The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-07-28

the gunners have q point on the map
ut which they are aiming. They have
information In one way or another
that there Is something at this point
worth Smelling. It may be Q house,
and Of course. every house Is down ON
large scale map. Troops may be in
the house: or II they are not, and you
destroy the house, you have destroyed
shelter for the troops and made the
enemy nervous. At least, theoretical
II. you have made him so: nothing
seems to be able to make the British
soldier actually so, or the French
peasant either
You may kill US with your gun fire,
but you cannot scare u.s." represents
the attitude OF soldier and peasant in
a sentence, and surprisingly few are
killed.
Peasant Becomes stoIcaI.
We had left our car to go forward
on foot. We were coming into the
zone where the inhabitants had been
ordered to vacate their homes. This
is an unfailing sign that what ever
the condition OF your health you are
becoming q poorer risk every minute
for a life insurance company. The
average peasant wants to be convinc-
ed that the Smelling is habitual before
he will 90. It takes more than few
roofs displaced by single lombard
nent to convince him.
The road we we're on had been
target for German shells. All roads
near the trenches are. There might
be someone on that road and a shell
directed at the road might happen to
hit him. In order to take this sporting
chance a gunner has only to aim at
the right angle OF elevation to reach
the, road slip a shell into breach and
fire.
Usually the shell does not hit the
road-at least German shells do not
One may not go over and see where
the British shells hit, though the
British shells hit, though the British
observers by some magic or otnef
seem to know. In one small field be-
side this road were score OF deep
shell pits. The wheat had grown up
around them. Next year when the
farmers plough they will fill In the
holes, and. with accustomed French
thrift turn any fragments OF steel un-
earthed over to the junk man. Prob
ably five thousand dollars worth OF
German shells had been buried within
the space OF couple OF village lots
with no result except slightly to re-
duce the wheat yield. Each shell. one
estimated, had spoiled one peck OF
wheat.
Shells May Hit.
Again shells in this sort Of firing by
the map do score-sometimes when
they do not hit the target they were
aimed at A shell may get group of
soldiers in house or in dug-out.
Houses are not safe shelter in hot
corners where the visitor, instead OF
looking for houses which have been
damaged by she'll fire, looks for the
anomalous one that has not.
There was one such on an adjoining
road--an estaminet which is public
drinking place or cafe. Churches
which raise their spires as targets to
the German gunners' eyes always get
theirs" first, and, usually the esta-
minets, which are unpretentious build
ings where the farmers go to chat and
drink instead Of to the drug store in
the village for an ice cream soda) get
it last.
How Soldiers Feel. r
A stretcher was being borne into the
door of this estaminet and above the
doorway Of the estaminet was !chalked
some lettering which indicated that 1t
was a first clearing station for the
wounded. Lying on stretchers on the
floor were some wounded men. They
looked little stunned, which was only
natural when you have been as close
as they had to burst of. shell-a
shell that made hit. The conclusion
July 2S.-There are points along the
British front which see nothing but
deSultory shell fire and sniping for
| weeks and months on end; points
where neither side has made an at
tack through the winter and spring.