The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-04-17
THEORY OF FATALITY
HELD BY FRENCH
Instructive. Belief Brings Sort of Tran
guilty To Many Soldiers and OFF,
cers-"No One Escapes His
Fate" They Say.

Paris, April l7.--''Many of Us. soldiers
and officers" says an officer who has
been at the front since the beginning of
the war, "have faith in a mysterious
power analogous to antique fatality
which disposes of our sort. Those that
it favors we say are sin luck The great
est imprudence does not affect their in
vlIlnera bility. Others seem fated to sac
rifice; il they escape from pitched
battle, spent ball or fragment of
shell will get them the following day,
miles behind the trenches. while they are
in apparent security.
This instructive belief brings Ger.
tain tranquility, not only to those who
think that they are in luck, but to
those also who are in doubt whether
they possess lucky star No one es-
capes his fate they say. If one is
slated for death, what's the good OF tax
ing precautions; the bullet that's intend.
ed Tor me will find me-
Certain cases seem TO bear out this
superstition. One of them was related
by an officer of the general staff, lam,
cool, almost as phlegmstic as an Eng
lishman behind his eyeglasses, and so
careful to eXaggerate nothing that he
seems to contemplate the most tragic
events with the wrong end of his spy.
glass
81 ought to have been killed hun
dred times he told me. AT the moment
of the general mobilization | was in the
staff of the general of division. tn whom
| was personally attached after wears of
very close collaboration he treated mel
somewhat as his personal aiddecamp.
I went everywhere with him. A few
DAYS after the declaration of war he was
Of the death of his wife. whom
knew he adored. He concealed his pain,
but | understood at once that the blow
mad morally crushed him and tina. he
had made up his mind TO get himself
killed. He took me with him where the |
bullets were thickest. The division was
On the eastern frontier. and alongside |
he storms of shrapnel that burst above
Dur heads the German commandments OF
o-day are small incidents. Every other
law We went 10 the first line. and while
he men living around ms fred at the Ger
mans, we remained erect 20 encourage
hem.
"'One afternoon we had passed four
lours under the enemy's shells. From
line 20 time ] said TO myself "ln 10
minutes or even in five minutes perhaps
tn he nv turn" But we were neither
4 us touched. Another day. after
cry violent engagement in which we
isd been obliged TO give way. one Of our
arteries remained stuck between the
wo armies. | proposed To reconnoitre
he position to see II il was possible TO
ring IL back ! intended to 20 alone and
o come back quickly But the general
eclsred he would go along. II was vain
o remark that Il was not his place. he
eplied with some feeling that he had {
o orders TO receive from me.
Everything went well and We reached !
be position Of the battery without any Z
rouble. There remained only two men,
major and a private soldier guarding q
be- battery. firing with all their energy I
, make the enemy believe that the po- ]
tion was still occupied in force. We
loceeded in getting the pieces into shape y
nd dragging them out Of danger. but ]
stead Of following the direct route to- y
ard our lines. the general proposed that I
. make a little detour. I'm order" he ;
10. that the men NAV not have the q
Impression that We are retreatinc" We q
llloWed = route on the side % = hill j
hich during several hundred wards q
used over q space Of absolutely mn- q
,vercd ground between the two firing a
pee. II had been alone 7 should have D
.vered that space 81 double guick. The i
neral. though. declared that this precip n
stion would have prsstluced = had efest ?
pom the trours. - Il was al = walk Q
at We crossed this exposed ground. o. q
ring ourselves 90 targets 30 the Ger q
IN infsntry. II
o. The balls whisfIed around NJ iuces- ~
rtlp-se thicklv thnt the leaves On q
p trees along the route fen as IN an
ltuuu storm- Nefthsr Of us received II
scrsteh. usIthsr werr our h0rses n
ucl,ed. ! askrd the general 81 b. DID q
4 think u marvellous fist ~ should .
w. psssr8 uuseatisa8 through this storm :
huiipts Hs shsok be head saHiv nnd
a. ~Tfr tiulirts Don't srefn - usut 4
As fdr No. sinet that trinI there /.
nrfhiug fitat surT1Tises NJ. } sfnrerfiv
n. A