"i i
IS OF GREAT
STRATEGIC VALUE TO
GERMANY'S DEFENSE
Military Critic Discusses" Part
" River . Might' Play Were
Germany Put on Defensive.
FOLLOWS WEST FRONTIER
It Stretches Across Germany From
Switzerland to Holland, a Distance
Of 4SO KUi. ;
By HillaJr Belloc.
The political frontiers which the de
velopment of history has imposed upon
various great nations in EJurope are
some of them fairly corresponding to
natural defenses, others quite open and
artificial. Thus the frontiers of Rus
sian Poland and of northeastern France
.are of the latter type, the Pyrenees
and the Alps to the north of Spain
:. and Italy- respectively- of the former
But no frontier, however naturally de-i
.xenaea, is defended continuously. The
ridge of the Alps does not exactly cor
respond with the frontier of Itaiy, but
their line is .turned upon the eastj
where Austria is in occupation of the
southern slopes.. The same is true of
the Pyrenees, which are pterced at the1
. Cerdagne, and the French there estab-j
llshed upon the Spanish slope of the
mountains,.
The German empire may alio com
plain' that, to the -west, save upon the!
ridge of the Vosges, Jt has no natural
frontier, but It1 possesses Just behind
Its artificial western limits a natural
obstacle or. defensive line unique in alt
Europe. This natural obstacle is thei
line of the Rhine. Nowhere else Is a
i country defended by a natural feature
which cannot be crossed at all save hy!
artificial means and which cannot be
.turned because it runs uninterruptedly
' from one frontier to the other.
These two frontiers are, moreover,
the frontiers of small, neutral coun-
' tries whose territories no probable orj
actual enemy upon the w-t would vio-j
late. Holland and Switzerland were
rightly regarded by all those who
studied the conditions.df a coming Eu
ropean War during our generation as
nations whose territory would be as
much closed to the enemies of Oer-t
many and the advance of an Invading
army as if each consisted 'of an smpas-f
sable morass. And the Rhine, already
a deep, broad and rapid rover at its is-t
sua from Switzerland, enters Dutch;
territory a very wide and deep stream
carrying, largj vessels, and nowhere
between these two .extreme points can
It be passed by an enemy unless !te de4
fenders shall have been so n?gligeni
as to leave bridges standing, or until
that enemy shall construct temporary
bridges of his own. '
How Rhine Guards arm&cy.
Throughout history the passage of
The Rhine has been the first chief oc-j-cupatlon
of those who would pa?s from
the west into German territory, ant)
since the greater part, of the O'irmin?
fell under Prussian dominion the de-i-fens--Of
the whole line has been vir-f
tuafly ; under -one government and
would -therefore seem a barrier mor4
"formidable than even ,i
1 shall in' the course of 'this article
suggest reasons which may make the
holding-of ttiatjine less certain than
la sometimes .imagined. ; But at anjf
rate the mere elements of the map of
Europe ar sufficient to show ts ho
complete aYd continuous a barrier it is.
and to 'suggest to every student of the
war that in case Germany were forced
to retire from her present positions in
the west the line of the. Rhine would
be her cnief standby. j
, Her It Is necessary to emphasize
that prime truth that war Is the least
certain of all our uncertain human ac
tivities and that prophecy in war 1b
futile. It la also well to remember tfi"at
public opinion is none the better, in the
midst Of a perilous struggle, for expect
ing victory. One studies the line of the
Rhine Only on a hypothesis,' only on
the chance of the alllesf-success and
Germany's ' Increasing embarrassment
In the west. But in doing so one must
' always remember the other alternative,
which Is that the enemy may break our
containment of him, and that no neces-
sity f6r him to retire at rll, let alone
to stand upon the line of the Rhine,
may ever come. -v ' j
So much being said, let us look ib
some detail at this line. j
Frontier length of 450 Miles. i
. 'The first element in it is its length.
From, where' It enter's Germany, just
north, of Basle, to where It leaves Get
many, just west of Emmerich, the
Rhine (not counting its'ilesser sinuosj-
SEE THAT
URVE
What's Wrone
With he Light?
is a frequent inquiry from
some members of the family
-Very often this indicates a
' ne4d for glasses or that the
ones then being worn are
; not correct. Such warnings!
