen and the investment of Konigsberg. Later came victory at Lublin, rolling back the Austrians, and the capture of Lem- berg, which signalized the Russian invasion of Austrian ter- ritory. Thus Russia was for awhile clear of the enemy, while she established a strong footing in both Prussia and Austria. We can now understand the main Russian plan a little better. In the north the army was to advance from Konigs- berg and endeavor to cut off Danzig and break the line of PRAGUE LEMBERfi THE RUSSIAN" PLAN OP CAMPAIGN In the above view the German lines of defense are shown black, the Austrian lines of defense are indicated by crossed lines, and the Russian advances are shown by arrows. defenses between that place and Thorn, thus leaving this fortress in the rear. In the south the Austrians, already heavily punished, would be driven back on the Carpathian passes to the south, and westward also toward Cracow, which is the key to the situation. If Cracow fell Russia would have a good route into Germany, and the move would be supported by advances from Warsaw, thus threatening Breslau from two sides. 210 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN GERMAN TROOPS HURRIED EAST Early in September, however, the danger of the Russian advance into Germany, which apparently had given the Ger- man general staff but little concern at first, was fully realized and large bodies of German troops were detached from the western theater of war and hurried to the eastern frontier. Germany had evidently reckoned on Austria being able to hold its ground better, and was badly prepared for a flanking move on Breslau so early in the campaign. But the Servian and Russian defeats of Austria left Germany to bear the full force of the terrific Russian onslaught, and her forces proved equal to the occasion. Under General von Hindenberg the German army of the east soon repelled the Russian invaders and forced them to retire from East Prussia across their own border, where they were followed by the Germans. A series of engagements on Russian soil followed, in which the advan- tage lay as a rule with the Germans. The losses on both sides were heavy, but the Germans captured many thousands of Russian prisoners and considerable quantities of arms and munitions of war. The immense resources of the Russian empire in men and material made the problem of Russian invasion a very serious one for Germany. This was fully realized by the Kaiser, who about October 1, at the end of the second month of the war, proceeded in person to his eastern frontier to direct the defensive operations against Russia. CZAR NICHOLAS AT THE FRONT About the same time the Czar, Nicholas II, also took the field in person, arriving at the front on October 5, accom- panied by General Soukhomlinoff, the Russian minister of war. "I am resolved to go to Berlin itself, even if it causes me to lose my last moujik (peasant)," the Czar is reported as saying in September. The spirit and temper of the Russian government may be judged by the fact that before the war was many days old the name of the Russian capital was officially changed from "St. Petersburg," which was consid- ered to have a German flavor, to " Petrograd, ' ' a purely Russian or Slavic form of nomenclature. Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 1. Russian Troops Advancing Along- Railway in Eastern Prussia. 2. French Grenadiers Making a Plank Attack in Open Order. Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 1. German Ambulance Corps Removing Wounded from the Field. © International News Service. 2. The Horrors of War — Scene after Battle of Haelen. Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. T. 1. Bomb-Throwing Device Used on German Aeroplanes — A Release Clutch Frees Bomb from Sling and Drops It. Photo by Buck from Underwood & Underwood, New York. 2. Motor Trucks Carrying Water Supply to French Troops at the Front. «nrt <- W4 CO -oca to C.CO " 4) z _ 6 >, f o ,o — a P >> "0 £ 0) •8 ■a <: ^■d K r, to 4) — r fc c oft 3 S fe h* Pi ,fi * 2c •F 4> S" - ^ THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 211 re preps . rial uk;. Czai Niohola . - Hie Jews throughout the E ] in B all' Most of the . ■ 2,000,000 men in (he field. B i Juke /.-. General it .and of the Russian f 01 Bast 1 eral I operating icia. un ja Within a week the E More than ^ The Genua: mated a number r .. them afire, and a ec rfern field I iraa bottled up in mi.. active field :' li this time inferior in numt>e: cling an By the capture of Insterberg the Rossians pa:;. me of the main German sti t J of an important railroad. The German Twentieth Arm reported to ha routed near Lyck. At the start 212 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN the Russian forces extended from Insterberg to Goldapp, a distance of about thirty -two miles. Seventy-five miles further on was the first of the two strong German lines of fortifica- tions. Early victories were claimed by the Russians in their ad- vance into Austria, which was made slowly. Austria then turned to fight the Russian invasion. It was forced to gather all its forces for this principal struggle and hence retired from offensive operations against the Servians. Unless she could halt the Russians pouring in from the north, a success against Servia could do her no good. By the first of September the Russian advance into East Prussia was well under way and the strong fortress of Konigsberg was in danger of a siege. German troops were being rushed to its defense. In Galicia there were fierce encounters between the Russian invaders and the Austrians. Several victories were claimed by the Russians all along the line and whole brigades of Austrian troops were reported destroyed, while the Russian losses were also admittedly heavy. The fiercest fighting occurred in the vicinity of Lem- berg, the capital of Galicia, which was soon to fall to General Russky. The Austrian attack on Russian Poland failed and the Austrians were driven back across their own frontier. The Russians were seeking to destroy the hope of the Kaiser for help from Austria in Eastern Germany, where the Rus- sian advance, ridiculed or belittled by Germany before it be- gan, became more menacing every day. The German war plans had contemplated a quick, decisive blow in France and then a rapid turn to the East to meet the Russians with a tremendous force. But the belligerency of the Belgians and the cooperation of the British balked these plans, while the Russians moved faster than was expected by their foe. Aus- tria had failed everywhere to stop the Czar's forces, and then came a crushing blow to Austrian hopes in a ruinous defeat near Lemberg and the loss of that fortress. THE FALL OF LEMBERG The capture of Lemberg from the Austrians early in September after a four days' battle was one of the striking Russian successes of the war. Details reached the outer THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 218 world on September 10th from Petrograd (St. Petersburg) as follows, the story being that of an eyewitness : "The commencement of the fighting which resulted in the capture of Lemberg began August 29th, when the Rus- sians drove the enemy from Zisczow (forty-five miles east of Lemberg) and moved on to Golaya Gorka — a name which means 'the naked hill.' ' * We spent the night on Naked Hill, and the actual storm- ing of the town was begun at 2:30 o'clock in the morning. Then followed a four days' battle, A virtually continuous cannonade continued from dawn to darkness without ces- sation. "Even in the darkness the weary fighters got little sleep. Whenever a single shot was heard the men dashed for their places and the battle boiled again with renewed fury. "The enemy's counter attacks were delivered with great energy and a dense hail of lead and iron was poured over our ranks. The Russian advance was greatly impeded by the hilly nature of the ground and the great number of extinct craters, which formed splendid natural fortifications for the enemy, which held them doggedly. Out of these, however, the enemy was driven in succession. "We suffered much from thirst, for the stony country was devoid of springs. The days were oppressively hot and the nights bitterly cold. RUSSIAN ARTILLERY SUPERIOR "Both sides fought with great obstinacy, but the nearer we approached Lemberg the harder the struggle became. However, it soon was evident that we were superior in artil- lery. "At length the enemy was driven from all sides beneath the protection of the Lemberg forts. Our troops were very weary, but in high spirits. "For two days the fight raged around the forts, but we were always confident of the prowess of our artillery. The big guns of both sides rained a terrific hail down on the armies, which suffered terrific losses. "At last we noticed that the resistance of the forts was 214 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN growing weaker. A charge at double quick was ordered, and we carried the first line of works. "It was evident from that point that many of the enemy's guns had been destroyed. Not enough of them had been left to continue an effective defense, but the enemy was undis- couraged and tried to make up with rifle fire what it lacked in artillery. LOSSES BECOME HEAVIER "Between the first and second lines our losses were heavier than before, but under bayonet charges the enemy broke and fled in panic. "Our troops entered the town at the enemy's heels. "We ran into the town, despite our fatigue, with thunderous cheer- ing. "An episode which had much to do with ending the enemy's dogged resistance occurred during the fighting be- tween the first and second lines. The Austrians in the hope of checking the Russian effort to encircle the town had thrown out a heavy screen of Slav troops with a backing of Magyars who had been ordered to shoot down the Slavs from behind if they showed any hesitation. "This circumstance became known to the Russian com- mander, who ordered a terrific artillery fire over the heads of the Slavs and into the ranks of the Magyars. This well- directed fire set the whole line in panic." More than 35,000 Austrians and Russian wounded were abandoned on the field of battle between Tarnow, Lemberg and Tarnopol owing to lack of means of transportation, ac- cording to reliable reports. Both armies declined to ask for an armistice for the burial of the dead and the collection of the wounded, each fearing to give an advantage to the other. THE BATTLE BEFORE LEMBERG The immense superiority of the Austrian forces east of Lemberg enabled the Austrians at first to adopt the offensive. As soon, however, as the Austrians realized the impossibility of an advance on Warsaw they concentrated their large and overwhelming forces in an attempt to outflank the right wing of the Russian army, which was drawing slowly but surely towards Lemberg. On the other Russian flank the two Rus- THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 215 sian army corps, after crossing the River Zlota Lipa without much opposition, continued their advance to the River Knila Lipa, where they found the bridges had all been destroyed by the Austrian advance guards. Two bridges were constructed on the Rogarten-Halicz line, which enabled a crossing to be effected in spite of heavy and incessant artillery fire from the Austrian 24-centimeter guns. Once across the river, the two Russian corps crossed the upper reaches of the River Boog and so approached the town of Lemberg from the east. The main Austrian army, how- WHERE KUS9IA FIGHTS, Battle grounds of Eastern Prussia and of Galicia, where the Austrians were repeatedly- defeated with heavy losses. 216 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN ever, had by this time moved up to bar the further advance of the Russian forces, and the whole of their armies on the left bank of the Eiver Vistula being in front of the three Rus- sian corps, the latter were compelled to adopt a defensive role for three or four days, after which, having received large reinforcements, the Russian force moved forward and drove the Austrian troops out of their entrenchments outside Lem- berg at the point of the bayonet. A desperate attempt was made by means of a counter-attack to arrest the advance of the Russian troops, but this only resulted in the capture of 6,000 Austrian prisoners. Lemberg was not a fortress but was recently converted into a semi-fortified place, as a series of lunettes, redoubts, etc., had been hastily prepared. It was the headquarters of the 11th Austrian Corps, which consisted of the famous 43rd Landwehr infantry division, and was further divided into three Landwehr brigades. There was also a Landwehr Uhlan regiment, together with a howitzer division of field artillery. These batteries were armed with 10.5-centimeter guns, fitted with the German or Krupp eccentric breech action. The forts outside the town were said to be armed with the 15-centimeter siege gun made of steel, also with a Krupp action. The ammunition for these guns is chiefly high explosive shell and shrapnel; one of the forts is also said to have had a battery of three 24-centimeter heavy siege guns of quite a modern pattern. GERMANY RUSHES REINFORCEMENTS When Lemberg fell the Russian advance covered a line extending from far up in Eastern Prussia, near Tilsit, across the frontier and on down south into Austrian Galicia. Konigs- berg was hearing the sound of the Russian guns and its be- siegers seemed on the verge of victory. A central column of mighty strength was pushing its way into Germany, despite a stubborn resistance. Then the tide turned. German rein- forcements were brought up and under General von Hinden- berg the Germans administered a severe defeat to General Rennenkampf 's army near Allenstein, in which it was claimed that 60,000 prisoners were taken. Other reverses were suf- fered by the Russians and soon after the middle of September THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 217 they had been forced to retire from German territory, the German troops following them into Russia, where a series of minor engagements occurred near the frontier. GENERAL. RENNENKAMPF 's DEFEAT The operations leading to the defeat of General Rennen- kampf's Russian army by the Germans were as follows: From September 7 to 13 the Russians took a strong posi- tion on the line from Angerburg to Gerdauen, Allenburg, and Kehlau, the left wing resting on the Mazurian lakes and the right wing protected in the rear and flank by the forest of Frisching, whose pathless woods and swamps furnished an almost impregnable position. The Russians devoted great efforts to intrenching their position and brought up besides their heavy artillery. Russian cavalry scouted far to the west and south, but otherwise the army undertook no offensive operations in the days following a battle at Tannenberg. The German forces, according to the German official ac- count, were composed of the Second, Third, Fourth and Twentieth corps, two reserve divisions and five cavalry divi- sions. General von Hindenburg, the German commander, mean- while was assembling every available man, depriving the fortresses of their garrisons and calling in all but a bare remnant of the force protecting the southern frontier in the vicinity of Soldau, adding them to reinforcements received from the west. General von Hindenburg again resorted to the customary German flanking movement, and since the German right, pro- tected by the forest and marshes, seemed too strong, he adopted the daring strategy of sending the flanking force to the lake region to the south, the same character of movement by which the Russian Narew army had been defeated on August 28, in the vicinity of Ortelsburg, and which in case of failure might have been equally as disastrous for the Germans. STRATEGY IS SUCCESSFUL The strategy, however, succeeded, although General Ren- nenkampf offered a desperate resistance to the frontal at- tacks. After three days' fighting the Russians were forced 218 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN back slightly in the center. "When the flank movement of the Germans was discovered already threatening the flank, a counter-movement was launched with a new army collected at Lyck, including the Twenty-second corps and parts of the Third Siberian corps, just arriving from Irkutsk', and the balance of the defeated army. The counter-attacks failed and on September 10 the Russians began to fall back on their main position, retreating in good order and well covered. The Russian artillery on the right wing appears to have made a good retreat owing to a timely start, while the left wing was hard pressed by the enveloping German infantry. From this wing the Russians retreated across the border in two columns, while the main body went northward and the others in an easterly direction, pursued by the Germans, who advanced far from the border. The German government appointed Count von Merveldt as governor of the Russian province of Suwalki and other points occupied by them. The University of Koenigsberg on September 18 conferred upon General von Hindenburg honorary doctors ' degrees from all four of the departments of philosophy, theology, law and medicine, in recognition of his success against the Russian invader. AUSTRIA STRUGGLING FOR EXISTENCE In Galicia, however, Russian successes continued. The important fortress of Mikolajoff, 25 miles south of Lemberg, was captured and this cleared away every Austrian strong- hold east of Przemysl, which was then invested by the Rus- sians. Austria was now struggling for her very existence as a monarchy. Following the crushing defeats administered to the Austrian troops and with the Czar's forces sweeping Galicia, Vienna was hurriedly fortified. All reports indicated that the large Austrian force, nearly 1,000,000 men in all, op- posing the main Russian invasion had proved ineffective. Help from Germany did not arrive in time. Official dispatches re- ported the main Austrian army retreating, pursued and harassed by the Russians. The other important Austrian army was surrounded near Lublin. "While the Muscovite host went smashing through Galicia, THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 219 chasing the Austrian army before it, the Russian staff be- littled the retreat from East Prussia, saying that the Russian army was merely falling back on a new defensive position. The German artillery had been getting in its deadly work and the pressure on Koenigsberg was soon to be relieved. There were many reports at this time of a popular demand in Austria that an end be made to the struggle. Peace talk was a marked feature of the sixth week of the war, but there were no definite results in any part of the immense theater of war. ^ The third week of September found the Germans, greatly reinforced^ making a strong resistance to Russian progress, with the aid of the heavy German artillery. The shattered Austrian armies, under Generals von Auffenberg and Dankl, were making desperate endeavors to concentrate in the vicinity o.f Rawaruska, but were apparently surrounded by the Rus- sians, who continued to capture Austrian prisoners by the thousand. Fears were entertained for Cracow, one of the strongest fortresses in Austria, if not in Europe, which seemed likely soon to fall into the hands of Russia. It was stated in Rome, and said to be admitted in Vienna, that the Archduke Frederick, commanding the Austrian forces in Galicia, had lost 120,000 men, or one-fourth of his entire army. German troops were reported marching south toward Poland to assist the Austrians. The Russian successes in Galicia gave them command of the Galician oil-fields, upon which Germany largely depended for her supply of gasoline, which is a prime necessary in modern war. BUSSIANS AT PKZEMYSL On September 21 the Russians began the bombardment of Przemysl, having previously occupied Grodek and Mosciska, west of Lemberg. The shattered second Austrian army was evidently incapable of staying the Russian advance, and took refuge in Przemysl. A part of this Galician stronghold was soon captured by the Russians, forcing the Austrians to take refuge in the eastern forts, where the entire garrison was concentrated at the end of September, preparing to make a final resistance. The situation of the garrison was critical, 220 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN as it was entirely surrounded by the enemy. On September 21 also the Eussian troops took by storm the fortifications of Jaroslav, on the river San, and captured many guns. The German offensive from East Prussia was apparently halted October 1 by the almost impassable condition of the Russian roads in the north. Germany was said to have at this time thirty army corps of the line and the first reserve prepared to operate against Russia and to resist the Russian advance upon Cracow. The German main defenses against Russia extended in a general line from Koenigsberg to Danzig, thence south along the Vistula to the great fortress of Thorn. From there the fortified line swung to the southwest to Posen, thence south to Breslau, the main fortress along the Oder, and from there to Cracow. Early in October the Russian invasion of Hungary began. The Russian armies continued to sweep through Galicia and that province was reported clear of Austrian troops. The German successes claimed against the Czar farther north included victories at Krasnik and Zamoso, in Russian Poland ; Insterburg and Tannenburg, in East Prussia. ESTIMATE OF AUSTRIAN LOSSES A Russian estimate places the Austrian losses in Galicia at 300,000 in killed, wounded and prisoners, or nearly one- third of their total forces. They also lost, it was claimed at Petrograd, 1,000 guns, more than two-thirds of their available artillery. The Russian newspaper correspondents described horrible scenes on the battlefields abandoned by the Austro-German forces in Galicia. " Streams," said one eyewitness, "were choked full with slain men, trodden down in the headlong flight till the waters were dammed and overflowing the banks. Piles of dead are awaiting burial or burning. Hundreds of acres are sown with bodies and littered with weapons and battle debris, while wounded and riderless horses are careering madly over the abandoned country. The trophies captured comprise much German equipment. An ammunition train captured at Janow (eleven miles northwest of Lemberg) was German, while the THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 221 guns taken included thirty-six of heavy caliber bearing Em- peror William's initials and belonging to the German Sixth army corps. "The hue of retreat of the Austro-German forces was blocked with debris of every kind — valuable military supplies, telephone and telegraph installations, light railway and other stores, bridging material — in fact, everything needed by a modern army was flung away in flight. Over 1,000 wagons with commissariat supplies alone were captured." Forty-five thousand Austro-German prisoners were re- ported to have arrived at Lublin. Russian correspondents with the armies in Galicia asserted that German troops were interspersed with Austrian troops in the intrenchments in order to raise the morale of the Austrians. One correspondent declared that while the Austrians often took flight the Ger- mans were ready, to the last man, to perish. ON THE FIRING LINE IN RUSSIAN POLAND VIVID DESCRIPTION BY AN AMERICAN EYEWITNESS The first American permitted to witness actual battles near the eastern frontier of Germany was Karl H. von Wiegand, who wrote as follows from the firing line near East Wirballen, Russian Poland, October 9 : 1 ' The German artillery today beat back, in a bloody, ghastly smear of men, the Russian advance. 1 ' Yesterday I saw an infantry engagement. Today it was mostly an artillery encounter. The infantry attack is the more ghastly, but the artillery the more awe-inspiring. This was the fifth day of constant fighting and still the German trenches hold. "Today's battle opened at dawn. With two staff officers assigned as my chaperons, I had been attached overnight to the field headquarters. I slept well, exhausted by the excite- ment of my first sight of modern war, but when dawn once again revealed the two long lines of the Russian and German positions the Russian guns began to hurl their loads of shrapnel at the German trenches. "We had breakfast calmly enough despite the din of guns. Then we went to one of the German batteries on the left center. They were already in action, though it was only 6 o 'clock. The 222 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN men got the range from observers a little in advance, cun- ningly masked, and slowly, methodically, and enthusiastically fed the guns with their loads of death. ''The Russians didn't have our range. All of their shells flew screaming 1,000 yards to our left. Through my glasses I watched them strike. The effect on the hillock was exactly as though a geyser had suddenly spurted up. A vast cloud of dirt and stones and grass spouted up, and when the debris cleared away a great hole showed. RUSSIANS TRY NEW RANGE "While we watched the Russians seemed to tire of shoot- ing holes in an inoffensive hill. They began to try chance shots to the right and to the left. It wasn't many minutes before I realized that, standing near a battery, the execution of which must have been noted on the Russian side, I had a fine chance of experiencing shrapnel bursting overhead. It was a queer sensation to peer through field glasses and see the Russian shells veer a few hundred feet to the right. I saw one strike a windmill, shattering the long arms and crumpling it over in a slow burning heap. Then we beat a retreat, further toward the center. "We had been standing behind a slight declivity. I hadn't caught a glimpse of the enemy. Shells were the only things that apprised us of the Russian nearness. But as we passed out on an open field, considerably out of range of the field guns, I could see occasional flashes that bespoke field pieces, a mile or so away. RUSSIAN INFANTRY CHARGES "Back behind us, on the extreme left, I was told the Rus- sians were attacking the German trenches by an infantry charge, the German field telephone service having apprised the commanders along the front. With glasses we could see a faint line of what must have been the Russian infantry rushing across the open fields. "We passed on to the center, going slightly to the rear for horses. As we arrived at the right wing we witnessed the last of a Russian infantry advance at that end. The wave of Rus- sians had swept nearly to the German trenches, situated between two sections of field artillery, and there had been THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 223 repulsed. Russians were smeared across in front of these pits, dead, dying, or wounded — cut down by the terrible spray of German machine guns. "I got up to the trenches as the German fire slackened because of the lack of targets. The Russians had gone back. Strewn in the trenches were countless empty shells, the bullets of which had, as it looked to inexpert eyes, slain thousands. As a matter of fact, there were hundreds of dead in the field ahead. GUN" BARRELS SIZZLING HOT ''German infantrymen spat on their rapid firers as we reached the trench and delightedly called our attention to the sizzle that told how hot the barrels were from the firing. "The men stretched their cramped limbs, helped a few wounded to the rear, and waited for breakfast. It was not long forthcoming. Small lines of men struggling along under steaming buckets came hurrying up to the accompaniment of cheers and shouts. They bore soup that the men in the trenches gulped down ravenously. Meanwhile men with the white brassard and the red Geneva cross were busy out in the open, lending succor to the Russian wounded. The battle seemed to have come to a sudden halt. "But even as I was getting soup, the artillery fusillade broke forth again. From 9 o 'clock to noon the Russians hurled their heavy shells at the German trenches and the German guns. The German batteries replied slowly. 1 1 There was mighty little fuss and feathers about this busi- ness of dealing death from guns. The crews at each piece laughed among themselves, but there were none of the pic- turesque shouts of command, the indiscriminate blowing of bugles, and the flashy waving of battle flags that the word battle usually conjures up. It was merely a deadly business of killing. "Over to the right, a scant 300 yards away, the Russians had apparently succeeded in getting the range. As I watched through the glasses I saw shrapnel burst over the battery there and watched a noncommissioned soldier fall with three of his comrades. I was told that one had been killed and three wounded. The Red Cross crew came up and bore away the 224 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN four — the dead and the live — and before they were gone the gun was speaking away with four fresh men working it. "But the shrapnel kept bursting away over it and soon an orderly came riding furiously back on his horse, saluted the officers with me, and shouted as he hurried back to the artillery reserve : ' Six inch shells to the front ; more ammunition. ' "I went back to see the wounded, but the surgeon wouldn't let me. I expressed to him my wonder at the few wounded. I had seen only a few in the trenches, and no German dead until I saw the artilleryman killed. He explained that the losses on the German side were light because the trenches were well constructed and because there had been no hand-to-hand, bayonet to bayonet fighting. ATTACKS BY RUSSIAN INFANTRY " Yesterday, my first day at Wirballen, I saw the third attempt of the Russians to carry the German center by storm. Twice on Wednesday their infantry had advanced under cover of their artillery, only to be repulsed. Their third effort proved no more successful. "The preliminaries were well under way, without my appreciating their significance, until one of my officer escorts explained. "At a number of points along their line, observable to us, but screened from the observation of the German trenches in the center, the Russian infantry came tumbling out, and, rush- ing forward, took up advanced positions, awaiting the forma- tion of the new and irregular battle line. Dozens of light rapid-firers were dragged along by hand. Other troops — the reserves — took up semi-advanced positions. All the while the Russian shrapnel was raining over the German trenches. "Finally came the Russian order to advance. At the word hundreds of yards of the Russian fighting line leaped forward, deployed in open order, and came on. Some of them came into range of the German trench fire almost at once. These lines began to wilt and thin out. MEN PAUSE ONLY TO FIRE "But on they came, all along the line, protected and unpro- tected alike, rushing forward with a yell, pausing, firing, and advancing again. THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 225 "From the outset of the advance the German artillery, ignoring for the moment the Russian artillery action, began shelling the onrushing mass with wonderfully timed shrapnel, which burst low over the advancing lines and tore sickening gaps. "But the Russian line never stopped. For the third time in two days they came tearing on, with no indication of having been affected by the terrible consequences of the two previous charges. As a spectacle the whole thing was maddening. "On came the Slav swarm, into the range of the German trenches, with wild yells and never a waver. Russian battle flags — the first I had seen — appeared in the front of the charg- ing ranks. The advance line thinned and the second line moved up. "Nearer and nearer they swept toward the German posi- tions. And then came a new sight. A few seconds later came a new sound. First I saw a sudden, almost grotesque melting of the advancing line. It was different from anything that had taken place before. The men literally went down like dominoes in a row. Those who kept their feet were hurled back as though by a terrible gust of wind. Almost in the second that I pondered, puzzled, the staccato rattle of machine guns reached us. My ear answered the query of my eye. MACHINE GUN FIKE TELLS "For the first time the advancing line hesitated, apparently bewildered. Mounted officers dashed along the line, urging the men forward. Horses fell with the men. I saw a dozen rider- less horses dashing madly through the lines, adding a new terror. Another horse was obviously running away with his officer rider. The crucial period for the section of the charge on which I had riveted my attention probably lasted less than a minute. To my throbbing brain it seemed an hour. Then, with the withering fire raking them even as they faltered, the lines broke. Panic ensued. It was every man for himself. The entire Russian charge turned and went tearing back to cover and the shelter of the Russian trenches. "I swept the entire line of the Russian advance with my glasses — as far as it was visible from our position. The whole 226 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN advance of the enemy was in retreat, making for its intrenched position. DEAD MEN COVER ACRES "After the assault had failed and the battle had resumed its normal trend I swept the field with my glasses. The dead were everywhere. They were not piled up, but were strewn over acres. More horrible than the sight of the dead, though, were the other pictures brought up by the glasses. Squirming, tossing, writhing figures everywhere ! The wounded ! All who could stumble or crawl were working their way back toward their own lines or back to the friendly cover of hills or wooded spots. "After the charge we moved along back of the German lines at a safe distance and found the hospital corps bringing back the German wounded. 1 ' The artillerymen had resumed their duel and as we came up in the lee of the outbuildings of a deserted farmhouse a shell struck and fired the farmhouse immediately in front of us. As we paused to see if the shot was a chance one, or if the Rus- sian gunners had actually gotten the range, a regiment of fresh reserves, young men who had just come up from the west, passed us on their way to get their baptism of fire. ' ' Their demeanor was more suggestive of a group of college students going to a football game than the serious business on which they were bent. They were singing and laughing, and as they went by a noncommissioned officer inquired rather ruefully whether there were any Russians left for them. ' ' Throughout the day we watched the fight waged from the opposing trenches and by the artillery. 1 l Suddenly at sundown the fighting ceased as if by mutual agreement. As I write this I can see occasional flashes of light like the flare of giant fireflies out over the scene of the Russian charge — the flashes of small electrical lamps in the hands of the Russian hospital corps. "I'm glad I don't have to look at what the flashes reveal out there in the night.' ' a O +J to p s j bo ss « © International News Service. 1. Belgian Peasants, Made Homeless by War, Fleeing- from the Germans at Tirlemont. 2. Refugees from Malines Using- a Typical Belgian Dogcart in Their Flight. Photo by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. Women Bear War's Greatest Burdens — Both French and German Women and Children were Compelled to Reap the Harvests of Grain as well as Sorrow THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 227 The Mother. —Cleveland Plain Dealer. CHAPTER XIV THE AUSTRO-SERVIAN CAMPAIGN Declaration of War by Austria — Bombardment of Belgrade — Servian Capital Removed — Seasoned Soldiers of Servia Give a Good Account of Themselves — Many Indecisive Engagements — Servians in Austrian Territory. FORMAL declaration of war against Servia was proclaimed by Austria on Tuesday, July 28. The text of the official announcement was as follows : "The Royal Government of Servia not having given a sat- isfactory reply to the note presented to it by the Austro-Hun- garian Ministry in Belgrade on July 23, 1914, the Imperial and Royal Government of Austria-Hungary finds it necessary itself to safeguard its rights and interests and to have re- course for this purpose to the force of arms. Austria-Hun- gary, therefore, considers itself from this moment in a state of war with Servia." This declaration was signed by Count Berchtold, the Aus- trian minister for foreign affairs. The events that immediately preceded the declaration of war, as summarized in a previous chapter, were as follows : On June 28 a Slav student who thought he was a patriot killed the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, at Serajevo, the capital of Bosnia, which had been lately made a province of Austria. An inquiry was begun in which evidence was introduced to show that the assassin's work was part of a plot for the revolt of the Southern Slav provinces of Austria, and that it was instigated by Servians, if not by the Servian Government. On July 23, however, be- fore the investigation was completed, Austria sent an ulti- matum to Servia demanding that it use every means in its 228 THE AUSTRO-SERVIAN CAMPAIGN 229 power to punish the assassins and also to stop all further anti-Austrian propaganda. Austria demanded that she be permitted to have representatives in the work of investigation in Servia. The next day, July 24, Russia joined the little Slav country in asking for a delay. Austria refused to grant this. On July 25, ten minutes before 6 p. m., the hour at which the ultimatum expired, the Servian premier, M. Pashitch, gave his reply to the Austrian ambassador at Belgrade. Servia agreed to all the conditions and apologies demanded by Aus- tria, except the requirement that Austrian officials should be allowed to participate in the inquiry to be conducted in Servia into the assassination of the Archduke. Even this was not definitely refused. On July 27 the Austrian foreign office issued a statement in which appeared these words : "The object of the Servian note is to create the false im- pression that the Servian Government is prepared in great measure to comply with our demands. "Asa matter of fact, however, Servia 's note is filled with the spirit of dishonesty, which clearly lets it be seen that the Servian Government is not seriously determined to put an end to the culpable tolerance it hitherto has extended to intrigues against the Austro-Hungarian monarchy." Eussia at once notified Austria that it could not permit Servian territory to be invaded. It was then realized in Europe that the great Slav nation would support its little brother. Germany let it be known that no other country must interfere with the Austro-Servian embroglio, which meant that Germany was prepared to back Austria. An eleventh-hour proposal by the British foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, that mediation between Servia and Austria be undertaken by a conference of the Ambassadors in London, was accepted by France and Italy, but declined by Germany and Austria. Then next day, July 28, came Austria's declara- tion of war, which soon made Europe the theater of the bloodiest struggle of all the ages. SEKVIA AND ITS ASPIRATIONS Servia 's reply to the declaration of war was to concentrate 230 THE AUSTRO-SERVIAN CAMPAIGN a strong division of its forces in the Sanjak of Novi-Bazar, from which they would be in a position to threaten Bosnia and Herzegovina, the two Balkan provinces that Austria had lately annexed. It was also reported that Servia intended to invade Bosnia with the object of enlisting further support from the Bosnian Serbs, who were said to be on the point of rising against Austria-Hungary. The country of the Servians being well suited for defense, they were never completely overrun by the Turks, as other Balkan states were, and as a consequence they still retain, like the Greeks, a native aristocracy of culture. Physically, they are fairer than most of the Balkan Slavs and more refined in appearance. By temperament they are light-hearted, joyous, frivolous, and charming to deal with. In Servia itself, including territory acquired in recent wars, there are about 4,500,000 Serbs. In Austria there are about 3,500,000 Serbs, including Croats who belong to the Servian race. The Servians have long dreamed and talked and written of a greater Servia, that should take in all the Servian race. They look back to the time of King Stephen Dushan, in the fourteenth century, when Servia was supreme in the Balkans and was nearly as advanced in civilization as the most ad- vanced nations of Europe. The re-establishment of this an- cient kingdom had become a passion with the Serbs — not only with those in Servia, but with many in Hungary as well. Hence, their animus against Austria and Austrian rule, while Austria's fight was, primarily, for the preservation and solidi- fication of her heterogeneous dominions ; secondarily, for re- venge for the Archduke 's death. Incidentally, it may be men- tioned that the Archduke Francis Ferdinand was a close personal friend of the German Kaiser. THE SERVIAN ARMY The Servian forces under General Eadumil Putnik, consist of ten divisions, divided into four army corps, with a peace footing of 160,000 and a war_ strength of over 380,000. Most of the men called to arms against Austria were veterans of the two recent Balkan wars, and hence probably the most seasoned troops in Europe. THE AUSTRO-SERVIAN CAMPAIGN 231 The rifle of the Servian army is the Mauser, model of 1899, with a caliber of 7 millimeters, but it is doubtful if Servia possessed enough of them to arm the reserves. The Servian field piece is a quick-firing gun of the French Schneider-Canet system. The army has some 350 modern guns. At the outbreak of the war Servia had ten of the most modern aircraft, but she had not developed their efficiency to a degree at which they would be of much material benefit to her in the struggle. The extremely mountainous nature of Servia and of the adjacent territory of Bosnia make military movements some- what slow and difficult, especially for troops unaccustomed to mountain warfare. Compared with this mountainous region, the district of Agram, where one Austrian army corps had its headquarters, is easy country to operate in, while the plain of Hungary on the opposite side of the Danube made the task of concentrating troops an easy one for the Austrians. Another Austrian army corps had its base at Serajevo in Bosnia. A railway to the northest from this Bosnian capital touches the Servian border at Mokragora. To the north of this point lies Kragujevac, the new capital of Servia, to which King Peter, his court and the Government repaired from Belgrade just before the declaration of war. Southeast of the new capital is the important Servian city of Nish. The western frontier of Servia follows the windings of the River Drina, a tributary of the Danube. The Danube itself forms part of the northern boundary and the former capital, Belgrade, is picturesquely situated on the south bank of the Danube at its junction with a tributary. Two Austrian fort- resses command the city from across the Danube. On the plain of Hungary to the north is Temesvar, an important point at which another Austrian army corps was located. CHANCES AGAINST SERVIA At the outset the chances of war were heavily against Servia. Such artificial defenses as she possessed were on the Bulgarian frontier. Many of her troops were engaged in endeavoring to establish Servian rule — by no gentle methods, it is said — in her new Albanian possessions. Austria was prepared to bring against her immediately the three army 232 THE AUSTRO-SERVIAN CAMPAIGN corps from Temesvar, Serajevo and Agram, and four more corps, from Hermanstadt, Budapest, Graz, and Kaschau, within a fortnight. Servians one hope appeared to be the difficulty of the country, otherwise she could not oppose for a moment the advance of 250,000 troops supported by 800 pieces of artillery. Then, too, Austria had warships on the Danube and it was partly through this fact that it was decided by the Servian Government to evacuate Belgrade and to retire to Kragujevac, sixty miles southeast. In spite, however, of the seeming futility of opposition, Servia, encouraged by Eussian support, prepared for a strenu- ous campaign against the Austrian forces, and the first two months of the war ended without any decisive advantage to Austria. The Servians, on the other hand, claimed numerous successes. Their task was lightened by the Eussian invasion of Austrian territory and the determined advance of the Czar's host, which demanded the fullest strength of the Austrian forces to resist. As the Eussians hammered their enemy in Galicia the spirits of the Servians rose and their seasoned soldiers gave a good account of themselves in every encounter with Austrian troops. They crossed the Drina and carried the war into Bosnia, putting up a stiff fight wherever they encountered the enemy, and while they sustained severe losses in killed and wounded during August and September, the losses they inflicted upon the Austrians were still heavier. ATJSTRIANS BOMBAED BELGRADE The Austrian troops on the banks of the Danube became active soon after war was declared. In the first few days they seized two Servian steamers and a number of river boats. Belgrade was bombarded from across the river and many of its public buildings, churches and private residences suffered damage. The hostile armies came into contact for the first time on the Eiver Drina, between Bosnia and Servia, and Vienna was compelled to admit defeat in this preliminary engagement of the war. The Servians forced a passage through the Austrian ranks, but only at the cost of many killed and wounded. When Crown Prince Alexander of Servia began the in- vasion of Bosnia in earnest, in the middle of August, Austria THE AUSTRO-SERVIAN CAMPAIGN 233 found herself at a disadvantage because of the necessity of massing most of her forces against the Russians. Roumania and Montenegro were then preparing to join the Servians in the field against Austria. Later in August the Servians captured several of the enemy 's strongholds in Bosnia. After a four-day battle on the banks of the Drina the Austrians were defeated with heavy loss, a large number of guns and prisoners being captured by the Servians. The Montenegrin troops repulsed an Austrian invading force and took several hundred prisoners in an all- day battle on the frontier. Early in September a heavy engagement was fought by the Servian and Austrian armies near Jadar, resulting in Servian victory. It was claimed that the Austrians left 10,000 dead on the field of battle. The Servians also successfully defended Belgrade, which had been bombarded on several occasions. Fifteen or twenty miles west of Belgrade on the Save River, an Austrian force was decisively defeated by the Servians, who then seemed to be duplicating the successes of the Russian army against Austria. The attitude of Turkey was being closely watched at this time, Greece and Bulgaria being prepared to enter the war against the Ottoman Empire if the latter decided on bellig- erency, but on September 5 Turkey again declared her in- tention to remain neutral. SERVIANS CAPTURE SEMLIN" Crossing the Save River into Hungary, the Servians scored a brilliant stroke in the capture of Semlin, an important Aus- trian city. They also reported continued successes in Bosnia. Reports of wholesale desertions of Slavs from the Austrian army were received daily and probably had considerable foundation in fact. It was said that the Servians were being received enthusiastically by the people of Hungary. These Servian triumphs led to the reorganization of the Balkan League, including Servia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Greece. On September 20 the Servian Government announced that an Austrian attacking army which attempted to cross the frontier near the Sabatz Mountains had been routed with a 234 THE AUSTRO-SERVIAN CAMPAIGN loss of 15,000 killed and wounded. The Servian losses in this and other engagements were claimed to have been small in comparison with those of the enemy. Continuing their forward movement into Hungary, the Servians inflicted further losses on the Austrians near No- viapazow, while the Montenegrins reported a victory in the mountain slopes over their border. On October 1 it was reported that the Servians had again repulsed an Austrian attempt at invasion and had driven the Austrians back across the Drina with loss. They had also checked another Austrian attempt to take Belgrade. The Servian war office claimed that the combined Servian-Monte- negrin armies had made material progress in their invasion of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and that they were within striking dis- tance of Serajevo, which they expected to capture. This, how- ever, was denied by the Vienna ministry of war, which claimed that the Servian situation was entirely satisfactory to Austria. On October 5 Servian troops were reported to have begun a northeast advance from Semlin, to effect a junction with two Russian columns advancing southward in Hungary. One of these columns was then assaulting a fortress in Northwest Hungary, sixty-six miles southeast of Olmutz, while the other was descending the valley of the Nagyan against Huszt in the province of Marmaros. This latter province or county, which the Russians invaded through the Carpathian passes, lies in the northeast of Hungary, bordering on Galicia, Bukowina and Transylvania. There was a legend that the eastern Car- pathians are impregnable, but this legend was destroyed by the Russian invasion. Before attaining Uzsok pass, in the Carpathians, the Rus- sians successively captured by a wide flanking movement three well-masked positions which were strongly defended by guns. Each time the Russians charged the enemy fled and the Rus- sians followed up the Austrian retreat with shrapnel and quick fire, inflicting heavy losses. German troops joined the Austrian forces in Hungary and at some points succeeded in repulsing the invaders, though their general advance was not decisively checked and they con- tinued the endeavor to effect a junction with the Servians to the south. Advices from Budapest, October 6, declared that THE AUSTRO-SERVIAX CAMPAIGN 235 the Russians had captured Marniaros-Sziget, capital of the county of Marrnaros, necessitating the removal of the govern- ment of that department to Huszt, twenty-eight miles west- northwest of Sziget. A second Eussian column was reported to be threatening Huszt and Austro-German reinforcements were being hurried up to check the Eussian advance. ••BY ALLAH, I MAY HAVE TO INTERFERE IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY " — Kessler lo the New_York Evening Sun. CHAPTER XV MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE Army Commanders and Staff Officers of the Nations at War — The Kaiser and His Family — Earl Kitchener and His Achievements — Field Marshal Sir John French — King Albert of Belgium — The French Commander-in- Chief — Others in High Command. KAISER WILHELM II. OF GERMANY WILLIAM II., christened Friedrich Wilhelm Victor Albert, King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany, was born January 27, 1859, at Berlin. He was the eldest son of Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia, afterwards second Ger- man emperor, and of Victoria, Princess Royal of Great Brit- ain and Ireland. When a boy of 10 he was appointed second lieutenant in the First Regiment of the Guards, and then studied for two years at Bonn. In 1885 he was appointed colonel of the Hussars of the Guard. On June 15, 1888, on the death of his father, he became third emperor of Germany and ninth king of Prussia. He married February 27, 1881, Princess Augusta Victoria, daughter of Frederick, Duke of Augustenburg. They had six sons and one daughter: Fried- rich Wilhelm, born May 6, 1882, the crown prince, who mar- ried June 6, 1905, Cecilia, Duchess of Mecklenburg; Eitel Friedrich, born July 7, 1883, who married Princess Charlotte of Oldenburg, February 27, 1906; Adalbert, born July 14, 1884; August Wilhelm, born January 29, 1887, who married Princess Alexandra Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein in 1907; Oskar, born July 27, 1888; Joachim, bom December 17, 1890 and Victoria Luise, born September 13, 1892, who married Prince Ernost August of Cumberland, May 24, 1913. During his reign of more than a quarter of a century Kaiser Wilhelm has gradually attained a position of command- 236 MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE 237 ing power and influence in Europe. From his father and grand- father he inherited German militarism and German imperial- ism, a belief in the divine right of kings — especially in the divine right of the Hohenzollerns to rule, and in the strength of the German army. The lessons of German history are plain. Germany was built by ''blood and iron.