The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-09-29

absorbing interest in the awful con-
flc' waginS in Europe. BY far the
oest medium for war news is The
New York Herald. and if any d
OF this article wish to keep better
posted than they can be by reading
the associated Press news alone. from
DAY 70 day. II would pay them to take
the Herald. Foreign news was al
ways the specially of James Gordon
Bennett 5 paper and il is maintaining
ats excellence during this war, when
news is so difficult TO secure. The
Herald contains a daily map Of the
position OF the contending armies on
European soil. and a great many OF
the war maps in local papers through
out the country are reproductions of
the Herald's map which is made in
the office every night concurrently
with the news which flashes in over
the wires. In addition to this fea-
ture, there is a daily critique of the
wal situation given by an eX-military
Officer Of the T.. S. Army which is
unusually clear and gives one an in
sight into the strategy of the armies
OF the Germans and the allies. One
can easily guess that this study of
strategy is made by a former soldier
IN the Civil War of our own country,
a he so frequently compares
the situations in Europe to those
IN Ooh pace OuIl1lS the war De-
tween the States. These comparisons
are often very striking. l notice the
IDEAS or this critique of the Herald
reproduced or worked over several
days later in a good many of the
other paper of the country. Besides
this. the Herald has a great deal of
original news from the field, and it
frequently copies the best obtainable
pictures OF war scenes.
| noticed "a statement in the papers
the other day to the effect that the
l4-inch siege gun used by the Ger
mans, and which surprised the mill
tary world, inasmuch as its existence
MAO been kept a secret, was the in
vention of DR.. Louis Gathmann, of
Chicago, and that it had been first
offered to the American Government
n refused after tests which seemed
10 prove it unsatisfactory. 1t appears.
however, that the Germans could not
pass by the forts of Liege until they
brought these guns up, which took
them more than a week. The DELAY
doubtless saved Paris, as the BelgianS
were thus able to delay the Germans
ana give the allies time to mobilize.
The first shell that was fired at the
seemingly impregnable Liege forts
penetrated very thick Instructions.
-t hllICo - HIoI, III.
Gathmann has been in to see the Sec
rotary OF the Navy several times dur
ing the past year and a half to con-
suit In regard to inventions of his. He
sits in our office very quietly and pa
tlently until his time comes to enter.
Ii the story is true that the great new
siege gun is his invention, his name
Will doubtless go down in history
alongside that of Maxim and Calling.
or curse one should not form opin-
IONS at present as a result of the
stories OF cruelty which come to us
from the field on the part of various
or the nations involved. Some OF
us who have been abroad, how
ever, feel a keen regret when we hear
oil the destruction which has been
wrought at such historic cities as
LouValn and Rheims. When one com
pares the stories of destruction at
l-ouvaln n other places with the oc-
cupatio by American troops of Vera
cruz, ne cannon but feel a sense Of
Sratlncation that under the leadership
OF Admiral Fletcher and Admiral
Badger our navy's officers and men
maintained such splendid forbearance
even when Shippers" were shooting at
our brave men from windows and
nouse-tops. A most relentless inyes-
tlSation OF an alleged order by a lien
tenant In the navy to apply the .ley
de fuga to captive Mexicans showed
that there was not a scintilla of trutb
in n charges. If we put ourselves
IN the other fellows place.. we can
realize the temptation Of a patriotic
citizen of any country to go too far
in an effort to repel the invasion,
When the history of the landing at
Vera Cruz is finally written, it will
develop a superb story of f%orbearance
and self-restraint on the part Of the
American forces.
Every true American heart must
.nriil over The account of f. A. Pow
els Journey from Antwerp to Bruss-
sells through Belgian and German
mes WITH dispatches for L. S.. Min
lister Brant WhitlOck. Said he:
FROM Louvain to Brussels our car
with its huttering flags passed be
tween lines OF cheering people all the
way. Men stood with uncovered heads
as they saw the Stars and Stripef
whirl by. women waved their han6