Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-24

men.
We were in one of the artillery OBJ
servation stations. The officer in charge
swung his telescope upon its pivot un-
til he had covered the whole field OF
the battle of Verdun. The Mort Homme
and Douaumont and that gray plague
spot which was once Vaux and the
dozen other tiny villages which have
suddenly found themselves a place In
history passed in review. Then he
nodded his head in satisfaction.
Dark Spots Were Germans.
It have found you some German SOL
diers to look at" said he. You will
see some dark spots at the bottom of
the Cross
A cross had been scored upon the OBJ
ject glass of the telescope. Under that
cross-in the shadow of the heaviest
cross that modern soldiers were ever
called to bear-were half a. dozen blobs
of somber color upon the sunny hill. l
could not make out the details But
these blobs seemed roughly rectilinear
in form and there were intervals be-
tween them. and they followed the
shelter of a little curving crest. They
were forming for charge. perhaps, or
drying their trench sodden clothes in
the afternoon warmth or were on the
march to a position. l had no time to
ask
we've 1Ound tnem, SAID the 90
server with professional satisfaction.
Vast Panorama Of Battle.
7 Fountains of gray dust and black
smoke shot through with IRE began to
spring up among those dark patches on
the distant slope. Soon the hillside was
covered with a gray blanket, for there
was not breeze enough to carry the
fumes away. We watched it with that
impersonal interest with which one
the world. We were not near enough
to see the men die, or hear their cries.
or perhaps to witness their escape into
the friendly trenches. The incident
was only a proof Of the excellence of
the French artillery. 1t had no i'm
portance In a battle in which more men
have died than in any other since gum
powder was invented. 1t would not
even find place in the days COM
muniQue.
We had been taken to this observa-
tion point from the city of Verdun.
From II the whole panorama Of the
battle was outspread before our eyes.
Below US was Verdun, In the center Of
River Mouse runs. The vast open spaces
were just beginning to take on the
green Of spring.
Hills Stained by Grim Shadows.
The hills on which the fight was rag
ing dimpled into the tenderest hollows,
and were stained here and there by the
grim shadows that once were woods
the Bots Of Avocourt and the Bots of
FORCES and the others-and which are
now only fragments of spIintered trees
and layers Of ashes wet with blood. At
intervals We could see blackened heaps
inn 1yy ,rifI
Our fortune was that 1t was a sunny
day. Other civilians had preceded us
to this same balcony of observation,
but in every case the valley had been
to take the battle on trust. The rolling
thunder they had heard coming from
this DUH cloud might have been the
thunder which 1t stimulated. We could
see as well as hear. We saw the flashes
as the batteries were fired and the In
verted pyramids of smoke and dust
that marked shots upon the target The
thudding of the exploding shells came
too rapidly for US to count
1T is a quiet day." said our guide re-
gretfully, "A very quiet day"
Our observation balcony had been
cut in the side of a hill. One reached
IT by a winding trench which SO follow
ed the contour Of the hill that 1t could
position. Once in the balcony we were
sheltered from breaking shells by a
thick rampant of earth. while we peer
ed out through narrow slit that ran
with the horizon. In the distance we
saw the German 'sausages'-the OBJ
servation balloons that teetered drunk
emily over their lines-while on either
side the French balloons were ranged
Now and then a French fifer darted over
the German lines like a hawk, to re-
turn with news of what was happen
ing in the enemy's camp. The golden
sun set out wildly against the green
Of spring. the gray and black Of powder
smoke and torn earth.
Day for Big Guns.
1t was a big-gun day No infantry
movement of consequence was attempt
ed. and the antagonists were blasting
each other out of their trenches by
their heavy shells. From the picture
that was spread before US II seemed
certain that the Germans had not sue
ceeded In gaining single position Of
this deduction was an accurate one
came from the bearing Of the French
officers we met They were so entire
ly pleased with the situation. They
in explaining the battle landscape, and
| showing where the Germans had died
| In vain thousands. 1t was quite OBJ
vious that defeat did not occur to them
as possibility.
II had been pleasant afternoon ex
cursion. 1t did not occur to US until
afterward that in watching shells burst
by thousands we had lost our sense OF
proportion. For during the ride home
other shells came unpleaSantly near our
line OF march. and we hardly gave them
thought. No one even referred to
them. The conversation had been en-
tire1y about an illuminatiye piacard
that had been nailed up over the portal
of little. old abandoned. out.of- date
fort-a fort that would hardly engage
the attention Of heavy gun Of today
long enough to get II warm--a piacard
that told the spirit of the army Of Gen
Pstain in a dozen wordg. For upon IL
had been written:
DO not give up the fort Die under