Middletown transcript., 1914-10-10

LOndon.-Tne omclal press bureau
issued a descriptive account Of the
operations in France Of the British
force and the French armies in I'M
mediate touch with it, communicated
by an eye witness present at the head
quarters Of Field Marshal Sir John
French.
Sept. 25, 1914-For four days
there has been a comparative lull all
along our front. This has been ac-
companied by spell of fine weather,
though the nights are now much cold
er, One cannot have everything, how
ever. and one evil result of the sun
shine has been the release of flies,
which were torpid during the wet
days.
Advantage has been taken Of the
arrival of re-enforcements to relieve
by fresh troops the men who have
been on the firing line for some time.
Several units therefore have received
their baptism of fire during the week.
Germans Fire on Own Men.
"Since the last letter left general
headquarters evidence has been re-
ceived which points to the fact that
during counter-attacks on the night
of Sunday, the goth, the German infan-
try fired into each other as the result
of an attempt to carry out the dan
gerous expedient of a conVerging ad-
vance in the dark.
Opposite one portion Of our po-
sition a considerable massing Of hos
tile forces was observed before dark,
and some hours later a furious fusil-
lade was heard in front Of our line,
though no bullets came over our
trenches.
Many Dead In Trenches.
"This narrative begins with Sep
tember 21 and covers only two days.
On Monday, the 21st, there was little
rain and the weather took turn for
the better, which has been maintained.
The action was practically confined to
the artillery, our guns at one point
shelling and driving away the enemy
who were endeavoring to construct a
redoubt. The Germans for their part
expended a large number Of heavy
shells in long range bombardment OF
village.
Accommodating parties sent out
during the night Of September IL
% discovered some deserted trenches
and In them, or near them, in the
woods, more than a hundred dead and
wounded were picked up. A number
of rifles ammunition and equipment
also were found. There were other
signs that portions of the enemy's
forces had withdrawn for some dis
tance.
Tuesday, the 22nd, also was fine
day, with less wind, and was one OF
the most uneventful days that has
passed since we reached the Aisne-
uneventful, that is, for the British.
There was less artillery work on
either side, the Germans nevertheless
giving another village a taste Of the
Jack Johnsons.'
Bodies in mo Mans Land"
"The spot thus honored was not far
from the ridge where some Of the
most severe fighting in which we have
taken part has occurred. All over this
no mans land between the lines the
bodies of German infantrymen are
still lying in heaps where they have
fallen at different times.
'Espionage plays so large a part IN
the conduct of the war by the Ger
mans that it is difficult to avoid fur
ther reference to the subject. They
have evidently never forgotten the.
saying of Frederick the Great: When
Marshal Soubise goes to war he is fol-
lowed by a hundred cooks; when
take the field 1 am preceded by a
hundred spies.'
Indeed, until about twenty years
ago there was a paragraph in their
field service regulations directing that
the service of protection in the field
--outposts and advanced guards
should always be supplemented by a
system of espionage.
Many Spies Give Signals.
Though such instructions are no
longer made public, the Germans, as Is
well known, still carry them into ef-
feet. Apart from the more elaborate
arrangements which were made in
peace time for obtaining information
by paid agents, some of the methods
which are being employed for the col
lection or conveyance of intelligence
are as follows:
"Men in plain clothes signal to the
German lines from points in the hands
of the enemy by means Of colored
lights at night and puffs Of smoke
from chimneys by day. Pseudo labor
ers working in the fields between the
armies have been detected conveying
information and persons in plain
clothes have acted as advanced scouts
to the German cavalry when ad-
vancing.
officers Remain Behind.
German officers and soldiers in
plain clothes, or in French or British
uniforms, have remained in localities
evacuated by the Germans in order to
furnish them with intelligence.
"One spy of this kind was found by
our troops hidden in church tower.
His presence was discovered only
through the erratic movements of the
hands of the church clock, which he
was using to signal to his friends by
means Of an improved semaphore
code.
Had this man not been seized it is
probable he would have signaled to
- Tina of