New-York tribune. [volume], September 19, 1914, Page 2, Image 2

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
their heavy guns, some o? which are of nearly 15-inch calibre, with an
effective range of ten miles.
This probably is the bloodiest battle so far of the war. The French
and British armies are well supplied with reinforcements ami arc in
aplendid health and spirits. The Germans seem resolved to die in the
last ditch. Many German prisoners are working under the orders of
French non-c?..mmissioned officers, burying the bodies of men aml^horses.
The Germans have just made two vicient attacks t?> recapture
Rhcinis, but ha\c been driven back by the French at fearful loss.
The relative poiitiooi of the ?opposing armies have been unchanged
sihee Thursday night, except that the Allies have gained slight ground
north of the Aisnc.
A description of the fighting of the Allies' left, near Noyon. given
to me by a Trench infantry captain, disabled by a rifle bullet in the
shoulder Thursday, who reached Paris tins afternoon, leaves no doubl
that this is the m?>st important battle of the war. The captain says the
German counter attacks arc made with the desperation of a forlorn hope,
utterly regardless of life. At one point ten of these attacks wore made
at brief intervals. One after another was repulsed until they ?eased
from sheer exhaustion.
Nowhere have the Allies flinched or given way before these death
spasms of Teuton ?lespair. The German intretuhmcnts all alun? the
iine arc most formidable. They arc in three parallel rows over a metre
deep, communicating by underground passages. Intersecting them
spacious places for repose, at intervals of twenty metres, a.e roofed With
solid doors of houses, covered with earth.
The German machine guns at every twelve metres arc buried in the
ground in compartments made of doors of iron or wooden shutters cov?
ered with earth. Behind these arc rifle intrenchments still more formi?
dable. The ones on the heights arc for field artillery, and again behind
the latter are massive earthworks, with revetments for heavy j and 1<>
inch guns.
ALLIES^DVANCE
ON LEFT OF LINE
(ont In tied from pace I
by an Anglo-French force operating on the border as well as by a
Belgian army.
INVADERS STRONGLY PLACED.
However, the Germans are reported to be prepared to offer
tremendous resistance to such a move. They are not only in strong
positions, where reinforcements of men, munitions and provisions
can reach them easily, but they have defended positions to.fall
back upon if necessary. Furthermore, they are said to be strength?
ening their positions along the River Sambre from Maubeuge to
Namur and along the Meuse from Givet to Namur, so that nothing
evidently is being left to chance.
It is even reported that the Germans are concentrating trans?
port trains on the Luxemburg frontier, so as to enable them to
move troops eastward should they so desire. This leads some of
the military observers to believe that the Germans have decided
to remain on the defensive in the west, while they are sending their
main army east to confront the Russians. Apparently they are
concentrating their western .armies, for, with the exception of occa?
sional Uhlan troops, Northwestern France seems nearly clear of
Germans. The Calais and Boulogne routes to Paris have been re?
opened.
One of these Uhlan patrols was caught by a British armored
motor car in command of Commander Samson at Doutions, on
the main road north of Amiens, a few days ago and four out of its
live men were killed. The other Uhlan was wounded and captured.
London, Sept. 19.?Referring to an official announcement of
Commander Samson's armored motor car exploit at Doutions,
"The Daily Chronicle" points out that, although it is a small inci?
dent, it is of considerable importance, for Doutions, twenty miles
north of Amiens and thirty miles inland from the Channel coast,
is a great deal to the north of the position on the Oise occupied by
General von Kluck. If the British are in any force in the neigh?
borhood of Amiens, Doutions and Arras, it is evident that the
German right wing is in a position of very great danger.
Generally, the behavior of Von Kluck's force has implied
the existence of a strong body of Allies in the region between the
Channel and the German flank.
An announcement issued by the Official Press Bureau last
evening says:
"According to a report received this afternoon, there is no
particular change in the situation.
"There has been some activity on the part of the allied cav?
alry, but without at the present time any definite result."
The Central News Copenhagen correspondent has forwarded
the following dispatch received from Berlin:
"The situation of the German troops in the great battle on
the western frontier is good, especially in the centre, where the
Germans have received substantial reinforcements. The end of
the battle is expected soon."
INTRENCH LINE FURTHER BACK.
An agency dispatch from Ostend says:
"The Germans are intrenching themselves strongly on the
River Sambre from Maubeuge to Namur. I have seen important
defensive works at Thuin, Farciennes and Floreffe. Many in?
habitants of these places had been forced by threats to perform
labor on the works.
"I have been told that the same kind of fortifications are be?
ing erected on the Meuse from Givet to Namur, but it is impossible
to cross the Sambre to see for myself. I believe, however, my in?
formation is accurate."
