El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-12-11
FRANCE
In War Time
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK
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n Il L. - !. ------.


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The Oversees Notebook contains .
variety OF material gathered BY the editor
I Of The Herald iu Europe during the war
and after Excerpts -wil be published iu
/ this column daily curing the next several
months Today's instalment. continuing
T the general narrative, relates experiences
near the Meta front
1t IS suggested that readers clip these
[ articles each day and paste them In scrap
7 books they VIII not be reprinted and back
{ numbers cannot be supplied
WE ARE % miles from Metz and 10
w miles from Germany and the
cutter line Of Metz forts. Our d.
vision holds six miles Of the front line
extending from point about a mile
from the Mosele river on the right
near Fout-a-l lOussOH. westerly. The
maps show the German trenches only
50 TO $50 yards distant from ours but
II Is understood that the enemy
trenches nearest our lines are not held
or very lightly held so that N0-Mau's-
Land varies from 100 20 200 yards or
more wide. The main Paris-1letz road
runs along Just IN rear Of our forward
positions.
"a August l9lS-Cl0udr. cool heavy
showers, at dusk ride up TO our out
lying units IN forward area and
traverse division sector quite thor
oughly. Roads deserted; marked con-
trast TO crowded condition when relief
was being accomplished.
Air raid last night Enemy drops
bombs two miles away, flying over MS
pops away with his machine guns, our
aHti-aircraft guns shoot the sky full
OF holes around the noisy bird but do
.Har u. -Hr
burst high IN the clouds.
p August l9lS-Sundav. a brilliant
cloudiess cool Cloudcroft dav. At
tended mass, strange service but inter
esting- OF Al women and girls at
tending, 50 wear full mourning, %
fully veiled, suggesting the waste of
war. Interior of church tawdry. Con-
gregational singing no choir or organ,
clerk responds and iutOnes, men and
women try 70 sing, do fairly Wen.
Latin, some Gregorian chant, but some
mctrical settings, more than at other
places, and folk songs evidently
adapted. Service unimpressive but in
terestlng as study Of people. Diminu
tive crlpple-necked priest, who does all
the work, lights the candles, places
books and altar objects and takes up
IN white follows at the priests heels
with a leather cup in which she too re-
ceires pennies, but her treasure is for
Mary's shrine and she has 20 stand on
tiptOe TO put the cup on the side altar;
this Foungster seems TO be a sort of
leader Tor the children who sit on the
front seat and help with the singing
a Few French and American soldiers
present.
Some firing along the front. We
witness flight Of German planes which
are attacked BY our auti-aircraft guns
but the planes do not seem to mind;
they force the quick hauling down of
our sausage observation balloon These
German planes fly westerly all along
our front SIX OF eight miles then wheel
and lily back again. see all they desire
TO see, and fly back home unscathed.
yet the French anti-aircraft batteries
acting in this sector shoot so many
shrapnel and high explosive shells at
them that the puffs of white and black
smoke make q continuous path along
the sky through which the enemy
planes dodge and rise and swoop at
viii
At night, a most picturesque air
plane flight at one time, IA brilliant
white searchlight beams, sweeping the
sky for the raider. move back and
forth and gradually concentrate and
focus on tiny white speck over our
heads ike a moth moving swiftly;
many auti-aircraft guns try TO reach
him and the zenith is made brilliant
by the dazzling bursts of light with
countless rays as the shells explode.
on far hnunnHn ~na uTrmn 20 HrH H.1-
IT.
Nancy, 10 or y miles south, Is one
Of the principal objects of German air
attacks and the city is ringed BIZ
searcAlight batteries and anti-aircraft
guns; the rays Of the searchlights
seem sometimes 20 extend 10 miles
across the sky rs they sweep the
heavens. 7 am reminded Of the beau
tiful searchlight displays across san
Francisco bav during the exposition.
Exchange OF compliments along the
front continues.
20 August l9lS-Things generally .
quiet. Air raid in night.
y August 19lS-Iraverse our divi- Z
sion sector forward. One becomes
quickly used to traversing roads I
marked Under constant observation 4
and frequent fire OF the enemy. Pas I
sage Of groups Of men OF mere than I
lne vehicle is prohibited Single men
lr vehicles may proceed at their risk /
in case Of necessity. Warning to all 4
Tot tnder military orders" Other 4
roads signed: ~Under constant machine I
gun fire OF the enemy; conceal or run /
icross- These signs are in French, !
put mp during French occupancy Of the /
sector. Conditions have not changed so I
az as risk Is concerned, but the Amer
cans who have come in since have not /
bothered to put mp similar signs in
English and nobody would bother TO I
comply with the warnings even If the I
Signs were there to read. Entire sector I
md all roads are under constant OBJ Z
5ervation from enemy balloons and
planes in day time
. August l9lS-Showers. See three
IF our observation balloons shot down
BY German planes one after another.
Little OF mo- activity Of airmen from .
lur side can be discerned. The quiet, 4
serious French troops. They may have /.
ost a lot OF their aggressive spirit in I
these four years hut they are stayers. I
Continued in next issue.l