The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-01-05

FOR fun"
The master OF the Skies"
The next man down was Guynemer-
Lieut.. Georges Guynemer. holder Of the
Legion Of Honor, the Military medal
and the Crolx de Guerre with IA palms,
he who, since the German Boelke's
death, is undisputed master Of the
skies. Even before | saw the famous
"Vleux Charles" inscription on the
cockpit of the little Nieuport | knew
IL was Guynemer, from the throng OF
aviatOrs and mechnnicans gathered
about the machine There was some
thing impressive about the silent way
they watched this stripllng rise up out
of his seat and Chamber TO the ground.
Even before removing his goggles and
helmet, Guynemer pointed out to his
mechanicians what must be done 10
the plane-the cavalier thinking first
of his steed.
When his flying clothes had been
taken Off he turned with n smile TO the
group Of airmen waiting to hear, as
/ AAlNe hANhNN W. NllNI bhN liNllfl ~
turns, what he had to say. One would
fancy that having seen % foemen
tumble earthward under the lightning
of his machine gum he would have be-
come bit base about II. But Guyne-
mer is a great artist, and great artists
are never blase about their art.
A casual question from one of his
comrades started him Off on an Odys-
sey of the skies that fairly rang with
unconscious poetry. What he had TO
tell was no more important than Luf-
bery's laconlc report; the way he told
II was like Chenal singing the Mar
seillaise." All the Celt and all the
artist in his makeup rushed to the
surface. His eyes flashed, his hands
shot out in nervous, expressive ges-
lures, his whole slim body seemed to
vibrate with emotion. His listeners
being Frenchmen, were enthraled. One
realized why this boy of twenty-One is
the adOred Of all France.
"What's he so excited about?" asked
one Of the Americans, whose knowl-
edge Of French and Guynemer is i'm
perfect. "He must have brought down
about ten today to go on like that"
From Verdun to Picardy.
Without attempting to pass upon the
merits or dcmerits of the various racial
characteristics outlined above, | may
say that the Americans have won for
themselves a perfectly good place in
the sun Of allied aviation. The proof
Of it is their having been shifted from
luxurious establishments at Barbecue
and LuXeuil to lealy cabins amid the
eternal mud Of this field in Picurdy.
Tested in the blazing furnace Of Yer
dun, they were not found wanting. So
now they are privileged to share with
Frances aerial aristocracy the hard
ships and glories of the greatest battle
Of them all.
Their quarters are long, shedlike
structure, into which wind and rain
enter without knocking Each pilot
drawing room, but wholly devoid Of
Pullman comforts, partitiOned off as a
bedroom. The bed is camp cot.
There is no head except that grudg-
ingly dispensed by Il small stove in
the common messroom, an apartment
resembling the least desirable dwell
ing in the most primitive of lumber
camps. There is electric light, but for
inscrutable military reasons it is
switched off promptly at ten every
night-"just when you're in the middle
Of the most exciting chapter" as Ser
geant Dudley Hill put it.
There are two forms of recreation
phonograph and whisky" The lat
ter, indeed, is a tonic without which
the Americans existence would be-
come drab and doleful. For the cen
sor's sake let me hasten to explain
that "Whisky," being animal and not
vegetable, cheers but does not inebri-
ate. He is, in fact, lion, the esca-
drille's pride and joy. Therefore he
is permitted to growl about Somme
discomforts, which the pilots them
selves never do. When the weather
is particularly vile and things in gen
eral look particularly blue. somebody
twists 'Whisky's" tail, and he does the
growing for everybody.
Temper Gets Shorter.
Consequently his temper is getting
shorter every day and his teeth longer,
so that he will soon be sufficiently ma
tured, as the distillers say, to fulfill
his appointed destiny, which consists
of being carried over into the German
lines by airplane and deposited there.
What "Whisky," full grown, is likely
to do to the boches tickles his present
masters immensely. Meantime, being
little bigger than a well-developed
dachshund, this first aerial lion plays
"scrub" to a varsity team of dogs of
divers sizes and provides welcome com
edy relief in the grim melodrama of
the Somme.
OF the nine Americans comprising
the original escadrille in the Verdun
sector last June only one, Lufbery, is
on duty on the Somme today. Victor
Chapman, KifFin Rockwell, Norman
Prince are dead. Clyde Balsley, who is
in the American ambulance learning to
walk, will never fly again. Elliot Cow
din is also in Paris, under treatment
for heart trouble and nervous break
down, which make his return to active
service doubtful. James Mcconnell is
convalescing from a bad fall he had
O--~~---~>~~~-~-~-~-~~~-~
81 am as regular as clockwork. /
,o,,or dr,pl, and take NV winter, ana