The various official and unofficial dispatches yesterday indi?
cate the efforts of the Allies have been divided into three supreme
struggles: First, to dislodge the Germans from the heights of the
Aisne; second, to break through the fourth and fifth German
armies at the centre, and, third, to outflank the German right un?
der General von Kluck. The position of the fourth and fifth Ger?
man armies is considered not so strong as the remainder of the line
while if the flanking movement is successful the railroad lines on
"hieb the Germans depend so greatlv would be cut.
Figures have been compiled here, according to which the
German losses are estimated at 3,200 daily for the last fortnight.
Thia totals more than 44,000 since September 4. The losses of
the Allies are known to have been tremendous.
The Rome cot respondent of The Daily Telegraph" says he learn-,
from an authentic source that eight German army corps liavc left France
and Belgium for the Russian frontier.
-a?-_____-.
ALLIES' FORCE FAILING,
SAYS BERLIN REPORT
Berlin, Sept. 18 (via wireless telegraph by way of Sayvillc, Long
Island)?The following official statement has been given out by the head
quarters of the German General Staff:
"The battle between the Oise and the Ideuse rivers -till is continu?
ing, but there are sure indications that the enemy's force is failing.
"The French attempt to cut through the German right wing was
broken down without notable exertion ?>u the German side.
"The German army is advancing slowly, but surely. A sortie from
Verdun on the right bank of the Meuse wa> most easily repulsed."
Another official statement issued by the German General Staff says
that ail the"German airships came up to expectations after undergoing
long and dangerous flight?. Some of tht* aircraft were damaged, but
now all of them have been repaired. None has been destroyed or capt?
ured by the enemy.
Berlin, Sept. 18 (via London).?The following official announcement
was made at the headquarters of the General Staff the evening of Sep?
tember 17:
"No decision yet has resulted in the battle between the Oise and the
Meuse, bet certain signs indicate that the power of resistance of the
I enemy is relaxing.
"Ihr endeavor of the French troops to break through the German
j right wing c?dlapsed without any gfeat efforts on the part of our troops.
"The centre of the German army is gaining ground slowly, but
surely.
"On the right bank of the Meuse the AMies from Verdun have been
easily repulsed."
HALF-SAW BA YONET
IN GERMAN TRENCH
< ontlnnaj- from par? 1
the war it is satisfied. But this saw bayonet so tears the flesh that it
cannot heal, and splinters the hone. The Made is eighteen inches long
and the Upper halt of the back is a saw with nine inches of teeth a quar?
ter of an inch wide. I have had it photographed and measured and showed
? it'to our military attach??, Colonel Cosby. It was a facsimile of one he
I already had in his possession.
Two assistant military attaches of our Embassy, Lieutenant Colonel
H. T. Allen and Captain Frank Parker, both of the 11 th Cavalry, have
just returned from an automobile trip over the battlefield where, from the
8th of September until the night of the 11th of September, the French and
Germans were fiercely engaged. This battle was the one which assured
the safety of Paris. It will be remembered that during the week preced?
ing the English and French Steadily withdrew in what then was consid?
ered a retreat, made necessary by superior numbers. It is now known to
have been splendid strategy.
On the 1st of September the German left and centre were separated,
but, hke the lettct V. were approaching each other, with Paris as their oh?
jective. Had the Allies attacked at that time they would have had to ?li?
vide their forces in half and so weakened give battle to two armies. By
retreating they drew after them the two converging lines of the V, and on
the 8th, when the Germans were in wedge shape formation, they attacked
them on the flank and centre at Meaux and made a direct attack at Sez?
anne.
I saw the finish of the four days' battle at Meaux, which emled with
the Germans crossing the River Aisne and retreating to the bills north
and west of Soissons. Allen ;? J Parker saw the end of the battle north
of Sezanne, which resulted in the retreat of the Germans to Rheims, from
which point they are still falling back.
The battles, as Allen and Parker describe them, were as follows: On I
the 8th the Germans advanced from a line stretching from Epernay and'
Chalons, a distance if twenty-live kilometres. In this front, counting
from the German right, were the 10th, the Guards, the 9th and the 12th
army corps. The presence of the Guards, the corps d'?lite of the German
army, suggests that this was intended to he the main attack on Parti, and
that the army at Meaux was to walk in the centre with bands playing.
The four combined corps numbered over 200.000. The French met them,
they claim, with 190,000.
The Germans advanced until then left was at Vitry-le-Francois and
theii right rested at Sezanne, making a column fifteen miles long headed
west toward Pari-. Th. French butted the line six miles east of Sezanne,
in the forests ol 1?re Champenoise. It was here the greater part of the
fight occurred. It was lighting at lorn; distance with artillery and from
trench to trench with the bayonet.
