Bisbee daily review., 1915-05-27
HUNDREDTH TIME IS
 PONT-A-MOUSSON TO
 BE FORWARDED SOON
This Town in Northwestern France Has Been Sheled Many Times by inc German Forces. Getting Used to It.

mdIly lNIleS Dy tllS uSl tlldll
 Forces. Getting Used to It.
 PONT.A.MOUSSON, May 26.-Pont- A-Mousson is approaching its hun dredth bombardment It has heard the cannon continuously for nine months, been shellcd. intermittently, during the whole of that period. and daily during part Of it; it shows some ugly scars here and there but life goes on as usual The shops are all open and mostly doing a lively trade. Those merchants not serving custom CTS are summing themselves in their doorways. Boys playing marbles on | the Place Drroc stop only Co salute a detachment of infantry marching to take it's position in the Bois Le Pretre. X group of women on the cathedral steps. surrounded by their children, are knitting and chatting calmly. ! Meanwhile the cannon roars to the east toward Nomany to the southeast toward Chateau Salins. Co the north toward Metz, Co the northwest in the Bois Le Pretre and to the west toward l St. Mihiel
 Yesterday eighty shells fell in the town, adding one more to the fresh graves in the cemetery and increasing | the devastation. The villagers have distinguished a new note in the for midable concert playing all about them It is the voice of the big French guns that have commenced pounding the southern forts of the l fortified camp of Metz. They know where they arc but no one mentions the name of the spot for every inhabi- tant of Ponta-Mousson has acquired military discretion.
 Each one in his turn" said a non commissioned officer, dining of a half demolished table in a characteristic old provincial auberge across Che bridge in the suburb of saint Michel Now they are going to get theirs and how they are going to get itI though"
 "Tit for tat" he added. to the land lady coming iu from the kitchen to serve him Through tha door she Cp- Cred the kitchen was seen to be open to the sky Tt doesn't matter a bit when the weather's good" said the landlady. "In fact. that old range seems to work better than ever in the open air, but when t rains it kicks like sixty
 ! The kitchen in question had been visited by 12-inoh shell and all that was left of it was the range and chim- ney. The partitions separating the dining room and abr were riddlCd by l fragments. The bar aself had had ,.a back broken and the tables and chairs were in various stages of demolition.
 What a fright you must have had 5aid the sergeant
 "Yes." replied the simple old lady "I was afraid the range was busted Such is the spirit of these frontier folks who have been bombarded for nine months and have witnessed some of the m0mentOus developments of the gigantic duel between the principal op posing fortresses of Metz and Nerdun. Metz delivered the first blow; Nerdun Is now countering
 The German armies invading France were unable to use their forces to the best advantage over si short front ss the boundary between France and Germany That is one of the reasons given by military experts for the vio- lation of the neutrality of Belgium by Germany. This strategical movement enabled them 10 pivot on Metz and wheel around through Belgium into France over a vast front.
 The German left wing resting on Metz was at once engaged with tha French center resting on Verdun. Tho Grown Princes army coming into France by way of Lonkwy attacked Nerdun on two sides. It succeeded in demolishing Troyon, an interval fort between VordUn and Toul. but the only fort around Verdun they were able to attack was Douaumont. and the French claim not a shcll struck home.
 The bombardment was affected from a sort Of neutral zono to the north which neither side has occupied consisting of two small plateous cail- ed Les Jumelles de Ornes." The Ger mans constructed railroad behind 'thesc plateaus, brought up guns by train fired a few shots. then drew the guns away without waiting for Yer dun to reply The battle of the Marne put an end to this desultory attack and since then the pressure on Yer dun has gradually turned upon Metz students of the military operations declare that the French have been within long range of the sommy and Wagner forts for several weeks and could have attacked them with heavy . artillery at the time they began bom- barding the railroad line at Arnaville. The entire distance between Verdun 8 and Metz Is only 37 miles. It is sup posed that they were waiting for the new heavy English mortars from
 which great things are expected.
 The fortress of Metz. like that Of Nerdn, is surrounded by heights af. iording admirable protection and com manding long distances. of approach- r ing ground In the umo Of the French