The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-10-24

Soldiers had been offering % cents
apiece for cigars and were unable to
get them had brought q consider
able supply along, which I gave away
At first the soldiers helped them
selves sParingly with unwilling po-
likeness.
Go ahead and take q lot" I said.
With trembling hands they filed
their pockets.
For our comrades. tOOF" they
asked.
When my comrades see these"
said one, they will leap so high"
indicating a jump high overhead
have never before seen such Joy as
these soldiers displayed.
Great Cry for Newspapers.
The second great cry was for news
papers All along the trip from Ger
many by automobile we were every
where asked for newspapers, the sol
speeding car. This need is under
standable, as the army at the front
knows practically nothing OF what is
going on in the world
Wherever We halted we were sur
rounded by men asking for news and
We had the pleasure OF telling many
hundreds Of soldiers the first infor-
nation Of the heroic deed Of the Ger
man submarine U9, which sank three
British cruisers.
One Of the diversions at the front is
shooting at French aeroplanes. For
the first time since the beginning Of
the war 1 obtained reliable informa-
ton about the activities Of the French
and British flyers. At this point the
aeroplanes are particularly plentiful
and one Of these hostile machines
flies every morning about eleven
o'clock, so regularly that its pilot is
called the lunch flyer" When he
appears he is greeted by the airship
guns.
had the unique experience Of see
ing q French flyer under fire The
first intimation that he was near was
a loud explosion from a cannon near
by. Far and high up in the sky I saw
suddenly a round ball of white smoke
where the shrapnel had exploded
Near by was the flyer looking like q
black speck.
FteS away On0eF Fire.
Another explosion, another white
ball and the aeroplane close by. A
third, fourth and fifth boom came,
each followed by the appearance of a
white ball Of smoke, but each time the
flyer was still there. After ten shots
had been fired there was a row Of
great round clouds of smoke stretched
half way across the sky with the
black speek Of the aeroplane in the
lead, and gradually mounting higher,
away from the dangerous fire.
In ten minutes $4,000 worth Of ex-
plosives had been shot away without
bringing down the air scout
Special ShrapneI for Air Shots.
The shrapnel fired at flyers is con-
structed differently from ordinary
shrapnel, which describes a parabola.
and is timed to explode over the
enemy and send down a shower Of
shot from above. These aeroplane
shrapnel send the shot straight ahead,
and so probably every one Of the
shells I saw exploding sent some bull
lets through the wings Of the aero
plane.
If one Of these shots skaters the
motors or wounds the flyer or the OBJ
server the shell has accomplished it's
purpose, for since the Germans have
taken their position here no flyer Of
either army has been shot down,
though practically no machine has re-
turned from q reconnaissance trip
without its wings being punctured-
Hate But Respect British.
Throughout the army wherever I
talked with officers and men, I found
bitter hatred for the English, but
warm praise for their fighting capa-
bilities.
Especially effective has been the
English artillery, which the Germans
say astonished them by its accuracy
One reason for this is that the region
Of France where We are has been
used for maneuvers and the enemy
knows the exact range. Nevertheless
there is no sparing Of praise for the
good craftsmanship. The English
here have some naval guns which
have done great damage.
English soldiers have also astonish-
ed the Germans by their powers Of
resistance and accurate rife fire. but
the Germans say that the English
strength lies mostly in the defensive.
As much as the English are hated
so much are the French respected.
Everywhere the officers speak well Of
the French
They fight a gallant fight and OBJ
serve the rules Of war" say the Ger
mans They are q worthy foe