Evening journal., 1916-06-27
Just Rowing Around on Battle
fields Among Bursting Shells

LONDON, June II Cby maiD "A !
ranadlon artillery major PLAYED a
side-splitting joke on the Germans for
benefit Of the three American news
association correspondents at the
British war front in Belgium last
week
From a commanding elevation anu
a safe distance. the correspondents
and the foreign Office official who was
escortine them had been watching d
brisk 'straf' between the Canadian
batteries and the German Dig guns
on the plain below them.
The Canadians started the row.
~Our airmen. you see" explained
ID Canadian captain, have iocaleu
lot Of Bosch dugouts and we're COINS
to bust EN-"
The "straf' was in full blast rev
minutes later The Germans responu-
ed Enthusiastically.
Don't stand up SOS to show against
the skyline" warned the colonel IN
charge of the party. '-fhe Bosches
could land a shell here If they wanted
to-
1T isn't this party I'm worried
about he added hut I don't want
TO get them in the habit or shellnb
This position. Il would be bad for the
peopie who have TO be here later.
"After a while the "straf' subs'ded
.sWould YOU like TO see one Of our
batteries?" asked the Canadian cap
tain
the marty declared it would be more
than delighted The hill had to be
descended and big field crossed TO
get at the battery.
''You three chaps go ahead SAID
the colonel 10 the Canadian captain
and a couple Of correspondents.
''Now YOU two" he told the foreign
Office official and his own aide. after
the FIRST trio had gained a lead OF 800
feet or so.
snow wen 60" he concluded, when
fhe official and the aide had made a
fair start.
"If we all went in bunch, ne
pointed out 10 the correspondent who
accompanied him. "the Bosches might
think II worth while to land on us
with a whizzbang'
The battery was ensconced IN
burrow which anybody could have
passed unconsclously al a dozen-foot
distance and an aviator could hardly
fnd Il with q microscope.
would you like to see shot
hred2" he inquired.
Tho correspondents and the foreign
Office official certainly did want to.
Hardly had the shell cleared the
gums muzzlo before funny idea
seemed to strike the major He began
10 laugh uproariously The others
rves turned on him curiously.
81 was jus, thinking" said the ma
ior. "how that one long shot will
puzzlo the Bosches AZ FIRST they'll
think a bombardment's starting. Then
when nothing follows it, they'll get
10 Worrying.
"In bet they'll lose sleep wonder
ing what we fired that single shot
for
"Besides. the bombardment beine
over. it's just the time in the after
noon for 'om to be taking a bite tC
eat and our shell must have landed
1isi right 10 muss up the tea things.
Three or four Germans were killed
for an anybody knows. merely to give
NrNVU AAMrn w AiAANN ANA ~ NAfANN
official and a Canadian major.
Earlier the same day the colonel
took the correspondents and their
guardian official TO see one OF Bel
GUMS ruined towns.
II must have once been quite
good-sized city, handsomely and sub
stantially built, but the German guns
had battered it completely 70 pieces
Some tottering walls still stood, but
there was not a whole building in the
place.
"And they're still shelling IT," said
the colonel. $50 don't linger and when
you cross the grand square keep close
10 what's left of the walls. If a shot
should fall in the square while we're
in IT, the walls are SOME shelter"
doesn't look as II il would do much
good to keep on shelling THIS place, -
commented a correspondent
1T does Us good" said the colonel.
"for Il wastes the Bosches' ammuni-
ton"
In this town is an emergency hos
pital in a cellar under a building that
has not been quite so badly smashed
up as the others. To get TO il you go
down through a kind OF outdoor eel
larway with a bomb proof cover.
While the party stood talking with
the surgeon I'm charge. a German
aeroplane appeared overhead.
"Quick!" cried the colonel Get
covert"
TIL tourists dove into the cellar like
chipmunks. and for about 80 minutes
-