davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-27
TWO LETTERS TO A MOTHER
Contrast Between Words of Lincoln and the Kaiser Typifies Differ ence Between Democracy
 and Autocracy.

Seldom has the difference between the causes for which America and Germany are fighting been illustrated more forcibly than in two letters to mothers who sacrificed their sons to their country.
 Abraham Lincoln's letter of sym pathy and condolence to the widow
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-27
BRIEF NEWS NOTES

The country hasfbeen using gasoline faster than it produced it. The mo- torists who won't save any, now w;:: be the ones who9will kicktbardest if they can't have any little later. As
 s<2s s..- If the soldier is willing to fight So you can stay at'home nndimake mon ey, at least buy a Liberty bond so as to feed him and give him something to fire at the Hun with.
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-27

What many of the Congressmen are most interested in about now, Is not to get their speeches printed in the Congressional Record, but to get their votes against war measures erased therefrom.
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-27
HI-R NOiTES

Dear Doctor: I am quite well now better than I have been for some time. I sleep well at night and my heart seldom palpitates. My bowels
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-27

Bixby, who gave five sons to the Ma tion's cause in the Civil War, is known wherever the English language is spoken. It speaks from the great heart of the n1artyred President and breathes democracy in every line.
 A contrast appears in a letter from the Kaiser to German woman, Mrs. Meter, of Delmenhorst, Oldenburg, who has lost ntSe sons in the pres ent war The two letters speak for themselves:
 The Kaiser's Letter.
 His Majesty the Kaiser hears that you have sacrificed nine sons in de- fense of the Fatherland in the pres ent war. His Majesty is immensely gratified by the fact, and in recogni- tion is pleased to send his photograph with frame and autograph sigma ture."
 Lincoln's Letter:
 Dear Madam: I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the adjutant general of Massachusetts that you are the moth CT of five sons who have died glo- riously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any
Evening journal., 1918-06-12
Rv MILTON RRONNER

WASHINGTON. June i2.-Take It from
Thomas r. Marshall that nothing the
world-war has developed has made
necessary or advisable any widening OF
broadening OF the powers OF the vice
president OF the United States.
And Tom Marshall ought to know be-
cause he has been -presideniing FOR
i've years now; IS the only man re-
elected 90 the Job since the early ages
and II he lives will have served longer
than any man since Calhoun.
I put this question TO him:
Don't you think the war has dem
Onstrated the necessity OF having the
vice president sit. as a matter Of course,
with the President at his cabinet meet
ings and don't you think the vice-pres-
ident ought by law 10 be armed with
the power 10 get up on the floor OF
the Senate 10 defend and explain cab
met minister's acts when unjustly at
tackled? We have had examples during
this war when senator's have made, be
fore large audiences Of Congress and
public, wldely-adyertised attacks upon
cabinet members and it has been only
after days Of inquiry and preparation
that senator's friendly TO those minis
ters have been able TO get the facts
and present .ihe other side. II the vice
president<lvere always in the cabinet
meetings he would be fully conversanl
with all The moves and prepared In.
stantly 10 reply to unjust attacks anC
insinuations"
The vice-prcsidents answer was some
what complete.
/ IL was-"NOw
Then his eyes twinkled as, apropo
Of nothing at all. he reminded me o
the old story about Thsd stevens whe
some man was under attack:
Whose thief is he2" queried ST.
Evening journal., 1918-06-12

