Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 200, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1918 — Page 3

Worst Fighting of War in 1918

British Successes of 1917 Pale in Comparison to Latest Battles. BIG EVENTSOFFOURTH YEAR Battles of Cambral, Third Battle of Ypres, Battle of Menln Road, of Broodselnde and Passchendaele Loom Up Importantly. London. —The berate battles of the British army during the last half of 1917, Including the battles of Cambrai, the third battle of Ypres, the battle of Menin road, of Broodselnde and of Passchendaele, would loom up importantly in any, survey of the past year’s fighting on the western front but for one reason!. They do not compare In any sense with the fighting since March 21, 1918. The spring of 1917 saw the begin-j ning of the allied offensive against Germany, but the third miscarried almost from the start, and, after it was seen that there was nothing more to be expected from Russia, the “great offensive” of the allies found itself diverted Into a number of smaller ties, where occasionally some 200,000 men were employed on either side. Some 32,000 prisoners were taken by • the British in eight of these thrusts ; against the German line between | August 1, 1917, and the close of the year, and important- positions were won, but the successes were only tactical. The third battle of Ypres began July 81, 1917, and continued until August 10, again breaking out August 16, the" British crossed the Yser canal, taking nine villages and 6,122 prisoners. When the battle was renewed, August 16, Langemarck was taken besides 2,114 more prisoners. Meanwhile, the Canadians on the Lens sector attacked and captured Hill No. 70, took 900 prisoners and maintained their positions against five counterattacks. This was on August 15. Smash Foe at Verdun. The French bn August 20, attacking on an 11-mile front at Verdun, recaptured about two-thirds of the ground which the crown prince’s army had won In months of slaughter. The chief action In September, 1917, was In the battle of Menln road, which began September 20, the object being to loosen the German grip on the coast. Following an eight hours’ bombardment the British advanced on an elght-mlle front from Hollebeke to Langemarck, capturing a half-dozen important positions and taking 3,243 prisoners. During October, 1917, when disaster overtook the Italians, both the French ; and the British scored noteworthy successes. On October 4 a great struggle began on a front of eight miles on the Passchendaele ridge, called the battle of Broodselnde, perhaps the most Important during the year on the British front. The Germans had planned an attack for 6 a. m., t but the British launched their offensive an hour earlier, shattered three enemy divisions, broke up four others and took 4,446 prisoners, whlie Oana-

ONE OF AMERICA’S HEAVY GUNS

Model of a big American gun that is being turned out in large numbers for use in France. It already is camouflaged.

Excel Enemy in Air

British Air Force Headquarters in France—There have been many signs recently of extreme uneasiness by the German high command regarding the increasing ascendancy of the allied airmen on the western front. This has been especially evident since the AmeiS lean airmen have begun to appear in force and have proved themselves of the same mettle as the French and British flyers. Perhaps thq most striking evidence of German official anxiety regarding the allied superiority in the air is to be found in the official German wireless news. In an effort to counteract the depressing effect of the real facts of the situation, the German wireless editors make the wildest statements, bordering almost on humor. Thus a recent copy of the German wireless report says: “Superior methods of flying and greater skill have secured for the German air force suc-

dians took 2.000 prisoners. Jhe French, on October, 23, attacked northeast of Soissons on a slx-mile front on the Aisne, from Vauxillon to La Royere, piercing the enemy’s line four miles and taking 11,000 prlson- ! ers. On October 9 the British took Poelcappelle and 2,028 prisoners and made some slight gains with heavy attacks in the Ypres sector October 22, 26 and 30. On November 6 the Canadians won their great victory, capturing Passchendaele Ridge, for which the British had. been battling for months. The Canadians held the ridge "until the recent hammer blows. November also saw the British success, which was .partially diminished by a surprise counter-stroke, at Cambral. The Third British army, under Sir Julian Byng, on November 20 launched its drive without artillery preparation on an elght-m|le front, smashing the Hindenburg line, almost reaching the outskirts of the Important railway center of Cambral and taking 8,000 prisoners the first day. Hun«"Regain Ground. The battle continued ten days, prisoners being Increased to 11,551, while 138 guns were taken. The deepest advance was seven miles. But on November 30 the Germans delivered a tremendous attack against Byng’s

