New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-25


Just been assigned. ard, therefore, an
important personality until ! had been
pumped dry" of all the news from the
capital, ! sat on a pile OF -four sacks
munching what several weeks ago must
have been n piece of bread and listen
ing 10 a British lieutenant. who swore
that Admiral Won Tirpitz had at last
found the means Of doing away with
England According TO the officer, old
won "Trip" had discovered that Eng
land, being an island and connected TO
the mainland by half a dozen telegraph
cables. it would only be necessary to
cut these and England, as well as King
George, Kitchener and few million
troublesome lesser lights would sink
TO the bottom Of the Atlantic.
This Won Tirpitz is a 'bally' old
chan" added the lieutenant. Not know
ing whether the adjective was one OF
disdain or admiration, | simply opined
that the admiral was "A hot potato,
ali right. all right" and this bit Of
Amcricanism was also lost, it seems.
The British lieutenant, in spite OF his
story telling abilities, is friend OF
p,;ne no longer. however, for IL was he
who placed me i'm as nasty predica-
mont as | have been in during the last
fve months. He had just finished the
Won Tirpitz tale when a dozen leather
clad officers French and English
rushed out of a nearby farmhouse, iol-
loved nv a score Of soldiers hurriedly
adjusting goggles. A few RODS down
tho road six armored motor cars we're
waiting. and a minute later five motors
r,ore buuming. while four men besides
tho driver piled in each car, disap-
nearing through the little doors cut IN
The rear Immediately under the Max
inns. which peeped out few inches
from the half-inch steel plating.
The sixth car stood motionless, and
a British captain hailed the lieutenant
az nv side. "Here, lieutenant, you
take the last car Hatton is down
with fever. You drive, don't you
And without waiting for the answer
tho captain crawled into his steel cage,
slammed the door after him and was
The lieutenant looked sheep!sh. then
svore. He had never driven car and
didn't know the difference between
change of speed and brake levers. Still
his orders we're formal and he turned
10 me. An hour before ! had LETT my
old Clement -Bayard after l25 miles OF
the worst roads in France, mud nearly
I'M 10 the radiator, and an impromptu
ecurrv in a 4O-horsepower armored
Mercedes taken from the Germans and
reftteG on very vague mission failed
70 appeal to me, but the lleuten-
ant looked so downcast and spoke so
nathetically of ruined chances, spoiled
career. etc, that | gave in, squeezed
through the door, followed by the now
oIated officer and two "Tommles' TO
work the Maxims. and glancing through
the slit over the steering wheel, start
ed off with a jerk after the other five
cars. now gray specks on the long
stretch of road ahead.
German Armored Cars Play Havoc.
Between iolts I listened to the lieu
tenants explanation. II seemed that
German armored cars were playing
havoc in half a dozen villages north
of us, between La Bassee and Armen-
there's. making their raids at most un-
expected hours, working their quick
frers, two to each car, against every
living thing in stockholders, lnhaol-
tants and even cattle. One OF them
the other day had bumped at full speed
against a chain drawn tight across the
road and another junk pile had been
added to the many lining the roads IN
this region. But those left were holder
than ever, raiding villages fifteen miles
out of their lines, and as they had
been reported leaving Lille by one OF
our aviators we were going after them.
I was up against it most earnestly.
That habit of mine of butting into
others affairs under the pretence of
obliging them had once more played
me a nasty trick. | increased the
speed. hoping to get abreast OF the
other cars. be seen by some officer and
ordered off But no such luck befell
me.
That Mercedes was a good car, but
queer one. Imagine an oblong steer
box, roofess, placed on a chassis; the
sides high as a mans head standing,
the front sloping backward over the
drivers head. A long horizontal slip,
narrowed or widened at will, running
around the front, back and sides and
YOU have il. The sides of the box were
half an inch thick and the motor hood
was covered by a steel blanket OF SINH
lar weight, and which, curving down
ward in front, protected the radiator.
Two Maxims, mounted on pivots fxed
70 the bottom of the car, could sweep
the road from the back or sides at all
angles. and were the only firearms be,
sides the mems rifles, and as we raced
over the rough cobbles, jumping IN and
out of mud holes and ruts, the roar OF
the powerful motor was lost IN the
awful din of banging metal, as II
thousand tin cans were dancing mad
jig behind US.
One of the soldiers, leaning over my
shoulder. shouted in my ear that ne
thought "the hind left tire, sir, was
bit worn, and going as we are, sir
should it blow up we might be de-
layed!" -, =,
DELAYED! Heavens. man. we'd break
our blooming necks!" | shouted back.
The lieutenant wouldn't stop to change,
however, and tried to console me by
pointing TO a Golfer under MS feet,
shrieking: "a surprise for them! Hand
grenades!"
BY the smile on his face | saw ne
expected me to be pleased, so | smiled
in a sickly way and tried TO slow down,
but nv torturer glanced reproacn
fully at me. and certain that my friends
would speak we'll of me when they
heard the fatal news, | rushed on
again, ewes on the road, but my mind
busy with that combination OF weaS
back tire and the boxful OF oomos
under my neighbor's feet.
Captain Gives Instructions.
Five miles further on We all stopped
and a French captain, chart in hand
gave instructions. Ours and another
car took the first road eastward tow,
ard Lille, while the others continued
northward, separating later in different
directions. Evidently the captain mad
his plan. We went at a snalls pace