. should not be neglected,
- but ,a competent "specialist
, should be consulted imme
diately. i . '
-If you have any cause to
suspect that your0 vision is
.not what it should be, it will
: pay you to consult us at
once. If you do not need
glasses or the ones you have
' r are correct, we will tell you
so -frankly. j i
THOMPSON
OPTICAL INSTITUTE j
209-10-1 1 Corbett Building
Fifth and Morrison :
RHINE
WHERE FLOWS THE
u 70 ! vMYorms
i -I1 . , -
! I : -i ff-r " j
! i EngltskZCtes . ' s'rr 1
J I" 111 4 . 1 ' ' ! ' I " J-ZS,
'. j ' j .'j '!". Map o. i' - - j
ities) C0veit more than 450 miles. Its
direct Jine ai the crow flies, from Basle
to the little frontier village of Bunen
upon tljie (Dutch border, is only 300
miles, lor ai trifle morej the extra 50
per cent btjing made 'up by . the wind
ings of I thSj river, i It la Important to
retain I the$e figures because, as
shall see, they lie ia
the base of any
mae upon the
holding the river.
judgment Hwe can
chances! of j an enemy
At ihie beginning! of these 450 miles
the Rhine is rather less than 300 yards
acrosaj, Wtpere It leaves Germany to
enter Holland it is !' nearer . half a mile,
and throughout the! hole' of its course
it is w singularly rapid stream
Although It is not navigable in any
useful- j fa$hlon until a little below
Strasliurg Idwhich town does not stand
actually oh the rlveir,
but close by upon
a tribhtarjU the 111)
th upper reaches
are almost as foitrhidable to an f In
vader ! as tj.e middle reaches, for they
are vry rupld, tool deep to ford and
still rjather marshy upon either bank,
and art of en lined by I t'reat belts of
wood. Th0 presemj) of! many Islands,
howevier, nikes them mre tempting to
the injvadejr, for thiere are places tea
peclaly "tie ir Mulhouse), where each
bank of ti e streajn thus divided is
uarroWi I . j
; It will bie seen frm aili this that the
river js a isrmanenlt unbroken military
obstadle of the higlist Value.
The' fact that it haa been for cen
turies .he it ourishlrig communication of
seoreaj of ii)wns and of a dense popula
tion hps increased this character in the
stream. It has created depots (for
every! uons: derable town is a source of
supply! to an army or aniopportunity for
accunoulati n), and; the! presence of so
much ! indu stlry, wealth j and population
has further provided In modem times a
better group of roaJs arid railways than
are tollbe fpund in the Neighborhood of
any other iikatural obstalcle in Kurope.
Thewho)e way down
is a I lateral railway,!
the river there
serving either
bank-j-most of the Way ion the very edge
of th!: stream and these lateral rail
ways! are ied by iery numerous lines
coming uifrom east and west. There
are upon the whole; line more than U0
such flmpqrltant avenues of supply upon
eitherl sidelof the stream, and there are
no less than 15 main
railway bridges
an average) .of onejj in
every 30 miles
This tjniqMe character iof excellence in
local I communications
length), thiri chief point
is, after Its
to notice in our
examination of the) linie of the Rhine.-
It means that a studious defensive
wouldj hav e opportunities concentrat
ing MPO'1! any threatened point with
greater rabidity than lupon any other
similar obstacle in Kurope with much
greater riibidity, for instance, than it
could I concentrate ipoiji any pass over
tho Pyrenees or the Alps, and witg
greater rapidity thin the French coulel
conoeptrate, ror instance, upon ; the
Channel coast. 1
Al6ng the Upper Blver.
When, W-ie look at the dlsnosltion of
wealth, pppulafion and; varied activities
along th4 line of he i river we find a
certain series whlefr It is Important to
grasp becjause these things have
great indirect effect Upon war.
The) upper reaches of the river, down
to a little below Straisburg", present a
featute common tj the upper portion
of almost every stream ; where they
cease to b navigable,
in that the chief
huiuati agglomerations
stand back from
its banks.
