The Cass County Sun (Linden, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 40, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 6, 1914 Page: 2 of 8
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Jam I
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MRs
Bp-?
Rly ■
Ptish Kaiser's Kight Army Farther NorthW
Sixteen Days of Fighting Along Aisne lliyer
Both Sides Ke-enforced; Struggle Becomes
More Violent West of ltheims.
SURROUND CRACOW
Russian Forces Besiege Im-
portant Point and Proceed
IntoSilesianandPrus-
sian Provinces.
AIRSHIPS DROPBOMBS
Germans Damage French and Belgian
Cities—French and Gritish Raid
Teutonic Towns—More
Sea Activity.
(.Summary oj Events.)
The allies claim substantial
gains against the army of Gen.
Von Kluck in northwestern
France, and the Germans admit
slight advances by the French-
British forces, but assert the
movement is not decisive. This
is the latest development, accord-
ing to the most reliable sources,
of the general engagement known
as the battle of the Aisne River,
proceeding on a line from Rheims
westward to Compiegne, on the
Oiae river, and northward from
that point to the Belgian border.
Official reports from Berlin de-
cline that the forts and defensive
positions in the neighborhood of
Verdun, France, near the Alsa-
cian border, luve been silenced by
German hea%y artillery fire after
several days of very serious fight-
ing. The French and British war
offices are silent on war develop-
ments at this point.
Hand to Hand Fighting.
Both Berlin and Paris and London
expect decisive results from the bat-
tle of the Aisne, which has been rag-
ing since September 12, within the
next few days. The opposing armies
w«re worn out after the first ten days
of fighting, and the battle became
practically an artillery' duel until
about the fifteenth day of the en-
gagement when heavy re-enforce-
ments were received by both Ger-
mans and allies. Infantry and
cavalry action became much sharper
almost, at once, and numerous hand-
to-hand bayonet fighting was re-
ported.
There have been no denials from
German sources that the allies had
pushed back the entrenched and em-
battled German infantry and artillery
about fifteen miles in northwest
France up to September 2G. They are
said to have gained about five miles
lore the two succeeding days.
Slavs and Serbs Winning.
Russians, with a million men,
Austrlans ami 1c-
Auatria, and they besiege the fortified
city of Cracow, near the Austro-Russ-
lan-German boundary juncture. The
Slavs also have a strong foothold iu
Prussia, near Konigsberg, and In Si-
lesia, near Breslan.
The Servians have succeeded In tak-
ing the city of Saiajevo, In southern
Austria, where ths ufcbasgiuution of
Archduke Ferdinand and his wife was
an indirect cause of the war. They
are working northeastwardly through
Bosnia into Croatia arid Slavonia, a.!
southern Austria provinces.
Aeroplanes Drop Bombs.
There appears to tave been more
aircraft activity during the last seven
days than ever beforj in a conflict.
While Sunday crowds filled the
streets of Paris, on the afternoon of
September 27, a German aeroplane
dropped four bombs uoon the city. A
man was killed and Ms little daugh-
ter crippled. Many htuses were dam-
aged. One of the bonbs fell near the
American embassy.
Russian aero-cannon brought down
a Gorman dirigible balloon near War-
saw, Russia, the same day, after the
airship had dropped bombs which
killed three soldiers.
Another German dirigible dropped
bombs on the Belglai cities of Alost,
Ghent, Dynze, Minolbke and Rolleg-
hem, the night of the ifith, killing one
man and setting fire to mauy build-
ings.
A fleet of British ae* tplanes dropped
bombs on the Zeppei a airship sheds
at Cologne, Germany Belgians and
French aircraft have dropped bombs
upon German towns along the border,
and the Gesmans have iropped exnlo-
slve shells on Ostend, Belgium, and
at Amiens, France.
More Navai Activity.
Fourteen hundred seamen, including
sixty officers, were kil ed, about Sep-
tember 22, when a Geruian submarine
torpedo boat blew up the British lirst-
class cruisers Aboukir, Ilogue and
Cressy, in the North S<a. The Eng-
lish now have 200 war vessels in
these waters.
