The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-11-16
... Of John E. Mitchell Of This
city Writes Of Happenings
When Hun Files Over
the City.
WAR OF LONG DURATION
Germans Still Are In Running and the
Morale Shows no Sign OF Co.
inq-Look to America
In the Air.

DR.. Wendall Garretson. nephew
- John E. Mitchell Of this city. has
uritten the following interesting let
Ter from London:
Won have doubtless read OF the
n;eht air raid over London. A week
aso Yesterday (Friday), the first
,nvoon1ight evening of the month.
ahout D. M, some German planes
a a over the east coast and were
annroaching London. The first warn
ing was given by the metropolitan
notice and everyone took to cover.
shortly after, the drone of motor en-
zines was audible and then terrible
anti air craft gun fire started.
watched the approach (by sound
only) of the raiders, from an upper
window, but at no time could we see
them 1t was just dark enough to
soc the flash of the bursting shrapnel
and the brilliancy of exploding star
.shells The sound of the gun fire
and the wild screams of the shrapnel
on their upward errand was almost
deafening. Near my post of obser-
walton one could hear pieces of shrap-
mel strike the pavement like great
hail stones, but with a more metal
lie sound. The raiders dropped two
or three bombs not far distant, with
more or less disastrous effect to
life and glass.
People generally take cover in the
basement of modern buildings, in
he underground station platforms,
which are the safest of all as they
IRE in many places so to 100 feet
lnder ground, and in police stations.
comparatively few people were kill
Injured. Since the above first raid,
we have had raids every night for
nine days, with the exception Of two
nights when the planes were unable
10 break Jhrough the outer defenses
Of London.
People on the whole are very cool
and philosophical about it all and
consider it Of no military Importance
but just another outburst of Hun"
kultur. However, people are getting
a little tired OF it and one would not
be surprised to hear of the allies
doing the same to German towns in
the near future, as that would appear
the only way to bring the Hun to
realize his awful barbarity.
In Gilbert's letter and in yours of
q later date, you spoke of the view
held by many people that the Ger
mans could not hold out much long
er, but l want to make 1t clear. that
view is not held by people here,
especially among the officers who
have been through three years of it,
with whom I have talked in regard
to the reported loss of morale of the
German troops, and they say en-
vigorously as ever. Their ammuni-
ton dated 1915 is still being used
and the superstition is that they
haven't drawn much on munitions of
war made in 1916-1917 America will
get chance to do much fighting In
all departments. : A Speculation" of
warfare, and the prevalent opinion
here among the people with whom
| have discussed the question Is that
the air is where the allies are look
ing for America to do her most bril-
liant work.
From the viewpoint Of length of
life Of air pilots at the front In the
war, 1t has been estimated that the
average length of life of pilot" is
only two months.
Tell everyone. who hasn't much
enthusiasm, to put their shoulder to
the wheel of industry or munitions
and help win more speedy victory,
or at least what we hope for is a
speedy ending of it all.
The BARRIERS hair clippers are now
Nv al rf,.;<~