Show p I FRENCH SOLDIERS I PRAISED BY BYS S PARIS PARtS Aug 17 A A French war correspondent correspondent cor cor- respondent rt has sent to his new newspaper pt I per a D. statement by a German Germa officer I Inow now a prisoner of war In Russia Russin about the Impressions made on the G Germans b by the French army's va valiant valiant valiant va- va defense of ot their country country- hen the war is 18 over this officer oUt oUt- I said sald wo we shall realize that we were mistaken on one point of or vital J importance We Ve com considered tho the French army pretty good on the tho whole with wen welt trained soldiers rs and anti anda I Ia their I a 1 corps of oC officers who knew profession proCession thoroughly We thought thoughtless less however ever of or the reserve reser troops I both officers and soldiers On this thia basis wo we figured out wh What t efforts I would bo be needed to accomplish the tho task before us and w we considered o ourselves astl vastly superior The Tho wire Into troops we w were re s sending Franco France at the opening o of hostilities were in our opinion able abre not only to conquer but to crush the tho French army It was tas in fact tact the elite of r our l regular establishment which was sent ahead and our numbers were greater than the French general staff staf had ever Imagined A j French military writer had estimated estimated esti- esti mated that we could possibly send a million across the border More l re than twice that many actually crossed the tho Rhine Add to this that we had an fn immense advantage in armament that our li h heavy avS' avS v artillery was waa ten times s superior in numbers and that we had hada a a. much larger reserve of munitions This great arm army of ou ours s entered Franco and we made some excellent progress but when the day daO arrived to meet the French army In organIzed organized organized organ organ- battle we we struck a rock Alas since that day we have not been able to take another step torI for tor- ward On the Veer and afterward along the entire front we have e b been en hurling ourselves against an impenetrable impenetrable im im- im- im penetrable blo wall We have employed all our available resources to break it down Men and ammunition have haye been spent without counting number or cost COEl In vain alp absolutely impossible ble Ide to advance ance any mr further urther And nd In Inthe the tho meantime we- we vaha ha have felt the strength of or th the French growing every everyday everyday day n right in face tace of us TIne The French lave 1 taken the offensive and It ft as become their turn to choose hour anti ant place for attack Their artillery has developed i ii 11 i i a marvelous m manner The They have haxe wan everything thc they lacked In th the tho Begin ln sung ning I dont don't know whore where they get their munitions but when occasion demands it the they keep up us' an ant firing and rain of shells without C creation cr cs- cation as HS if Jf th they were ere of never I getting gelling short of or that kind of ot sup up-I up plies lIlies The troops themselves and particularly l the tho reservists whom we wo despised so 90 much appear apper te h. b bl by nv re efficient now than those wo we encountered encountered t ed in the early days o of the con con- filet Up to date wo we have held Id OUI our positions and these are rather strong But who would dare to 53 say ray that these devils of Frenchmen ml might ht not nt some day clay la make a a. bad crack in our front 7 |