Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-11-12
AMID SHRAPNEL FIRE WRITER SEES
FIERCE CONFLICT ON THE USER RIVER
ey EDGAR ANsEL MowRER.


West Flanders, Belgium.-For more
than a week have been at the head
quarters Of the Belgian army behind
the line of the River User from Nieu-
port to Dixmude. i have seen how
the remnants of the army from Ant
werp retreating on the way to Ostend
were sent to northern France to rest
and reorganize and how the rest of
the Belgian forces, being asked to hold
the lines AZ hours, have actually held
1t for six days, thus preventing siege
of Dunkirk and saving the French
coast from invasion.
Stick to Antwerp to Last
Contrary to what was at first report
ed, the Belgian army left Antwerp only
after all the forts except four had been
destroyed and these four the defend
ers blew up as they hastily evacuated
the town, the heroic Belgian. General
de Guisel remaining to the last. What
part of the retreating Belgians en-
tered Holland and are held by Dutch
authorities is not known here,
1t is certain that the others never
would have escaped the Germans but
for the heroic stand made by mixed
force of English, Belgians and French
marines in the village of nellie, south
west of Client. wherein two Belgian
regiments-the Sixth volunteers and
the Ninth of the e-particularly dis
tinguished themselves.
Walks From Dunkirk to France.
I reached Fumes October 16, hav-
ing walked from Dunkirk, l crossed
q bridge, reached village street and
after two turnings emerged on the
quaint old market place Of Furnes, the
home and present seat of the general
headquarters Of the Belgian army. l
went at once to the headquarters In
the town hall, made known my iden-
tity and secured a pass.
Standing before the headquarters
was an automobile containing three
British soldiers. l approached and
asked the nearest one where the Ger
mans were. He looked at me with
establishment and before replying or
letting me explain who was and why
! had come, he exclaimed: Good
Lord! Have they let you come this
far? Well, since you are here, it can
do no harm to tell you where they
are" He drew a map from his pocket.
Here they are" he said, laying a
finger on the village of Middlekirke.
Our line extends from Newport to
Dixmude. The Belgians are intrench-
ing themselves all along the line"
Starts Out for Nieuport.
thanked the soldiers and set out to
walk to Newport. On the outskirts
of Fumes l passed a regiment of Bel
gians starting for Dixmude. / turned
to the left In the direction of Newport,
but at the village of Wulpun ! was
turned back by an overpolite Belgian
sergeant.
That night l heard terrible can
nonading, and Saturday morning, Oc-
tober II. learned that the battle Of
the User had begun. This battle,
which has not yet come to an end, it.
self is only part of the greater bat
tie of which it is likely to be the
center Small though it is in the num-
Der of troops engaged, the battle of
the User presents three distinct
phases. according to the nature of the
ground.
About eight miles east Of Fumes lies
the town of Dixmude, where the attack
began The Belgians here had been
REINFORCED by 5000 French marine in
fantry, these marines forming the first
line of defense, 400 yards beyond the
town and on the right bank of the
User. The Germans attacked with
great violence about nine o'clock Fri
day evening. Marines who figured in
the battle estimate their opponents
strength at 10000. The attack contin-
ued until daybreak on Saturday. when
the marines, ably assisted by French
and Belgian batteries placed behind
the town, drove back the onslaught
with considerable loss.
Reaches the Belgian Trenches.
When / reached the Belgian bat
teries and trenches about eleven a. m.
Saturday the former were keeping up
lying in the trenches which had been
the second line of defense tried to de-
ter me from continuing farther, as
the shrapnel fire was rather heavy at
this point, but / proceeded until !
reached about one kilometer (six-
tenth of a mile) on this side Of the
town. A Belgian lieutenant previous
ly had given me permission to go one
kilometer beyond the town to q po-
sition which, as learned later, would
have put me exactly between the op-
posing forces and in full line with
the rife fire.
Escapes shrapnei Of Germans.
turned aside and approached a
church In the midst of small village.
All the morning the booming Of the
far away German cannon had been
audible, but 1t seemed without impor-
lance. Now had my first experience
of being under fire. AS was about to
enter the church, intending to mount
into the belfry, heard an unnerving
whir, of a somewhat lower pitch than
that produced by projectiles from the
Belgian guns. 1t grew louder. louder
and louder. / felt as If a devils fly
ing machine was looking about hunt
ing for me, and for brief second
wished that had never come. Then,
with loud report. the German shrap-
mel burst harmlessly beyond the
church and 100 feet up In the air.
Since that day have heard and seen
perhaps 20 shells burst nearly over
he