The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1915-07-22
(BY WILLIAM PHILIP slMMs).
Omitted Press Correspondent.)

June zo.-lBy mail to New fOrkj.-
Any day the French select they can
shell the very heart OF Metz into a
rubbish heap. And if they have thus
far refrained from doing so. ii is
because they do not care to pound
town or city to pieces without either
rhyme or reason.
l myself have seen Metz. saw the
tragic city of Lorraine, the city which
Marshal Bazaine so strangely surren-
dered to the Prussians in 1870, from
the crest of $50 foot hill, a part of
the present French battle line.
Through glasses the famous Fifteenth
century cathedral. as well as the
other houses of the city. were plainly,
visible, for the day was fairly clear
and the mighty fortress was but some
fourteen miles away.
Fourteen miles are short distance
in this day of big, long range ho-
witzers. and the French are amply
provided with artillery capable of
considerable greater distance than
that.
After the Germans had deliberately
dropped shells of great calibre into
Dunkirk shooting from behind their
lines some twenty-five or thirty miles
away and killing many non-combat-
ants, the French fired few shells
not upon Metz. the city. but the forts
of Metz, just by way of saying:
I'VE. too. can indulge in long dis
tance artillery practice if we care to.
However. we refuse to endanger the
lives of civilians uselessly."
from a thickiy beposied valley Of
French Lorraine. literally knee deep
in buttercups and black-eyed susies,
we began to climb to the sumit Of
this mountainette, which rises abrupt
ly from the plain and does not stop
until its head is far above the sur
rounding country side. Now and then
practically every day-shells follow
its contour a hundred feet or SO
above the surface TO drop into the
town Of Font-a-Moussen. now on its
way to. its two huDdredth lombard
ment by the Germans since the com
mencement OF the war. Its slopes
are under cultivation even now and
as we toiled upwards we passed an
old man and a woman. probably his
daughter or daughter-in-law thus-
bands in the army, Of course) TAX
ing care Of the grape vines which are
to yield, German shells permitting.
their quota of the lovely pinkish and
most palatabie liquid. the rose wine
OF Lorraine"
At the top of the hill is a cluster
of houses dating perhaps from the
Sixteenth or Seventeenth century.
One would say some former Lord Of
Lorraine had had his castle strong
hold there and the houses remaining
were those of his dependents and his
men OF war. Through bayou or
trench, we gained what was left Of a
tiny chapel. the stained glass windows
reduced to powder. the place total
wreck. 1t. like everything else in the
neighborhood, has caught its share Of
shells.
Through the blue haze which grew
denser and denser the farther one
lifted ones eyes over the succeeding
ranges OF hills bordering the valley
of the Moselle, Metz appeared like a
magic city of some fairy tale. To the
left the Gothic towers of the cathe-
draI sprang into the circle formed by
the lenses Of the field glasses. To
the right were the spires Of another
house of God. Between were masses
of houses. quite distinct yet appear
ing utterly unreal. The city seemed
to repose upon purple clouds and
purple veil seemed spread upon 1t.
One had the distinct impression that
If one shut ones eyes for moment
the magic vision would fade away.
Turning for a moment to ask a
question OF the officers about me, ]
saw, or fancied / saw. on the face, OF
each an expression of grim determin-
alton. gazafne gave away Metz and
its 100000 valiant defenders to the
Prussians in 1870; Metz considered an
impregnable fortress; Metz-often spo-
ken of as the "gun pointing to the
heart OF France" These soldiers.
among whom stood. thrilled one
with the feeling that one day they
would take Metz back.
Metz is situated at the junction Of
the Moselle and the selle. 1t has
about $4,000 inhabitants and is sur