El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-09-17
EnthusiastIe In PraIse.

mines back OF their lines You can
see the smoke and activities with the
naked eye from the heights Of Nimy,
but the British do not shell the mines,
as they are careful not 10 destroy
French property
villages OblIterated-
Going TO Vimy Ridge from Paris
you pass the ridge known as Notre
Dame de Lorette, a mile northwest OF
Vimv. The village at the foot Of
Notre Dame has been reduced TO
bricks and ashes The gaunt. gray
ruins OF the church is the only thing
standing. Even in the sunlight il
looked like a specter-
You ride through the main street
Of Souches- The splintered and black
ened rows Of tree stumps and the cell
lars are the only remnants OF the VII
lage. Not a stone IS left above an
other. The entire valley and the hill
sides have been scared by the wrath Of
man, but already nature has smoOthed
over the ugly spots and rough edges
with grass and weeds, just as a sore
heals.
AirpIanes Overhead
German airplanes drOned overhead
on observation and Photographic spins
The British batteries were shelling
the Boche rear positions for miles
y
after every report Enemy machine
gunners were blazing away az two
British scout planes.
A British shell set a house afire
behind the German lines That drew
angry bursts OF shrapnel which broke
against a cloudless sky" Black Ma
rias." the Tommie call them You can
always tell a Boche she'll or affair
craft shot by the inzy smoke. The
allies shots break white.
British antiaircraft batteries began
shooting at the German machines that
were poised very high Every report
was followed by a tiny white puff like
bits OF WOOL and they broke uncom-
fortably near the enemy fuers-
Monument TO Strategy.
Fimy Ridge stands as a monument
10 British military strategy, and.
above all. a memorial to the dash and
valor and sacrifice OF the Canadians.
who carried it by storm In the face
Of a terrifying massing OF modern
war machinery-carried Il IN three
days Of desperate fighting. as the
rough soldiers cemeteries that patch
the ridge testify.
The name and unit OF every man
who fell are painted on q cross. and
IN addition, there is a wooden monu-
ment at the end OF each cemetery on
and privates buried therein These
youngsters. who had every right TO
live, but who answered the cry OF hu-
mainly. are sleeping within the zone
OF battle. where guns roar, and in the
valley their comrades are stiu dying
from shell and shrapnel and gas.
Preserving War Relics.
In the ruined cities OF Tpres. Arras.
Reins and elsewhere. the French au-
thorities have staked off certain
graphic sections which are TO be pre-
served as war relies, such as cathe-
drals. remnants OF public buildings
noted for their architecture. public
squares and the like
Canadian soldiers say they would
like to see a public fund raised so
that Why ridge might be converted
into war park and preserved in its.
present state. I could not help think
ing and wishing that the parents and
relatives OF the young heroes who
died on its slopes might be privileged
20 visit it. so that they might. with
their own hands. shape the mounds
and remove the weeds that grow IN a
tahgled riot over the graves How
ever. considering that they are still
in the battle zone. the cemeteries
scattered along Vimy are wonderfully
well kept