responsible for the exact execution OF
the above orders. The mayor Is Or
dered to publish these directions TO the
Commune Immediately.
Notice from Gen. Won Fasbender
dated Henamenll Meurthe ct Moselle
France, sept 3, 1914; Scraps Of Paper,
PIP. i0-ii.
Maintaining Tranquility" Hostages -
Every street Will be occupied
by German patrol who will take ten
hostages FOR the street. II an assault
takes place In a street, the ten hostages
Will be shot
Proclamation Of Gen. Won Bulow. Ma
mur, Belgium. Aug p, 1915; "Juges par
euX-memes," p. SO.
Inhabitants Of either sex are strictly
forbidden TO leave their houses, so far
as this Is not absolutely necessary for
making short rounds, IN order 10 buy
provisions or water their cattle. They
are absolutely forbidden TO leave their
houses at night under any circum-
stances whatever.
Whoever attempts to leave the place,
by night or day, upon any preteXt
whatever, will be shot.
Potatoes can be dug only with the
Commandant's consent and under mill
tary supervision.
The German troops have orders TO
carry out these directions strictly, by
sentinels and patrols, who are author
lied TO fire on anyone departing from
these directions
Proclamation issued by the general
in command at Luneville. Meurthe ct
Moselle, France, end OF August 1911;
Scraps Of Paper" pp. 1913.
The mayor Of the town Of Luneville
officially requests the inhabitants, un-
der the sanction OF the most severe
penalties, TO abstain from making any
signals 20 airplanes or other details OF
the French army
II would b. very imprudent, even out
Of simple curiosity, 20 follow TOO al
tentively the maneuvers OF the aircraft
that fly over Luneville. or to try TO
communicate with the French outposts.
The IL mediate steps TO enforce this,
which would be taken by Colonel Lid.
commandant Of the communications de-
pot. would consist in the seizure Of &
considerable number Of hostages from
the working class as We as from the
middle class.
Notice posted up at LuneviIe, end
OF August 1914 Luncville was held
by the Germans only until sept. a.
i9ii. scraps Of Paper" PIP. ii-i5.
In order sufficiently TO insure The
safety Of our troops and the tranquil
ity OF the population Of Rheims. the
Evening journal., 1918-06-12
(By NeMsnaner

(By Newspaper Enterprise Ass'n)
LONDON. June PA miraculous story
OF how a south African farmer finding
an unexploded mine on the seashore,
opened II with a can-opener, set ailre
the charge Of explosive II contained, and
lived TO tell the tale has been received
by the admiralty.
The farmer was walking along the
beach with hills son when he found the
mine. lie took II for a new kind OF
boiler used IN wireless telegraphy, and
proceeded 70 investigate II with all the
curiosity Of a child.
With a can-opener he pried open the
primer OF the mine. Then he took a
hammer and a chlsel and knocked of
the "hOrns" After unscrewing a brass
cap and some pulley wheels, the two
rolled the mine into the sea, flled Il
with water and screwed back the brass
cap.
AS they lifted the mine into their cart
Evening journal., 1918-06-12
"Cabinef Should Com TO
Conqress With Their PIans''

vens.
"0ur thief" was the reply.
"Then we must defend him." said
Stevens without hesitation
Seriously" said Marshall. u don't
think the vice-presdent in any Admin
stration would want 20 be put into
the position Of chief defender Of Ad-
ministration appoiniees. TO make him
a sort Of member Of the cabinet per Sc
would be a foolish straddle 10 would
make him both executive and legis-
laiure. I don't believe In n.
II think Il would be a good thing.
though, II the cabinet ministers. who
under our form 0f government are
really executive secretaries. were given
the power 20 come on the floor OF the
House and Senate and explain person
ally the needs OF their departments.
They should also be subject 20 cross
Evening journal., 1918-06-12

persons mentioned have been seized a.
hostages by the commander Of the Ger
man army. These hostages will be shot
II there Is the least disorder.
Notice 10 the people OF Rheims, by
The general In command, Sept. ~, 1914
Scraps OF Paper" pp. 2i-25.
on the evening OF September %, rail-
road tracks and telegraph wires were
destroyed between Lovenjoul and Yer
tryck. on the morning OF September
30, both the localities designated were
held TO account for this action and
were forced 10 give up hostages.
In future the inhabitants 6f places
situated near railways and telegraph
lines which have been destroyed VIII
be punished without mercy. whether
they are guilty Of this destruction or
not. For this purpose, hostages have
been taken In all places in the vicinity
Of railways in danger OF similar at
tacks; and at the first attempt 20 de-
stroy any railway, telegraph or tele-
phone line, they will be shot imme-
dlately
- Proclamation by Field Marshal Won
der Goltz. governor general Of Belgium.
dated Brussels, Oct. ;, 1914; "Juges par
euA-ultuces D. % scraps OF fepcl,
PIP. 1929. Il Is stated by the editor
Of the latter collection that the acts
recited by the governor were not done
by Belgian civilians but by Belgian sol
diers raiding through the German lines.
BY higher order or the supreme
command Of the army, the names Of
the persons who will answer with their
lives for the safety Of the railways in
the district Of Noyon are herewith pub
lished:
NJ. Felix, mayor.
VI. Jouve. assistant Of the mayor.
NJ Cozette, veterinary surgeon.
NJ Briere. banker.
NJ Nancel, tradesman.
order posted at NoyOn,, France. Oct. 2,
1915. by the commandant OF the town
published in Photographic fac-simile in
the New York Times" July p, 1917.
See appendix, PIP. 252-25i, arts. p
lg), l6, a.. 30, AZ, 56.
a" See appendix, p PSI. art. %. See
also Gen. von Hartmann and German
War Book" above. pp. i62-t63 i66-t67
CONTINUED tomorrow
Evening journal., 1918-06-12

