The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1915-01-22
Count de Beaufort Describes
Trip Along the Battle Line
in West Flanders.
HIGH PRAISE FOR BELc'AHs
Courteous and Hospitabie and VIII %
Anything for the EnsIish-com.
fort In the rsnehes-Germans
Reply IN Kind to Belgian
Fire.
sy COUNT N. De BEAUFORT.


Ing with his men from a week In the
trenches along the User was asked oy
one Of his colleagues, whom he met
ON the road from Newport TO Fumes
how things were going In front. "Oh.
he replied. all right. but II isn't ex.
actly q picnic. you know" That is ex-
actly the answer felt like giving
today when I returned from a few
days gypsying In West Flanders II
Ia difficult to know where TO start In
relating my impressions. II seems as
II for four days have sat In huge
moving picture theater and watched
one Aim after another being reeled on.
at the same time listening to an ex.
tremely eloquent lecturer.
How and why was able to wander
from village to trench. and from
trench to village, or whatever IL left
Of them. is q story which. perhaps,
with many others. will be told later
after the war. They are a courteous.
open hearted. hospitable lot. these Bel
sians and anybody who seems to be
English. either In appearance or &C.
cent. can have anything they own
"Ab. England" ! hear from all sides
why they have certainly stood by us
Les Anglais sons, chic" ("chic" In this
sense OF the word refers to character,
not TO appearance).
The most interesting place in the
line along the User these days has
been the village OF Styuvekenskerke
II lies on the left bank OF the User.
The main road from Dixmude to Per.
vyse runs about half a mile to the
west Of II. and the railroad about an.
other half mile farther. Both lines
are held by the Belgians. On Tuesday
morning some Of our advanced patrols
ventured close to the village. and not
seeing any life there, went In. The
Germans had retired to the other side
Of the river Promptly the village was
"retaken" by the Belgians, But Of
what use is . practically RACED village
anyhow? II would have taken a great
number Of extra men to guard II at
night against surprise attacks, SO the
oficer In charge retired ut sunset into
his own lines along the railroad
Enjoy Temporary Arnistiee.
On Wednesday morning the Ger.
mans were occupying the village again
for the day. but this afternoon the
Belglans might have had their ten
there but for the sudden interruption
Of business OF the only patisserie. The
English sign. Tea served at all hours"
was stili intact. We took II down. and
and now II 10 heading the entrance
TO one Of the sleeping trenches a mile
hack. Al certain points around this
village the advance lines are not fur.
ther than 1900 feet from each other.
and ! have seen soldiers on both sides
walk about unconcerned without .
shot being fred on either side. But
In the distance, one hears from time
10 time the roar OF the guns.
My wanderinEs landed me near y
lonely Belgian field gun. one OF the
''7S's." In the neighborhood OF Per.
vyse. I knew the ofiicer In charge.
and WAS promptly invited 10 stay. and
take pot luck. an Invitation which.
needless 10 say. I accepted. Somehow
one seems to be always hungry. yet
one eats moro and oftener than at
any other time. His underground
dwelling had been made quite habit.
able. lie insisted that I should take
the "fauteuil" In the shape Of the only
soaphon present. while he balanced
himself on = one-legsed piano stool
Our meal Was simple enough. but
plentiful Dry biscuits, sardines, ap
pies and cold coffee. Fires Of any
sort. either inside or outside. are strict.
iy forbidden In the lines A smoking
chimney In asking for shrapnei Quite
an amusing incident took place here
The lieutenant told me during lunch.
con that every time he fired q shot.
ths Germans answered him In kind: n
he sent n shrapnel. they promptly
sent a shrApnel hack: when he fred
= shell. . shell whistied back. After
luncheon he illustrated his story. ana
indeed the Germans seemed In b. Ia
n Joking mood He fired q shrapnel
and a shell In turn: few minutes
later u shrnpnel and q shell ~histled
back over our heads.
asked for tho eommandant. and
expected 10 ind him also In one Of the
underground dwellings. but was
directed 10 one Of the houses on the
outskirts OF the village. Ills ofiicss
there1" I asked, looking nj the remains
Of what had been = littie villa. Ger
tainiy. monsieur. Follow me-" said the