New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-30
Baparians Most Brutal,
French Officer Asserts
City Men Not So Bad Peasants in Destructive NaVases
German Officers Lack Confidence, but Ranks
Still Believe Kaiser Will Conquer

army organization moved far TO the
east of where it was on my last VISIT
Former headquarters were abandoned
and once more occupied by CIVILIAN IN
habitants, while generals and stans
marched eastward. !.
Where there had been one post OF
command for fighting the front was
now a big base munitions depot; we
went out again over the old Roman
road from Amiens TO st. quentin, put
this time we passed at top speed ,he
point where formerly we stopped pc
cause the road was being shelled py
German guns. and we went right on
in the automobiles to a place when
few weeks ago was in German hahus'
| had looked at it through glasses from
several kilometres in the rear. IL was
lust outside this place that traihioaa
of munitions passed. going still Iur-
Their toward the front. 80, A..
Nothing shows more forcibly the
sure and solid progress OF the french
than this moving on of railroads. one
expects to see long conveys OF autoiho-
bile transport. but to come back after
half a dozen weeks and find a double
track railroad bridging trenches one
saw in German hands. that IS lndeea
both surprising and exhilaratlng.
The Germans are giving grounu
slowly under terrible pounding but are
giving steadily. l went into Soyecourt
on this trip-the first civilian 10 enter
Sovecourt from the French siue III
twenty-seven months.
Germans Shell Ruins
Does not that speak for itself as
marking an epoch? Heaps OF crumoiing
Yellow masonry on the site OF the ola
chateau of Soyecourt are all that re-
mains of the town. and five minutes
after we had walked across the deoIis-
fIIcd cellars and passed out OF the
49,, German shells fell on the ruins.
18th There ia no reason for shelling that
,not hut a great proportion OF German
Exile fall haphazard nowadays. we
could not count the number we saw
explode in the middle OF a deserted
They have no air service to direct
+beir artillery. So good are the
French aviators that German machines
cannot get off the ground. In inc
whole long tramp from Soyecour'
rourd nv the south of Deniecourt to
Fstrcos we saw only two German
Hiers. while we could count twenty
French at any time lowering over the
German lines directing French ar'ii-
lery fire
OF two Germans we saw one was
chased back TO his own lines IN moon
tinent fight. while the other Wa, Mas
brought down by Frenchman' me
German was directing. fire on WOODS
we had 10 cross, and we were ousy
watching him, wondering If he was
ordering shells to fall on US, ~ne"
out Of the north swept french ngnl.
ing biplare. climbing steadily as he
came to get above the German.
Frenchman Hot on Trail
The two machines were so close TO-
gether it seemed they must crasn'
Whom above the thunder Of French ar
tillery and exploding German shells
we heard the sharp rattle of mitrail-
leuses. and the German, swooplng
down. turned and fed for his own
lines. He sought shelter in the mist
of higher levels. but the Frenchman,
no. on hi. trail, climbed always higher
and drove the German down. At last,
coming directly over him again, once
moro broke out the crackle of machine
guns. Three volleys. and the German
pitched suddenly forward, turned over
and dropped nose down, straight LOT
earth. He was some 1900 yards up
and dropped fully one-third Of that
distance before the pilot recovered
control. Strengthened the machine out,
and began to spiral downward, trying
for a safe landing. -.
But the Frenchman was after him ALL
the way, and momentariiy we heard the
nasty spit of the mitrailleuse. We
saw the Germans left wing drop, saw
him slip, fall sideways, catch himself,
slip and fall again. 1t was like a
wounded hawk | saw once fall from
high in the air, struggling to save
himself
Like a hawk the German became
feebler. A little wisp of smoke came
from between the wings; tiny tongue
of fame shot up; the wounded left
wing crumpled suddenly. For an in
slant the machine hung still, the right
wing seeming to beat the air iii a
vain last effort. Then the Boche and
his plane plunged upon the rocks.