examination by the members In that
way through. personal contact. public
business could be transacted more
quickly.
There is only one thing I think
should be granted TO vice-presldenis.
John Adams and John Calhoun as
sumed that they were privileged to take
the floor Just like the senators and did
so. No one has done so since Being
neither theatrical nor pyrotechnical
have not attempted to resume the func-
tion. However, / have, perhaps, 20
Evening journal., 1918-06-12
Farmer Finds Mine; OpeEs
Ii With Can-Openef

20 take u home. a substance resembling
brown tar trlckled out. They didn't
know II. but II was "r. n. T." trinltroto-
lunene, a most deadly eXplosly.. which
had been softened by the sun.
They lighted the substance with a
match ITO see II IL was tar. The result
so frightened them that they ne out for
home. The flames rose 200 feet. so bad
ly soaring the inhabitants or the coast
that many OF them fed 10 the woods
The frightened farmer ran TO con-
stable and brought the officer back TO
see the sight. The connstabe didn't
know what the thing was. either. so he
rolled II into some weeds and notified a
British warship In the harbor. Not un-
till an officer arrived from the ship was
Il known that the mysterious article
was a mine.
Naval officers are at a loss TO under
stand why the Boer farmer was not
blown 20 pieces.
Evening journal., 1918-06-12
nncKLANn pAnENT.TEAcnEns.

The Paront-Teachors Association OF
Rockland will close its season with a
play entitled "a Clergyman's Court
ship. 20 be given by the young people
Of Rockand this evening.
The following ls a list OF characters
Arthur Grayhurst, a clergyman, Frank
Dilworth.
Jerome Brice, his friend. Ralph Jones
Jonas Dixon, leader OF tho choir. vii
liam Monigle.
Jacob Snyder, a theatrical manager,
Jefferson Ewing
Reuben Stubbins. whose duties are
arduous, Alvin Jones.
Olivia Vaughan. an actress. Elizabeth
Monlgle.
Alice Grayhursi. Arthur's sister,
Florence Welch.
Mrs. wilkins, who favors a rummage
sale. Nettle McCummOns.
Amarllla Jones, who has beau,
Princes Schultz.
Matilda Triplett. who sings alto, Anna
MOnigle.
Miss Bracket. orsanist Lottie stoll
Evening journal., 1918-06-12
OUT OF THEIR OWN MOUTHS!

Utteranocs German Rulers, Ststemon Savan Pbcists
Journalists, Poets, Bushsss Men, Party Leaders and
Soldiers, Edited by Mmroe Smith, IL D.. Professor
Of Jtuispruonco, Columbia University and Published by
d. Appleton and Company, of New York and London
Permsors Lay Before Evening Journal Readers These
Compiled and Copyrighted Evidences Of Dsmnabe
German Policy of Long Standing Was Obtained for u.
by Former Judge George Gray Who Thinks They Should
Be Read, Digeed and Remembered by Every American.
Evening journal., 1918-06-12

times seen opportunities where couH
have taken the floor and explained
some important topic. 1t would not be
necessary to have constitutional
amendment TO give the vice-president
that power. All that would be required
would be an amendment to the Senate
rules"
Evening journal., 1918-06-12

The Want Ads are the great clearing
port OF the world OF work and VIII
always render first aid TO those seeking
employment
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24

delicate task that has put the artillery bv the dve
opmens OF modern warfare This attack which resulted in
the capture of 16O prisoners and German trenches on
or about mile, to depth of nearly hreequarters of mile
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
Shortening the Curtain
To twenty-five Yards

