The Daily Transcript (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 190, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 23, 1915 Page: 3 of 4
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NORMAN DAILY TRANSCRIPT
lOTH WITH THE GERMAN ■
AS DESCRIBED Iff1 AMERICAN
Efficiency of the Kaiser's Great Fighting Machine Wins His Ad-*]
miration—Pass, "Too Good to Be True," Gives Writer an
Interesting Four Weeks Behind Teuton Lines In Bel-
gium—Arrested and Escorted to Holland Border.
By C. LEROY BALDRIDGE.
(Correspondent Chicago Post.)
Amsterdam.—The German occupa-
tion of Antwerp had already become
a matter of routine when I arrived
from Rosendaai. In five days the new
city government had adapted itself
perfectly to the burgomaster's offices
and was working smoothly. It had
even instituted a regular motor bus
service to Brussels. But finding a
certain cheese merchant who owned
a wobbly-kneed animal, too hopeless
to be requisitioned, and who said he
didn't care where he went with it, I
chose to go that way.
We found a war-swept road to the
capital; on either side rich growing
fields plowed with trenches; tattered
remnants of villages and scattered
graves. The way was jammed with
homeless people carrying their belong-
ings in carts, wheelbarrows, baby
buggies—ever fleeing.
At Brussels, through the courtesy of
• Brand Whitlock and the kommandan-
tur, a certain amount of bluff and phe-
nomenal luck, I obtained a pass to
travel anywhere within the German
lines in Belgium. Moreover it worked
—for three weeks.
Tries to Go Through Lines to Paris.
Thus armed, I decided to attempt
the impossible, and go through to
Paris, in which I was encouraged by a
French Red Cross nurse who was
taken prisoner when the city surren-
dered, and who had a similar ambi-
tion. But not even my freshly
stamped papers would tempt any cab-
man or chauffeur to start with us.
There was nothing for it but to walk.
During two days we saw little of
war except occasional sentries and
speeding military automobiles of that
famous greenish-gray which blends so
well with distance. Peasants were al-
ready replanting crops on tor" of
trenches and gathering beets, stolidly
taking it all as a matter of course.
Mme. Lottin, the French nurse, had
been named by my Brussels landlord
"le Grenadier;" and she was. We
made 45 kilometers a day. But at Na-
mur she found an opportunity of reach-
ing Paris through Holland, so I pro-
ceeded along the Meuse to Dinant,
town of terrible memories.
This seems the most terribly pic-
turesque city in Belgium. Its jagged
walls and falling chimneys rise up
hopelessly from heaps of debris in the
midst of all that majestic natural
grandeur along the two banks of the
river. There is the Grotto where 800
women and children crouched in the
darkness while the battle ebbed back
and forth above them for two days;
and the sidewalk near the water
where hundr ds of civilians were said
to have been lined up c.nd shot.
Gets Lift in a Supply Wagon.
From Dinant a military supply
wagon gave me a lift to Givet, France.
But here for the first time my pass
was not sufficient, and I narrowly es-
caped arrest.
Walking by way of Florennes I ar-
rived at Thuin. On high ground near
the clock tower I stood by a Belgian
trench, with the country spread out
maplike all around, while an eye-wit-
ness explained graphically about the
siege; how the Germans came down
under continuous fire, where they
built a bridge; how the allies were
forced back from point to point and
the climax of bayonet charges on
the hills behind. And he told me how
In the midst of the fight a French of-
ficer turned mad and ran frothing at
the mouth about the street, terrifying
the few people who had remained hid
in cellars. I advised my guide to
practice up on his Knglish to be
ready for the curious American tour-
ists of a few years hence. For none
will miss Thuin.
At the Hotel de Ville a newsboy
was crying his papers. Thinking these
were newspapers he carried under
his arm, I bought one. It was an offi-
cial death list, and sold at a penny.
By this time my heavy United States
army shoes were worn thin. Again I
tried to rent some ..ind of vehicle, but
not one remained in the city. Finally,
however, I was offered a bicycle for
100 francs, which the owner had taken
to pieces and hid from the Germans.
So, secreting ourselves that night in
a basement room, we reconstructed
this machine.
Stopped at Maubeuge.
