The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-06
FRENCH POUND AT F0RTRESSOF METZ Have Brought Heavy Guns
 to Bear on It ALONG THE FRONTIER Pont-a -Mousson Fast Approaching Its Hundredth Bombardment = Life
 Goes on as Usual Despite
 Daily Smelling
ALONG THE FRONTIER

Pont- a -Mousson, May II. - (Corre- spondence of the Associated Press) Pont a Mousson is approaching it's hum dredth bombardment. It has heard the cannon continuously for nine months, been shelled intermittently, during the whcle 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 customers are stunning themselves their doorways. Boys play ing marbles on the Place Duroc stop only to salute gravely detachment of infantry marching through to take it's position in the Bois Le Pretre. A group of women on the cathedral steps. sur rounded by their children, are knitting and chatting clamly.
 Meanwhile the cannon roars to the cast toward .Nomeny, to the southeast toward Chateau Salins, to the north tu ward Metz, to the northwest in tre Rois Le Preter and to the west to- ward St. Mihiel
 Yesterday so shells fell in the town, adding one more to the fresh graves in the cemetery and increasing the vastation. The villagers have dis tinguished a new note in the formidable concert playing all about them. It is the voice of the big French guns that have commenced pounding the southern forts of the fortified camp of Metz. They know where they are but no one mentions the name of the spot for every inhabitant of Pont-a Mousson has &C., quired military discretion.
 Germans to Get Theirs Each one in his turn,' said non commissioned officer dining off half demolished table in a characteristic old the suburb of St. Mihiel. Now they are going to get theirs-and how they are going to get it, thought.
 ''Tit for tat" he added to the land- lady coming in from the kitchen to serve him. Through the door,she opened the kitchen was seen to be open to the sky. Ut doesn't matter bit when the weather's good, said the landlady. Tn fact that old range seems to work bet ter than ever in the open air, but when it rains it kicks like 60" The kitchen in question had been visited by 12-inch shell and all that was left of 1t was the range and chim- ney The partitions separating the din | ing room and bar were riddled by | fragments. NIho par ltSelI ndQ nd0 lts back broken and the tables and chairs were in various stages of demolition. What a fright you must have had, said the sergeant.
 Yes" replied the simple old lady T was afraid the range was busted" l Such Is the spirit of these f7oriiel folks who have been bombarded for nine months and have witnessed some of thu momentous developments of the gigantic
 duel between the principal opposing for.
 tresses of Metz and Verdun. Metz deity.
 cred the first blow; Verdun is now cuun. tering.
 The German armies invading Franc, were unable to use their forces to tie best advantage over so short a front as th,
 boundary between France and Germany That is one of the reasons given by mili tary experts for the violation of the ncu trality of Belgium by Germany Thi strategical movement enabled then, |, pivot on Metz and wheel around rnrougi
 Belgium into France over vast font.
 Made No Impression
 The German left resting on Metz was a
 once engaged with tie French center rest ing on Verdun. The Crown Princes arvny
 coming into France by way of Lc ngWy
 attacked Verdun on two sides. It SIC ceeded in demolishing, Troyon, an inter
 val fort between Verdun and Toul. but tli' only fort around verdun they were G5l
 to attack was Douaumont. and the Frencl claim not shell struck home
 This bombardmeut was enected from