The next development was to
shorten the barrage-that is, to get
men to advance with the bursting
line of shells closer and closer to
them and therefore nearer over
their own heads. 1t is obvious that
the nearer you could get the advanc-
ing line of men to the barrage the
better that advancing line was pro-
tected, for the less was the gap be-
tween the time when the barrage
was lifted from the enemy's trenches
and the time when your own men
reached it. If this time could be cut
short enough, it would obviously
become impossible for the defenders
OF the trench to swarm out from the
dugouts in which they had taken
refuge from the shells in time to
offer any serious resistance to the
infantry. The handling of this form
of barrage attained such a perfec
ton at last that margins of only
fifty yards were common, and some
times troops got within TWENTY-FIVE
yards of the barrages.
The next step was the develop
ment of the creeping barrage,"
which was, I believe, British in orr
gin. The enemy's trenches, though
roughly parallel to your own, are
never exactly parallel. Sometimes
there is considerable difference in
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24

and because the command did not
know how infantry would behave
with shell fire so close over their
heads and so near in front of their
advance.
The barrage was established one
hundred yards at least, and often
more, in front of the advancing
troops. Suppose you had front
line with the enemy trenches fol-
lowing a certain crest, while your
trenches ran roughly parallel to his
and perhaps two hundred yards
away. The original method of at
tack was this:
You first pounded his trenches
with heavy artillery emplaced and
hidden several thousand yards be-
hind your lines. This "prepara-
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
dugouts and check them.

But to permit this maneuvre, see
ing how large a section of the ad-
vance even single machine gun
could hold up, the curtain or bar
rage fire of field guns came into
play. These pieces, smaller than the
great guns which had been used to
pound the enemy trenches to pieces,
were placed within several hundred
yards behind your own trenches and
dropped a continual line of bursting
shells a hundred yards or so in front
OF your men, shooting over their
heads. This curtain or barrage shell
fire was designed to blind the en-
emy's defence and protect your own
advance almost up to the moment
when the enemy trench was reached.
At that point the barrage was Gift
ed" and further extended toward
the opponents rear.
1t is clear that even in It's early
stages. this operation was an ex-
ceedingly delicate one. 1t was a new
thing to ask troops to advance with
their own shells screaming above
their heads. There would be losses
among your own men from "prema-
tures," that is to say, shells which
burst before they reach the barrage
line; though the cone of the disper-
sion of the fragments of the burst
ing shell was all toward the en-
emy, it was a severe trial, especially
IN the experimental beginnings of
the thing, for a man to advance even
one hundred or one hundred and
fifty yards behind such a storm of
metal.
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
wiped out troublesome German salient The ground over
which the attack made became famous during the great
Champagne offensive of September 1915 The arrows show
approximately the location of the action.

tion' continued until the command
thought nearly all of the opponents
were in their dugouts or were so
shaken and the trenches so filled by
the exploding shells that the defence
would be sufficiently weakened to
permit an easy victory wl1ra the
prearranged moment for your at
tack should have come. That mo-
ment had to be fixed beforehand.
All officers watches were synchron-
lied, and at the Zero" moment your
men went over the top. of the
trenches and got across the open Of
No Mans Land toward the enemy's
trenches, crouching as they ad-
vanced and with the intention of oc-
cupying those trenches before the
defenders could sally from their
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
human beings who had to act as best

human beings who had to act as best
they could in concert.
The barrage fire thus made pos
sible by the new quick-fring field
piece of which the French are the
pioneers was developed in the early
months of the war by the genius of
the French artillery, and was very
rapidly copied by the enemy and by
Frances allies.
In it's original form the object of
the barrage was merely to cover the
advance of the infantry; it was
rigid in alignment and bracket
the bracket being the extent of vari-
alton in range allowed from the me-
dian point upon which the barrage
was centred-because this tactic
was still in it's experimental stage
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
so dangerous and expensive of life
that it will hardly be attempted.

so dangerous and expensive of life
that it will hardly be attempted.
1t is clear that artillery tactics of
this sort were impossible before the
advent of the quick-fring field gun
twenty-odd years ago, when the
French invented the 75-millimetre
gun. Even very large concentra-
tion of the old-style guns-such as
the French 90-millimetre, which
preceded the present 75-and even
If that concentration were directed
against comparatively short line,
would never have given anything
like the results of the modern bar
rage fire.
This was for two reasons. First,
because the rate of fire of the old
guns was not nearly rapid enough,
and, second, because they could not
be fired with sufficient accuracy.
The old gun did not absorb the shock
of it's own recoil; it had to be relaid
and repointed after every shot had
been fired, since the recoil from
the shot drove the trail deeper and
deeper into the ground and shifted
the whole position of the carriage.
The consequence was that the maxi
mum rate of fire was not even
fifth or sixth of the rate which
it became possible to obtain when
a gun had been produced which alb
sorbed it's own recoil without chang
ing the position of the carriage or
the laying of the gun and thus could
be fired off pretty nearly as fast as
the carriers of shells could reload
it, subject only to the heating of the
breech to a point where there was
danger of premature explosions of
the shells. The newest French
quick-tirers are said to have touched
thirty rounds a minute, and | my
self have seen them pass twenty
rounds.
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
New Gun Brought
Accuracy of Fire

