RETREAT OF GERMANS WHS STEADY
UNTIL TRET MADE STAND ON AISNE
London.—An account of the opera
!ions of the Rritlsh army in France
and the French armies in immediate
touch with it during the period from
September 10 to 13. written by an of
ficer attached to Fieid Marshal Sir
John French's staff, has been issued
by the official press bureau. The ac
count follows:
Since Thursday. September 10. the
British army. In co-operation with the
French, made steady progress in its
"tideavor to drive hack the enemy.
The country across which it bad to
force its way and over which it will
have to fight in the near future is un
dulating and covered with patches of
thick wood.
"Within the area which faced the
British before the advance com
menced, right up to l.aon, the chief
feature of tactical importance is that
y there are six rivers running across the
direction of the advance, at all of
which it was possible the Germans ^
might make a stand. These are, in
order from the south, the Marue,
utreq, Vesle, Aisne. Aiiette and Oise.
Real Resistance at the Aisne.
"The enemy held the lines of the
Marne, which was crossed by our
forces on September 9, as a purely
rear guard operation. Our passage
jf the Ourcq. which here runs almost
due east and west, was not contested.
The Vesle was only lightly held, while
resistance along the Aisne, both
against the French and British, has
been and still is of a determined char
acter.
' On Friday, September 11, little op
position was nfet along any part of
our front and the direction of the ad
vance was for the purpose of co-oper
ating with our allies turned slightly
to the northeast. The day was passed
in rushing forward and gathering in
various hostile detachments. By night
fall our forces had reached a line
north of tEe Curcq. extending from
Oulchy-Le-Cliateau to Longpont.
General Advance of French.
"On this day there was also a gen
era! advance of the French along their
whole line which ended in a substan
tial success, in one portion of the field
Duke Albrecht of Wurtemburg's army
being driven back across the Sauls,
and elsewhere the whole of the corps
artillery of a German corps being cap
tured. 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 was appre
ciated 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 Ger
man 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 bat
tle, and that upon the result of this
battle would depend the issue of the
war and the honor of the German ar
mies.
Germans Make Heroic Effort.
"It seems probable that the Ger
mans not only expected to find that
the British army was beyond the pow
er of assuming the offensive for some
time, but counted on the French hav
ing been driven back on to the, line
of the Seine, and that, though sur
prised to find the latter moving for
ward against them after they had
crossed the Marne, they were in no
wise deterred from making a great
effort.
“On Saturday, September 12. the en
emy were found to be otcui , ing a for
midable position opposite us on the
north of the line at Soissons. They
had borh sides of the river and an
entrenched line on the hills to the
north of the eight road bridges and
two railway bridges crossing the
Aisne, within our section of the front.
Seven of the former and both of the
latter had been demolished.
roes in Artillery Duel.
“Working from the west to the east.
5ur Third army corps gained some
high ground south of the Aisne, over
looking the Aisne valley, to the east
of Scissons.
“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 dur
ing the greater part of the day and
iid not c-ease until nearly midnight.
The enemy had a large number of
leavy howitzers in well concealed po
sitions.
“The movement of this army corps
*as effected ill co-operattcn with the
French sixth army, on our left, which
jained the southern half of the town
during the night.
“The Second army corps did not
-ros.s the Aisne. The First army corps
got over the river Vesle, to the south
>f the Aisne, after the crossing had
been secured by the First cavalry
division. It then reached a line south
>r Aisne practically without fighting.
Battle of Braisne.
At Braisne the first cavalry divi
sion met with considerable opposition
from infantry and machine guns hold
ng the town and guarding the bridge.
With the aid of some of our infantry!
t gained possession of the town about
midday, driving the enemy to the
lorth. Some hundred prisoners were
• ’aptured around Braisne. where the
'fermans has thrown a large amount
uf field gun ammunition into the river,
where it was visible under two feet
>f water.
“On our right the French reached
:be 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 rear guard na
ture on a large scale, or may be the
commencement of a battle of a more
serious nature.
“It rained heavily ou Saturday alt
ernoon and ull through the night, which
severely handicapped transport
“On Sunday, September 13, extreme
ly strong resistance was encountered
along the whole of our front, which was
some fifteec miles in length. The ac
tion still consisted for the most part
of long range gun fire, that of the Ger
mans being to a great extent from
their heavy howitzers, which were tir
ing from cleverly concealed positions.