At Maubeuge, France, a soldier who
could talk English was kind enough
to explain that, though he had or-
ders to shoot on sight any civilian rid-
ing a bicycle, he would be gentle
nnd merely arrest me. Fortunately,
the officer in charge had been in the
Philippines for 20 years and consid-
ered himself almost an American. But
1 must leturn to Brussels, he said, and
after much difficulty procured a pass
for me "mit fahrrad." I decided to
take tbe long way back.
One noon I stopped at a little "es-
taminet." It was half demolished and
had been rechristened, for over the
door was a newly painted sign: "Cafe
de la Battaille de Quatre Bras."
Within, several soldiers were drink-
ing. But one sat alone, holding the
Inn-keeper's little girl in his lap. He
itroked her hair and sobbed, declaring
that she was like his own whom he
never expected to see again.
A train of ten siege guns moved
ponderously along the road. Each
piece had its ammunition and equip-
ment wagons, and company of soldiers
tramping behind; and each was pulled
with a large stiam traction engine.
On the engine boilers were Btamped
the words: "Made in Leeds, Eng-
land."
The few people remaining in the vil-
lages grouped themselves on the high
ground, discussing whether the sound
of firing were stronger or fainter than
in the days before; whether the Ger-
mans were retreating or advancing.
Killing and Baking.
The commissary was at work, kill-
ing cattle and hogs, baking bread and
sending food to the trenches; ambu-
lance wagons rushed by; wounded
who were strong enough, came walk-
ing to emergency hospitals; and oc-
casionally mid the booming of German
guns one heard the long whistle of
English shrapnel. Meanwhile Boldiers
marched by always, with their mono-
tonous swinging stride.
My pass still worked. And I rode
slowly on among scenes which leave
in the mind a nightmare of horror; a
red vision of machine guns and dead j
men in bundles; and a feeling more of
disgust than admiration for the cold
business efficiency with which it is ac-
complished.
At Roulers two men of the cycle j
corps offered to take me to the firing
line, and we rod<T to Westroosebeke. |
There the gray men lorded and fired, I
loaded and fired, never saw the enemy
and were hauled back wounded and J
dead. Some 300 yards in front were I
the trenches. There other gray men '
thrust In their "clips of five" and shot j
at other men's heads in other I
trenches. All around the men fell
quickly like targets in a shooting gal- j
lery. Shells broke and left small !
clean-white clouds hanging in th<. sky
till the wind waved them away
I sat on a railing with a group of
privates—several college boys, one
professor—by a cottage used as a Red
Cross station. We talked of many
things, and there was wine—Belgian
wine—and there were lots of good
cigars—Belgian cigars. These men
were resting. They had been out in
the trenches and soon were going
back. One had seen four classmates
killed. Occasionally the sound of
shrapnel would turn from whistling
into a screech, and then all would
duck instinctively, grin at each other
and wonder where it would break.
A game, and an interesting one. Twen-
ty feet away a shot struck, splintered
a tree and left the top half to fall, in
yellow smoke, across the road.
"Too Good to Be True."
This, I felt, was Quite near enough.
But two of my new friends insisted
upon getting permission to visit the
trenches with me. We saw an officer.
"How did you get here?" he glared!
Then, turning to the soldiers: "Put
him under arrest!"
"Isn't my pass good?" I asked.
"Too good to be true," said be.
My friends of the bicycle corps, now
witb loaded guns, one in front, one be-
hind, took me on a day's ride to
Thielt. Here I was stripped and
searched and kept with a guard for
several days. Then by two armed
chauffeurs and a special messenger
I was conducted to Ghent. My auto-
mobile belonged to a general's staff
and great was my conceit when at'
our approach all soldiers stiffened
to a salute. From Ghent another
mactia* returned me at last to Brus
sets fcr further examination ! was
left out on parole, however, and after
a week, at the instigation of the
American consul, most of my iiaperh
and sketches, which had previously
been taken from me, were returned
and 1 was escorted to the Holland
border. My officer hosts assured me
that they were most happy to have
made my acquaintance, but that really
all artists were "verboten."
VAGRANT ON TURN OF CARD
Gambler Was $68,000 Ahead When
Single Turn of Card Took All and
He Became a Tramp.
San Francisco. — James rarkhlll,
one-time owner of a $200,000 bank roll
and the Hank Exchange faro bank,
Deadwood, S. D., who has the repute
tion of making the largest wager on
the turn of a single card ever risked
it the Klondike region, stood before
Judge Deasey, tattered, unshaven and
broke, charged with vagrancy.
