The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-06-07

then please be so for the sake of my
| men, for need them all. I hope
you will have nothing to fear, but l
\ warn you when you get to Arras this
| afternoon not to gather in groups in
| front of the depot. for this place can
| he plainly seen and shelled from the
! German position.
| From headqua rters We drove to the
forest of Rouvigny. so often mentioned
! in the communIues. which is situated
near the main road between Rethune and
Arras From the heights here YOU had
| Il snl-ndid view Of the battlehelds. In
clear weather YOU may see Lille. and
You suspect the location of Ipres and
fall the famous old Flemish industrial
towns now in German possession. 1t is
the immense battlefield. the center Of
y hich is Lens and which stretches from
| La Ba ssee To- ArraS Not far from us We
see the column erected in memory of the
victory Of Condo on August 10. 164|. For
! centuries battles have been fought on
this platean. whirh has been drenched
with human blood.
All Looks Peaceful.
Though the ririnG line quite close
and we looked for miles across the fertile
pain. furruwed with trenches. every
thing seemed quite peaceful. Blue smoke
was curling skyward from group Of
small! cottages and the silence was bro
ken only by the booming Of heavy guns.
which was repeated hundred times by
the echo until it sounded like distant
thunder
You quickly learn to distinguish the
French guns. especially the sharp and
high tone Of the famous as. from the
deep growing Of the German guns. The
shots are fired regularly as if timed by
| watch.
''.Nbovc our heads hung two captive bal
looms Hk" an enormous pair Of yellow
sauS4S"<. Underneath each was a small II
basket In one sat = French and in the
other German officer Of artillery. Their
task is I" locate tn" enemys heavy guns
and notify the batteries whose firing they
direct by telephone. Through Your field
glass you could plainly see the telephone
wire leading 10 the ground.
Here We heard the rattlnC Of the
mtraiIeuses the inst time. II sounded
| like hail on tin roof. hut oCca sionally
there was a pause as when a Telegraph
! operator sometimes stops working his
! KEY
"T.isten" said the officer who ac-
Companied us. now they are teIe Gra PHI
: ing And h" explained how well
! placed mitraiIleus" may communicate
with the heavy guns ny a certain code
of sounds and indicate how the guns
! should he aimed.
Heard German Wires.
"A few days previous h" had heard
the machine guns OF the Germans
signalling and Immediately afterwards
two shells exploded near his battery.
"'Thn third shot. he said to his men.
must he meant for us He ordered the
batteries moved two hundred meters
ahead and all afternoon the Germans
bonn Ia rded the deserted position with
admirable precision.
"From the Bots de Rouvicry. whore
shells are continually falling and eNrlod-
ing among the trees. comes d strange
procession. They look like shape less
giants The lower part Of their bodies
pre- Walking Jumps OF clay. the legs to
tho hips resemble fence posts. pulled
orIl of sticky mud. But above TINS VOL
the upper half of human h"tn-
that appears tn have gone back 10 ~ 'r.-
Iti,e life The packs on their backs
forms shapelcss humps.
AS the procession comes n"ar". We
ear make ont individuals in who's" eyes
hUin IA hr~ like that saw in the
eyes Of Gen. Maud huy. They are all SOL
di",s from Southern France and though
tagged out with lack Of sleep and al
mos: "Nhausted they find time to crack
yoke and thank us for the cigarettes
We Offer them.