Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-02

Of Tell Hadie. The Druse had al
ready built a line of stone wall. we
completed 1t. We were fully settled
by noon and had the rest of the day
TO get ready for the attack on Sueida.
scheduled for the next day. Through
the glasses we could see the DruSc
easily completing their arrangements
about Sueida. Two captured French
75s were put into position, stone
hreastworks thrown up and every
thing set for desperate resistance.
The next morning we were called
out at 4:S0. The companies we're
lined up in column by sections. Mai.
kra;zert. the commandment. glanced at
his watch repeatedly At 6 O'Clock,
the zero hour. we jumped Off.
We had gone nenrly a half mile
toward Sueiia when tho Druse opened
fire, My company was in reserve, but
my section was called upon TO help
the 18th dislodse the enemy. They
we're intrenched behind a series of
stone houses with one Of the captured
7aS firing almost pointhank, We had
lust received the 1924 automatic rifle.
1t would fire 45o shots q minute. We
did terrible execution with these,
Fix Bayoncts.
After three hours of fighting ut this
point, while our planes bombed the
town and the artillery hammered it.
steadily. we got tired Of this sort OF
stuff The order came TO fix hayonetS
over and into the town we went, car.
rvinc the Druse before us. The
Druse withdrew to the heights over.
look,nc the town. concentrating on
the left. We occupied trench
alongside the road to cover the con.
Noy.
The general had set II o'clock as
tho time TO reach the objective We
were in the Town by 1880, The re.
nlairtier Of the day we spent building
stone walls and fighting off the nrusc.
who peppered the rest of the column
FROM the neichhorinE heights. The
column from peera was perfectly
timed aud came M from behind
Sucida as we were entering il. They
had done some stiff fiGhtiug Both
the Senecalcsc ard the Tirailleurs had
lost heavily. The Druse having
broken through and reached the con
WOW. the column was only maintained
when the ScncgalcSe got into action
with the coup.coup ut close quarters.
Thanks TO the automatic rifle, the
Lessons loss was not as heavy as
usual
The next day we buried the dead
ard cleaned up the town. There must
have been 400 bodies to dispose of.
The Druse were still lowering about
the adjacent heights. SnipinG at us as
much as possible. The French how
ever. had determined 10 fortify Sueida
and hold il permanently. To our dis
may we got orders 10 rebuild the
citadel.
Talk OF Mutiny.
We didn't mind fighting, hut the
prospect of four or five months work
carrying stone and building masonry
got the I.ecion's back up Every one
talked of going over the hill" Of
mutiny. hut nothing happened.
Fresh troops arrived every day with
supplies. The French prepared TO ex-
tend a railroad from Gazalie to
Sucida.
When the Druse saw that the
French We're determined 10 stay, the
bottom of the war fell out Almost
every few days new chief would
Genre in under the white flag to con.
cmie pence terms with Gen. Andrea.
! The French had no desire to do any
thing hut paCify the country. So the
terms were generally easy.
When they had turned in their arms
and paid indemnity Gen. Andrea
guaranteed the trihesmen protection.
After four months we could walk for
miles in the country about Sueida
without danger.
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