The British cruiser Pegasus wns
sunk by the German cruiser Konigs-
berg in the harbor of Zanzibar, South
Africa, recently.
The Russian cruiser Baya'n sank a
small German cruiser and two torpedo
boats which were laying mines in the
Baltic sea.
Three Austrian torpedo boats were
sunk by mines in the Adriatic sea,
September 24.
News was given out officially, Sep-
tember 26, that Lissa, the Austrian
island naval base and garrison in the
Adriatic, was bombarded and captured
by a French fleet, Stntember 19.
Troops later landed from the warships
and hoisted I he French and British
flags over the forts.
Italy Flirts With War.
Rome reports that Austria is mass-
ing troops along the Italian border
and intends to invade Italy. Further
reports from the same source say Ger-
many asked permlssior to move
troops across Swiss territory, but was
'1; and that the Swiss asked
mpporf
mpleted the
and it ap
ervers thai
i enter the
lilies.
Japani
educed two
German coloflEMMWMHl"WM at
Tsing Too, In the Chluese leased
pi-ovlnce of Kalo Ohow, The ,Japs
have 30,000 troops in the field and a
strong fleet blocking the harbor there.
The czar will propose a. federation
of European nations, the, "United
States of Europe," official reports
from Petrograd say, for the purpose
of limiting armaments hereafter, a*
soon as the present war is over.
Russians Into Hungary.
London.—"Pursuing their success,
the Russians have pushed over the
Carpathian range and captured Uzsolc
(Hungary), near the source of the
River U/igh, with numbers of guns,
artillery stores and prisoners,'' says
the Petrograd correspondent of the
Morning Post. "Thence the Russians
have descended into the plains of
Hungary."
Belgians Occupy Alost.
London.—The Ostend correspondent
of Reuter's Telegram Company In a
dispatch dated Sundayi says: "The
Belgian troops in a sortie from Ant-
werp had advanced a little over a mile
in the direction of Erpe, when they
met a strong body of German cavalry.
In a sharp fight which ensued, the
Germans were repulsed and the Bel-
gians occupied Alost."
Strike Simultaneously.
London. — Almost simultaneously
the two great hammer strokes in the
battle in Northern France have fal-
len and some decisive results must
be announced before long. The allies
have struck the German right wing
and the Germans on their part have
hurled themselves against the French
line between Verdun and Toul.
The commencement of these two
attacks In earnest was disclosed by
a French official statement, but little
is told of how they are progressing.
Hit the German Line Hard.
The action against the German
right is described as a very violent
general one, in which the French left
encountered an army corps composed
of troops which the Germans brought
from tli? center of Lorraine and the
Vosges.
The clash occurred in the district
between Tergnier and St. Quentin, so
that the French have made a consid-
erable advance to the northwest since
the last mention was made of this
part of their army.
Both Sides Reinforced.
London.—It was learned that addi-
tional British troops have reached
the scene of the fighting in France.
They are reported to have been land-
ed at Ostend and Boulogne and to be
supported by a new French army
sent north from the mobilization cen-
ter In the south. It Is this army upon
which the allies are now believed to
he depending to complete the isola-
tion of the German right and to en-
velop the armies of Von Kluck and
Von Boehm.
German troops are being trans-
ported into France over the railway
line between Munich, Gladbach and
Aix-la-Chappelle, according to the
Amsterdam correspondent of Reuter's
Telegram Company, who says tills
fact is stated in a telegram frotr
Maestrlcht.
British in Baltic?
London.—A dispatch to the Stan-
dard from Copenhagen states that a
fishing fleet has arrived at Falken-
berg, Sweden, which has been in
close proximity to a fleet of thirty
warships. They are sighted in the
vicinity of Anholt, a Danish island in
the Kattegat, a large arm of the
North sea, which has Sweden on the
east and Jutland on tlie west. The
news has caused great excitement
here.
IN AVIATOR DESCRIBES Bl
IN THE AIR OVER HOSTILE ARMY
NG THE GERMANS
4. m
*
y of Germans in Franca, are among tho hard
By RAYMOND E. 8WING.
