The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-03-15
MARSHALL LECTURE
STORY OF WORLDS WAR TOLD BY
5en EN IOWA EDITOR.

Narrating the gripping story of the
great European War, gathered in six
months of service as an ambulance
driver for the American corps of the
French Red Cross, Verne Marshall,
Editor of the Cedar Rauids Gazette,
held an audience spellbound during
his vivid world picture Of scenes of
horror, death and carnage which was
given at the First Presbyterian church
last evening. Making no attempts at
high flown oratory, Mr.. Marshall told
in a convincing way of a newspaper
man experiences which have made
him hate war as he never hated any
thing else. The awfulness of the world
massacre was brought so wildly to
the listeners that it caused many
shudder to pass through the crowd.
For two hours, the Cedar Rapids editor
painted dramatic and pathetic scenes
that threw a feeling of sorrow over
his audience. Death scenes, descrip-
lions of the few historic battles of Yer
dun, all fell under the topic of his
lecture, 1.-The Bloody Field of Verdun."
Adding to the interest of history, Mr..
Marshall showed a number of interest
ing souvenirs gathered from the great
battlefield. Hand grenades, steel hel,
Imets, knives, and shrapnel were
among the articles exhibited by Mr.
Marshall.
Narrowing details of the war, Mr.
Marshall told his audience, never get
past the censor. In the light OF his eX-
periences, he explained in detail what
was behind a very innocent paragraph
recently appearing in the papers, to
effect that some rods of enemy trench.
es were taken and counter attack re
pulsed. Before an advance, curtain
of fire" is thrown out, which means
, that every available gun of every kind
| is concentrated on the line of trench
which it is intended to take. The scene
and noise staggers the Imagination.
Men are sometimes made permanently
deaf, and there are frequent cases OF
violent nosebleed caused by the con
cussion. In the enemy trenches living
is impossible, and yet they must not
be deserted, for if the men should fall
back to the second line trenches, then
|they would become the first line
| trenches. The curtain of fire is intend.
ed to demoralize, kill and wound the
men, cut as much as possible of the
ENHANCEMENT of barb wire protection,
and destroy the trenches. At signal
snipers crawl out and snap the rest
of the wire, and with rush the attack
is made, by men throwing hand gre
nades, and using all kinds of weapons
Once the trench is taken, there must
be great rapidity in getting ready for
La counter attack, which always comes
4 Mr.. Marshall had with him collec
ton of the various weapons used, and
showed and described them, telling OF
the wounds which they made. He told
what he had heard about the early
advance of the Germans, and of a me
thod of mass formation, which has
now been given up. In the early days
lof the war there were such immense
numbers of wounded and dying, it was
impossible to recover the wounded
land both sides after an attack, turned
on them guns to kill, So that they
should moi die a lingering death
These were called shells of mercy
This is not done now, as both sides
are able to get most of their wounded
The speaker had a good deal to say
about the wonderful courage of the
French, their patience, and their en-
durance, and among other incidents
told of bringing in some men, one Of
which was terribly wounded, and was
being comforted by a comrade all the
way in. The men thought to be in the
worst condition were carried into the
hospital first, but this man was so un
complaining, and had been caring fol
his comrade was left till the last. As
he was being removed from the ambu
) lance, he shook hands with and gently
thanked those who were helping them
and wished them good luck" He was
so badly wounded that he died before
he could be carried into the hospital
IAnother man whom he brought in from
the lines, asked him alphabetically fol-
a crust of bread, and explained his re
quest by saying that he had had moth
ing to eat or dring for five nights anC
four days, during which time he hat
lain with four dead men in the stretch
between the two battle lines. The bod
lies of those who have died are buried
many at time, in trenches dug fol
that purpose, but are often exhumed
by explosions of shell. On the barbed
wire fences between the lines hang
bodies Of men who have died year
before. and on bright days the stencil
is almost unbearable. For this reason
rain is welcomed, though 1t makes the
trenches most uncomfortable. The
speaker told of getting into gas peck
ct with a companion, and finally get
/, ting out by one keeping his eyes shut