University Missourian., 1914-09-28
GENERAL CONDITIONS
KEPT FROM OFFICERS
French Leaders Know Only
What Occurs in Their
Command.
AIRCRAFT GIVE AID
AviatorS Face Danger to Dis
cover the Enemy's Line
of Battle.
(By William Phillip Sims, United
Press Staff CORRESPONDENT


Press Staff Correspondent
PARIS, Sept. 2S.-Even the higf
French commanding officers, the gen
erals in the field, who are carrying
on their winning fight against the
Germans, are kept in ignorance of the
general situation at points on the
are personally responsible. l have
just returned from the battle front
of the French left in the vicinity OF
Soiccons where the allies are slowly
but surely driving the great army OF
General Won Kluck back upon his
main supports.
The general in commando am not
allowed to give his name-was eager
to know what was going on at other
points of the 100-mile battle line. He
grabbed eagerly at papers a week old
and carefully read the comminques.
The generals, the soldiers in the
field, the people of France themselves
are all in ignorance of the general
movements as the government does
not intend that the enemy shall profit
by any information which would
show the disposition of the French
British troops.
l was in scissors a week ago when
the allies and the Germans were bat
tling for possession of the city. 1t
is now held by the French, but the
Germans have mounted their artil-
lery on the ridge that extends to the
northward of the city and for eight
days now they have maintained their
positions. They alternately shelled
the French positions to the south of
the city and the city itself.
1t was my privilege to witness a
duel in the air between a French
aviator in a biplane and German ar
tillery posted on the ridge command
ing the city. Probably no more
thrilling spectacle has ever been seen
by mortal The aviator was ordered /
to ascend carrying an officer assigned |
to locate the exact position of the .
German guns which it was desired to
silence. | was able to follow his ev-
cry movement through a pair of pow
erful field glasses. AS / watched the
aircraft swing and turn through
small clouds / realized that the avia-
tor was literally playing hide and
seek with death. The shells were
near him but he was always
On the alert The biplane would sud-
ienly surge almost directly upward,
hen describe a giant spiral, then
lrop far down and always the move
nent came in the very nick of time [
o spoil the range of the German ar I
'illerymen who were serving their {
runs with remarkable precision. v
The shells were constantly burst L
ng all about the plain and it was t
My by the exercise of all his skill L
hat the pilot was able to keep his
Machine unscathed. He was far
cross the German lines and discov- p
red that the German artillery was +
osted in rock quarry that was .
Practically an impregnable position
nth the guns masked and mounted
o they commanded the entire Brit
'h-French position: The camp was
rovisioned for a long siege and be-
ause of the nature of the ground
9th in front and behind it could only
e taken by a tremendous sacrifice.
-owever the aviator after reporting
the commanding officer went up
gain and passed through the same
rdeal. This time however he was
wing the range to the French artil-
rymen who had brought up their
)werful three-inch guns.
Residents of Scissors who have
aged at their posts all want to
low what the situation is to the east
ard where it is known the German
tack is also being pressed. The
iris newspapers were eagerly well
med and devoured. The high rank
g officers were especially interested
the official comminques and they
clared after perusing them they
d hoped for
{ITISH 0EFICERS sIrNp0pIrI Ipn