Berlin.—A hero has stepped out of
H. G. Wells' "The War of the Air" In
the prt-son of Feldwebel Werner, one
of the hundreds of German aero-
nauts, who has the distinction of be-
ing one of the first Germans to lly
over Paris and to fight a remarkable
battlajn the air with two of the
enemy's aeroplaneB. He was a pas-
senger for a short distance in the
special car put at the disposal of cor-
respondents on their way to Liege and
told us a graphic story of his experi-
ences.
Werner's first assignment was to
find the English army near Mons.
The army was about 100,000 strong
and was retiring before a German
force of double its strength.
Where Were French Aviators?
Here, at the start, one wonders how
the French could have allowed their
allies to be bo misled about the
strength of the opposing forceB.
Where were the French aviators? I
know of a man who had been over
the field and who told the war office
In France that at least 200,000 Ger-
mans were In the flanking army ad-
vancing through Belgium, but he was
told: "Impossible!. There Is only
cavalry."
The French were completely out-
witted by this flank movement. The
flower of their army was at the Al-
sace frontier. Their mistake will coBt
them Paris.
At Mons the English forces took
up a strong position, filling houses at
the edge of the city with troops and
machine guns and covering the road
of the advancing German troops.
When the enemy approached they di-
rected a terrific fire upon them and
could be dislodged only at heavy cost.
They then retired to a position be-
hind great mountains of slag behind
the city, where the Germans were
unable to dislodge them with howitzer
fire.
Flyer Watches the Battle.
Again, they could be driven back
only by flanking movements from both
sides. This time our flyer, who
watched this battle, told us tho Eng-
lish retired hastily along the road in
tho direction of Le Cateau.
"The English have reached their
now position successfully," said a
London report In Its account of this
retreat. "And olit of breath," added
a correspondent on reading the dis-
patch.
The fighting at Mons was furious
and the Germans were enraged by the
British method of fighting, which
throughout at Mons was done under
cover. Never had German soldiers
fought with such frenzy as against
this foe.
Attacked by Two Airships.
When the enemy retired Airman
Werner was assigned to the duty of
following and discovering their new
position. lie found the army near Le
Cateau, where, at the edge of a wood,
he saw them taking up a strong po-
sition in a semi-circle before the for-
est. While watching these operations
from a height of 1,700 yards Werner
suddenly saw a double-decker Bristol
aeroplane coming down on him from
the clouds. Tho Bristol Is a faster
but a less sure machine than the
Tnube which Werner was piloting.
There was no safety In running away;
the Bristol could overtake him. He
could not alight, as the English were
underneath. There was nothing to
do but to face the worst and to fly
gradually lower and lower in the di-
rection of the German armv. As
Bristol came nearer Werner espied a
second aeroplane, a little Bleriot, an-
other swift flier, also bearing down on
him.
Revolver Battle in Air.
The Bristol drew closer and closer
flying down upon Werner in large
circles, gradually getting within
range. With one hand on the wheel
the German officer drew out his re-
volver nnd emptied his magazine nt
the approaching foe. But the Bristol
continued, coming always nearer.
"When they get over mo they will
drop a bomb," thought Werner, and
felt most uncomfortable. Ills ob-
server reloaded Werner's revolver and
both kept on firing. But the Bristol
kept always coming closer in Its cir-
cles, firing constantly on the German
monoplane. The Bleriot had come
close enough to fire also and bullets
punctured the wings of the German
machine at Intervals of seconds only.
T.here was no sound reaching the
Germans except that of their own mo-
tors. They only knew tho English
and French pilots were shooting from
tho vivid flashes from their revolvers.
But no bombs fell; It wns evident that,
the English and French were not
carrying them. ^
Escaped to this German Army.
Firing continued as Werner de-
scended gradually, reducing Ills eleva-
tion from 1,710 yards to 8F.0, always
coming closer to the German army.
Every moment ho faced the risk of
being wounded or of a bullet striking
his steering apparatus.
For hours, it seemed to him, th*
conflict continued until he taw tho
German ariny in the distance. He
then sent his car rapidly downward
and descended beside his army. The
Bristol and the Bleriot retired hastily-
The battle had covered seventy-flv©'
miles.
