Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-10-14
BY c. w. WILLIAMS.

I vas PSAAAltlSu 10 pass several DAYS IN
the zone of military activity on ire
dentials obnined at the personal re-
| quest OF Ambassador Herrick. that we
might describe the destruction caused
by the Germans in unfortiied towns
Although ] have given pledge to say
nothing concerning the movement of
the troops or of certain points visited,
am permitted now to send report
of part Of my experiences
We crossed the entire battlefield OF
the Marine, passed directly behind the
lines Of the battle on the Aisne, ac-
cidentally getting under fire for an
entire afternoon and lunching in ho-
tel to the orchestra of bursting shells,
one end Of the building being blown
away during the bombardment.
We witnessed a battle between an
armored French monoplane and a
German battery, and also had the ex-
perience Of being accused Of being
German spies by two men wearing the
| English uniform, wso on failing to ac-
count for their own German accent.
were speedily taken away under guard
with their numbers up" as the French
commandment expressed what awaited
them.
Likens Battle to Cyclone.
On account of our exceptional Gre
dentials we were able to see more
actual war than many correspond
ents. who when they learned that
permits TO get to the front were not
forthcoming, went anyway, usually
falling into the hands of the military
| authorities. Getting arrested has
been the chief business. of the war
correspondents In this war. even our
accidental view of the fighting being
sufficient to cause our speedy return
to Paris under parole
Going over the battlefield OF the
Marine, we found the battle had fol-
lowed much the same tactics as a cy-
clone. in that in some places nothing,
not even the haystacks, had been dis
turbed, while in others everything.
the villages. roads and fields, had been
utterly devastated by shells.
We talked with the inhabitants of
every village and always heard the
same story that during occupation
the Germans lad offered little trouble
10 the civilians and had confined their
activities to footing and wasting the
provisions; also that when retreating
they had destroyed all the food they
were unable to carry.
Fire Baptism In Church.
Our baptism Of fire appropriately
came while we were in a church. At
noon of the second day we motored
into a deserted village and we're
stopped by a sentry, who acknowl-
edged our credentials, but warned US
If we intended to proceed TO beware
of bullets. But there was no hostile
sound to alarm us,
AS we drove carelessly over the
brow of hill where the road dipped
down a valley into the town we were
in direct line with the German fire.
as great holes in the ground and fall
en- trees testified
1t is a wonder our big motor car
was not an immediate mark. On the
way we noticed church steeple shot
completely of so, after finding an inn,
where the proprietor came from the
cellar and offered to guard our car
and prepare luncheon, we decided first
to examine the church. The inn-keep-
er explained that we had come during
a lulu in the bombardment. but the ST.
lent. deserted place lulled e. sense IF
danger.
Shell HIS Sanctuary.
The verger showed us over the
church and we were walking through
the ruined nave when suddenly we
heard sound like the shrill whistling
Of the wind
1T begins again" our conductor said
simply
AS the speech ended we heard a
loud boom and the sound of falling
masonry as the shell struck the far
end of the building.
We hurried to the hotel. the shells
screaming overhead. We saw the build
ings tumbling into ruins, glass fall
ing like fine powder, and remnants OF
furniture hanging grotesquely from
scraps OF masonry.
! All my ire 1 udu WdhuOACd "hot
would be the sensation II | ever was
under fire-would ! be afraid? To
my intense relief | suddenly became
fatalistic. was under fire with
vengeance. but instead Of being afraid
kept saying to myself;
Being afraid won't help matters;
besides. nothing win happen II we
Just keep close to the walls and away
from the middle of the streets
Aeeusers Taken as Spies.
On the way me wet two men in
English uniforms, who later de
nounced us as spies. We hailed them
and they replied that they had been
cut off from their regiment and we're
now fighting with the French. Just
as luncheon was announced eight sol
diers filed into the hotel, arrested us
and marched us before the command
ant, who saw that our papers were
all right. but suggested that on ae-
count Of the dangerous position we
leave as soon as possible. We asked
permission to finish our luncheon.
Il was lucky that we were arrested
then-before the accusation that we
we're spies--for when that question
arose there was no doubt in the mind
of the commandment concerning us, so
our accusers' charge merely reacted