Marine Tells of His First Fight

Paris.—He was a United States Marine. He hailed from Chicago, and I judged his age to be twenty-two or twenty-three. I' did not learn his name, but during the short* hour we spent together he poured out to me his personal Impressions of the fighting, In which he had taken a share, at Chateau Thierry. He naively apologized when he learned I was an American, saying; “Of course, when I’ve been In and out of the trenches a few times I expect It Will all grow s:ale, and I shan’t want to talk about it.” He was just a normal boy, and lie related his experiences and impressions without pose or boastfulness. “When we took over that part of the line we were told it was a quiet sector,” he said, “but it didn’t remain long quiet. We learned afterwards that at first the Germans thought we were British, our uniforms being somewhat alike, but when, they discovered that we were Yanks they began to get curious about .us. They were sure satisfied pretty quick.” Had Empty Feeling. “What were your own personal feelings the first time you went over the top?” I asked. “Well,” slowly, “I suppose I was frightened. I had a sickening, empty feeling somewhere inside me. Just before we were to start our captain said: ‘Now, boys, there’s no need to feel bad about it. These men over the

cesses on a scale such as were never known before." "If Germany is really pleased with her air record for the last few months," remarked a British squadron leader to the correspondent, “there is no reason for us to complain. We ask nothing -better than that Germany should go on having the same kind of success in future months." He took as an example the report for May, which lay open on his desk. “This report," he explained, “deals with the British air fighting alone, and has no reference to the fine air work of the "French, Italians and Americans. During the month the British brought down 398 German machines In aerial combat, and twenty by Are from the ground, while 100 more were driven down out of control and probably destroyed. During the same period 128 British machines failed to return to their airdromes.**

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

PREFERS SINGLE BLISS TO BEING HUN’S ‘FRAU’

Ellensburg, Wash. —Mrs. Mabel Schlamann seeks a divorce here because, she says, she would rather be single than the wife of a German. She - complains that her husband, When they were married In 1915, told her he was a naturalized American, but since that he insists on calling her “frau.”

army, aiming to cut It off from the rest of the British forces. The Germans succeeded in recovering about half of the ground Byng’s army had won. During the past year the British have made considerable progress In Mesopotamia and Palestine, capturing Jerusalem December 9, 1917, while the allied armies from the Adriatic to the Egean have prevented, the Germanic allies from gaining control of the Mediterranean. So far the British have won more than a third of Palestine from the Turks. In Mesopotamia the British have advanced about 100 miles up the Tigris and Euphrates since capturing Bagdad, and have made some progress toward the north of Hit, capturing more than 15,000 prisoners. During January, February and the first half of March only small actions occurred on the western front, the British preparing for the German drive' which was launched with unprecedented fury March 2L

other side are feeling just as bad, in fact a mighty sight worse,’ I remember his words distinctly, because they were the last he said, except to give the command to start. We had to advance through a field of green wheat, soppy with dew, so that we got wet through and could hardly keep our feet on the slippery ground. Our captain and lieutenant were killed right at the start, and also the first sergeant. * “We had only the gunner sergeant left, and all around the men were falling, and the air w T as filled with the noise from bursting shells? cries of dying men, the groans of the wounded, the singing of bullets, and the clatter of the machine guns. ‘Tve never been what you’d call a praying chap, but I prayed hard then, and many times since.” After a moment I said: “Yes, and then?” “Well, we saw pretty, soon that if we didn’t hurry up and get to the wood there wouldn’t be any of'us left to take It —so we just hiked like —as if —well, as if it was an express train that we just had to catch or bust. And when*we got there it didn’t take us long to clear the Boche out. He w’ould go on firing until we were right on top of him with the bayonet and theqjie’d yell out ‘Kamerad.’

“Even in the midst of the fight I couldn’t help laughing out at’the man alongside of me. He. had seen his chum fall and came on just wild, and when he was going for one Getnfan the Boche yelled: ‘Kamerad, I’ve a wife and ten children in Berlin,’ and the marine said: ‘lf you went back to Berlin there’d be ten more children — to h with you,’ and rammed him with his bayonet.” “What happened after you cleared out the Hun?” I asked. “By that time we were reduced to about half our company, and were ordered to dig ourselves in. You should have seen me dig I “Men were falling' all around and two bullets went through my pack as I crouched as near the ground as possible digging like h . So I took my pack off and put it on the parapet to the side of me, and the Germans kept on popping at it. While I was digging every time I looked up to throw the dirt out I could see a flower moving to and fro in the wind just in front of me, and then once I glanced up JuSt in time to see that flower nipped off as if by an invisible hand and lie on the gound. Somehow that made me realize almost more than anything how near death was.”