During liie four day- in which fortune rested first on one Rag and
then on another, .lO.OUO men of both armies were killed and village-.not
yet counted were entirely wiped off the map by the artillery of both armies
Two miles from Sezanne a ?French regiment was destroyed by an am?
bush. The Germans had thrown tip conspicuous trenches and sparsely
filled them with decoys. From the forest in the rear a mitrailleuse was
trained on the French. The French infantry charged this trench and the
decoys fled toward the flanks, and as the French poured over the trenches
the hidden guns swept them.
In another trench our attaches counted the bodies of over 900 Ger?
man Guards, not one of whom had attempted to retreat. They had stood
fast with their shoulders against the parapet and taken the cold steel.
Everywhere the los-- ?.f life was appalling. In places the dead lay
across each other three and four deep. The fiercest fighting of all seem-,
to have been waged by the Turcos and Senegalese. In trenches taken by
then; from the Guard- and the famous Death's Head Hussars the Ger?
mans ?howed no bullet wounds. In almost every attack the men from ;
the de-ert had thing themselves upon the enemy, u-ing only the butt of
thiir ritle.s or their bayonet.-.
Man for man, no white man drugged for years with meat and alcohol
is physical match for these Turcos, who eat dates and drink water. They;
are as lean as starved wolves. They move like panthers. They arc muscle
and nerves, and they have the comforting belief that to die killing a Chris-1
tian -ends them straight to the seventh heaven. As Kipling says, a man:
who has a sneaking desire to live has* poor chance against one who ?i in?
different whether he kills you or you kill him. The French are almost in?
variably 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-your.self-fighting few white men care to
1 face htm. m
(Copyright, t?ll. *t tlie Wheeler Syndicate. Inc.)
ASQ?ITH POURS
SCORN ON KAISER
Says Germany Is Having ?
Rude Awakening from
Fantastic Dream.
London, Sept. 18.?One of the roots (
of the present war was the grave anil
\ serious miscalculation regarding the i
; British Empire that German culture '
i and German spirit lad Emperor Will- !
| iam and the German people into, said '
i Premier Asquith, in addressing a re
! cruiting meeting at Edinburgh, Scot
! land, to-night.
i "The Germans were led into the mis- j
calculation," he said, "that the British
1 colonies wanted to cut connections with
1 the mother country and that India was
in revolt. What a fantastic dream and
i what a rude awakening! " exclaimed the
' Premier.
"It has been proved that Germany I
I by her own deliberate act made the
war," Mr. Asquith continued, adding
that Germany has made no attempt to
controvert that fact except by the cir?
culation of wanton falsehoods.
"It is to the interest not only of
the British Empire but of civilization,"
the speaker declared, "that the arro?
gant claim of a single power to dom?
inate the destinies and development of
Europe should be resisted."
POLANDGERMANS
CALLED TO ARMS
London, Sept. 18.?German military
1 authorities occupying the territory
1 around Kalisz, Rusian Poland, have
! called to the colors all the German in?
habitants there between the ages of
sixteen and forty-five, according to s
i Reuter dispatch from Petrograd.
Many German subjects fled. Some
were caught and twenty were hanged.
SOUTlTAFR?CAN POST
TAKEN BY GERMANS
Caps Town. Sept. 18. A force of _.r>0
Germans, with three Maxim guns, at?
tacked the Britirh post at Nakob yes?
terday.
The garrison consisted of seven po?
licemen, who fought until their ?m- \
munition was exhausted. Those who i
I were not killed were taken prisoner. '
PLAN OF GERMANS
PUZZLE TO ALLIES
Difficult to Say Whether
Right Is to Retreat or
Make Stand.
I F!y Wireless from nnulngnr]
London, Sept. 18.?The position of
the contending armies was stationary
to-day. The forcing* of the Germans
out of their strong defensive position
is a question of time and endurance.
The French and British have the ad?
vantage of an excellent position from
the point of view of getting reinforce?
ments by rail.
It still Is difficult to nay whether the
German right, as it lies, is lighting
a stubborn rear-guard action on the re?
treat, or if it intends to hold its pres?
ent lines. The region north of the
German lines is the region of vague
-.kirmishing, somewhat similar to that
existing in northern Flanders. The
Germans are occupying the town? anl
villages near the front with small pa?
trols or armored cars.
The Germans, on the whole, are-con?
tracting their web. Lille is free, and
either army may use it. The Gambrai
neighborhood is, of course, still Ger?
man. On the line of their communica?
tions the country is absolutely peaceful
for the moment, and there is nothing to
do but await the issue of a long strug?
gle on the Aisne. Of the greatest vai le
would be the success of the French in
penetrating the line on the east against
the German centre or-left
Another success on the allies' left,
valuable as it would be, would only
force back Generals von Kluck and von
Duelow, ace lerating their retreat upon
a new position on the frontier without
seriously defeating the combined arm?
ies. A success on the allies' right would
imperil the Germans' whole line and
cut off their right wing.
