The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-01-07
WAR ECHOES

New York Times: The authentic ac-
count derived at first hand from the Ger
man commandant of batteries which
shelled Rheims. of the bombardment of
the famous cathedral, contributed by a
staff correspondent of The Times this
morning, is the most direct and coherent
statement of that incident, from the Ger
man point of view, yet published. 1t
seems that the officers interviewed by
our correspondent is known among his
comrades as 1.-THE friend of the cathedral"
and, in spite of all reports to the con-
trary, he is convinced that it has not
been destroyed or irreparably damaged A
French observer was discovered through
the glasses, on the tower of the cathedral
September 49, and In the next five days
the fire of the French batteries was 'un-
comfortably accurate although only
COW was killed within the German lines.
Two shots were aimed at the cathedral
by the Germans on the 18th, land only
two" One struck the top of the observa-
ton tower, the other set the roof afire
This is the German testimony, the direct
statement of the artillerymen employed in
the task, Of the bombardment of the ca
thedral of Rheims. 1t is worth having.
There are many details in our corre-
spondent's graphic narrative of the Ger
man proceedings before Rheims, but the
most important fact conveyed is that the
German soldiers desired to spare the ca
thedral delayed, for that reason, their
attempt to dislodge the observer on the
tower for five days, and then used their
guns upon it so sparingly that they are
firmly convinced the cathedral has been
spared Other tales of the bombardment
from other sources are extant. When the
history of this war comes to be written
diligent and impartial use must be made
of the statements of both sides. The in
stallment of current history dated with
the German army before Rheims which
we publish this morning may prove to be
of much value as evidence. 1t is GER
tainly an uncommonly interesting descrip-
ton of the behavior of German troops at
the front, their imperturable good humor,
their confidence, and their unfailing ap-
petites.
Arno Bosch in the Worlds Work: La
Panne, the little seaside village, built
for summer gayety, had more of the TO-
nance of war in it than any place 1 have
seen.
The half dozen summer hotels and all
tho villas were filed with the mothers.
wives and children Of the Belgian soldiers
whose firing line I had just left. Their
homes had been in Brussels, Antwerp,
Client Now they were in the last little
town in Belgium. To some their soldiers
had already returned, and they were din
out a reasonable likelihood of being killed.
At the doors Of the hotels and on the
street were many others waiting. and.
as the street had filled up with another
French artillery division bivouacked for
few hours, they could not see their men
folk until they were close at hand. Now
and then as we passed we could hear little
gasps of happiness. Fof some, of course.
there were disappointment and bad news.
But they must have carried their sorrow
to their chambers, as La Panne was all
gayety.
A comment on the Belgian soldiers made
at the beginning of the war occurred to
me: "They shoot the enemy all day; at
night they come home and kiss mother.
In the morning they kiss mother again
and go back to shoot some more
They certainly showed themselves CAP
able of shaking off the horrors of war be-
fore their women folk. To see them there
in La Panne that night you might have
thought 1t was all a sham battle II 1t
had not been for a conviction Of reality
that would not shake off.