South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-23
Fifty Frenchn1e,1 Capture 80
Germans With Can of Sardines

, scores of his fellow soldiers had given
up cuticle in a skin grating operation.
! Yet one did not hear a single COM
plant from this young man. L saw
Algerian soldiers smoke calmly and
smile when the surgeons told them
/ they would not live 4S hours. When
armies are made up of such material
| there is no such term as defeat
Lack Real Spirit.
Referring to the wounded German
soldiers who came under her OOserVa-
| ton near Arras, Nine. STEELE Pourtor
said they generally lacked the true
spirit Of patriotism and were selfish.
! irascible and stubborn. She told of
one officer who became peevish when
a nurse offered to him a plate of soup
which he disliked and threw it into
her face Several wounded French
troops who witnessed the incident
shouted, Death to the scoundrel'
Il told this German officer that he
was a shameless creature she said.
He sneered and turned his face to
the wall Despite his conduct he was
well treated by the nurses, but they
were glad when he was well enough
to be sent to Paris, where he now is
probably. The average German sol
der I talked with proved to be surly,
spiteful filled with hatred of all who
are opposed to the Prussian idea Of
things. and firmly convinced of the in
vincibility of the kaiser and the cause
for which they were giving up their
lives"
Nine. Stelle-Pourt0t told of an in
cident in which the aged mother of
Dr. Delbet, well known surgeon, fig
ured prominently. Nine. Delbet was
in her home on the Meuse when the
Prussans appeared on their march to
Paris, and she was obliged by one off1-
Ger to stand for three hours and watch
hi 10 ell n
suited. despite her S4 years, by scores
of the troops. She told of cruelty to
the peasants on the part of the Ger
mans and mistreatment of women IN
the villages through which the invad-
ing Germans passed.
Milk same Cow.
Despite the record of horrors this
war will unfold TO the historian said
Nine. Stelle-PourtOt. lit has its human
side / used to visit the trenches near
Arras daily. and often sang for the
French troops on these occasions.
There were two lines of trenches
across a farm. about 100 yards apart
and there was COW which the Ger
mans and French soldiers treated roy
ally. According to agreement, the
French were to milk the COW in the
morning and the Germans at night.
While the COW was being MIXED not
shot was fred. l should like TO know
what became of that COW. but I'm
afraid I never shall find out"
According TO Nine. StellePOurtot,
the German love for sardines lost the
Prussian army many men. The French
would tie a box of sardines to a string
and throw il between the trenches,
the assurance being given that the
Prussian who would go after the box
Of sardines might eat its contents pro-
Vided he agreed 10 become a prisoner.
AT least 80 PruSsians were captured |
by a group OF so French troops, she
said but the system fell into disuse
when the supply of sardines gave out. |
Nine Stelle-Pourtot became a vic |
tim of insomnia as a result Of her
work on hospital trains, and this was |
aggravated by the thunderOus reports |
of bursting shells Her condition be- |
came SO alarming that the chief of the |
unit TO which she belonged ordered !
her TO return 10 Paris in January. She |
theTeupOn came 10 New York on the |
advice OF her physician. but she as !
serted that as soon as her condition /
would warrant il she would return /
10 the firing line.