Evening star., 1918-07-20
SHRAPNEL
. Sidelights on the War
by
OLIVER OWEN KUHN.


in London every day. according to
pawnbrokers Of the British metro
polls. Once articles were pawned to
obtain passing luxuries. Now that the
cost of living is soaring. many persons
Of fixed means face trying circum-
stances. They have turned to pawn
ing their belongings. The majority
are women. Owing to the general
aversion to entering q pawn shop one
broker has a star of clerks who visit
homes on request Of the moro genteel
folk, there to arrange such loans as
are needed.
London is known as the international
Gretna Green. Here marriage by
license Is easy. In some Of the con-
tinental countries strictest rules sur
round marriage. Though naturally
Germans no longer go to London to
have the martial knots tied. Swiss and
other European neutrals still go there
through the dangers en- route be great.
During the past ten years Germany
has spent $100,000.000 on her espion-
country ever spent one.tenth Of that
sum in any like period. even Russia.
once spy mad.
This happened at Scratchville-by-
the-Sea, says Stars and Stripes. Lots
of things happen there. but this Is
really out of the ordinary.
The major was making his fnspec-
tion, weaving In and out among the
picked" men, when a wag called out:
Say, doctor, don't you think
oughter get decoration"
IT don't know" retorted the digni-
tary, laughing; "why?"
We'll, sir, seems to me it's worth II.
! just captured cootie with seven
service stripes on him.
Catherine de Medici. Queen of France,
possibly was the first ruler In Europe
to extensively use women as spies.
capitals Of Europe. She said that she
would rather govern her own people
through an army OF women than an
army OF men.
Describing his experience in getting
wounded In sharp fight on the west
ern front one soldier said:
painfully conscious that I was OF
no further use against the boche, I
began to think Of attempting to reach
a dressing station. The nearest was
three miles away. the mud was SO
deep In many places that men sank
up to their armpits, the road leading
toward safety was being shelled and
sniped with cruel decision, and as my
wound was through the thigh 1t. was
not a cheerful outlook.
Il crawled out amid q storm of
shrapnel and to the accompaniment of
q machfne-gun fusillade which sound
ed like the frenzied operations of
million supertypewriters. To my as
tonishment I found that my injured
leg would bear me. and though there
seemed to be no hope Of living
through that hurricane Of destruc-
tion-the hazard was Infinitely pre-
ferab1e to death in q muddy and wa
ter-logged hole or capture by the
boches. I could see the third wave
OF our boys advancing. and the sight
heartened me. We were giving chase
to the enemy. though a few of his
pillboxes had been overlooked and were
gamely holding to their task. limped
through the mud with the proximity Of
bullets and the lobbing Of shells sug-
gesting rest and concealment. I drop
ped conveniently into a long, deep
trench-one which Fritz had abandoned
and waited for lull in our joint oper-
ations.
'.How the first dressing station was
reached I cannot ind words to explain"
Fifteen thouzand German schoo,
teachers have been killed since the war
started.
When the engines Of ths tank are
stopped this great cumbersome tmple-
ment Of war goes on BY its own impetus
Just one inch.