Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1918-05-16

battles. training camps ana creams 10
q maeistrom Of fierce realities. the
American soldiers are proving they are
made Of the same stuff which carried
their forefathers through the tests OF
the trying periods Of American his
tory. writes Don Martin In the New
York Herald.
] have seen them In action. have
seen them under shell fire which Ut
orally sprayed them with flying earth
and shrapnel, and their relatives and
friends back In New York, California,
Maine, Florida, Montana or wherever
you please, may take the word OF an
eyewitness that they have already
taken their places among the most
valorous and sturdy fighters Of this g.
gantic world war.
Very recently visited them In lit
tie village as close TO the enemy lines
rs units Gun be Quartered. l had gone
to see the nrtillerymen at their task
and instead Of anticipated tranquility
ran into the Hercest kind Of excitement
the first these particular Yankees
had known II all burst suddenly and
unexpectedly, Just as most war devel-
opments break.
Shells Break ZOO Yards Away.
From the rear window OF headQuar-
tiers In charge Of IN American captain
and q French officer shells could be
seen breaking on sloping hillside.
The nearest one while was observing
fell perhaps 1900 feet away. They
were aimed at an American battery.
ITS nothing" said the captain. q
stalwart. handsome man. who only
few years ago was n renowned football
player in Michigan university. They
throw over few shells every day. but
they never hit the town"
With the musical kissing OF the
shells for an accompaniment We con-
yersed about news in America and had
luncheon--a good luncheon. too. There
was no talk OF war. Beside the table
at which we ate was sagging cot
with wrinkled blankets The captain
sleeps there.
sometimes at night" he said. "the
sheiling Is pretty heavy and It's hard
to sleep. but I'm getting used to It."
Clerk Indifferent to sheIilne
Just beside the open window In the
rear-the window was more like q
barn door than a window and had no
glass-a clerk was pegging away at q
typewriter. The dropp4ng Of the shells
made no impression upon him. Al
home, ! learned. he is clerk In az
express oflice-a 1.-THE. well groomed
youth who has dreams Of future com
mercial greatness.
These shells come little too close
for comfort. don't theyf" observed
They won't get any nearer"
To a war amateur the spectacle Of
shells striking so near yet coming NJ
nearer. when II would have been 81
easy 20 blow the town to bits, was {
matter OF wonder.
"Yes, they could hit the town. o.
course" was the captains comment
-but they never have shelled II. Sor
OF IN unwritten understanding. lima
CINE. They have towns similarly stu
ated which we could shell. but the!
don't want them shelled."
Other understandings were that tn
Germans spare some towns becaus
their own people have property II
them. Whatever may be the reasol
for sparing certain towns all reason
ing was wrong with respect TO TIL
particular village where was havin
luncheon. We had Just finished whel
n noncommissicned officer entered tn
upstnirs room. considerably out o
breath. but In no way excited, an
after saiuting said:
Battery Connections Broken.
-Our battery is being shelled wit
gas and telephone connections hav
been broken"
Hurried orders were issued. II wa
: all done quickly and quietly. The foot
ball player, now captain, acted as
he were Coaching an old team q
school. Presently men were seen scul
: rying of through the fields toward III
shell.swept zone wherein the batterie
lay. They dropped fat two or thra
times, but all crossed the danger be
safely and disappeared In the nor
thickly spsttercd region. This actio
had Just been put into effect when nj
other soldier appeared before the chi
tain and. saluting and standing cree
said:
81 have to report. sir. that the she
Are is becoming more severe. Shell
are now falling In the village"
The nearby whizz of the Aylr
, things and the boom ind crush at Il
: end OF the s'rest gave terrifying er
phnsis TO the sharp cut words Of Il
soldier. No one was so veSlng as
ask about the 'unwritten understan
Ing" not to bomb the town. Whe,
|, shells had been falling ut the rate
two every three minutes. they wei
now dropping at the rate OF four
Ave n minute. They were striking
many parts Of the village.
There being nothing to do In Il
: town word was given to evacuate.
. moment French and Americans we
. streaming slowly OF into the fields III
-. along the roadwnys and In Ave mi
- ID. a. Zoo. A,nnrisan mud From,