Strksbuifg upon th one side, Frl
bourg upqn ' the tfthcjr, Colniar, ilulr
house, are all of them towns depending
upon a stream tributary to the main
rivet. Bellow thesei uoper reaches, how.
eveii yoii have a Whole street of ivil
lages and I cities; Spires, Worms, May-
ence. Cobljentz, Bonn, I Cologne, ussl
dorf, twejsel, and scorea of lesser places.
Thej accident of cbal not far distant
from I beidii of iroa ore, gives to the
loweJ pari; of this course great Indus
trial Jmpojrtance. . . (-!-Thfc
ladt 100 miles, of the Oermaii
Rhini before the Dutch frontier ia
reached rim, save for the extreme por
tion; jjalon$ what is one of the principal
seats ofj metal working in Kurope,1 and
thitd isi i noreoverjj upon the left bank
especially v,ery rich agricultural land,
one the !igh lands (which He roughly
aboVf thj Moselle and below Spires),
are Ipastj. Even, therefore,! if the line of
the jFfhine should be turned in its upper
portions the enemy will be under the
necessity of preventing jwith his ut
most efforts an invasion of the Indus,
trial districts further north. . Not Only
does a considerable part of his genera
economic resource come from this in
dustrial district; but his armament
are-! fori the-' most pirt forged in the
metal ahitriet and in partlcula at
Essen, not an hout-'s Journey from the
riterlfj j . ;- . j -.(.... . m
Scens o f Permanent Fortifications.1
, Iext w must notice the scheme if
permanent fortification which the Geirv
mans 'ha-vfe decided for; tha strengthen
ing of this Une. though permanent for-
THE OREGON
RHINE
tificatlon longer hjas the j value
whlcjiit wasj supposed o have biefSore
the practical experience Of this war
Thje first ortihed ciiicle Is tjht! of
Neuhrisach, quite on thej upper reaches
of the stream, and the dfense hjere or-
Kaiiieu iq ucsignea lo proieci a" 11,1
portant junction of
railways and
bridge. I
Strasburg, just off t
vast entrenched camp of
portance. ii
!
h rives
Is a
first class im-
I
Mayence, at the junction of the Main,
is another exceedingly Important; rail
way Junction and bridgs, and yet an
other entrenched camp. Cologne! Is a
third, while at the poiit of Gjermer
sheim' fortiftcatidns have been greeted
(so far as one ean judgs) because the
rather empty highlands of the (palati
natejleft a -dangerous gap in tl?e long
spac between Mayence md Strasburg.
It (will be ieeniat onci by thefenum
e'ratibn of these' fortresses tht the
Germans hafe not attempted to make
of the rive i line a foirtified barrier
such: as theJ French erected bptween
Verdun and Belfjort. 0nly at distant
intervals hae thsy "provided great cen
ters jwithin irhich arrnis could gather
and from wtich they co ild.be. directed
up of down tjhe river. -
Nq two of fhes permanently fortified
serieis of works ire so ilose as to bar
a crossing of the river between ithem.
Nor are they intended to Julflil this
object. Thej- arej Intended to give German-
bridge heads on the western
i ' . .1 ' i 1 ,:
Silk
TEN YEARS
V
Strains bprains, ,weaK jomxs.
our pafrons. I
A. Stoc of 2000 to select from. We
any color or
INSTEP SUPPORTS AND
, dqwrt arch).
! !!
fof the
in
operation.
These for th Baby
Bath Tubs - Safety Pins
Scales : Pitchers
t j . j Aprons . L, j- j Basins -.
Spongres , Commode Seats
. . - 1 Diapen Sheeting
.- ' ' -i i '-'i'f' ' i J : s- ' : ;
SUNDAY JOtJRNAL. PORTLANP, SfJNPAY
side of the stream, should she
be com
intended men and
pel led to defend it. They ere
to protect great gatherings of
material. They are intended!
to pr
evefa if
tect railway Crossings, wmcn
the river were defended, would he left
uninjured, notably at MayencW and Co
logne. They are not intended to act
as a continuous wall.