TURKS REFUSE TO
SAY "PETROGRAD"
Paris, Sept. 18.?A Havas Agency
dispatch from Odessa saya the gov?
ernment press bureau at Constanti?
nople has forbidden the use of the
word "Petrograd" and orders Turkish
newspapers to call the Russian capi?
tal "SU Pete^burg."
ANGLO-GERMAN
SOCIETY DISBANDS;
London, Sept. 18.?The Brltlah
i German Friendship Society, organ
| lied a few years ago to promote
better relation* between the two
countries, wound up It? affaira to
| day. The funda of the society were
divided equally between the Amer?
ican Ambassador to Great Britain
for the relief nf distressed Germana
in England and the American Am?
bassador In n-rlln for English citi?
zens who are in need in Germany.
COLLIER CAPTURED
BY FRENCH CRUISER
Sir Courtenay Walter Bennett, Brit?
ish Consul General, at th. consulate, 17
State st., yesterday announced that the
Hamb.rg-American liner Heina had
been captured by a French cruiser and
taken into Martinique. In -inswcr to a
question. Sir Courtenay said the liner
was coaling when captured.
"Was she coaling the German cruiser
! Karlsruhe?" he was asked.
"Well, you've made an intelligent
: pi" s," the consul general told re?
porters.
The Heina is listed in the Maritime
, Register as a Norwegian steamship,
' commanded by Captain Olsen. She is
; of l,"y7 tent?. Sit? left Philadelphia on
August 7 with a cargo of coal bound
: for La Guayra. It has not been learned
I whether the ship flew the Norwegian
| or the German flag at the time of h>>r
? cupture.
BRUSSELS MINED
FOR DESTRUCTION
Germans Prepare to Blow
Up City if Forced to
Evacuate It.
[B; Cabla t<> Th.- Tiii"in? I
London, Sept. 1H. A courier just ar?
rived from Brussels bringing important
dispatches conlirm the rep t that the
Belgians expect to see Brussels treated
as Loi vain was bef >re the Germans
evacuate the city He says all the im?
portant public buildings, including the
Palais de Jus'ice and the largest and
m?-?t imposing private restdei.ces, al-.
ready bava been mined by the Germans
in preparation for blowinn up, while
.-c'.ioolhousi-s and i any othe . uildincs
at tilled with straw rea<?y for the
torch.
The courier atajrs the Germans mined
all the roads leading into B? '.sels, but
the Bclgu.ns think the Germans intend
to make .bel ? principul stand on the
line between Namr.r and Liege, as the
forts and other defences are being re?
constructed, work going on night and
day. The Gcmans al o seem to be pre?
paring for a strong ilet'enc?' on the
Valeneienn.l line, as a s'.rong system
of earthworks and intrene' ments and
many gun em pi ate nie tils ;? re being con?
structed there.
According to the courtier, the Ger
mans seem now to he using Luxemburg
tor the principal line of comniunica- j
tioi for the -rmies in Frar-c, as the I
Belgian linas are not carrying more
than half the quantity ?t? supplies for- :
merly sent through Belgium to the in
trading army. The courier says an im?
mense number of stragglers aro in the
I ear of the German armies between the
firing line and Namur, these being all
practically unarmed and seeking an op?
portunity to sui. ender.
Berlin, Sept. IS.--The "Norddeutsche
Allgemeine Zeitung" publishes official
dispatches from the German adminis?
tration of Louvain stating that though
from a fifth to a sixth part of the city
is in ruiiiH most of the public buildings
have been preserved.
The dispatches say that the damage'
to St. Peter's Cathedral was such that
the building can be restored easily, and
the art work? were protected by Ger?
man soldiers.
UKRANIAN WOUNDS
COUNT BOBRINSRI
Vienna, Sept. 18.?According to a;
dispatch received here, the assassina- i
tion of Count Georges Bobrinski, Ru3- j
sian Governor of Galicia, who was !
formerly at Kiev, was attempted by an .
Ukranian, who is said to have been ir?
ritated by the count's remark that
anti-Russian agitation existed there.
Three revolver shots were tired, one
bullet hitting the count in the shoul
der. The assailant was arested and
all the houses of the Ukranians were ,
searched.
? ? ?
CRUISER CAPTURES
GERMAN RESERVISTS
The Dutch steamship Commewijne,
in tne service of ine Trinidad Line, ?
was stopped off Sandy Hook yesterday .
by the British cruiser Luncaster, and j
twenty-five vGerman reservists were
taken off.
When the merchantman was about !
.-even miles southeast of Scotland |
Lightship the Lancaster sent un a sig?
nal aski-ig her to stop. Meanwhile the
cruiser steamed up closer and sent out ?
a small boat with officers and men. ?
When the boat got alongside the seniot
officer greeted the Dutch skipper, ex?
pressed his regrets for stopping him. (
and asked to have all aboard brought ,
up on deck for examination.
