The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-09

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full places ! ever saw. The great pill
lars which support the structure large
enough to put several churches inside
are protected by sandbags and the
same method has been taken to protect
what statuary is still intact. l could
almost cry as | heard the -old sexton
tell Of the destruction of the beautiful
edifice by the Germans. Our guide
told Us of how when the building was
first shelled and set on fire a vapcr
from the fire caused n beautiful spec
tacln to rise from the flames. Tine
people watching saw as the flames
shot up a triple leaf of the beloved
fleur- de lis. the emblem of France
Since then the Germans have tried
again and again to take the city but
have failed. | don't believe all the
power in Germany can shake the faith
Of the French people who are holdins
and will continue to hold Rheims.
THE great cathedral has great holes
in the roof which are as large as the
roof Of an ordinary church. The beat
ti.ul rose window which was the work
We saw the people carefully collecting
the glass from this window in an effort
to restore it. They were picking up
bits no larger than the head of pin.
Many times since the work of recon-
Struction had been under way, shells
sent over by the Germans had de-
s-royed the efforts at repair. While
we stood watching the people at work
the Germans sent 11S shells into tho
town trying to get the cathedral. The
officers said we would have to get out
for fear shell might strike at am
moment We could hear the walls Of
the houses falling as plainly as II the
noise were made by dominoes YOU
knocked over on table in front Of
you.
I'VE visited the great battlefield Of
Nerdun next. In the air we saw gree t
swarms of observation balloons hover
ing over the French lines and a little
distance away the German observation
balloons and back of them the Ger
man airplanes at work signalling to
their artillery. 1t was one of the most
wonderful sights ! ever witnessed.
Shock Troops at Verdun.
an the attack on Vefdun the Ger
mans sent against Fort Seville in mass
formation the insane and foolish from
Germany which had been transported
there for use as shock troops. These
unfortunates were sent forward In
great waves, with arms locked by the
German officers who had the idea OF
getting the French to use up all their
ammunition. Eehind these thousands
marching shoulder TO shoulder the
armed forces were 10 march ready td
attack the French Some of them were
so stupid that they could not hold III
their heads which wobbled from side
10 side. Before this sacrifice Of human
life was finished the dead were piled
10 feet high in places and the German
soldiers could not get over them.
THE French spent 100000 mer
there i'm carrying out that wonderful
? motto-'They shall not pass Fol
hours the French gunners in Fort Sc,
, vile moved down the advancing
r masses. Eighteen million shells wer.
1 used Ny the French in one month I,
Q hold Verdun. There is not one shel
q that strikes the ground anywhere II
g front of the city today but that un
J carths a corps.
Il want to take up with you nov
the character Of the enemy We ar
@ fighting | don't want you to be com
4 PEELED to say when asked that yoi
don't know why we are in this war o
; that you don't know what sort O.
people We are fighting against.
THE second night we were in Lon
.,tr
Next morning we found that an in
cendiary bomb had struck within 30
: feet of our hotel. In n back, yard "
saw where a bomb had torn hol
50 feet across and seven feet deep, ur
roofing a large tree which it tosse
upon the roof of the house. The HON
~ was wrecked. windows shattered an
" walls hulying. Standing in the var
9 gazing at the ruin were a woman an
little boy-a little black-eyed be
about seven years old. a bandage aboi
his head covering wound caused h
the explosion. from which the bloc
trickied down his face. Another bon
had struck near school, crushing
storage warehouse to powder. In al
other place gas bomb had dropped.
Poorer Districts Singled Out.
1t You say 1t is war II is war B
.vl who started it, Why Is it that it
= always the poorer districts of Londi
- that are singled out for these a
ae raids? The German airplanes folk
- the silver thread OF the Thames riy.
iclear from its source. cleaning like
silver thread In the moonlight, and tb
! know exactly where they are going.