FRENCH GENERAL TRICKED.

Gisborne Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5536, 19 July 1920, Page 3

FRENCH GENERAL TRICKED.

JTOW THE GERMANS GOT

MAEHEUGE

Interesting revelations were made on April 2G before (he Palis court-martial, where General Fournier (former Governor of Maubeuge). General Ville and several subordinate officers were being tried in connection with the surrender of the Maubeuge fortress to the enemy in the early days of the great war. General Ville, who was second in command, and in charge of the fortress in action outside the limits of the city, was questioned by General Maistre, president. of the court-martial, on the charge of having surrendered without the formal orders of his chief. NO HOPE FOR FORTRESS..

He related how at noon, on September 7, 1914, when there was no more hope for Maubeuge, which was surrounded bv the enemy, he saw a white flag hoisted on the church tower, and, heard the bugles sound the “cease fire.” At the same moment lie received a message from General Fournier saying that he was considering the German conditions for the surrender of the fortress. , A short time afterwards a -German brigadier-general came up to General Ville to take him prisoner. The latter protested, and said negotiations were proceeding. GEEMAN TRAP.

The General did not insist and returned, after offering to shako hands with a German. Soon after a German Parlementairo called at General Ville's headquarters and told him that General Arbour, commanding the attacking German division wished to see him. „ . After a moment of hesitation Geneial Ville went to the enemy’s headquarters thinking the German general wished to discuss terms with him. Hut tlmi wa a trap and General Ville fell into it. SUREENDEE FORCED.

When the French General appeared at the German headquarters the enemy commander, ill brutal and insolent language pointed 12 guns at a. short distance, and exclaimed, red in the face: “I give you ten minutes to surrender at the end of which I will open fire on your troops.” General Ville protested in,ram, and as the. German General was about to give the order,. General Ville agreed to .surrender his forts. “1 thought,” said the General, to the court martial, “that it was better to avoid unnecessary slaughter, and I thought, too, that by this time capitulation of the fortress probably bad been signed.” "Anyhow,” continued General Ville, a. prey to great emotion, "that ten minutes allowed for reflection was the most dreadful ti me of my life.”