"By nightfall portions of all th-ee
corps were across the river, thy cav
alry returning to the south side, lly
this night, or early next morning,
three pontoon bridges had been built
and our troops also managed to get
across the river by means of the
bridge, carrj ing the canal over the
river.
'On our left the French pressed on,
but were prer ented by artillery fire
from building a pontoon bridge at Sois
sons. A large number of infantry,
however, crossed in single file the top
girder of the railway bridge left stand
ing.
Germans Quick to Surrender.
“During the last three or four dayB
many isolated parties of Germans
have been discovered hiding in nu
merous woods a long v av behind our
line. As a rule they seemed giad to
surrender, and the condition of somt
of them may be gathered from the
following incident:
"An officer proceeding along the
road in charge of a number of led
horses received information that there
were some of the enemy in the neigh
borhood. He gave the order to
charge, whereupon three German offi
cers and 106 men surrendered.
“At Senlis immediately on his ar
rival a proclamation was issued by
the commander of a division. The
main points were that all arms were
to be handed in at tee town hall at
once; that all civilians found with
arms would be shot at once; no per
son was to be in the stieet after dark;
no lights were to be maintained in
the houses or the streets; the doors of
all houses were to be left open and
the inhabitants were not to collect
in groups. Any obstruction of the
German troops or the threatening of
them immediately would be punish
able by death.
“At Villers Cotterets, the mayor ap
pears to have behaved judiciously and
though supplies far in excess of the
capabilities of the place were demand
ed, the town was not seriously dam
aged.
“The Germans evacuated the place
on September 11 in such haste that
they left behind a large amount of the
bread requisitioned.
"It was stated by the inhabitants
that the enemy had destroyed and
abandoned 15 motor lorries, seven
guns and ammunition wagons.
“Reims was occupied by the enemy
on September 3. It was occupied by
the French after considerable fighting
on September 13.'”
CORRESPONDENT TELLS OF
THE BURNING OF TERMONDE
By T. M. KETTLE.
International News Service.
Termonde.—Here is the story of the
wrecking of Termonde, told by a
! dozen different inhabitants and con
i firmed from dozens of other reliable
! sources.
Following the German entry into
| the city the commander dtmafided a
levy of 2,000,000 francs. The money
was not in the public treasury, and
the burgomaster was not there to save
his town as Braun , saved Ghent.
General Sommerteld had a chair
brought from the inn into the center
of the grand palace. He sat down
on it. crossed his legs and said:
“It is our duty to burn this town."
The inhabitants were allowed two
hours to clear out and then the sol
diers went to work.
Use Portable Ca>sr.on3.
Their apparatus consisted of a
small portable pressure caisson filled
with benzine and fitted with a spray.
Other witnesses said that there also
were great caissons on wheels. With
this they sprinkled the floors and
ground stories of the houses and set
lire to the buildings Others used a
' sort of phosphorus paste with which
they smeared the object to be de
stroyed. They completed their work
by flinging hand grenades and pre
i pared fuses into the infant flames.
Remembering Louvain. General
Sommerfeld had evidently given di
rections that the public and monu
mental buildings were to be spared.
Thus the museum and the city hall
both remain standing, but right be
tween them his petroleurs destroyed
a hotel.
Pillaged Everything.
General Sommerfeld's soldiers stole,
pillaged and drank everything on
which they could lay their hands.
Witnesses on this point are many and
unshakable. Their moderation must
impress anybody who talks to them.
A citizen of Termonde, who him
self had been held as hostage, said,
to me while standirg amid the ruins
of his town:
“Monsieur, there ts human nature
among the Germans. I saw many
officers in tears. A German lieuten
ant came and shock me by the hand,
crying, ‘It is not our fault.’ ”
OFFICIAL OF LUNEVILLE
TELLS OF GERMAN ACTS
Bordeaux.—In a report to the minis
ter of the interior, Subprefect Minier
of Luneville says that town has been
occupied three weeks by the Germans.
More than one hundred houses have
been burned, the subprefecture is a
heap of ruins, numerous acts of pillage
have been committed, and a contribu
tion or $130,000 In gold has been ex
acted.