-' The policy of Bismarck has been the continuing policy of the Germany he created. In less than ten years the great Chancellor turned a second-rate German state into an empire, a first-class power among the nations of the world. He did it by ''blood and iron," by unflinching diplomacy backed by the best trained army in Europe, ready for war wherever the army could be used. Though he dismissed Bismarck soon after his accession Kaiser Wilhelm has pursued the Bismarckian policy, while for the 26 years of his reign the German Empire has been at peace. His efforts have long prevented a European conflict, but as the event has proved, they only postponed it. While building up by the arts of peace a magnificent commerce for Germany he at the same time built up the mightiest war machine the world has ever seen ; and in recent years has sup- plemented the military power of his empire by the develop- ment of a great modern navy, second only in strength to that of Great Britain and threatening the latter 's supremacy on the seas. This, said the Kaiser, however, was for no ulterior motive of offense, but for the protection of Germany's world- wide commerce and as a precaution against possible future dangers in the Pacific. On his accession to the throne, in a speech he made to the army and navy, the Kaiser reiterated Bismarck's doctrine in these words : "The soldier and the army, not parliamentary majorities, have welded together the German empire. My confidence is in the army. ' ' And then, turning to his army officers, he said, in the words of his famous grandfather: "These are the gentlemen I rely upon." In furthering his imperialism, Emperor William has used the "mailed fist," that is, the threat of his army rather than the army itself. Under his policy Germany has prospered 238 MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE and grown apace. Her manufactures, commerce, wealth and culture have immeasurably increased. JSIow, in 1914, the Ger- man policy is being put to its severest test. The army itself is on trial. The mailed fist has fallen. Germany is sur- rounded by hostile armies and whether the Kaiser will be able to extricate himself, as did his illustrious ancestor, Frederick the Great, from a maze of enemies, remains to be seen. ANDREW CAENEGIE ON THE KAISER It is interesting at this time to note the personal opinion of the Kaiser held by one who stands in the forefront of the world's movements toward universal peace — the man who built the Peace Palace at The Hague and has had many oppor- tunities to study the personality of Emperor William. In an interview at New York on his return from Europe on Septem- ber 25, when the war was seven weeks old, Andrew Carnegie said: "I know the German emperor personally, and know him well. I know what he has done for the German people. It was not the Kaiser who brought on this terrible war. It was the Prussian military machine which forced him into it. It was not that the Kaiser was made the tool of militarism — tool is too weak a word for Emperor Wilhelm. It was that, strong as the Kaiser is, Prussian militarism was stronger. "I pity the German emperor from the bottom of my heart. He did not want this war, despite what many are saying — despite appearances. He has done too much toward peace. He has done more for the German peoples than any other ruler. He has preached temperance. Recently, it will be remembered, he forbade more than the most temperate use of any drink by the army — and this applied to both officers and men. "When the present Emperor of Germany assumed power, duelling in the army was common ; there was an average of 120 or more fatal duels every year. Today there are none. "The German emperor is responsible for labor pensions and for the awakening of the people along industrial lines ; he has done too much along the lines of peace to be held respon- sible for this war. With nothing too bad to believe when it affects the 'military professionals' of Germany, I can believe MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE 239 only that it was military Germany — and not the Kaiser — that is responsible." ' ' KITCHENER OF KHARTOUM ' ' When the war broke out and England realized the terrible menace of a German invasion, the people cried for their popu- lar hero to direct the military operations of the United King- dom. Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener — Earl Kitchener of Khartoum — was therefore called to the War Office by Premier Asquith, who of late had taken personal charge of that department, and the people became more con- fident. They had at least an ideal Secretary of War. For Earl Kitchener is not only a great general and a past master of military organization, but he is the idol of the Brit- ish soldier. "Tommy Atkins" in fact trusts him completely and will go blindly wherever Kitchener sends him, knowing that he will be well fed, well cared for in every respect, and not exposed to danger unless it is absolutely necessary. HOW KITCHENER WON IN THE DESERT A striking example of Kitchener's method of organization is to be found in his Egyptian campaign, when he took his 25,000 men from Cairo up the Nile to Omdurman, where he triumphed over the hordes of the Kalifa, destroying in a one-day battle nearly 17,000 natives. It took him three years to lead his troops through the desert to the place of conflict. Not a mile did he let them advance without the little railroad, which his corps of engineers began to build at Cairo, having preceded them to a farther point, to carry the provisions, ammunition and all that was needed to make the new camp safe and comfortable. The re-conquest of Khartoum, the retaliation dealt out to the natives for the slaughter of General (Chinese) Gordon and the pacification of the most rebellious part of the British Empire, made of Kitchener a national hero. He was appointed Sirdar, or commander-in-chief of the Egyptian army, created Viscount Kitchener of Khartoum — "K. of K.," for short, in the people's mouth — and henceforth the belief arose that of all the British commanders he was the best tactician, the most careful organizer, the most competent administrator, and that, 240 MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE if Great Britain had to fight, he above all others would lead her to victory. SUCCESSES IN AFRICA AND INDIA It is needless to recall how Kitchener won the Boer war, and, having won it, how he applied his administrative genius to the establishment and solidification of peace. Within barely fifteen years the Boers have grown to be counted among the most loyal subjects of the British Crown. Shortly after his triumph in South Africa, Kitchener was put in command of the British forces in India, and with the support of the home government, worked wonders with the British army and the natives of India. On his return trip to England, in 1910, he visited Australia and New Zealand, inspecting the military organizations of those dominions and helping with his advice. It is interesting to Americans to know that while Australia was planning the establishment of a military school Kitchener suggested that West Point be taken as a model. "The West Point cadets are the smartest body of young- men I have ever seen," he said. About that time it was rumored that the hero of Khartoum was about to take an American wife. The truth is that Earl Kitchener has remained an inveterate bachelor until now, his 65th year. MADE GOVERNOR OF EGYPT Upon his return to England from India, and after but a short rest, he was sent to Egypt as "His Majesty's Consul- General, ' ' which means governor of the land of the Khedive. Egypt is Britain's most valuable protectorate, and a par- ticularly difficult one to hold without friction with the native government. Little more than two years of Kitchener's rule made a different country of Egypt. He governed with an iron hand, with that stern, inflexible will for which he is known, and yet so equitably that even the most rebellious soon learned that submitting to the consul was to every one's greatest advan- tage. In June of this year (1914) Kitchener went to London to receive the honors awaiting him there. He had been made a MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE 241 viscount and a peer of England before. This time he was given the title of earl in recognition of his services in Egypt. Hardly had England's greatest soldier received this reward for past services than he was again called forward to duty as the directing genius of Great Britain's army in the European conflict. SERVED AGAINST GERMANY, IX 1S70-71 The hero of Khartoum did not enter the military career by chance. It is a tradition in his family. His father was lieutenant-colonel of the Thirteenth Dragoons and stationed in County Kerry at the time of the future great man's birth in 1850. Hence the belief of some that he is Irish. The real seat of his family is Aspall, in Suffolk, and through his mother, whose maiden name was Chevalier, there is Huguenot blood running through his veins. When he had been graduated from "Woolwich Military School, just as the Franco-Prussian war broke out, he doubt- less had in mind the motto of his family: ''Thorough." His training was well enough, but he wanted to get a more "thorough "idea of what war meant, and secretly engaged in the French army under General Clancy. When all ^vas over the secret leaked out, and the Duke of Cambridge, then com- mander-in-chief of the British military forces, called the young offender before him. Ordinarily his action would have been punished by unconditional dismissal from the army. But Kitchener explained his step so well and gave such highly patriotic reasons for it that the Duke let him off with a severe reprimand and an encouraging pat on the shoulder. So it is now for the second time that Kitchener finds him- self opposing Germany. But this time it is not as an obscure volunteer, but, indeed, as one great warrior facing another. Earl Kitchener is a tall man, with heavy gray moustache and wavy gray hair, which he wears parted in the middle. He has a sunburnt, determined-looking face, large steel-blue eyes, and square jaws. Many good stories are told of him, a characteristic one being his reply to the War Office, which sent him obsolete guns when he asked for the newest. He is reported to have sent the sarcastic reply, "I can throw stones at the enemy myself." 242 MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE KING ALBEKT OF BELGIUM The young King of Belgium, who, by the way, is a man 39 years of age, has occupied a prominent position in the war of 1914. His heroic defense of his little kingdom has been the wonder and the admiration of the world, and he has personally led his gallant army in the field and sustained a wound during the operations. When his country was first invaded by the Germans in their early rush towards Paris, he issued a spir- ited proclamation calling upon his soldiers to stand shoulder to shoulder against the foreign foe and defend their country to the last drop of their blood. How nobly they responded is recorded elsewhere in these pages. King Albert succeeded his uncle, the aged Leopold II., whom he strongly resembles in feature. His full name is Albert Leopold Clement Marie Menard. He was born in Brunswick, Germany, on April 8, 1875, and is the sole surviv- ing son of the Count of Flanders, who died in 1905. He was married in 1900 to Elizabeth, Duchess of Bavaria, third daugh- ter of Duke Charles of Bavaria, and was crowned King of Belgium in 1909. In 1898 King Albert, while heir-presumptive, spent sev- eral months in America. In 1910 he sent to America a distin- guished Belgian diplomat, Baron de Beaulieu, to notify the President officially of his accession to the throne and was the first European sovereign to signalize his accession by an offi- cial step so highly complimentary to the United States. The personal disposition of the Belgian King is decidedly studious. His hobby is engineering and he is specially inter- ested in electrical subjects, including wireless telegraphy, on which he is seeking to become an authority. Among Euro- pean sovereigns he ranks as a hard-working, liberal, modern constitutional monarch. THE FRENCH COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF General Jofrre, the commander of the French forces in the war, has had a highly interesting career. Born in the south of France, he had several brothers, and seems to have con- siderably worried his loquacious nurse by his silence in the cradle. She insisted that her tiny charge was tongue-tied and MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE 243 the child's mother, Mme. Joffre, had all the difficulty in the world to keep her from calling in a doctor. To the delight of every person, he finally began to lisp a few words. But the general has never been much of a talker. Before he had finished his first year at the Polytechnique, the war of 1870 broke out and young Joffre marched to the front where the fire was heaviest. In fact, such zeal and abil- ity did he show that after the war had finished he was commis- sioned to organize new defenses for Paris. It was after his plans that the Enghien fortifications were put up. One day Marshal McMahon and his "Etat major" visited the fort, and after a thorough round of investigation the former turned to the silent lieutenant: "I congratulate you, captain. ' ' Captain at the early age of 22 was a fact that made the other officers open their eyes. So satisfactory was Joffre 's work at Enghien that he was immediately appointed to organize the defensive works of Pontarlier on the eastern border. His work completed there, he was sent off to construct fortifications and barracks at Tonkin. But just about this time General Courbet arrived on the scene. Now Courbet was an excellent judge of men and he did not require many talks with Joffre to convince him that the sword, not the trowel, was the proper tool for this silent soldier. General Courbet took Joffre with him to Formosa, where, under the fire of the enemy, he organized the island 's defense. Later we see him in Madagascar, building the wonderful forti- fications of Diego-Suarez ; then in Dahomey. Here his friend, Colonel Bonnier, was killed by the natives. Joffre was com- manding the rearguard. Rallying the fugitives, he succeeded in overcoming the enemy and soon made his entry into Tim- buktu. After this campaign he returned to France, which he has never left, but has devoted his time to passing on his val- uable experience to the soldiers at the Ecole de Guerre (School of War). Stern warrior though he is, General Joffre is at heart the kindest of men, and those about his country home tell many instances of his thoughtfulness and generosity. Unlike the Kaiser, he is a strong advocate of friendly relations between officers and soldiers, and has done much to encourage such 244 MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE feelings in the French army. He himself is liked by all his subordinates, and it is interesting to note that General Joffre's appointment as commander-in-chief of the French forces was made by the members of the superior council of war without a single dissenting voice, and on the proposal of General Pau himself. FIELD MARSHAL SIR JOHN FRENCH As commander-in-chief of the British expeditionary forces on the continent of Europe, Sir John Denton Pinkstone French has added lustre to the fame he already enjoyed as one of the two foremost active generals of the British army. Next to Earl Kitchener he is the most striking military figure of Great Britain. Field Marshal French is 62 years of age, gray-haired and of short, stocky figure. His Irish blue eyes retain their spar- kle and Ireland is proud to claim him as a son. His family originally intended him for the Church, but when he was 14 he chose the navy instead and joined a cadets' training-ship. In 1874 he left the navy for the army and soon proved his mili- tary aptitude and skill. From 1889 to 1893 he commanded the Nineteenth Hussars, rising steadily in rank after that until in 1907 he was made inspector-general of the army and in 1913 attained the height of military ambition when he was gazetted field-marshal. Sir John French has seen more active service than usually falls to the lot of even a British soldier, and he has secured many brilliant results. In the Boer war he was the one English general who was uniformly successful. It was said of his soldiers that they never slept. During the siege of Kimberley he was shut up in Ladysmith, surrounded by Boers and with no retreat or movement of any kind possible for the British troops under his command. But Kimberley, with its great wealth of diamonds, had to be saved — and Sir John French was needed there. He seemed to be the one man capable of relieving Kimberley. The Boers were permitting trains to leave Ladysmith with women and children only, and General French managed to get through the Boer lines by concealing himself in one of these non-combatant trains. Then, making his way to Capetown, he was placed in command of MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE 245 about 8,000 cavalrymen. With these he swept through all the enemy's obstacles, riding day and night, to Kimberley, which he relieved just in time to prevent its surrender. War is Field Marshal French's profession, and in him the Kaiser's generals and strategists have found a foeman worthy of their steel. FIELD MAESHAL VOX DEE GOLTZ Field Marshal Baron Kolmar von der Goltz, who was appointed military governor of the occupied part of Belgium, is regarded by the Germans as one of the leading military men in Europe, and has been a power in the organization and training of the Kaiser's army. It was General von der Goltz who organized and trained the Turkish army which partici- pated in the Balkan war. Von der Goltz, despite his advanced age — he is now 71 — is still a man of great energy and endurance. Only a few years ago he visited the Argentine Eepublic, traveled on horseback through the pampas of that country, and soon after his return to Germany, without taking a rest, he led the Ger- man general staff in the military maneuvers of that year. Such exertions are nothing to him, and during other maneuvers he has been seen in the saddle all day, and then the same evening was observed in his tent busy at work writing a military book on which he was engaged until an early hour in the morning. Personally he is one of the most unassuming and modest of men. He cares nothing at all for titles or rank. He hates red tape and never hesitates to give expression to his opinions, both in speaking and writing. He was the first one, in his famous book, "People in Arms," to urge the intro- duction of two years' military service, and also in a number of magazine and newspaper articles called the attention of the German people to the nature of war, and to the military duties which they owed to the Fatherland. Von der Goltz 's greatest achievement in recent years has been his energetic work in behalf of the German scout move- ment. For this purpose, under the name of "Jung Deutsch- land," he formed a society to serve as a nucleus of all organ- izations in any way interested in physical welfare. At the opening meeting Von der Goltz in a notable address, 246 MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE which attracted the widest attention, urged the necessity of strengthening the physical being of the German youth, on which he said depended the future of the German nation. By establishing the new national society, he declared it was not aimed to come into competition with similar ones already existing, but merely to more effectively promote the physical welfare of the boys, while they were still going to school and before they entered the German army. THE GERMAN CROWN PRINCE An extraordinary figure in the field is that of Crown Prince Frederick William of Germany, in command of the central army during the German advance into France and the subse- quent operations of the war. He is 32 years of age, tall, slim and impulsive. For several years he has been regarded as the leader of the war-seeking party in Germany. He is a pro- found admirer of Napoleon, firmly believes in the theory of divine right, and has been thoroughly trained for rulership in the traditions of the Bismarckian policy. The Kaiser has had several notable differences with his hot-headed son, whom he has found it necessary to discipline more than once. It is said that he remarked of him not long ago, "Well, William is no diplomat. I will admit it, but I believe he has got marrow in his bones. He may turn out to be our Moltke yet. ' ' Victory, disappointment and defeat all perched upon the banners of the Crown Prince at various times in the early stages of the war. He was reported to have petulantly broken the sword of a French commander who surrendered to him after a desperate resistance. While reckless of human life, he seemed to be animated by a sincere desire for the physical comfort and welfare of his troops between battles, sending several appeals to Berlin for supplies of minor comforts to be sent to them in the field. GENERAL COUNT VON MOLTKE General von Moltke, chief of the German general staff, is one of the most picturesque figures of the present war. He is 66 years of age and saw active service in the Franco-Prus- MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE 247 sian war forty-four years ago and distinguished himself notably. From the first he has been a favorite with the Kaiser. His appointment as chief of staff was, in fact, a declaration on the Kaiser's part that the army was to be run along lines of the old school — with a mailed fist. He was born May 23, 1848, in Gersdorf, Mecklenburg. He attended the gymnasium at Kendsberg and became a cornet on April 1, 1869. In 1870 he was promoted to be lieutenant and took part with distinction in the war against France, being decorated with the iron cross of the second class. In 1881 he was assigned to the general staff of the army. In the same year he was made captain on the general staff and in 1882 he became second adjutant to the chief of the gen- eral staff of the army, his uncle, Field Marshal Count von Moltke. On the death of Field Marshal von Moltke, in 1891, he became aid-de-camp to the Kaiser. In 1896 he became major-general and commandant at Pots- dam. He has been chief of the general staff of the army since February 16, 1904. As chief of the general staff he succeeded Field Marshal Count von Schlieffen. The latter, who was nearly 73 years old, was kicked severely by a horse and crip- pled. A rule of the general staff is that no one not physically sound may remain on it. Even fat men are excluded from this most honored department of the German army. HOW GENERAL PAU LOST HIS ARM General Paul Gerald Pau, the French hero of the second capture of Muelhausen, and whose army has borne one of the prominent parts in the war, in a letter recently published, written to his mother soon after the battle of Woerth in 1870, in which he lost his right arm, told the story of his wound as follows : ' ' My Good Mother : As I don 't know if any of the letters that I have written to you have arrived, or, rather, since I have strong reasons for believing that none of them has reached you, while this time I may hope that you will be able 248 MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE to see my autograph, I am going to relate my adventures at length. "First of all, the originality of the preceding seven lines must lead you to think that they were traced by a foot instead of a hand. Undeceive yourself and laugh neither at the first efforts of an unpracticed hand, nor at the style. Besides the fact that I speak almost exclusively German just now, I swear that elegant phrases don't flow easily when it takes five min- utes to trace a line. "But I am forgetting that I haven't told you the main thing. I am wounded, but you see not dangerously. It was August 6 in the battle of Woerth. I had up to that time the luck not to be touched in the midst of a rain of iron and lead, when a shell smashed a tree near me and a splinter struck me on the right hand and put two fingers hors de combat. An hour afterward I regretted much less the loss of the above mentioned digits because a Bavarian bullet fractured the same hand and lodged itself between the two bones of my wrist, from which I delicately extracted it. ' ' I was then ordered to the ambulance, and it was while I dragged myself along in that direction obliged to pass under the fire of the Prussian batteries I received the fragment of a shell in my right thigh. "Unnecessary for me to tell you that all is quite well with me. It is true they had to amputate my wrist, but the opera- tion was highly successful. How could it be otherwise? I am with the best folks in the world, nursed like a child of the family. Visits, each more affectionate than the last, I don't lack. "Enough of myself. I needn't tell you that I am anxious for both your poor Lorraine and our poor France. Shall I be a long while before I can fly toward Nancy? ' ' ' Trailing a wing and dragging a foot. ' It is La Fontaine who gives the answer. ' 'In the meantime a thousand kisses and hoping to see you soon. Gerald." GENERAL SIR H. L. SMITH-DORRIEJST General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien, hero of the historic retreat of the English from Belgium, has long been MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE 249 known as one of the best fighting officers in the British army. From his entry into the service in 1876 down to and through the Boer war, he saw almost constant service in the field, extending from Zululand to the northwest frontier of India. Educated at Harrow, he joined when 18 years old the Sherwood Foresters. At the disastrous battle of Isandula, in 1879, he was one of the few officers who, by his athletic powers as runner and swimmer, escaped the Zulu warriors and lived to take part in the battle of Ulundi, when King Cetewayo was finally disposed of. He was mentioned in dispatches, and since then honors have fallen fast upon him. General Smith-Dorrien was in the Egyptian campaign of 1882, in which year he raised and commanded a corps of mounted infantry, and in 1885, with his mounted infantry, did good work at Suakin. Eeturning to Egypt in 1898, he took part in the Nile expedition, and was present at the battle of Khartoum, and in the subsequent operations in the Soudan. In the Boer war General Smith-Dorrien was mainly instru- mental in bringing about the capture of Cronje and his army. By his attack upon the Boers on the Modder River, the Gordon Highlanders, the Canadians and the Eoyal Engineers secured a strong position, from which they enfiladed the enemy's trenches, and by preventing them from drawing water, pre- cipitated Cronje 's surrender. He afterward commanded the lines of communication from Kroonstadt to Pretoria. His work was three times mentioned in dispatches and his reward was the Queen's medal with four clasps and promotion to major-general for distinguished service in the field. GENERAL RUSSKY, VICTOR OF LEMBERG General Nicholas Vladimirovich Eussky, whose victories in Austrian territory, including the taking of Lemberg and the capture of many thousands of Austrian soldiers in an advance remarkable for its quickness, have given him the nick- name ''Eussky the Spectacular" among military writers, was already known when he entered upon the campaign of 1914. That reputation he won in the Eusso-Turkish war and in the war with Japan. Educated in the Petrograd gymnasium, the Constantine Military School and the Nicholas Academy of the General Staff, he made a thorough study of his profession 250 MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE and passed with high honors. In the field he won distinction early, becoming colonel at 31 and major-general at 42. His achievements in the Russo-Turkish war marked him for a high position in the next campaign, and at the beginning of the Japanese war he was appointed chief of staff in the Second Manchurian army. He has subsequently turned to good account the lessons he learned in the course of that campaign in the organization and command of masses of troops. CHIEF OF THE AUSTRIAN STAFF The direction of the armies of Austria-Hungary lies in the hands of Baron Conrad von Hoetzendorff. He enjoys the confidence of the aged Emperor, Francis Joseph, and of the rank and file of the army. He is regarded as the Kitchener of Austria, having unusual qualifications and capacity for army organization. He was made chief of the general staff in 1906, receiving the rank of full general in 1908. Three years later he was relieved from this position to become inspector-general of the army, but was recalled to the post of chief of staff in 1912. GRAND DUKE NICHOLAS OF RUSSIA Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaiovitch is generalissimo of the Russian army, directing the operations of the gigantic force in the field. He is probably the tallest member of the reigning house of Russia and looks what he is, a born cavalry- man. He won the St. George's Cross for gallantry on the battlefields of the Turkish war of 1877 and is rated as one of the most clever and brilliant cavalry leaders living. The Rus- sian army has been reorganized since the war with Japan. LEADING RUSSIAN GENERAL KILLED General Samsoniv, one of the Russian commanders killed, was considered one of Russia's most capable and brilliant gen- erals. He distinguished himself greatly in the Russo-Japan- ese war, in which he commanded a division of Siberian Cos- sacks. He afterward was nominated commander of an army corps, and later was appointed commander of the troops in Turkestan. MILITARY LEADERS OF EUROPE 251 He lived in Tashkent, Eussian Turkestan, until the present war was declared. He was very popular, and his name was a household word among all classes of the population. THE GERMAN CAVALRY LEADER General Von Marnitz was in command of the German cavalry which formed the extreme right of the Kaiser's army in France, and which covered the advance of General von Kluck's turning movement and astonished the world by its speed and spread. His cavalry penetrated even to the south- west of Paris. CHAPTER XVI AMERICANS IN EUROPE Thousands Stranded in Belligerent Countries When War Came — General Shortage of Funds — Much Suffering and Hardship — Exciting Scenes in London, Paris and Berlin — Uncle Sam Sends Relief Ships With Funds. THE outbreak of war at the beginning of the month of August found Europe literally overrun, as usual at that season, by thousands of American tourists — gay and fes- tive throngs of sightseers in all the show-places of the Conti- nent and in every nook and corner of the British Isles. Suddenly as a thunderclap from a clear sky came the shock of war ! London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Geneva, and all the host of minor cities, towns and villages frequented by American visitors in the tourist season, shut up shop! All means of transportation were closed to civilians; gold and silver money became scarce because needed for war, and went to a premium ; hotels closed down for lack of the male help that had been called to the colors ; transatlantic travel was para- lyzed ; travelers ' checks and letters of credit lost their value ; all foreigners were regarded with suspicion in a frenzied hunt for spies ; and all Americans in Europe found themselves in a pandemonium of military activity in which they were given plainly to understand that their room was preferred to their company. The change came in a day and dated from August 1, when hitherto courteous and even obsequious European hotel, inn and shop keepers were transformed into monuments of anxiety and suspicion. From being honored and much-sought visitors in Continental countries, Americans found themselves of a sudden in the role of unwelcome guests. For awhile many 252 AMERICANS IN EUROPE 253 thousands of tliem were absolutely helpless and their plight was pitiable in the extreme. The universal problem among them all was, how to get home. The ordinary means were useless. " America must help her stranded children," wrote Ster- ling Heilig from neutral Switzerland on August 16. "A hun- dred thousand of us are in debt, difficulty, humiliation and danger. ' ' GOLD OBTAINED WITH DIFFICULTY "For a few days," said Charles A. Conant, the New York banker, "it looked as though the entire machinery of banking and credit built up in Europe during forty years of peace had been brought to a standstill, and as if the American market would be compelled also to suspend its activities. "The New York Stock Exchange, under a torrent of orders from Europe to sell American securities held abroad, remained open until the close of business on Thursday, July 30, but was closed the next morning after a consultation between the gov- erning board and big banking interests. In the meantime, the usual mechanism of foreign exchange had broken down, partly because shipping was threatened by the war, and insurance rates for the shipment of gold had become prohibitive. Even such credits as were possessed by American banks abroad were in a state of suspense and drafts on England, which should have been sold at the highest at $4.90 to the pound sterling, rose to $5.25 and even in some cases to $6. "The seriousness of the situation abroad was manifested by almost every cable message which came from the great centers of finance — London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brus- sels and Petrograd. The French and English governments promptly declared a moratorium, which means that the holder of documentary obligations, like bills of exchange and promis- sory notes, cannot enforce payment according to the terms of the obligation until the delay granted has expired. In France, the payment of specie at the Bank of France was promptly suspended ; in Germany, gold was gotten only with difficulty and in trifling amounts from any of the banks; in Belgium specie suspension occurred, and in Holland similar action was accompanied by authority to the National Bank of the Nether- 254 AMERICANS IN EUROPE lands to issue additional notes to the amount of $200,000,000. In France, also, the limit of circulation of the Bank of France was increased at one jump from $1,300,000,000 to $2,300,000,000. "Even the rock-ribbed Bank of England was subjected to a run for gold in exchange for its notes, which cut down its reserve by more than $50,000,000 in less than a week and led ultimately to the suspension of the bank act of 1844, which limits the amount of notes that can be issued without gold. London has long prided herself on being the clearing-house of the world, and on being the only market where obligations were payable promptly for their full value in gold. The very fact, however, that the London market was a clearing-house for obligations from all over the European continent and from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which could not be collected promptly, naturally deprived her of the means of making her usual settlements and made it necessary to allow a breath- ing-spell in order to reconstruct the machinery of exchange. ' ' DETAINED IN EUROPEAN CITIES Just how many American citizens were caught in Europe by the war and suffered from the war conditions of finance and travel, will probably never be known. Millionaires found their paper money and their wealth of no avail ; some were only too glad to return to the United States in the steerage of second- class ships. A Vanderbilt and four hundred other wealthy Americans esteemed themselves fortunate when they suc- ceeded in chartering a small Italian steamer, the Principe di Udini, in which to sail from Genoa for home. Others, by the thousands, were detained in European capitals for several weeks before the situation was relieved and they were able to secure passage across the Atlantic. In all the capitals and at various other points congested by the stranded visitors, American committees were formed to aid their compatriots in every way possible. These com- mittees, amid exciting scenes in London, Paris, Berlin and else- where, did an immense amount of good in straightening out the situation and earned the gratitude of thousands whose immediate wants they relieved. The United States ambassa- dors in Europe rendered invaluable services in the emergency ; AMERICANS IN EUROPE 255 while the consuls-general and consuls at many points also helped materially in relieving actual distress and securing homeward passage for Americans. "There are 200,000 Americans in Europe,' ' said the Ven- erable Archdeacon Nies of the American Episcopal church in Europe. This was in the middle of August and while the num- ber stated by the archdeacon may possibly have been an out- side estimate there are many well-informed persons who be- lieve it to have been well within the mark. Archdeacon Nies said further : 1 'Imagine 1,000 sailing on each ship and 200 ships will be required to send them home. They are not only the 1914 crop of tourists, but a long accumulation— students, artists, artistes, invalids, parents educating their young children, foreign resi- dents. Even expatriates are Americans, and no one wants them to starve." When the cry went up from the Americans in Europe for ships to take them home, the absence of an American merchant marine was brought home to them as never before. There was dire need of American ships, but alas, there were none ! Ships of war are unsuited to carry passengers and had it not been for the fact that Atlantic steamship travel, minus the German vessels, was soon resumed, the Atlantic being kept open by British cruisers, the transatlantic tourists stood a poor chance of getting home. As it was, the great majority were enabled to return in September, to gladden their eyes with the sight of the Goddess of Liberty or the sunny shores of New England — and to highly resolve that hereafter they would counsel their friends to ' ' see America first. ' ' AN EXPERIENCE TYPICAL OF MANY One experience, typical of thousands, may be related. It was that of Mr. Louis P. Lochner, secretary of the Chicago Peace Society, who encountered thrills, hardships and excite- ment, in fleeing from Paris and France. Mr. Lochner went abroad early in the summer of 1914 to attend two international peace conferences, both of which were abandoned when the war broke out. For some time afterward his friends were unable to obtain news of his condition or whereabouts and fears for his safety were expressed. On his return he de- 256 AMERICANS IN EUROPE scribed the fierce struggle of Americans to get accommoda- tions on the steamer La France, which left Havre on August 14; also his attempts to get railroad passage to the seaport from Paris. "The railroad office in Paris was our objective after we learned that the ship was to sail," said Mr. Lochner. "A long line of applicants was ahead of us there, but a deliberate policy of 'watchful waiting' finally was rewarded by our obtaining a third-class ticket on a military train that was to leave for Havre at 3 o 'clock the next morning. ' ' It was one thing to obtain a railway ticket — it was another to get the necessary papers for leaving the city. We were directed to every conceivable police office except the right one, and only the sixth attempt brought us into the august presence of the right official. We thought we were early when we reached the station, at 9 o 'clock P. M. We found many fellow- countrymen had taken up their position six hours earlier. What a motley crowd we were ! Here were ladies who had come to Paris for the social season. Some of them had as many as four party gowns on their persons, and were incumbered by costly furs, which looked particularly out of place on an August night. Then there were ordinary, every-day Ameri- cans whose chief stock-in-trade was pocketfuls of sandwiches. " Describing the journey, Mr. Lochner said: "At every station soldiers got on or off, all of them in the prime of life, and, judging from the women and children who waved a fond farewell to them, for the most part men of family. 'Food for powder. ' I could not get the phrase out of my mind. It was heartrending to see the bountiful farmlands standing heavy with grain, but the reapers gone. The scene became especially pathetic when we saw, here and there, baby carriages in the midst of a wheat field, the children amusing themselves as best they could, while their mothers, in addition to many cares, were trying to save a little of the harvest. "The most exciting event in Havre was the landing of thousands of British troops. What a splendid, physically per- fect lot they were, each transport bringing so many additional men and horses. ' Food for powder ' — the phrase haunts me. "A happier company there never was than ours when we AMERICANS IN EUROPE 257 weighed anchor for America and left behind us what seems to have been a horrible dream, but what in reality is the foulest blot upon Christian civilization. ' ' BELIEF FUNDS SENT TO EUEOPE Most of those who were first to return from Europe were tourists of the wealthier class. Thousands of school teachers, students and others, who went abroad with only sufficient funds to meet their expenses under normal conditions, were for awhile in dire straits. The United States government was called upon to aid these Americans and Congress, having appropriated $2,500,000 for the purpose, the U. S. cruisers Tennessee and North Carolina were sent to Europe with a total of $5,500,000 in gold coin to relieve the distressed. They reached Falmouth, England, on August 16. A large part of the money they carried represented funds deposited with the Treasury at Washington by the home friends of Americans in Europe, who took this means of sending them the where- withal to return home. Volumes might be filled with the tales of the returned travelers, but this is a chronicle of the military and more tragic phases of the European conflict ; then, too, the story of what happened to them in Europe and how they got away has been told in every local journal in the land and is being related nightly at thousands of firesides in every state of the Union. For there was one compensating phase of the lot of our suffer- ing compatriots abroad. As the New York Times aptly put it : ''Theirs will be the Virgilian joys of remembering all these wild happenings, of rehearsing them endlessly to interested relatives and acquaintances at least decently resigned, and of being freed for the rest of their lives from the common neces- sity of filling in conversational gaps with talk about the weather. It is no small thing to have been even an involuntary part of historic events, and enviable indeed is he or she who can turn to a page in history and say, 'AH this I saw and some of it I was." CHAPTER XVII TYPICAL EXPERIENCES OF WARTIME Scenes in the Fatherland — Conditions in Rural France — An Eyewitness's Story of the German Advance — Slaughter Fails to Stop Germans — Stories of American Visitors in Warring Countries. COUNT THRONBERG, a correspondent who reached Copenhagen September 4, after a trip through Germany, wrote an interesting description of the scenes he had wit- nessed during his tour of observation. He said : "I have just returned from a trip through Berlin, Leipsic, Dresden, Hanover, Hamburg, and other large German cities. In spite of the difficulties of transportation and the conspicu- ous reception of foreigners, I was able closely to observe the conditions of the country and the state of its people. "At the outset, during the period of general mobilization, the whole country resembled an armed camp. Soldiers were everywhere. Ordinary railway traffic was suspended to allow their trains to pass. There was much bustle and activity and unbounded optimism prevailed. Troops went singing to the front. There was no thought but that of speedy victory. "Now Germany is a land of much mourning. I walked down Friedrichstrasse in Berlin and counted on one section sixteen women wearing deep mourning out of nineteen women I saw there. The train which conveyed me from the capital to Hamburg was full of women in black. ' ' Germany has called in her last line of reserves, and almost every household is directly concerned in the war. In some families all the male members are at the front. "The losses have been colossal. I believe I am within the mark in stating that more than 100,000 German soldiers 258 1. Belgian Armored Motor Cars with Machine Gun. Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 2. Italian "Ironclad" on Wheels with Gun Turret. © International News Serrlce. « c ■ 15 £ 3 8 < TYPICAL EXPERIENCES 259 already have been killed or wounded in various battles on the eastern frontier, the western frontier, in Belgium, and in France. LOSSES IN FRANCE HEAVIEST "The heaviest of all have been the casualties in the con- tinuous fighting along the Mons-Charleroi line and in the present positions of the forces before Paris. "I have passed through Berlin, Leipsic, Dresden, Hanover, Hamburg, and Cologne, and everywhere was profoundly impressed by the absence of the usual noise of great cities. "There is little traffic in the streets. Horses and motor cars have been commandeered for military service at the front. Cabmen and drivers are with their regiments. There are far fewer goods to deliver, for trade in many branches is at a standstill. "Tramways and omnibuses continue to run with reduced service in all German towns, but the great majority of con- ductors are women. WOMEN DRIVING TAXICABS "Women taxicab drivers, too, made their appearance in Berlin as in cities in other countries. Railway booking clerks, signal men, crossing watchmen, guards, and ticket collectors have all been replaced by women. "Postoffices are conducted almost exclusively by women, for the men, if too old to go to the front, are engaged in patrolling the railway lines, guarding tunnels and bridges, and performing other similar military duties on the lines of com- munication. "Trains are running much as usual on most lines, but there are no sleeping cars and no dining cars. Trade depression is general. Hundreds of factories have ceased to work and thou- sands of shops are closed. CONFIDENT GERMANS WOULD WIN "There is a shortage of food and drastic official measures have been taken in some districts to husband the supplies. Thousands of merchants are ruined and will have to start life again after the war. "The official classes and the wealthy, the professors, and others are aggressively confident. They foretell the ultimate 260 TYPICAL EXPERIENCES triumph of Germany against all foes and the establishment of a greater German empire which shall include France, Belgium, Holland, the greater part of Austria, and the whole of King George 's dominion. ' ' WOMEN LABOR IN THE FIELDS OF RURAL FRANCE, SWEPT BY HARDSHIPS OF WAR (By Herbert Corey, Special Correspondent of the Chicago Daily News) PARIS, September 9, 1914. — Except that no torch has yet touched a farmhouse wall and no throat has yet been slit by sword, rural France is today a sacked and pillaged country. This year's crop has — broadly speaking — all been lost. Next year's crop cannot be planted. The men who could save the one and plant the other are wearing blue coats and tramping in ironshod boots toward the front. France 's agricultural ruin for the moment is complete. "I have forty acres in cut grain lying there rotting, m 'sieu, ' ' said a crippled man near Dreux. ' ' My son has gone to the war. There are no men left in the country. The govern- ment has taken my horses and cattle. This winter we will starve. ' ' It was not far from Dreux that we saw an old woman swing- ing a cradle through the standing grain. Her white hair glistened in the sun. As she recovered from each slow and painful swing she rested a moment and placed a hand upon her aching back. We got out of the automobile to talk to her. As we drew near we saw the other old woman, who bound the cut grain into sheaves, was muttering and laughing to herself. As we approached she screamed and began to run clumsily through the fields. The old woman with the cradle called her back. "Messieurs," she said, "will pardon Gabrielle. She is very old. ' ' FIVE SONS GO TO WAR Ten days before the order came for mobilization this old woman of the cradle was one of the happiest in Normandy. She had five great sons, who lived with her upon the farm that had been in her family name since William the Conqueror TYPICAL EXPERIENCES 261 sailed out of the River Dives for England. They owned horses and cattle and sheep, and their granaries were filled. Harvest time came, and her sons and their men went at the standing grain. ' ' Then — v'la ! ' ' said she, with a wide gesture. The five sons and their men had every one been called to the colors. Because their horses were good, they were seized by the government. True, they will in time be paid for them, but for the present no cash has come in. Without men and horses it is difficult to harvest grain. Their cattle and sheep were requisitioned by the government. The lesson of the siege of 1870 is yet fresh in every French heart. That is why the green lawns of Versailles and other palaces owned by the state are now being trampled into dust by sharp hoofs. The state is providing against what may befall. "The state needed our grain, too," said the old woman of the cradle. ' ' Our braves must be fed. ' ' DESOLATION" IN NORMANDY I have just returned from a 500 mile tour by auto and rail through Normandy, one of the fairest districts of pleasant France. Everywhere I saw the same story. The year's crop had been a bumper one, but it will prove almost a total loss. Not one-twentieth of it had been put in stack when the mobili- zation order stopped the harvest. In every mile of the 500 I saw plows standing in the furrow, or empty carts in the field. Pathetic little black clumps were scattered through green fields. They marked the rotting grain. " Is it not sad I ' ' said the peasant soldier who stopped us at one of the crossroads in the Breteuil country to look at our passports. He spoke with the childlike candor one so often finds in the French volunteer. "I must stand upon this road with a rifle and stop m'sieu, and all the time my good grain is rotting there beneath my eyes. ' ' That's the deuce of it. There are enough men guarding country roads and forty dollar culverts and sitting about rural guardhouses to have saved the harvest. But the plans for mobilization did not contemplate such useful activity on the part of the soldiery. And so next year France must starve. And American eyes completely fail to discover what good these 262 TYPICAL EXPERIENCES red capped soldiers are accomplishing, guarding cart tracks in the interior of France. A German spy couldn't get in there unless he were dropped from a balloon. Then he couldn't get out. DROP WORK FOR WAR "We were half through the harvest when the order came," said the old women on a station platform near Evreux. "M'sieu will understand." M'sieu did understand. Almost all of the grain had been cut throughout Normandy. As it was cut it was bound in sheaves. Two-thirds of the cut grain had been set up in shocks, in order that it might dry out and harden. The next step was to stack it, that it might be protected from the ele- ments until thrashing time came. It was at this moment that the order came. Men in France obey that order without hesi- tation or demur. "But are there not old men and boys and women enough in the country to put this grain under cover f " we asked. We knew the women of Normandy have always done their part in the field. ' ' Messieurs, ' ' they replied, simply, ' ' the horses ? ' ' True enough. In fifty miles of road we saw by actual count just ten of the big Norman horses drawing carts on the farms. Not another horse was to be seen for that distance. All the others had been requisitioned by the government to haul guns and caissons and supply wagons. And then the curious life- lessness of the landscape began to appall us. Nowhere was any living being to be seen. If appearances told the truth, nine farm houses out of ten were utterly deserted. ' ' Why should they not be f " one old woman said. ' ' There is nothing left behind but we old ones, messieurs — and the chil- dren. And so we gather in the larger houses that we may have the comfort of familiar faces." LITTLE TO EAT LEFT No farmer carries a great supply of foodstuff over from the end of the year. Most of these Norman granaries were being swept in preparation for the coming crop. What little grain was left was taken by the government. We passed one great train of wagons, drawn by a steam lorry. Perhaps it TYPICAL EXPERIENCES 263 was the first of the sort ever seen there, for it was accompanied by an open mouthed and gaping crowd of peasants. The wagons were laden with grain that had been gathered from the country side. There will be little to eat this winter on the Norman farms. ''And next year?" we asked. ' ' Pouf ! ' ' these brave peasants answered airily. ' ' Soon our men will be back, you comprehend. Next spring all will be as before. In two — three months our braves will be in Berlin. ' ' Perhaps they saw the doubt on our faces, for they followed to reassure us. "Look you, messieurs," said they, "these Allemands can- not stand before the white arm of France — " And these white-haired, bent old peasants lunged as though with the bayonet. LECTURER ARRESTED AS A SPY E. M. Newman of Chicago, the noted travel lecturer, was arrested and imprisoned as a spy in Berlin during the German mobilization. Mr. Newman reached Chicago on September 2, having landed at Boston two days previously from the steam- ship Franconia. He recounted his experiences as follows : "On the night the English declaration of war was an- nounced Berlin went stark mad. Every English signboard in the city within the crowd's reach was torn down. I wit- nessed the demonstrations until 11 o'clock and then went to my hotel and to bed. At midnight I was awakened. When I opened the door two military officers confronted me and informed me that I was arrested as a spy. I had been seen making moving pictures for several days and officers sus- pected they were for hostile purposes. I protested without avail. One of the officers took an unexposed film from the dresser and said : " 'At least you'll never show this.' "The exposed film remained unharmed in my hand bag- gage, which was not disturbed, and came home with me. "I was taken to the military prison, placed in the hospital and held four days. They gave me rye bread, sausage and coffee. There was no limit on the amount of rye bread I could eat. Half a dozen times I heard volleys in the neigh- 264 TYPICAL EXPERIENCES boring court yard, signaling the end of some poor victim who had been suspected as 1 was. Finally with a bribe of 40 marks I persuaded the guard to send his wife to the Amer- ican embassy with my story. Ambassador Gerard imme- diately interceded and my release was promised. The next morning I was put on a troop train with a load of horses and a few guards, and rode from 8 o'clock until 11 that night. "A request that I be permitted to alight for food was met with the threat that I would be bayoneted if I set foot out of the car. I was unloaded at the Belgian frontier with my baggage and ordered to walk to the nearest village. This I did, and with some hardships got thence to Paris, London and home. My assistant with my best pictures I had sent from Berlin several days before. He reached London with all his things safe." WHAT AN ACTOR SAW IN PAEIS W. H. Crane, the American actor, who arrived in London August 1 from Paris, had this to say of conditions on the continent : "I never saw such scenes in my life. The Parisians are a demented race ; demented with a hatred of Germany. They have resolved to avenge the insults of the last thirty years. "The taxicab man who drove me to the station, when I asked him whether he was going to fight, vehemently an- swered: 'I'd leave everything I possess in the world — wife, children, home — and put out for German soil to kill a Ger- man. ' "I intended to stay over a few days, but last evening Con- sul General Thackara telephoned me to leave by the first train, as in twenty-four hours more there would be no trains. "Ambassador Herrick said to me, when I asked his opinion of the situation, 'I think this is the blackest outlook Europe has faced in all its history. Civilization is not merely a fail- ure, it's a hypocritical show.' "The money situation in Paris is far worse than here. You can get no change anywhere. If you haven't the exact amount of your purchase you won't get it. I went to the Cafe de la Paix with my brother, a resident of Paris for fifty years and well known at the cafe. He tendered a twenty-franc note TYPICAL EXPERIENCES 205 in payment for a drink. The waitei ange five fra. ''I q those of ] . lay, a.-. \.~- a for bulletins. I: I . Oh terri te for its suppress] The Pi blind ^with war fever and wit:. to get af German h : they I ... - did in 1870, none : the consequences. . e the v. : ll :: . life."* Ear William Osier and his brother. Sir E r. a ladian Pacini, magnate staying at Bi iwn'i hotel, Lor. la five-] 1 bill ] said he eon! at -. - ehange. Finally \ - there had to borrow a - m the hall portej U - rj bilL Tii-re was i ion among An 3, old patrons of Lob Etlyh tels. American gold eerttfic could only be cashed at a ruinous nut T. con- sidered quite unjustifiable, as banks were - ing all the gold they Deeded to rs. Many dering five- pound notes for tolls had them returned across 1 inter on the plea that no change could be given. Many were unable to cable their friends at home. A 50 '.L SAMAKTTAH A F.F.HS TED One of the humors of the sad plight in which Am found themselves in Europe was relal Rev. F I. Be star of the Tabernacle B hurch, Chi "A party of Americans," he sai . in trying I from Germany into Switzerlan put off a train six miles from the border and ha h ~alk the distance carrying the baggage. After they arrived at the station where they « to get a train again, one man picked up three suite - _ to three different women to he] . them aboard the train. Before he succeeded he s put un arrest, and in spite of his attempted explanations he was hurried to the guardhouse, still in possession of the suitcases. In the m time the train pulled out. The women are still hunting for their sui: and the man is hunting for the women owner b . ' ' 26G TYPICAL EXPERIENCES AMERICAN WOMAN IN THE TRENCHES Among* the passengers who walked down the gangplank from the steamship Campania, on its arrival at New York in September, was a tall, handsome woman dressed entirely in black. Her eyes showed that she had undergone some intense strain, and her pale, hollow cheeks spoke of suffering. At her side, tightly clasping her mother's hand, walked a brigh^ -haired girl, 3 years old. The woman was Mrs. Anna Gibbs of Berkeley, Cal. Her husband, Curtis Gibbs, still in Berkeley, did not know that two of his three children had been killed. "On the first day of August," she commenced, "I was living comfortably in Wirballen, Russia, where I had gone the first of June to spend the summer with my brother-in-law. I am an American citizen. "I awoke a few mornings later to find the town had gone wild. Cannon thundered in the distance. Now and then a great iron missile would rage through the town, tipping over houses and churches. 1 ' Unfamiliar with the geography of the country as I was, I could think of flight only toward the west. I hastily dressed my three children — Curtis, 7 years old ; Anna, 4 years old, and Martha, 3 years old — and fled from the town. " 'My God, woman, what are you doing here?' I heard a soldier exclaim. "When I told him I was trying to save my children his face grew pale. " 'You are in the center of the storm,' he said. 'Come with me.' "He led us to the Russian rifle pits, where the soldiers were firing. It was our only chance of safety. All through the day we stayed there, afraid to move, and well into the night. Curtis had been ill, and I noticed that he grew weaker as the hours wore on. Just as dawn broke upon the battlefield he passed away. I had to bury him. "Just as we reached Vilna, on August 7," she continued, "Orlena Anna, my second child, died from exposure. We buried her in a little Russian cemetery with nothing but a rude cross to mark the grave. " TYPICAL EXPERIENCES 267 "SEE AMERICA FIRST* ' "My advice to Americans expecting to visit Europe is — ' See America first, ' and learn the Declaration of Independence before you go, ' ' said Ralph M. Kaufman, Chicago broker, who returned to his home September 12 from Germany, where he was arrested as an English spy because he was unable to recite a part of the Declaration of Independence. "I had been spending my vacation in Munich," said Mr. Kaufman. ' ' Shortly before war was declared and right after the order for mobilization had gone out I was arrested on the outskirts of Munich by a company of German soldiers whom I chanced to meet while taking a few snapshots. I told them my name and that I was an American. Unfortunately the only letter or paper in my pocket was one from a friend in London with an English postmark. This convinced them that I was an English spy. "A young lieutenant stepped out and told the captain that if I was an American I could very easily prove it by reciting a part of the American Declaration of Independence, which he said all Americans undoubtedly knew, as it was even taught in German schools. "I stammered and my face became flushed. All I could think of was 'Four score and seven years ago .' I was positive that was the way it started, but I could get no further. They locked me up in the Munich prison, where I remained for two days, until the American consul proved my identity. Even then the young lieutenant seemed doubtful. ' ' Mr. Kaufman added that he considered the test a just one and advised Americans to spend more time getting acquainted with their own country and less visiting Europe. DETROIT ARTISTES NARROW ESCAPE Lawrence Stern Stevens, an artist of Detroit, narrowly escaped death near Aix-la-Chapelle at the hands of a crazed German lieutenant, by whom he was suspected of being a spy. Stevens left Brussels on Aug. 24 in an automobile. He was accompanied by a photographer and a Belgian newspaper correspondent, and his intention had been to make sketches on the battlefield. His arrest at Laneffe thwarted this plan. He 268 TYPICAL EXPERIENCES underwent a terrifying ordeal at the hands of his demented captor, although he was not actually injured. On the evening of Aug. 24 he was court-martialed and sen- tenced to death and held in close confinement over night. Early on the morning of Aug. 25 he was led out, as he sup- posed, to be shot, but the plans had been changed and instead he was taken before Gen. von Arnim. After being forced to march with German troops for two days, Stevens fell in with a party of American correspondents at Beaumont, from which point he traveled to Aix-la-Chapelle on a prison train, and eventually reached Rotterdam and safety A GERMAN STEAMSHIP 's ESCAPE A typical example of war's interference with transporta- tion and commerce is found in the case of the North German Lloyd steamer Kronprinzessin Cecilie, which sailed from New York for Plymouth, Cherbourg, and Bremen on Tuesday, July 28, and returned to Bar Harbor, Maine, one week later, after having been reported captured by British warships in the English Channel. For several days her whereabouts had been a mystery, but she dropped anchor at Bar Harbor on the morning of August 4, after a forced run of four days, her officers fearing capture. With a cargo of $10,000,000 in gold and $3,000,000 in silver, consigned to French and English bankers, and with an esti- mated value of over $5,000,000 in herself, the Kronprinzessin Cecilie constituted probably the finest sea prize ever open to capture. At one time capture seemed imminent. Capt. Charles Polack reported that he had intercepted a wireless message from one French vessel to another giving warning of the Cecilie 's proximity, but under the protection of a providential fog the Lloyd liner escaped. She had 350 first class, 130 second class and 736 steerage passengers. About a third of the first class were Germans, who sailed to anticipate the war crisis, whose sudden precipi- tation drove them back to America. Most of the rest were Americans. On Friday night the captain called the men into the smok- ing room. TYPICAL EXPERIENCES 269 "Gentlemen," he said, "war has been declared between England, France, Germany and Austria ; we are going back to America. We have enough coal for our return and it is my earnest hope that we shall not be intercepted by foreign war vessels." A group of financiers on board offered to buy the ship and sail her under American colors. But to all proposals the cap- tain replied that his duty was dictated by his orders from Bremen, which instructed him to turn back and save his ship. For two nights, with her head and side lights extinguished and every other illumination blotted out with canvas, the Kron- prinzessin Cecelie plunged through the fog with unreduced speed and without sounding her foghorn. When the vessel steamed safely into Bar Harbor, Captain Polack received a long line of passengers, who congratulated him on his achievement. He is a lieutenant-commander in the German naval reserves. Guarded by forty express messengers and detectives, the treasure with which the steamer put into Bar Harbor arrived in New York August 10 by train. The money was taken to the subtreasury to be held for New York bankers by whom it was to have been sent to Paris and London. A YOUNG CANADIAN 's EXPERIENCE A young Canadian who was in Germany when the war broke out relates how he escaped through the mistake of a German official. When a demand was made for his papers he presented a Canadian passport. The official looked it over, hesitated a moment, then said : "Canada? Let me see ; that's in America, isn't it?" The Canadian assured him it was. "Well, that's all right," he said, and made him out a permit as a citizen of the United States. The youth from the Domin- ion, now safe at home, sends his grateful greetings to Uncle Sam. SUSPECTED OF BEING A SPY James A. Patten, the Chicago "wheat king," was touring Germany with his wife when war came. They came home in the steerage of a steamer. Mr. Patten declared he would not have remained in Europe if he had to sacrifice half his fortune. For 270 TYPICAL EXPERIENCES a while he was under arrest, the Germans suspecting that he was a spy. CHAUNCEY DEPEW ON A RUNNING-BOARD Chauncey M. Depew, former United States Senator for New York, was in Geneva when the trouble began. He said on his return : * 'After crossing the border into France we picked up men joining the colors on the way to Paris, until our train could hold no more. 1 'Whenever I stuck my head into a corridor the soldiers would set up a cheer on seeing my side whiskers. They mis- took me for an Englishman and cried: 'Long live the entente cordiale!" "We stayed in Paris a week and then left for Boulogne. We were obliged to crowd into a coach as best we could. I sat on the running-board all the way. ' ' JENNIE DUFAU *S NARROW ESCAPE Jennie Dufau, the American opera singer, had one of the most thrilling experiences told by a refugee from the war zone. Miss Dufau was visiting in Saulxures, Province of Alsace, when the war started, and was in the hitherto peaceful valley of that region until August 24. She was with her sister, Eliza- beth, and her two brothers, Paul and Daniel. On August 6 the German artillery occupied the heights on one side of the valley, overlooking the town. On the 12th the Germans occupied the town itself. At that time there were but two French regiments near Saulxures. The French, however, opened fire on the Germans, and Miss Dufau with her father and sister at once retreated to the cellar in an effort to escape the flying shells. "Then began a tremendous artillery duel that lasted for days," she said. "All this time we were living in the cellar, where we were caring for ten wounded French officers. I often went out over the battlefield when the fire slackened and did what I could for the wounded and dying. "We improvised stretchers from gunnysacks stretched between poles and carried away as many of the wounded as we could shelter. "My brothers Paul and Daniel were drafted into the Ger- man army. They had sworn an oath not to fire a shot at a TYPICAL EXPERIENCES 271 Frenchman, and their greatest hope was that they would be captured and permitted to put on the French uniform. " Between August 12 and 24 the artillery duel raged, and finally the opposing armies came to a hand-to-hand fight with the bayonet. First it was the Germans who occupied the town, then the French. The Germans finally came to our house and accused my sister, my father, and myself of being spies because they found a telephone there. The soldiers lined us up against the wall to shoot us, but we fell on our knees and begged them to spare the life of our father. They gave no heed till a Ger- man colonel came along and, after questioning us, ordered that we be set free." HOMECOMING HARDSHIPS AT SEA How homecoming Americans adapted themselves to hard- ships and made the best of poor accommodations and poor food on an immigrant ship were graphically described by Mrs. R. W. A , who returned from Europe in September. She sailed from Naples with 700 other stranded Americans. The ship had been used to carry immigrants to South America. The crew was Italian and the boat had never sailed to the United States before. They were sixteen days at sea, "Our ship, the San Giovanni, was an immigrant ship and it was perfectly frightful," said Mrs. A . "The ship had been fumigated and the old bedding burned and staterooms were made with canvas partitions. Our staterooms were two decks below the main deck and next to the hold. The portholes could never be opened. The cooks were poor and the waiters inexperienced. 1 ' There were no steamer chairs on the boat and before we left we bought chairs or boxes for seats. Practically every- body slept on the decks until about 2 o'clock in the morning, when they became so cold they were forced to go below. "Everybody was practically penniless, although all had travelers ' checks which they could not cash abroad. Before we sailed we had to guarantee to pay for our passage in gold before we landed in New York. Arrangements were made in New York to send a boat with the gold to meet us outside the harbor. The captain stood out at sea until he received a wire- less message that the gold was ready. 272 TYPICAL EXPERIENCES 1 1 There was no parlor on the ship. Despite the many incon- veniences, we provided our own entertainment. There was a piano and we lashed it to a mast and every afternoon we had an entertainment. ' ' THAT TORRENT OF GERMAN TROOPS — THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF A NEUTRAL EYEWITNESS A thrilling description of the scenes attending the dogged advance of the German army from Brussels toward Paris was given by a neutral eyewitness, Mr. V. Siosteen, a spe- cial correspondent of the New York Tribune and London Standard, who wrote from Boulogne September 5th as follows : "I have seen and marveled at the torrent of human fight- ing machines which Germany has poured into this unhappy country. I have watched that most wonderful sight, the German army on march. I have witnessed the still more remarkable spectacle, the German troops going into action. "For, equipped with my credentials as a citizen of a neu- tral country, I have been able to move with comparative free- dom in the southern regions of Belgium and the northern provinces of France. "It was after the occupation of Brussels and the still later fighting at Mons that I found myself resting in a French village through which the German invaders were passing. The retreating French had torn up the railways, and, while German engineers were repairing them with all possible speed, troops marched along the high roads, carrying their impedimenta with them. 1 ' The hum of a motor high up in the air was the first in- timation of their approach. The villagers rushed out and gazed skyward. A Taube aeroplane was hovering above us at no very great distance, and soon we saw others. It was quite evident that they were spying out the land thoroughly, looking for possible dangers to the advancing hosts and trans- mitting information to the marching Germans. While we watched, one Taube machine crumpled up and fell headlong to the ground. Both its occupants were pitched out in mid-air and dropped a sheer 500 feet to death. But how utterly in- TYPICAL EXPERIENCES 273 significant that tragic incident seemed. Two German airmen dead! Two German families flung into mourning! But the German hosts marched on, and the destruction of these hu- man atoms of a mighty whole was of no military consequence. MAKCHED EIGHT ABKEAST AT AMAZING PACE "Round a bend of the road came the vanguard, consist- ing of a big contingent of military cyclists, with rifles swung over their shoulders. Knowing the way was clear for them, they rode right through the village at a slow pace. Close behind came a regiment of cavalry, then field artillery. The horses were almost worn out and the drivers thrashed them until they maintained the pace that suited the requirements of a forced march. More cavalry and corps of various de- scriptions followed, and then the infantry. "The road was wide, and they marched eight abreast. There seemed no end of them. Such typical German faces and figures! These men were short, rather than tall, but stalwart in form and with round heads and closely cropped hair. Their gray green uniforms were covered with dust. The rate of march was more than four miles an hour ; prob- ably a mile in thirteen minutes. Considering the weight of equipment, to which must be added the rifle, this speed is amazing, but it was clear their physical strength was being taxed to the uttermost. "Some corps were singing sentimental German volks- lieder. But many men were staggering along, barely able to hold their places in the ranks. "There is no room in the German army for weaklings. They receive scant mercy from comrades or superiors. The non-commissioned officers are relentlessly stern in the main- tenance of march discipline. They passed along the lines, cursing the lagging with a vigorous brutality that seemed to overawe them. "I saw a young soldier, who looked like a youth of twenty, receive several severe blows from a non-commissioned offi- cer because fatigue caused him to fall a little behind his rank and thus disarrange the marching machine. Other men who dropped by the wayside were prodded with bayonets until pain goaded them to fresh efforts. One private, accused of 274 TYPICAL EXPERIENCES simulating exhaustion, was kicked by a non-commissioned officer with heavy boots until he rose to his feet and went on marching. Complete exhaustion and utter despair were writ- ten on some of the faces, but not on the majority of them. The bulk of the troops, it must be recorded, seemed to stand the test of endurance successfully, thanks to perfect training in the times of peace. "There seemed no community of fellowship between the officers and men. Communication between them appeared to be conducted by the non-commissioned officers, who play a most important part in the German army. Some of the offi- cers who passed witnessed the chastisement by the non-com- missioned men of exhausted soldiers and took no notice of their drastic methods of maintaining march discipline. Evi- dently it is accepted as a natural necessity. 1 ' The equipment of the German army is wonderfully com- plete. Huge motor lorries stretched for miles and miles and came along after the troops at a speed of nearly twenty miles an hour. Guns, ammunition, Maxims and general stores on big automobiles, field kitchens, traveling pharmacies, field telephones and telegraph lines, portable wireless apparatus, nothing was missing. FRENCH PEASANTRY AWE-STRICKEN "It was a scientifically and systematically equipped army which moved southward toward Paris. The number of Ger- man troops was a never ending source of awe and terror to the French peasantry. 'What chance have we of stemming this tide of armies f ' they asked in despair. "The Germans filled the roads and overflowed into the fields. When thousands had gone by, more thousands ap- proached, and continued to march to the front; and when these thousands disappeared to the south more tens of thou- sands arrived from the rear, and went on marching to the front. It was an endless swarm of human ants. "A day later chance made me the spectator of an engage- ment between the French and German troops. "The French were strongly intrenched, and the French artillery occupied a favorable position under cover, but in a good line of attack. The Germans advanced. The French p. o «) » o *|- H " « to p *j h£ ^ a) c z. c O cS cS N C § ^ 3 e3 t. 2 t-i to 4) i) ft * S I O s 5 I a> I* Photo by Underwood & Underwood. 2. A T,a,„,„.a of RusaIan Troops En Rou(e (o t t U " P uss ,an Frontier. o d 5 =5 co TYPICAL EXPERIENCES 275 artillery found the range and shelled them. I saw the gray- green figures dropping like ninepins bowled over by some unseen thrower. But more gray-green figures emerged from the rear, and the advance continued. "The Germans went forward at the double quick. The French artillery continued destructive fire, but the onward rush was too rapid for any such means to stop it. The French infantry poured volley after volley into the German ranks. "The Germans were advancing with about one yard dis- tance between men of the front line, but the Germans of the second line were immediately behind those of the first, so that as the foremost were shot down the men of the second line were there in their right position and able to push forward. The Germans of the third line were exactly behind those of the second, so that when the soldiers of the second line were shot down, those of the third took their place. So they ad- vanced, line after line, always in close formation, both from right to left and from van to rear. "The slaughter was truly terrible. Countless gray-green figures fell and lay prostrate, while their comrades rushed onwards to the same relentless fate. But the French simply could not shoot them dead with sufficient rapidity to stem the onslaught. The Germans succeeded in advancing, and the French withdrew to avoid being overwhelmed by the Teutonic hordes. "The Germans achieve wonderful results by these meth- ods of fighting. I am inclined to think it is not so much their courage as the discipline which enables them to court death by these antiquated tactics. They fight almost automatically and advance with machine-like precision, so thorough is their training. "It is not strategy, nor skill in handling weapons, not in- dividual fighting qualities that have achieved the advance to Paris. It is the efficiency of the whole German military system. ' ' WAR COST TO KILL A MAN. What does it cost to kill a man in war? Probably $25,000 in the present conflict. The cost of killing one soldier is ob- 276 TYPICAL EXPERIENCES tained by dividing the cost of a war to any of the belligerents by the number of men killed on the other side. In the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71 the cost of killing each man was $21,000. But the cost of every material of war- fare has advanced substantially since then. It is safe to esti- mate — unless the terrific destruction of machine guns upsets precedent — that to bring about a soldier's death will cause an expenditure of $25,000 on the other side. France spent $400,000,000 in actual expense of that war and $200,000,000 in repairing materials, giving help to father- less families, and other uses. The German dead numbered 28,600. For every one of them France spent approximately $21,000. The figures of the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78 give an average of $15,000 for every one killed. It cost Russia $1,200,000,000 to kill 58,600 Japanese in the war of 1905, making the cost of the individual slaying $20,400. THE SPY. -Bradley in Chicago Daily News. CHAPTER XVIII ATTITUDE OF THE UNITED STATES President Wilson's Plea for Calm and Impartial Behavior of Citizens — Proclamation of Neutrality — Early Offer of Mediation — Reception of the Belgian Commission — The National Day of Prayer for Peace. ON August 3 President Wilson, speaking to the press correspondents at the White House, made a strong plea that the people of the United States remain calm and self-possessed in the face of the European war crisis. "It is extremely necessary, it is manifestly necessary in the present state of affairs on the other side of the water," he said, ' ' that you should be extremely careful not to add in any way to the excitement. Of course the European world is in a highly excited state of mind, but the excitement ought not to spread to the United States. "So far as we are concerned this crisis is no cause for excitement. There is great inconvenience for the time being in the money market, and in our exchanges, and temporarily, in the handling of our crops, but America is absolutely pre- pared to meet the financial situation and to straighten every- thing out without any material difficulty. The only thing that can possibly prevent it is unreasonable apprehension and excitement. "If I might make a suggestion to you, gentlemen, there- fore, I would urge you not to give currency to any unverified rumor or to anything that would tend to create or add to excitement. "The situation in Europe is perhaps the gravest in its possibilities that has arisen in modern times, but it need not affect the United States unfavorably in the long run. Not 277 •278 ATTITUDE OF THE U. S. that the United States has anything to take advantage of, but its own position is sound and it owes it to mankind to remain in such a condition and in such a state of mind that it can help the rest of the world. ''I want to have the pride of feeling that America stands ready with calmness of thought and steadiness of purpose to help the rest of the world. And we can do it and reap a great permanent glory out of doing it, provided we all co- operate to see that nobody loses his head. "I know from my conferences with the secretary of the treasury, who is in close touch with the financial situation throughout the country, that there is no cause for alarm. ' ' PROCLAMATION OF NEUTRALITY The proclamation of neutrality toward the warring Euro- pean nations, issued on the same day by President Wilson, embodied the provisions of the Hague convention of 1907 concerning the rights and duties of neutral powers in naval war. Much of the language of the document concerning the nonpartisan conduct imposed on American citizens was the same as that employed in previous proclamations of this character, notably that issued by President Grant during the Franco-Prassian war. In addition the proclamation incorporated the principles of international law formulated in the Hague convention. This convention was ratified by the United States, Germany, Austria, Russia and Sweden, but not by Great Britain and France. The provisions of the Hague convention incorporated in the proclamation related to the prohibition of the use of waters of the United States by belligerent vessels, the rules governing the entrance of and withdrawal from neutral ports by the belligerents, and similar matters. Part of the actual text of the proclamation was as follows : By the President of the United States of America— A Proc- lamation: "Whereas a state of war unhappily exists between Aus- tria-Hungary and Servia and between Germany and Russia and between Germany and France; and whereas the United ATTITUDE OF THE U. S. 279 States is on terms of friendship and amity with the contend- ing powers and with the persons inhabiting their several dominions ; "And whereas the laws and treaties of the United States, without interfering with the free expression of opinion and sympathy or with the commercial manufacture or sale of arms or munitions of war, nevertheless impose upon all per- sons who may be within their territory and jurisdiction the duty of an impartial neutrality during the existence of the contest; "And whereas it is the duty of a neutral government not to permit or suffer the making of its waters subservient to the purposes of war; "Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States of America, in order to preserve the neutrality of the United States and of its citizens and of persons within its territory and jurisdiction, and to enforce its laws and treaties, and in order that all persons, being warned of the general tenor of the laws and treaties of the United States in this behalf, and of the law of nations, may thus be pre- vented from any violation of the same, do hereby declare and proclaim that by certain provisions of the act approved on the 4th day of March, A. D. 1909, commonly known as the penal code of the United States, the following acts are forbid- den to be done, under severe penalties, within the territory and jurisdiction of the United States, to- wit: [Here followed a list of the acts prohibited, as referred to above.] "And I do hereby further declare and proclaim that any frequenting and use of the waters within the territorial juris- diction of the United States by the armed vessels of a bellig- erent, whether public ships or privateers, for the purpose of preparing for hostile operations, or as posts of observation upon the ships of war, or privateers, or merchant vessels of a belligerent lying within or being about to enter the juris- diction of the United States must be regarded as unfriendly and offensive and in violation of that neutrality which it is the determination of this government to observe. 280 ATTITUDE OF THE U. S. UKGES CITIZENS TO BE IMPARTIAL ' 'And I do further declare and proclaim that the statutes and the treaties of the United States and the law of nations alike require that no person within the territory and juris- diction of the United States shall take part, directly or in- directly, in the said wars, but shall remain at peace with all of the said belligerents, and shall maintain a strict and im- partial neutrality. "And I do hereby warn all citizens of the United States, and all persons residing or being within its territory or juris- diction that, while the free and full expression of sympathy in public and private is not restricted by the laws of the United States, military forces in aid of a belligerent cannot lawfully be originated or organized within its jurisdiction. "And I do hereby give notice that all citizens of the United States and others who may claim the protection of this gov- ernment, who may misconduct themselves in the premises, will do so at their peril, and that they can in no wise obtain any protection from the government of the United States against the consequences of their misconduct. "In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed." (Signed) Woodrow Wilson. OFFER OF MEDIATION On August 5 President Wilson offered his good offices to all the European powers involved in the war. He sent the following message to Emperor William, Emperor Nicholas, Emperor Francis-Joseph, President Poincare and King George : "As official head of one of the powers signatory to the Hague convention, I feel it to be my privilege and my duty under article 3 of that convention to say to you in a spirit of most earnest friendship that I should welcome an opportunity to act in the interest of European peace, either now or any other time that might be thought more suitable, as an occa- sion to serve you and all concerned in a way that would afford me lasting cause for gratitude and happiness." — Woodrow Wilson. This offer of mediatory services was courteously acknowl- ATTITUDE OF THE U. S. 281 edged by all the powers to whom it was addressed, but none expressed any desire to take advantage of it at that stage of the hostilities. A REMARKABLE APPEAL On August 18 President Wilson issued one of the most re- markable appeals ever addressed to the people of the United States, using the following language : "My Fellow Countrymen: "I suppose that every thoughtful man in America has asked himself during the last troubled week what influence the European war may exert upon the United States, and I take the liberty of addressing a few words to you in order to point out that it is entirely within our own choice what its effects upon us will be and to urge very earnestly upon you the sort of speech and conduct which will best safeguard the nation against distress and disaster. "The effect of the war upon the United States will depend upon what American citizens say and do. Every man who really loves America will act and speak in the true spirit of neutrality which is the spirit of impartiality and fairness and friendliness to all concerned. RESTS WITH PEOPLE ALONE 1 1 The spirit of the nation in this critical matter will be de- termined largely by what individuals and society and those gathered in public meetings do and say, upon what news- papers and magazines contain, upon what our ministers utter in their pulpits and men proclaim as their opinions on the streets. "The people of the United States are drawn from many nations and chiefly from the nations now at war. It is natural and inevitable that there should be the utmost variety of sympathy and desire among them with regard to the issues and circumstances of the conflict. Some will wish one nation, others another, to succeed in the momentous struggle. PASSION" EASY TO EXCITE "It will be easy to excite passion and difficult to allay it. Those responsible for exciting it will assume a heavy respon- sibility ; responsibility for no less a thing than that the people of the United States, whose love of their country, and whose 282 ATTITUDE OF THE U. S. loyalty to its government, should unite them as Americans, all bound in honor and affection to think first of her and her interests, may be divided in camps of hostile opinions, not against each other ; involved in the war itself in impulse and opinion, if not in action. Such diversions among us would There is always one place where the sun shines. — Cleveland Plain JUealer be fatal to our peace of mind and might seriously stand in the way of the proper performance of our duty as the one great nation at peace ; the one people holding itself ready to play a part of impartial mediation and speak the counsels of peace and accommodation, not as a partisan, but as a friend ATTITUDE OF THE U. S. 283 NEUTRALITY AN IMPORTANT DUTY "I venture, therefore, my fellow countrymen, to speak a solemn word of warning to you against that deepest, most subtle, most essential breach of neutrality which may spring out of partisanship, out of passionately taking sides. The United States must be neutral in fact as well as in name during these days that are to try men's souls. We must be impartial in thought as well as in action, must put a curb upon our sentiments as well as upon every transaction that might be construed as a preference of one party to the strug- gle before another. "My thought is of America. I am speaking, I feel sure, the earnest wish and purpose of every thoughtful American that this great country of ours, which is, of course, the first in our thoughts and in our hearts, should show herself in this time of peculiar trial a nation fit beyond others to exhibit the fine poise of undisturbed judgment, the dignity of self- control, the efficiency of dispassionate action; a nation that neither sits in judgment upon others, nor is disturbed in her own counsels and which keeps herself fit and free to do what is honest and disinterested and truly serviceable for the peace of the world. "Shall we not resolve to put upon ourselves the restraint which will bring to our people the happiness and the great lasting influence for peace we covet for them?" MANY MESSAGES PROMPTED THE NOTE Prior to the issuance of the above statement officials close to the president made it clear that Mr. Wilson was fully de- termined to take no part in the dispute between Japan and Germany over the situation in the far east. While the Ger- man-Japan question was not referred to in the statement, it became known that the president regarded with disfavor efforts he believed were being made to embroil the United States in the controversy in the far east or in Europe. The president was led to make his statement to the coun- try by reason of many communications which had been re- ceived from organizations throughout the country, com- posed of former citizens of the countries engaged in the Eu- ropean conflict. These communications had invariably been 284 ATTITUDE OF THE U. S. couched in respectful language and with no intent to offend in any way, but the general tenor of all of them indicated to officials at Washington a growing tendency to incite debate and, therefore, unrest among the people as a whole. The president was known to feel that a neutral nation and its officials should remain neutral in thought as well as in action, and for that reason his statement fully set forth his own views on the subject. FURTHER EFFORTS FOR PEACE Early in September further efforts to bring about peace in Europe were inaugurated in New York and Washington. These had the careful and sympathetic attention and aid of President Wilson and Secretary of State Bryan, but came to naught in view of the determined attitude of the belligerents. Great Britain, France and Russia formally agreed that neither of them would make peace without the consent of all, and the efforts of the American peacemakers were necessarily aban- doned for the time. THE BELGIAN COMMISSION" On Friday, September 11, a Belgian royal commission, appointed by King Albert, landed in New York to lay before the Government of the United States formal charges of atroci- ties alleged to have been committed by the Germans during their campaign in Belgium. The members of the commission were as follows : M. Henri Carton de Wiart, minister of jus- tice, chairman; MM. Paul Hymans, Louis de Sadeleer and Emil Vandervelde, ministers of state ; Count Louis de Lichter- velde, secretary. The commission was received by the President at the White House on Wednesday, September 16, when a copy of the Bel- gian charges was formally handed to him. In his reply to the commission, President Wilson expressed his deep sense of the honor done him by Belgium in turning to him for an impar- tial judgment as the representative of a people truly disinter- ested in the war. Presently, he said, the war would be over and the day of accounting would then come. He made it plain that the United States could not pass judgment on, or take part in, any controversies between the countries at war. Set- ATTITUDE OF THE U. S. 285 tlement of such matters must, he said, await the termination of the war, which he prayed God might be very soon. In similar terms the President replied to communications from Emperor William of Germany and President Poincare of France, who had each written him, alleging the use of dum- dum bullets by the enemy. Courteously, but positively, he declined to act as judge or arbiter of the matters in contro- versy as long as the war was still in progress. MONEY FOE EED CROSS AND RELIEF Large amounts were subscribed in the United States and Canada for the furtherance of Red Cross work among the armies in the field ; also for hospitals and the relief of widows and orphans of the dead, and of others made destitute by the war. Americans of all nationalities freely contributed to these causes, through their national and local organizations and individual effort. In New York a steamship formerly flying the German flag was purchased by the American Red Cross and sent across the Atlantic with a cargo of surgical and hospital supplies. Under command of Captain Armisted Rust, U. S. N., retired, the vessel was rechristened the Red Cross and reached Falmouth, England, on her errand of mercy in the third week of Septem- ber. With her went thirty surgeons and 120 nurses for duty in France, Belgium, Germany and Russia. In professional command of the expedition was Major Robert Hugh Patterson of the Medical Corps, U. S. Army, while the chief supervision of the nurses was trusted to Miss Helen Scott Hay, ex-superintendent of the Illinois Training School for Nurses. A DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE On September 8 President Wilson signed a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to pray for peace in Europe. Sunday, Oct. 4, was set aside as a day of prayer. The proclamation was as follows : "By the President of the United States of America, a proclamation : "Whereas, great nations of the world have taken up arms against one another and war now draws millions of men into 286 ATTITUDE OF THE U. S. —Chicago Herald, Oct. 4, 1914. ATTITUDE OF THE V. S. 287 battle whom the counsels of statesmen have not been able to save from the terrible sacrifice ; and "Whereas, in this as in all things, it is our privilege and duty to seek counsel and succor of Almighty God, humbling ourselves before Him, confessing our weakness and our lack of any wisdom equal to these things ; and "Whereas, it is the especial wish and longing of the people of the United States, in prayer and counsel and all friendli- ness, to serve the cause of peace ; "Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, do designate Sunday, the 4th day of Octo- ber next, a day of prayer and supplication, and do request all God-fearing persons to repair on that day to their places of worship, there to unite their petitions to Almighty God, that, overruling the counsel of men, setting straight the things they cannot govern or alter, taking pity on the nations now in the throes of conflict, in His mercy and goodness showing a way where men can see none, He vouchsafe His children healing peace again and restore once more that concord among men and nations without which there can be neither happiness nor true friendship nor any wholesome fruit of toil or thought in the world ; praying also to this end that He forgive us our sins, our ignorance of His holy will, our willfulness and many errors, and lead us in the paths of obedience to places of vision and to thoughts and counsels that purge and make wise. "In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. "Done at the City of Washington this 8th day of Septem- ber, in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Fourteen and of the Independence of the United States of America the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth. "(Signed) Woodrow Wilson, ' - By the President, ; ' William Jennings Bryan, 1 ' Secretary of State. ' ' This proclamation made a deep impression upon all the people of the United States and was not without effect in Europe. Its tone of deep piety and intense human sympathy characterized it as one of the most remarkable state papers 288 ATTITUDE OF THE U. S. that ever emanated from the White House. The churches throughout the country were largely attended on the day designated. In most of them the President 's proclamation was read and special prayers for peace were offered. In the larger cities of the United States devotional mass meetings were held and attended by all classes of the popula- tion. A typical meeting was that held in the city of Chicago, presided over by Bishop Samuel Fallows. The great Audi- torium proved altogether inadequate to accommodate the outpouring of citizens of all nationalities and an overflow meet- ing of 10,000 people was held simultaneously in Grant Park on the shore of Lake Michigan, beneath the statue of a great soldier of the Civil War, General John A. Logan, who like General Sherman, realized the horror of war. PALACE OF PEACE HAGUE A . CAtlNEG I £ . J ANITOR BUSINESS IS VERRA DULL THE NOO'" — The Sun (.Vancouver. B. C.)