SMOKES IN PONDER PLANT

Negro is Xeld to Grand Jury ort Charge of Violating Babot- ' " age Act. • ► Newark, N. J.—John J. Mason, a negro employed by the Du Pont Powder*works at Parlfn, N. J„ was locked up to await action by the federal grand jury on the charge of violating the sabotage act. Mason’s offense consisted of lighting a match and smoking a cigarette tn the ether room of the powder plant The complaint against him alleges he took the risk of interfering with war work by furthering the chances of an explosion. No mention was made of what might have happened to Mason.

Kaiser's Fees on Egg.

Connellsville, Pa.—An egg bearing on the shell a striking likeness of the kaiser was laid by a hen here. The face is at one end of the egg and shows plainly the helmet, the long now and pointed chin of the German nkr. ' “

Unconguered Dixmude

DIXMUDE, seated high among the pastures, was like a peasant in holiday garb of pale green with the rivers Yser and Handzaeme tied to her girdle. She was like a girl standing motionless looking upon the smooth countryside, with’the sea In the distance —the sea toward which everblew a crisp breeze that made bend the willows of her winding paths, writes Douglas Ainslle In London Graphic. To Dixmude, Indeed, there Is also applicable another (figure—the martyr—and her history from the middle ages.has had its full share of blood and iron ever since it was but a simple fortress built upon an eminence above the place *where various rivulets unite to form the Yser. In the thirteenth century Guy de Dampierre surrounded it with powerful ramparts, and through all the centuries that have followed, from the period of the civil wars that rendered desolate the low countries in the fourteenth century to the days when Rantzau and Turenne entered it as conquerors, the city has been one of the delights of the low countries. Dixmude did not attempt resistance to the troops of the French Revolution, and it is notable that whenever she has been allowed some respite she has quickly resumed her peaceful commercial life. People Slow to Take Alarm. Her population had the Flemish phlegm, and even when the mobilization began in 1914, It was looked upon as a simple precautionary measure. Was not the neutrality of Belgium guaranteed By treaties signed by the plenipotentiaries of all the great powers? Had not this neutrality been respected since 1870? What cause, therefore,'Was there for alarm? Such was the confidence in “scraps of paper” that when a certain individual took it upon himself to announce Germany’s violation of the neutrality of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, on the second of August, and to prophesy the worst, he was positively hissed and accused of propagating demoralizing news. Dixmude did not Msh to believe in the treachery of the Germans. But events hasten on. News comes of the destruction of Vise, of the resistance of Liege, and that England, respectful of international treaties, has declared herself for the allies. White troupes of trembling fugitives who had escaped from the sack of Louvain and the massacre of Tongres and Aerschot, came pouring into Dixmude, toward safety and the west, in a state of pathetic desolation.

Ruined Beauties of the City. But the ups and downs of the siege, the false tranquillity, and the horrible awakening, must be sought elsewhere In print. It win, interesting to glance rather at a few of the outstanding beauties of Dlxmude which have disappeared beneath the blows of the Teutonic hammer. The Church of St. Nicholas was, perhaps, the most remarkable of the monuments that had survived from ancient times. It was built upon the site of the primitive chapel of the tenth century, and its interior belled the comparative modesty of the exterior. It contained the famous rood-screen, one of the marvels of Belgium. The screen was remarkable, owing to the enormous number of leaves, flowers, fruits, and even of minute insects with which the ancient sculptor had been at infinite pains to adorn it. This prodigious labor, lasting over many years, was accomplished by a single artist, whose name alone has come down, to us from the sixteenth century: Jean Bartet The old Beguinage, inhabited by women who were not nuns, and forming a lay order which they might leave at will, was a touching relic of the past It used to stand in the middle of tiie town, surrounded with high walls, crouching there as though from modesty. A low door afforded an entrance to the grass plot around which were grouped the little houses. At the further end stood a chapel whose low roof and damp walls seemed exactly to suit by reason of its very humidity, these good souls in the evening of their life, dwelling so peacefully there under the mild rule of their patron. Saint Begue. Favorite Place of Artists. Yes, Dlxmude was the younger Mater of her neighbor, Bruges, offering to tired eyes a like prospect of green and leafy surprises along its ancient quays. Unlike Bruges, Dlxmude was never “discovered” by the fashionable crowd. The same old North and Boman bridges, the bridge of the Peage and of the Allee, which spanned the Krekel-