During the greater part of the oc
cupation there has been a great lack
of provisions. No gas, electricity, or
kerosene iB available, and the inhabi
tants are obliged to use candles for
lighting: purposes. Four hostages
have been given given daily to an
swer for the security of the German
troops.
Prefect Briens of Pas-de-Calais, who
has been under restraint, reported that
during three clays' occupation of Ar
ras his only humiliation was moral
constraint.
*
NEBRASKA IN BRIEF.
_
The football season of Doane Is
open.
Omaha will soon have a motyr cy
cle speedway.
Wymore and vicinity was visited by
a six-inch rain.
The Lexington mill was completely
destroyed by fire.
The Hessian fly is infesting wheat
fields around Hastings.
Work has been started on the new
trolley line ai Superior.
The new Catholic church at Bee
mer has been dedicated.
Thomas Higgins of Elk Creek has
opened a store in Tecumseh.
Grading has been finished for the
r.ew Burlington depot at Superior.
Two small boys at Hastings robbet^
School Superintendent Barr of $35.
Fred Rucker and family have moved
back to Ainsworth from So. Dakota.
Japan has asked for bids on 20,t'tKl
cavalry saddles from a Hastings
Arm
Black Brothers flour mill in Beat
rice was destroyed by a du~t explo
sion.
Fire caused considerable damage to
the residence of M. J. Hoffernon at
Wayne.
Nebraska Methodists at Fremont
pledged $45,000 for the Wesleyan
college.
The Commercial State bank of
Ainsworth has moved into its new
building.
The most successful fair ever held
in Filrnore county has closed at
Geneva.
The Sunnyside home for the aged
at Hastings may be removed to larger
quarters.
German residents of Hooper have
raised $500 to contribute to the Red
Cross society
Talbot, son of Frank Lytie, of Mc
Cook. accidentally shot himself with a
32-calibre revolver.
Joseph Shramek, president of the
Butler State bank of Da\id City, is ill
at Belgrade. Mont.
Henry Goeke. seventy-nine years
old. of Ftica, died as the result of
being kicked by a horse.
One thousand Indians are camped
on a tract near the Dawes county
fair grounds at Chadron.
Nebraska Federation of Labor has
adopted resolutions favoring work
men's compensation law.
The Brown county fair has closed.
The attendance was good and the fair
as a whole was a success.
Probation Officer Bernstein of
Omaha has appealed for more funds
to fight the cocaine traffic.
Many companies of the national
guards may go to the Ak-Sar-Ben at
Omaha at their own expense.
The largest crowd that ever attend
ed a funeral in Hastings was present
when Sherifl Sanderson was buried.
At least five Omaha persons were
swindled out of about $500 each by
two women posing at spirit mediums.
Trackmen blew the safe in the of
fice of the Odell Farmers' Lumber
company at Odell and ascaped with
?100.
Jesse C. McNish of Wisnei* was
elected president of the Nebraska
Bankers' association at their recent
convention.
A. L. Lewis of Wayne, charged with
practicing medicine and surgery with
out a state license was acquitted in
district court.
The five-year-oid daughter of Chas.
Riddleuiouser of Central City fell be
neath the wheels of a moving wagon
and was killed.
Omaha was selected as the next
meeting place by the Nebraska Fed
eration of l^abor at their recent con
vention in Lincoln.
Claude Burford of Chadron fell
from an automobile suffering injuries
' which may prove fatal. He is 13
! years old.
J. A. Dillon of Tecumseh has been
j granted a patent for a woven wire
! stretcher or clamp which is said to
enable one man to do the work of
| two.
The Omaha Grain exchange hgs
j joined the “buy a bale" of cotton
; movement and will purchase cotton
I in twenty different markets of the
: 6outh.
The dismembered body of a Finnish
miner was found in the railroad yards
of Gothenburg. Papers on the body in
dicate that his name was John Mati
laimen.
Announcement is made of the nine
teenth annual meeting of the Nebras
ka Federation of Woman's clubs - to
be held in Pawnee City. October 13
to 16.
Miss Anna V. Day, connected with
the state superintendent's office at
Lincoln, has resigned to accept a
place as dean of a woman's college at
Milwaukee.