So much being said, let us J next ex
amine the question of what advantages
the line 'of the Rhine would have for
the . enemy as a defensive position
under modern conditions and Vhat dis
advantages.' In other words, what are
the probabilities of his ultimately
standing upon it? Or, if he does eo, of
his : being able to maintain himself
thrre? The reply to these questions u
the chief purpose of this examination.
- Defensive Advantages. ' j
The first and obvious advantage the
line of Rhine has, which has struck
even the most superficial students of
war, is the impossibility of" crossing t,
save by artificial means. It is a com
plete natural obstacle, and in order to
appreciate how such an obstacle works
in war, let us first consider, the general
character of an obstacle andl the par
ticular character of a river obstacle.
An. oostacie signmes a portion Of
territory across which advancje is mope
difficult, and, therefore, slower, than
advance across territory before and be-!
bind it. Thus a belt or marBh, with'!
ordinary plowlands before or behind it,
is an obstacle.' So is a dense wood. So
is a rough piece of hill country; as corp
pared with open country before and be
hind it. , J
Ther will be in most natural forma
tions exceptional points where the ob
stacle can be crossed with g -eater ra
pidity than elsewhere. For Instance,
bits of hard ground across a marsh,
clearingsacross a forest, or low sad-!
dies across a range of hills. ' t M
Ans army which can, over ordinary
countcy, tsarch on a broad frc nt. iomfes
upon an obstacle." It is compelled to
cross the obstacle by these fsw oppor
tunities. It can no longer march in
a, broad front. It must "spin ijtself out"!
into narrow columns, it is thfen said jtoi
"defile," which now is the French "dje-
filer," "to spin out," and thei passages
of which It makes use and to which iit
is awkwardly confined are cjalled "af
files.
When defiles of this sort are not
provided by nature' they are pften pro
vlded for by art; as a lane cut through
a forest, a causeway built
across ! a
imposed
marsh: The disadvantage
upon those who are crossing
the obstja-f
cle, and the corresponding
advantage
ratnsd hv those who ax uslnar tin nb.
stacle for their defense, is! that ah
army constrained to march in a long
line is, . in that formation, -peculiarly
vulnerable
It can only fight with the ljiead of Its
long line, and the number of
pr sent can only be a small
men there
broportlpjj
of the whole; On that narrow head, as
it comes out of the defile and appears
on the further side of the obistacle, ho
enemy can converge his fire,
tackers are -lucky enough to
the defile without having tl
their column crushed they
xl ine ai
get out Iof
e bead of
of course
spread out at once . in the fjar side so
as to be able to use as many men as
Dossible for fighting, and this' operaj-
tion Is called "debouching," from tjhje
French word for "coming out of thje
mouth" of anything.
It is evident that the defensive has
every opportunity to stop th offensive
while the offensive is still -caught iih
the defile, arid can check thi offensive
while it is debouching :vn a much
smaller number has -thus an (advantage
over a much larger' one. if the smaller
number . is lying behind the obstacle
and the larger number Is forced to rise
the defiles In order to get across.
(To Be Continued Next Sunday)
Get Busy.
From the Pittshurg Dispatch-
He who makes two blade of wht
grow- where one grew before is not
only a benefactor to the htman rape,
but stands a first class chants to make
money in the transaction.
We Brought to Portland t$ie First
Weaver for the Makins of I ii L
Elastic Stockings1, Belts
and Garments
J Ji 1 I " !
AGO today. WOOD-LARK
5tfandarti. therms no better made. v We
nothing better than our Stocking's for
ARTIFICIAL' (GLASS) EYE$
shade.
. EASY RUNNING
Wheel Cha
1
for the invalid, cripple, con
valescent or inf irm-Hrented
or sold.
