The Washington times., 1918-02-02
AMERICAN FLYER
TELLS WEIRD TALE
OF WAR IN AIR

PHILADELPHIA. Feb. ABOUT
the most vivid picture OF life and
death among war aviators ever pre-
sented in America formed itself from
an address delivered here by Lieut.
Bert Hall, one Of the only two sur
vivors OF the original members of
the Lafayette Escadrille, the group
OF thirteen Americans who entered
the French air service soon after the
war began. All OF the original flyers
except Major William Thaw and Lieu
tenant Hall have been killed in ac-
ton.
Tho lieutenant, who Is on furlough,
wears four medals indicating the
highest military honors of France.
Roumania and Russia He has killed
seven German aviators in air duels,
and the narrative of his adventure
runs like q nightmare-though he
spun II out with the manner of .
man who had found existence to be
more or less humorous and unimport-
ant.
Lieutenant Hall accepted an in
vitation to come here to address the
members OF the Keystone Automobile
Club at a smoker. Russia, he said,
Is another Mexico. 1t is q mistake,
he went on, for Americans to sup
They are fighting the German people.
II They Borrow, Ne Matter.
"Aviators in groups on any OF the
battle fronts" the lieutenant said.
"have an odd sort of time of it. We
play poker. dice, roulette, and II any
one wins all the money, as some one
usually does, It doesn't matter great
ly. You go around and borrow what
you want and nobody keeps any ac-
count OF II, since we know this thing
is going to last a pretty good while,
and there will be nobody left to wor-
ry about debts when it's over.
"The planes we use now will do
about 140 miles an hour. Our ma
chimes can outclimb those of the Ger
mans. / remember my first German
very we'll I was Fortunate on that
occasion. because Joffre happened to
be watching the fight.
"I was on my way back to our lines
when / saw fourteen Hun machines
inward. i turned and picked
one off the side and began to fire at
we were at K. I was missing him
badly. I ran up to about twenty
yards and there that duffer sat, blaz-
ing away methodIcally. Suddenly
saw him slide down in his seat, and
I knew I had him There was only
the observer left. He had no gun.
and / went q little closer and killed
him off and down he went
Bullets Leave Trail Of Smoke.
'sWe use trailing bullets now-bul-
lets that, as they go out, leave trail
Of smoke. That enables you to see
where your shots are going, and it
helps you to correct your aim. The
German gunners in air machines use
small explosive bullets, sharp enough
10 penetrate flesh. These bullets ex-
plode when they hit q bone or any
Dther hard obstruction. The Lewis
gun Is the least complicated machine
gun made. II its reservoirs carried
more bullets it would be the greatest
gun in the world.
Russia is a riot. Trotzky and I.e-
nine run Petrograd. Blind luck runs
The rest of the country. Ninety-three
per cent of the Russians cannot read. |
SO, when the revolutionary govern |
nents issue proclamatiOns the people !
stand about staring at them till some |
German agent comes along to read |
he edicts.
- 1.-THE German agent usually re- !
rerses the meaning of the thing, and !
,ang! you have another revolution in |
lalf an hour. The Russian officers |
we're almost wholly pro-German. So /
we're the officers in the Roumanian /
Irmy.
saw Seventeen OnieerH shot.
81 was in Roumania when the French |
ent a general down to straighten out |
hings. The first thing he dIu was to 1
march seventeen native officers out
nd shoot them. They ranged from
'rigadier generals down. I went out
ne morning before break fast and saw
he slaughter. IiOumania was devas-
ated by disease. They used to have
$4,000 men In the army. Now they
ave 10000. Most of the othe-s died
n epidemics.'
Lieutenant Hall was sent by the
'rench government to Russia and TO
and saw lighting on all the
ronts. He flew the entire length of
he esatern front. He has Travelled
bout 10000 miles and has been in
he air 900 hours. The average life
Z n war aviator Is seventeen hours
a the air before he is killed or cap
lred.