After asking the crew and passen?
gers of the Commewijne a variety of ?
questions the British officer arrested ?
twenty-live Germans. Six other Ger
' ans. who showed their first United I
Mates citizenship paper?, were per- !
mitted to remain on the vessel and !
come into port. Then on signal from '
the merchantman another small boat |
came out from the Lancaster and took |
the Germans awry. They will perhaps |
be transfert to some outboun?! Brit- ?
ish steamship or landed in Halifax or
Bermuda.
Practically all the prisoners were ,
employes from the steamships Al
bingia, Mecklenberg and Virginia, of j
the Hamburg-American Line, now tied
up in neutral ports in the Caribbean.
'Ihey had booked passage on the Com
n.ewijne in the hope of getting back to
Germany from New York.
?
LAW LETS MOTHERS
SEND SONS TO WAR
Bordeaux, Sept. 18.?A decree issued ;
by the French government to-day per?
mits the mother or guardian of a youth [
under twenty years to act as a substi- !
tute for the absent father in authoriz- i
ing the you ,g man to volunteer for the '
war. In the case of the death of the '
mother or the guardian the local magis- '?
ttate may authorise the enlistment.
This is designed to make it possible i
for a very large number of ardent '
volunteers to enlist. Physcially they
are tit, but are under the legal age to
join the army.
GERMANS DRIVEN
OUT OF TERMONDE
But Not Before They Had
Gutted Famous Old
Hotel de Vflle.
BELGIANS EXPECT
THEM TO RETURN
Correspondent Says Kaiser's
Men Carry Sticks to Set
Buildings on Fire.
London. Sept 19.-"The Daily Chron?
icle" to-day prints the following din
patch from its correspondent at Ghent:
The German at'/ick on Termonde has
been repulsed, bst the enemy received
reinforcements of infantry and artil?
lery, and so hapless Termonde is in
danger of suffering the horrors of
fresh bombardment.
"I made a tour of the ruined city to?
day, after the Germans had been driv?
en out. The bombardment of the last,
few days has completed the terrible
work of destruction which the incena
diary torch of the invader Degan a
fortnight ago.
"The magnificent Hotel De Ville, dat?
ing from the fifteenth century, has now
shared the common fate. The belfry
tower of the Hotel de Ville has col?
lapsed, and four of the bells, which foi
centuries have been the heralds of
glad or sad tidings for the good citi?
zens of the quaint old town on the
banks of the Scheldt, have sounded
their last note. The Hotel de Ville is
gutted inside and out. Everything of
artistic and historic value has been
?wallowed up nin the general ruin.
The Gothic chur?h, with its tapering
spire, a landmark for miles around, has
also suffered. The enemy dragged ma?
chine guns on to the wide platforms of
the church tower and opened a brisk
lire ot. the Belgians, who were in?
trenched on the right bank of the river.
The Belgians brought field guns to
bear on the church tower, which was
repeatedly struck by shells. The Ger?
man guns were put out of action.
The destruction of the Hotel de Ville
.-???ems to be another of the many wan?
ton outrages committed by the uni?
formed soldiers of the Kaiser. It
could hardly have been more thorough.
A number of inhabitants and soldii-rs
whom I questioned affirmed that one
of the last acts of the beaten enemy,
previous to retirement, was to set fire
to the Hotel de Ville.
Kvery soldier, as Napoleon metaphor?
ically said, carries a marshal's baton
in his knapsack. The knapsack equip?
ment of the soldiers of the potentate
who loved to be called the modern Na?
poleon includes bundles of fire sticks
for igniting dwelling houses and public
buildings on the line of march through
Belgium. Termonde to-day is an ob?
ject lesson of the horrors of war when
waged by barbarian hands.
ms-i-rSs"
NO PEACE PATH
( ontiuued from page 1
ealled, was followed by indications by
Frunce and Russia of a similar and un
eompromising attitude in the matter.
[By Cable to The Tribune.]
London, Sept. 18.- It is stated posi?
tively in authoritative quarters that
Great Britain has had no suggestion of
mediation from America.
It is also declared that the Foreign
Office has no official knowledge of anv
American suggestion to Germany auch
as has been reported in the press.
In all quarters it is declared that
this is no time to discuss peace, the
Allies being perfectly confident of ulti?
mate victory and thoroui?hly believing
it to be necessary to crush Germany.
An almost complete lack of news for
four days following a period of con?
stant successes has brought the public
back to a normal view of things anJ
serves to indicate to them that this
war will last months. Some day? ago
there was hope in some quarters that
the war might end shortly, but this
hope is disappearing and the country
is becoming reconciled to tight many
months more. The authorities, includ?
ing Earl Kitchener, make no secret of
their belief that the tight will be a
lung one.
