The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-08-03
Have Been Learning Lessons
Based On Mistakes
THREE YEARS or WAR
They Soon Will Be Able to Pick
The Sing Song Of Those
Hot Shells

The Associated Press. 1.-The arrival
of the first contingents of the Ameri
can army in France serve to recall
the fact that the United States in en-.
tering war already old and wise
wise with the dearly bought wisdom
of three long adventurous years-anG
ness that incessant delving into the
deviltries of destruction can bring tc
it. Having escaped the first terrors OIL
weapons which German science haG
evolved through toiling years Of
military preparation, the American
divisions will nevertheless plunge
eventually into a seething cauldror
which has grown from the unavoid
able policy of fighting the devil with
fire" They will have quickly to learn
not only to take the awful German
frightfulness with calm endurance
but to return it with an ever increas
ing measure. In doing this many
nerve-testing and soul searching ex-
periences undoubtedly lie before them
but there are already thousands OF
young Americans in the Canadian and
British ranks who have proved
themselves additionally. worthy in
the scorching flames of modern war.
. Basing Their Education.
The American forces are fortunate
indeed to be able to base their edu-
cation upon the bitter lessons learned
by the French and British soldiers in
all the eventful days that have fol-
lowed that first rush of battle in 1914
Marvellously complete books Of in
struction have been builded upon
those experiences and out of these
the American soldiers will CLEAN the
last word knowledge that will fit them
for the foremost trenches.
First Of all, when they take their
place, will come the baptism of fire
from the noisy black gh-explosive
German shells that scream in from
afar and burst with terrifying re-
ports-some times in most unexpected
places. The Germans are great believ-
ers both in noise and high explosive.
They even mix their adored "H-E'
with their shrapnel shells which
break high in the air and send their
bullets showering down with the
whine Of an angry winter wind. The
Americans soon will learn to dis
tinguish the Individual songs of the
various shells for there is not the
slightest doubt that the moment he
discovers they are in the "line," the
German will turn every available cali
bre Of weapon against them in a
flourish of Introductory "hate." They
will come over in order-these shrek
ing, grumbling misunderstanding In
Size and noise all the way from the
nasty little pip squeaks or .whiz..
banks, up through the four-point-
twos, the five point mines and then
on to what the, British Tommies ia
conically call 1.-the big STUFF the
eight and, eleven Inch howitzer shells
and the projectiles from heavy cali
bred long range naval guns, known
without affection as "Whistling
Percys."
Cannot Hear "Big Bertha"
There will be little opportunity to
hear a big Bertha" for those famous
old forty-two centimeter howitzers
are seldom used nowadays. 1t is be-
lieved that the Germans planned to
lombard Arras with them, using
prussic acid shells but the British adj
vance on Easter Monday last put a
stop to that particularly nefarious
scheme against the already sadly
battered little Artois cathedral city.
There is also awaiting the new
American army bounteous baptism
Of bombs and hand grenades and the
still more dismaying Introduction to
the CHASTITY rattle Of the machine gun
and it's sinister swish of spraying bull
let's sounds well calculated to stab
with moment of fear the heart Of the
bravest man.
But above all the American SOL
diers must equip themselves to en-
dure the lethal gas that will be sent
over against them in poisonous, va
perish clouds, or showered upon
them in a deluge of heavily charged
cylinders and shells. They must pre-
pare to deal also with the treacher-
Gus lachrymatoTT gas which while
not dangerous to life irritates the
tearducts until one cries with blinded
smarting eyes for hours. The sur
prise of both these gases is their al
together pleasant smell, the lethal
variety suggesting the clean odor OF
sanitary hospital ward, while the
so-called tear gas has the appetizing
scent of crushed ripe apples. or cider
Terror Of the FlamenWerfer., :
There is also the reason shaking
terror of the .famenwerfer, with its
roaring stream Of liquid fire fiaring
with the velocity of a high pressure
fire nozzle and with an offpouring of
smoke rising like black cyclone
cloud to the heavens.
The first day of their stay in battle
trenches the Americans will make the
acquaintance of a very old. but
scarcely cherished friend Of the
Tommies and Poilus another men,
Der of the Werfer family known as
minnie" This is the German mine
thfower, or minenwerfer. which filings
over at short range great heavy pros
jectiIes known as "f1ying pigs" be-
cause Of their wabbly, ungainly flight.
They go off with a deafening roar,
expending more energy on noise, how
ever, than on material damage.
German Dread Of the War.
A notable development of the war
has been the dread with which the
Germans have seen weapons Of their
) - go TX sessa