The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-10-07


THOUSANDS or
MEN AND HORSES
tContinued from pase IL
while the Tmcos use knives. !"
Shall You go back?"
Hayes was asked.
docs any one wish to visit
a slaughter house q second
time?" he replied.
THE AUTOMOBILE ARMY.
! BY VIM. g. Shepherd, United Press
Staff Correspondent.
| ON THE BATTLEFIELD OF SolS
SONS, Sept. 1e.-(by mail 20 New
York. -Twenty soldiers In red and
blue are sitting by the roadside cIrc-
ling 4 great sheet iron stove. The
sides Of the stove are punetursd with
many holes about the size Of golf
ball and rays from the red hot eoals
light up not only the gay coiors Of the
French soldiers but the meadows be-
hind them and the great eiEns under
which they are sitting. II 10 almost
bed time. This is the camp fire scene
In France. You think Of the old civil
war song, "Tentino Tonight" and
then suddenly you notice that these
men are not tentlns. Drawn up along
side the road 10 huge covered auto
truck. In this truck the soldiers not
only sleep, but march; on rainy
days they eat In Il and play cards
in Il. Their hammoeks swing from
It's roof. They carry their huge stove
In II and when they please they can
warm their auto tent
This was my first view Of . battle
ground camp. During the next mile
Z counted forty Of these mobile campo.
Al last the country road began to
change itself into village street. Tbs
sentry stopped me, looked at the pass
which permitted me to enter the vii
iaae and q few more steps brought
me Into the midst Of the biggest auto
show I've ever seen. On both sides
Of the road stood auto busses from
Paris, London and Bordeaux. They
were covered with mud but through
the bespattered windows ! could see
soldiers, eating. playing cards or writ
ing. In one or two ] saw the glare OF
stoves with smoke pouring from tin
chfmneys.
AZ entered the town and came to
the square the rays Of lamps Of at
least fifty automobiles were focused
on the clock tower which stands In
the midst Of the plaza. The shadow
Of soldiers who passed before the
lights were thrown giant size on the
tower walls. Every motor was throb-
bling, for the cars had been prepared
to take several hundreds Of soldiers
to a new position. II sounded like
the start Of an indianapolis cup race.
The street lamps OF the village were
not lighted, but the lamps OF the sour
ryinq autos and motorcycles furnished
all the light needed.
"a had not been settled nve min
utes In the apology for bed which
found In small private house, be-
fore the movement Of the main bodies
o. autos began. The house shook ~
hundreds Of great buses Numbered
by, carrying more soldiers to the mr.
Ina lire. The smell Of gasoline ssi'ed
the air. The glare Of acetyiene lamps
seemed to brighten the entire sky.
The throb Of the engines must have
beer, heard for miles; The noise drown
ing Of cannon.
A. four In the morning ioiIed out.
I saw auto buses packed full Of
bread; packed from floor TO ceiling
with the ioaves resting against the
window panes. The autos were carry
ing food to the soldiers in the
trenches. Later the tide Of autos
turned toward town. The buses bore
Red Cross flags and could see
wounded soldiers Sitting at the win
dows or laying on stretehers hung by
springs from the ceilings. Then
realized what the automobile has done
to change the established custom Of
warfare. talked with a French OH
Ger about my conclusions during din
ner.
YOU'RE right" he said, Soldiers
are done with marching. The tramp.
tramp, tramp Of weary feet that the
war poets sing about doesn't exist
any more. It's the throb, throb, throb
Of the tireIess engines. We save the
strength Of the soldiers for fighting.
II any march 10 to be over two miles
we carry the men In the auto trucks"
! suggested that J hadn't heard
drum or fife. In fact among all the
thousands Of Belgian, English, French
and African soldiers have seen
have never discovered = single drum
Or any musical instrument except ,!
bugie.
1.-THE auto has done that too" said
the officer. There's no more music
in war. Music was intended to help
soldiers march, but In these days, .
soldier can progress very comfortably
In an automobile without the eneour;
aaement Of music. March music 10