- CHAPTER XIX THE MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS Movements of British Battleships Veiled in Secrecy — German Dreadnoughts in North Sea and Baltic Ports — Activity of Smaller Craft — English Keep Trade Routes Open — Several Minor Battles at Sea. SHORTLY before war was declared a great review of the British navy was held at Spithead, on the English Channel, when several hundred vessels were gathered in mighty array for inspection by King George and the lords of the Admiralty. The salutes they fired had hardly ceased to rever- berate along the shores of the Channel when the momentous struggle was on. It found the British fleet fully mobilized and ready for action. The ships had their magazines filled, their bunkers and oil tanks charged, their victualing com- pleted, and last, but not least, their full crews aboard. Then, without a moment's delay, they disappeared, under orders to proceed to stations in the North Sea, to cruise in the Channel, the Atlantic or the Mediterranean ; to keep trade routes open for British and neutral ships and capture or destroy the ships of the enemy. Silently and swiftly they sailed, and for weeks the world knew little or nothing of their movements or whereabouts. Mystery equally deep shrouded the German fleet. In all probability it lay under the guns of the coast cities and forts of Germany, but nothing definite was permitted to leak out. The test of the two great navies, the supreme test of dread- noughts and superdreadnoughts, failed to materialize, and for weeks the people of Great Britain and Germany could only wonder what had become of their naval forces and why they did not come into contact with each other. A few minor engagements in the North Sea, in which light cruisers and 289 290 MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS torpedo-boat destroyers were concerned, served only to deepen the mystery. Only naval men and well-informed civilians realized that Germany was biding her time, waiting to choose her own honr for action, realizing the strength of the opposing force and determined not to risk her own ships until the opportune moment should arrive which would offer the best possible chances for success. And meanwhile the main British fleet lay in the North Sea, waiting for the enemy to appear. After awhile letters began to come from the North Sea, telling of the life aboard the vessels lying in wait, scouting or patrolling the coasts. The ships were all stripped for action ; all inflammable ornaments and fittings had been left behind or cast overboard; stripped and naked the fighting machines went to their task. All day long the men were ready at their guns, and during the night each gun crew slept around the weapon that it was their duty to serve, ready to repel any destroyers or submarines coining out of the surrounding dark- ness to attack them. Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe had assumed supreme com- mand of the British home fleet on August 4, with the rank of admiral. His chief of staff was Rear Admiral Charles E. Madden. Rear Admiral Sir George Callaghan was in com- mand of the North Sea fleet. AN ADMIRALTY ANNOUNCEMENT On Thursday, September 10, the secretary of the British Admiralty made the following announcement: ''Yesterday and today strong and numerous squadrons and flotillas have made a complete sweep of the North Sea up to and into the Heligoland Bight. The German fleet made no attempt to inter- fere with our movements and no German ship of any kind was seen at sea." That much patience had to be exercised by the seamen of the North Sea fleet is evidenced by a letter in which the writer said to his family, ' ' If you want to get away from the excite- ment of war, you should be here with me." This situation, of course, might be changed at a moment's notice. The London Times said in September : "It is not to be wondered at if our seamen today envy a little the old-time sailors who did not have to compete with such things as mines, destroyers and MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS 291 submarines. In the accounts of the old blockades we read how by means of music and dancing, and even theatrical entertain- ments, the monotonous nature of the work was counteracted, and the officers of the ships, including Nelson and other great commanders, welcomed these diversions for the prevention of the evils which might be bred by enforced idleness. It is a true saying that everything that stagnates corrupts. There is no possible chance of the crews of our modern vessels stag- nating under the new conditions of war. "Whether engaged in blockading in the big ships, scouting in the cruisers, or patrol- ling the coasts in the destroyers, the life is described as tre- mendously interesting and exciting. There has been no sense of monotony whatever. Indeed, the conditions are such that, were it not obligatory for portions of every crew to take rest, all of them would be continually on the alert. "We may be cer- tain that arrangements have been made for ensuring that the crews obtain periods of relaxation from the constant strain ; but the only real change comes in the big ships when they have of necessitv to refill their bunkers.' ' LOSS OF THE CRUISER AMPHION The cruiser Amphion was the first British war vessel lost in the war. The survivors on landing at the North Sea port of Harwich, England, on August 10, stated that hardly had they left Harwich than they were ordered to clear the decks for action. They sighted the German mine-laying ves- sel Koenigin Luise, and, as it refused to stop even when a shot was fired across its bows, they gave chase. The German ship fired and then the destroyers, accom- panying the Amphion, surrounded and sank it after a brief combined bombardment. The captain, it is said, was beside himself with fury. He had a revolver in his hand and threatened his men as they prepared to surrender to the rescuing ships. He flatly refused to give himself up and was taken by force. When the smoke of a big ship was seen on the horizon the Amphion gave chase, firing a warning shot as it drew near the vessel, which at once made known its identity as the Harwich boat St. Petersburg, carrying Prince Lichnow- skv, the German ambassador, to the Hook of Holland. 292 MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS While returning to port came the tragedy of the Amphion. As it struck a sunken mine it gave two plunging jerks. Then came an explosion which ripped up its forepart, shot up its funnels like arrows from a bow, and lifted its heavy guns into the air. The falling material struck several of the boats of the flotilla and injured some of the men on board them. The Amphion 's men were dreadfully burned and scalded and had marks on their faces and bodies which resembled splashes of acid. The scene at Harwich was like that which follows a col- liery explosion. Of the British seamen in the hospital thirteen were suffering from severe burns, five from less serious burns, two from the effects of lyddite fumes, and one each from concussion, severe injury, slight wounds, shock, and slight burns. A few wounded German sailors also lay in the hospital. SINKING A GEKMAN SUBMARINE On August 12 there came from Edinburgh the story of an eyewitness of a naval battle in the North Sea on the pre- vious Sunday between British cruisers and German subma- rines, in which the German submarine U-15 was sunk. "The cruiser squadron on Sunday," the story ran, " sud- denly became aware of the approach of the submarine flotilla. The enemy was submerged, only the periscopes showing above the surface of the water. "The attitude of the British in the face of this attack was cool and the enemy was utterly misled when suddenly the cruiser Birmingham, steaming at full speed, fired the first shot. This shot was carefully aimed, not at the submerged body of a submarine, but at the thin line of the periscope. "The gunnery was superbly accurate and shattered the periscope. Thereupon the submarine, now a blinded thing, rushed along under water in imminent danger of self-destruc- tion from collision with the cruisers above. "The sightless submarine was then forced to come to the surface, whereupon the Birmingham's gunner fired the second shot of the fight. This shot struck at the base of the conning tower, ripping the whole of the upper structure clean and the U-15 sank like a stone. "The remainder of the submarine flotilla fled." MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS 293 NAVAL BATTLE OFF HELIGOLAND In the last week of August a naval engagement occurred off the island of Heligoland, in the North Sea. British war vessels sank five German ships, killing 900 men. A graphic description of the engagement was given by a young lieuten- ant who was on one of the British torpedo boat destroyers: "I think the home papers are magnifying what really was but an affair of outposts. We destroyers went in and lured the enemy out and had lots of excitement. The big fel- lows then came up and afforded some excellent target prac- tice, and we were very glad to see them come; but it was a massacre, not a fight. " There was superb generalship and overwhelming forces on the spot, but there was really nothing for them to do except to shoot the enemy, even as father shoots pheasants. 1 ' Have you ever noticed a dog rush in on a flock of sheep and scatter them? He goes for the nearest and barks and goes so much faster than the flock that it bunches up with its companions. The dog then barks at another and the sheep spread out fanwise, so in front of the dog there is a semicircle of sheep and behind him none. "That was much what we did at 7 a. m. on August 28. The sheep were the German torpedo craft, which fell back on the limits of our range and tried to lure us within the fire of the Heligoland forts. But a cruiser then came out and engaged our Arethusa and they had a real heart-to-heart talk, while we looked on, and a few of us tried to shoot at the enemy, too, though it was beyond our distance. "We were getting nearer Heligoland all the time. There was a thick mist and I expected every minute to find the forts on the island bombarding us, so the Arethusa presently drew off after landing at least one good shell on the enemy. The enemy gave every hit as good as he got there. "We then reformed, but a strong destroyer belonging to the submarines got chased, and the Arethusa and Fearless went back to look after it. We presently heard a hot action astern, so the captain in command of the flotilla turned us around and we went back to help. But they had driven the 294 MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS enemy off and on our arrival told us to 'form up' on the Arethusa. CRUISEK FIRES ON SHIPS ' ' When we had partly formed and were very much bunched together, making a fine* target, suddenly out of the mist ar- rived five or six shells from a point not 150 yards away. We gazed at whence they came and again five or six stabs of fire pierced the fog, and we made out a four-funneled German cruiser of the Breslau class. "Those stabs were its guns going off. We waited fifteen seconds and the shots and noise of its guns arrived pretty well from fifty yards away. Its next salvo of shots went above us, and I ducked as they whirred overhead like a covey of fast partridges. "You would suppose our captain had done this sort of thing all his life. He went full speed ahead at once, upon the first salvo, to string the bunch out and thus offer less target. The commodore from the Arethusa made a signal to us to attack with torpedoes. So we swung round at right angles and charged full speed at the enemy like a hussar attack. "Our boat got away at the start magnificently and led the field, so all the enemy's firing was aimed at us for the next ten minutes, when we got so close that debris from their shells fell on board. Then we altered our course and so threw them out in their reckoning of our speed, and they had all their work to do over again. "Humanly speaking, our captain by twisting and turning at psychological moments saved us. Actually, I feel that we were in God's keeping that day. After ten minutes we got near enough to fire our torpedo. Then we turned back to the Arethusa. Next our follower arrived just where we had been and fired its torpedo, and of course the enemy fired at it instead of at us. What a blessed relief ! "After the destroyers came the Fearless, and it stayed on the scene. Soon we found it was engaging a three-funneler, the Mainz, so off we started again, now for the Mainz, the situation being that the crippled Arethusa was too tubby to do anything but be defended by us, its children. "Scarcely, however, had we started when, from out of MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS 295 the mist and across our front, in furious pursuit came the first cruiser squadron of the town class, the Birmingham, and each unit a match for three Lke the Mainz, which was soon sunk. As we looked and reduced speed they opened fire, and the clear bang-bang of their guns was just like a cooling drink. "To see a real big four-funneler spouting flame, which flame denoted shells starting, and those shells not at us but for us, was the most cheerful thing possible. Once we were in safety, I hated it. "We had just been having our own imag- inations stimulated on the subject of shells striking. "Xow, a few minutes later, to see another ship not three miles away, reduced to a piteous mass of unrecognizability, wreathed in black fumes from which flared out angry gusts of fire like Vesuvius in eruption, as an unending stream of hundred-pound shells burst on board it, just pointed the moral and showed us what might have been. "The Lla'nz was immensely gallant. The last I saw of it it was absolutely wrecked. It was a fuming inferno. But it had one gun forward and one aft still spitting forth fury and defiance like a wild cat. "Then we went west, while they went east. Just a bit later we heard the thunder of the enemy's guns for a space. Then fell silence, and we knew that was all. A MARVELOUS EESCUE "The most romantic, dramatic, and piquant episode that modern war can ever show came next. The Defender, hav- ing sunk an enemy, lowered a whaler to pick up its swimming survivors. Before the whaler got back, an enemy's cruiser came up and chased the Defender, which thus had to aban- don its small boat. "Imagine their feelings, alone in an open boat without food, twenty-five miles from the nearest land, and that land an enemy's fortress, with nothing but fog and foes around them, and then suddenly a swirl alongside, and up, if you please, hops His Britannic Majesty's submarine E-4, opens its conning tower, takes them all on board, shuts up again, dives and brings them home, 250 miles." 296 MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS THREE BRITISH CRUISERS SUNK On Tuesday morning, September 22, the British cruisers Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue were torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine in the North Sea. Each of the vessels carried a crew of about 650 men, and the total of the death roll was about 1,400. The three cruisers had for some time been patrolling the North Sea. Soon after 6 o 'clock in the morning the Aboukir suddenly felt a shock on the port side. A dull explosion was heard and a column of water was thrown up mast high. The explosion wrecked the stokehold just forward of amidships and tore the bottom open. Almost immediately the doomed cruiser began to settle. Except for the watch on deck, most of the crew were asleep, wearied by the constant vigil in bad weather, but in perfect order the officers and men rushed to quarters. The quick- firers were manned in the hope of a dying shot at the sub- marine, but there was not a glimpse of one. Meanwhile the Aboukir 's sister cruisers, more than a mile away, saw and heard the explosion and thought the Aboukir had struck a mine. They closed in and lowered boats. This sealed their own fate, for, while they were standing by to rescue survivors, first the Hogue and then the Cressy was torpedoed. Only the Cressy appears to have seen the submarine in time to attempt to retaliate, and she fired a few shots before she keeled over, broken in two, and sank. The British officers united in praising the skill and daring of the German naval officers, and had nothing but professional praise for the submarine's feat. "Our only grievance," one said, "is that we have not had a shot at the Germans. Our only share of the war has been a few uncomfortable weeks of bad weather, mines and sub- marines." A number of the survivors were taken to the Dutch port of Ymuiden, where they were interned as technical prisoners of war. THE GERMAN" COMMANDER *S STORY The German submarine which accomplished the hitherto unparalleled feat was the U-9, in command of Capt.-Lieut. Otto MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS 297 Weddigen, whose interesting story was given to the public through the German Admiralty on October 6, as follows : "I set out from a North Sea port on one of the arms of the Kiel canal and set my course in a southwesterly direction. The name of the port I cannot state officially, but it was not many days before the morning of September 22 when I fell in with my quarry. " British torpedo-boats came within my reach, but I felt there was bigger game further on, so on I went. It was ten minutes after six in the morning of the 22nd when I caught sight of one of the big cruisers of the enemy. "I was then eighteen sea miles northwesterly of the Hook of Holland. I had traveled considerably more than 200 miles from my base. I had been going ahead partially submerged, with about five feet of my periscope showing. "Almost immediately I caught sight of the first cruiser and two others. I submerged completely and laid my course in order to bring up in center of the trio, which held a sort of triangular formation. I could see their gray-black sides riding high over the water. "When I first sighted them they were near enough for tor- pedo work, but I wanted to make my aim sure, so I went down and in on them. I had taken the position of the three ships before submerging, and I succeeded in getting another flash through my periscope before I began action. I soon reached what I regarded as a good shooting point. "Then I loosed one of my torpedoes at the middle ship. I was then about twelve feet under water and got the shot off in good shape, my men handling the boat as if it had been a skiff. I climbed to the surface to get a sight through my tube of the effect and discovered that the shot had gone straight and true, striking the ship, which I later learned was the Abou- kir, under one of its magazines, which in exploding helped the torpedo's work of destruction. "There was a fountain of water, a burst of smoke, a flash of fire, and part of the cruiser rose in the air. STKIKES THE SECOND CRUISER "Its crew were brave and, even with death staring them in the face, kept to their posts. I submerged at once. But I had stayed on top long enough to see the other cruisers, which I 298 MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS learned were the Cressy and the Hogue, turn and steam full speed to their dying sister. "As I reached my torpedo depth I sent a second charge at the nearest of the oncoming vessels, which was the Hogue. The English were playing my game, for I had scarcely to move out of my position, which was a great aid, since it helped to keep me from detection. 1 ' The attack on the Hogue went true. But this time I did not have the advantageous aid of having the torpedo detonate under the magazine, so for twenty minutes the Hogue lay wounded and helpless on the surface before it heaved, half turned over, and sank. "By this time the third cruiser knew, of course, that the enemy was upon it, and it sought as best it could to defend itself. It loosed its torpedo defense batteries on bows, star- board, and port, and stood its ground as if more anxious to help the many sailors in the water than to save itself. "In the common method of defending itself against a submarine attack, it steamed in a zigzag course, and this made it necessary for me to hold my torpedoes until I could lay a true course for them, which also made it necessary for me to get nearer to the Cressy. "I had to come to the surface for a view, and saw how wildly the fire was being sent from the ship. Small wonder that was when they did not know where to shoot, although one shot went unpleasantly near us. "When I got within suitable range I sent away my third attack. This time I sent a second torpedo after the first to make the strike doubly certain. My crew were aiming like sharpshooters and both torpedoes went to their bull's-eye. My luck was with me again, for the enemy was made useless and at once began sinking by the head. Then it careened far over, but all the while its men stayed at the guns looking for their invisible foe. "They were brave and true to their country's sea tradi- tions. Then it eventually suffered a boiler explosion and com- pletely turned turtle. With its keel uppermost it floated until the air got out from under it and then it sank with a loud sound, as if from a creature in pain. "The whole affair had taken less than one hour from the MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS 299 time of shooting off the first torpedo until the Cressy went to the bottom. •'I set my course for home. Before I got far some British cruisers and destroyers were on the spot and the destroyers took up the chase. "I kept under water most of the way, but managed to get off a wireless to the German fleet that I was heading homeward and being pursued. But although British destroyers saw me plainly at dusk on the 22d and made a final effort to stop me, they abandoned the attempt, as it was taking them too far from safety and needlessly exposing them to attack from our fleet and submarines." MERCHANTMEN CAPTURED AND SUNK During the first months of the war a large number of mer- chant vessels, principally German and British, were captured or sunk. According to a British Admiralty return, issued Sep- tember 28, twelve British ships with an aggregate tonnage of 59,331 tons had been sunk on the high seas by German cruisers up to September 23. Eight other British ships, whose ton- nage aggregated 2,970, had been sunk by German mines in the North Sea, and 24 fishing craft, with a tonnage of 4,334, had been captured or sunk by the Germans in the same waters. British ships detained at German ports numbered 74, with a total tonnage of 170,000. On the other side the Admiralty reported 102 German ships, with a total tonnage of 200,000, detained in British ports since the outbreak of the war; while 88 German ships, of an aggregate tonnage of 338,000, had been captured since hostili- ties began. The return also showed that 168 German ships, with an aggregate tonnage of 283,000, had been detained or captured by the Allies. Fifteen ships, with a tonnage of 247,000, were detained in American ports, while fourteen others, with a ton- nage of 72,000, remained in the Suez Canal. The German mines in the North Sea had also destroyed seven Scandinavian ships, with a tonnage of 11,098. GERMAN CRUISERS ACTIVE Several German cruisers were amazingly active in distant waters early in the war. Among these were the Goeben, Bres- lau, Emden, Karlsruhe, and Leipzig, which captured or sank 300 MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS a number of vessels of the enemy. The German cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau also operated in the Pacific, bombarding the French colony of Papeete, on the island of Tahiti, and inflicting much damage, including the sinking of two vessels. On August 26 the big converted German liner Kaiser Wil- helm der Grosse, while cruising on the northwest coast of Africa, was sunk by the British cruiser Highflyer. The German cruiser Dresden was reported sunk by British cruisers in South American waters in the second week of Sep- tember. The Emden, operating under the German flag in the Indian Ocean, sank several British steamers. Several Aus- trian vessels succumbed to mines off the coast of Dalmatia and in the Baltic there were a number of casualties in which both Russian and German cruisers suffered. The Russian armored cruiser Bayan was sunk in a fight near the entrance to the Gulf of Finland. On September 20 the German protected cruiser Koenigs- berg attacked the British light cruiser Pegasus in the harbor of Zanzibar and disabled her. Off the east coast of South America the British auxiliary cruiser Carmania, a former Cunard liner, destroyed a German merchant cruiser mounting eight four-inch guns. About the same time the German cruiser Hela was sunk in the North Sea by the British sub- marine E-9. The Kronprinz Wilhelm, a former German liner, which had been supplying coal to German cruisers in the Atlantic, was also sunk by the British. GERMAN COLONY OCCUPIED The British Admiralty announced on September 12 that the Australian fleet had occupied Herbertshoehe, on Blanche Bay, the seat of government of the German Bismarck Archi- pelago and the Solomon Islands. The Bismarck Archipelago, with an area of 18,000 square miles and a population of 200,000, is off the north coast of Australia and southwest of the Philippine Islands. The group was assigned to the German sphere of influence by an agree- ment with Great Britain in 1885. German New Guinea was included in the jurisdiction. GERMANS SINK RUSS CRUISER On October 11 German submarines in the Baltic torpedoed and sank the Russian armored cruiser Pallada with all its MYSTERY OF THE FLEETS 301 crew, numbering 568 men. The Pallada had a displacement of 7,775 tons and was a sister ship of the Admiral Makarov and Bayan. She was launched in November, 1906, and had a water-line length of 443 feet; beam, 57 feet; draft of 21V4 feet, and a speed of 21 knots. She carried two 8-inch, eight 6-inch, twenty-two 12-pounders, four 3-pounders, and two tor- pedo tubes. Seven inches of Krupp armor protected the ves- sel amidships and four inches forward. The Pallada was engaged in patrolling the Baltic with the Admiral Makarov when attacked by the submarines. She opened a strong fire on them, but was blown up by a torpedo launched by one of the submerged craft, while the Makarov escaped. BRITISH CRUISER HAWKE SUNK On October 15th, while the British cruisers Hawke and Theseus were patrolling the northern waters of the North Sea, they were attacked by a German submarine. The Hawke, a cruiser of 7,750 tons, commanded by Capt. H. P. E. T. Wil- liams, was torpedoed and sank in eight minutes. Only seventy- three of her crew of 400 officers and men were saved. The Theseus escaped. BRITISH AVENGE AMPHION's LOSS Capt. Cecil H. Fox, who was in command of the British cruiser Amphion when she was destroyed by a German mine early in the war, had his revenge on October 17, when, in com- mand of the cruiser Undaunted, he sank four German torpedo boat destroyers off the coast of Holland. Only 31 of the com- bined crews of 400 men were saved and these were taken as prisoners of war. CHAPTEE XX SUBMARINES AND MINES Battleships in Constant Danger from Submerged Craft — Opinions of Admiral Sir Percy Scott — Construction of Modern Torpedoes — How Mines Are Laid and Ex- ploded on Contact. SIR PERCY SCOTT, admiral in the British navy, who through his inventions made possible the advance in marksmanship with heavy guns and increased the poss ; - bilities of hitting at long range and of broadside firing, said recently that everything he has done to enhance the value o' the gun is rendered useless by the advent of the latest type of submarine, a vessel which has for its principal weapon the torpedo. Dreadnoughts and super-dreadnoughts are doomed, because thoy no longer can be safe at sea from the submarine nor find safety in harbors. "The introduction of vessels that swim under water," he said, "has in my opinion entirely done away with the utility of the ships that swim on top of tie water. The functions of a war vessel were these: Defensively, [1] to attack ships that come to bombard our forts, [2] to attack ships that come to blockade us, [3] to attack ships convoying a landing party, [4] to attack the enemy's fleet, [5] to attack ships interfering with our commerce; offensively, [1] to bombard an enemy's ports, [2] to blockade an enemy, [3] to convoy a landing party, [4] to attack the enemy's fleet, [5] to attack the enemy's commerce. "The submarine renders 1, 2 and 3 impossible, as no man of war will daro to com^ even within sight of a coast that is adequately protected by submarines. The fourth function 302 SUBMARINES AND 3IINES 303 of a battleship is to attack an enemy's fleet, but there will be no fleet to attack, as it will not be safe for a fleet tj put to sea. Submarines and aeroplanes have entirely revolution- ized naval warfare; no fleet can hide itself from the aero- plane's eye, and the submarine can deliver a deadly attack in broad daylight. "In time of war the scouting aeroplanes will always be high above on the lookout, and the submarines in constant readiness. If an enemy is sighted the gong sounds and the leash of a flotilla of submarines will be slipped. Whether it be night or day, fine or rough, they must go out in search of their quarry; if they find her she is doomed and they give no quarter; they cannot board her and take her as prize as in the olden days; they only wait till she sinks, then return home without even knowing the number of human beings they have sent to the bottom of the ocean. "Not only is the open sea unsafe; a battleship is not im- mune from attack even in a closed harbor, for the so-called protecting boom at the entrance can easily be blown up. With a flotilla of submarines commanded by dashing young offi- cers, of whom we have plenty, I would undertake to get through any boom into any harbor and sink or materially damage all the ships in that harbor." A PRACTICAL Man's VIEWS This is not a mere theorist or dreamer talking, says Bur- ton Roscoe in commenting on Admiral Scott's statements; it is the one man in England most supremely versed in naval tactics, the man to whom all nations owe the present effective- ness of the broadside of eight, twelve and fourteen inch guns and the perfection in sighting long range guns. The newest type of submarine torpedo is 100 per cent effi- cient. The torpedo net of steel that used to be the ship's defense against torpedoes is now useless. The modern tor- pedoes need only to come in contact with a surface like the torpedo net or the armor plate of a battleship to discharge a shell wdiich will burst through a two-inch armor caisson, rupture the hull of a battleship, and s'nk it in a few minutes. The torpedo submarines of the modern type have a sub- merged speed of from eMit to ten knots an hour. Only a small surface, including the bridge or conning tower, is ex- 804 SUBMARINES AND MINES posed, thus making it almost impossible to hit them with the clumsy guns aboard ship. The highest type of submarine has a submerged tonnage of 812 tons and its length is 176 feet. Each submarine carries from one to six torpedoes, each of which is capable of sinking the most heavily armored ves- sel afloat. The sighter in the conning tower moves swiftly up within range of the vessel he is attacking and gives the signal for the discharge of the torpedo. The men aboard the attacked ship have no warning of their impending death except a thin sheaf of water that follows on the surface in the wake of the submerged torpedo and which lasts only an instant. RUN" BY COMPRESSED AIR By a compressed air arrangement motive power is fur- nished the torpedo in transit for its propellers. A gyroscope keeps it on a plane and upright. A striker on the nose of the torpedo is released by a fan which revolves in the water. The nose of the torpedo strikes the side of the battleship and the compact jars the primer of fulminate of mercury. The high explosive of gunpowder forces out a shell and explodes with it after the shell has penetrated the armor. Then the work is done. It is generally believed the principal harbors and fortifica- tions in England are heavily supplied with torpedoes of the new type. It is also believed that the fortifications about the River Elbe are thus equipped. If this is a fact the defending nation will be able not only to repulse any fleet attempting an invasion but also to destroy it. By throwing across the Straits of Dover, or across the lower end of the North Sea, a flotilla of its powerful submarines England can prevent any naval invasion of France or England or Belgium by Germany should the attacking fleet take this route. In the latest type of submarine the United States is de- ficient. There are only twenty-nine submarines in the United States naval service at the present time and only eighteen under construction. The old type of torpedo did not have penetrative power SUBMARINES AND MINES 305 n O O to rt bo ~t ^ S SM « » d R 4> -P . to O) ■p »ft 2 '" o «* ?«2 . if-P t» CO 0; C3 cj_0> S3' P rh a; O H P B+J & * a ** £Z 9 <-■ Kl S O ■M — itl-l 9 gs g,g O O 9 0> £■£ ai-a ^ ^"^ ? ^boa* •-+ZZ t* r* QJ m o is o «■> 'bo 'O.-S'O^ p r > „, oj . , o> ^ ^ - tJ -£J5 ft* ej S*" a)? a p '" Z rt "2 p n H •W'Oj'oi P m P ° ^ 3 ii ?, 5 Hts~ 0+J m rrt W *s 3 D.3S9 -"Jar 5 £8 : i*2 5 - 5 5 ?*e»i AC CCtu< u 306 SUBMARINES AND MINES • sufficient to sink the modern armor-clad battleship unless it struck under exceptionally favorable circumstances. A large percentage of the destructive power was expended on the outside of the hull. Commander Davis of the United States navy invented the torpedo that carries its power undiminished into the interior of the vessel. CAN" CUT TOKPEDO NETS The new torpedoes are provided with special steel cutters by which they cut through the strongest steel torpedo net. The torpedo has within it an eight-inch gun, capable of ex- ploding a shell with a muzzle velocity of about 1,000 feet a second. The projectile carries a bursting charge of a high ex- plosive, and this charge is detonated by a delayed-action fuse. When the torpedo strikes its target, the gun is fired and the shell strikes the outside plating of the ship. Then the fuse in the shell's base explodes the charge in the shell, immedi- ately after the impact. With a small fleet of these under-water fighting vessels — say of two or three — an invading or blockading fleet of not more than twenty men-of-war can be destroyed within an hour by an otherwise unprotected harbor or port. Germany has a few of these latest style submarines, and if it can rush the construction of the thirty-one now being built, it will have a flotilla that will protect its harbor towns against invasion. France, also with its fifty submarines and thirty-one under construction, and its great corps of scouting aeroplanes, will prove a formidable agent in crippling the activities of Ger- many's big fleet of dreadnoughts, armored cruisers and bat- tleships. Russia will need its twenty-five submarines for coast defense and probably will not send them out of the Baltic [or out of the Black Sea in the event that Italy is drawn into the conflict.] Undoubtedly, then, the great battles in the present war, on the water at least, may be decided by these silently mov- ing, dinky sized, almost imperceptible submarines which carry the ever-destroying torpedoes. And the loss of lives will be more prodigious than ever. SUBMARINES AND MINES 307 SUBMAEINE STEENGTH OF THE POWEES Built Building. Great Britain 69 35 Prance 50 31 Russia 25 30 Germany 24 31 Italy 18 8 Austria 6 11 SUBMEEGED MINES HOW THEY AEE LAID AND THEIE WOEKING The sinking of the light cruiser Pathfinder of the British navy by a German mine in the North Sea early in the war called special attention to the deadly character of the mines of the present day. A modern mine-laying ship puts to sea with a row of contact mines on rails along her side, ready for dropping into the sea. The rails project over the stern. The essential parts of a special type of mine of recent design consist of (1) the mine proper, comprising the explosive charge and detonating apparatus in a spherical case; (2) a square-shaped anchor chamber, connected with the mine by a length of cable; (3) a plummet-weight used in placing the mine in position, connected with the anchor chamber by a rope. Thus the mine appears on the deck of the mine-laying ship before being lowered over the stern. Before the mine goes over, a windlass inside the plummet- sinker is revolved by hand until the length of cable between the plummet and the anchor-chamber has been reeled off equiva- lent to the depth below the surface at which the explosive mine is to float. Then the entire apparatus is hove overboard. The plum- met and anchor-chamber sink, while the spherical mine proper is kept on the surface for the moment by means of a buoyant air-chamber within. A windlass in the anchor-chamber now pays out the cable between it and the mine as the anchor- chamber sinks. On the plummet touching bottom, the tension in the cable between it and the anchor-chamber is lessened, and the windlass mentioned stops. The anchor-chamber there- upon sinks to the bottom, dragging down the spherical mine until that is at the selected depth ready for its deadly work. 308 SUBMARINES AND MINES When a ship strikes the mine the explosive case revolves and moves a projecting contact-lever sideways. That releases a firing-pin from a pair of hinged jaws which till then had held it steady. A coil-spring is thus freed and drives the firing- pin, or striker, hard against the detonator, firing the mine. INO\A/'S YOUR CHANCE, UNCLE SAM. — Chicago Tribune CHAPTER XXI AERO-MILITARY OPERATIONS Aerial Attacks on Cities — Some of the Achievements of the Airmen in the Great War — Deeds of Heroism and Dar- ing — Zeppelins in Action — Their Construction and Operation. DURING the first ten weeks of the war German airmen flew over Paris several times and dropped bombs that did some damage. Aeroplanes, not Zeppelins, were used in these attempts to terrorize the capital and other cities of France. The early visits of Zeppelin airships to Antwerp have been described in a previous chapter. These were continued up to the time of the fall of Antwerp. While comparatively few lives were lost through the explosion of the bombs dropped, the recurring attacks served to keep the inhabitants, if not the Belgian troops, in a state of constant excitement and fear. When the city fell into German hands, a similar condition arose in England, where it was feared that Antwerp might be made the base for German airship attacks on London and other cities of Great Britain; and all possible precautions were taken against such attacks. The members of the Royal Flying Corps were kept constantly on the alert; powerful searchlights swept the sky over London and the English coast every night and artillery was kept in readiness to repel an aerial invasion. Such was the condition in the third week of October. BEITISH ATTACK ON DUSSELDOKF A new type of British aeroplane was developed during the war, capable of rising from the ground at a very sharp angle and of developing a speed of 150 miles an hour. And in their 309 310 AERO-MILITARY OPERATIONS operations in France and Belgium the British army aviators proved themselves highly efficient and earned unstinted praise from Field Marshal Sir John French, in command of the British forces on the continent. One of their notable exploits was an attack, October 8, on the Zeppelin sheds at Dussel- dorf and Cologne, in German territory. The attack was made by Lieut. R. S. G. Marix, of the Naval Flying Corps, in a monoplane, and Squadron Commander Spencer Grey, with Lieut. S. V. Lippe, in a biplane. Flying from Antwerp at a height of 5,000 feet, to escape the almost continuous German fire, Lieut. Marix succeeded in locating the Zeppelin hangars at Dusseldorf. Then descending to a height of only 1,000 feet he released two bombs when directly over them, damaging both hangars and aircraft. A German bullet passed through Lieut. Marix 's cap and the wings of his aeroplane were pierced in a dozen places, but he succeeded in returning to the burning city of Antwerp, which he was ordered to leave the same evening. During the same raid Commander Spencer Grey flew to Cologne. He was unable to locate the Zeppelin hangars but dropped two bombs into the railway station, which was badly damaged. A night or two later a German Zeppelin flew over Ghent and dropped a bomb near the South station. On October 11 two German aviators dropped a score of bombs on different quarters of Paris, killing three civilians and injuring four- teen others. The property damage, however, was slight and the effectiveness of bomb-dropping as a means of destroying a city or fortifications remained to be proved to the military mind. It was noted that a large proportion of the bombs dropped by German aviators failed to explode. HEROIC ACTS BY AIRMEN Stories of heroism displayed by aviators on both sides of the great conflict have abounded. One story of the devotion of German airmen, told to a correspondent by several German officers, he succeeded in verifying, but was unable to learn the name of the particular hero of the occurrence. This story was as follows : "In one of the battles around Rheims it became necessary AERO-MILITARY OPERATIONS 311 to blow up a bridge which was about to be crossed by advanc- ing French troops coming to relieve a beleaguered fort. The only way to destroy the bridge was for an airman to swoop down and drop an exceptionally powerful bomb upon it. "There were twenty-four flyers with that division of the German army. A volunteer was asked for, it being first announced that the required task meant sure death to the man undertaking it. "Every one of the twenty-four stepped forward without hesitation. Lots were quickly drawn. The chosen man departed without saying farewell to any one. Within five minutes the bridge was in ruins and the aeroplane and its heroic pilot had been blown to pieces. This incident was not published in the press of Germany, because of the fear that it would cause terrible anxiety to the wives of all married Ger- man flyers.' ' A DUEL HIGH IN THE AIR An aerial victory for a French aviator, fought thousands of feet in the air in the presence of troops of both armies, was reported by Lieutenant de Laine of the French aerial corps on October 10. The air duel was one of the most thrilling since the war began. Lieutenant de Laine 's account of the combat was as follows : ' ' I had been ordered to fly over the German lines with an observer who was to drop pamphlets. These pamphlets con- tained the following inscription: " 'German soldiers, attention! German officers say that the French maltreat prisoners. This is a lie. German prison- ers are as well treated as unfortunate adversaries should be.' "We had no sooner taken wing than the aeroplane was sighted by German observers in captive balloons anchored about six miles distant. Immediately two Albatross machines rose from the German camp and came forward. "We continued to advance, meanwhile sending the aero- plane higher and higher until the barograph showed we were 6,000 feet above the ground. Our machine was speedier than the German aeroplane, which was constructed of steel and was so heavy it could not work up the speed of the French army monoplane. "We were able to get over the German lines and my com- 312 AERO-MILITARY OPERATIONS panion began hurling thousands of the pamphlets in every direction. It was like a snowstorm. "In the meantime, the German artillery got their long range air guns in action and were hurling volley after volley against us. The shells were of special type, designed to create violent air waves when they burst. We were too high to be reached, but we had to turn our attention to the two aeroplanes which were rushing toward us. "As they approached the German artillery fire stopped. We were too high to distinguish what was going on beneath us, but I could imagine the thousands of soldiers staring sky- ward in wonder at the strange spectacle above them. "We kept swinging in wide circles over the German lines and I kept getting higher and higher in order to outmaneuver the German plane and to prevent it from getting above us so that bombs could be thrown at us. "The machines were all equipped with rapid-fire guns, and when we got within 100 yards of each other, both sides opened fire. The bullets went wide. Finally we began to swing back- ward, getting lower and lower. One of the German machines was thus lured over the French lines and our land artillery opened against it. One of its wings was shattered and it dropped, but the other aeroplane escaped. ' ' HOW A GERMAN AVIATOR ESCAPED How a German aviator in Belgium secured control of a falling aeroplane after his companion had been killed is described in a thrilling letter received by his father in Berlin September 30. It reads : "Dear Father: I am lying here in a beautiful Belgian castle slowly recovering from wounds I thought would kill mo. On August 22 I made a flight with Lieutenant J., a splendid aviator; established the fact that the enemy was advancing toward us. In the region of Bertrix we came into heavy rain- clouds and had to descend to 3,000 feet. As we came through the clouds we were seen and an entire French division began shooting at us. "Lieutenant J. was hit in the abdomen. Our motor was put out of commission. We were trying to volplane across a forest in the distance when suddenly I felt the machine give AERO-MILITARY OPERATIONS 313 a jump. I turned around — as I was sitting in front — and found that a second bullet had hit Lieutenant J. in the head and killed him. 1 ' I leaned over the back of the seat and managed to reach the steering apparatus and headed down. A hail of shots whistled about me. I felt something hit me in the fore- head. Blood ran into my eyes. I was faint. But will pre- vailed and I retained consciousness. Just as we were near the ground a gust of wind hit the plane and turned my machine over. I fell in the midst of the enemy with my dead com- panion. The 'red trousers' were coming from all directions and I drew my pistol and shot three of them. I felt a bayonet at my breast and gave myself up for dead when an officer shouted: " 'Let him live! He is a brave soldier.' "I was taken to the commanding general of the Seven- teenth French army corps, who questioned me, but, of course, got no information. He said I would later be sent to Paris, but as I was weak from loss of blood and seriously wounded I was taken into their field hospital and cared for. The officers were very nice to me and when the French fell back I took advantage of the confusion to crawl under a bush, where I remained until our troops came." Many occurrences of a similarly thrilling character have been related in the camps of the contending armies. The above suffice to show the patriotic devotion and heroism of the military forces of the air, which for the first time in history have been a prominent feature of warfare in 1914. ZEPPELINS IN ACTION The real story of the performances of air-craft in the war has not been told, but there has been enough to give the world a terrifying glimpse of these modern weapons. The three attacks on Antwerp by a Zeppelin airship brought into action the long predicted onslaught by forces of the air against the ground. After one of the great German dirigibles had been brought down by gunfire because it was accidentally guided too near the earth, another returned over the city, and the havoc wrought by this single craft realizes 314 AERO-MILITARY OPERATIONS the horrors that would follow any concerted attack by a fleet of the aerial destroyers if they were launched against a city. The Zeppelin is an impressive thing because of its size, cigar-shaped and ranging from 300 to over 500 feet in length, driven at a rate of 40 miles an hour by four propellers and carrying a huge car. It is most valuable for use at night, of course, but has proved it is capable of doing its deadly work out of range of ordinary gunfire at day. Artillery has been invented which can reach airships flying at 5,000 feet, but there is not much of it. The half dozen German Zeppelins which have been destroyed by French and Eussian fire met their fate chiefly because they got too near the ground. Refugees from Belgium describe the method used by Zep- pelins in dropping bombs. The dirigible is kept as much as possible out of range of the enemy's guns while it lowers a steel cage, attached to a steel rope, 200 or 300 feet long. The cage carries a man who throws down the bombs. Be- cause of the small size of the cage and the fact that it is kept constantly in motion it is difficult for heavy guns to hit it. The great airship remains perfectly stable while the missiles, of which there are a variety for different missions, are being hurled. All the military Zeppelins of Germany are armed and there are a large number of unarmed dirigibles in re- serve. It is estimated that there are 100 aeroplanes with the British forces on the continent. The French army has hun- dreds of aeroplanes of various kinds. Germany's fleet of flying machines has been in action continuously and the aviators have proved a big aid in scouting as well as in dropping bombs and grenades on the enemy. The newest French aeroplanes are said to be equipped with boxes filled with thousands of " steel arrows." These " arrows" are really steel bolts four inches long. When the aviator sails over the enemy he opens trapdoors of the " arrow" boxes with a simple device and lets showers of bolts fall on the men below. One of the ' ' arrows ' ' dropped 2,000 feet will go through a German helmet and a soldier's o 2+j— i, t; £j a> ■92 tap =- © 3 . M OT J.2 ,„ a, fl a, ^fl°r *■ -3 cdjj— -wo) S3 K&Baj,*. ~ --_ o P53 o R^a^ta oa a> ei a, « M 25 .2 a -3 o .* P 03 03 +-> t-l U i«Sn° a* *"aa a '■" o Oa-kE-S ►.asES el * OS .3 Oj"^ OS £3 a -£ t-i a, m c^ri © - > a o •- ^ •? St.-. o %h fe o 3a» a^ s a 03 *"S £ ■* P - : f «-?,Ooi2" ?