1t will be clear that the accuracy
OF fire, as we'll as the rapidity of
hre, was very largely increased by
the use of the new weapon, for, since
the gun absorbs it's recoil and points
alter each shot exactly as it did be-
lore, the error between the first
shot and the second, that between
the second and the third, etc., would
be nothing more than that trifle due
to some slight difference in the
charge, some imperceptible move
ment in the trail and it's spade or
some slight change in the wind,
whereas when the old-fashioned
gun was being fired there came in
the personal error of the gun laver
himself and of his mate at the hand
spike with which the trail of the old
fashioned gun was shifted. The Sec
ond aiming of the gun was a sepa-
rate operation from that which pre-
ceded the first shot; so was the third
a separate operation from the Sec
ond. And so for each new shot there
was personal coefficient of error
due to the imperfection of two
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24

Wires as we'll.
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
s. GUNNERS PASS FINAL TEST IN ACTION
Joint Attack With
French on Famous
Field Is Good
Augury for the
Future


alignment. Your trenches, for in
stance, in the particular sector for
which the attack is planned might
be roughly straight line, while the
enemy's might be sinuous one.
Photographs taken from the air (the
Allies had begun photography in
the first autumn of the war and
brought it to high degree of per-
fection) had exactly plotted for you
upon large scale map the enemy's
front trench; your barrage fire be-
gan in front of your own trenches
along line corresponding to the
shape of your own trenches, but as
it approached the enemy's trench it
would take more and more the shape
of his line.
The advantage of this new perfec-
ton in methods was obvious, but it
was also obvious that it required
much greater skill on the part of
the men handling the guns than did
the first crude method of a mere
straight line Of curtain fire. Each
gun had separate task assigned to
it; a general order to the whole line
of guns to shift their fire by fixed
steps was no longer possible, yet
this second phase was developed
with great rapidity and astonishing
accuracy and is now the universal
method.
Coincidentally with this develop
ment Of the creeping barrage came
the idea of second barrage fire be-
hind the enemy trenches. This was
designed to cut off reinforcement.
The barrage in front of the enerls
blinded him and covered your ad-
vance. The barrage behind him
prevented new men from coming
up, and also kept out messages, am
munition and food. 1t often cut his
wires as we'll.
New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
u. S. Gunners
Prove Their Worth

This, then, is the present method
Of attack: There is, first, "the prep
aration" with heavy guns which
pounds the enemy's trenches, at the
same time drives him underground
and fills in the shelter which the
trenches had afforded. Then your
infantry leaves the trenches to ad-
vance, covered by a barrage which,
beginning with the shape of our own
trenches, gradually conforms itself
to the shape of the enemy's trenches
as it approaches them. Your men
follow behind the advance of the
curtain fire. In the meanwhile an
other curtain behind the enemy's
trench is isolating him from support,
and when the operation is concluded
it conforms to famous formula of
which, | believe, General Petain was
the author:
To-day it is the artillery that
conquers, the infantry that occu-
pies
The training Of the gunners.
therefore, is everything to this
method, and the action on the 18th
of February was, as | have said. a
trial of the degree of excellence
which our newly arrived American
allies have reached in their practice
CT this new tactic. The operation
was completely successful, and so
was OF good augury for the future.
For the benefit of those who have
no large scale maps of the district
available l may say that the point
where this first combined operation
of American and French troops
took place will be found upon any
general map of France between
seven and eight miles west of the
River Aisne, where the upper course
OF that stream runs along the west
ern border of the Argonne forest
about the middle of the length of
that forest; or, again, it is a spot
just twelve miles due northwest of
the town of st. Merehould, some
ten miles north and trifle west Of
the battlefield of Valmy, almost ex-
actly thirty-one miles due east from
the city of Rheims.