Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1914-10-15
correspondent WITH GERMAN ARMY
DESCRIBES CONFLICT ON THE AISNE

Soldiers had been offering a5 cents
apiece for cigars and were unable to
get them. 4 had brought q consider.
able supply along, which gave aSay.
At first the soldiers helped them.
selves sparingly with unwilling POI
likeness.
Go ahead and take d lot" said.
With trembling hands they filled
their pockets.
For our comrades. toofa they
asked.
When my comrades see these
said one, they win leap 50 high, !
indicating q jump high overhead. !
have never before seen such JOY ~
these soldiers displayed,
Great Cry fer Newspapers
The second great cry was Tor news
papers. All along tho trip from Ger.
many by automobile we we're every.
where asked for newspapers, the sol
diers cryirls out Tor them after The
speeding cSf. This need Ii under
standable. as the army at the front
knows practically nothing or what IL
going on In the world.
Wherever We halted wa were sur
rounded by men asking for news and
we had the pleasure OF telling many
hundreds Of soldiers the FIRST infer
nation of the heroic deed OF the Ger.
man submarine 10, which sank three
British cruisers.
One OF the diversions at the front ID
shooting at French aeroplanes. For
the flrst time since the beginning of
the war obtained reliable informa.
ton about the activities or the french
and British flyers. AT this point the
aeroplanes are particularly plentiful
and one of these hostile machines
HES every morning about eleven
o'clock, 40 regularly that It's pilot IL
called the lunch flyer. When he
appears he Is greeted By the airshir
guns.
! had the unique experience OF gee
Ing French flyer under IRE. The
first intimatfon that he was near was
a loud explosion from q cannon near
BY. Far and high Up In Che sky saw
suddenly round bail or white smoke
where the shrapnel had exploded
Near by was the flyer looking like q
black speck.
Flies Away Under Fire.
Another explosion, another white
ball and the aeroplane close BY. 4
third fourth and NTH boom came
each followed BY the appearance OF /
white ball or smoke. but each time TIA
flyer was gtill there After ten shots
had been fired there was row 81
great round clouds of smoke stretches
half way across the sky with TN
black speck OF the aeroplane fiji TIL.
lead, and gradually mounting higher
away from the dangerous IRE.
In ten minutes $4,000 worth Of OK
piosiyes had been shot away without
bringing down the air scout.
Special shrapnsl for Air Shots.
The shrapnei flrsd at flyers ia con
strncted differently from ordlnar,
shrapnel. which describes a parabola
and is timed TO explode over the
enemy and send down a shower 81
shot from above These aeroplans
shrapnel send the shot straight ah0ad
and so probably every one OF this
shells saw exploding sent some bull
let's through the wings OF the aero
| plane.
II one OF these shots skaters tht
motors or wounds the flyer or the oh
server the shell has accomplished III
purpose. for since the Germans have
taken their position here no flyer oil
either army has been shot down
though practically no machiae has re
| turned from a reconnaissance triI
without its wings being pnnctured.
Hate sut Respect British.
Throughout the army wherever
talked with officers and men, I found
bitter hatred for the English. but
warm praise for their fighting capa
bfIitfes.
Especially effective has been the
English artillery, which the Germans
say astonished them by fits accuracy
One reason for this Is that the region
Of Francs where we are has beer
used for maneuyers and the enemy
knows the exact range. Nevertheless
there II no sparing OF praise for the
good Workmanship. The English
here have some naval guns which
have done great damage.
English soldiers have also assonist
ed the Germans by their powers oil
resistance and accurate rife FIRE, but
the Germans say that the English
strength lies mostly In the defensive
Al much as the English are hated
so much are the French respected
Everywhere the officers speak well OF
the French
They fight . gallant fight and OBJ
serve the rules OF war" say the Ger
mans. They are q worthy foe"