£ : a oS aj-B-w . m so 2^-MBlO-ggWB S2« ,flg,gs-e jj "3 " O J-" O 03 H "5 > H Sh.S'B s . ° - 2 o o> es osH M«> -fl a; o - n p P-.S > m 2 ar ox a a) oS,c h - ri'O 11 ctf SS a 3t! ou o CO flfc a o eS ti a +2 o3 -rH 0)S o& >u ,Q bo 1 H «1 H < u ** hJ a B gy I— i ^ CO £C3 OS £ ni , *H+ J H fc a H -a S a to H W(4_j « o o> w u K a a w K O)^ fe eS a < H d o. Pi O y W a ^ o 2 a> 9 c c S Oj P French batteries near Rhoims. message to the Germans giving them the positi < n >i i m l , t j the act met an Igno- He was the first French traitor of tbe war and n . .a U.t^ In^ ^ .. Bsplon .. ^^InKwas^d^at^^hai aU iltftTS how^his treachery was punched. Is B2 ft m K'73 6 0) o « S r °^ — ,Q O » an w © ■/. r. CD OJ es S £•&- iTDr KoU of fpoMour : S^fJ'llen PHI] The portraits printed above are those of a few of the British officers who lost their lives in battle during the early period of the war. Most of . them were members of famous fighting families, bearing names known throughout the British Empire. For many weeks the London illustrated papers published several pages a week similar to the above, and in some cases the appearance of these portraits of the dead gave relatives ind friends the first intimation of their loss. The casualties among British officers have been especially heavy, but all the warring nations have sustained similar losses of their best and bravest sons. AERO-MILITARY OPERATIONS 315 head. A shower of them would prove effective against a massed enemy. On August 10 the correspondent of the London Times in Brussels, describing the fighting at Liege, said aerial fleets THE RELATIVE STRENGTH OF SOME OF THE EURO- PEAN NATIONS IN AEROPLANES AND DIRIGIBLES. -Aero and Hydro, Chicago were used by both Belgians and Germans. The fighting in midair was desultory but deadly. A huge Zeppelin sailed over Liege during the early fighting, but was pursued by a 316 AERO-MILITARY OPERATIONS Belgian aeroplanist, who risked and lost his life in destroy- ing it. After the destruction of this Zeppelin the Germans con- fined their aerial activity to the use of scouting aeroplanes, several of which were destroyed by shots from the forts. Attempts to reach the aeroplanes with shells were often un- successful, however, owing to the inability to shoot high enough. AVIATION CAMPS IN EUROPE In the early days of the great war only an occasional flash of news was received about the French and Russian aero- military operations or those of the German corps along the Russian and French frontiers. It was difficult to imagine that they were idle, for the German-Russian and the French- German frontiers had been the locations of many military aeronautical camps or fortresses. These were described at the outbreak of hostilities as follows : 1 'Along the German frontier facing Russia are the im- portant aero centers of Thorn and Graudenz, while the near- est aero base in Russia is at Riga, farther north. "Against German invasion there are French centers at Verdun, Nancy, Luneville and Belfort. The most important is at Belfort. Sixty miles from the Belgian frontier and 170 miles from Liege is the great center at Rheims, with the even more important base at Chalons-sur-Marne only twenty- five miles distant. "Seventy-five to 100 miles is the scouting range of the military aeroplanes, while the dirigibles will scout 500 to 1,000 miles from the base, according to the duration efficiency. The Zeppelins might, taking some risk, travel even farther. With this taken into consideration, the fact that there are only two German aero centers on the French frontier — Aix- la-Chapelle and Metz — is not very significant. The range of the Vosges occupies the territory where there is no aero center. "Back of the mountains, along the Rhone from Dusseldorf to Strasbourg, there are a dozen aero stations, some of them devoted to aeroplanes and dirigibles, others to dirigibles alone. "The latest data show that Germany has sixty stations, AERO-MILITARY OPERATIC m in i sia, - ' an v. E • : - - • j ACi.:'':" i"''i- CA' -,r.:ATi tmr grrrza r-- - - - : _ or little flee nsse. in temporary eair. e^c bablv not more than four . of four machines each, on the scene, while '.y.v-.'i.-.- ,rz-/-s.hz." CHAPTER XXII BATTLE OF THE AISNE Most Prolonged Encounter in History Between Gigantic Forces — A Far-Flung Battle Line — Germans Face French and British in the Aisne Valley and Fight for Weeks — Mighty Armies Deadlocked After a Desperate and Bloody Struggle. FOR a few days after the tide of battle in France turned in favor of the Allies (September 9), the German forces continued to retreat to the north, closely followed by the French and British armies that had fought and won the battle of the Marne, as described in a previous chapter. This north- ward movement was marked by heavy German losses in men and munitions of war, and lasted until Saturday, September 12, when the Germans were found to be occupying a position of great defensive strength on the River Aisne, north of Soissons. At that time they held both sides of the river and had a for- midable line of intrenchments on the hills to the north of eight road bridges and two railway bridges crossing the Aisne. Seven of the road bridges and both the railway bridges had been destroyed. The Allies gained some high ground south of the Aisne, overlooking the Aisne valley, east of Soissons. Then began (on Saturday, September 12) an action along the Aisne which was destined to go down in history as the greatest and most prolonged battle of all time. Two days, three days, a week, two weeks, three, four, five weeks it lasted, with varying for- tune to the contending armies, but no decisive result. Ger- mans, French and British, literally by the thousand, fell under the continuous hail of shrapne.1, the hurricane of machine-gun and rifle fire, or in the desperate bayonpt charges of daily occurrence, but still the battle raged. Minor positions were 318 BATTLE OF THE AISNE 319 gained and lost, towns and villages along the far-flung battle line were occupied and evacuated, countless deeds of heroism were wrought, to be sung and celebrated by posterity in a dozen different lands — but the lines on both sides held and victory refused to perch on any banner. Modern scientific strategy exhausted its utmost efforts; flanking and turning movements were planned, attempted and failed ; huge masses of men were hurled against each other in every formation known to military skill ; myriads of lives and millions of money were sacrificed in historic endeavors to breach the enemy's front — but ever the foeman held his ground and neither side could claim decided advantage. In- trenchments such as the world has never seen before covered the countryside for fifty miles. Teuton, Gaul and Anglo- Saxon, Turco and Hindu, literally "dug themselves in," and refused to budge an inch, though hell itself, in all its horror and its fury, was loosed against them. And thus the battle of the Aisne — also aptly called, from its extent and ramifications, the battle of the Rivers — con- tinued through many weeks while all the world wondered and stood aghast at the slaughter, and the single gleam of bright- ness that came out of that maelstrom of death and misery was the growing respect of Frenchman, German and Briton for the individual and collective courage of each other and the death- defying devotion that was daily displayed by all. FIGHTING CONTINUOUS DAY AND NIGHT Beginning as an artillery duel in which the field-guns of the French and Germans were matched against each other from opposite heights as never before, the battle of the Aisne soon resolved itself into a series of daily actions in which every arm of the opposing hosts engaged. There was little rest for the troops day or night. Artillery fire beginning at daybreak and continuing till dusk might break out again at any hour of the night, the range of the enemy's intrenchments being known. Frequently the artillery seemed to open fire in the still watches of the night for no other reason than to prevent the enemy in his trenches from getting any sleep at all, and many a man was borne to the rear on both sides suffering from no wound, but from utter 320 BATTLE OF THE AISNE exhaustion — a state of collapse which is often as deadly as shrapnel to the soldier in the held. For weeks at a time the only real rest for many of the troops engaged along the line of battle came in snatches of a few hours when they were temporarily relieved by fresh troops brought up from the rear, and these in their turn might be soon exhausted by the continuous strain of keeping on the alert to repel attacks — or, as frequently happened, their ranks might be decimated, or worse, when they were ordered to a charge. Officers and men suffered alike from the strenuous nature of the demands made upon them — and so far as actual casualties are concerned the battle was one in which officers of all ranks, in all the armies, suffered perhaps more severely, in proportion to the number engaged, than in any previous battle. Hundreds of British officers, for example, were among the victims whose bones lie rotting in the valley of the Aisne, as whole pages of their portraits in the London journals, bear- ing many of the best known names in the British Empire, testified in mute protest against the horrors of war. And both Germany and France have a similar "roll of honor. ! ' REPOKTS OF THE BATTLE While the great battle of the Eivers was in progress the most connected stories of its daily developments came through the British official news bureau, and these are reproduced in part in the pages that follow. The author of these reports is believed to be Colonel Swinton, of Field Marshal French's staff, who is generally credited with having contributed to the literature of the war some of the most interesting and enlight- ening accounts of the operations of the British and French armies in the field. And these reports are given here, because of their general character of apparent truth and fair- ness, and in the absence of any similar reports from the other side. It must be remembered, of course, that Colonel Swinton, or whatever officer is responsible for them, naturally minimizes the British losses he admits, and possibly exaggerates the losses of the Germans. Besides this, it will be well to recollect that the reports have been carefully edited by the British censors before being given to the public. But, taken as a BATTLE OF THE AISNE 821 whole, they give a remarkably vivid picture of the happenings along the Aisne in the momentous days of September and October that tried men's souls; while the stories of independ- ent and neutral observers which follow the British official reports further illuminate the valley of death. In the above view the Rivers Marne, Ourcq, Aisne, Oise, and Meuse are clearly shown, exaggerated in size for convenience of reference. The position of tbe Allies September 20, 1914, is shown by a black dotted line running from between Amiens and Peronne to Verdun and Nancy. The German front is indicated by the shaded sections, which also show the German lines of communication or retreat, numbered from 1 to 7. At this time the Allies were pushing nort'i to Arras, endeavoring to turn the German right flank in command of General von Kluck. OPENING OF THE GREAT BATTLE The following report from the British headquarters covers the period when the Allies' forward movement was halted along the Aisne and also describes the terrain, or country, in which the subsequent fighting occurred : "From Thursday, September 10, the British army made 322 BATTLE OF THE AISNE steady progress in its endeavor to drive back the enemy in co-operation with the French. The country across which it had to force its way, and will have to continue to do so, is undulating and covered with patches of thick wood. "Within the area which faced the British before the ad- vance commenced, right up to Laon, the chief feature of tactical importance is the fact that there are six rivers run- ning across the direction of the advance, at all of which it was possible that the Germans might make resistance. These rivers are, in order from the south, the Marne, Ourcq, Vesle, Aisne, Ailette and Oise. "The Germans held the line of the Marne, which was crossed by our forces on September 9, as a purely rearguard operation. Our passage of the Ourcq was not contested. The Vesle was only lightly held, while resistance along the Aisne, both against the French and the British, has been and still is of a determined character. "On Friday, September 11, but little opposition was met with along any part of our front, and the direction of the advance was, for the purpose of co-operating with our allies, turned slightly to the northeast. The day was spent in rush- ing forward and gathering in various hostile detachments. By nightfall our forces had reached a line north of the Ourcq, extending from Oulchy-le-Chateau to Longpont. "On this day there was also a general advance of the French along their whole line, which ended in a substantial success, in one portion of the field Duke Albrecht of Wuert- temburg's army being driven back across the Saulx, and else- where the whole of the artillery of a German corps being- captured. Several German colors also were taken. "It was only on this day that the full extent of the victory gained by the Allies on September 8 [at the Marne] was appreciated by them, and the moral effect of this success has been enormous. An order dated September 6 and 7, issued by the commander of the German Seventh Corps, was picked up. It stated that the great object of the war was about to be attained, since the French were going to accept battle, and that upon the result of this battle would depend the issue of the war and the honor of the German armies. "On Saturday, the 12th, the enemy were found to be BATTLE OF THE AISNE 323 occupying a very formidable position opposite us on the north of the line at Soissons. Working from the west to the east, our Third Army Corps gained some high ground south of the Aisne overlooking the Aisne valley, to the east of Soissons. Here a long-range artillery duel between our guns and those of the French on our left and the enemy's artillery on the hills continued during the greater part of the day, and did not cease until nearly midnight. The enemy had a very large number of heavy howitzers in well-concealed positions. "At Braisne the First cavalry division met with consid- erable opposition from infantry and machine-guns holding the town and guarding the bridge. With the aid of some of our infantry it gained possession of the town about midday, driv- ing the enemy to the north. Some hundred prisoners were captured around Braisne, where the Germans had thrown a large amount of field-gun ammunition into the river, where it was visible under two feet of water. FATEFUL ENCOUNTER BEGINS "On our right the French reached the line of the River Vesle. On this day began an action along the Aisne which is not yet finished, and which may be merely of a rearguard nature on a large scale, or may be the commencement of a battle of a more serious nature. 1 ' It rained heavily on Saturday afternoon and all through the night, which severely handicapped transport. "On Sunday, the 13th, extremely strong resistance was encountered by the whole of our front, which was some fifteen miles in length. The action still consisted for the most part of a long-range gunfire, that of the Germans being to a great extent from their heavy howitzers, which were firing from cleverly concealed positions. Some of the actual crossings of the Aisne were guarded by strong detachments of infantry with machine-guns. "By nightfall portions of all our three army corps were across the river, the cavalry returning to the south side. By early next morning, three pontoon bridges had been built, and our troops also managed to get across the river by means of the bridge carrying the canal over the river. "On our left the French pressed on, but were prevented by artillery fire from building a pontoon bridge at Soissons. 824 BATTLE OF THE AISNE A large number of infantry, however, crossed in single file the top girder of the railway bridge left standing. "During the last three or four days many isolated parties of Germans have been discovered hiding in the numerous woods a long way behind our line. As a rule they seemed glad to surrender, and the condition of some of them may be gathered from the following incident : "An officer proceeding along the road in charge of a num- ber of led horses received information that there were some of the enemy in the neighborhood. He gave the order to charge, whereupon three German officers and 106 men surren- dered. EHEIMS OCCUPIED BY GERMANS 1 ' Rheims was occupied by the enemy on September 3. It was reoccupied by the French after considerable fighting on September 13. "On the 12th, a proclamation, a copy of which is in the possession of the British army, was posted all over the town. A literal translation of this poster follows : " * Proclamation — In the event of an action being fought early today or in the immediate future in the neighborhood of Rheims, the inhabitants are warned that they must remain absolutely calm and must in no way try to take part in the fighting. They must not attempt to attack either isolated soldiers or detachments of the German army. The erection of barricades, the taking up of paving stones in the streets in a way to hinder the movement of troops, or, in a word, any action that may embarrass the German army, is formally forbidden. " 'With an idea to securing adequately the safety of the troops and to instill calm into the population of Rheims, the persons named below have been seized as hostages by the com- mander-in-chief of the German army. These hostages will be hanged at the slightest attempt at disorder. Also, the town will be totally or partially burned and the inhabitants will be hanged for any infraction of the above. ' ' ' By order of the German authorities. ( Signed ) " ' The Mayor. ' "Here followed the names of eighty-one of the principal BATTLE U. THE AISNE 825 inhabitants of Rheims, with their addresses, including four priests, and ending with the words, 'And some others." HOW THE BATTLE DEVELOPED The following descriptive report from Field Marshal Sir John French's headquarters was September 22: "At the date of the last narrative. September 14, the Ger- mans were making a determined resistance along the River Aisne. The opposition has proved to be more serious than was anticipated. ••The action now being fought by the Germans along their line is naturally on a scale which, as to extent of ground ered and duration of resistance, makes it undistinguishable in its progress from what is known as a 'pitched battle.' ■ • So far as we are concerned, the action still being con- tested is the battle of the Aisne. The foe we are fighting is just across that river, along the whole of our front to the east and west. The struggle is not confined to the valley of that river, though it will probably bear its name. "On Monday, the 14th, those of our troops which had on the previous day crossed the Aisne, after driving in the Ger- man rearguards on that evening, found portions of the enemy's forces in prepared defensive positions on the r - bank and could do little more 1 - score a footing north of the river. This, however, they maintained in spite of two counter-attacks delivered at dusk and 10 p. m. f in which the fighting was severe. "During the 14th strong reinforcements of our troops were passed to the north bank, the a crossing by ferry, by pontoon bridges, and by the remains of permanent brio 1 - - Close co-operation with the French forces was maintained and the general progress made was good, although the opposi- tion was vigorous and the state of the roads, after the heavy rain, made movements slow. FTEST CORPS MAKES CA.PTL'RE "One division alone failed to secure the ground it expected to. The First Army Corps, after repulsing repeated attacks, captured 600 prisoners and twelve guns. The cavalry also took a number of prisoners. "There was a heavy rain throughout the night of Sep- 326 BATTLE OF THE AISNE tember 14-15 and during the 15th the situation of the British forces underwent no essential change. But it became more and more evident that the defensive preparations made by the enemy were more extensive than was at first apparent. The Germans bombarded our lines nearly all day, using heavy guns brought, no doubt, from before Maubeuge as well as those with the corps. "All the German counter-attacks, however, failed, although in some places they were repeated six times. One made on the Fourth Guards Brigade was repulsed with heavy slaughter. "Further counter-attacks made during the night were beaten off. Rain came on towards evening and continued intermittently until 9 a. m., on the 16th. Besides adding to the discomfort of the soldiers holding the line, the wet weather to some extent hampered the motor transport service, which was also hindered by broken bridges. "On Wednesday, the 16th, there was little change in the situation opposite the British ; the efforts made by the enemy were less active than on the previous day, though their bom- bardment continued throughout the morning and evening. "On Thursday, the 17th, the situation still remained un- changed in its essentials. The German heavy artillery fire was more active than on the previous day. The only infantry attacks made by the enemy were on the extreme right of our position, and, as had happened before, they were repulsed with heavy loss, chiefly on this occasion by our field artillery. NATURE OF THE FIGHTING "In order to convey some idea of the nature of the fighting it may be said that along the greater part of our front the Germans have been driven back from the forward slopes on the north of the river. Their infantry are holding strong lines of trenches amongst and along the edges of the numerous woods which crown the slopes. These trenches are elaborately constructed and cleverly concealed. In many places there are wiic entanglements and lengths of rabbit fencing. "Both woods and open are carefully aligned, so that they can be swept by rifle fire and machine-guns, which are invisible from our side of the valley. The ground in front of the infan- try is also, as a rule, under cross fire from the field artillery BATTLE OF THE AISXE 327 placed on neighboring heights, and under high angle fire from pieces placed well back behind the woods on top of the plateau. "A feature of this action, as of the previous fighting, is the use by the enemy of numerous heavy howitzers, with which they are able to direct long range fire all over the valley and right across it. Upon these they evidently place great reli- ance. "Where our men are holding the forward edges of the high ground on the north side they are now strongly in- trenched. They are well fed, and in spite of the wet weather of the last week are cheerful and confident. HEAVY BOMBAKDMEXT BY EOTH SIDES "The bombardment by both sides has been heavy, and on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday was practically continuous. Nevertheless, in spite of the general din caused by the reports of the immense number of heavy guns in action along our front en Wednesday, the arrival of the French force acting against the German right flank was at once announced on the east of our front some miles away by the continuous roar of their quick-firing artillery, with which the attack was opened. "So far as the British are concerned, the greater part of this week has been passed in bombardment, in gaining ground by degrees, and in beating back severe counter-attacks with heavy slaughter. Our casualties have been severe, but it is probable that those of the enemy are heavier. "The rain has caused a great drop in the temperature and there is more than a distant feeling of autumn in the air. "On our right and left the French have been fighting fiercely and have been gradually gaining ground. One village already has been captured and recaptured twice by each side and at the time of writing remains in the hands of the Ger- mans. "The fighting has been at close quarters and of the most desperate nature, and the streets of the village are filled with dead of both sides. CHEEKING MESSAGE TO THE FKEXCH "As an example of the spirit which is inspiring our allies the following translation of an Ordre du Jour (order of the 328 BATTLE OF THE AISNE day), published on September 9, after the battle of Mont- mirail, by the conimander of the French Fifth Army, is given : " 'Soldiers: Upon the memorable fields of Montinirail, of Vauchamps, of Champaubert, which a century ago wit- nessed the victories of our ancestors over Bliicher's Prussians, your vigorous offensive has triumphed over the resistance of the Germans. Held on his flanks, his center broken, the enemy now is retreating towards the east and north by forced marches. The most renowned army corps of old Prussia, the contingents of Westphalia, of Hanover, of Brandenburg, have retired in haste before you. " 'This first success is no more than the prelude. The enemy is shaken but not yet decisively beaten. You have still to undergo severe hardships, to make long marches, to fight hard battles. May the image of our country, soiled by bar- barians, always remain before your eyes ! Never was it more necessary to sacrifice all for her. " 'Saluting the heroes who have fallen in the fighting of the last few days, my thoughts turn toward you, the victors in the last battle. Forward, soldiers, for France!' LETTER FROM A GERMAN SOLDIER ' ' So many letters and statements of our wounded soldiers have been published in our newspapers that the following epistle from a German soldier of the Seventy -fourth Infantry regiment, Tenth Corps, to his wife also may be of interest : ' ' ' My Dear Wife : I have just been living through days that defy imagination. I should never have thought that men could stand it. Not a second has passed but my life has been In danger, and yet not a hair of my head has been hurt. " 'It was horrible; it was ghastly, but I have been saved for you and for our happiness, and I take heart again, although I am still terribly unnerved. God grant that I may see you again soon and that this horror may soon be over. " 'None of us can do any more; human strength is at an end. I will try to tell you about it. On September 5 the enemy were reported to be taking up a position near St. Prix, southeast of Paris. The Tenth Corps, which had made an astonishingly rapid advance of course, was attacked on Sun- day. " 'Steep slopes led up to the heights, which were held in BATTLE OF THE AISNE 329 considerable force. With our weak detachments of the Sev- enty-fourth and Ninety-first regiments we reached the crest and came under a terrible artillery fire that mowed us down. However, we entered St. Prix. Hardly had we done so than we were met with shell fire and a violent fusillade from the enemy's infantry. Our colonel was badly wounded — he is the third we have had. Fourteen men were killed around me. We got away in a lull without my being hit. ' ' ' The 7th, 8th, and 9th of September we were constantly under shell and shrapnel fire and suffered terrible losses. I was in a house which was hit several times. The fear of death, of agony, which is in every man's heart, and naturally so, is a terrible feeling. How often I have thought of you, my darling, and what I suffered in that terrifying battle which extended along a front of many miles near Montmirail, you cannot possibly imagine. " 'Our heavy artillery was being used for the siege of Maubeuge. We wanted it badly, as the enemy had theirs in force and kept up a furious bombardment. For four days I was under artillery fire. It was like hell, but a thousand times worse. ' ' ' On the night of the 9th the order was given to retreat, as it would have been madness to attempt to hold our position with our few men, and we should have risked a terrible defeat the next day. The first and third armies had not been able to attack with us, as we had advanced too rapidly. Our morale was absolutely broken; in spite of unheard-of sacrifices we had achieved nothing. " *I cannot understand how our army, after fighting three great battles and being terribly weakened, was sent against a position which the enemy had prepared for three weeks, but, naturally, I know nothing of the intentions of our chiefs ; they say nothing has been lost. " i In a word, we retired towards Cormontreuil and Rheims by forced marches by day and night. We hear that three armies are going to get into line, intrench and rest, and then start afresh our victorious march on Paris. It was not a defeat, only a strategic retreat. I have confidence in our chiefs that everything will be successful. i l i Our first battalion, which has fought with unparalleled 330 BATTLE OF THE AISNE bravery, is reduced from 1,200 to 194 men. These numbers speak for themselves.' " EVENTS FROM SEPTEMBER 21 TO 24 The next report from the official chronicler at the front, dated September 24, was in part as follows : "The enemy is still maintaining himself along the whole front, and in order to do so is throwing into the fight detach- ments composed of units from the different formations, the active army, reserve, and landwehr, as is shown by the uni- forms of prisoners recently captured. "Our progress, although slow on account of the strength of the defensive positions against which we are pressing, has in certain directions been continuous, but the present battle may well last for some days more before a decision is reached, since it now approximates nearly to siege warfare. ' ' The nature of the general situation after the operations of the 18th, 19th, and 20th, cannot better be summarized than as expressed recently by a neighboring French commander to his corps: 'Having repulsed repeated and violent counter- attacks made by the enemy, we have a feeling that we have been victorious.' "So far as the British are concerned, the course of events during these three days can be described in a few words. Dur- ing Friday, the 18th, artillery fire was kept up intermittently by both sides during daylight. At night the Germans counter- attacked certain portions of our line, supporting the advance of their infantry as always by a heavy bombardment. But the strokes were not delivered with great vigor and ceased about 2 a. m. During the day's fighting an aircraft gun of the Third Army Corps succeeded in bringing down a German aeroplane. ARTILLERY FIRE BECOMES MONOTONOUS "On Saturday, the 19th, the bombardment was resumed by the Germans at an early hour and continued intermittently under reply from our guns, which is a matter of normal routine rather than an event. "Another hostile aeroplane was brought down by us, and one of our aviators succeeded in dropping several bombs over BATTLE OF THE AISNE 331 the German line, one incendiary bomb falling with considerable effect on a transport park near LaFere. "A buried store of the enemy's munitions of war also was found not far from the Aisne, ten wagonloads of live shells and two wagons of cable being dug up. Traces were discov- ered of large quantities of stores having been burned — all tending to show that as far back as the Aisne the German retirement was hurried. "On Sunday, the 20th, nothing of importance occurred until the afternoon, when there was an interval of feeble sun- shine, which was hardly powerful enough to warm the soaking troops. The Germans took advantage of this brief spell of fine weather to make several attacks against different points. These were all repulsed with loss to the enemy, but the casual- ties incurred by us were by no means light. "The offensive against one or two points was renewed at dusk, with no greater success. The brunt of the resistance naturally has fallen on the infantry. In spite of the fact that they have been drenched to the skin for some days and their trenches have been deep in mud and water, and in spite of the incessant night alarms and the almost continuous bombard- ment to which they have been subjected, they have on every occasion been ready for the enemy 's infantry when the latter attempted to assault. Indeed, the sight of the troops coming up has been a positive relief after long, trying hours of inac- tion under shell fire. OBJECT OF GERMAN" ATTACKS "The object of the great proportion of artillery the Ger- mans employ is to beat down the resistance of their enemy by concentrated and prolonged fire — to shatter their nerve with high explosives before the infantry attack is launched. They seem to have relied on doing this with us, but they have not done so, though it has taken them several costly experiments to discover this fact. "From statements of prisoners, it appears that they have been greatly disappointed by the moral effect produced by their heavy guns, which, despite the actual losses inflicted, has not been at all commensurate with the colossal expendi- ture of ammunition which has really been wasted. "By this it is not implied that their artillery fire is not 332 BATTLE OF THE AISNE good. It is more than good — it is excellent. But the British soldier is a difficult person to impress or depress, even by immense shells filled with a high explosive, which detonate with terrific violence and form craters large enough to act as graves for five horses. 1 ' The German howitzer shells are from eight to nine inches in calibre, and on impact they send up columns of greasy black smoke. On account of this they are irreverently dubbed 'coal boxes,' 'Black Marias,' or 'Jack Johnsons' by the soldiers. "Men who take things in this spirit are, it seems, likely to throw out the calculations based on loss of morale so care- fully framed by the German military philosophers. "The German losses in officers are stated by our prisoners to have been especially severe. A brigade is stated to be commanded by a major; some companies of foot guards by one-year volunteers ; while after the battle of Montmirail one regiment lost fifty-five out of sixty officers. LETTER FOUND ON GERMAN OFFICER "The following letter, which refers to the fighting on the Aisne and was found on a German officer of the Seventh Reserve Corps, has been printed and circulated to the troops : ' ' ' Cerny, South of Paris, Sept. 17. — My Dear Parents : — Our corps has the task of holding the heights south of Cerny in all circumstances till the Fourteenth Corps on our left flank can grip the enemy's flank. On our right are other corps. We are fighting with the English guards, Highlanders and Zouaves. The losses on both sides have been enormous. For the most part this is due to the too-brilliant French artillery. ' ' ' The English are marvelously trained in making use of ground. One never sees them and one is constantly under fire. The French airmen perform wonderful feats. We cannot get rid of them. As soon as an airman has flown over us, ten minutes later we get shrapnel fire in our position. We have little artillery in our corps ; without it we cannot get forward. " 'Three days ago our division took possession of these heights and dug itself in. Two days ago, early in the morn- ing, we were attacked by immensely superior English forces — one brigade and two battalions — and were turned out of our BATTLE OF THE AISNE 333 positions. The fellows took five guns from us. It was a tre- mendous hand-to-hand fight. " 'How I escaped myself I am not clear. I then had to bring up support on foot. My horse was wounded and the others were too far in the rear. Then came up the Guard Jager Battalion, Fourth Jager, Sixth Regiment, Reserve Regi- ment Thirteen, and Landwehr Regiments Thirteen and Six- teen, and, with the help of the artillery, we drove the fellows out of the position again. Our machine-guns did excellent work; the English fell in heaps. ' ' ' In our battalion three iron crosses have been given. Let us hope that we shall be the lucky ones the next time. " 'During the first two days of the battle I had only one piece of bread and no water. I spent the night in the rain without my greatcoat. The rest of my kit was on the horses, which have been left miles behind with the baggage and which cannot come up into the battle because as soon as you put your nose up from behind cover the bullets whistle. ' ' ' War is terrible ! We are all hoping that a decisive battle will end the war. Our troops already have got round Paris. If we beat the English the French resistance will soon be broken. Russia will be very quickly dealt with ; of this there is no doubt. " 'We have received splendid help from the Austrian heavy artillery at Maubeuge. They bombarded Fort Cerfon- taine in such a way that there was not ten meters of parapet which did not show enormous craters made by the shells. The armored turrets were found upside down. " 'Yesterday evening about 6, in the valley in which our reserves stood, there was such a terrible cannonade that we saw nothing of the sky but a cloud of smoke. We had few casualties. ' TELEPHONE AN AID TO SPIES "Espionage is carried on by the enemy to a considerable extent. Recently the suspicions of some of the French troops were aroused by coming across a farm from which the horses had been removed. After some search they discovered a tele- phone which was connected by an underground cable with the German lines, and the owner of the farm paid the penalty in the usual way in war for his treachery. 334 BATTLE OF THE AISNE " After some cases of village fighting, which occurred ear- lier in the war, it was reported by some of our officers that the Germans had attempted to approach to close quarters by forc- ing prisoners to march in front of them. The Germans have recently repeated the same trick on a larger scale against the French, as is shown by the copy of an order issued by the French officials. It is therein referred to as a ruse, but if that term can be accepted, it is a distinctly illegal ruse. REFERS TO RHEIMS CATHEDRAL "Full details of the actual damage done to the cathedral at Rheims will doubtless have been cabled, so that no descrip- tion of it is necessary. The Germans bombarded the cathe- dral twice with their heavy artillery. 1 ' One reason it caught fire so quickly was that on one side of it was some scaffolding which had been erected for restora- tion work. Straw had also been laid on the floor for the recep- tion of German wounded. It is to the credit of the French that practically all the German wounded were successfully extricated from the burning building. "There was no justification on military grounds for this act of vandalism, which seems to have been caused by exas- peration born of failure — a sign of impotence rather than of strength." FIVE MORE DAYS OF BATTLE On September 29 Field Marshal French's headquarters reported as follows: "The general situation as viewed on the map remains practically the same as that described in the last letter, and the task of the army has not changed. It is to maintain itself until there is a general resumption of the offensive. "No ground has been lost. Some has been gained, and every counter-attack has been repulsed — in certain instances with very severe losses to the enemy. "Of recent events an actual narrative will be carried on from the 25th to 29th, inclusive. During the whole of this period the weather has remained fine. "On Friday, the 25th, comparative quiet reigned in our sphere of action. The only incident worthy of special mention was the passage of a German aeroplane over the interior of BATTLE OF THE AISNE 335 our lines. It was flying high, but drew a general fusillade from below, with the result that the pilot was killed outright and the observer was wounded. The latter was captured by the French. ' ' That night a general attack was made against the greater part of the Allies' position, and it was renewed in the early morning of Saturday, the 2Gth. The Germans were every- where repulsed with loss. Indeed, opposite one portion of our lines, where they were caught in mass by our machine-guns and howitzers firing at different ranges, it is estimated that they left 1,000 killed or wounded. "The mental attitude of our troops may be gauged from the fact that the official report next morning from one corps, of which one division had borne the brunt of the fighting, ran thus laconically: 'The night was quiet except for a certain amount of shelling both from the enemy and ourselves. ' AN ALL-DAY ATTACK " At 3 :40 a. m. an attack was made on our right. At 5 a. m. there was a general attack on the right of the th division, but no really heavy firing. Further ineffectual efforts to drive us back were made at 8 a. m. and in the afternoon, and the artillery fire continued all day. "The Germans came on in 'T' formation, several lines shoulder to shoulder, followed almost immediately by a column in support. After a very few minutes the men had closed up into a mob, which afforded an excellent target for our fire. "On Sunday, the 27th, while the German heavy guns were in action, their brass bands could be heard playing hymn tunes, presumably at divine service. "The enemy made an important advance on part of our line at 6 p. m., and renewed it in strength at one point, with, however, no better success than on the previous night. Snip- ing continued all day along the whole front. "On Monday, the 28th, there was nothing more severe than a bombardment and intermittent sniping, and this inactivity continued during Tuesday, the 29th, except for a night attack against our extreme right. A TYPICAL BATTLE INCIDENT "An incident that occurred Sunday, the 27th, serves to illustrate the type of fighting that has for the last two weeks 336 BATTLE OF THE AISNE been going on intermittently on various parts of our lines. It also brings out the extreme difficulty of ascertaining what is actually happening during an action apart from what seems to be happening, and points to the value of good intrench- ments. "At a certain point in our front our advance trenches were on the north of the Aisne, not far from a village on a hillside and also within a short distance of German works, being on a slope of a spur formed by a subsidiary valley running north and a main valley of the river. It was a calm, sunny after- noon, but hazy, and from our point of vantage south of the river it was difficult exactly to locate on the far bank the well- concealed trenches. "From far and near the sullen boom of guns echoed along the valley, and at intervals in a different direction the sky was flecked with the almost motionless smoke of anti-aircraft shrapnel. 1 ' Suddenly and without any warning, for the reports of the distant howitzers from which they were fired could not be dis- tinguished from other distant reports, three or four heavy shells fell into the village, sending up huge clouds of dust and smoke, which ascended in a brownish-gray column. To this no reply was made by our side. "Shortly afterwards there was a quick succession of re- ports from a point some distance up the subsidiary valley on the side opposite our trenches and therefore rather on their flank. It was not possible either by ear or by eye to locate the guns from which the sounds proceeded. Almost simultaneously, as it seemed, there was a corresponding succession of flashes and sharp detonations in the line along the hillside along what appeared to be our trenches. "There was then a pause and several clouds of smoke rose slowly and remained stationary, spaced as regularly as poplars. "Again there was a succession of reports from German quick-firers on the far side of the misty valley and like echoes of detonations of high explosives ; then the row of expanding smoke clouds was prolonged by several new ones. Another pause and silence, except for the noise in the distance. "After a few minutes there was a roar from our side of BATTLE OF THE AISNE 837 the main valley as our field guns opened one after another in a more deliberate fire upon the positions of the German guns. After six reports there was again silence save for the whirr of shells as they sang up the small valley. Then followed flashes and balls of smoke — one, two, three, four, five, six — as the shrapnel burst nicely over what in the haze looked like some ruined buildings at the edge of the wood. TRYING TO ENFILADE THE TRENCHES " Again, after a short interval, the enemy's gunners re- opened with a burst, still further prolonging the smoke, which was by now merged into one solid screen above a considerable length of the trenches and again did our guns reply. And so the duel went on for some time. "Ignoring our guns, the German artillerymen, probably relying on concealment for immunity, were concentrating all their efforts in a particularly forceful effort to enfilade our trenches. For them it must have appeared to be the chance of a lifetime, and with their customary prodigality of ammuni- tion they continued to pour bouquet after bouquet of high explosives or combined shrapnel and common shells into our works. "Occasionally, with a roar, a high angle projectile would sail over the hill and blast a gap in the village. One could only pray that our men holding the trenches had dug them- selves in deep and well, and that those in the village were in cellars. "In the hazy valleys, bathed in sunlight, not a man, not a horse, not a gun, nor even a trench was to be seen. There were only flashes, and smoke, and noise. Above, against the blue sky, several round, white clouds were hanging. The only two visible human souls were represented by a glistening speck in the air. On high also were to be heard more or less gentle reports of the anti-aircraft projectiles. "But the deepest impression created was one of sympathy for the men subjected to the bursts along that trench. Upon inquiry as to the losses sustained, however, it was found that our men had been able to take care of themselves and had dug themselves well in. In that collection of trenches on that Sunday afternoon were portions of four battalions of British 338 BATTLE OF THE AISNE soldiers — the Dorsets, the West Kents, the King's Own York- shire light infantry, and the King's Own Scottish Borderers." AEMIES IN A DEADLOCK Later reports from the Aisne valley, up to October 17, when the big battle had been five weeks in progress, indicated little change in the general situation. Bombardments and artillery duels, varied by general attacks, occurred daily all along the line. The main positions of both armies were firmly held, though the French had gained some ground north of Rheims and continually threatened the German center. The left of the Allies' line had crept north to and beyond Arras, where there was severe fighting for several days ; and at the end of the thirty-fifth day of the battle of the Rivers the lines of the opposing armies extended almost continuously from beyond Arras on the northwest, south in a great curve to the Aisne valley, thence east to Verdun, where the Crown Prince's army kept hammering away at that fortress without success, and thence southwest to Nancy and the Alsatian border. By this time the armies of the center were in a species of deadlock. The strain on both sides had long promised to get beyond human endurance and the antagonists of the Aisne were likened by a French officer to two exhausted pugilists, who would soon be unable to inflict further punishment upon each other. But there was no sign of "throwing up the sponge" on either side, though beyond the actual sphere of conflict it was felt that ' ' something must give way soon. ' ' A BLAZING VALE OF DEATH Writing on September 16, the fourth day of the battle, a special correspondent behind the British lines by Senlis and Chantilly, said : "I have passed through a smiling land to a land wearing the mask of death; through harvest fields rich with great stacks snugly builded against the winter to the fields of a braver harvest; by jocund villages where there is no break in the ebb and flow of everyday life to villages and towns that despoiling hands have shattered in ruins. "And I have passed up this Via Dolorosa toward the very harvesting itself — toward those great plains stretching away BATTLE OF THE AISNE 339 on the banks of the River Aisne, where the second act of this drama of battles is at this moment being played. "Details of this fight, which, as I write, reaches its fourth day of duration, are very scanty, but partly from personal observation and partly from information which has reached me I know that the struggle so far has been a terrible one, equal to, if not greater than, the struggle on the banks of the Marne. "The events of Monday (September 14) revealed a foe bat- tling desperately for his life ; and this defense of General von Kluck's army demanded of the Allies their utmost strength and determination. "Picture this battlefield, which will assuredly take its place with that of the Marne as one of the greatest combats of the greatest war. Through the middle of it flows the great river, passing from the east to the west. The banks of the river here are very steep. Above the plain, which sweeps away from the northern bank, rises the ' ' massif ' ' of Laon. It is an ideal area for great movements and for artillery work directed upon the valley of the river. Passing eastward a little, there are the heights behind the city of Rheims and above the Vesle, a tribu- tary of the Aisne. Here again nature has builded a strong- hold easy to defend, difficult exceedingly to attack. "I know of heroic work against these great lines, work that will live with the most momentous of this struggle. I know of smashing attacks the thought of which takes one's breath away. I have heard narratives of the trenches and of the bridges — these engineers, French and English, have indeed 'played the game' — which no man can hear unmoved ; how the columns went down again and again to the blazing death of the valley, and how men worked, building and girding in a very inferno — worked with the furious speed of those whose time of work is short. HEROISM IN THE TRENCHES "And in the trenches, too, the tale of heroism unfolds itself hour by hour. Here is an example, one among ten thousand, the story of a wounded private : 'We lay together, my friend and I. . . . The order to fire came. We shot and shot till our rifles burned us. Still they swarmed on towards us. We took careful aim all the while. "Ah, good, did you see that?" 840 BATTLE OF THE AISNE I turned to my friend and as I did so heard a terrible dull sound like a spade striking upon newly turned earth. His head was fallen forward. I spoke, I called him by name. He was moaning a little. Then I turned to my work again. They are advancing quickly now. Ah ! how cool I was. I shot so slowly, ... so very slowly. " 'And then — do you know what it feels like to be wounded? I rose just a little too high on my elbow. A sting that pierces my arm like a hot wire — too sharp almost to be sore. I felt my arm go away from me — it seemed like that — and then my rifle fell. I believe I was a little dazed. I looked at my friend presently. He was dead. ' THE GRIM STORY OF SENLIS ''So, on these green river banks and across these fair wooded plains the Germans make their great stand — the stand that if they are defeated will be their last in France. And meanwhile behind them lie the wasted fields and the broken villages. It is impossible adequately to describe the scenes which I have witnessed on the line of the great retreat, but here and there events have had place, which, in truth, cry to high heaven for report. Of such is the grim story of Senlis. ' ' I spent many hours in Senlis and I will recount that story as I saw it and as I heard it from those who lived through the dreadful procession of days. On Saturday, September 5, the Germans reached this beautiful old cathedral town and entered into occupation. They issued a proclamation to the inhab- itants calling upon them to submit and to offer no sort of resistance on pain of severe reprisals. "But the inhabitants of Senlis had already tasted the bitter draft of war making. The people had become bitter to the point of losing care of their own safety. They were reckless, driven to distraction. "Bitter was the price exacted for the recklessness! The trouble began when, exasperated beyond measure by their insolence, a brave tobacconist declared to a couple of the Prus- sians: 'I serve men, not bullies.' He followed his words with a blow delivered fiercely from the shoulder. "The infuriated soldiers dragged him from his shop and hurled him on his knees in front of the door. His wife rushed out shrieking for mercy. Mercy ! As well ask it of a stone ! BATTLE OF THE AISNE 341 A shot rang out. . . . Another. . . . Man and wife lay dead. " Immediately the news of this murderous act flew through the town. Outraged and furious, the conquerors marched in- stantly to the house of the mayor — their hostage — and arrested him. They conveyed him without a moment's delay to the military headquarters, where he was imprisoned for the night. On Wednesday morning a court-martial sat to decide his fate. A few minutes later this brave man paid for the indiscretion of his people with his life, dying splendidly. "And then guns were turned on this town of living men and women and children. Shells crashed into the houses, into the shops, into the station. At Chantilly, seven kilometers away, the amazed inhabitants saw a great column of black smoke curl up into the air; they guessed the horrible truth. Senlis was burning. "The work, however, was interrupted. At midday the glad tidings were heard, 'The Turcos are here.' "Within the hour broken and blazing Senlis was re-relieved and rescued. The Turcos pursued and severely punished the enemy. "Today these streets are terrible to look upon. House after house has been shattered to pieces — broken to a pile of stones. One of the small turrets of the cathedral has been demolished, and a rent has been torn in the stone work of the tower. The station is like a wilderness. ' ' RHEIMS CATHEDRAL DAMAGED A correspondent gives a vivid account of the German bom- bardment of Rheims, during the battle on the Aisne, as viewed by him from the belfry of the famous cathedral. "What a spectacle it was!" he said. "Under the cold, drifting gray rainclouds the whole semicircle of the horizon was edged by heights on which the German batteries were mounted, three miles away. "There was nothing but the inferno of bursting shells, those of the Germans landing anywhere within the space of a square mile. Sometimes it was just outside the town that they fell, trying to find the French troops lying there in their trenches, waiting to go forward to the attack of the hills, when their artillery should have prepared the way. "The cathedral tower made a wonderful grand stand from 342 BATTLE OF THE AISNE which to watch this appalling game of destruction. It was under the protection of the Red Cross flag, for directly the shells began to hit the cathedral in the morning some German wounded were brought in from a hospital nearby and laid on straw in the nave, while Abbe Andreaux and a Red Cross sol- dier pluckily climbed to the top of the tower and hung out two Geneva flags. "The crescendo scream the shells make has something fiendish in it that would be thrilling apart from the danger of which it is the sign. You hear it a full second before the shell strikes, and in that time you can tell instinctively the direction of its flight. "Then comes the crash of the explosion, which is like all the breakages you ever heard gathered into one simultaneous smash. ' ' SAVING THE GERMAN WOUNDED A few of the German shells struck the cathedral and set it on fire. The scene was thus described by Abbe Camu, a priest of Rheims : "It was all over in an hour. There were two separate fires. We put the first out with four buckets of water, all we had in the place, but soon another shell struck the roof and the wind drove the flames along the rafters inside of the nave. We rushed up, but it was flaming all along and as we could do nothing, we hurried down. "There were holes in the ceiling of the nave and sparks began to fall through them into a great heap of straw, ten feet high and twenty yards long, which the Germans had piled along the north aisle. We tried to catch the sparks in our hands as they fell, and such of the German wounded as were able to walk helped us. But the first spark that fell on the pile set it blazing. There was time to think of nothing but getting out the wounded. 