The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-04-28
BATTLE OF NEUVE
. CHAPELLE TO FIND
PLACE IN HISTORY
Mystery is tn. rs x Will Fight TO,
Such Place as 1..1c, y by Enc
lish-1s Desolatio.. Soc> y
PAYS FOR ITS NICHE IN Ann.
Shells Have Churned Buildings,
Streets and Even Graveyard
Trenches Replace Highways.

OtIttLS anu GVcu UTaVeyaTQ-
Trenches Replace Highways.
BY WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD
UNITED Press staff Correspondent)
Copyright, 1915, by United Press)
Copyright in Great Brittany
With the British army in Northern
France, April 16.-(By mail to New
York 1.-THE road to Neuve Chapelle
England's newest possession, is sunk
en-; it's the road of the trenches. As
soon as you enter the trench of the
British army before Neuve Chapelle
you don't leave the shelter of tren-
ches until you're in the town and
when you're in the town you don't
leave it either. Neuve Chapelle is
blown to pieces. It's earth and streets,
even it's graveyard, has been churned
by shells.
From zig-Zag trench you get your
first view of it; it is desolation ITSELF
The mystery is that men will fight
for such place, but the battle of
Neuve Chapelle is already finding it's
place In history as tremendous
achievement of an English general
The quiet little French village that
has never before been noticed, pays
for it's niche in the annals of human
affairs.
Held On For Months.
You're plodding along the trench.
"Digby Macdonald" calls the colonel,
who is guiding you as he stops be-
fore a cloth that seems to be hung
like wall paper on treach. The cloth
moves; moment later you're being
introduced to an English colonel.
Digby Macdonald helped tomake these
trenches; he came here first with his
men during the days when the Ger
mans were sweeping Calaisward
when he had to order his men to a
ditch besides the LaBassee road.
Here's the La Bassee road, and here's
Digby Macdonald, and his men in the
sa1Ae old spot The molehs passed
since last October and this little
bunch of men held on; across the
road the Germans held on, too Night
and day, night and day, for hundreds
Of days they were deadlocked.
See Neuve Chapelle.
Look over the trench, there's
Neuve Chapelle," says Digby Mac
Donald. You hesitate about raising
your head. 'It's all right" he says.
"The German trench is right over
there between us and the village, but
it's clear Of Germans now and the
German trenches are 200 yards be-
hind the town." This is your first
clear glimpse of Neuve Chapelle
You're really in it's outskirts. 1t is
only on the other side from you and
an eighth of mile away and across
the meadows you see a man strOlling
toward you, dressed in khaki, inspect.
ing telephone posts, apparently
You're standing on an elevated road.
way, behind a shelter of sandbags
and the meadow line below you.
Bullets Come Close.
1T was from these trenches be-
side the roadway that our men rush.
ed over the road into the meadow and
against those German trenches in the
BATTLE" explained one of the Off
GERS. Behind them were the re-
serves. They came piling over this
road by the thousands. While he i!
talking the khaki person in thu
meadow is cooling strolling arount
and whistling. So are rifle bullets
now and then. Some are uncomfort
ably close; they are spent bullets
and they are noiser than the bullets
newly sent. All this time German
and English shells have been in tn.
pathway A whine came near to u!
on our right and a hundred yards
away shell exploded and threw III
a huge cloud of earth, topped b!
smoke. On our right, five minutes
later another shell fell, but furthe
distant. Five of them came within
fifteen minutes. We took the tren
ches and advanced to Neuve Chapelle
While you're in the town you can
see it. Your whole world is the wal
Of the trenches.
The night is without sound saw
for a muttered oath when someon
slips in the mud and the noise of tn
rifles. 1t seems like hunting part
or as if you were behind the. scene
at theatrical performance. You fee
pretty safe. You have already for
gotten the graves back there.
The Presbyterian Ladies' Aid Sc
ciety will meet tomorrow afternoo