BRACES for flat foot (broken
BELTS
over fat and Supporters
ollow-
HI I
S3
MORNING.
iPli
i
THEIR ADMIRATION
OF EMPEROR WILLIAM
Fjaming
riotism: HoldMhe
lubjects Together
Kaiserf
n Clot
!ond,
HU
MAN
ilDE OF
KA
SER
Miy Stories' Tbia of Compassion and
SympataV f or
t
Sis Soldiers
prMMdD:
I !
the War I.ordJ
r
Bii
Herbert Corey J
Ifdopyrigh;
1915, by Herbert Cpey.,)
Bjerlin, afaffchi 20. "Let roe tell you
story of ithe kaiser,"! said! a G'
iej-man
of
high standing the otlhe day. 5 "It
will
explalrt wny we love mm as we
d.
I J
: - 1 - f
By way tofl preface 1 should 'explain
. -
that two c. uestijoris have bf en (contin
uiljy on riyj lips during my iresent
stat in German. They iaite: 1Whkt part
la the emnerorl playink !in the actual
direction ot bilKitary operationsi?" and
"What is Ithe Germani feelng toward
hint?" I have pmade a sincere effort
to get the texacii truth, ill
Llust aftei- the battle! of SolfcSons."
sai my f Mendl "the emperor jvlslted
one! of the fifeldjhospitalsi. He dame to"
dbor that; was1 closed. f '
'Do not go fh, your rnajesty,' the at
tendants bgjgeo, 'a dylhg man is there
He is so f rightfully wounded that you
w
olild be made iunhappy.' i K '
j T shallj gb lijwas the reply
jlnside the lioorn was a young lieu
tenant. HS jwais still conscious and he
kh4w he was ding. He was all alone.
T!h servicies of those ! engaged at the
hospital w,ere Aeeded if or those there
w!a 3 still su chance to save. The kaiser
kri!lt by hisjbeflslde. j ! j
' 'Go ssM he to the others.
' From tm!e time ithey opened the
dper. Just jfir enough jtd peer n. Al
Wafys they hfourid the 4mpefor bf Ger
ma,ny on his kjinees by! the side) of the
dying manl1 iraiying aloud t their. God.
It was not iintil the tortured spul had
taken its fjlightkhat the kaiser Jtft the
room. Thejrii wlre tears upon; hld face.'
J(t may tJ that is not th American
coBceptionj, Jjf'Jthe supreme iw-r lord,
bujt I belifvU to be a triie sjtory of
ain affecting inicldent; i Those -rho are
in a positolv tty speak jwith knowledge
of the kaisek apa yet with somje meas
ujre of lmjpkrtfjaiity at least, baint a'
peasant piicturfj of a warm-earfeed, im
pje -lous, ntapilyl man. Theyi teil with
ajf l ection sjmiihumorcius little stories
o!f the emjpterojrf in peace times which
wculd be quit olf place in this! narrative.
AH agree Mpon his kindness qf heart
nu nis reluctance to give ptners pain.
I A War iof Defense, They Believe.
I 'It has j pee!n charged igalpst the
kajlser in AmeBica that he and ihe mll-itfh-y
cotlrlie jwhlch surrounds him
b Ught oil this war," said .he peaker.
'fYou will rot find a Gernlajn Who be
Ueves tha4 Wp bellevp to the lst man
of us that this war Was forced upon
lis!; that it Is war in defense of the;
Fatherland". QJur solejcriti;crsnt of the
enioeror is thait we believe, lid an un-
avtiHns efflortjto preserve ithe peace of-
twjo days. (Byjjthat fact otirffUst blow
wis someiwhatj less effective 'than it
might have bein." - I i I -: ' f
I k am certain this is thei feeling of:
4-lj Germans. jfC have found no; lndica-
pdri to thp contrary. Americans who!
yv lived) here for years tell me that
Germans ire United In; a flaming pat-!
riotism. pfheil resentj the suggestion
5
Loom
and
Expert
Thh Little Gem
iEar Phone j :
ii i i J 1
The - simplest, smallest ahd
ost tserf ect hearinsr device.
dluced. Wei bffer you a scien
tific woaddt. pronounced by
dWaf people the world lover as
the most) satisfactory bearing
device ever invented. I ' .1
. I THE I AUTO MASSAGE
stops head noises and improves
the heating. .Free I private
demonstrations at ; Our store.