The Allies await with keenest inter?
est the trend of events in Italy, where
it appears that public opinion is drift?
ing in favor of the war on the Allies'
side. In official quarters here it is
stated that Great Britain is not urg?
ing Italy to participate, leaving it for
the Italians to decide. But official ad?
vices coincide with press reports that
the sentiment favoring war is growing.
Bordeaux, Sept. 18.-?The reported
project of mediation by the United
States among the warring nations has
elicited much public and newspaper
comment here.
Referring to a dijpatch emanating
from Beilin, according to which a con?
ference to fix the basis tf peace al?
ready has been summoned to meet in
Washington, "Le Temps" says:
"Germans, who are numerous in
America, perhaps thought to render a
service to their empire by stirring jp
opinion, but American opinion, like
that of the English or the opinion of
any impartial country, sees through
this game and has already given its
verdict.
"There is a disaster greater than
war. A hasty, deceptive peace would
give only a breathing spell which would
enable GermAic militarism to prepare
its revenge aTO a war worse than the
present."
"As long as they talk of crushing
and dismembering Germany," said
Count von Bernstorff, the German Am?
bassador, at the Riti-Carlton yester?
day, "there is absolutely no possi?
bility of peace. I am quoting Premier
Asquith and other Englishmen. I have
no idea that Germany could be
crushed or dismembered. No lasting
peace would be possible if a square
inch of German territory had to be
given up. That applies to the colonies,
as well as the German Empire itself.
It is perfectly clear that if any terri?
tory was taken Germany would arm
again to the teeth."
Count von Bernstorff entered into a
long discussion of the possibility of
peace, in connection with the report
of Ambassador Gerard, embodied in a
cable dispatch to President Wilson,
which recounted a conversation be?
tween the American Ambassador and
the German Chancellor, which was
published in yesterday's papers.
Count von Bernstorff made it clear
that he spoke from a personal, and not
an official, point of view. He empha?
sized the point that the peace move-'
ment had been started by the United '
States, and argued vehem.ntly that
there was no reason, from a military
pr :r.t of view, why Germany should
ask for peace. The whole matter, he
held, rested with the Allies.
"Lasting peace," he said, "can be
brought about when the Allies reco_
nize the policy of humanity-'live and
let live.' "
Germany had never wasted war, he
added, and would always be ready for
' peace under honorable conditions
The ambassador said he considered
the dispatch embodying Mr. Gerard's
conversation with the German Chan?
cellor ?s undoubtedly expressing the
Kaiser'? views, as th? Kaiser ind the
Chancellor were constantly together,
and that he was certain the Chancellor
would not discuss the question with?
out tha Emperor's knowledge.
"Tho peace movement," said Count
von Bernstorff, "??"? started by the
?government and people of thl United
States. In view of Germany's response
the continuation of the peace move?
ment depends ?-imply upon the Allies."
"Is it your .dea, then," he wa? asked,
"if the Allies now refuse to di?cti?s
l peace, that they .ire lighting tecaus?
i they wish to crush Germany?"
"Wo have said .1 along," he an?
swered, "that they brought about the i
war by attacking us.
"I think no one ?ill for an instant |
question my reference to the strong i
I peace movement started by the United '
! States government and by the people
of the United States. I cannot dis- ;
cuss the affairs of your government. I ?
cannot tell you of any part played bv '
your citizena. I can only refer you
to them.
"Among the things to which I refer
when I speak of the peace movement
are the fact that your President has I
proclaimed a day of prayer for peace,
continual offers of mediation by the
United States from the first day of
the war on, mass meetings, discussions
in the newspapers and the arguments
; for peace among your citizens. There ;
has been a continual wave of peace agi
! tation going up anJ down. There hat
been no doubt that th.? United States
stands for peace.
"Certainly I see no reason why Ger- !
many should want peace more now
than at any other time during the war.
I Everybody wants peace in principle
i There is no one who v _nts war. Upon
? principle Germany wants peace, but
from a milita./ point of view she is
' not more anxious for peace now than
sho has been."
moto?plFbig
part in the war
Russian Red Cross Man
Tells of Their Use in
East Prussia.
Iity Cab!? to Tii? Trtl
Petrograd, Sept. 18. - Motors have al
? ready played their conspicuous part in
; this war, notably in recent lighting on
I the East Prussian frontier. A Red
; Cross man has just described a sig
i nificant incident of the battle of Chor?
1 shele, saying:
"I was walking beside one of our
; tarts. We could hear heavy artillery
fire as we went along, when ,.':uu*s
from our people behind warned us to
get off the road. We pulled on to th?
?i.-_ss, and there came thundering pa;t,
humping from one rou^h place to an
: other on the poor road and going a', a
sickening pace, a string of huge lorries
? crowded with infantrymen. They looked
? like vehicles of the army establish?
ment! a" apparently alike in size and
luttera, and each carried about thirty
i i.'> n packed like cigars in a box.
