The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1914-10-15
WRECKAGE- STREINN BATTLEFIELDS
LOOK AS IF SWEPT BY CYCLONE


E~As ~ktA Sefe1& uNhNF repre-
Reataiivea OF American newspapers
vas permitted 10 pass several days I'm
the aone Of military activity" on ere
esaftAls obtained At the personal re-
eaeEk ~ Ambassador Herr4ek. that re
might describe the destruction caused
BY she Germans in anfoFtined towna
AhAuaxh | have gtvea pledgs 70 say
na&haRK ennesrninE the meFemsat os
the tfNsops ~ Of certain points Visited
! AN permitted neS to send a report
81 a tart " fay experiences
We crossed the @atfrW battlefield of
sAe Aarne, E4ssed directly h~htnd tbs
laas 81 the battle oa the Aians, &C
elesasASiY getting unaer ar@ Tor an
snsAFw aftsfaoon and lHBehing tn q BIO
ss4 10 tho orchestra af b2rsfinK shells.
oas rad ef tbs baliaia8 k~ang hso~n
sway during tAe baan hmyamenf.
We Witnessed . battle begweea an
arEnnr@6 FFwneA moHoplaa@ ash n
GegraAn hattsfy. and aIao bad the en-,
perieEee Of being accused u besnk
German spies ~ two men wearing the
EnKiiah aniform. who, 90 fAiliag 70 &C
csHnt for their 0wa German aeceat,
w@rw speedily taken away andaF guard
with their ~aambeFs ap. As the Preach
eommAndant expressed shat awaited
them.
Likens nNsste 20 cyeloae.
On areouat ef cur exceptional ere
denfials We we're able 20 see moFs
artual war than many correspond
ents. who, when sh~y learned that
permits 70 get 70 the frout wers not
forthcoming. vent anyway. usually
falling into the hands " the military
Authorities. Getting arrested has
been the chief business. Of the war
correspondents In thss war. even our
accidental view Of ths nghtinE being
sufficient 10 cause our speedy return
TO Paris under parole
Going over ths hafsiefleid Of the
Marne. We found the battle had fol
lou ed much the same tactics as q cy.
cloae. In that In some places nothing.
not even the haystacRs. had been dis
turbed. While IN Others everything.
the villages. roads and zelda. had been
utterly devastated By shells.
We talked With the Inhabitants of
every village and always heard the
same Et0ry-that during occupation
the Germans had offered little trouble
20 the civilians and had confined their
activities TO looting 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 q church. AT
noon OF the second day We motored
Into n deserted village and were
stopped by sentry. who acknOwi.
edged our credentials. but warned us
n we intended 20 proceed to beware
Of bullets. But there was no hostile
sound 70 alarm m.
As We drove careiessiy over the
brow Of hill where the road dipped
down q valley into the town We we're
I'm direct line with the German flre.
rs great holes In tha ground and fall
en- trees testified.
II IN q wonder our big motor car
was not an immediate mark On the
way ne noticed church steeple shot
completely OF 50, after finding an Inn
where the proprietor came from the
cellar and offered TO guard our car
and prepare luncheon, we decided FIRST
70 examine the church. The inn-keep
er explained that we had come DURING
lulI in the bombardment, but the ri
lent, deserted place lulied all sense Of
danger.
Shell HIts Sanctuary.
The verger showed AZ over thu
church and we were walking through
the ruined nave when suddenly w
heard a sound like the shriIl whistiinl
Of the wind.
1T begins again." our conductor salt
simply.
As the speech ended we heard
loud boom and the sound OF faliinl
masonry as the shell struck the "a
end Of the building.
We hurried TO the hotel, the she'll
screaming overhead. We saw the build
ings tnmbiing into ruins. glass fall
ing Hike fine powder. and remnants o
furniture hanging grotesqnely fror
scraps Of masonry.
All my life | had wondered wha
would be the sensation II ever wa
under fire-would / be afraid +
my intense relief ! suddenly becam
fataIistie. I was under fire with
vengeance. but instead OF being afrai
] kept saying TO myself:
Being afraid won't help matters
besides. nothing viii happen II "
Just keep close to the walls and ava
from the middle OF the streets"
Accusers Taken as Spies.
On the way me wet two men Il
English uniforms. who later d.
n0unced us az spies. We hailed Their
and they replied that they had beel
cut of from their regiment and wer
nov lighting with the French. Jus
as luncheon was announced eight sci
diers filed into the hotel. arrested "a
and marched Us before the command
ant, who saw that our papers weFi
all right, but suggested that on &C
count Of the dangerous position VI
leave as soon as possible. We askes
permission 10 finish cur luncheon
II was lucky that ws were arrsates
thsn-beiore the accusation that vi
were spies-for when that question
arose there was no doubt In the min
OF the commandant concerning aH. .