unteers; while after the battle
of Montmirail one regiment lost fifty-five out of sixty officers.

LETTER FOUND ON GERMAN OFFICER

"The following letter, which refers to the fighting on the Aisne and was
found on a German officer of the Seventh Reserve Corps, has been printed
and circulated to the troops:

"'Cerny, South of Paris, Sept 17.--My Dear Parents:--Our corps has the
task of holding the heights south of Cerny in all circumstances till the
Fourteenth Corps on our left flank can grip the enemy's flank. On
our right are other corps. We are fighting with the English guards,
Highlanders and Zouaves. The losses on both sides have been enormous.
For the most part this is due to the too-brilliant French artillery.

"'The English are marvelously trained in making use of ground. One never
sees them and one is constantly under fire. The French airmen perform
wonderful feats. We cannot get rid of them. As soon as an airman has
flown over us, ten minutes later we get shrapnel fire in our position.
We have little artillery in our corps; without it we cannot get forward.

"'Three days ago our division took possession of these heights and dug
itself in. Two days ago, early in the morning, we were attacked by
immensely superior English forces--one brigade and two battalions--and
were turned out of our positions. The fellows took five guns from us. It
was a tremendous hand-to-hand fight.

"'How I escaped myself I am not clear. I then had to bring up support on
foot. My horse was wounded and the others were too far in the rear. Then
came up the Guard Jager Battalion, Fourth Jager, Sixth Regiment, Reserve
Regiment Thirteen, and Landwehr Regiments Thirteen and Sixteen, and,
with the help of the artillery, we drove the fellows out of the position
again. Our machine-guns did excellent work; the English fell in heaps.

"'In our battalion three iron crosses have been given. Let us hope that
we shall be the lucky ones the next time.

"'During the first two days of the battle I had only one piece of bread
and no water. I spent the night in the rain without my greatcoat. The
rest of my kit was on the horses, which have been left miles behind with
the baggage and which cannot come up into the battle because as soon as
you put your nose up from behind cover the bullets whistle.

"'War is terrible! We are all hoping that a decisive battle will end the
war. Our troops already have got round Paris. If we beat the English the
French re