A FRENCH GENERAL TRICKED.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14726, 29 June 1920, Page 7

A FRENCH GENERAL TRICKED.

Interesting revelations were made'before a. Paris court-martial wlicre General Fournier (former Governor of Maubeuge), General Ville, and several subordinate officers "were, being tried m connection with the surrender of the Maubeuge fortress to the enemy in the early days of the great war. General Ville, who was second m command and in charge of the fortress in action outside the limits of the city ; was questioned by General Maistre, president of the court-ma.rtia-1, on the charge of having surrendered without the formal orders of his chief. He related how at noon, on September 7, 1914, when there was no more hope for Maubeuge, which was surrounded by the enemy, he saw a. white flog hoisted on the church tower, and heard the bugles sound the "Cease fire.' 1 'At the same moment he received a- message from General Fournier saying that he was considering the German conditions , for the surrender o r P the' fortress. . A short time afterwards ' a German brigadier-general came lip to General ;Vill£?to :take liim prisoner. The latter protested, and said negotiations were proceeding'. The German general did -not- insist, and returned, after offering to 1 shako hands with General Ville. The la tier refused, to shake hands with a. German. •• Soon after a German Parlementaire called at General Ville's headquarters and told him that General Arbour, commanding the attacking Gfermaii, division, wished to see him. After a. moment of hesitation,. General Ville: went to the enemy's headquarters,: thinking the German General wisljed' to discuss terms with liim. But. this was a. trap, and General Ville. fell into it. When he appeared at the German headquarters'the en'omy coiumandeiy in brutal and insolent language,;;pointed to, 12 guns at a short dietancev-and exclaimed, red m 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 vain, and as the German General was about to give the order, General Ville agreed to surrender his forts. "I thought,'.' said the General, to the court-martial, "that it was -better to avoid uunecossarv slaughter, and I thought, too, that by this time. ;the capitulation of -.the fortress probably had been signed.' "Anvhow." continued General Villoy a prey to great emotion, "that ten minutes'allowed for roiler.tion was the most- dreadful time of .my life." Then General Ville related his Bufferings in captivity. Ho was once accused of theft, by the Germans,'and as they could not find any -proof against him they sentenced him to three days' imprisonment- because he had not properly saluted; a- German officer. ■■■-. Later lie was sent- to a reprisal .area, and'was forbidden to take ■.■ shelter:: during bonis bardmcnt bv Allied aviators 5 . ' J,