The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-10-16
GEN. FRENCH TELLS HOW RR|TONS
HAVE FACED GIANT GERMAN GUNS

"hi'h has ittl Wdrltu.
by this IL Is not implied that their
artillery IRE is not good. II Is mora
than good-it is excellent. But IN.
British soldier is difficult person ~
impress or dcpress. even by immense
shells filed with a high oxploslve
which detonate with terrific violence
ana form craters large enough "a sci
as graN's for five horses.
Scoff at German Shells.
The German howitzer shells are
from eight to nine inches in calibc
and on impact they send up columns
OF greasy black smoke. On account
of this they are irreverently dubbed
coal boxes. black Marias. or Jack
Johnsons By the soldiers.
Men who take things in this spirit
are. II seems. likely TO throw out me
calculations based on loss OF morale
SO carefully framed by the German
military philosophers.
"A considerable amount OF informa.
ton has been CLEANED from prisoners.
Il has been gathered that our BON.
bardment on the fifteenth produced
great impression. The opinion also Ia
reported that our infantry makes such
good use Of the ground that the Ger
man companies are decimated By our
rifle fire before the soldier can be
seen.
From an official diary captured bv
the First army corps il appears thar
one OF the German corps contains am
extraordinary mixture OF units. II the
composition Of the other corps is sim
liar II may be assumed that the pre-
ent efficiency OF the enemy's forces is
in no way comparable with what II
was when the war commenced.
Germans Lose Many Officers.
The losses IN officers are noted AZ
having been especially severe hri-
gade is stated 10 be commanded By a
major; some companies Of foot guards
by one-year volunteers. while after the
battle OF Montmiran one regiment lost
hfty-hve out Of sixty officers.
The prisoners recently captured an-
preciate the fact that the march on
Paris has failed. and that their forces
are retreating, but state that the Oh
jet OF this movement Is explained
by the officers as being TO Withdraw
into closer touch with the supports
which have stayed too far in the rear
The officers are also endeayoring
to encourage the troops by telling
them that they will be al home by
Christmas. 4 large number OF the
men believe that they are beaten
Among the items OF news are the
following Recently a pilot and OBJ
server OF the Royal Flying corps were
forced by a breakage in their aero
plane TO descend In the enemy's lines.
The pilot managed 10 pancake his ma
chine down to earth and the two es
capped into some thick underground in
the woods
The enemy came up and seized and
smashed the machine. but did not
search for our men with much zeal.
The latter lay hid till dark and then
found their way TO the Aisne. across
which they swan. reaching camp in
safety but barefooted.
Numerous floating bridges have by
now been thrown across the Aisne and
some OF the permanent bridges have
been repaired under FIRE On the
twentieth Lieutenant name deleted
OF Third signal corps. Royal Engineers
was unfortunately drowned while al
tempting TO swim across the river
with a cable in order TO open up fresh
telegraph communication on the north.
Telephone Aid TO Spies.
Espionage is still carried on By the
enemy TO a considerable extent Re
Gently the suspicious OF some OF the
French troops were aroused by com
ing across a farm from which the
horses had been removed. After some
search they discovered a telephone
which was connected by an under
ground cable with the German lines.
and the owner OF the farm paid the
penalty in the usual way in war for
his treachery
After some cases OF village fight
ing. which occurred earlier i'm the war.
IL was reported by some OF our Off
GERS that the Germans had attempted
to approach to close quarters by fore
ing prisoners 10 march in front OF
them The Germans have recently re
peated the same trick on a larger
scale against the French, as is shown
by the copy OF an order issued by the
French officials. II is therein referred
to as a ruse. but If that term can be
accepted II is a distinctly Illegal ruse.
Charges Tricks TO Germans.
During a recent night attack. the
order reads. the Germans drove col
umn Of French prisoners in front OF
them. This action is to be brought 20
The notice OF all oar troops. u) in
order TO put them on their guard
against such a dastardly ruse. CD IN
order that every soldier may know
how the Germans treat their prison
ers. Our troops must not forget that
II they allow themselves TO be taken
prisoners the Germans will not fail
to expose them 10 French bullets
Further evidence has now been col
Iected OF the misuse of the white iag