South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-22

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been brought home to them that war
is mighty serious affair.
Democracy in French Army.
Il was particularly struck with the
behavior and apparent efficiency OF
the French artillery men.
This arm of the French service
is going to give a splendid account Of
itself. OF the French cavalry L can
say but little, as L have only seen
small attachments OF it,
Il passed one night in an inn
crowded to suffocatiOn with soldiers.
My bed made of an army blanket was
surrounded by sleeping soldiers. One
thing that struck me forcibly was the
easy familiarity between the officers
and the men. L was surprised to hear
a major arguing violently against
some portions of the general advance.
The major apparently won his point
and was greatly elated thereby.
If L had not been dead tired
could not have slept, for throughout
the night a consta t string of motor
busses bearing soldiers and supplies
rumbled past accompanied by the
First TO See Engagement
Il believe that 1 am the first war
correspondent to have witnessed an
actual engagement between French
and German troops in considerable
numbers. A force of German light
infantry supported by mountain bat
terieS, made a determined attack up
on a French force. The fight lasted
all day. During the morning the Ger
mans had the advantage. The sight
of the German flag reused the French
soldiers to fury and about 2 D. r.. !
heard for the first time the sound of
French field artillery in action. The
first volley brought down the German
flag, it's staff having been shipped.
The artillery was composed of two
batteries and the French gunners set
about coolly and methOdically to pour
steady and effective fire into the
German ranks.
The road was dotted with dead that
lay just as they had fallen. They lay
in all sorts Of contorted positions.
Their blue coats splashed with red
and their red trousers stained to a
deeper crimson. The cheers of the
French troops died out as the men
came upon this grim spectacle.
(Note-The dispatch did not give
the location of the fight, but it is be-
lieved to have taken place near either
Givet or Dinant)
Bring Down AerOplane.
THE use of aeroplanes as a source
Of getting information about the
somewhat of disappointment, at
least they have not come up 10 eX-
pectatiOns, the correspondent con-
tinues:
Early on the morning of the 18th
I saw an aeroplane downed by artil-
lery fire. 1t was flying over the forti-
fications Of the allies at a very low
altitude because of a thick fog that
made il difficult for the German aerial
scout to see A French sentry saw
the aeroplane and gave the alarm by
firing his rifle at ii. The infantry men
fired a volley at the aviator. but he
was not hit. He took his machine
skyward TO get out of range and final
" disappeared in the fog. A short
time afterwards the guns in the fort
opened and we knew that the daring
airman had been sighted again and
that his machine was the object OF
the cannOnade.
81 went forward TO q position where
I could see the aviator. He was
wheeling his machine in lazy sweeps,
like a huge bird. and / thought he
would escape. The cannon fire was in
cessant. Suddenly the aeroplane
lurched forward and dropped with
Sickening swiftnesS.
The Germans have made tentative
assaults upon Yvoir, where the Bocq
flows into the Meuse. The Mouse is
spanned there by a big steel bridge
which would be Of great value TO the
Germans.
The courage Of the French under
fire is unsurpassed. The men go in
TO fighting gleefully. one sergeant OF
the 14Sth showed particular gal
lantry.
THE German rifle bullet makes a /
small. clean wound and is not neces- I
sary deadly unless il strikes a vital I
spot. The bullets are hard and point /
ed"