"The lorries were travelling like r<>
motor wagon that I ever saw certainly
I at not less than forty miles an hour -
? and they seemed endless. 1 didn't rount
them, but there wer? not less than a
I hundred, and perhaps a good many
mute.
"That, was Reimenkampf reinforcing
; his threatened ilar.k."
A new order has been is.ued here ?
for the requisition of motor ears and
motor wagons, which extends also to
o'.her districts. It is estimated that it
Will produce for the service o? the ?
\ army over a thousand powerful vehi
? cies of various makes.
The agent for French aeroplanes here
who has tilled un enortr.ous govern?
ment order says tha* while private
aviators in Russia are not numerous
her military aviators trained within
the last couple of years outnumber
those of any other country. He adds
I that since the war began aerodromes
have been turning out the machines by
i the half hundred.
NO PEACE EXCEPT
ON GERMAN TERMS!
[By (Table to Th? Tribune ,
Rome, Sept. 19. The German Am?
bassador denied that General von der
, Goltz asked at Antwerp tor pones w,rh
I Belgium, and that the Gorman gov
; ernment begged fer mediation at
Washington or elsewhere.
Germany, he says, will not lay down
; arms till she obtains the necessary
I guarantees for the future.
AUSTRIA DENIES
MOVE FOR PEACE
Rome, Sept. IS.-An official denial)
from Vienna that any initiative toward ?
peace has been taken by Austria is ,
i causing much comment here, because I
j it contains no assurance that peace '
! would he concluded together with Ger*
many.
The Austro-German treaty originally
contained a clause specif;, ing that the
two countries should act reciprocally.
-?
DUKE OF CONNAVGHT
EX-SECRETARY SHOT
London, Sept. 18.--The War /Dftee
has received from headquarters at the
front, under date of September l"), the
names of twelve officers who were
killed, thirty-four who are wound.;!
and seven who are missing. Among
those kille<l was Lieutenant Colonel I?.
II. Montressor. of the Sussex Regi?
ment Lieutenant Colonel H. ('. Low*
ther, of the Scots Guards, formerly
secretary to the Duke of Connaught,
is among the wounded.
BOYS FIGHTING
IN GERMAN RANKS
London, Sept. 18.-A dispatch to the ?
Exchange Telegraph Company from
Bordeaux .?ays that boys less than six?
teen years old are fighting in the Ger?
man ranks. The correspondent d? -
clares he suw one wounded In the Bor
dea?! Hospital whose ug" was 15 year?
and 9 months, and two told him that i
all students at school more then riftec;.
years old had been mobilized and
placed in different regiments.
SIX NUNS NURSE
1,000 WOUNDED
Bordeaux, Sept 18.-Six nuns in
the Convent of St. Charles, at Nanc>,
are mentioned in army orders for the
splendid devotion they displayed in
nursing more than a thousand wounded i
soldiers in their establishment, despite j
the incessant and murderous bombard?
ment which has continued liece Au?
gust 24. The sisters stuck to their post
while th?* civil population completely
abandoned the town. Those mentioned
are Sisters Itigarel, Collet, Keray, Mtl
laird, Rickler and Gartener.
TRAIL OF R?fi^f
IN GERMANS' WA?
Correspondent Describa,
Scene of Destruction
Around Meaux.
NOTHING SPARED
TO INHABITANTS
Houses Wrecked and Evei
Furniture, Crockery and
Pictures Broken.
I Hy CMM? to T?.? Tribun-..)
London, Sept. 18. The follow.* #,
patch was received to-night froa *Th
Chronicle's" correspondent at Fat?
roles under date of September 15.
"I left Meaux this morning in tfc
rain and wir.o and found th? tee?
muddy and in bad condition ta th
northeast. I hoped to get near ta St*
sons before night, but had littl? n
pectation of reaching the tcwn ita*li
Within two or three miles of Mean
came on the recent battlefield ?*-*?
[which the Germans first advanced tu
th? n retired.
"A tine avenue of troca on the Mean
and La Fert?-Million road htd tan
much knocked about by shelly ??_
branches and whole trees lying' ?u?
; the road. Telegraph wires wtrttt
: cut to the ground, and for many ?1?
the road was littered with ?trw
broken cart?, ammunition ?ann
empty shell-, cases of tioth.ng. awto
letters. knap>?.cks and dead htrsK
; The boaiies had been mostly buri?4 I
saw only two ur.buned German aal
?lier 1. Near the road in one pitee ?ta
?several hundred live shells which ?aj
been abandone?! by the enemy. Trw
1 trunks along the road were ?corad h
bullets. ^
i "Following the Soiaaon? road to U
Fert?-Million I passe?! through scvenl
villages which had been occupied h
Germana. All the empty hou*4? ati
been wrecked. The furn-.tur? ?*
broken, pictures, ornaments and erect,
ery smashed, clocks ano beditea?
wantonly demolished. I-. appears te h
the German system to wreck til met
cipied houses as a matter of prit?'
pic.