Airplane View of Dixmude.

beek, were never trod by feet hurrying from one table d’hote to another. The calm burghers of Dixmude had crossed and recrossed them, in the hard frost of winter or in the golden evenings of autumn, when the sun came to die amid prodigious magic of light The charm of Dixmude made especial appeal to artists, and the Parisian Leon Cassel was one of Its most fervent admirers. He left Paris every summer to plunge again into the in; spl ration which came to him from the old walls peopled with old memories, and it is largely thanks to him that Dixmude is still living for us, though many of his finest pictures have, alas, been destroyed by the fury of the Hun. Monday, market day, was the most animated of the week. On that day Dixmude was alert at dawn, roused from its customary repose. The good women of Essen, of Woumen, of Caeskerke, the jovial dealers from Routers and Poperinghe, drovers from Ypres and Furnes shouted their broad jokes at one another as they pressed on to the Woumenstraat. The butter market presented just before the war a spectacle as stirring and as picturesque as it had presented for centuries, and with little difference.

SEEMED TO UPSET THEORY

Meat Eater Had-No Chance at All With Vegetarian Supposed to Ba Meek and Lowly. Many of the things we are quite sure of are probably not true. For instance, one cannot rely upon the theory that the diet controls the man —that the vegetarian Is, by virtue of his diet, meek and docile, white the confirmed and habitual meat eater is a ferocious animal when aroused. Mr. Brandon, in our block. Is a consistent vegetarian—not only Relieves in it, but urges the merits of his system upon his friends. He was ecstatic about the fine, tender spinach he was permitted to enjoy, and made the neighbors weary singing its praise, says a writer in the Seattle Post-Intei-ligencer. Well, yesterday morning when 1 slipped over to pay my meat bill, Mr. Brandon was wrangling with the butcher about his account. It appears there was a cipher too much in his total, or something—it was $lO and Brandon thought it should be sl. Well, anyway, the butcher lost his temper and called Brandon a liar, and you ought to have seen that vegetarian land on the butcher! He banged him first on one side of tbe face and then on the other, slammed him down in a corner and kicked him in the ribs; it looked like he was intending to take the butcher apart when the help interfered. , If a man can work up that sort of action on spinach, radishes and graKam gems, why should anybody buy meat? And another thing, what was the ferocious meat eater doing while the vegetarian was at work on him? Nothing, absolutely nothing! No, indeed; he didn’t even have time to get mobilized. It seems to be plain that this theory of vegetarian docility has got to be revised.

Commenting on the fact that several American citizens besides the Inventor of the Browning guns could claim title to knighthood and Inlslst on being ad* dressed as sir, if they were so foolish. New York Evening World recalls that the first native American to be knighted by an English monarch was Sir William Pepperell, who was born ,in Kittery, Me., In 1006. _ His father was a Welshman who came to New England as an apprentice to a fisherman. The son became a merchant and amassed a large foetune. For 82 years he was a member of the royal council of Massachusetts, and as chief justice of the common pleas court he won eminence as a jurist He was knighted for his success as a leader of the expedition against Louisburg, the French stronghold on Cape Breton, and afterward attained the rank of lieutenant general in the British army.

“Dick” said a girl to her lover one night recently, “you’ve been drinking coffee, haven’t you?” He admitted it “Why do you drink itF she said. “Well,” he answered, thoughtlessly. “I did it because I was coming to see you and wanted to keep awake." He is looking for a new girl now.

First American Knighted.

How He Lost Her.

