Evening star., 1917-11-17

PERIL IN TRENCHES
American Visitors at Belgian
Front Under Machine
Gun Fire.
GERMANS 80 YARDS OFF

BY the Associated Press.
BRITISH FRONT IN BELGIUM, Fri
day, November 16.-Five members of the
party of American congressman and pri-
vate citizens who spent yesterday and
part Of today visiting the Belgian war
zone had narrow escape from death or
injury this morning when they were
caught in sudden burst of German ma
chine gun fire while inspecting the front
line trenches near Dixmude.
The Americans in danger were
Representative c. c. Dill of Spokane.
Wash: Representative Charles B. Tim
berlake of Colorado, Representative
John F. Miller of Seattle. Wash; Rep
resentative Albert johnson of Wash
ington. and former Representative
Stout of Montana
Shots Came in Shower.
Nobody was hit, but 1t was one of
those peculiar freaks Of fortune which
soldiers call luck. because the shots
came in shower, SO close to them II
seemed almost certain some one must
be wounded. although they were ex-
posed for only brief time.
The other seven members of the party
were in another section of the trench
and were not disturbed by the fire.
Later. however, when all the Ameri-
cans were together. the Germans drop
ped a big shell some ten yards away,
seriously endangering every one. One
member in describing the incident to
the correspondent later said he and his
companions heard the shell coming. TT
sounded like the roar of an airplane,"
he said. =
Again fortune favored them and no
one was injured.
Both these situations were fraught
with danger, as any one who is NOV
ing constantly about the forward areas
knows well.
Thirty Yards From German Line.
The visitors spent the night near the
front and rose early this morning for
a trip to the trenches in the vicinity of
DiXmude. The Belgian and German
lines run within thirty yards Of each
other at one point, and it was there
that the five men came into danger. At
that distance 1t is quite easy to see any
one in the opposite trench who raises
his head above the top.
Only the usual firing was under way
when the party, accompanied by Bel
gian officers, reached this place.
The Americans were having an ex-
cellent view of the lines when several
of, them got into an exposed position
and were seen by the Germans. Sud-
denly the machine guns nearby began
vicious chatter and bullets came
whizzing across the narrow strip of
no mans land at the rate of several
hundred minute. Before the visitors
realized the situation bullets were
whining all about them, like a storm
of hail, and dirt was being thrown into
their faces as some Of the steel pellets
struck the top Of the trench. They all
bent down for cover, but all might
easily have been caught, since 1t does
not take more than small fraction of
a minute for a machine gun to account
for a number of men If the shooting is
accurate.
Welcomed by King Albert.
The Americans departed this after
noon Tor England. On arriving at the
port whence they sailed they said their
trip to the Belgian front had been most
satisfactory, and that the reception ac-
corded them could not have been more
cordial. They were especially pleased
at the invitation of King Albert to take
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