An urgent appeal to the men of Ne
braska to give the women the ballot
this fall was made by Colonel Theo
dore Roosevelt in his speech before
5,0t0 people at Lincoln.
While cleaning clothes with gaso
line. Mrs. Chuck Hutchinson, living
about twelve mites south of Hvannis,
was horribly burned by an explosion.
She died eleven hours later.
Robert Wilson. 68 years old. was
struck by a Burlington train near
Hastings and was instantly killed.
In a municipal election Fairbury
' voters rejected the commission form
of government by nearly three to one.
A1 Hartline of West Point is In a
serious condition as the result of In
juries received- when hi» bead was
struck by a plank which he was load
ing on a wagon.
j The NeDraska Telephone company
has been granted permission to
charge $24 a year on incoming mes
sages on its line at Atkinson, in place
of the present charge of $30 per year.
Prebident W. H. Abbott of the John
son county drainage board has made
arrangements with State Treasurer
George for the state to handle the
second Issue of bonds of the drainage
district, amounting to $19,662.84.
The sedate town of University
Place is much disturbed. There is too
much law enforcement there. . City
Marshal Sorenson is the target for
scores of irate individuals because he
seeks to stop every single automobile
driver who flashes through the village
at excessive and illegal rates of
speed. Petitions are now out for his
removal.
TO STARTS INQUIRY
STATE WILL UNDERTAKE INVES
TIGATION OF SANITATION.
—
GOVERNOR ASKS FOB HELP
Next Legislature Will be Provided
With Data to Enact Suitable
Laws ir> the Matter.
Lincoln. — State-wide investigation
of sanitary demand? is going, to be'
undertaken on a thorough scale with
in the next three months. Governor
Morehead has ordered the board of
secretaries of the state board of
health to initiate the movement so
that the next set of legislators will
have ail the facts and figures before
them necessary to enact suitable
law?. In a statement issued he asks
the co-operation of the people and
especially the physicians cf the state.
His statement follows: "While we
have, and purpose to do more for the
brute creation, we must not overlook
the human family, and the health
and welfare of human society. With
the increase of population, it becomes
more and more impressive that we
establish and maintain proper sani
tary regulations. The medical frater
nity has shown a commendable spirit
of enterprise, but it requires concen
trated action in order to arrive at
the proper legislation. In order that
ail possible data may be available for
the use of the legislature, when it
convenes in January, and that the
members may be apprised of the best
scientific method for preventing dis
ease, I am calling on the board of
secretaries of the state hoard of
health to make investigation and pre
pare a report for the assistance of
the legislature, and I want to call
upon ail members of the medical pro
fession and other public spirited citi
zens who have information that may
be of service, to co-operate with the
board of secretaries."
Seed Corn Selection Week.
In view of the fact that our success
ful farmers and experiment stations
find that early selection of seed com
is advisable, it seems, in a matter of
such great economic importance, that
a time should be set aside for its
early selection.
The following reasons for early se
lection are apparent:
1. Early selected seed is less lia
ble to be injured by freezing.
2. Seed selected in the field en
ables the farmer to obtain ears from
plants of the proper type and from
plants growing under normal condi
tions.
3. From various reports received,
the present crop has ripened early,
and seed may be safely selected at the
end of the month. It appears essen
tial, however, that such corn once se
lected should be stored immediately
in as dry a place as possible.
A special reason why our farmers
should select their own seed will ap
pear from data of the Nebraska Ex
periment Station showing that native
seed produced 6.2 bushels more per
acre than excellent seed brought in
from other districts.
With these facts in mind. I desig
nate the week beginning September
28 as Seed Corn Selection Week and
urge its general observance as the
proper time for this important task.
Given under my hand and the
great seal of the State of Nebraska,
this the twenty-third day of Septem
ber, 1914.
JOHN H. MOREHEAD,
Governor.
Stock Yard Case Postponed.
The South Omaha Stock yards com
plaint brought by R. B. Howell, which
was to have had a hearing next week
before the State Railway commission,
has been postponed until October 20
to accommodate President Bucking
ham of the Stock Yards company,
who has been called to the throne of
Ak-Sar-Ben and cannot attend to the
king business and attend a hearing at
one and the same time.
Clarke Goes to Stanton.
