The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-01-23
Count de Beaufort Describes
Trip Along the Battle Line
in West Flanders.
HIGH PRAISE FOR BELGlANS
Courteous and Hospltable and Will Do
ANYTHING for the EngIish-com-
fort In the Trenches-Germans
Reply in Kind to Belgian
Fire,
sy COUNT M. DE BEAUFORT.
international News service)

international News SerNlceJ
Belgium.-A Belgian officer return
ng with his men from a week In the
trenches along the User was asked oy |
,ne of his colleagues, whom he met
IN the road from Newport to Furnes.
low things were going in front. "oh,
ae replied, "all right, but it isn't ex-
ictly a picnic, you know" That is ex-
actly the answer l felt like giving
today when | returned from lie"
laws gypsying in West Flanders. IL
s difficult to know where to start III
relating my impressions. 1t seems as
Z for four days ! have sat in a huge
moving picture theater and watched
one film after another being reeled on
1t the same time listening to an ex'
remedy eloquent lecturer.
How and why I was able to wander
rom village to trench, and from
trench to village, or whatever is LETT
Of them, is a story which, perhaps
with many others, will be told later
after the war. They are a courteous,
open-hearted. hospitable lot, these Bel
CLANS, and anybody who seems to be
English, either in appearance or &C
cent, can have anything they own.
"Ah, 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
Il lies on the left bank of the Yser
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 Tuesda!
morning some of our advanced patrol!
yentured close to the village, and no
seeing any life there, went In. Tit
Germans had retired to the other sid'
Of the river. Promptly the village wa
"retaken" by the Belgians. But o
what use is a practically RACED villag'
anyhow? It would have taken a grea
number Of extra men to guard 1t
night against surprise attacks, so tn
officer in charge retired at sunset int
his own lines along the railroad.
Enjoy Temporary Armistiee.
On Wednesday morning the Gel
mans were occupying the village agail
for the day, but this afternoon tn
Belgians might have had their te
there but for the sudden interruption
of business Of the only patisserie. TIL
English sign, "Tea served at all hours,
was still intact. We took 1t down, an
and now II Is heading the entranc
to one Of the sleeping trenches a mil
back. At certain points around TIL
village the advance lines are not flu
Their than 1900 feet from each othe
and I have seen soldiers on both side
walk about unconcerned without
shot being fired on either side. 81
In the distance, one hears from tin
to time the roar of the guns.
Ny wanderings landed me near
lonely Belgian field gun, one of Il
"75's," in the neighborhood Of Pc
i
and was promptly invited to stay, al
take pot luck, an invitation whic
needless to say. accepted. Somehc
one seems to be always hungry, y
one eats more and oftener than
any other time. His undergrou
dwelling had been made quite hat
able. He insisted that I should ia
the "fauteuil" in the shape of the or
soaphon present, while he balanc
himself on one-legged piano stool
Our meal was simple enough.
plentiful. Dry biscuits, sardines,
pies and cold coffee. Fires Of a
sort, either inside or outside, are STIR
" forbidden in the lines. A smoki
chimney is asking for shrapnel. Gu
an amusing incident took place he
The lieutenant told me during lun
con that every time he fired a sh
the Germans answered him in kind;
he sent q shrapnel. they promp
sent a shrapnel back; when he fiji
a shell, q shell whistled back. Al
luncheon he illustrated his story, q
indeed the Germans seemed to be
a Joking mood. He fired a shrap
and a shell in turn; a few minu
later a shrapnel and a shell whist
back over our heads.
I asked for the commandant, 9
expected to find him also in one of
underground dwellings, but '
directed to one of the houses on
outskirts of the village. His Off
there?" l asked, looking at the rema
OF what had been a little villa. &C
tainly, monsieur. Follow me-" said
little soldier.
Ruins Everywhere.
On all sides we were surrounded
blackened bricks and burnt wood, (
en- walls, and broken furniture. Fina
we arrived near a cellar door and
mystery was soon solved. The CT
mandant met me with all the &C