Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-09-18
Perfection of Methods Makes
Modern War the Refine
ment of Barbarism
FENCE OF BULLETS
BUILT IN THE AIR
Airships Provide Means for
Making War on Women
and Children
(By William G. shnnhsrdA \

Antwerp Sept. BY mail TO New
forkJ-Until the present Europear
conflict began military experts were in
the habit of saying that killing appli,
anees had reached such degree of per.
sible. '"' Po''
1t has not become impossible yet.
however.
Last night l watched German Zen.
pelin dropping bombs into intwerp and
while it was true that the pcrfeetion
OF the method made war a verv refine.
ment of barbarism. there was nothing
impossible about it.
As | saw the Zeppelin depart il seem.
ed 20 me that the best aruument
against war was that it turned men in.
to such merciless demons as the mur.
derers it took with it.
The widest flights of imagination
couldn't approach what happened in
Antwerp l2 hours ago.
Watching for Zeppelin.
Early in the evenir., Belgian cap.
tain took me the rounds of his com.
pany, stationed in the center of tbe
city. His men were divided into small
squads in a dozen streets. They we're
sitting on the sidewalks with their
packs against the walls of buildings.
,IrlNing , not coffee which had been
brought to them by automobile.
II seemed to me they were pretty
well spread out to resist an attack hit
the captain said there were 10000 sol.
diers scattered about the citv in tbe
same way.
Later the reason became apparent.
Not until one in the morning did tbe
big red harvest moon sink. 1t left tbe
streets in pitch darkness. The city was
50 tranquil and still that the erackle
lf the dry autumn leaves which had
fallen from the elms IN the public
square sounded loud. 1t was chilly.
co. and the soldiers on the sidewalks
we're wrapped in their big overcoats
100 drowsy or too comfortable TO cbal.
enge
A Bird of Prey.
An hour and half later I was
Weakened by soldiers talking excitedly
beneath my window. But above Tho
'o9nd OF their voices was another
'oi5e--o terrific whirrng high in the
jumped to the window and looked
upwards.
tar away there sounded a terrific
deep, booming roar
moment later a spark came whirl.
hg through the air like shooting star
'Sne crazy. 1t sank into the sky line
u rootS and another explosion sounded
,' Auu men up against the stars, per.
"Ps pS a mule mgn, | saw the Zeppelin.
Inere S a sick feeling of utter helm. |
'SSneSS which goes with such a sigbt 9
y" WIN IT kind Of fascination NJ q
nc thought that the thing is not sinner. c
u'oah thot up there in the sky men
un'an beings, are working. carrving t
u' orders, watching mans. tracinS a
OfeetS pulling levers, adjusting greasy a
laVninery twisting steering wheels
9a lighting the fuses of bombs intend. a
d TO klll men, women and children IN
They Love Each other. 5
,''or remember what a great Belgian $
.ateSman \; had said only that afternoon.
,N."N TWO ChriStmaSeS ago Emperor o
: ''t,''iu OF Hermany and King Albert t
Belgium spent part of the holiday Iv
hing Albert S baby daughter loved v
iie emperor so much, because hp plov.
/! WIN her, that she cried to 90 on e
.S zap anu was incunsolable when his :
isit ended. "'' "'S
now he can order his ZeppeIns +
9" % drop bombs on the house wLsrc -
'ls httle glrl and her brother and lis +
Is ana father and mother are sleening "
can't understand"
Another spark fell and there was
'ird explosion. "'
tnen new sound filled the air II
sSan tar away. 1t was the rattle of :.
lies thousands of them. y
rae firing grew nearer and lopaar y
mere were sharp orders Under nv =
lhdoWS the soldiers began 10 shoot :
= isSneS lighting my room. They
''ated their rifles upward.
Principally Noise.
the sound grew louder and londar u
yam = minute the din was indeserib. !,
'sS Thirty thOusaad soldiers were :
'oo'lng: each as fNst Us he could fire s'
magazine gun.
lhe orders were not to shoot A, the
'ppehn, but straight up. The soldiers
ere rilling the air with bullets. They
ere putting a fence Of metal a mije y
50 So around the city aud the palace. p