Railway Commissioner H. T. Clarke
has gone to Stan ion where ho will
conduct a hearing brought against
the Northwestern Railway company
to compel the putting in of a side
track for loading purposes at a place
midway between that place and Nor
folk, where there is now a passing
track for trains.
Fight to Prevent Rate Increase.
Increases of passenger rates in
western territory will not take place
without a monumental struggle. That
is the v.ord going from railway com
mission to railway commission in the
western states. Iowa and Nebraska
have agreed tastily to fight the battle
to a finish.
Dr. Anna Shaw to Visit State.
Dr. Anna Sbaw, president of the
National Equal Suffragl association,
will spend two weeks campaigning in
Nebraska, according to announcement
made at state suffrage headquarters.
She will devote two weeks to Nebras
ka and will speak in twelve different
towns in this state. Khe will be in
Lincoln October 30, and will also hold
meetings at Omaha Nebraska City,
Plattsmoutb, Fremont, Norfolk, Co.
lumbus, Grand Island. Kearney, Has
tings and Fairbury.
New Appropriation Plan
Weidenfeld of the board of com
missioners of state institutions is
working ont a system of accounting
with respect to the several institu
tions over which the board has
charge, which it is hoped may be the
basis for future expenditures.
Briefly, the plan places al! expendi
tures that can possibly be made for
any of the institutions! under four
main heads: Maintenance, permanent
improvements to buildings and
ground, new buildings, furniture and
equipment.
- GERMAN OFFICERS ON THE FIRING LINE
.A 49 A
SUFFRAGISTS WHO HAVE INVADED THE WESTERN STATES
Left to right are: Mise Rose Winslow, Miss Lucy Burns. Miss Doris Stevens, Miss Ruth Noyes, Miss Anna
McCue, Miss Jane Pincus and Mrs. Jessie Hardy Stubbs. These women are the "war squad ‘ of the Congressional
Union for Woman Suffrage who have left Washington to work in the equal suffrage states. They will appeal to
their voting sisters to withhold their support from the Democrats, because of the attitude of the present adminis
tration toward equal suffrage. Misses Winslow and Burns are to establish headquarters in San Francisco, Misses
Stevens and Noyes in Denver, Miss McCue in Seattle. Miss Pincus in Fhoenix,*Arizona. and Mrs. Stubbs in Port
land, Oregon.
AMMUNITION FOR RUSSIANS ;
?
Cart load of ammunition for the Rus
sian troops, guarded by a squad of sol
diers.
BLESSING THE REFUGEES
the inhabitants ot Malines
suburbs were fleeing in terror
the advancing Germans this
stood in a cart and gave them
blessing, besides helping them to
belongings. ^
HELIOGRAPHER OF THE CROWN PRINCE
X ~ infill * V
Heliographer of the famous ''Death’s Head’’ regiment, commanded by tho
German crown prince, sending dispatches to the troops on the battlefield.
GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR AT BRUGES
These captured Germans, it will be noted, are wearing wooden sabots.
This is explained by the fact that the kaiser's soldiers found the regular army
| shoes uncomfortable or useless and appropriated the footwear of the Belgians.
TERRIBLE SCENES DURING RETREAT IN GREAT STORM
The London Times correspondent
near Melun wires a vivid description
ol! the rout and retreat ol the Ger
mans during a hurricane and torrents
ol! rain, which turned the roads into
river-ways,, so that the wheels of the
artillery sank deep into the mire. He
describes how the horses strained and
struggled, often in vain, to drag the
guns away, and continues:
“I have just spoken with a soldier
who has returned wounded from the
/
. ». j. - . ' T • ' * ■
pursuit that will go down with the
terrible retreat from Moscow as one
of the crowning catastrophes of the
world.
“Imagine a roadway littered with
guns, knapsacks, cartridge belts, max
ims 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 is terrible and
horrible beyond words.
“The retreat rolls back, and train
load of British and French are swept
toward the weak points of the retreat
ing host. This is the advantage of
the battleground which the allies hs.ve
chosen. The network of railways la
like a network of spider's web. Aa
all railways center upon Paris, it is
possible to thrust troops upon the foe
at any pbint with almost incredible
speed, and food and munitions are
within arm’s reach."