Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-06-07


a maelstrOm 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.
l have seen them in action. / have
seen them under shell fire which 1T
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 81
gantic world war.
Very recently visited them In lit
tie village as close to the enemy lines
as units can be quartered. l had gone
to see the artillerymen at their task
and instead of anticipated tranquility
ran into the fierceSt kind of excitement
the first these particular Yankees
had known. 1t all burst suddenly and
unexpectedly, just as most war devel-
Opments break.
Shells Break 1900 Yards Away.
From the rear window Of headquar-
tiers in charge OF an American captain
and q French officer shells could be
seen breaking on slOping hillside.
The nearest one while l was observing
fell perhaps 200 feet away. They
were aimed at an American battery.
ats nothing" said the captain. a
stalwart, handsome man. who only a
few years ago was 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-
versed 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 Mt night" he said. 1.-THE
Smelling Is pretty heavy and It's hard
to sleep, but I'm getting used to it."
Clerk Indifferent to Smelling.
Just beside the open window in the
rear-the window was more like a
barn door than a window and had no
glass-a clerk was pegging away at a
typewriter. The dropping of the shells
made no impression upon him. AT
home. l learned. he is a clerk In an
express office-a 1.-THE, well groOmed
youth who has dreams Of future CON-
mercial greatness.
"These shells come little too close
for comfort, don't they?" l observed.
They won't get any nearer"
To q war amateur the spectacle OF
shells striking so near yet coming no
nearer, when it would have been SO
easy to blow the town to bits, was
matter of wonder.
"Yes, they could hit the town. of
course" was the captains comment.
'but they never have shelled 1t. Sort
of an unwritten understanding, / ina
CINE. They have towns similarly situ-
ated which we could shell. but they
don't want them shelled."
Other understandings were that the
Germans spare some towns because
their own people have property In
them. Whatever may be the reason
for sparing certain towns all reason
ing was wrong with respect to this
particular village where l was having
luncheon. We had just finished when
n noncommissioned officer entered the
upstairs room, considerably out OF
breath, but in no way excited. and
after saluting said:
Battery Connections Broken.
"Our battery Is being shelled with
gas and telephone connections have
been broken"
Hurried orders were issued. 1t was
all done quickly and quietly. The foot.
ball player. now a captain. acted as II
he were coaching an old team at
school. Presently men were seen sour
rying off through the fields toward the
shell-swept zone wherein the batteries
lay. They dropped fiat two or three
times. but all crossed the danger belt
safely and disappeared In the more
thickly spattered region. This action
had Just been put into effect when an.
other soldier appeared before the cap
tain and, saluting and standing erect
said:
II have to report, sir. that the shell
fire is becoming more severe. Shells
are now falling in the village"
The nearby whizz Of the flying
things and the boom and crash at the
end Of the street gave terrifying EN-
phasis to the sharp cut words of the
soldier. No one was so vexing as to
ask about the "unwritten understand.
ing" not to bomb the town. Where
shells had been falling at the rate OF
two every three minutes. they were
now dropping at the rate Of four OF
five n minute. They wsre striking In
many parts Of the village.
There being nothing to do In the
town word was given to evacuate. In
n moment French and Americans were
streaming slowly off into the fields and
along the roadways and in five min
utes only a few American and French
officers and ambulances were to be
seen In the streets. which were fire.