1 ' They screamed horribly. We carried many of those that could not walk, while others dragged themselves painfully along to the side door in the north aisle. Those who had only hand and arm wounds helped their comrades. We got out all except thirteen, whose bodies were left behind. "When at last I came out of the flaming building I found the whole body of wounded huddled together around the doors. BATTLE OF THE AISNE 343 Opposite to them was a furiously hostile crowd of civilians of the town and a number of soldiers with their rifles already leveled. "I sprang forward. 'What are you doing?' I cried. " 'They shall all burn,' shouted the soldiers in answer. 'They shall go back and burn with the cathedral or we will shoot them here.' " 'You are mad!' I exclaimed in reply. 'Think of what this means. All the world will hear of the crime the Germans have committed here, and if you shoot these men the world will know that France has been as criminal in her turn. Any- how,' I said, 'you shall shoot me first, for I will not move.' ' ' Unwillingly the soldiers lowered their rifles and I turned to six German officers who were among the wounded and asked if they would do what I told them to. They said they would and I asked them to tell their men to do the same. Then I formed them up in a solid body, those who could walk unaided carrying or helping those who could not. I put myself at the head and we set off to the Hotel de Ville, which is only a few hundred yards away. "Well, then the crowd, mad with grief and rage, set on us. I can't describe it. You have never seen anything so dreadful as that scene. They beat some of the Germans and some of them they got down. " 'Can't you help me?' I called to a French officer I caught sight of. " 'You will never get to the Hotel de Ville like this,' he replied, so I forced my wounded through the gateway of a private house and we managed to close the gates after us. ' ' They had been roughly handled, some of them, and they stayed there a day and a night before we could move them again. ' ' [The damage done to the cathedral at Rheims, by the way, though by no means slight, inexpressibly sad arid truly re- grettable, was not nearly so great as was indicated by many early reports. The friends of architectural art and beauty hope to see the cathedral fully restored at no distant date.] "slatjghtek" at soissons Much of the fighting during the battle of the Aisne cen- tered around Soissons. On September 16 a correspondent described the fighting there as follows: 344 BATTLE OF THE AISNE "For the last three hours I have been watching from the hills to the south of the town that part of the terrific struggle that may be known in history as the battle of Soissons. "It has lasted for four days, and only now can it be said that victory is turning to the side of the Allies. "The town itself cannot be entered for it still is being raked both by artillery and rifle fire, and great columns of smoke mark several points at which houses are burning. "The center of the fighting lies where the British and French pontoon corps are trying to keep the bridges they have succeeded in throwing across the river. "Men who have come from the front line tell me that the combat there has been a positive slaughter. They say that the unremitting and desperate firing of these four days and nights puts anything else in modern warfare into the shade, that river crossings are as great an objective on one side to take and keep as on the other to destroy." SEVEN DAYS OP HELL A wounded soldier, on being brought back to the hospital at Paris, after only one week in the valley of the Aisne, said in a dazed sort of way : "Each day was like the others. It began at 6 o'clock in the morning with heavy shellfire. There was a short interval at which it stopped, about 5 :30 every day. Then in the night came the charges, and one night I couldn't count them. It was awful — kill, kill, kill, and still they came on, shoving one another over on to us. Seven days and nights of it and some nights only an hour's sleep ; it was just absolute hell !" None of the wounded found another word to describe the battle and the sight of the men bore it out. Muddied to the eyes, wet, often with blood caked on them, many were suffering from the curious aphasia produced by continued trouble and the concussion of shells bursting. Some were dazed and speechless, some deafened, and yet, strange to say, said a correspondent, no face wore the terrible animal war look. They seemed to have been softened, instead of hardened, by their awful experience. CHAPTER XXIII FALL OF ANTWERP Great Seaport of Belgium Besieged by a Large German Force — Forts Battered by Heavy Siege Guns — Final Surrender of the City — Belgian and British Defenders Escape — Exodus of Inhabitants — Germans Reach the Sea. WHEN the battle of the Marne ended in favor of the Allies and the Germans retired to take up a defensive position along the Aisne, the Belgian army renewed its activities against the invader. With the fortified city of Antwerp as their base, the Belgians began (on September 10) an active campaign, having for its object the reoccupation of their cities and towns which had been taken and garrisoned by German troops. In some cases they were successful in regaining pos- session of points which they had been forced to abandon dur- ing the German advance in August, and there were many hot encounters with the Germans who were left to hold open the German lines of communication through Belgium. But the forces of the Kaiser were too numerous and too mobile for successful opposition, and soon the Belgian army, despite the most gallant efforts, was compelled once more to retire behind the outer forts of Antwerp and there await the coming of an enemy who was approaching in force. For, halted at the Aisne and unable to make headway against the Allies in the direction of Paris, the German general staff late in September determined upon the complete conquest of Belgium. Though at the outset it was said that Germany intended only to use Belgian territory as a convenient thor- oughfare into France, and to pay for all damage done by its army in passing through Belgium, the determined resistance 345 346 FALL OF ANTWERP of the Belgians when invaded, and the success of the Allies in halting the advance upon Paris and turning it into a retreat at the Marne, appear to have inflamed the German generals with a desire to crush Belgium completely under an iron heel. An object lesson of the power and possibilities of the great fighting machine must be given somewhere. Halted in France by the Franco-British armies and meeting with varying fortunes against the Russian hosts in the eastern campaign, Germany chose to make Belgium once more the international cockpit and hurled an army against Antwerp. This move, if successful (as it proved to be) would serve two purposes — first, the further punishment of Belgium for her unexpected resistance, and second, the striking of a direct blow at Great Britain, the possession of Antwerp being strategically regarded as ' ' a pistol leveled at the head of London. ' '■ THE SIEGE OF ANTWERP In the third week of September the Germans, having massed a force believed to be sufficient for the capture of Antwerp, brought up their heavy Krupp siege guns which had been used successfully at Liege and Namur, and planted them within their seven-mile range, so as to command the outer belt of forts east and south of the city. [See map of the fortifications of Antwerp on page 102.] These huge how- itzers were reinforced by heavy siege guns furnished by Aus- tria. The fortification system of Antwerp was believed by its builders to be practically impregnable, but they had not reckoned with the tremendous shattering power and great range of the latest Krupp siege guns. For Antwerp was destined to fall, her outer and inner defenses broken down, within ten days from the time the siege began in earnest. BRITISH MARINES AID DEFENDERS The number of German troops engaged before Antwerp was variously estimated at from 80,000 to 200,000. The siege proper began on Tuesday, September 29. For more than a week previously there had been daily engagements in the suburbs of the city and on several occasions the Belgians made a sortie in force, only to encounter overwhelming num- bers of the German enemy, before whom they were compelled FALL OF ANTWERP 347 to retire behind the shelter of the forts. In all these engage- ments the Belgians gave a good account of themselves and inflicted severe losses on the enemy. But the odds against them were too great and then when the great siege guns began to thunder, it was soon realized that the city was in imminent danger. King Albert did all in his power to encourage the defense and by his presence among his troops on the firing lines around the city added greatly to his reputation as a patriotic soldier. A force of several thousand British marines, coming from Ostend, aided the Belgian defense in the last days of the siege, but all efforts were unavailing. One by one the forts succumbed to the German fire with which the Belgian guns could not cope, and German troops penetrated nearer and nearer to the doomed city. Finally, on October 9, w T hen the inhabitants were in a state of terror as a result of the long-continued bombardment of the forts, and the shelling of the city, further resistance was seen to be useless, the defending forces, Belgian and British, made their escape to Ostend or into the neutral territory of Holland, the city formally capitulated through the Burgomaster, and occupation by the Germans followed immediately. The bulk of the British marines made their way back to Ostend, but a rearguard, consisting of 2,000 British, together with some Belgians, was cut off by the advance of the Germans across the Scheldt, and rather than surrender to them marched across the border into Holland and surrendered arms to the Dutch authorities. The men were interned and will be held in Holland till the end of the war. It is probable that this rearguard was deliberately sacrificed to enable the Anglo- Belgian army to make good its retreat. The fate of Antwerp shows what might have happened to Paris had the Germans been able to bring up their great siege guns to the outer fortifications of the French capital and pro- tect them while they performed their tremendous task of battering the defenses to pieces. The wrecking of Antwerp's outer and inner forts in ten days proves that solid, massive concrete, chilled steel and well-planned earthworks afford little or no security against the monstrous cannon of the Kai- 348 FALL OF ANTWERP ser's armies. There appeared to be but one way of with- standing them. As seems to have been demonstrated in the valley of the Aisne, they are apparently ineffective against field forces deeply intrenched in a far-flung line. THE FIGHTING OUTSIDE ANTWEEP Early on Tuesday morning, October 6, one of the fiercest of the engagements outside Antwerp ended with the crossing of the Kiver Nethe by the Germans and their approach to the inner forts. Monday had been the sixth day of the siege and the Belgian army was fighting with reckless courage to save Antwerp. As a precaution, the boilers of all the German ships lying in the harbor were exploded on Sunday, in order to prevent, if possible, use of these ships as transports for German troops across the North Sea or elsewhere. The det- onation of the bursting boilers, resounding through the city, set the excited Sunday crowd very near to a panic. This was accelerated by the constant fear of airship attacks, and most of the population that was not already in active flight from the city sought safety in cellars. The entire war has presented no greater picture of desola- tion than that of the hosts fleeing from the last Belgian stronghold. For forty-eight hours before the city fell great crowds of the citizens, dumb with terror as the huge German shells hurtled over their heads, were fleeing toward Englan 1 and Holland in such numbers that the hospitality of those countries was likely to be taxed to the utmost. The suburban town of Lierre was bombarded early in the week, the church was destroyed, and a number of citizens killed and wounded. The next day the village of Duffel was bombarded and the population fled into Antwerp. Many still had confidence in the ability of the Antwerp forts to with- stand the German attack. Although the Germans succeeded in crossing the Nethe, their repeated attempts to effect a passage over the Scheldt were repulsed and they then concentrated their attention on an approach to Antwerp from the southeast. In their trenches the Belgians resisted gallantly to the last. "Most wonder- ful, ' ' said an American observer on October 7, ' ' is the patient, FALL OF ANTWERP unfaltering courage of the average Belgian soldier, who has been fighting for nine weeks. Tired, with hollow eyes, un- kempt, unwashed and provided with hasty, though ample, meals, he is spending most of the time in the trenches. ''King Albert, the equal of any soldier in his devotion to duty, daily exposes himself to personal danger, while the Queen is devoting her time to the hospitals. ' ' The effect of the German siege artillery was especially destructive near Vosburg. Several villages suffered heavily and the barracks at Contich were wrecked. The forts at Waelhem and Wavre-St. Catherines were totally destroyed by the terrific shell fire. Most of the fighting around Antwerp was a battle of Krupps against men. Every day and night the fighting con- tinued with deadly effect against the forts, while the shrapnel and shell made many of the trenches untenable. As fast as the Belgians were compelled to withdraw from a position the Germans moved up and occupied it. The Bel- gians fought stubbornly with infantry and frequently they repulsed the Germans, but these repulses always meant a renewal of the artillery attacks by the Germans, with the eventual retirement of the Belgians until the end of endurance was reached and the city defenses were evacuated by their brave garrison. An instance of the tenacity with which the infantry stuck to their positions was reported from the Berlaere, where the commanding officer and his aid-de-camp were in one of the most exposed positions. Sandbags protected them for some time, but at last the aid-de-camp was struck by shrapnel and had his face virtually blown away. Unperturbed by this ter- rible proof of the danger of his position, the commanding officer stuck to his post, and for further shelter placed the body of his junior over his body. In this position he lay firing, whenever possible, from 8 o 'clock in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. FIERCE FIGHT TO CROSS NETHE The crossing of the River Nethe was attended by great loss to the Germans. They hurled their infantry recklessly against the Belgian trenches,' and while they lost enormous numbers, eventually succeeded in crossing the river. 350 FALL OF ANTWERP One of the -unsuccessful attempts was described by an inde- pendent observer as follows: "The Germans succeeded in getting a pontoon completed and they came down to the river bank in solid masses to cross it. As they came every Belgian gun that could be turned on the spot was concentrated on them and they were blown away, blocks of them at a time, and still the masses came on. 4 ' The Belgian officers spoke with enthusiasm of the steadi- ness and gallantry with which, as each German company was swept away, another pushed into its place. But it was a dread- ful sight, nevertheless. "At last the bridge went, shattered and blown to bits. The Belgian guns continued for a while to search the opposite river bank, but the Germans fell back and no more masses of men came down to where the pontoon had been. Allowing for all exaggerations, there can be no doubt that the German loss must have been extremely heavy. ' ' Near Termonde, on Wednesday, the 7th, the fighting was just as fierce. The Belgians had four batteries of field guns there which succeeded in destroying the locks of the river (the Scheldt), thus flooding a part of the river and blocking the Ger- mans. Later they engaged in a hot duel with the German artil- lery. Two of the Belgian batteries were completely destroyed early in the action and all of the men serving them were killed. Not until the last of the remaining guns were put out of action did the Belgians withdraw. Of the casualties in and around Antwerp during the siege it is possible only to make an estimate. It was said after the Germans entered the city that their total loss in killed, wounded and missing was near forty-five thousand men. German officers were credited before the attack with saying that they would sacrifice 100,000 men, if necessary, to take Antwerp. It is prob- able that the German casualties numbered at least twenty-five thousand, while the Belgian losses in actual killed and wounded were probably five thousand. The latter fought from en- trenched positions, while the heavy German losses were sus- tained in the open and at the river crossings. The casualties among the British marines, who arrived only a day or two be- fore the city capitulated, were comparatively insignificant. FALL OF ANTWERP 351 STORY OF AN EYEWITNESS — HARROWING SCENES ATTENDING THE FALL OF ANTWERP AND THE EXODUS OF ITS PEOPLE A vivid picture of the pathetic scenes attending the fall of Antwerp was given by Lucien A. Jones, correspondent of the London Daily Chronicle, who wrote on October 11th as follows: "Antwerp has been surrendered at last. The bitterest blow which has fallen upon Belgium is full of permanent tragedy, but the tragedy is lightened by the gallantry with which the city was defended. Only at last to save the historic buildings and precious possessions of the ancient port was its further defense abandoned. Already much of it had been shattered by the long-range German guns, and prolonged resistance against these tremendous engines of war was impossible. Owing to this the siege was perhaps the shortest in the annals of war that a fortified city has ever sustained. Heroic efforts were made by the Belgians to stem the tide of the enemy's advance, but the end could not long be delayed when the siege guns began the bombardment. "It was at three minutes past noon on Friday, October 9th, that the Germans entered the city, which was formally surren- dered by Burgomaster J. De Vos. Antwerp had then been under a devastating and continuous shell fire for over forty hours. ' ' It was difficult to ascertain precisely how the German at- tack was planned, but the final assault consisted of a continuous bombardment of two hours ' duration, from half past 7 o 'clock in the morning to half -past 9. During that time there was a continuous rain of shells, and it was extraordinary to notice the precision with which they dropped where they would do the most damage. The Germans used captive balloons, whose officers signaled the points in the Belgian defense at which they should aim. GERMAN GUNS CONCEALED "The German guns, too, were concealed with such clever- ness that their position could not be detected by the Belgians. Against such methods and against the terrible power of the German guns the Belgian artillery seemed quite ineffective. Firing came to an end at 9.30 on Friday, and the garrison es- caped, leaving only ruins behind them. In order to gain time for an orderly retreat a heavy fire was maintained against the 852 FALL OF ANTWERP Germans up to the last minute and the forts were then blown up by the defenders as the Germans came in at the gate of Malines. "I was lucky enough to escape by the river to the north in a motorboat. The bombardment had then ceased, though many buildings were still blazing, and while the little boat sped down the Scheldt one could imagine the procession of the Kaiser's troops already goose-stepping their way through the well-nigh deserted streets. MANY HARKOWING SCENES * ' Those forty hours of shattering noise almost without lull seem to me now a fantastic nightmare, but the sorrowful sights I witnessed in many parts of the city cannot be forgotten. "It was Wednesday night that the shells began to fall into the city. From then onward they must have averaged about ten a minute, and most of them came from the largest guns which the Germans possess, 'Black Marias,' as Tommy Atkins has christened them. Before the bombardment had been long in operation the civil population, or a large proportion of it, fell into a panic. "It is impossible to blame these peaceful, quiet-living burghers of Antwerp for the fears that possessed them when a merciless rain of German shells began to fall into the streets and on the roofs of their houses and public buildings. The Burgomaster had in his proclamation given them excellent ad- vice, to remain calm for instance, and he certainly set them an admirable example, but it was impossible to counsel perfection to the Belgians, who knew what had happened to their fellow- citizens in other towns which the Germans had passed through. FOUGHT TO GET ON THE BOATS "Immense crowds of them — men, women and children — gathered along the quayside and at the railway stations in an effort to make a hasty exit from the city. Their condition was pitiable in the extreme. Family parties made up the biggest proportion of this vast crowd of broken men and women. There were husbands and wives with their groups of scared children, unable to understand what was happening, yet dimly con- scious in their childish way that something unusual and ter- rible and perilous had come into their lives. FALL OF ANTWERP 858 " There were fully 40,000 of them assembled on the long quay, and all of them were inspired by the sure and certain hope that they would be among the lucky ones who would get on board one of the few steamers and the fifteen or twenty tug- boats available. As there was no one to arrange their sys- tematic embarkation a wild struggle followed amongst the frantic people, to secure a place. Men, women and children fought desperately with each other to get on board, and in that moment of supreme anguish human nature was seen in one of its worst moods; but who can blame these stricken people? APPALLED BY THE HORROR OF WAR "They were fleeing from 'les barbares,' and shells that were destroying their homes and giving their beloved town to the flames were screaming over their heads. Their trade was not war. They were merchants, shopkeepers, comfortable citizens of middle age or more ; there were many women and children among them, and this horror had come upon them in a more appalling shape than any in which horror had visited a civilized community in modern times. "There was a scarcity of gangways to the boats, and the only means of boarding them was by narrow planks sloping at dangerous angles. Up these the fugitives struggled, and the strong elbowed the weak out of their way in a mad haste to escape. "By 2 o'clock Thursday most of the tugboats had got away, but there were still some 15,000 people who had not been able to escape and had to await whatever fate was in store for them. A GREAT EXODUS OF INHABITANTS "At the central railway station incidents of a similar kind were happening. There, as down by the river, immense throngs of people had assembled, and they were filled with dismay at the announcement that no trains were running. In their despair they prepared to leave the city on foot by cross- ing the pontoon bridge and marching towards the Dutch fron- tier. I should say the exodus of refugees from the city must have totaled 200,000 men, women and children of all ages, or very nearly that vast number, out of a population which in normal times is 321,800. 354 FALL OF ANTWERP "I now return to the events of Thursday, October 8th. At 12.30 in the afternoon, when the bombardment had already- lasted over twelve hours, through the courtesy of a Belgian officer I was able to ascend to the roof of the cathedral, and from that point of vantage I looked down upon the scene in the city. "All the southern portion of Antwerp appeared to be deso- late ruin. Whole streets were ablaze, and the flames were rising to a height of twenty and thirty feet. "From my elevated position I had an excellent view also of the great oil tanks on the opposite side of the Scheldt. They had been set on fire by four bombs from a German Taube aero- plane, and a huge thick volume of black smoke was ascending two hundred feet into the air. It was like a bit of Gustave Dore 's idea of the infernal regions. CITY ALMOST DESERTED "The city by this time was almost deserted, and no attempt was made to extinguish the fires that had broken out all over the southern district. Indeed there were no means of dealing with them. For ten days the water supply from the reservoir ten miles outside the city had been cut off, and this was the city's main source of supply. The reservoir was just behind Fort Waelthen, and a German shell had struck it, doing great mischief. It left Antwerp without any regular inflow of water and the inhabitants had to do their best with the artesian wells. Great efforts were made by the Belgians from time to time to repair the reservoir, but it was always thwarted by the Ger- man shell fire. KILLED BEFORE HIS WIFE'S EYES "After leaving the cathedral, I made my way to the south- ern section of the city, where shells were bursting at the rate of five a minute. With great difficulty, and not without risk, I got as far as Rue Lamoiere. There I met a terror-stricken Belgian woman, the only other person in the streets besides myself. In hysterical gasps she told me that the Bank Nationale and Palais de Justice had been struck and were in flames, and that her husband had been killed just five minutes before I came upon the scene. His mangled remains were Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 1 FRENCH TURCOS DIVIDING THEIR GERMAN SPOILS AT MEAUX 2 BELGIANS CONGRATULATING PRIVATE LANGE, OF THE 12TII REGIMENT OF IN- FANTRY WHO WAS DECORATED BY KING ALBERT FOR KILLING A GERMAN 'colonel AND FOURTEEN MEN AT HORSTAL. AUGUST 25 Above— f Left) Archduke Frederick of Austr a, in command of the Austrian forces. (Ki«ht) General Count von Moltke, chief of German staff. Below— (Left) Archduke Charles Francis, heir to the Austrian throne. (Right) Baron von Hoetzendorff, chief of the Austrian staff, with Military Secretary. * E a, c FALL OF ANTWERP 855 lying not one hundred yards away from where we were standing. ' ' F^xcept for the lurid glare of burning buildings, which lit up the streets, the city was in absolute darkness, and near the quay I lost my way trying to get to the Hotel Wagner. For the second time that day I narrowly escaped death by shell. One burst with terrific force about twenty-five yards from me. I heard its warning whirr and rushed into a neighboring porch. Whether it was from the concussion of the shell or in my anxiety to escape I caromed against the door and tumbled down, and as I lay on the ground a house on the opposite side crashed in ruins. I remained still for several minutes, feeling quite sick and unable to get up. Then I pulled myself together and ran at full speed until I came to a street which I recognized. TAKE KEFUGE IN CELLARS "How many of the inhabitants of Antwerp remained in the city that night it is impossible to say, but they were all in the cellars of their houses or shops. The Burgomaster, M. De Vos, had in one of his several proclamations made many sug- gestions for safety during the bombardment, for the benefit of those who took refuge in cellars. Among the most useful of them, perhaps, was that which recommended means of escape to an adjoining cellar. The power of modern artil- lery is so tremendous that a cellar might very well, become a tomb if a shell fell on the building overhead. "Sleep was impossible that night, in the noise caused by the explosion of shells in twenty different quarters of the town. About 6 o'clock I was told that it was time we got out, as the Germans were entering the city. We hurried from the hotel and found the streets completely deserted. I walked down to the quay-side, and there I came across many wounded soldiers, who had been unable to get away in the hospital boat. "On the quay piles of equipment had been abandoned. A broken-down motor-car, kit-bags, helmets, rifles and knap- sacks were littered in heaps. Ammunition had been dumped there and rendered useless. The Belgians had evidently at- tempted to set fire to the whole lot. The pile of stuff was still smoldering. I waited there for half an hour, and during that 356 FALL OF ANTWERP time hundreds of Belgian soldiers passed in the retreat. Just about this time a pontoon bridge which had been the means oi the Belgian retreat was blown up to prevent pursuit by the Germans. "At 8 o'clock a shell struck the Town Hall, and about 8 :15 another shell shattered the upper story and broke every win- dow in the place. BURGOMASTER PARLEYS WITH GERMANS ''That was the German way of telling the Burgomaster to hurry up. A quarter of an hour later M. De Yos went out in his motor-car toward the German line to discuss the con- ditions on which the city should be surrendered. "At 9:30 o'clock the bombardment of the city suddenly ceased, and we understood that the Burgomaster had by this time reached the German headquarters. Still we waited, pain- fully anxious to learn what would be the ultimate fate of Ant- werp. Belgian soldiers hurried by and at 10:30 proclama- tions were posted on the walls of the Town Hall urging all in the city to surrender any arms in their possession and begging all to remain calm in the event of the Germans' occupation. A list was also posted of several prominent citizens who were appointed to look after the interests of those Belgians who remained. 1 ' The ' impregnable ' city of Antwerp had fallen, but with- out dishonor to its gallant defenders." GERMAN MILITARY GOVERNOR OF ANTWERP APPOINTED GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORTS On October 10 Baron von der Schutz was appointed mili- tary governor of Antwerp. It was expected that the city would become the base for Zeppelin attacks upon England and also for a German naval campaign in which mines and submarines would play an important part. This was inti- mated in dispatches from Berlin following the German occu- pation of the city. The German 'General Staff, in announcing the capture, added that they could not estimate the number of prisoners taken. "We took enormous quantities of supplies of all kinds," said the official statement. FALL OF AX TWERP Z57 The German military commander of Antwerp warned the people against committing overt acts against the Germans, which would, he said, be punished according to the laws of war, and "may lead to the demolition of your beautiful city." Personal protection and immunity from property loss were promised those who abstained from hostile ac Prince August Wilhelm, the fourth son of the Kaiser, was among the first to penetrate the fortifications at Antwerp. The Prince sent an enthusiastic m to the Kaiser, who replied, bestowing the Iron Cross upon the Prince and upon General von Beseler, the German commander. Before the fall of Antwerp the Belgian government moved its headquarters to Ostend, and later, when the Germans ad- vanced upon that city, to Havre, France. King Albert and the Belgian field army made good theh: retreat from Antwerp an 1 in the following week harassed the German advance upon the coast of the Straits of Dover. There was a fierce battle near Termonde, in which the Bel- gians were assisted by British cavalry and infantry. Ostend was occupied by German troops a week after Antwerp fell, but the Allies had by that time gathered a large force to dis- pute the progress of the Germans across the frontier towards the coast cities of northern France. Some alarm at the near approach of the invaders was felt in Dunkirk and in Boulogne, but on October 20 the Allies were holding their own all along the northwestern frontier of France and the German advance along the coast was checked by the Belgian army at the Yser river. The line of battle of the Allies and the Germans, in the w theater of war, then extended from the North Sea, near the Franco-Belgian border, south to Lille and Arras, southeast to the valley of the Aisne, and thence by way of Mezieres and Verdun southeast to Alsace. THE PEACE HYMN By the Rev. John Haynes Holmes Sung to the tune of "St. Agnes" (J. B. Dykes) [This hymn was recommended by the Federal Council of Churches and the Church Peace Union to be sung in the churches of the United States on the Day of Prayer for Peace, Sunday, October 4, designated in the proclama- tion of President Wilson.] God of the Nations, near and far, Ruler of all mankind, Bless Thou Thy people as they strive The paths of peace to find. The clash of arms still shakes the sky, King battles still with king, Wild through the frighted air of night The bloody tocsins ring. But clearer far the friendly speech Of scientists and seers, The wise debate of statesmen and The shout of pioneers. And stronger far, the clasped hands Of labor's teeming throngs, Who in a hundred tongues repeat Their common creeds and songs. Father, from the curse of war We pray Thee give release, And speed, oh speed the blessed day Of Justice, Love and Peace. 358 CHAPTER XXIV . THE WOUNDED AND PRISONERS Typical Precautions Used by the German Army — The Soldiers' First- Aid Outfit — System in Hospital Ar- rangements — How Prisoners of War Are Treated — Regulations Are Humane and Fair to All Concerned. MODERN armies take the best possible care of their wounded and none has brought this department of war- fare to greater perfection than the Germany army. One detail of this work shows the German army at its best. Every soldier has sewn under a corner of his coat a strip of rubber cloth. Under this strip is a piece of antiseptic gauze, a strip of bandage and plaster and cloth for the outer bandage. This cloth bears in simple pictures directions for dressing every sort of wound. When a soldier is wounded either he or some comrade rips open this package and applies at once the life saving dressing, which will last at any rate until the soldier is brought to a station, where the first scientific attention is given. Through this simple and inexpensive device thousands upon thousands of German soldiers, who have been slightly wounded in battle, have returned to their comrades within a few days completely well and have taken their places in the ranks once more. Without this care a large percentage of the wounds would become inflamed, as has been the case with hundreds of wounded French prisoners captured by the Ger- mans. The ordinary procedure of caring for the wounded in the German army is for the sanitary corps, which is well provided with stretchers and bandages, to gather up the wounded on or 359 360 THE WOUNDED AND PRISONERS near the firing lines and bring them to a gathering point a little way behind the lines. Here the army surgeons are ready to begin work at once upon the most urgent cases. They are assisted by members of the corps, who remove the temporary bandages, and put on dressings which will last until the soldier reaches a hospital. Then from this first gathering point the wounded soldiers are put on stretchers in Red Cross wagons and carried to the field hospitals a few miles farther back, where doctors and nurses are at work. HOSPITALS IN VILLAGE CHURCHES These hospitals are usually established in village churches or town halls. One room is cleared and arranged for an operat- ing room, where bullets and pieces of shell are removed and amputations are made if necessary. "I have just visited such a field hospital," said a corre- spondent with the right wing of the German army in France, writing on September 28. "It was in a little whitewashed village church heated by a stove. Everywhere were white beds made of straw and covered with sheets. Perhaps twenty wounded were here, including two captured Irishmen. They lay quite still when the army doctor ushered us in, for they were too seriously wounded to pay much attention to any- thing. ' ' Near this hospital was another in a town hall. While we were there a consulting surgeon arrived to investigate the condition of a seriously wounded lieutenant, whose leg might need amputation. Two orderlies put the patient on a stretcher, and he was taken into the next room for examination. Later in the day the amputation was performed. MOVED TO HOSPITALS IN CITIES "From these little field hospitals, as soon as the men can be moved, they are taken to some general hospital in the near- est large city, where several thousands can be cared for. Such a hospital exists in this neighborhood in the building of a nor- mal college, where every corner is used in housing wounded men. ' ' I made a quick trip through this building and the memory of it is one of the most heartrending pictures I have of the war. THE WOUNDED AND PRISONERS 361 Room after room was filled with the victims of the conflict. Every man was seriously wounded. Some had suffered ampu- tations and the heads of others were so bandaged that no fea- ture could be seen, only a tube to the nose permitting breathing. HORROR IN" HOSPITAL SIGHTS "In one room a surgeon had a soldier on the operating table and was pulling pieces of shell from a huge hole in the inner side of one of his legs. On a stretcher on the floor, wait- ing for his turn to come under the surgeon's care, was an officer. His face was covered with blood, he was waving his arms wildly and gasping for air. This scene left an impression of the utmost horror upon me. "Slightly wounded soldiers, whom it is not necessary to leave for a while in the field hospitals, are sent directly to these larger hospitals and thence, after a short convalescence, are loaded into Red Cross trains and sent home for recovery. Later they return to take their places in the regiments. Such trains can be seen daily along any main line of railroad. In some cases freight cars with straw bedding are used. ' ' One of the finest examples of charity given during the war is a splendid Red Cross train entirely equipped as a modern hospital, even having a first class operating room. This was given to the German army by the citizens of Wilmersdorff, who also employed an excellent surgeon. Scores of lives will be saved through a small outlay of money. GRAVEYARDS ON BATTLEFIELDS 1 'Near the large hospital I visited was a graveyard where there were scores of neatly marked fresh graves, each bearing a cross or tablet with the name of the soldier and his regiment, division and corps marked on it. In some cases comrades had added a word or two of scripture. The deaths are too numer- ous for an imposing ceremony at each burial, but for every one an army chaplain reads scripture and offers a short prayer, while a few comrades stand by with bared heads. "The identity of each soldier is easily determined from the name plate which he wears in a little leather purse suspended from around the neck. After a battle these plates are gath- ered from the dead and from these the death lists are made 362 THE WOUNDED AND PRISONERS out. [It was said that after the battle of the Marne no fewer than 68,000 of these name plates or tags were found collected in one place. — Ed.] " After a battle where the deaths mount into the thousands some field will be shut off for a cemetery and there the bodies are buried, each grave receiving some kind of a cross wherever it is possible, but here no names can be attached. There will be many homes in which there will be vacant places and where it will not even be known where the absent ones are buried. KAISER INSISTS ON ENTERING "While here I heard a touching story about a lieutenant who was dying in the hospital, while the Kaiser was inspect- ing it. The Kaiser came to the room where the officer lay and the attendants asked him not to enter, as a man was dying. The Kaiser immediately pushed his way in, went up to the lieu- tenant, put his hand on the officer's shoulder, and said in German : l Hello, here I am ! ' "The lieutenant began murmuring with his eyes closed. " *I have been dreaming and I dreamed that my Kaiser came to me, put his hand on my shoulder and spoke to me.' " 'Open your eyes,' said the Kaiser. ' ' The lieutenant obeyed, smiled a smile of recognition, and then closed his eyes in the final sleep. SURGEONS WIN IRON CROSSES "So far, according to official announcement, there have been between 50,000 and 60,000 wounded and immediately after a great battle the sanitary corps has been unable to cope quickly enough with the work, but under ordinary circum- stances the provision made has been ample. The number of the sanitary corps was determined upon the experience in the Russo-Japanese war, in which the losses were by no means so heavy as they have been in this war, but where in a few cases numbers have been lacking the surgeons and their assistants have put forth herculean efforts. Many surgeons are now wearing the iron cross for bravery, winning the insignia by dragging out wounded from the rain of bullets. THE WOUNDED AND PRISONERS 363 TKEATMENT OP PRISONERS OF WAR The prisoner of war has been a conspicuous figure in the news that has come from the seething caldron of Europe. Many thousands of prisoners have been taken from the con- tending armies by their adversaries. For them the average American reader, perusing "war news" in the comfort of his security from the great conflict, has felt perhaps a grain of sorrow and wondered vaguely what horrors befell them after capture. Early in September the German war department sent broadcast a statement that 30,000 Russians had been taken prisoners by the German soldiers after heavy battles in East Prussia, particularly around Ortelsburg, Hohenstein and Tan- nenburg. The statement mentioned the fact that among the prisoners were many Russian officers of high rank. What is done with these prisoners, how they are handled and treated and whether high officials are punished more severely than mere privates, are questions frequently asked and seldom answered, for the procedure followed in such mat- ters is but little known. REGULATIONS ARE HUMANE TO ALL The international laws of warfare, embodied in The Hague conventions, the Geneva convention and the declaration of London, contain provisions that provide expressly what man- ner of treatment shall be accorded prisoners of hostile nations who are taken in battle. If these provisions of international law are lived up to, the lot of the prisoner of war is not so hard as many people have been led to believe. There have been interspersed in the war news from biased sources insinuations that the soldiers of this or that nation have ruthlessly violated the provisions of the international laws governing warfare, and the Kaiser has been accused of treating The Hague convention as so much waste paper. The news from abroad has not revealed any unfairness to the many thousands of soldiers who are prisoners of war, so it must be assumed that with respect to them, at least, the laws have been observed. That such is the case may be assumed also from the fact that the nation which captures its enemy's sol- diers and makes prisoners of them is held entirely responsible 864 THE WOUNDED AND PRISONERS for whatever happens and shoulders at once a responsibility that is commensurate with the number of prisoners who are taken and detained. The law of warfare says that a prisoner must be as fair with his captors as they are with him. He must be "humanely treated," so it is prescribed, and when he is questioned by his captors he must give his true name and the rank he holds in the army which has been defeated and of which he was once a part. Contrary to general belief, he is not stripped of "every- thing" and thrown into a dungeon and fed on a crust of bread and a mug of stale water. His captors do not deprive him of his personal possessions, except weapons, horses and military papers. Furthermore, they must give him complete religious lib- erty, and it is specifically decreed that he must be given oppor- tunity to attend a church of the denomination to which he belongs. And there he may pray as much for the success of his own nation or the much-desired relief from detention as the state of his mind dictates. PRISONERS MAY BE CONFINED The prisoner of war may be interned in a town or a fort, or even a camp, according to the convenience of his captors, but the enemy may not confine him, except, the law says, as "an indispensable measure of safety," and then only as long as the circumstances make it necessary. Of course the law gives the commanding officer considerable leeway in such matters, for he is left to determine when the "indispensable" occasion arises. At other times when the prisoner is at liberty, he is subject to all the rules and regulations of the army of the government that captured him, and if he refuses to obey the rules or acts in an insubordinate manner toward the officers in command, he may be punished and disciplined according to his offense. And here it is again left to the discretion of his captors as to what measure of punishment shall be inflicted upon him. ATTEMPTS AT ESCAPE If a prisoner of war attempts to escape and his captors are vigilant to the extent of retaking him before he leaves the ter- ritory they occupy, or before he has a chance to rejoin his own THE WOUNDED AND PRISONERS 365 army, he may be severely punished. On the other hand, if he eludeshis captors and makes a clean getaway and his army is again unfortunate, and he is captured the second time, the perfectly good escape from previous captivity must go unpun- ished and he must be treated as a prisoner of war, just as though he had not made the successful dash for liberty and further glory. The government that holds prisoners of war is chargeable with their maintenance and must provide them with food, cloth- ing and shelter as good as that provided for its own troops. The officers of the captors are required to keep records of all the prisoners under their charge, and if relief societies, which have been extensively formed by the women of Europe and many American women as well, wish to minister to their needs and comforts, the officers in command must afford them every possible facility. And if the friends of prisoners or the wel- fare societies see fit to send them presents and clothing, medi- cine and other necessities, such goods must be admitted to them free of any war duty that might be imposed by the nation holding them, and the