MR. BIRKLINGTON WAS LATE

Mrs. B. Had Been at the Jewelers on a. Similar Mission Some Few r Months Before. ■OMBS ll* ' ? Mr.'Blrklington drove up in a “tax!’’ and entered a jeweler’s shop accompanied by his valet, who carried an oblong box of steel. Mr. Birklingtoo asked for Wprivate interview, and, on being shown into the office, he opened the box. exposing a splendid array of diamond and pearl necklaces, earrings, tiaras and rings. “Mrs. B„” he sold, “Is now abroad. Before she returns I want yotf to extract these stones and replace them with good imitations, 'selling the real jewels and giving me the money. This of course is to be a confidential transaction.” "I should be glad to do as you ask,” said the jeweler, “but two years ago Mrs. B. called here on a similar errand to that which now brings you and the errand in her case was successful. The paste jew'els that you offer me are worth-lit-tle more than the hire of the ‘taxi’ awaiting you outside!”

WOULD AMEND LORD’S PRAYER

Seemingly Nothing Was Sacred From Revising Mind of This United States Senator. A well-known senator annoys his colleagues sometimes because in his desire to make legislation thoroughly good he insists on many amendments. During discussion In committee recently, this senator, whose name is not Brown, insisted on amending and amending, practically without end. Finally; somewhat exasperated, a colleague said to him, “Brown, I believe if the Lord’s prayer were being discussed here, you would want to amend it.” Brown replied: “Yes, I would. I would change the clause ‘Lead us not into temptation’ to read ‘Give us strength to resist temptation.* ”

Dames Once Scorned Coal Fires.

Coal and its products were not always so popular as they are today, Alexander Findlay, a Welsh chemist, reminds us In his book, “The Treasures of Coal Tar.” “The introduction of coal, especially as a domestic fuel, was for a long time regarded with disfavor,” he writes. “Even in the seventeenth century it met with an active boycott on the part of ‘the nice dames of London.’ who ‘would not come into any house or rooms where sea-coales were burned, nor willingly eat of meat that was either sod or roasted with sea-coal fire’ —doubtless by reason of the pollution of the atmosphere by smoke and of the stench produced by the burning coal.” Coal was more popular in England tn 1859, when mauve dye appeared as one of the coal tar products and became so much, the rage that Punch referred to the fashion epidemic as the Mauve Measles.

Mule Meat.

“If the Germans capture any American mules,” says the Birmingham AgeHerald, “they may be tempted to try mute, steak." Perhaps so, but we trust none of our friends over there will ever be called upon to resort to any such expedient. We are proud of our mutes, the great work they have done and are doing over here and over there for victory. So appreciative are we of the mule’s services that we are ready to stand hats off when he attempts to bray the “Star-Spangled Banner;” but we can never, no never recommend his steak even to the despised Boche as anything approaching a gastronomic dainty.—Nashville Banner.

Inventions.

A craze for Invention is sweeping the country. Many a man who has never been able to Invent an excuse to land the wife for getting home late M now accomplishing wonderful tilings. Already 2,000,000 appliances for the destruction of U-boats have reached the patent office. One man hi.s evolved a brick boat, built entirely of brick from the keel to the crow’s nest. The chief value of this construction is that the brick boat will fool the wisest U-boats. It sinks as soon as it is launched and the U-boats are never able to find it.—New York Mail.

Protect the Bumblebee.

Expert agriculturists In Australia and the Philippine islands realized the importance of the bumblebee to the clover crop, and Imported immense numbers of them to help along the crops of their countries. The bumblebee is a tireless worker and keeps steadily to the business of protecting our interests. If he went on strike or were d/iven away, as might have happened not so long ago, when everybody considered all insects a pest the parasites would soon get the upper hand and destroy our clover crops.

Wifely Sarcasm.

“Where shall we go tonight?" asked Mrs. Twobble. “I would rather stay at home and rest,” answered Mr.* Twobble, with a groan. “I’m tired out, my dear. You have no idea of the wear and tear Im subjected to in business.” “Oh, yes, I have. I’ve never visited your office yet that I didn’t catch you either listening to somebody else telling a yarn or telling one yourself. The strain on you must he terrific.” —Blrmlngham Age-Herald.

Their Caliber.

“I wonder what the kaiser thinks of the lightning-trained Yankees now" “I guess he thinks they’re some shock troops."