Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1916-09-22

| hawks eyes. This work, 50 audaciOus
ly and skllfully done, has given us an
undoubted mastery of observation,
which the enemy no longer holds. The
Prusann gunners now have TO shoot,
r,Ostly by the map, and although they
are very wise Ia science, II Is not the
same thing as being able TO direct their
fire by direct observation OF results.
our airmcn have been of vast service
Ia the dnily battle Of guns and 1t is
largely due to their flights that our
artillery has been able to destroy many
OF the encny's batteries.
zone day seven batteries reported
active by one machine were all sileaced
in ten minutes and direct hits were
made on Ne or more batteries.
con July % one of our air squadrons
controlled nine direct hits on the enc
my's batteries.
Those things tell. The knocking
out Of an opposing battery means less
loss Of life TO our infantry and great
er certainty of progress. II is the hard
est blow that can be given, for this is
a battle Of guns and every battery de-
stroyed Is better than the taking of II
trench. or az least the easiest way to
take It.
"a machine Of ours ranged howitzers
on battery Of two so howltzers,
which were destroyed, and another ma
chine directed guns on another battery,
destroying one emplncement and caus-
Ing explosi01s which lasted an hour.
$50 the record runs from day to day.
and the enemy Is getting frightened
for his guns and withdrawing some Of
them at least to safer places.
The fearlessness of our men is not
virtue with them. II Is natural In
stinct. They attack unequal odds with
the gusto Of schoolboys who fling them
selves into football scrimmage.
Literally, the enemy Is put to flight
by these modern men of ours as when
the other day one of our pilots dived
at five hostile machines attacking one
OF our scouts and drove them OF; and
as when. day or two ago. two others
attacked four Fokkers-'the deadly
Fokker.' as II used TO be called-and
drove them down into their own lines.
"They are new type of men. these
pilots and observers Jf the Royal Fly
ing corps. II Is difficult to place them
or 60 account for them. They seem to
have been born to fly. For the most
part they are very young men-bOys of
nineteen or twenty-though older men.
twice their age and more. are found
here aud there. having come out Of
professions like the law and the civil
service aud taken 60 the air like ducks
TO water but surprised with them
selves. The younger men are clean
cut, fine and delicately made fellows, |
as far as | know them. rather highly |
strung and nervous in temperament.
"Flleht the Music Of Life"
1T is quite curious that many OF |
them are men OF great musical talent. |
In one squadron know there are near |
~ 20 men who are all very full of |
musical talent. one of them. u strip |
ling. came out OF the trenches 20 volun-
teer as an airman. with long screeds of
music which he had written down out
of his head. as children say. without
hearing a note of II played until he
rame hack. Al night. when dusk creeps /
through the sky, and one by one the
homiug birds fly down (there is al
ways an anxious question about the
squadron commander. who is the best
the lying men settle round
he piano la the aerodrome. and one
II them brings out his violin and plays
Il with master touch. sand another
Sings In bass voice that may be heard
,ne day nc Convent Garden. and through /
he evening the men take turns at the
piano, 10 play what comes into their
leads and out OF their hearts.
"rhis link between music aud flight
nay be coincidence IN the case OF
,ue squadron Though | have heard
" Il elsewhere). but Il may be that
light Is the new music OF life, and
hat the imagination OF the younger
is soaring upon real wings
inspired by flight 10 the deep chords
II emotion that in earlier days went
nto sound aud color. The pity Is that
lust now they are Instruments OF
ieath.
srhey have amazing adventures up
here Ia the sky and learn strange
hlngs. They learn the look OF the
.reat country below. SO that every
landmark Is familiar TO them. and any
strange flash or shape is detected at
,nce. and those things they must learn
n three different scales OF light. morn
ng. afternoon and evening, becsuse At
,aeh Of those tunes the landscape and