Call today. I Ask for booklet J
'-t-'H 'i:i:
RS
1
l 1 1 - li i -
-BRAND Garments are
111 every case. i nere s
- J I . Tl
I Varicose Irerilarged) Veins,
aKiiiec men anq women wm on
. 1 : 1 ' ir
ito fLt any jcase ' i33m
of T H e if n i a VjVC: irWHJ :
, (Rukure) h .
a i .... ii-'-fS
a H - 'II!! , .
- II - . - . . ' '
! MAKCH Ml, 1313.
tha tbs emperor did hot do his iest to
keep peace. It may be that here and
there' a German may -sound ! a note of
discord. I can only say. that my in
quiries have f ailed , tq reveal; the exist
ence: of any ; discordant faction tares
enough to b worthy the namei What,
ever may be Germany's fate iif this
wtii mere is no preseni reason i sua-
pect that he Js menaced by danger if rom
within.
Those who have sieni EmperoJ- WII-
helm lately say he has aged K
reatly
since the beginning- bf the -war.
I His
facej is deeply lined. His hairj fsj
ening. He shows evidences' of
fatigue and of great-
rrlef. but thfre Is
no lessening of the
jnergy 1 for
which
he has long been known.- He
is
in as
constant, personal touch with
the
real
gen that
Ities at the front as any of jhis
eral. 'It was but the othe: day!
he stopped his automobile in front of a
little German-church in which! aeiririces
fwere being- conducted. ' . V. : -: I ;
: "There was mud splashed! Upon his
coat said one wh happejned jto be
present. "His boots were! enci-usted
with mud to the knee. It may be he
had i beeii in the trenches, j I :Hljt lips
moved as he followed, the little IjLutb
eranj pastor -in his pTer." " J j j ;
i Itjis difficult it its perhops impos
sible to arrive at S. corerit ebtimate
of the real services Jof the errtpekor as
supreme commanded in chief of the
German armies. It is certain! thaf he Is
in constant touch 11 lllli 1ml li fi mil 11 Tl
is also certain that no great plan la de
elded upon a plan involving Important
action until he has jbeen consulted. It
is believed, that the general staff first
works 6ut such a plin In detail. Then
it is! submitted to him. It is Quite im
possible to say whether he everl over
rides a decision of j the staff. ! It is
equally impossible to say how a, crit
icism expressed by the emperor but
not pressed would be Ireated ey that
body of strategists! It may be ac
cepted that his word would besupreme,
if he chose to give it. No general
staff would dar offer sturdy opposi
tion." , J hi - j
- A Dream Come True. ' j
. One of th most qramatlq stories f
the emperor is told of a visit to a field
hospital. The attendants al ways and
quite naturally strive to ! spare him
paiix They led him past an unopened
door. - :
j "There is nothing in there for you
to see," they lied. He threw the door
open.
! "Nanu, hler bin Iih." -said he.f That
may! be roughly translated, "Well, here
I am." A man ws dying
rough cot. AS the emperorj
him the dying mailt .opened
r-rv. - k. .Mil.it. ! i:
upon the
stooa over
his eyes.
"1 had a dream," said the
dylnt man.
his widely opened iyes stijl I fixed: "I
had f a dream. I thjoughti my eijnperor
came and stood besjde my bed.
look," said the I emperor. "Jt was
not! a dream. Your kaiser 1 stands be
side you." . i
The man smiled again, and
There are stories of that
every German tongue. I
died.
sort upon
j Troublfesome. j
: From the Cleveland ' Plain
Dealer.
Now Kansas, as personified by Wil
liam Allen White, wants toj tnoyr why
people don't return borrowed jbooks.
It realiyis selfish of Kansais t arro
eata to itself all the world's troubles.
iniave l oii
r .'Mi'.'---
SNbt
There Is
for the
No Substitute
Refining In;
fluence of
Music.
Now that jthe Spring days 1 are
approaching, all oiitdoors seems
to beckoji us and jour thoughts
turn to automobilesl boating
golfing let's not forget that
home should at no
ing in music.
