SECRET HISTORY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1012, 14 November 1917, Page 7

SECRET HISTORY.

TWO THRILLING EPISODES. HOW PARIS WAS SAVED. '■Some hitherto unpublished details of vital historic interest about the part played by Italy, on the eve of the great war towards the salvation ol Franco were divn'lged on the narrative which Senator Gugliclmo Marconi contributes to the'Romc daily, Bulletin I'lnformasfiibhe. ''Germany knew we would not back her-savage attack against the liberty of Europo, nor. in fact, did she attribute much -importance to our neutrality. Her game was far deeper and more ..treacherous. Germany wanted Italy to leave France in doubt as to Italian intentions. • "On the morning of July 30, 1914, one day before Germany declared war upon Russia and two clays before she declared war upon France, the Marquis di San Giiilinno, Italian .Minister for Foreign Affairs, informed the French Ambassador, M. Barrere, that Italy would not rally to Germany's side in a" war of aggression. This assurance was telegraphed immediately to Paris, but was insufficient to reassure France completely, seeing that on our part there was no official declaration of neutrality. On August 4, two days before England declared war against- Germany, the Italian Government decided on a policy of neutrality. Our Ambassador being then absent from Paris the news was forthwith communicated to our Charge d'Affaires there in a despatch which arrived at 1 o'clock in the morning. Withput a moment's hesitation our representative hurried to seek audience with the French Premier, M. Viviani. who, entering the room, turned deadly pale and shrank back, feeling instinctively that nothing but Italy's resolve to join hands with Germany could have constrained an Italian diplomat to rouse himself at that unearthly hour. But no sooner had M. Viviani perused the despatch than he gave lull vent to his emotion. "Before another half - hour had elapsed the French Prime Milliter bad already ordered the mobilisation of nearly a million men whom France would otherwise have been obliged to maintain on her eastern and southern frontiers to guard against possible attacks from Italy. "It was that million men which arrested the German advance, won the battle, of the Maine', and saved France from hoing trodden under the savage heel of Teuton militarism. Had there been the slightest hesitation, the slightest vacillation, on Italy's part. had any Italian politician done a tenth part of what Bismarck did when he tampered with the famous Ems telegram, which resulted in the FrancoPrussian war. France would no! have dared to withdraw a single soldier from the Italian frontier, .and the world's history would have taken a stupendously different. course," HOW PARIS WAS SAVED. General Clergerie, who, on t-h« outbreak of war; was Chief of Staff of the Military Government of Paris, and as such was General Gallieui's fight-hand man in the tremendous days when Paris was awaiting hourly to hear von Kluck battering at her gales, has been telling the boys of the Lycee of Perigucux how Paris was saved and von Kluck defeated.' The Times' Paris, correspondent sends the story. . On September 3, the Intelligence Service, which was'working splendidly, reported, about midday, that the German columns were swerving south-east, with tlie apparent intention of avoiding Paris. • General Clergerie went on : '"I then had with General Gallieni one of those long conferences which denote grave events. As a rule, they never exceeded from two to five minutes. We- of the Military Government of Paris were not given overmuch to talking; we acted. The upshot of our conference was this: If they don't come to ns: we will go to them with every available man.' "On the night of the 3rd, assured that- the German army could only leave a rearguard on either, bank of the Ourcq, Generals Gallieni and Clergerie determined to throw the whole weight of General Maunoury's army against this rearguard, cut the enemey's communications, and take full advantage of his hazardous situation. "At-10 o'clock in the morning Generals Gallieni, Clergerie and Matinoury mot and arranged the details of the plan of operations. In the afternoon they came to an understanding at Melun with the British. General J off re gave leave to attack, and announced that he himself would take the offensive on the Gth. At noon on the sth

i lio Army of Paris fired its first shot,' and the Battle of the Oure'q, the prelaw to the Marne, had begun] "On September 9, an intelligence officer brought me a Gorman despatch, •vh'ich ran: 'Toll mo exactly where you u'c and what you are doing. Hurry uj>. because XXX. . .' The officer was nonplussed by those three XXX's, | out 1, borrowing poilu phrase, told him ! to translate, '] am going to bolt.' True mough, next day, we found on the site >t the German batteries, which had precipitately evacuated, stacks of ammunition.; while by tho roadside we came upon motors abandoned for the slightest breakdown, and near Betzalmost tile entire outfit of a. field bakery, with a great store of flour and dough ! ialf-kneaded. Paris and Prance were ;aved. I "Von Kluck could not get over his' astonishment. He had tried to explain ! it by saying that he was unlucky, fori •>ut of a hundred Governors not one would have acted as Gallieni did, throwing his whole available force nearly 40 miles from his stronghold. It was down-1 right imprudence. Of course it was Gal-: lieni who was in the wrong/" !