Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-23
CORRESPONDENT
TAKES TRIP IN A
MONSTER TANK
Censored Story From Front
Tells Some of the Mechani-
cal MaNePS Most Startling
. Exploits of the War
ny KENNETH w. PAYNE
PASSED as Ceusored-l

PASSED as Censored-)
A "TANKODROME, France, Oct &C.
CBy il.)-After taking a trip in a
tank. and going over the tank
stable and proving grounds where e.
the ungainly mechanical beasts have
been performing for our benefit. I am
able to answer a question which has
home.
The question Is. why are the tanks
always written about in the press dis
patches as Though the whole subject
was chiefly humorous, and the tanks
themselves nothing but great gawky
jokes7"
The answer is that a tank
doing stunts proves to be in fact most
excruciatingly funny.
With lumering, crashing aplomb IL
does things which you simply don't be-
lieve. even while the ludicrous perform
ance is going on right under your eyes
When we arrived at this particular
tankodrome, a, number of the creatures
were paving the ground in the center of
a field. apparently eager to begin the
show. GO =
The whole thing was unreal, bit Of
Jules Verne, a Brobdingnagian horse
show. Near the field, sheds and shops
housed tanks in various stages of con-
truction and repair. In one corner of
the field OF number of the uncouth
beasts had apparently been let out to
Craze.
Climbing aboard one which was ready
in the center Of the field to be put
through it's PAGES, 1 found an interior
as neat and shipshape as an ocean
liners.
1t was clean and polished. it's walls
painted white, and there was even a
fha 9 %
floor space not preempted by intricate
machinery.
Doesn't stay that way long when
she's in action" said one Of the crew.
I'VE are soon simply living In mud
Mud works all through her insides. in
masses"
AS smoothly as a ship sliding out of
port the tank got under way. travelling
considerably faster than the passengers
had expected possible.
When proceeding with portfolios and
doorways open, the interior is we'll ven
tilated, and the engines, over which two
OF the crew are continually tinkering do
not seem to be raising any very deafen-
ing din.
Like ships officers on the bridge, two
of the tanks masters are perched UP
forward, peering out ahead and coaxing
various stunts out of the beast.
Inc pOMCA III lIS
ponderous frame was evident when it
first began to indulge in maneuvers.
While gliding easily over the straight
away, at every turn IL lurched heavily,
exactly like mammoth animal alive
with a great deal more strength than
it knew what to do with
That the try-out might be complete,
artificial obstacles had been prepared,
and the tank took them like a giant iron
hnn Ia II,
1t rammed head-on up the face of a
mound of earth and timbers Crattling it's
passengers about like peas in a pod,
. :. painting. paving and scrambling
TO The tune OF furious roaring, and
finally clambered after slip or two
right up the side of the mound and
Topped down on top like seal scram- |
bling on to a rock.
After a moments rest IL dived off the
other side. giving Mother Earth and its
passengers terrific jar and smashing
everything within reach.
(Long passage here deleted by the
censor.)
That's the kind of animal the tank
crews ride into battle
1t is no secret that they do not in |
variably come back. There are tank
casualties as well as airplane casual |
ties. have clambered as one of a party
Of correspondents through dead tanks.
battered and ditched amid the debris of |
the battlefield.
What a hellish way to meet your
death, in that iron shellv' was the uni |
versal comment.
II must be a CHASTITY fate, and vet
there are more candidates for service In |
the tanks than can be accommodated!
When the full story of the cool.
dauntless heroism of the tank men can
be told, il will rival the greatest feats
accomplished by any branch of the serv-
ice.
But for the present we still have to |
treat their exploits mostly as a joke!