On descending Werner found his
plane riddled with bullets, but he
patched up the punctures and later
witnessed the battle of Le Cateau over
the position that he had discovered.
Hers again tho English, after plucky
resistance, were driven back. Tho
Germans attacked with two Hanking .
movements and a storming advance
against the middle of tho English po-
sition, and through main strength and
the extraordinary spirit of the attack,
forced the enemy back. The army of
100,000 had in a few days been re*
duced* to 30.000.
Drops Bombs on Paris.
Later on Werner was Instructed to
fly over Paris. Here he dropped sev-
eral bombs, some with good effect,
though others did not explode. Ho
carried two kinds of bombs, one a
round shell about the size of a base-
ball and weighing 1.1 pounds, the oth-
er shaped like a small artillery shell
and weighing 4V4 pounds. These lat-
ter, when they exploded, were power-
ful enough to tear up paved streets
and wreck houses. Werner also
told of dropping notes into Paris, call-
ing the French such hated names as
"cochon."
The flyers are tho only men who
really are seeing thiB war. They havo
the enemy's position under them and
can study It to their heart's content.
Only a lucky shot can dislodge them,
and their chief danger is from the at-
tacking aviators. The German scouts
usually fly at a height of 1,700 yards.
On dark days they fly at the edge of
the clouds and slip in and out for ob-
servation from this excellent screen.
Accurate Aim at 2,000 Yards.
Extraordinary stories about Zeppel-
ins are to be heard in Germany, some
of which are almost incredible. Ono
account Is of tho method used by Zep-
pelins in throwing bombs. A recent
invention, I am told, permits a Zep-
pelin, when there are clouds, to fly
high and unseen from the ground and
to let down a basket containing a man.
who then, by telephone, signals tho
airship what position to take.
In cloudless times the bombs aro
dropped from an apparatus hung di-
rectly below the airship, the bombs
being hung on two fingers. When the
position of tho target is determined,
the fingers open and the bomb falls.
These bombs are said to be twelvo
Inches in diameter and two feet long.
The damage they can do is terrific.
Houses in the neighborhood of the ex-
plosion collapse as though made of
cards, and they can tear up streets for
a distance of scores of yards.
Zeppelins to Attack Fleet.
I am told that practically all Zep-
pelins have retired from active assis-
tance In taking fortifications and aro
centered around tho North sea, whero
they are to assist in an attack on the
British fleet. The outcome of such a
battle will be highly important, for it
will determine whether a dirigible can
measure up against a warship. If it
can, the German fleet will not be badly
outnumbered in the conflict about to
take place, for the British fleet Is In-
sufficiently supplied with balloon guns,
lis only a few of these are In existence.
We hear, too, remarkable stories
about thi' number of Zeppelins. At tho
outbreak of the war there were twen-
ty-two on record. Today the report
of their number varies from fifty-six
to ninety. Material for Zeppelins is
said to have been stored at points
throughout the empire, where it could
be put together In a few days, and
this scheme has added Zeppelins to
the air fleet at the rate of two A week.
This story is improbable, for tho
German army does not possess a suffi-
cient number of men trained In oper
ating dirigibles.
Differ on Bomb-Hurling Ethics.
The German aeroplanes have dona
excellent service. There are several
hundred machines in operation, and
comparatively few have been shot
down.
I know of one young man, a son of
one of Germany's most prominent men,
who flew to Paris early in the war. Ho
was fired on repeatedly, and each time
descended gradually to a prearranged
depot, whence, after the enemy be-
lieved him to have been killed, he con-
tinued his trip.
When asked If he had thrown bombs
on Paris, he answered simply: "No, f
don't carry bombs." This would Indi-
cate that there may be a difference of
opinion In the army Itself as to tho
ethics of bomb throwing.
The astounding advance of the Ger-
mans has heen analyzed by a military
expert, who says that. It Is due to
four points; heavy artillery, aviators,
field kltehens nnd pedestrian feats of
large troop groups. The first two
points aro now generally recognized.
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Banger, J. E. A. & Erwin, W. L. The Cass County Sun (Linden, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 40, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 6, 1914, newspaper, October 6, 1914; Linden, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth341094/m1/2/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Atlanta Public Library.