Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-02
MRS. AST0R WITNESSED
A BATTLE IN MIDAIR
Visit of Rich Americans Wife to
Devastated Region Full OF
Thrills,

Thrills.
PAR1S-Mrs. Vincent Astor has
just returned from a two-day trip
TO the devastated region evacuated by
the Germans In the retreat to the Hin |
denburg line asd an inspection OF the |
French front In the vicinity Of Coucy
La Fere and Saint Quentin.
Thru the courtesy of Maison de la
PreSse l arranged the trip for Mrs.
Astor after she told me OF her interest
In the reconstruction of the destroyed
French villages and expressed desire
20 see exactly what damage the in
vading vandals had wrought.
Twice Mrs. Astor was endangered
when an aerial battle was fought over
head. and the danger of falling shell
cases after the antiaircraft shrapnel
had exploded around the fighting air.
craft caused all the members of the
party to seek shelter in an old under
ground dugout constructed by the
Germans before the retreat and again
when the party's presence upon an OBJ
servation point commanding n view OF
the German line provoked activity
among the Krupp batteries and sew
eral German shells whistled uncom-
fortably near.
Scared Her Both Times.
II was scared both times" asserted
/ MIS-. 4ASttT, ana IL was near
10 the actual fighting line for me-"
| Mrs. Astor said the widest .magina-
tion could not visualize the destruc-
tion wrought by the Germans in their
| wanton attempts to lay waste France.
| II cannot understand how the Ger
mans spared the soldiers and eXplos-
1Nes to wreck such huge expanse so
completely" said Mrs. Astor. 81 hope
they won't be able to continue devas-
| hA frtr no hAt nrA fAr
dences of its recent occupancy by the
Mrs Astor visited Prince Eitel
| Friedrich's observation post near
Noyon, where before the retreat the
Germans viewed the activitis along the
old French line.
| This clevcrly concealed position. Of
| fering view of a wide expanse OF the
front and bearing innumerable evil
| dences of its recent occupancy by the
German prince and his staff inter
ested her greatly She obtained there
several souvenirs like shoulder straps
of German officers Of distinguished
regiments and buttons from the tunics
of crack German units which she
found among litter left behind when
the invaders retreated.
Leaving Noyon by an army motor
car. Mrs. Astor stopped at GER
tain ruined village where her friend,
Ann Morgan, is organizinsi recon
struction work. Miss Morgan was
| greatly surprised to meet Mrs. Astor
in such surroundings and invited her
TO luncheon, but the plans for the
tour would not permit so long So
| iourn. Mrs. Astor continued 20 near
Coucy which the Germans still hold,
ana 1t was there that the German
guns got busy when the party gazed
thru powerful binoculars at the Ger
man lines across the Disc Aisne canal.
Frcnchmcn Cheer American Flag.
From this point the party went
northward, parallcling the new
! French line opposite the famous Hin
denburg line to point near Saint
Quentin. The entire trip was made
along the highways close to the front.
A French, regiment on the march
| from the trenches to n resting place
IN the rear was encountered, and the
men cheered the strange sight of a
woman so near the front, and cries
of "vlve / Amerique!" broke out
when the little American Flag she
wore was discerned.
Nearly every army motor truck I
saw was of American make" Mrs.
Astor said. "It was gratifying to see
this evidence of how the United States
helps. French army officer with
me also pointed out that nearly all
French trenches was of American
make also. 1t seems US though all
tho barbcd wire In the world must
have been dumped there"
II was when she was proceeding
back, near Guiscard. that the aerial
battle broke out almost directly over
head between the latest model OF
French and German fighting ma
chimes
II Imediately white shrapnel puffs
burst around the German airplanes as
the French antiaircraft gunners
opened fire whenever the French ma
chine wheeled off to a safe distance.
Almost Immediately "Thud, thud"
sounded all around as empty cases
from the exploded shells dropped.
Seeking protection from the rain Of
N heavy projectiles the party descended
into convenient dugout thirty feet
below ground which was the German
officers headquarters before the re-
treat