Food Receipts Cseleis.
"Peasants or others in this dirtrid
who remained in their home? were a?
molested beyond being r?quisition
f<>r t'o?>?i and other supplies. In Ha?
M'?-pipt> were given by Genau
rrfieer.? for the supposed ?alue of th?
thing taken, but the*?' natu:ally trt ?I
no me to the holder-,
"At Meaux I haar.I ?-orne grueiota?
? German atrocities, the endear?
r'-tr which, however, was not convincing
1 he village of N'eueheiles suffered ?*?
verely. Moat of the inhabitanti had
Red, leaving their houses closed is?.
the-e rere wrecked and looted, not 1
whole thing being left m them. Far
and every kind of houteheU
good? were carried out and broken it
The houses themselves were defiled u
every way.
"Few people had yet returned ti
N'eueheiles. Most of them htve loti
their all. Vines even in many tsm
were torn off hou-.- ?valla. Why Cer?
n?an officers should allow their men M
indulge in wanton crueltitt to pt?f
? people ?a more than on? eu
understand. It is impossible that see
wholesale and universal destntetin
could have been carried out withewt
their knowledge and approval.
Troops Begin Looting.
"At La Fert?-Millon the wif? ti 1
French officer who is one of th? gal?
laut defenders ol Maubeuge told el
happenings there. 1.1 "t? htd tee
German visitations, . ne British
and one French \ .omtnhsd
several German officers quartered rt
her house who behaved well on th?ln?
arrival of the Germans in La Frrt?.
? -oops also behaved fairly wtl!.
Most of the notables in the to?ra had
fled or were hidden. The Mayor wt?
eventually found 111 a cellar, tnd l*
and he cure were walked through ft?
town by the Germans as hostage? tet
the good behavior of the inhabitant?.
"A contribution in money ?nd good?
was levied on th?' town and paid. Bt
fore the troops tii ally left, how?-?*,
they got out of '-and and lo??ted freely.
I was told in La Forte that French ?It
port for the British troopi fightingit
Mona arrived too Ijtc to be of any ???
sistance to our troops, who had ? ta*
rible tive days ar..l behaved m?g?H
cently. .
"I spent the night of the 14th 11 ?
smalt auberge in the hamlet et Un
relies, tuteen miles south of Soi????,
ami was very glad to lind some P??
where I could get a ro-al and couch ?
sleep on. Favorelles ! a? not suffer?.
The population remained m tww
nouses a:id there was no aWW-g
int- near to them. Food, wine and oti?
things wore requisitioned, and ner?,?*
In all other villagi -, no payment? wer?
made for anything fi.
'?I left Favorelles this morninf w
Soisaons. Favorelles, ?""?>;i?ndiJ*2.
port, village? "'' n?7,"j
tributary of the I. ver "f !? s?^
little at the hat-.is of the G??J
The people r? mained on their 1?
an ' in their houses and were rot tw
???tad. , t-_ u.
-A< I neared Foissons bl?f/0",,
seending the Aisne Valley I loess
French battery on the roa?i it??.'-'
three days now this ?r,,,''r?J???
bad been proceeding around ?f^TT
the Germans having ceded nwj
ground. It is probable that they ??
only coven n g the r.tirement ot
bulk of troops o?' the extreme W-?
right."_
AMERICANS AWAIT
BAGGAGE IN FRAN?
Instructions Expected Jl
Washington as to Disposi?
tion of the Tennessee
London. Sept. Iv Nelson O^hjjJ
tiled on American A?"^^
day. He expects to ???" rf
Tuesday for Vienna, going by ?w
Berlin. . , i-,?ru>"
Captain Decker, ot th? A?|*J
armored cruiser Tennessee; ?" ?,
Preckinridge. the American A??^,
Secretary of War, and Mr vtK ??p
conference to-day. ?Vndinf ',???
,110ns from Washington. |io ?^^0,
'to the disposition of th? " ^jiji
which is now at WeymouU), ?^
leached. Captain Uec?r "1*. a
many Americans in Franc? ***.??
1,-ave until they had recover*?
baggage._,
a
Wilson to Vote.
Washington, Sept. i6~%$H*
\\ tlson will go to Princeton n?v g,
day to vote at the pnman?* ? ? *
is expected to cast his ballot ?s
rencmmation of ReP?*?B""7f-.
\S?.lsh, the pre.-entjtepr?^**11
Money Orders in ^*^\^
Washington. Sept. IS.-?*?|fl
branches of the postoffices ?&<??|a?*?V. J
will be established^Yw?M
Secretary Kamels ?nn"unf[llg3
that arrangem-nls for ^'JzTmM
been made with the Poatoawj