Mrrie be
With the modern
Player
such as the wonderml Chickering,
the famniis Autoniano.r and idanv
- 1 pjy f - j;f -
other leading! standard makes that
we carry, you can bring Chopin,
Beethoven, Wagner nd Liszt
into your home; th compositijons
of music masters of. the centuries
can be beautifully interpreted as
well as the light operas, the
dance music
and the popular
songs of the
day, not to overlpol
the beautiful!
compositions in
red music.
Pianos, and anyone can play
Some Day You Are
A Player
would never
Piano is the greatest of entertainers. .Once ya
part with it. It
will play and enjoy
You wilt bring back the old
in touch with all the good modern music.
Our Player Rooms Ar
Good
Ask, for a demon stfatipn
1 1
The Chickering Artigraphic
Kimball Player Piano
Have you an old Piano, sil
liberal cash 4"Owahjte pn a modern Player? You and all your
All Player Piano Buyers
Our Music Roll
Library is
feature that decides
nine out
rvonular nieces to Which we
our library patrons will tell
enjoyment.
A small,
I payments)
I
FIGHTING NOT
DONE WITH RIFLE
AND ENORMOUS GU
Even the Present War Has
Shivvn! Fistic Ability to Be
Formidable Weapon.
QUEER
VICTORIES
CITED
' i
i-
Hitory rurnishes Xnstanees Whr
Soiling- Water and Bee XUves XavS
Used to Advantage.
(Br!
tbe iDterottloDal News RerTlcs.)
London. March 20.-
The rifle and th4
2
centlmetre ' xun
have not entirely
0Vited
more primitive weapons, as re-
ports
mind
from th front constantly re
us. The Anglo-Saxon, for In
stance,
always loves to use his flats.
ne sich incident! occurred at Com
pigne, early In the war. , The farrier
of thei Sixth I Dragoons, hearing
Charge sounding, i rushed If rom
rplrge. leaped (toi horse, and dashed
Bt
the Germans, wielding the hammer
with which he had ! been Working at
the anvil with terrible effect upon the
! Amokiff membe
members pt the London Sc
ish (who took part in their famous
Charge! at MeS8ineS,t is Private Grelg.
i "it: was in the -thick or the charge.r
he explained, 1 'when hand to hand
fighting was at its height), that piy
Mfle and bayonet .were knocked from
my binds.! At the same imoment. I
found tnyself hemmed in by Ithe enemy,
three Iof whom . confronted me wjitfi
bayonets fixed. In a fit of despera
tion I seized- the two outermost bay
onets In my hand f and forced them
away from me; immediately ducking
and striking at the third man with piy
fists. How X i managed it) I do hot
know:, but the ruse proved successful,
and in a few moments 1 1 was back
amongst our own men, aH hough tny
hands were tooi badly cut to' allow of
imy participating further loi the fight
ing a the time." !t
. Tommy BJindy With, Els rista.
Many instances are on record whfeife
Tommy, with only his bare fists ! to
defend himself, has dealt but sev
punishment to I his armed j and fully
equipped enemies, j Away back in the
Crimea we are told of an exploit which
is but typical of many others. An
advancing, j body of Russia-n lnfanjtiry
bore down - upon j a ; gun - battery, ef
which Lieutenant Miller had charge,
when he was without any support pne
last round was fired, and then blddlijg
his men "draw swords arid chargej,"
he rode out under tbe-hailj of bullVts
straight into the enemy's midst. The
gunners followed to a man, some
armjd with swords, others with ram
rods; and one of them famous bojxfer
TT
" i i
: 11'
1 !
&nd
the
lack-
Piano
latest;
ac-
Music 11 Mome ?
, Why :Mot? ,y
I '. ' j .'
n fact,evfcry; kind of music is splendidly rendered
them..
Going to Own and
u
ikeins many delightful
hours' ttorj
the hundreds; ofcomp,ositions w
lich you
sprig? and me
odies fami
iar to lyoir
e Alway Open
to Ypii
- !
