The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-26

could continually hear the shrek Of
high explosive shells going over
head. You never hear the shell that
hits you.
Shock Troops at Verdun.
I'm the attack on Verdun the Ger
mans sent against Fort Seville in
mass formation the insane and fool
ish from Germany which had been
transported there for use as shock
troops. These unfortunates We're
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 ammuni-
ton. Behind these thousands,
marching shoulder to shoulder the
armed forces were to march ready
to attack the French. Some of them
were so stupid that they could not
hold up their heads which wobbIed
from side to side Before this sac
rifice Of human life was finished the
dead were piled 40 feet high in places
get over them.
"The French. spent 100000
men there in carrying out that
wonderful motto-'They shall not
pass For hours the French
gunners in Fort Seville moved
down the advancing masses.
Eighteen million shells were used
by the French in one month to
hold Verdun. There is not one
shell that strikes the ground
anywhere in front of the city to-
day but what unearths a corpse.
I want to take up with you now
the character OF the enemy we are
fighting. l don't want you to be COM
PEELED to say when asked that you
don't know why we are in this war
or that you don't know what sort of
people we are fighting against.
Air Raid In London.
"The second night we were in
London we witnessed an air raid.
We had gone to bed at midnight, but
an hour later We heard the shrek Of
siren and the shouts Of policemen
and Boy Scouts crying out to people
to take cover. The hotel clerk called
us to come down into the lobby as
we would be safer there than in our
rooms on the eighth floor. We saw
the stairwa,ys crowded with people
seeking safety, but concluded to stay
where we were and watch what hap
pened. There are no lights in Lon
don, only at long distances and
shaded to throw their light down
ward, We withdrew the heavy cur
tatns which covered the windows and
looked out. Suddenly we saw two
big fingers Of light dart out and
search the heavens and the whole
city cut loose with the anti-aircraft
guns. Then we saw the German air
plane high above us, sought out by
the powerful lights. This way and
that 1t turned. followed by the beams
Of light binding and confusing the
pilot English aviators circled about.
finally getting above the invader to
drive him down. Two Of the enemy
planes were driven down that night
but not before they had cut loose
with their bombs which wrecked the
homes OF civilians. We could hear
the shrek of the shells as they drop
ped and the heavy explosions which
followed.
Next morning we found that an
incendiary bomb had struck within
800 feet Of our hotel In a backyard
we saw where a bomb had torn a
hole so feet across and seven feet
deep, uprooting a large tree which it
tossed upon the roof Of the house.
The home was wrecked, windows
shattered and walls bullying. Stand
ing In the yard, gazing at the ruin
We're a woman and a little boy-a
little black-eyed boy about seven
years old, a bandage about his head
covering a wound caused by the ex-
plosion, from which the blood trick
led down his face. Another bono
had struck near a school, crushing
a storage warehouse to powder. In
another place a gas bomb had drop
ped.