The Benson signal., 1916-12-09

Ill Tie ufSI HldIIIdSc VI TOydlIy
since the outbreak of the European
war, Countess Nadejda Torby, twenty
years DID, daughter of Grand Duke
Michael Michaelovitch of Russia, be-
came the wife of Prince George of
Battenberg, cousin of King George
of England.
Two ceremonies were performed, the
first according to the brides faith in.
the Russian embassy chapel and the
other in the chapel royal, st. James
palace
King George, Queen Mary and Dow
ager Queen Alexandra witnessed the
wedding; also the duke and duchess
of Connaught Princess Patricia of Con-
naught and ex-King Manuel of Por-
tugal.
The bridegroom is a lieutenant In
the British navy, serving on the battle
cruiser New Zealand. He is twenty
four years old and a nephew of Prin-
cess Henry of Battenberg, King
Georges youngest aunt. The bride is
the daughter Of Grand Duke MichaelO-
witch, a cousin of the czar of Russia.
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has given them, they showed them
selves thoroughly capable. At every
point where the Germans tried to
make stands on the Ourcq and the
Marne the French artillery cleaned
them out by the most systematic fire.
They dropped their shells as regu-
larly as the squares on the checker
board, and blew the German batteries
all to pieces, so that Immediately after
the battle, when I passed that way,
the fields were Uttered with wrecked
feldpieces and limbers and dead ar
tillery horses.
French Superiority.
In those days France had one piece
of artillery to Germany's ten. Ger
many still has three or four to Frances
one, but, opposed to the French them
selves, Germany can afford to spare
only cannon for cannon. The fact that
the French have consistently gained
on a fair field with an even distribu-
ton of equipment shows the French
to be not only superior artillerymen
but better in the infantry attacks.
In an article last May 1 called at
tention to the construction Of the
French mobile army under General
Petain, made up of divisions and corps
which had particularly distinguished
| themselves in attack. This was the
army which paid so heavy price in
saving Verdun, but was still in shape
| to make the Somme offensive. Some
of the best of these corps happen to
be having just now well-earned rest.
They have not been in either the later
successes on the SOmme or at Verdun.
1t has not been necessary to use the
very crack troops.
The football team of one of the most
distinguished, the Twentieth army
corps, recently played hot match in
Paris. 1t was an excellent team, hard
ly a member of which did not wear
every possible decoration, but the root
ers of the Twentieth who came along
were a sight in themselves. They had
| been through Verdun and the SOmme
eight months of continuous attack
but they were the fittest-looking men
you could ask for. There was not
one who to use our own phrase, did
not look as if he could click his weight
in wildcats" And men of this kind
in the midst of two big offensives, are
right now taking their ease. 1t shows
that many other divisions have proved
| their mettle. The mobile army of
crack troops that numbered, perhaps,
100000 last May comes nearer being
a million today. 1t is not that the
French army has grown in proportion
the new men who have gone into
action since last May number under a
quarter of a million. The growth Of
the mobile army has come from men
who have seen action since the be-
| ginning of the war. The whole army
| is showing a tendency to grow in
fighting power. 1t is something in the
French race. Napoleon made himself
/ - tho con1o 0f