Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-07
SHRAPNEL
Sidelights on the War
-BY-
OLIVER OWEN KUHN,

Owing to peculiar climatic and nat
ural conditions which prevail, the
japanese have adopted peculiar meth
DDS in aviation training. With great
ingenuity he has built long, low aero
plane sheds, and from one of these he
rushes out and mounts the air. He
has learned from bitter experience
that to start the machine in the open
is to be enveloped in clouds of dust,
which effectually clog and stop all
working parts. So he gains momen-
thunder of the engine in the open he
has started to climb.
There is great demand in the war
offices of England for persons who
can speak German. Persons with
such qualification seem to be few, and
the great demand is as yet untitled.
One German shock unit on the west
ern front is composed wholly Of con-
victs. Even the allies have expressed
amazement at their persistence in at
tack. They fight ferociously They
have told our men that their incentive
in fighting is a promise of freedom
after the war. All of them alike,
murderers, cracksmen and pickpock-
8
chance to make good, if at the same
time they help bring realization to
the fatherland's dream of conquest.
And. indeed. in this they have no
option. They are sent in battle with
out ruth or remorse by their martinez
officers, who, the captured men say,
are former prison officials and ward
ers, and evidently we'll know the ma
terial with which they are dealing.
The colonel Of the regiment Is the
former governor general of prison.
King George of England never
shirks his self-assigned task of an
swering all letters that come to him.
He either writes the reply in his own
hand OF dictates what the answer
shall be.
Germans have resorted to many
contemplate actions during the pres
emit war, but one of the worst Is the
theft of food sent to the half-fed pris-
oners of war. In describing the sit
uation a once interned Englishman
said:
Our food was very bad, acorn cof-
fee and black bread figuring most
prominently on the menu, while we
a week-on Sundays. But this was
most luxurious feeding compared with
the fare Of the ordinary prisoner. for
we were having special sanatorium
diet We lived for the most part on
what we could get from home, and
portion of these supplies are stolen
by the attendants
"This contemplate practice of
stealing the prisoners parcels from
home has become SO widespread that
it has been turned into a large and
very important business in the towns
where there are internment camps.
Bread, biscuits, timed food and cloth
ing were stolen from our parcels and
rooms daily. and after time we sell
dom got any article sent to us. The
things were carefully collected and
sold at the most exorbitant prices
outside"
kaiser is writing -rather. having
written-he takes a major portion of
the credit for such military successes
as the German armies have scored In
their more than four years of effort.
Anti-aircraft gunners can do their
best work when film of cloud covers
the sky about 10000 feet above. Air
planes passing below then become
good targets.
Many ingenious devices have been
utilized by the Germans to import
needed articles from neutral coun-
tries. Beans have been found to be
pure rubber. painted plowshares pure
copper. One consignment of onions"
was made Of rubber. Each stick of a
certain consignment Of macaroni was
found to contain q bar Of aluminium.
Photography is the great friend Of
the bomber, as 1t prepares the ground
for him. Furnished with detailed
''studies' Of the aerodrome, factory
or railway junction he has to destroy.
he can mark accurately his map and
SO find far more easily his objective,
while the photographs will show him
which are the real guiding marks
which roads or forests are the most
conspicuous and which are almost in
visible. When his work has been
done. or during its progress, the cam
era. with its cold and accurate eye.
will show him what damage he has
caused and where the bombs have
fallen, and II photographs are taken
during the course Of the raid they
viii show the bombs actually BURST
ing on the ground.