It was in 1898 that Parlihill sat In
a poker game with "Red" Macintosh.
Bill Richards and Frank Hull, all big
money men in the Klondike. They
were playing in the Park Train saloon,
and Parkhill, who stood $68,000 ahead
of the game, bantered Hull for a $50,-
000 wager on the turn of a card.
Hull was game. The stakes were
put up. Hull, who had the first turn,
turned a queen, and Parkhill lost his
$50,000 on a seven spot. He told the
court that he had toured the world
since then, but his life had been a
game of ups and downs, with about
seven downs to one up.
He was begging when arrested
When freed by Judge Deasey he said
he would get out of town as quickly as
he could.
TO AID VICTIMS OF QUAKE
Mrs Philip van Valkenburgh, th©
$10,000,000 widow, has gone to Italy
to aid the victims of the earthquakes.
She is shown here in one of her
"Made in America" gowns.
Aeroplane Hit Many Times.
Berlin.—The wings of the aeroplane
of Lieutenant Kaspar, who has made
daring flights for the Germans over
Calais, Dover and Paris, contain more
than four hundred bullet holes, yet he
has never been brought down by the
enemy.
GERMANY'S FLAG AT ANTWERP
AVEZZANO, DEVASTATED BY THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE
Wireless Detective.
London.—The British government
has a wireless detective. It is a radio
plant erected at Cromer for the sole
purpose of locating a German send-
ing station that has been causing the
British much annoyance.
„ f'r?' Photograph .from the earthquake-stricken region of Italy, showing what was the main street of Avezzano the
flourishing industrial city which was utterly destroyed. The arrow points to the ruins of a building where forty eiiiht
persons were killed. 5
ALIEN PRISONERS IN CANADA MILITARY CAMP
vv
, *y
v I
$3 oh s&tS AO.
German and Austrian aliens are being interned in concentration camps at various pointB in Canada and have
been set to useful public work-clearing land and building roads. The photograph shows a batch of prisoners air-
ing their bedding at Petawawa, Canada's permanent military camp, situated in the wilds of northern Ontario.
INTERNED BRITISH JACKIES KNITTING I TREE As a fighting top
This highly interesting picture
shows a detail of French in the outly-
ing parts of the Argonne forest In
ambuscade. A lookout at the top ob-
serves the movements of a detach-
ment of Germans and communicates
hiB information to his comrades be-
low. One of the soldiers in the tree
D ... ls training a machine gun on the un-
ii.. ,nterned ln Holland amusing themselves with knitting and suspecting Germans. t
similar occupations.
GUN FOR A BRITISH BATTLESHIP?
They Took Robes of Piety.
When Rev. F. W. Carstens, pastor
of the North Broadway Baptist church
I at Los Angeles, suggested that his
hearers clothe themselves in the garb
of righteousness, he spoke figurative-
ly. But someone apparently lacked
the power of abstraction, and the pas-
tor now believes his words were mis-
construed. While he launched the
exhortation, in speaking on "High
Ideals for 1915 Actualized," some per-
son, presumably the literal one, made
away with the minister's overcoat and
hat and also an overcoat of one of the
deacons.
The police are now searching for
one who quite missed the 1915 ideals,
but equipped himself with enough of
the garb of righteousness for two.
Hoisting the German flag on Fort Stabrouck at Antwerp.
At the End of Day's Run.
The war was being discussed from
all angles at the regular Saturday
night meeting of the Gin and Possum
Colored Gentlemen's Social club.
"Yes, suh!" announced Pomp Dawson,
with a wise look in his rolling eyes,
"Dem Guhmans has got guns dat'll
shoot, an' shoot tuh kill at twenty-fi"
miles." "Huh?" asked Brother Jack-
son, cocking his head. "Yas, suh!"
went on Pomp. "Dey not on'y shoot
j twenty-fi' miles, but dey kill at twen-
Big gun made in America and shipped on the steamship Trannylvania, ty-fi' miles." "Great Lawd'" gasnea
about which there was much mystery, but which is supposed to be going to Jackson "Nigger'd run all an' il
Belfut for one of England's new dreadnaughu. i killed bout suppertime. wouldn't h«V
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Burke, J. J. The Daily Transcript (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 190, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 23, 1915, newspaper, February 23, 1915; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc112906/m1/3/: accessed May 3, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.