railroads owned by the government are bound to carry such supplies free of transportation charges. CAPTIVES MUST BE PAID FOR WORK Prisoners of war may be put to work by the government that captures them and the duties must be assigned with a view to their aptitude, fitness and rank. The tasks must not be unduly severe, so as to border on cruelty, and they must have no bearing whatever on the operations of the war. The prison- ers must be paid for the work they do, moreover, at a rate equal to that being paid to the soldiers of the national army, and prisoners may be authorized to work for the public service, for private persons or on their own account. The wages of these prisoners, the law says, must go toward improving their condition, and the balance must be paid them after their release, with the proper deduction for their board and keep. When officers of hostile armies who are captured are put to work they must get the same wage rate as is paid to the corresponding officers of the government whose captives they are. All these moneys must be ultimately refunded by their own governments to their captors after the war is over, 366 THE WOUNDED AND PRISONERS peace is declared and the intricate problems of indemnities come up for solution. A prisoner of war may even be paroled by his captors, and this is done sometimes when he is disabled or there are circum- stances that prompt his enemies to let him go to those who are near and dear to him. When parole is granted to a prisoner he makes a solemn pledge and promise that he will live up to the terms under which he is released, and even his own nation may not ask him to perform a service that is inconsistent with that pledge. BREAKER OF A PAROLE It goes hard with the prisoner on parole who is caught fighting against the nation that released him, for he is not entitled to be treated as a prisoner of war, and the judgment meted out to him is as terrible as it is sure. Certain codes of honor are supposed to be observed even in international war- fare, and a soldier who breaks his word of honor is considered the most despicable of men. No matter how long the military authorities of a nation decide to detain the prisoners they take in battle, they may not put them to death or even wound them. The procedure of taking prisoners is only for one purpose, and that is to weaken the opposing armies. When soldiers are declared prisoners of war they surrender their arms and if they obey the code, do not try to overpower their captors. This par- ticular feature of the rule of war is usually lived up to, for the effort, if it fails, is punished by instant slaughter, and if the dispatches from the scenes of the operations now going on are anywhere near the truth the reason for certain acts described as " barbarous cruelty" is made apparent. CHAPTEE XXV THE CHRISTMAS SHIP Plan to Send Santa Glaus Gifts From America to War- Stricken Children of Europe — A Widespread Response — Movement Indorsed by Press, Pulpit and Leading Citizens — Approved by Governments of Contending Nations. THINK of an American ship, flying a flag of purest white with a single golden star and one significant word — " Inasmuch," sailing in safety across the war-patrolled waters of the Atlantic and through the English Channel with its bristling array of naval sentinels; piloted unscathed through the deadly mine-fields of the North Sea and the gun- guarded Straits of Gibraltar; not merely unmolested, but honored and saluted by all alike, by dreadnoughts and super- dreadnoughts, destroyers and cruisers, citadels and garri- sons, torpedo boats and submarines, merchantmen and fishing folk, of all the nations waging bitter war ; bearing a message of peace and good-will from the prosperous people of the New World to the distracted people of the Old, with a full cargo of Christmas gifts for the innocent little victims of war: — think of such a spectacle and what it means to hu- manity, and then thank God that you are an American citizen and may have had a part in making it come to pass ! For this voyage of the golden-starred Christmas ship is no mere dream, but a definite plan of human benevolence, inaugurated by a great Chicago newspaper, indorsed by many leading journals of the United States, and soon to be carried out by the aid of the children of America. The plan was launched on September 5th by Mr. James Keeley, editor of 367 368 THE CHRISTMAS SHIP the Chicago Herald, in a remarkable open letter to the Chil- dren of America, which has been well characterized as "a beautiful letter" and is here reproduced in full as follows: [From the Chicago Herald of Saturday, Sept. 5, 1914.] To the Children of America : "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." — St. Matthew, xxv, 40. When daddy goes to work each morning you expect him to come home at night. You would be very sad if he did not, wouldn't you? Over in Europe, where kings rule, millions of fathers are being sent to work by the kings — the work of war. The kings tell them to go and fight and they have to go, even if there is no one left at home to earn money to buy food and clothing and pay the rent. Hundreds of thousands of fathers will never come home to their little boys and girls. They will be killed by the fathers of other little boys and girls, who do not really hate them, but who kill because they have been ordered to do so. You will have a Merry Christmas. You are looking for- ward to the day when Christ was born. You know that father and mother will be with you on Christmas day. You know that Santa Claus will come from the frozen North, his sleigh laden with gifts for you. Have you stopped to think what is going to happen on Christmas day to the children of Europe whose Santa Claus fell dead on the battlefield when father dropped with a bullet in his heart — the father whose kiss and cheery "Up, lazy boots, Kris Kringle has been here!" once awoke them on Christ's birthday? For these bereaved children there will be no Kris Kringle. His sleigh bells will not jingle on the frosty air in the Black Forest, and the snows of the Russian steppes will be untrod- den by the good saint's galloping reindeer. Stockings will hang limp and empty in many a French cottage and the smoky chimneys of England will know him not. No doll for little THE CHRISTMAS SHIP 869 Jane and no red mittens for Brother John ! No soldiers, all red and shining, that Karl had hoped for — 0, what a mockery at this Christmastide — and Gretchen had dreamed of a set of dishes with roses around the edge and a beautiful big bou- quet in the center ! Ivan and Francis and Paul and Marie — all their little dreams have died in war. One million Christmas tragedies — think of it! You chil- dren know how big they are. And there will be suffering; the dumb grief of the widowed mother, who has given her all and yet stands at Christmas time with empty hands; the physical agony of the hungry and the underclad; the "sor- row's crown of sorrow" — that of remembering happier things. Children of America, if you could help you would, wouldn't you? And you may. You can be Santa Claus to those little boys and girls whose daddies died fighting for their country. You can stretch out your hands across the sea bearing messages of love and hope and sympathy to the children of a war-ridden continent — messages from fortunate America to unfortunate Europe. You can send that doll to Jane and those mittens to John. Yes, by the thousands. Ivan will not feel the cold when the stockings you knit are pulled upon his chubby legs. Gretchen 's eyes may fill with tears, but she will smile through them when that big red comforter is wrapped round neck and ears. Don't you want to help? Of course you do! Listen: Let each little boy and each little girl be a Kris Kringle. Isn't that a fine thought? Wouldn't you love to be that great saint? Wouldn't you love to put your gifts in a sleigh and take the reins in your hands and drive the reindeer over the roofs of the houses, slipping down the chimneys and leaving your gifts for those who badly need them? Can you do it? Of course you can. You can help load the sleigh and you can shut your eyes and feel the reins in your fingers and drive the reindeer up and down the lanes in Eng- land, lined with thatch-roofed cottages, through the vineyards of France and the stubble fields of Belgium, across the white- mantled stretches of Russia, up and down the highways of 370 THE CHRISTMAS SHIP Germany, over the hills of Austria and along the frozen Dan- ube to the Servian peasant's hut, stopping to leave a surprise — a catch-the-breath surprise — for your little brother and sister whose father is dead. You may live to be a hundred years old, you may travel all over the world and see its wonders and delights, but never will you have such a journey as that. How can you do all this? Just in the easiest kind of a way, but you've got to do it yourself to get the real joy of it. Earn money to buy the pres- ents or make them yourself. Every boy knows how to earn money so he may go to the circus. Ask father to let you split the kindling, carry in the coal, carry out the ashes, look after the furnace — and make him pay you for it. Save the pennies that are given you for candy. Deny yourself something. If you are a girl, couldn't you knit a pair of gloves or socks or comforters? Wouldn't it be good to know that the gloves are keeping warm a pair of little hands like yours? Wouldn't it be fine to know that the comforters are covering- frosted ears and protecting delicate throats? And you must have some toys that have outgrown their charm for you. Send them! Then there is another thing you can do. Ask father and mother to beg Santa Claus to give to a boy or girl in Europe one of the gifts that is intended for you! "Yes," I hear you say. "I will be Santa Claus to those poor little orphan children !" And then you ask: "But how can my gift reach the child that needs it?" By the train and by the boat and the train again. And then you say again : "But the papers say that English ships and French ships and German ships, all armed with cannon, will stop the boat carrying my gift." They will not. England and France and Germany intend to salute the boat that is carrying your gift — not to stop it. Your ship will be a ship of Good-will. It will be Santa Claus' ship. And all the countries at war will dip their flags to it as such. THE CHRISTMAS SHIP 871 All you have to do is to provide the gifts. The Chicago Herald will look after all other details. It will organize a bureau which will answer your questions. Write to the Christmas Ship Editor for help. It will see that your gift reaches the boat that will take it to Europe. ^ It will see that your gift is put into hands which will place it in the fatherless home on Christmas morning. And it will tell every day all about what other boys and girls in our country are doing in this work of love. Just think what a brave sight the ship will make that car- ries your gift to Europe! Can't you picture it, laden with the thousands upon thousands of presents from the children of America? It will be officered and manned by the fathers of little boys and girls who will take every care that it safely reaches the countries which are sunk in the want of war. Everybody who sees it will know what it is ; for it will fly two flags. One will be your flag, the flag you love, the beautiful Stars and Stripes. The other, too, will be your flag. It will be a white flag. On its snowy surface will be a single golden star, the "Star of Hope." The motto on that flag will be the single word "Inasmuch." Ask father and mother to read the sentence in the Bible with which that word begins. TO THE GROWN-UPS To Parents — Help your children to learn lessons of vital importance : The joy of giving, the desirability of self-denial, the sweetness of sympathy, the horrors of war and the blessed- ness of peace. This is a world-wide peace movement that will bear fruit — possibly soon, but ultimately, assuredly. To School-teachers — In all your books can you find a more vital topic? Teach it. To Clergymen — You have texts galore. Preach this idea — for your Master is the Prince of Peace. (Signed) J. Keeley. 872 THE CHRISTMAS SHIP AN ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE The response to Mr. Keeley's appeal was instantaneous and enthusiastic. Letters and telegrams of approval and encouragement poured in from all over the United States. The plan of the Santa Claus ship was cordially indorsed by President Wilson and by Vice-President Marshall ; by gover- nors, senators and representatives in congress; by hundreds of newspapers and thousands of the clergy; by leading citi- zens of national fame; by fathers and mothers from Maine to California, and by every American child to whom the idea was explained. A typical letter of encouragement was written by Ella Flagg Young, superintendent of schools of Chicago, who said : "It is a wonderful idea — this promise of a toy ship to carry a message from the children of America to the unhappy children of Europe. And it was presented in a beautiful letter — a letter which every child in the United States and the parents of every child should read and keep. "A toy ship — a messenger from America to Europe, car- rying light where all is darkness, peace where all is murder and suffering, love where there is only hate! It is a big thought, big in its immediate purpose, big in its almost un- limited potentialities. I see in it better boys and girls, finer, stronger men and women. I see in it self-denial and sym- pathy turned from abstract ideals to realized human attri- butes. In it I see all of these and more. "I see fathers and mothers dwelling less on the horror and tragedy of war and more on its pitiful futility and need- lessness. I see children growing to maturity with fixed ideals of love and sympathy and mutual helpfulness. I see mur- der turned to sympathy, horror to sweetness and hate to love. "Of course, this is only a beginning, only a first step in a course which should be taken up and followed not only by children but also by parents and teachers and ministers and priests. Such things take time, just as all growths, all evolu- tions take time. But the Santa Claus ship is on the right course, its prow is turned to the rising sun, and at the end of its journey lies a greater and better and nobler world. "Self-sacrifice, love of man to man and child to child, THE CHRISTMAS SHIP 873 broken barriers of race, religion, nation and language — these will form the cargo of the Christmas ship more truly even than the toys and clothes which comprise its material freight. 1 'No wonder that great men-of-war should dip their flags to the toy ship — for warriors, like other men, have in them that spark of the divine which needs only the breath of a single disinterested, selfless thought to awaken the highest and the noblest that is in human nature. "Hats off to the toy ship — to the flag with the single golden star!" WARSHIP TO CARRY CHILDREN'S GIFTS The United States Government officially endorsed the Christmas ship plan on October 5th, when the Secretary of the Navy announced that the vessel to be laden with the cargo of gifts from American children would be a warship flying the American flag. This decision was made public in the follow- ing letter addressed by Secretary Daniels to the Washington representative of the Chicago Herald : "My Dear Mr. O'Laughlin: I take great pleasure in informing you that I have arranged to send an American warship, the vessel to be selected later, to European waters during the later part of Novem- ber * # * £ carr y th e Christmas cargo of useful presents which ninety-odd newspapers of this country have so thoughtfully collected from the generous people of our own country. "It is a beautiful spirit which has prompted this portion of the press of the United States and the people who have responded to their appeal to lavish upon the distressed little ones of European countries these tokens of liberality. "This unselfish enterprise, I feel confident, bespeaks our own gratitude to God for the peace which now prevails within our own boundaries and at the same time breathes forth the universal prayer from the hearts of our countrymen that the distress of nations across the waters may soon be ended. "Again assuring you of my delight that the navy is able in some measure to further your plans and purposes, believe me, cordially yours, (Signed) " Josephus Daniels, ' ' Secretary of the Navy. ' ' Among the newspapers referred to by Mr. Daniels were some of the most influential dailies in America. 374 THE CHRISTMAS SHIP The collection of gifts to be forwarded to Europe on the Christmas ship was made chiefly through the medium of depots established at convenient points in all the many cities that took an active part in the movement. The response to the call for suitable gifts was generous and prompt, so that a full cargo of large intrinsic value was made ready for the sailing of the ship of war which carried the golden-starred flag of peace and goodwill, floating in honor with the naval ensign of the United States. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." FORGOTTEN Detroit Times. CHAPTER XXVI STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Thrilling Incidents of the Great War Told by Actual Com- batants — Personal Experiences from the Lips of Sur- vivors of the World's Bloodiest Battles — Tales of Prisoners of War, Wounded Soldiers and Refugees Rendered Homeless in Blighted Arena of Conflict. HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING CAVALRY fighting on the banks of the River Marne in the year 1914 was almost identical with the charge in the days when Hannibal's Numidian horse charged at Romans at Lake Trasimene, or when Charles Martel and the chivalry of France worsted the Moors and saved Europe on the plains of Tours. A good description of a cavalry charge was given by Private Capel of the Third British Hussars, a veteran of the Boer war, who took part in the fighting beginning at Mons and was separated from his regiment in a charge at Coulom- miers, in the battle of the Marne, when his horse fell. ' 'You hear," said he, "the enemy's bugles sounding the charge. Half a mile away you see the Germans coming and it seems that in an instant they will be on you. You watch fascinated and cold with a terror that makes you unable to lift an arm or do anything but wait and tremble. "They come closer and still you are horrorstruck. Then you feel your horse fretting and suddenly you start from your daze, and fear changes suddenly to hate. Your hand goes to the saber hilt, your teeth clinch and you realize that you must strike hard before the enemy, who is now very close, can strike. Every muscle tightens with the waiting. "Before your own bugles have sounded two notes of the charge you find yourself leaning forward over the neck of 375 376 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD your galloping horse. All the rest is a mad gallop, yells of the enemy and your own answer, a terrible shock in which you are almost dismounted, and then you find yourself face to face with a single opponent who, standing up in the stirrups, is about to split your head. You notice that you are striking like a fiend with the saber. "After that madness passes it seems almost like a complex maneuver and soon you find yourself riding for dear life — perhaps to escape, perhaps after the Germans. You then realize that you have been whipped and that the charge has failed, or you see the backs of the fleeing enemy, feel your horse straining in pursuit and know that you have gained a victory. ' ' FRIGHTFUL MORTALITY AMONG OFFICERS The official reports of the loss of life in the battles in France tell of the large number of officers killed. Sharp- shooters on both sides have had instructions to aim at officers. These sharpshooters are often concealed far in advance of their troops. Their small number and their smokeless powder make their discovery most difficult. This lesson was learned at great cost to the British during the Boer war. Dispatches from Bordeaux stated that letters found on dead and captured German officers prove the truth of reports regarding the terrible mortality in the German ranks, espe- cially among officers. In the Tenth and Imperial Guard Corps of the German army it is said that only a few high ranking officers escaped being shot, and many have been killed. The German officers have distinguished themselves by their cour- age, according to the stories of both British and French who fought them. An officer of an Imperial Guard regiment, who was taken prisoner after being wounded, said : "My regiment left for the front with sixty officers; it counts today only five. We underwent terrible trials." A German artillery officer wrote: "Modern war is the greatest of follies. Companies of 250 men in the Tenth Army Corps have been reduced to seventy men, and there are companies of the guard com- manded by volunteers of a year, all the officers having dis- appeared. " STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 377 SAYS GERMANS FOUGHT EVERY DAY The following is from a letter written during the pro- longed battle of the Aisne by a lieutenant of the Twenty-sixth German Artillery: "The Tenth Corps has been constantly in action since the opening of the campaign. Nearly all our horses have fallen. We fight every day from 5 in the morning till 8 at night, without eating or drinking. The artillery fire of the French is frightful. We get so tired that we cannot ride a horse, even at a walk. Toward noon our battery was literally under a rain of shrapnel shells and that lasted for three days. We hope for a decisive battle to end the situation, for our troops cannot rest. A French aviator last night threw four bombs, killing four men and wounding eight, and killing twenty horses and wounding ten more. We do not receive any more mail, for the postal automobiles of the Tenth Corps have been de- stroyed." HOW IT FEELS TO BE WOUNDED Many men in the trenches have proved themselves heroes in the war. A wounded British private told this story : 1 ' We lay in the trench, my friend and I, and when the order to fire came we shot, and shot till our rifles burned up. Still the Germans swarmed on toward us, and then my friend re- ceived a bad wound. I turned to my work again, continuing to shoot slowly. Then I rose a little too high on my shoulder. "Do you know what it is like to be wounded! A little sting pierced my arm like a hot wire ; too sharp almost to be sore, and my rifle fell from me. I looked at my friend then and he was dead." In one casualty list made public by the British war office in September, sixteen officers were reported killed, thirty-eight wounded and ten missing. The famous Coldstream Guards and the Black Watch regiments were among the sufferers. HOW GENERAL FINDLEY DIED A correspondent in France described the death of General Neil Douglas Findley of the British Royal Artillery as fol- lows: "When at dawn the British advance continued toward Soissons the enemy was fighting an exceptionally fierce rear- 378 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD guard action. A terrible shell fire was directed against our artillery under General Findley, temporarily situated in a valley by the village of Prise. It seemed a matter of moments when we should have to spike our guns and General Findley saw the urgency for action. " 'Boys,' his voice echoed down the line, 'we are going to get every gun into position.' Then deliberately the general approached a regimental chaplain kneeling beside a gunner. 1 Here are some of my personal belongings, chaplain. See that they don't go astray.' ' ' One by one our guns began to blaze away and the general had a word of encouragement and advice for every man. In vain his staff tried to persuade him to leave the danger zone. "Our range was perfect, the German fire slackened and died away and with a yell our men prepared to advance. The outburst came too soon, one parting shell exploding in a contact with Findley 's horse, shattering man and beast. ' ' KILLED FOE IN REVOLVER DUEL While their men battled on a road near Antwerp, it is said that a Belgian cavalry sergeant and an officer of German Uhlans fought a revolver duel which ended when the Belgian killed his foe, sending a bullet into his neck at close range. The daring Uhlans had approached close to the Antwerp fortifications on a reconnoitering expedition. They were seen by a small Belgian force, which immediately went out on the road to give battle. As they neared each other, the German commander shouted a jibe at the Belgian sergeant. There was no answer, but the sergeant rode at a gallop straight for the Uhlan. Miraculously escaping the shots aimed at him, he drew up alongside the officer and informed him that his life was to be forfeited for the insulting words he had uttered. Both began firing with their revolvers, while at the same time their men clashed. Only a few of the soldiers witnessed the thrilling duel, for they themselves were fighting desperately. After their offi- cer's death the Uhlans withdrew, leaving a number of dead. Someone carried word of the duel to King Albert, who had just arrived in Antwerp, and he called before him and per- sonally congratulated the sergeant, Henri Pyppes. The latter STORIES FRO 31 THE BATTLEFIELD 379 was wounded in the arm by one of the Uhlan's bullets, but he refused to be taken to the hospital and remained on duty in the field. LITTLE STORIES FROM FRANCE Count Guerry de Beauregard, a French veteran of the war of 1870, thus announced the death of a son at the front : ' ' One son already has met the death of the brave beyond the frontier at the head of a squadron of the Seventh Hussars. Others will avenge him. Another of my sons, an artilleryman, is with the general staff. My eldest son is with the Twenty- first Chasseurs. Long live France ! " A wounded French soldier who was taken to Marseilles verified a remarkable story of his escape from death while fighting in German Lorraine. The soldier owes his life to a small bust of Emperor William, which he picked up in a vil- lage school and placed in his haversack. A German bullet THE BRUTE. HE KNEW NO BETTER— DO WE? — ClfTcland Plain Dealer. 380 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD struck the bust and, thus deflected, inflicted only a slight wound on the soldier. Twenty German prisoners taken during the melee near Crecy, were herded together in a clearing, their rifles being stacked nearby. In a rash moment they thought that they were loosely guarded and made a combined rush for the rifles. "They will never make another," was the laconic re- port of the guard. SAYS DEAD FILLED THE MEUSE Edouard Helsey of the Paris newspaper, Le Journal, re- ported to be serving with the colors, wrote under date of August 29: "It would be difficult to estimate the number of Germans killed last week. Whole regiments were annihilated at some points. They came out of the woods section by section. One section, one shell — and everything was wiped out. "At two or three places which I am forbidden to name corpses filled the Meuse until the river overflowed. This is no figure of speech. The river bed literally was choked by the mass of dead Germans. The effect of our artillery sur- passes even our dreams." SAD PLIGHT OF FRENCH FUGITIVES M. Brieux, the noted French dramatist, who witnessed the arrival at Chartres of a train full of fugitives who had fled from their homes before the German advance, described his experience for the Figaro. The fleeing people gathered round him and told him stories and he wrote his impressions as follows : ' ' Children weep or gaze wide-eyed, wondering what is the matter. Old folks sit in gloomy silence. Women with hag- gard cheeks and disheveled hair seem to belong to another age. "They tell of invaders who scattered powder around or threw petroleum into their houses and then set them afire. "And when did this happen? Yesterday! It is not a matter of centuries ago in distant climes, but yesterday, and quite near to us. Yet one cannot believe it was really yester- day that these things were done." STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 381 One of the fugitives explained to M. Brieux why after the first hour of their flight she had to carry her elder child as well as her baby. She showed him a pair of boots. "I felt the inside with my fingers," says Brieux. " Nails had come through the soles. I looked at the child's feet. They were dirty with red brown clots. It was blood. ' ' "why do we kill one another?" "A Frenchman, mortally wounded in the chest, appealed to me in the dumb sign language of those nearer death than life for a drink of water," says a correspondent who wit- nessed some of the fighting at the Marne. After he had sipped it he fell back to the ground. " 'Monsieur, are the Germans Christians?' he asked. 'Why, certainly,' I replied. 'Then,' said he, 'why do we kill one another?' " Why do we kill one another? When civilized nations shall have answered that simple question, war will have be- come only a horrible nightmare that is past. IN THE "VALLEY OF DEATH" The fiercest fighting of all that preceded the Russian vic- tory at Lublin was in a gorge near the village of Mikolaifr", which the Russian soldiers reverently named the "Valley of Death." The gorge was full of dead men, lying in heaps, accord- ing to an officer who participated in the battle. "When we attacked at 3 o'clock in the morning," he said, "the gorge contained 15,000 Austrians, a large proportion of whom were mowed down by the artillery fire which plowed through the valley in the darkness. The Austrians surrendered and we entered the gorge to receive their arms, while their general stood quietly on a hill watching the scene. Eight of his standards being turned over to the Russians was more than he could bear, for he drew a pistol and shot himself." GENERAL USE OF KHAKI UNIFORMS The war put everybody into khaki, with a few exceptions. On the battle line or in the field the English soldier and the English officer get out of their richly colored and historic 382 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD uniforms and into khaki, of a neutral hue. The Germans are in gray. The Austrians have most of their soldiers in khaki, and the Russians all wear khaki-colored cloth. The French still cling to their blue coats and brilliant red trousers, al- though steps are being taken to reclothe the army in more modern fashion, and the Belgians have a uniform that is very similar to the French. The French and Belgian officers are dangerously orna- mented with gilt trimmings during warfare and present such brilliant targets that some of the Belgian regiments during hard fighting with the Germans have lost nearly all of their leaders. The new twentieth century mode of warfare puts the ban on anything that glitters, even the rifle barrels, bayonets and sabers. A BELGIAN BOY HEEO On a cot in the Red Cross hospital at Ostend, September 12, lay one of the heroes of the war. He is Sergeant van der Bern of the Belgian army, and only 17 years old. He was only a corporal when he started out with twenty-nine men on a reconnoitering expedition during which he was wounded, but displayed such valor that his bravery was publicly re- lated to all the soldiers, and Van der Bern was promoted. Van der Bern and his little command came suddenly upon a band of fifty Uhlans while on their expedition. Outnum- bered, his men turned and fled. The corporal shouted to them and dashed alone toward the Germans. The other Belgians rallied and threw themselves upon the Uhlans. Within a few minutes only Van der Bern and two others of his command remained. Twenty-seven Belgians were dead or wounded. Within a few minutes more the corporal's companions fell, mortally wounded. Then the boy picked them up and dis- playing almost superhuman strength carried them to safety. As he was making his retreat, burdened by the two wounded men, Van der Bern was hit twice by German bullets. He staggered on, placed his men in charge of the Red Cross and without a word walked to headquarters and reported the engagement. Then he fell in a faint. STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 383 WHEN THE GERMANS RETREATED A vivid description of the rout and retreat of the Ger- mans during hurricane and rain on September 10, which turned the roads into river ways so that the wheels of the artillery sank deep in the mire, was given by a correspondent writing from a point near Melun. He described how the horses strained and struggled, often in vain, to drag the guns away, and continued : "I have just spoken with a soldier who has returned wounded from the pursuit that will go down with the terrible retreat from Moscow as one of the crowning catastrophes of the world. They fled, he declares, as animals flee who are cornered, and know it. "Imagine a roadway littered with guns, knapsacks, car- tridge belts, Maxims and heavy cannons even. There were miles and miles of it. And the dead — those piles of horses and those stacks of men! I have seen it again and again, men shot so close to one another that they remained standing after death. The sight was terrible and horrible beyond words. "The retreat rolls back and trainload after trainload of British and French are swept toward the weak points of the retreating host. This is the advantage of the battleground which the Allies have chosen. The network of railways is like a spider's web. As all railways center upon Paris, it is possible to thrust troops upon the foe at any point with al- most incredible speed, and food and munitions are within arm's reach." PRINCE JOACHIM WOUNDED Prince Joachim, youngest son of Emperor William, was wounded during a battle with the Russians and taken to Berlin. On September 15 it was reported from Berlin that the wound was healing rapidly, despite the tearing effect of a shrapnel ball through the thigh. The empress and the surgeons were having considerable trouble in keeping the patient quiet in bed. He wanted to get on his feet again and insisted that he ought to be able to rejoin his command at the front in about a fortnight. "The prince treats the wound as a trifle," said the Berlin dispatch. ' ' He smilingly greeted an old palace servant whom 884 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD he had known since childhood with the remark: 'Am I not a lucky dog?' " From an officer who was with Prince Joachim when he was wounded the following description of the incident was obtained : "It was during the hottest part of the battle, shortly before the Russian resistance was broken, that the prince, who was with the staff as information officer, was dispatched to the firing line to learn how the situation stood. He rode off with Adjutant Captain von Tahlzahn and had to traverse the distance, almost a mile, under a heavy hail of shell and occasional volleys. "As the Russian artillery was well served and knew all the ranges from previous measurements, the ride was not a particularly pleasant one, but he came through safely and stood talking with the officers when a shrapnel burst in their vicinity. The prince and the adjutant were both hit, the latter receiving contusions on the leg, but the shot not pene- trating. "To stop and whip out an emergency bandage which the prince, like every officer and private, carries sewed inside the blouse, and bind it around the thigh to check the bleeding- was the work of but a moment. It was a long and dangerous task, however, to get him back to the first bandaging station, about a mile to the rear, under fire and from there he was transported to the advanced hospital at Allenstein, where he remained until he was able to travel. "Prince Joachim, who was already recommended for the Iron Cross for bravery before Namur, received the decora- tion shortly before he was wounded. The prince, who has many friends in America, conveyed through his adjutant his thanks for assurances of American sympathy and interest." EX-EMPRESS DEVOTED TO FRANCE The aged ex-Empress Eugenie of France, widow of Na- poleon III, has been living for many years in retirement in the county of Hampshire, England. She was recently visited by Lord Portsmouth, an old friend, who found the illustrious lady full of courage and devotion to the French cause in the STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 385 present war. In explaining her failure to treat her guest as she would have desired, the empress said: ' ' I cannot give you dinner because most of the men of my kitchen have gone to war." A " BATTLESHIP ON WHEELS " Just before the war France added to its equipment the most modern of righting devices. It is a train of armored cars with rapid-fire guns, conning towers and fighting tops. As a death-dealing war apparatus it is the most unique of anything used by any of the nations. This "battleship" on wheels consists of an armored locomotive, two rapid-fire gun carriages and two armored cars for transporting troops. The rapid-fire guns are mounted in such manner that they can be swung and directed to any point of the compass. Rising from the car behind the locomotive, is a conning tower from which an officer takes observations and directs the fire of the rapid-fire guns. Rails running on top of the cars per- mit troops to fire from the roof of the cars. For opening railway communications this "battleship on wheels" is un- excelled. GAVE HIM A FORK TO MATCH The scene is a village on the outskirts of Muelhausen, in Alsace. A lieutenant of German scouts dashes up to the door of the only inn in the village, posts men at the doorway and entering, seats himself at a table. He draws his saber and places it on the table at his side and orders food in menacing tones. The village waiter is equal to the occasion. He goes to the stables and fetches a pitchfork and places it at the other side of the visitor. "Stop! What does this mean?" roared the lieutenant, furiously. 1 ' Why, ' ' said the waiter, innocently, pointing to the saber, ' ' I thought that was your knife, so I brought you a fork to match." DECORATED ON" THE BATTLEFIELD On a train loaded with wounded which passed through Limoges, September 11, was a young French officer, Albert Palaphy, whose unusual bravery on the field of battle won for him the Legion of Honor. 886 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD As a corporal of the Tenth Dragoons at the beginning of the war, Palaphy took part in the violent combat with the Germans west of Paris. In the thick of the battle the cav- alryman, finding his colonel wounded and helpless, rushed to his aid. Palaphy hoisted the injured man upon his shoulders, and under a rain of machine gun bullets carried him safely to the French lines. That same day Palaphy was promoted to be a sergeant. Shortly afterward, although wounded, he distinguished himself in another affair, leading a charge of his squad against the Baden guard, whose standard he himself cap- tured. Wounded by a ball which had plowed through the lower part of his stomach and covered with lance thrusts, he was removed from the battlefield during the night, and learned he had been promoted to be a sublieutenant and nominated chevalier in the Legion of Honor. This incident of decorating a soldier on the battlefield recalls Napoleonic times. "after you/' said the frenchman Lieutenant de Lupel of the French army is said to have endeared himself to his command by a most unusual exhibi- tion of what they are pleased to term "old-fashioned French gallantry. ' ' Accompanied by a few men, Lieutenant de Lupel succeeded in surrounding a German detachment occupying the station at Mezieres. The lieutenant, on searching the premises, came upon the German officer hiding behind a stack of coal. Both men leveled their guns, and for a moment faced each other. "After you," finally said the Frenchman courteously. The German fired and missed and Lieutenant de Lupel killed his man. The French soldiers cheered their leader, and he has been praised everywhere for his action. a "walking wood" at crecy A correspondent describes a "walking wood" at Crecy. The French and British cut down trees and armed themselves with the branches. Line after line of infantry, each man STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 387 bearing a branch, then moved forward unobserved toward the enemy. Behind them, amid the lopped tree trunks, the artillery- men fixed themselves and placed thirteen-pounders to cover the moving wood. The attack, which followed, won success. It almost went wrong, however, for the French cavalry, which was following, made a detour to pass the wood and dashed into view near the ammunition reserves of the Allies. German shells began falling thereabouts, but British sol- diers went up the hills and pulled the boxes of ammunition out of the way of the German shells. Ammunition and men came through unscathed. By evening the Germans had been cleared from the Marne district. CHAPLAIN CAPTURES AUSTRIAN TROOPERS The Bourse Gazette relates the story of a Russian regi- mental chaplain who, single-handed, captured twenty-six Aus- trian troopers. He was strolling on the steppes outside of Lemberg, when suddenly he was confronted by a patrol of twenty-six men, who tried to force him to tell the details of the position of the Russian troops. While talking to the men, the priest found that they were all Slavs, whereupon he delivered an impassioned address, dwelling on the sin of shedding the blood of their Slav brethren. At the end of the address, the story concludes, the troopers with bent heads followed the priest into the Russian camp. A BRITISH CAVALRY CHARGE Here is a picturesque story of a British cavalry charge at Thuin, a town in Belgium near Charleroi, and the subse- quent retreat to Compiegne : 1 'On Monday morning, August 24, after chafing at the long delay, the 2nd British Cavalry Brigade Jet loose at the enemy 's guns. The 9th Lancers went into action singing and shouting like schoolboys. "For a time all seemed well; few saddles were emptied, and the leaders had charged almost within reach of the enemy's guns when suddenly the Germans opened a mur- 888 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD derous fire from at least twenty concealed machine guns at a range of 150 yards. "The result was shattering, and the Lancers caught the full force of the storm. Vicomte Vauvineux, a French cav- alry officer who rode with the brigade as interpreter, was killed instantly. Captain Letourey, who was the French mas- ter of a school in Devon, was riding by the side of Vauvineux, and had a narrow escape, as his horse was shot from under him. Other officers also fell. "While the bulk of the brigade swerved to the right the others held on and rode full tilt into wire entanglements buried in the grass thirty yards in front of the machine guns, and were made prisoners. Three regiments of the best cavalry in the British went into the charge, and suffered severely. The 18th Hussars and the 4th Dragoons also suf- fered, but not to the same extent as the others. "A happy feature of the charge was the gallant conduct of Captain Grenfell, who, though twice wounded, called for volunteers and saved the guns. It is said that he has been recommended for the Victoria Cross. "After this terrible ordeal the British brigade was harassed for fourteen days of retreat, the enemy giving them rest neither day nor night. At 2 o'clock each morning they were roused by artillery fire, and every day they fought a retiring action, pursued relentlessly by the guns. "It was a wonderful retreat. Daily the cavalry begged to be allowed to go for the enemy in force to recover lost ground, but only once were they permitted to taste that joy, at the village of Lassigny, which they passed and repassed three times. "The Germans made repeated efforts, which were always foiled, to capture the retreating transport. It had, how- ever, many narrow escapes. At one point it escaped by a furious gallop which enabled the wagons to cross a bridge less than an hour ahead of the enemy. The engineers had mined the bridge and were waiting to blow it up. They sent a hurry-up call to the transport, and the latter responded with alacrity. The bridge was blown up just in time to sep- arate the two forces. STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 889 "At Compiegne the brigade for the first time saw and welcomed their French brothers-in-arms." BOY SCOUT HERO OF THE WAR One of the popular heroes of Belgium is Boy Scout Ley- sen, who has been decorated by King Albert for his valor and devotion to his country. This young man, who was born at Liege, is described as of almost uncanny sharpness, with senses and perceptions as keen as an Indian. He was able to find his way through the woods and pass the German sentinels with unerring accuracy. Leysen made his way through the German lines from Antwerp for the tenth time on Sunday, September 6, carry- ing dispatches to secret representatives of the Belgian gov- ernment in Brussels. He discovered and denounced eleven German spies in Belgium, and performed a variety of other services, and all without impairing his boyish simplicity. KAISER ASKS FOR PRAYERS After the first three weeks of war, Emperor William requested the supreme council of the Evangelical Church throughout the German empire to include the following prayer in the liturgy at all public sendees during the war : "Almighty and most merciful God, God of the armies, we beseech Thee in humility for Thy almighty aid for German Fatherland. Bless our forces of war; lead us to victory and give us grace that we may show ourselves to be Christians toward our enemies as well. Let us soon arrive at a peace which will everlastingly safeguard our free and independent Germany. ' ' SPIRIT OF FRENCH WOMEN When sympathy was expressed in Paris for a poor woman, mother of nine sons, eight of whom were at the front, she replied: "I need no consolation. I have never forgotten that I was flogged by Prussians in 1870. I have urged my sons to avenge me and they will." As one train of soldiers for the front moved out of a Paris railway station two girls who had bravely kissed fare- well to a departing man turned away, and one began to cry, but the other said: "Keep up a little longer, he can still see us." 390 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Another carried a baby, and as her husband leaned out of the window' and the train started she threw it into his arms, crying: " Leave it with the station master at the next station, and I will fetch it ; you must have it for another few minutes." A Paris painter, called for military duty, was obliged to leave his wife and four children almost destitute. When he communicated with his wife on the subject she replied: "Do your duty without worrying about us. The city, state and our associations will look after us women and children." In her letter, the wife enclosed a money order for $1 out of $1.20, the total amount of money which she possessed. KILLS MANY WITH ARMORED CAR Lieutenant Henkart, attached to the general staff of the Belgian Army, perfected a monitor armored motor car which was successfully used by the Belgians. During the war the officer engaged in reconnoitering in one of his armored cars. He had several encounters with Uhlans, of whom he killed a considerable number, virtually single-handed. His only assistants in his scouting trips were a chauffeur, an engineer and a sharpshooter. On one occasion the party killed five Uhlans. Two days later it killed seven and on another occasion near "Waterloo, the auto ran into a force of 500 Germans and escaped after killing twenty-five with a rapid-fire gun, which was mounted on the motor car. A GERMAN RUSE THAT FAILED A Belgian diplomat in Paris related an incident he ob- served at Charleroi. He said: "Twenty Death's Head Hussars entered the town at 7 o'clock in the morning and rode quickly down the street, saluting and calling out 'Good-day' to those they met, saying, 'We are friends of the people.' "Mistaking them for English cavalrymen, the people cried 'Long live England!' The Belgian soldiers themselves were deceived until an officer at a window, realizing their mistake, ran to the street and gave the alarm. The Belgian soldiers rushed quickly to arms and opened fire on the fleeing Germans, of whom several were killed." STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 391 DIED WRITING TO HIS WIFE Here is a story of a heroic death on the battlefield, told simply in a letter found in the cold hands of a French soldier who had just finished writing it when the end came . "I am awaiting help which does not come," the letter ran. "I pray God to take me, for I suffer atrociously. Adieu, my wife and dear children. Adieu, all my family, whom I so loved. I re- quest that whoever finds me will send this letter to Paris to my wife, with the pocketbook which is in my coat pocket. Gathering my last strength I write this, lying prostrate under the shell fire. Both my legs are broken. My last thoughts are for my children and for thee, my cherished wife and com- panion of my life, my beloved wife. Vive la France !" IN THE PARIS MILITARY HOSPITAL A visitor to the military hospital within the intrenched camp of Paris, just outside the city walls, said on Septem- ber 18: 1 ' Men of all ranks are there, from the simple private to a general of division. There is no sign of discouragement or sadness on the pale faces, which light up with the thought of returning to battle. "I saw hundreds of men lying on the beds in the wards with varieties of wounds, no two being identical. This Turco — or African soldier — suffered from a torn tongue, cut by a bullet, which traversed his cheek. Another had lost three fingers of his left hand. A bullet entered the temple of this infantryman and fell into his mouth, where by some curious reaction he swallowed it. "Many of the patients are suffering from mere flesh wounds. One poor fellow whose eye was put out by a bullet said: "That's nothing. It is only my left eye and I aim with my right. I need the lives of just three Germans to pay for it." SMOKE AS WOUNDS ARE TREATED "The Turcos, though terrible hand-to-hand fighters, are hard to care for. They have great fear of pain and it is difficult to bandage their wounds. The doctors give them 392 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD cigarettes, which they smoke with dignity as if performing a ritual. "All the African soldiers were wrathful at a German officer lying in a neighboring room. They muttered in a sinister fashion, ' To-morrow!' and put two hands to the neck. I understood this to mean that they would strangle him to-morrow. Much vigilance is required to keep the officer out of their reach. "One Turco killed two Prussians with his bayonet and two with the stock of the gun in a single fight. His body is covered with the scars of years of fighting in the service of France. When asked if he liked France he replied : ' France good country, good leaders, good doctors.' He seemed to mind his wound less than the lack of cigarettes." SPIRIT OF BELGIAN SOLDIERS Writing from Antwerp on September 1, William G. Shepherd, United Press staff correspondent, illustrated the spirit of the soldiery of Belgium by the following story: "The little Belgian soldier who climbed into the compart- ment with me was dead tired ; he trailed his rifle behind him, threw himself into the seat and fell sound asleep. He was ready to talk when he awoke an hour later. " 'Yes, I was up all night with German prisoners,' he said. 