Evening journal., 1915-06-05
~ WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD


United Press STAFF Correspondent.
(copyright 1915. by the United Press
Copyright in Great Britain)
HEADQUARTERS OF THE BRIT
IsH ARMY. Northern France, April
ss.-(By Mail to New York; This Is
the story Of day at the front In the
new war. The old war days of win
ter and trench life have passed. In
these new war days which began win
the present gigantic battle along the
British line the men dash out oil the
trenches: the German great guns
move along the roads in their terri
tory 10 new spots aud throw shells
into places that we're safe in the WIN
ter time. Sir John French, the Brit
ish feld marshal. has moved his army
outdoors. or at least his soldiers have
moved themselves there. The hours
in the huts. hugging stoves, have end
ed II Is the fields and the sunshine
now that the British soldiers seek,
whether they're playing football or
fighting. In these first days OF early
summer weather the new war has be-
gun Autumn. winter and spring
nave seen iht titaA NpiAh'~Ns ~" -
is summers turn.
One OF Londors most eminent phy-
slcians was my guide; he has given
up his practice and has come over
here to do his share OF Britain's Job
and his share is to run around ana
take care OF sick and injured folks,
whether they're commanders or pri-
Yates. The other member OF our
party was man whose death that
day would have Jared The American
stock market. He isn't here for fun,
either; men don't get into muses. like
this for fun.
II was the new war that caused our
trip: the new and horrible war. pos
sible only when the spring wind
blows in the right direction TO carry
the killing German gases onto the
enemy's trenches. The doctor had
been sent 10 the front 10 investigate
the gas which the Germans had used
only the day before. for the tirst time.
We we're OF bright and early in
the morning Everybody in the Brit
ish army. from Sir John French,
commander-in-chief down. is through
with breakfast by $50.
We whizzed along and then swung
into a road that led us into Belgium
and shortly afterwards we rolled Into
a fair-sized Belgian town. In a street
lay a dead horse; fresh blood was all
around the pavement was torn up:
the street was covered with powdered
glass; Belgian men. women and chill
dren stood about. talking nervously
Some Of them carried packages ol
household goods which seemed "a
have been hurriedly wrapped.
We passed through the streets Il
an army hospital where Canadian.
who had felt the effects Of the Ger
man gas gaspine on their beds II
short breaths, dying of a form o
pneumonia.
please wait in the car while In
gone" said the doctor. Il won't b.
long
He jumped out and slammed tn
door. Our soldier-chanfer got out t.
stretch his legs He talked for a min
ute with some soldiers on the side
walk. Then he opened the door o
the car and said;
"The Germans are shelling thi
place. We got here just In time
They've put twenty shells into It thil
morning
l turned 10 the man whom Wal
Street wouldn't like to have kille'
suddenly and he smiled.
DO you get the feeling?" he aske'
me
Which feeling do you mean?'
asked. I've got lots of them jus
now"
He's been under shell FIRE man,
times; he has been in more place
than one where a shell might hav
fallen; but didn't.
There We sat in the AUTOMOBILE,
waiting just as We might wait at
curhstone In New York or San Fran
cisco.
All about we're stores and churche
and people; We we're in civilization
but a block behind US was a churc
with its spire freshly nicked by
shell and ahead in the street. pc
haps two blocks away. were khaki,
soldiers of General French's arm
gathered around shell hole in Il
pavement.
This village was getting Its hr
touch OF German shells; its fir
knowledge OF the experience whil
has befallen so many hundreds
Belgian and French villages since Il
war began. The villagers took II q
just as any American resident Won
have taken IL If. some forenoon. twel
~ shells had been dropped in or mel
his town II seemed to me that u
villagers had not realized that a va
was on. until they saw the she
holes in their familiar streets an
saw the new scar which. within a
instant's time. had been put on th