Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1915-01-22
Count de Beaufort Describes
Trip Along the Battle Line
in West Flanders.
HIGH PRAISE FOR BELGIANS
Courteous and HospitabIe and VIII Do
Anything for the English-Com-
fort in the Trenches-Germans
Reply in Kind to Belgian
Fire.
BY COUNT M. DE BEAUFORT.


trenches along the User was asked by
one of his colleagues, whom he met
on the road from Newport to Fumes
bow things were going in front. ooh"
he replied, "all right, but it isn't ex-
actly picnic, you know" That is ex-
actly the answer / felt like giving
today when I returned from few
days gypsying in West Flanders. 1t
is difficult to know where to start in
relating my impressions. 1t seems as
II for four days have sat in huge
moving picture theater and watched
enc film after another being reeled off,
at the same time listening to an ex-
sremely eloquent lecturer
How and why was able to wander
from village to trench, and from
french to village, or whatever is left
ST them, is story which, perhaps,
with many others, will be told later
after the war. They are a courteous.
spen-hearted, hespitable lot, these Bel
sians, and anybody who seems to be
English, either in appearance or &C
Cent, can have anything they own
"Ah, England" l 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.
cot to appearance).
The most interesting place in the
line along the User these days has
been the village of Styuvekenskerke.
It lies on the left bank of the User.
The main road from Dixmude to Per-
vyse runs about half mile to the
west of it, and the railroad about an
cther 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
of the river. Promptly the village was
"retaken" by the Belgians. But of
What use is a practically RACED village
anyhow? 1t would have taken great
aumber Of extra men to guard it at
night against surprise attacks, so the
gHicer in charge retired at sunset into
his own lines along the railroad.
Enjoy temporary ArmIstice.
On Wednesday morning the Ger
mans we're occupying the village again
for the day, but this afternoon the
Eelgians might have had their tea
there but for the sudden interruption
OF business of the only patisserie. The
English sign, "Tea served at all hours"
was still intact. We took it down, and
and now it is heading the entrance
60 one of the sleeping trenches mile
back. At certain points around this
village the advance lines are not fur
tier than 1000 feet from each other,
and | have seen soldiers on both sides
walk about unconcerned without a
shot being fired on either side. But
In the distance, one hears from time
10 time the roar of the guns.
My wanderings landed me near a
lonely Belgian field gun, one of the
f75's," in the neighborhood of Per-
vyse. l knew the officer in charge,
and was promptly invited to stay, and
take pot luck, an invitation which,
needless to say, accepted. Somehow
dne seems to be always hungry, yet
tine eats more and oftener than at
any other time. His underground
dwelling had been made quite habit
able. He insisted that l should take
the "fauteuil' in the shape of the only
aoaphon present, while he balanced
himself on a one-legged piano stool.
Our meal was simple enough, but
plentiful Dry biscuits, sardines, ap-
ples and cold coffee. Fires of any
sort, either inside or outside, are strict-
~ forbidden in the lines A smoking
chimney is asking for shrapnel. Quite
an amusing incident took place here.
The lieutenant told me during lunch
con that every time he fired a shot,
the Germans answered him in kind; IL
he sent shrapnel, they promptly
cent a shrapnel back; when he fired
shell, shell whistled back After
luncheon he illustrated his story, and
indeed the Germans seemed to be Ia
and a shell in turn; few minutes
later shrapnel and she'll whistled
back over our heads.
I asked for the commandant, and
expected to find him also in one of the
underground dwellings, but 1 was
directed to one of the houses on the
outskirts of the village. His offices
ehere?" asked, looking at the remains
Of what had been a little villa. Ger
tainly, monsieur. Follow me-" said the
little soldier.
Ruins Everywhere.
On all sides we were surrounded nv
blackened bricks and burnt wood, fail.
en- walls, and broken furniture Finally
we arrived near cellar door and the
mystery was soon solved The com