The Hayti herald. (Hayti, Mo.) 1908-1922, 1914-10-08
By C. w, WILLIAMS.

sentatives of American newspapers |
was permitted to pass several days In
"the zone of military activity" on Gre
dentials obtained at the personal re-
quest of Ambassador Herrick, that we
might describe the destruction caused
by the Germans in unfortified towns.
Although l have given a pledge to say
nothing concerning the movement of
the troops or of certain points visited
l am permitted now to send a report
Of part Of my experiences.
We crossed the entire battlefield Of
the Marne, passed directly behind the
lines of the battle on the Aisne, ac-
cidentally getting under fire for an
entire afternoon and lunching in ho-
tel to the orchestra Of bursting shells,
one end of the building being blown
away during the bombardment.
We witnessed a battle between an
armored French monoplane and
German battery, and also had the ex-
perience Of being accused of being
German spies by two men wearing the
English uniform, who, on failing to ac-
count for their own German accent
were speedily taken away under guard
with their numbers up" as the French
commandant expressed what awaited
them.
LIkens Battle to Cyclone.
On account of our exceptional Gre
dentials we we're able to see more
actual war than many correspond
ents, who, when they learned that
permits to get to the front were not
forthcoming, went anyway, usually
falling into the hands of the military
authorities. Getting arrested has
been the chief business, of the war
correspondents in this war, even our
accidental view Of the fighting being
suffi cient to cause our speedy return
to Paris under parole.
Going over the battlefield of the
Marine, we found the battle had fol-
lowed much the same tactics as a cy-
clone, in that in some places nothing,
not even the haystacks, had been dis
turbed, while in others everything,
the villages, roads and fields, had been
utterly devastated by shells.
We talked with the inhabitants of
every village and always heard the
same story-that during occupation
the Germans had offered little trouble
to the civilians and had confined their
activities to looting and wasting the
provisions; also that when retreatng
they had destroyed all the food they
were unable to carry.
Fire Baptism in Church.
| 1p a q
came while we We're in a church. AT
noon of the second day we motored
into a deserted village and were
stopped by sentry, who acknowl
edged our credentials, but warned Us
If we intended to proceed to beware
l of bullets. But there was no hostile
sound to alarm us.
!. AS we drove carelessly over tht
: brow OF hill where the road dipped
:. down valley into the town we were
in direct line with the German fire
as great holes in the ground and fall
9 en- trees testified.
|. 1t is wonder our big motor ca
9 was not an immediate mark. On th'
e way we noticed church steeple sho
|. completely off so, after finding an inn
where the proprietor came from tn
cellar and offered to guard our ca
! and prepare luncheon, we decided frs
to examine the church The inn-keeI
er explained that we had come durin
lull in the bombardment, but the S
lent deserted place lulled all sense c
danger.
Shell Hits Sanctuary.
The verger showed us over tn
church and we were walking throug
the ruined nave when suddenly W
heard sound like the shrll whistlin
of the wind.
at begins again." our conductor sal
simply.
AS the speech ended we heard
loud boom and the sound OF fallir
masonry as the shell struck the fl
end of the building.
We hurried to the hotel, the shell
screaming overhead. We saw the bull
ings tumbling into ruins, glass ia
ing like fine powder, and remnants
furniture hanging grotesquely fro
scraps of masonry.
All my life / had wondered VIII
would be the sensation If | ever WI
under tre-would ] be afraid?
nv intense relief | suddenly pecan
fatalistic was under fire with
vengeance, but instead of being ARA
! kept saying to myself:
Being afraid won't help matter
besides, nothing will happen II
Just keep close to the walls and aw
from the middle of the streets
Accusers Taken as Spies.
On the way nae wet two men
English uniforms, who later
nounced us as spies, We hailed the
! and they replied that they had be
A cut off from their regiment and we
q now fighting with the French. IL
"a as luncheon was announced eight s
d diers filed into the hotel, arrested
4 and marched us before the commai
ant. who saw that our papers We
rth all right, but suggested that on
val count of the dangerous position