'It was a bad job, there were only sixteen of us to handle 200 Germans. We had four box cars and we put twenty- five prisoners in one end of the car and twenty-five in the other, and the four of us with rifles sat guard by the car door. " 'We rode five hours that way and I expected every min- ute that the whole fifty Germans in the car would jump on us four and kill us. Four to fifty; that's heavy odds. But we had to do it. You see there aren't enough soldiers in Bel- gium to do all the work, so we have to make out the best we can.' "That's the plucky little Belgian soldier, all over. "In the first place, he's different from most soldiers, be- cause he is willing to fight when he knows he's going to lose. " 'We have to make out the best we can,' is his motto. "In the second place, he's a common-sense little fellow. Even while he's fighting, he's doing it coolly, and there is STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 393 no blind hatred in his heart that causes him to waste any effort. He gets down to the why and wherefore of things. " 'I really felt sorry for those German prisoners,' said a comrade of the first soldier. 'They were all decent fellows. They told me their officers had fooled them. They said the officers gave them French money on the Herman frontier and then yelled to them, ' ' On into France ! ' ' They went on three days and got to Liege before they knew they were in Belgium instead of France. " 'We didn't want to hurt Belgium,' they told us, 'be- cause we're from Alsace-Lorraine ourselves.' " 'You see,' continued the logical little Belgian, 'it wasn't their fault, so we couldn't be mad at them.' "That is the Belgian idea — cool logic. " 'Why did you fight the Germans?' I asked a high gov- ernment official. " 'Because civilization can't exist without treaties, and it is the duty that a nation owes to civilization to fight to the death when written treaties are broken, ' was the reply. " 'It must be a rule among nations that to break a treaty means to fight. The Germans broke the neutrality treaty with Belgium and we had to fight.' " 'But did you expect to whip the Germans?' " 'How could we? We knew that hordes of Germans would follow the first comers, but we had no right to worry about who would be whipped; all we had to do was to fight, and we've done it the best we could.' "It has been a cool-headed logical matter with the Bel- gians from the start. Treaties are made with ink; they're broken with blood, and just as naturally and coolly as the Belgian diplomats used ink in signing the treaties with Ger- many so the Belgian soldiers have used their blood in trying to maintain the agreements." RIFLES USED BY NATIONS OF WAR In the present war Germany uses a Mauser rifle, with a bullet of 8 millimeters caliber, steel and copper coated. Great Britain's missile is the Lee-Enfield, caliber 7.7 mm., the coating being cupro-nickel. The French weapon is the Lebel rifle, of 8 mm. caliber, with bullets coated with nickel, Russia uses Mossin-Nagant 394 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD rifles, 7.62 mm., with bullets cupro-nickel coated. Austria's chief small arm is the Mamilicher, caliber 8 mm., with a steel sheet over the tip. Hitting a man beyond 350 yards, the wounds inflicted by all these bullets are clean cut. They frequently pass through bone tissue without splintering. When meeting an artery the bullet seems to push it to one side and goes around without cutting the blood channel. Amputations are very rare compared with wars of more than fifty years ago. A bullet wound through a joint, such as the knee or the elbow, then necessitated the amputation of the limb. Now such a wound is easily opened and dressed. Even Russia, which made a sad sanitary showing in the war with Japan, now has learned her lesson and has efficient surgical arrangements. All the nations use vaccine to combat typhoid, the scourge which once decimated camps, and killed 1,600 in the Spanish- American war. GERMAN UHLANS AS SCOUTS Concerning the German Uhlans, of whom so much has been heard in the European war, Luigi Barzini, a widely known Italian war correspondent, said: "The swarms of cavalry which the Germans send out ahead of their advance are to be found everywhere — on any highway, on any path. It is their business to see as much as possible. They show themselves everywhere and they ride until they are fired upon, keeping this up until they have located the enemy. "Theirs is the task of riding into death. The entire front of the enemy is established by them, and many of them are killed — that is a certainty they face. Now and then, how- ever, one of them manages to escape to bring the information himself, which otherwise is obtained by officers in their rear making observation. "At every bush, every heap of earth, the Uhlan must say to himself: 'Here I will meet an enemy in hiding.' He knows that he cannot defend himself against a fire that may open on him from all sides. Everywhere there is danger for the Uhlan — hidden danger. STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 395 "Nevertheless he keeps on riding, calmly and undis- turbed, in keeping with German discipline." FOUGHT WITHOUT SHOES The Paris Matin relates that on the arrival of a train bringing wounded Senegalese riflemen nearly all were found smoking furiously from long porcelain pipes taken from the enemy and seemingly indifferent to their wounds. One gayly told of the daring capture of a machine gun by eighteen of his comrades. The gun, he said, was brought up by a detachment of German dragoons and the Senegalese bravely charged and captured everything. Though their arms and bodies were hacked by sabers, the Senegalese complained of nothing but the obligation to fight with shoes on. Before going into battle at Charleroi they slyly rid themselves of these impediments and came back shod in German footwear to avoid punishment for losing equipment. KILLED A GENERAL The shot which resulted in the death of Prince von Bue- low, one of the German generals, was fired by a Belgian pri- vate named Rosseau, who was decorated by King Albert for his conduct in the battle of Haelen. Rosseau was lying badly wounded among his dead com- rades when he saw a German officer standing beside his horse and studying a map. Picking up a rifle beside a dead German, Rosseau fired at this officer and wounded him. The officer proved to be Prince von Buelow. Exchanging his hat for the German general's helmet and taking the general's horse, Rosseau made his way to the Belgian lines and was placed in a hospital at Ghent. HOW A GERMAN PRINCE DIED The Hanover Courier gave the following account by an eyewitness of the death of Prince Frederick William of Lippe at Liege: "On all sides our detachment was surrounded by Belgian troops, who were gradually closing in for purposes of exter- minating us. At the prince's command we formed a circle 396 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD eight deep, maintaining a stubborn defense. At length a strong division arrived to support us. The prince raised himself from a kneeling position and turned to the standard bearer, who lay prone beside him, covering the standard with his body. " 'Raise the standard,' commanded the prince, 'so that we may be recognized by our friends.' "The standard bearer raised the flag, waving it to and fro. This action immediately brought upon the standard bearer and the prince a violent fusillade. The standard was shot away and at the same moment the prince was struck in the chest and expired instantly. ' ' BAILWAY STATION A SHAMBLES Mrs. Herman H. Harjes, wife of the Paris banker, who, with other American women, was deeply interested in relief work, visited the North railroad station at Paris on Sep- tember 1 and was shocked by the sights she saw among the Belgian refugees. "The station," said Mrs. Harjes, "presented the aspect of a shambles. It was the saddest sight I ever saw. It is impossible to believe the tortures and cruelties the poor un- fortunates had undergone. "I saw many boys with both their hands cut off so that it was impossible for them to carry guns. Everywhere was filth and utter desolation. The helpless little babies, lying on the cold, wet cement floor and crying for proper nourish- ment, were enough to bring hot tears to any mother's eyes. "Mothers were vainly besieging the authorities, begging for milk or soup. A mother with twelve children said : " 'What is to become of us? It seems impossible to suffer more. I saw my husband bound to a lamppost. He was gagged and being tortured by bayonets. When I tried to intercede in his behalf, I was knocked senseless with a rifle. I never saw him again.' " BURIED ON THE FIELD The bodies of the dead in this war were not, with occasional exceptions, returned to their relatives, but were buried on the field and where numbers required it, in common graves. STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 397 Valuables, papers and mementoes were taken from the bodies and made up in little packets to be sent to the relatives, and the dead soldiers, each wrapped in his canvas shelter tent, as shroud, were laid, friend and foe, side by side in long trenches in the ground for which they had contested. GERMAN LISTS OF THE DEAD In the German official Gazette daily lists of the dead, wounded and missing were published. The names marched by in long columns of the Gazette, arrayed with military pre- cision by regiments and companies, batteries or squadrons — first the infantry and then cavalry, artillery and train. The company lists were headed usually by the names of the officers, killed or wounded ; then came the casualties from the enlisted strength — first the dead, then the wounded and the missing. A feature of the early lists was the large propor- tion of this last class, reports from some units running mo- notonously, name after name, "missing" or "wounded and missing" — in mute testimony of scouting patrols which did not return, or of regiments compelled to retire and leave be- hind them dead, wounded and prisoners, or sometimes of men wandering so far from their comrades in the confusion of battle that they could not find and rejoin their companies for days. THE LANCE AS A WEAPON An attempt was made in lists of the German wounded to give the nature and location of the wound. These were prin- cipally from rifle or shrapnel fire. A scanty few in the cavalry were labeled "lance thrust," indicating that the favorite weapon of the European cavalry has not done the damage ex- pected of it, although the lance came more into play in the later engagements between the Russian and German cavalry divisions. "fatherland or death!" Writing from Aix-la-Chapelle, Germany, on August 29th, Karl H. von Wiegand, manager of the Berlin bureau of the United Press, said : "America has not the faintest realization of the terrible carnage going on in Europe. She cannot realize the deter- 398 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD mi nation of Germany, all Germany — men, women and children — in this war. The German Empire is like one man. And that man's motto is 'Vaterland oder Tod!' (Fatherland or Death!) "English news sources are reported here as telling of the masterly retreat of the allies. Here in the German field head- quarters, where every move on the great chess-board of Bel- gium and France is analyzed, the war to date is referred to as the greatest offensive movement in the history of modern warfare." GERMAN PLANS WELL LAID The German offensive plans were well laid. No army that ever took the field was ever so mobile. Thousands of army autos have been in use. Each regiment had its supply. The highways were mapped in advance. There was not a cross- road that was not known. Even the trifling brooks had been located. Nothing had been left to chance and the advance guard was accompanied by enormous automobiles filled with corps of sappers who carried bridge and road building materials. THE TERRIBLE KRUPP GUNS How well the German plans worked was shown when Na- mur, which, it was boasted, would resist for months, fell in two days. The terrible work of the great Krupp weapons, whose existence had been kept secret, is hard to realize. One shot from one of these guns went through what was consid- ered an impregnable wall of concrete and armored steel at Namur, exploded and killed 150 men. And aside from the effectiveness of these terrible weapons, Belgian prisoners who were in the Namur forts declare their fire absolutely shattered the nerves of the defenders, whose guns had not sufficient range to reach them. GERMANS DEFY DEATH "It makes you sick to see the way that the Germans liter- ally walk into the very mouth of the machine guns and cannon spouting short-fused shrapnel that mow down their lines and tear great gaps in them," said a Belgian major who was STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 399 badly wounded. "Nothing seems to stop them. It is like an inhuman machine and it takes the very nerve out of you to watch it." SPIRIT OF GERMAN WOMEN "The women of Germany are facing the situation with heroic calmness," said Eleanor Painter, an American opera singer on landing in New York September 7th, direct from Berlin, where she had spent the last four years. "It is all for the Fatherland. The spirit of the people is wonderful. If the men are swept away in the maelstrom of war, the women will continue to fight. They are prepared now to do so. "There are few tears in Berlin. Of course there is sor- row, deep sorrow. But the German women and the few men still left in the capital realize that the national life itself is at stake and accept the inevitable losses of a successful mili- tary occupation. There is a grim dignity everywhere. There are no false ideas as to the enormity of the struggle for existence. A great many Germans, in fact, realizing that it is nearly the whole world against Germany, do not believe that the Fatherland can survive. But they are determined that while there is a living German so long will Germany fight. FATHER AND TEN SONS ENLIST "A German father with his ten sons enlisted. General von Haessler, more than the allotted three-score years and ten, veteran of two wars, offered his sword. Boys who vol- unteered and who were not needed at the time wept when the recruiting officers sent them back home, telling them their time would come. "The German women fight their own battles in keeping back tears and praying for the success of the German arms. Hundreds of titled women are at the front with the Red Cross, sacrificing everything to aid their country. Baroness von Ziegler and her daughter wrote from Wiesbaden that they were en route to the front and were ready to fight if need be. "Even the stupendous losses which the army is incurring cannot dim the love of the Fatherland nor the desire of the Germans, as a whole nation, to fight on. I speak of vast 400 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD losses. An officer with whom I talked while en route from Berlin to Rotterdam, told me of his own experience. He was one of 2,000 men on the eastern frontier. They saw a de- tachment of Russians ahead. The German forces went into battle singing and confident, although the Russian columns numbered 12,000. Of that German force of 2,000 just fifty survived. None surrendered." FEARFUL STATE OF BATTLEFIELDS Dead men and horses, heaped up by thousands, lay putre- fying on the battlefields of the Aisne, Colonel Webb C. Hayes, U. S. A., son of former President Hayes, declared in Washing- ton on Oct. 7, on his return from observing the war and its battlefields. He was the bearer of a personal message to Presi- dent Wilson from the acting burgomaster of Louvain. "When I left Havre on Sept. 27," he said, "the Allies were fearful that they would not be able to penetrate to the German line through the mass of putrefying men and horses on the battlefields, which unfortunately the combatants seem not to heed about burying. I don't see how they could pass through these fields. The stench was horrible, and the idea of climbing over the bodies must be revolting even to brave soldiers." Col. Hayes had been on the firing line ; he had visited the sacked city of Louvain as the guest of Germans in an armored ear ; he had been in Aix-la-Chapelle, at the German base, and had seen some of the fighting in the historic Aisne struggle. "It is a sausage grinder," he declared. "On one side are the Allies, apparently willing to sacrifice their last man in defense of France ; on the other are the Ger- mans, seemingly prodigal of their millions of men and money and throwing man after man into the war. ' ' "What about the alleged atrocities in Belgium?" he was asked. "Well, war is hell ; that's about the only answer I can give you. The real tragic feature of the whole war is Belgium. Its people are wonderful folk — clean, decent, respectable. What this nation should do is to concentrate its efforts to aid the women and children of Belgium. Help for hospitals is not so much needed, but the fate of these people is really pathetic." STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 401 Asked for a brief description of what he saw along the battle line, Col. Hayes declared : ' ' The battle front these days is far different from what it used to be. There are few men to be seen, and practically no guns. All are concealed. Shrapnel flies through the air and bursts. That is the scene most of the time. In the hand-to- hand fighting bayonets are used much by the French, while the Turcos use knives." ' ' Shall you go back 1 ' ' Col. Hayes was asked. "Does anyone wish to visit a slaughterhouse a second lime? "he replied. PRINCES WOUNDED BY THE FOE Prince August William, the fourth son of Emperor Wil- liam, was shot in the left arm during the battle of the Marne and Emperor William bestowed the Iron Cross of the first class on him. Prince Eitel, the Kaiser's second son, was wounded during the battle of the Aisne. Up to October 7 four of Emperor Wil- liam *s sons had been placed temporarily hors de combat. Prince George of Servia, while leading his battalion against the Austrians September 18, was hit by a ball which entered near the spinal column and came out at the right shoulder. The wound was said not to be dangerous. HOW THE SCOTSMEN FOUGHT At St. Quentin, France, the Highland infantrymen burst into the thick of the Germans, holding on to the stirrups of the Scots Greys as the horsemen galloped, and attacked hand to hand. The Germans were taken aback at the sudden and totally unexpected double irruption, and broke up before the Scottish onslaught, suffering severe losses alike from the swords of the cavalry and from the Highlanders' bayonets. The scene of this charge is depicted in one of our illustrations. TWO TRAGIC INCIDENTS During the Russian retreat through the Mazur lake dis- trict, in East Prussia, a Russian battery was surrounded on three sides by the enemy's quick firers. The infantry was on the other side of the lake, and the Russian ammunition was 402 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD exhausted. In order to avoid capture, the commander ordered the battery to gallop over the declivity into the lake. His order was obeyed and he himself was among the drowned. During an assault on the fortress of Ossowetz, a German column got into a bog. The Russians shelled the bog and the single road crossing it. The Germans, in trying to extricate themselves, sank deeper into the mire, and hundreds were killed or wounded. Of the whole column, about forty survived. IX THE BRUSSELS HOSPITALS A peculiar incident of the war is noted by a doctor writing in the New York American, who went through several of the great Brussels hospitals and noted the condition of the wounded Belgian soldiers. These soldiers carried on the defense of their country with a valor which the fighting men of any nation might admire and envy. The writer remarks : "Two facts struck me very forcibly. The first was the very large number of Belgian soldiers wounded only in the legs, and, secondly, many of the soldiers seem to have collapsed through sheer exhaustion. "In peace times one sees and hears little or nothing of extreme exhaustion, because in times of peace the almost superphysical is not demanded. War brings new conditions. "These Belgian soldiers were at work and on the march during stupendous days, practically without a moment's respite. They went, literally, until they dropped. As a medi- cal man, their condition interested me enormously. "What force of will to fight and struggle until the last gasp ! The exhaustion one sees often in heat strokes and in hot climates is commonplace, but this type of exhaustion is, by itself, the final triumph of brave spirits. "The victims presented a very alarming appearance when first I met them. They seemed almost dead ; limp, pale, and cold. Recovery usually is not protracted; in every case the men knocked out in this manner expressed a fervent desire to return at once to the ranks. "So many Belgians have been shot in the legs that this fact has aroused considerable surprise in medical circles. It is not a matter of chance. STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 403 "When German prisoners came in and were interrogated, the explanation was forthcoming that orders had been given to fire low, no doubt in the belief that the man hit in the leg must be immediately hors de combat. This was certainly humane of the Germans, as such wounds heal speedily. The German wounded, on the other hand, have been hit for the most part about the body." GERMAN WARNING TO FRENCH TOWNS Following is the text of a proclamation published in French and posted in all towns occupied by the Germans : "All the authorities and the municipality are informed that every peaceful inhabitant can follow his regular occupation in full security. Private property will be absolutely respected and provisions paid for. ' ' If the population dare under any form whatever to take part in hostilities the severest punishment will be inflicted on the refractory. "The people must give up their arms. Every armed indi- vidual will be put to death. Whoever cuts telegraph wires, destroys railway bridges or roads or commits any act in detri- ment to the Germans will be shot. "Towns and villages whose inhabitants take part in the combat or who fire upon us from ambush will be burned down and the guilty shot at once. The civil authorities will be held responsible. (Signed) Von Moltke." MOTORS IN THE RUSSIAN ARMY The Russian army has always placed much dependence on its horses, having a vast number, but it has realized the import- ance of the motor vehicle in warfare and already it is much better equipped than other nations suppose. An illustration of the fact is the following, related by a Red Cross man who accompanied the Russian forces into eastern Germany: "I was walking beside one of our carts. We could hear heavy artillery fire as we went, when shouts from our people behind warned us to get off the road. We pulled onto the grass as there came thundering past, bumping from one rough place to another on the poor road and going at a sickening pace, a string of huge motor cars crowded with infantrymen. They 404 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD looked like vehicles of the army establishment, all apparently alike in size and pattern and each carrying about thirty men. 1 ' They were traveling like no motor wagon that I ever saw — certainly at not less than forty miles an hour. The pro- cession seemed endless. I didn't count them, but there were not less than a hundred, and perhaps a good many more. That was General Rennenkampf reinforcing his threatened flank." "a little bbass tag" From time to time the dispatches have stated that the German army officers have shipped to Berlin thousands of little brass identification tags, taken from the bodies of their dead. This inspired a Michigan poet to write the following pathetic lines, published in the Detroit Free Press : All that is left of her wonderful son Is a little brass tag; All of her baby that shouldered a gun Is a little brass tag. He that so proudly marched off in the line, Clear-eyed and smiling and splendid and fine, Is home once again on the banks of the Rhine, Just a little brass tag. He with the eyes that were kindly and blue Is a little brass tag; He with the shoulders so square and so true Is a little brass tag. He that stepped forward to follow the flag, To ride with a saber or march with a Krag, You'll find him now, with thousands, shipped home, in a bag, Just a little brass tag. Oh, mother, the boy you 're so hungry to see Is a little brass tag; The end of your dreams of the man he would be Is a little brass tag; Your beautiful visions of splendors have fled, Your wonderful man of to-morrow lies dead ; He went as a soldier, but comes home instead Just a little brass tag. STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 405 VALLEY OF DEATH ON THE AISNE A non-combatant who succeeded in getting close to the firing lines on the Aisne when the great battle had raged con- tinuously for five weeks, wrote as follows on October 21st of the horrors he had witnessed: ' ' Between the lines of battle there is a narrow strip, vary- ing from seventy yards to a quarter of a mile, which is a neutral valley of death. Neither side is able to cross that strip without being crumpled by fire against which no body of men can stand. The Germans have attempted to break through the British and French forces hundreds of times but have been compelled to withdraw, and always with severe losses. ' ' A number of small towns are distributed in this narrow strip, the most important being Craonne. The Germans and French have reoccupied it six times and each in turn has been driven out. The streets of Craonne are littered with the dead of both armies. The houses, nearly all of which have been demolished by exploding shells, are also full of bodies of men who crawled into them to get out of the withering fire and have there died. Many of these men died of sheer ex- haustion and starvation while the battle raged day after day. "Both armies have apparently abandoned the struggle to hold Craonne permanently, and it is now literally a city of the dead. " It is a typical French village of ancient stone structures ; the tiny houses all have, or had, gables and tiled roofs. These have mostly been broken by shell fire. Under the shelter of its buildings both the Germans and French have been able at times to rescue their wounded. "This is more than can be said of the strip of death between the battle lines. There the wounded lie and the dead go unburied, while the opposing forces direct their merciless fire a few feet above the field of suffering and carnage. I did not know until I looked upon the horrors of Craonne that such conditions could exist in modern warfare. "I thought that frequent truces would be negotiated to give the opposing armies an opportunity to collect their wounded and bury their dead. I had an idea that the Red 406 STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Cross had made war less terrible. The world thinks so yet, perhaps, but the conditions along the Aisne do not justify that belief. If a man is wounded in that strip between the lines he never gets back alive unless he is within a short distance of his own lines or is protected from the enemy's fire by the lay of the land. 1 ' This protracted and momentous battle, which raged day and night for so many weeks, became a continuous nightmare to the men engaged in it, every one of whom knew that upon its issue rested one of the great deciding factors of the war. ' ' BEITISH AID FOR FRENCH WOUNDED The following paragraphs from a letter received October 15th by the author from an English lady interested in the suffrage movement, give some idea of the spirit in which the people of England met the emergency; and also indicate the frightful conditions attending the care of the wounded in France : "London, October 7, 1914. — The world is a quite different place from what it was in July — dear, peaceful July ! It seems years ago that we lived in a time of peace. It all still seems a nightmare over England and one feels that the morning must come when one will wake up and find it has all been a hideous dream, and that peace is the reality. But the facts grow sadder every day, as one realizes the frightful slaughter and waste of young lives. * * * "But now that we are in the midst of this horrible time, we can only stop all criticism of our Government, set our teeth, and try to help in every possible way. All suffrage work has stopped and all the hundred-and-one interests in societies of every kind are in abeyance as well. The offices of every kind of society are being used for refugees, Red Cross work, unem- ployment work, and to meet other needs of the moment. ' ' Every day of our time is taken up with helping to equip 'hospital units,' private bodies of doctors and nurses with equipment, to go to France and help the French Red Cross work among the French wounded. The situation in France at present is more horrible than one can imagine. Our Eng- lish soldiers have medical and surgical help enough with them for first aid. Then they are sent back to England, and here STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 407 all our hospitals are ready and private houses everywhere have been given to the War Office for the wounded. But the battlefield is in France ; many of the French doctors have been shot; the battle-line is 200 miles long, and the carnage is frightful. "Last week we sent off one hospital unit, and a messenger came back from it yesterday to tell us awful facts — 16,000 wounded in Limoges for one place, and equal numbers in several other little places south of Paris — just trains full of them — with so little ready for them in the way of doctors or nurses. One hears of doctors performing operations with- out chloroform, and the suffering of the poor fellows is awful. ' ' MUST PEACE WAIT FOR THIS? — Chicago Daily News, Sept. 21. FOR ALL WE HAVE AND ARE BY KUDYAED KIPLING For all we have and are, For all our children's fate, Stand up and meet the war — The Hun is at the gate ! Our world has passed away In wanton overthrow; There's nothing left to-day But steel and fire and woe. Though all we know depart, In courage keep your heart. Once more we hear the word That sickened earth of old — No law except the sword Unsheathed and uncontrolled. Once more it knits mankind, Once more the nations go To meet and break and bind A crazed and riven foe. Comfort, content, delight, The ages' slow-bought gain, They shriveled in a night — Only ourselves remain To face the naked days In silent fortitude, Through perils and dismays, Renewed and re-renewed. Though all we made depart The old commandments stand — In patience keep your heart, In strength lift up your hand. No easy hopes or lies Shall bring us to our goal — But iron sacrifice Of body, will and soul. There's but one task for all, For each one life to give : Who stands if Freedom fall ? If England dies, who live ? 408 CHAPTER XXVII LATER EVENTS OF THE WAR Results of the Battle of the Aisne — Fierce Fighting in North- ern France — Developments on the Eastern Battle Front — The Campaign in the Pacific — Naval Activities of the Powers. WITH a battle front reaching from the Belgian coast on the North Sea to the frontier of Switzerland, or a total distance of 362 miles, the operations in the western theater of war toward the end of October were being con- ducted on a more gigantic scale than was ever witnessed before. On both sides reinforcements were being rushed to the front. German efforts to break through the Allies' lines were concentrated on the main center at Verdun and on the right flank of the Allies' left wing, above its elbow, between Noyon and Arras, while powerful coincidal movements were in progress on the extreme western end of the line in Belgium and on the southeastern wing in Alsace. At Verdun con- tinuous fighting of the fiercest character had been going on for over sixty days, surpassing in time and severity any in- dividual battle in history. The army of the Crown Prince had been unable to force the French positions in the vicinity of Verdun and the check sustained by the Germans at this point early in the campaign constituted a principal cause of General von Kluck's failure in his dash toward Paris. All along the tremendous battle front the allies ' lines as a rule held firm in the thirteenth week of the war, when the great conflict had entered upon what may well be called its fourth stage. The third stage may be said to have ended with the fall of Antwerp and the subjugation of all Belgium but a small portion of its southwestern territory. On the main front the Allies were maintaining the offensive at some vital points, while repulsing the German assaults at others. One or two 409 410 LATER EVENTS OF THE WAR of the French forts commanding Verdun had fallen but the main positions remained in the hands of the French, and all along the line it was a case of daily give-and-take. FIERCE FIGHTING IN FLANDERS After capturing Antwerp the Germans pushed on to Ostend, an ''open" or unfortified town, and occupied it with slight resistance from the Belgian army, which was reforming its broken ranks to the south, between Ostend and the French frontier, and preparing to contest the passage of the Kaiser's forces across the River Yser. Moving northward from Lille, the Allies encountered the Germans at Armentieres, which was occupied by a Franco-British force and there was also fierce fighting at Ypres, where there is a canal to the sea. For more than a week the Belgians gallantly held the banks of the Yser in spite of the utmost endeavors of the Germans to cross, and it was not until October 24 that the latter finally succeeded in getting south of the river, with the French seaport of Dunkirk as their next objective point. Bloody engagements were fought at Nieuport, Dixmude, Deynze and La Bassee. At this time the battle line formed almost a perpendicular from Noyon in France north to the Belgian coast, south of Ostend. A battle raged for several days in West Flanders and Northern France and both sides claimed successes. The losses of the Allies and the Germans were estimated in the thousands and the wounded were sent back to the rear by the trainful. In the Flemish territory the flat nature of the terrain, with its numerous canals and almost total absence of natural cover, made the losses especially severe. The passage of the Yser cost the Germans dearly and Dixmude was strewn with their dead. And their advance could get no farther. The necessity of holding the French ports, Dunkirk and Calais, was fully realized by the Allies, who threw large rein- forcements into their northern line. The Germans also drew heavily on their center and left wing to reinforce the right, and for a while the forces opposing one another at the extreme western end of the battle front were greater than at any other point. The Germans were firmly held on a line running from south of Ostend to Thourout, Roulers and Menin, the last mentioned place being on the border north of Lille. Flanking attacks being no longer possible, as the western flanks of both LATER EVENTS OF THE WAR 411 armies rested on the North Sea, the Germans were compelled to make a frontal assault along the line formed by the Belgian frontier. As the Belgian troops, assisted by a British naval brigade, were pushed back from the Yser, they were gradually merged into the army of the allies, by whom they were re- ceived with the honors due the men who had made, for twelve long weeks, such a gallant and determined defense of their country against invasion and despoilment. BRITISH WAESHIPS AID BELGIANS Soon after the German occupation of Ostend, several Brit- ish warships shelled the German positions in and around the city and aided in hampering the German advance along the coast. The principal vessels engaged in this work were three monitors which were being completed in England for the Brazilian government when the war started and which were bought by the admiralty. These monitors, which had been renamed Mersey, Humber and Severn, drew less than nine feet of water and could take up positions not far from shore, from which their 6-inch guns and 4.7-inch howitzers, of which each vessel carried two, were able to throw shells nearly four miles across country, the range being given them by airmen. French warships of light draft later joined the British monitors and destroyers and assisted in patrolling the coast, shelling German positions wherever the latter could be discov- ered by the aeroplane scouts. One reported feat of the naval fire was the destruction of the headquarters of a German gen- eral, Von Trip, in which the general and his staff lost their lives. German destroyers and submarines, which had apparently been brought down the coast of Holland, operated against the combined fleets from a base in the deep canal that connects Bruges and Zeebrugge. Their attacks were persistent, but up to October 28 the German torpedoes had failed to find their mark; and likewise every effort of the French and British squadrons to destroy the submarines had failed. INDIAN TROOPS IN ACTION The first word of the employment of British Indian troops at the front came on October 27, when it was reported that in the fighting near Lille a reserve force of Sikhs and Ghurkas, 412 LATER EVENTS OF THE WAR the former with bayonets and the latter with the kukri (a short, curved sword) played havoc with an attacking force of Germans. ''Never has there been such slaughter," said the dispatches. "Twenty thousand German dead and wounded, nearly half the attacking force, lay upon the field, while the British losses did not exceed 2,000." THE FRENCH CAMPAIGN IN ALSACE At the end of October the French right wing in Alsace- Lorraine was reported to be making distinct progress. It was said to be advancing through the passes of the Vosges in the midst of heavy snowstorms. Paris reported that the Ger- mans, who were attempting a movement against the great French frontier fortress of Belfort, had been driven back with heavy losses, while from other sources the Germans were re- ported to be bringing up heavy mortars for the bombardment of Belfort. There were persistent reports of German defeats in Alsace, but these were repeatedly denied in Berlin. The situation in the territory coveted by the French appeared to resemble that farther west — neither side was making much headway. THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN In the eastern theater of war the conflict during October was waged with fortunes that favored, first one side and then the other. Contradictory claims were put forth from time to time by Petrograd, Vienna and Berlin, but the net result of the operations at the end of the thirteenth week of the war appeared to be that while the intended Russian march on Berlin had been completely checked, the Germans had been repulsed with heavy losses in all their attempts to cross the Vistula and occupy Warsaw, the capital of Russian Poland, which was at one time seriously threatened. The fighting along the Vistula was fierce and prolonged for several days at a time. The Germans made numerous attempts to cross the river at different points by means of pontoon bridges, but these were destroyed by the Russian artillery as fast as completed. The slaughter on both sides was considerable. On October 28 the Russian battle front reached from Suwalki on the north to Sambor and Stryj on the south, a distance of about 267 miles. The German opera- LATER EVENTS OF THE WAR 413 tions on the Vistula were still in progress and Poland fur- nished the main arena of battle. East Prussia was practically- free from Russian troops, save at a few points near the bound- ary, but they strongly maintained their positions in Galicia. THE AUSTRO-SERVIAN CAMPAIGN After eleven weeks' bombardment by the Austrians, the Servian defenders of Belgrade were still bravely resisting, although half the city had been destroyed. The situation was such as to cause at once astonishment, pity and admiration. In the open field the Servians continued to hold their own against the Austrian forces opposed to them. Their Monte- negrin allies, under General Bukovitch, were reported to have defeated 16,000 Austrians, supported by six batteries of ar- tillery, at a point northeast of Serajevo. The battle termi- nated in a hand-to-hand bayonet conflict which lasted four hours. The Austrians are said to have lost 2,500 men, killed and wounded, while the Montenegrins claimed that their losses amounted to only 300 men. The trial of Gavrio Prinzip, the assassin of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria, and twenty-three of his alleged accomplices, had been proceeding at Serajevo and the Serv- ians and Montenegrins had made desperate but futile at- tempts to capture the city and liberate the prisoners. On October 27 the latter were all found guilty of treason and four were later sentenced to death. Thus was punished by Aus- trian law the crime that furnished the sad but insufficient excuse for the world's greatest war. THE CAMPAIGN IN THE PACIFIC Late in October the Kaiser was reported to have ordered the surrender of Tsing Tau, the German city in Kiauchau, China. The place had been battered for weeks by land and sea by the Japanese forces, and the surrender was ordered, it was said, to save the German forces and civilians from cer- tain annihilation if a defense by the garrison to the end were to be carried on. German warships were powerless to assist the beleaguered city, as Japanese and English war vessels had driven them far from the coast of China. The Japanese cruiser Takachiho was sunk by a mine in Kiauchau Bay on the night of October 17. One officer and nine members of the crew are known to have been saved. 414 LATER EVENTS OF THE WAR The cruiser carried a crew of 284 men. Her main battery con- sisted of eight 6-inch guns. MAIN FLEETS STILL INACTIVE Up to the last week in October the main fleets of the war- ring powers were still inactive, but rumors of intended Ger- man naval activity were frequent. The cat-and-mouse atti- tude of the British and German fleets in the North Sea was continued, the Germans lying snug in their ports, protected by their mines and submarines, while the British battleships lay in wait at all points of possible egress. The situation tried the patience of the people of both countries and there were frequent demands for action by the great and costly naval armaments. But the Germans apparently were not ready to risk a general engagement, and the British could not force them to come out and fight. The British admirals, therefore had, perforce, to pursue a policy of ' ' watchful waiting, ' ' irk- some as it was to all concerned, and "the tireless vigil in the North Sea," as it was termed by Mr. Asquith, was maintained day and night. No sea captain becalmed in the doldrums ever whistled for a wind more earnestly than the British Jack tars prayed for a chance at the enemy during those three months of playing the cat to Germany's mouse; and on the other hand, the German sailors were, no doubt, equally desirious of a chance to demonstrate the fighting abilities of their brand- new battleships. All were equally on the qui vive, for any hour might bring to the Germans the order to put to sea, and to the British the welcome cry of "Enemy in sight!" CARING FOR BELGIAN REFUGEES The plight of the Belgian people, including the refugees in Holland, England and France, was pitiable in the extreme and by the end of October had roused the sympathy of the entire world. A conservative estimate placed the number of Belgians expatriated at 1,500,000 out of a population of 7,000,- 000. On October 26 Mr. Brand Whitlock, United States min- ister to Belgium, reported that the entire country was on the verge of starvation, while Holland and England had their hands full caring for the Belgians who had sought refuge in those countries. In eight cities of Holland there were said to be 500,000 Belgian refugees. Over 70,000 arrived in London in one week and a central committee in London had twenty- LATER EVENTS OF THE WAR 415 seven subcommittees at work in different cities in England, Scotland and Wales, placing the refugees in homes as rapidly as possible. The humanitarian problem of taking care of the Belgians was one of tremendous responsibility, but the people of the three countries in which most of them sought refuge rose nobly to the occasion and spared no effort to lessen their sufferings. MORE CANADIANS FOR THE FRONT It was announced in Ottawa, Canada, on October 19 that the Dominion Government had decided to put 30,000 more men in training in Canada, to be despatched to England when ready. As soon as the first unit of 15,000 was embarked, probably in December, another 15,000 men would be enlisted to replace them, the plan being to keep 30,000 men continuously in training, to be drawn upon in units of 10,000 or 15,000 as soon as equipped, during the continuance of hostilities in Europe. Thus with the 32,000 Canadian volunteers already landed in England, and 8,000 under arms guarding strategic points in the Dominion, Canada would soon raise 100,000 men as part of her contribution to Imperial defense. THE COST IN HUMAN LIFE The following estimate of casualties for the first three months (thirteen weeks) of the war is made from the best fig- ures obtainable at the time of going to press. The casualties represent an average of about 16 per cent of the forces actively engaged in the field. No complete official figures are obtain- able, but the best are those given out by the British war office, which up to the end of the tenth week of the war reported casualties amounting to 32,000 men, or about 16 per cent of the British expeditionary forces in the field at that time, which may be taken as a general ratio. Great Britain's casualties in officers during the same time amounted to 1,203, including 280 killed, 625 wounded and 298 missing. German estimates of the Allies ' losses up to the middle of October placed the figure at 725,000 and Berlin officials then admitted German losses amounting to 225,000. The grand total of 1,347,000 killed, wounded and missing (thelatter in- cluding prisoners of war) on all sides, as estimated in the fol- lowing table, is therefore probably well grounded in fact. 416 LATER EVENTS OF THE WAR ESTIMATED LOSSES OF EUROPEAN FOECES IN THE FIELD UP TO OCTOBER 31, 1914 Killed. Wounded. Missing. Total. Germany 100,000 250,000 30,000 380,000 Austria 60,000 125,000 40,000 225,000 Total 160,000 375,000 70,000 605,000 France 65,000 170,000 62,000 297,000 Belgium 25,000 55,000 25,000 105,000 Russia 40,000 125,000 50,000 215,000 Great Britain.... 15,000 38,000 9,000 62,000 Servia 15,000 35,000 5,000 55,000 Montenegro 2,000 6,000 500 8,500 Total 162,000 429,000 151,500 742,500 Grand Total. . .322,000 804,000 221,500 1,347,500 DAILY COST OF WAR The daily cost of the present war to the nations engaged in the struggle is estimated at not less than $54,000,000 a day — a sum which fairly staggers the imagination. This enor- mous cost of the armies in the field gives a decided advantage to the nation best supplied with the 1 1 sinews of war ' ' and may contribute to a shortening of hostilities. War is indeed a terrible drain upon the resources of a nation and only a few there are that can stand many months of war expenditures like those of August-October, 1914, amounting in the grand aggregate to nearly five billions of dollars ($5,000,000,000). TURKEY ENTERS THE WAR On October 29 an act which was regarded in Russia as equivalent to a declaration of war by Turkey was committed at Theodosia, the Crimean port, when that town was bom- barded without notice by the cruiser Breslau, flying the Turkish flag, but commanded by a German officer and manned by a German crew. The Breslau was a former German ship, and was said to have been purchased by the Turkish govern- ment, with the German battleship Goeben, when they sought refuge in the Dardanelles at the beginning of the war, from the French and British fleets in the Mediterranean. LATER EVENTS OF THE WAR 416a Turkey's abrupt entrance into the European conflict was the overshadowing feature of the war as the third month of its duration ended. After the bombardment of Theodosia, the Russian port of Odessa was the next point of attack by Turkish warships. October 29 and 30 several Russian vessels, including two tor- pedo-boats, were sunk by the Breslau and Goeben, aided by other Turkish war vessels, and these irrevocable acts were regarded as throwing Turkey on the side of Germany and Austria in the war. German diplomacy at Constantinople was believed to be responsible for Turkey's action, with which the Russian authorities at Petrograd professed to be well sat- isfied, as it would give them an opportunity to clean up the entire Balkan situation and possibly gain, by the defeat of Turkey, their long-coveted means of exit from the Black Sea. The Allies apparently were by no means surprised at the action of the war party in the Ottoman Empire, headed by Enver Pasha. There was danger that the Turkish develop- ments would embroil Italy, Greece and Roumania in the war, while the attitude of Bulgaria was in doubt. It was regarded as a foregone conclusion that Greece would seize the chance to make war on Turkey, her ancient enemy, while popular sentiment in Italy, whose forces had been mobilizing ever since the beginning of the war, was in favor of joining the Allies if events forced the nation to enter the conflict. The Turkish army was reported to be inefficiently equipped and poorly fed, and English authorities expressed the belief that the action of Turkey would not change the military situ- ation, but would doom Turkey in Europe to complete extinc- tion. It was assumed that overt acts would soon bring Turkey into a state of war with the Allies and that the Dardanelles would then be forced by the British and French fleets, which would take care of the Turkish vessels in the Black Sea, in- cluding the former German ships, Breslau and Goeben. BATTLE OF THE AISNE PROLONGED The operations in the valley of the Aisne had by this time taken on the character of a prolonged siege. Both sides were strongly intrenched and apparently prepared for an indefinite resistance. But there was no relaxation, either of vigilance