Music Bring Your
any of the following
makes
of
Eilers De Luxe
The Bungalow
Smith & Barnes
The! Autopiano
Trade in Your Old Piano
and useless to you'J
which!
r - . . . . it t - . i. - i
" -I--' -i- :--1 ; -- I : . Ml
Should Investigate Our Music Roll Library
a
eature we emphasize to all
of 10 ourchases. Our Library Contains over 15.000 standard anJ
add: air the late; riovelties as thtv
you that lour Musk Roll exchahbel
Of their, players. ,
Terms of Payment
cash 'payment and monthly
as Jbest! suits your convenience
wilt: De- arangea ior you. i w ny not-investigate
this veck and fill your home
with :musiic.-:t-'f:,K-'? - r; ' " 1'
relying only on his fists, with which
lie was .seen to lay many a Russian
ow. . :1 . . . -
Sword and 'bayonet fiave had many
ough and ready substitutes in war.
When the Civil war, for Instance, was
'aging in Great Britain hundreds ut
-ustics marched to battle carrytng
fcythes, pruning hpoks flails, pick
Sxes and blacksmith's hammers; and
In the South African war it was said
that some of the enterprising Boers
Improvised bayonets out of broom
handles and swords or. daggers.
In 1878 a deluge of sticks, stones
i.nd boiling water made the Russians
have cause to remember what was un
doubtedly one .of the most presump
tuous things in war. This was when
the great Russian empire-was set at
defiance by the Tekkes of Turkomen,
Whose' entire population men, women
and children probably did- not exceed
40,000 souls. They were able at least.
o filve the Russians a ' hot recep-
ion. ;: J 1
Boated With Boiling Water.
The Russian assault upon Geke
epe, the Tekke stronghold, took place
n a blazing not day.- ai tneir in
fantry charged down the place seemed
as still as the grave; then, all at once,
1 ades was let loose. A gigantic hand
tjo hand ! struggle developed, in which
ijnodern rifles were of no mors use
than crowbars. The- best disciplined
troops in the world became part and
parcel of a'howllng, screeching rabble.
JVomen fought with sticks or stones
r threw boiling water over the at
tackers. I Men rolled to the ground
ljcycked in a grim dc-ath embrace. No
one asked for quarter or gave it. It
was the Russians who eventually
turned tail and fled from the awful
scene, leaving their artillery behind.
Stones and boiling water fixed Goke
Tepe in the Russian memory In a very
Snforgetable fashion.
Absurd s it may appear, the humble
omestid blanket upon this occaston
ecided the issue of a battle and lfl
o the complete rout. Of an army.' It
was a generation ago, when .the
ihakul Indians roue In rebellion against
the government of Mexlce. and. the
rebels were at last brought face 10
face with the Mexican army. When
the Indians advanced to the attack
they sent in advance a covering line
of men carrying -a bulwark' of wet
blankets. In vain the Mexicans tried
to destroy this barrier with their bul
lets; not a single blanket was pene
trated, and when the Indiana were
sufficiently near they emerged from
their shelter and dashing at- the Mex
icans, put them to ignominious flight
. During the battle of Bemis Heights,
when an; American force, under Gatea,
defeated the British troops, it Is said
that, when the American batteries ran
out of ammunition they collected some
of the enemy's cannon balls and sent
them back on the return Journey.
Probably the queeresti "bullets" on
record, Ihowever, were' those usrd
against the lanes when they attacked
Chester I in the early centuries. The
Invaders were Indeed .met by novelty
In the shape of ammunition, for the
Kakons jCollected all the beehives in
the towii and threw them upon the foe.
These Jibvel "bullets" had; t,h desired
effect, for they ' caused so much swell
ing of the arms and leg that the
Danes were glad to get out of the way.
I ! : : j
Coughl Stop is a rea stopper. Plum
Imer Drug company, Third end Madl-sor-
t . Adv.)
by these wonderful Player
Player -Piano
: "
iinjoy a
become the 'owner nf one. vmi
-1- ' - - . rv
you and your friends. You
have always loneed to play.
childhood nd keep yourself
- - .Come Hear Some
Friends
Plaver Pianos:
and many others.
could be
turned in to us at a
family would enjoy a Player
- '- ' " i . "
player piano buyersand this is a
annrar each month. Anv of
adds one-half to the value and
Broadway at Alder
wmm
'if-.
11
: i- -
.1 j