Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-25

back of the Belgian line. Although the
machine WAS out of commission the two
German officers were able 10 make safe
landing. Lieutenant Hickey also landed,
and when the German officers got out
of their machine and walked away he ran
to them, thinking they would at least
shake hands. One turned his back on him
and the other did shake hands, but did it
rs though he was ashamed Of himself.
Lieutenant Hickey said he then went over
to where his prize German machine was
BY that time Belgian officer and num-
ber Of Belgian soldiers had gathered
around the plane. While they were stand
ing there looking at il there was terrific
explosion. The Belgian officers and eight
soldiers were killed, the two German Off
GERS having left time bomb on the
machine. Other Belgian soldiers were so
incenscd that they attacked and killed
the two Germans with knives. That, said
Lieutenant Hickey. WAS the reason he
WINS pleased at having downed the German
in the fight that MIR. Holt witnessed. Mr..
Holt said he secured the address of Lieu
tenant Hickey's mother in Vancouver and
wrote to her He received q reply only
week ago in which he was informed that
since the Calais fight Lieutenant Hickey
had been decorated three times, but met
death himself in the air on October Is.
DISTINCTION OF RHEIMS.
The speaker told Of visiting Rheims
where he said he believes every building
in the city has been hit and many more
than once He spoke of the ruins of the
great Cathedral and said about the only
thing in Rheims, as far as he could see,
that had not been hit was statue OF
Joan of Arc on horseback in front of the
Cathedral His description of his visit to
Vcrdun WAS very vivid. This, he said, as
battlefield, is ], 900 times worse than
Gettysburg. He was taken by the eom-
mandcr all through the fortress IS feat
underneath the city This is really a city
in itself. There are 500 miles Of street,
with accommodations for 10000 troops
He related many deeds of heroism on the
part of the French in defending Verdun
during the four years of the war. He also
told of visiting one of the seven great
forts on the hills surround M the city
which had assisted the defenders in keeping
the Germans out.
Mr. Holt told of his visit to the American
line and especially that section he d by
the Rainbow division. He also referred
to his visit to the 18th division, the New
England boys, whose commander, Gen
eral Edwards, told him that ''95 per cent
CUTS and heart makes good soldier and
my boys have it all. The Germans,
when the Americans first got into the
fighting, sent their crack shock troops
against them, but they could not get
| through and were driven back with great
osses He related the story told him by
| the lieutenant colonel of one of the New
| England regiments A Lieutenant Lock-
! ba rdt with az mon in a charup made nv
, the German shock troops were caught In a
machine gun nest and held there for two
! DAYS At the end of two days the lieuten-
ant colonel and the colonel of the regiment
went ont to see what had become of Lock
hardt. They met him coming in. He
saluted his superior officers and apologized
for two days growth of beard and said,
"Sirs, have the honor to report all my
men present, 20 dead and alive" This
| he said was true Not man had attempted
to leave his post. as orders could not be
gotten to them to retreat, and all re-
| manned at their posts and the bodies oi
the % dead were still there.
1t was at this point that Mr.. Holt paid
his compliment to the valor of the Aneri-
can army and the craftsmanship of Presi-
dent Wilson. He said the people Of this
! country have no idea of how the people
| of the Allied countries look on President
Wilson and that he is regarded there as
| the greatest man in the world today. He
said it is not a case of "are our soldiers
| and President worthy of us?' but ''are
we worthy of our soldiers and PRESIDENT
, He said that from his observations he
would say Europe is ready for league
of nations, as suggested by President
Wilson