Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-22
SHRAPNEL.
Sidelights on the War
-BY-
OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

SO You are on a submarine? What
do you do?' a woman asked Of a jackie
standing in front of The Star war map.
well, madam, the truth is, I run for
ward and tip her up when we want to
submerge. But don't tell the censor I
told you.''
The lady left feeling that she had re-
ceived a bit Of priced information. But
she whispered 1t secretly to another
friend and that's how We came to know
this story.
One must be keenly alive to be a
successful fiier, owing to the highly
developed tactics of aerial warfare
which have been evolved during the
course of the present struggle. Dis
cussing this feature one fier said {:
The great airman could not con-
celvably be a stupid man. AS certain
as gravitation is the fact that he
would not be great airman did he
not possess a f1rst-cIass brain. The
slow, lethargic, ponderous man may
win the Y. c. in the infantry; he will
win nothing but a line in the casual
wills it that he should become a fly
Ing man: 1t is the man with a highly
sensitized brain who wins distinction
in the air: the razor man, the
man who is all nerves and whipcord,
all ice and fire."
A wounded British soldier was talk
ing e..
enjoys modern warfare after, say, six
months Of it. he is liar. War has
modern scientific developments have
turned a sporting chance of being
scuppered into a mathematical GER
tainty. And yet-and yet old Muc-
klewame is right. One hates to be out
Of Especially at the finish. When
the regiment comes stamping through
London on its way back to Euston-
next year, or whenever it's going to
be-with their ragged pipers leading
the way, you would like to be at the
head of "A Company, Bobby, and I
ing my old function of whipper-in."
The average sniper carries an in
strument by which he studies the
wind. He wishes his shots to go di-
rect. for II they should vary frac-
would not be worth while.
Here's an American soldiers way
of getting rid of the "cooties" which
get too familiar with democracy's
fighting forces on the western front:
ferred, that is about so feet long and
has two ends. Ee sure you get both
ends. Then place one end on the
ground and the other in the air,
climb up and place some cheese or
butter-butter preferred-on the top.
not have to wait long before. Mr..
Cootie will be along. He, of course,
hears the cheese or butter up on the
rope or wire. and goes up to get a
bite. Now, climb up yourself and cut
the wire or rope about two feet be-
low Mr.. Cooue and place on that end
an ice cream cone. Then come down
and hide. Mr.. Cootie will get all the
butter or cheese he wants and start
down. not knowing the rope or wire is
cut, and fall in the iceacream cone
and freeze to death
work for a day or more. if you re-
move the dead Immediately"
France in peace times always has
been interesting. In war times it is
doubly so for every person engaged in
of responsibility that rests upon them.
The harvest is picturesque.
An early morning or an evening walk
will give you the true history of the
harvest. Almost all is cut-most
rhythmically.by a veteran father OF
W,
ment, much broader and more curved
at the base than any English scythe,
SO that the cut straws are not flung on
to the clear stubble but rest half up
right leaning against the standing
corn.
the wheat into her lap as she disen-
cages it from the upright crop. and
laying it down in equal bundles neat
and orderly. Then about sunset
daughters, and even grandchildren.
gather toward the old couple, and all
the family fall to the work Of turning
the bundles into sheaves. 1t is done
with muscular energy by deft twist
ing Of bands of straw finally fastened
into a knot with help Of strong fng-
ers and a sort Of wooden distah.
How quickly they work! But they
will stop and talk for an hour II you
wish about the magnificence OF the
crop, or of the war, or of the Taubes
or Of the English. who are tres gen
tiles" though some omcers have
'beaucoup swank-"
lady. and her one mission In life Is
to make things as unpleasant as she
can for the allies soldiers" said a
returned soldier.
'She Is a cross between a shell and
a bomb, and is fired from q rninen-
" Si ACi, AiSh ID a 80 - ~ASA1 AAsNA
tar: when she is coming toward you
through the air she resembles bar
rel lobbing along.
THE most Objectionable thing about
her is the fact that you can follow
her flight all the way from the Ger
man lines to where she explodes. You
are sitting peaceably writing home.
when suddenly you rear q boom. and
the ominouS 'thr-r-rob, thr-E-rob'
breaks upon your ear.