Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-09-24
Flew Far Across German
Lines and Located Their
Masked Batteries
THE ALLIES CHARGES
BRAVELY RESISTED
Utmost Secrecy Maintained -
No One Knows What the
Others Are Doing
(By William Philip sims.l

Paris, Sept. 24.-Even the French
generals are ignorant of conditions
along their fighting front except at the
points for which they are personally re-
sponsible.
| have just returned from the line of
the Gallic left in the vicinity of Sois
sons, where the allies are slowly but
surely driving the Germans under Gen.
eral Won Kluk back upon his main sup
ports.
The commanding general am for.
hidden to name him--was eager to
know what was happening elsewhere.
lie grabbed quickly at the newspapers
tor week back and read the official
- eOmmuniques with intense interest.
The generals, the soldiers, the people
themselves are in the dark concerning
the situation as whole, the govern
ment being determined to maintain the
stficfest- secrecy lest. through some
leak, the enemy secure information bv
which he may profit.
l was in SOissOns a week ago, when
the allies and the Germans were fight
ing for possession Of it. Now the
French hold it.
The German artillery is mounted on
ridge extending northward from the
city, For eight days it has maintained
this position. 1t alternately shells the
city itself and the French positions to
the southwark.
A Duel in the Air.
| witnessed a duel between a French
aviator and the artillery posted on this
ridge.
The airman had been ordered to as.
cend, with an officer, to determine the
exact positions Of the German guns.
watched him through pair of binocu.
lars.
He maneuyers recklessly despite the
shells which burst near his machine
Suddenly he would surge directly up.
ward. Then, describing a giant spiral
he would drop far down. Always his
movements were 50 timed as to spoil
the Germans aim.
Braving death in this way, he flew
far across the German lines, finally dis
covering the kaiser s artillery posted in
practically impregnable position in a
rock quarry, with guns masked and
mounted so as to command the allies =
entire position.
Having returned and made this re.
port, the aviator assembled again and
braved the shells afresh while giving
their range to the French artilerymen.
who had mounted their three.inch guns
advantageously.
They showered the Germans with ex-
plosive shells and shrapnel until the lat.
ter were compelled to slacken their fire
but they did not abandon their posi-
tion.
Scarcely a house in scissors is un.
scathed. The Cathedral Of Notre Dame
is badly shattered. Its windows are
all broken and there is big hole in
the roof.
Hiding in Cella--.
The streets are deserted The city S
inhabitants are all hiding in their eel
lars.
Shrapnel drops everywhere.
Nobody darcs to attempt to cross the
battered bridge which spans the Aisne.
AS soon as a single person appears the
Germans begin firing and they have
/ the range exactly.
The French troops have no doubt of
the result here They declare the Ger.
mans are already retiring.
Though the FrancO-British left con.
tinued today its turning movement
against the German right northeast of
Paris, all efforts to drive the kaiser S
troops from their entertainments be-
tween the Disc and the Aisne had fail
ed, the Bordeaux war office announced
at this afternoon.
despite violent attacks by the al.
lies," said the statement, "the Ger
mans have been able to retain these
strongly entrenched positions. The al
lies assaults on them continue violent
| ly.
"Along the heights of the Meuse also
the fighting is severe.''
In the Oise -Aisne region it was said
much of the fighting was with the bay
onet, the Germans resisting the allies
charges CALAMITY.
The allies left, between the Disc and
the Somme, continued to repel the teu
tons, it was stated, and towards ReyC
the allied forces had advanced some
what, a detachment having occupied
4 Peronne.
It's awfully hard for some of US tC
/ 4 4 4 l.