The Coats Courant from Coats, Kansas • 5

THE COURANT. COATS, KANSAS CONCEALING THE BIG BRITISH GUNS FRENCH DIRIGIBLE IN THE SOMME REGION 1. MM. UAA. British big guns aire hammering tie Germans with the heaviest artillery tire in history.

Photograph shows the ireastwork being thrown up in front or the gun to keep Ithidden. Often the guns are covered with the surrounding verdure to make it harmonize with the background, disguising it perfectly. urn in, irii 1 1 1 1 Titraoii ii- that are doing such valuable scouting duty in the Somme sector. One of the French dirigible balloons REPORT REVEALS GERMAN WEAKNESS British Capture Document Prepared by Teutonic Corps Commander. INFERIOR ON THE SOMME Von Arnim Admits British Superiority in Air and Artillery Short of Everything but Food Draws Lessons From Battle.

War Correspondents' Headquarters in France. Germany is short of guns, aeroplanes and war material of all sorts, but not of food, according to a most sensationally interesting document the British have captured, which is called "the experience of the Fourth German Corps iu the Battle of the Somme." The document was written as Instructions to the troops. It was drawn from the lessous of the battle by Gen. Count Sixt vou Arniih, the corps commander, who has been fighting op posite the British throughout the of fensive. This long detailed revela- tion of the Inner thoughts of the German staff discusses the methods and shortcomings of every branch of the German army in view of the unexpect ed power and organization the British have shown.

The document starts out by paying a tribute to the British infantry, "which undoubtedly has learned much since last autumn's offensive. It shows great dash in attack. The Englishman also has physique and training in his favor. One must acknowl edge the skill of the English in rapidly consolidating captured positions and their great tenacity in the de fense of them." British Artillery Very Effective. Explicit instructions are given In the document to the artillery to change their methods of placing bat teries in villages and behind steep slopes, because of the British method of distribution of their artillery fire, which prodigally searches all obvious shelters.

Owing to the terrific concen tration of the British artillery fire, says the document, front lines of trenches should be thinly held and de pendence placed on small groups of machine gunners. Once the British lay a curtain of fire on a trench, it MAKES LEGAL PROPOSAL Jacob Honkel, chief engineer for publishing and Miss Anna Kuhnel, his housekeeper for many years. Recently Miss Kuhnel filed suit for $50,000 against her employer. Ilen kel answered the suit by filing a pro posal of marriage in the supreme court, the strangest document of Its kind that ever came before the court, Miss Kuhnel then filed legal ac ceptance of the proposal and agreed to meet Henkel at the city hall. The photo shows the couple leaving the marriage license bureau.

so if BUILD A SUBWAY TO VERDUN FRONT Tunnel, 45 Feet Underground, Leads to Within 300 Yards nf Germans. AMERICANS MAKE THE TRIP New York Lawyer Narrowly Escapes Shots as He Views Trenches-Tunnel Cook Was Formerly Chef to an Ambassador. Verdun. Just west of here, in the forest of Argonue, there is a remarkable military tunnel, 45 feet underground, running right up to within 300 yards of the German trenches. It is one of the most hard-pressed points around Verdun, but through this tunnel re-enforcements move forward without danger, relieving every two hours the men on the firing line.

There was a very American atmosphere about this tunnel when the writer visited it, for the curious fact developed that the two officers in command were American residents, one a stock raiser in Alberta, Canada, and the other a bank official of the Franco- American bank at Los Angeles, Cal. Both were born in France, and when the war broke out left their American businesses to come home and fight. And now they are in full charge of this un derground highway, leading up to one of the most desperate positions along the front. They are so American that they speak English instead of French, and the commandant's headquarters a little nest in the clay has a big picture of Uncle Sam hanging on the wall. Creeping through this tunnel to ward the front line, the members of the visiting party knocked their steel casques.on the roof, and plunged through water ankle deep.

Paul Cravath, the New York lawyer, a man of large build, 6 feet 0 inches tall, was bent double in the struggle through the tunnel. Along the way they passed an electric plant, throbbing with energy, and pumping the fresh air which keeps the tunnel habitable. Farther on, in a large clay hole, a kitchen was in full operation, with soldiers eating botls of noodles. Chef to an Ambassador. "Let me introduce you to our chef," said the commandant, as a young soldier cook came forward.

"He is now the cook for this tunnel and he ought to be a good cook, for before the war he was chef to the French ambassador at Rome." Emerging from the tunnel into the front line, the German trenches were plainly visible on the crest only 300 yards away. The intervening space was swept clear as though by a cyclone. Instead of the beautiful green of the forest, that was left at the other end of the tunnel, here the whjle outlook wus gray and desolate; the, ground Jagged and torn as by eccentric plows, not a vestige of grass or and the few gaunt trunks of trees stripped of their last leaf and looking like so many scarecrows. "This has been a rather quiet day-only two mine explosions," said the commandant, "two men Injured, one in the shoulder, the other in the leg. That Is little, for often we have forty to sixty men killed or injured in these mine explosions, which go on continually as the Germans try to mine under our trenches and we try to mine under theirs." Even beyond the front line French trenches the French soldiers had pushed their observation posts Into the tire-swept dividing line, 300 yards wide.

Some of these daring men could be seen almost up to the crest, where the German line ran. They were crouched behind heaps of bowlders, rifles ready. "Those men are only ten yards from the Germans," said the commandant. As he spoke, Mr. Cravath of New York, said see a German there be Is on the crest you can see his unl form with the round cap." "And he sees you too," said the cora-mandunt.

"You have been under fire," he added as he led Mr. Cravath and the others to a more secure position. Americans Are Lucky. "It's good that German didn't fire," remarked Cravath. "It might have been an International Incident Think of It killing an American visitor to the Trench tmich" at to trenches one had a view of the many ceaseless activities in carrying on, this great battle.

At one point soldiers in shirt sleeves were digging graves in an improvised cemetery along the forest path. The cemetery was very large and had been given a name, "Maison Forrestiere," or Forest Home. Every grave had a wooden cross above it with the name and regiment of the dead soldier. The shells kept whizzing and bursting as the party moved along, and it got to be a pleasant pastime to note the long s-z-z-z as the shells flew overhead. One of them struck a few hundred feet away, throwing up trees, earth and clouds of smoke.

To those who wanted souvenirs there were big fragments of shrapnel lying every turn. It was pleasant at first pick them up, but after three or four of these heavy chunks of steel were carried half a mile the task was abandoned. The ingenuity of some of the trench quarters along the way Is shown in the use of empty glass bottles for windows. One officer pointed with pride to the very artistic effect he had secured with these empty wine bottles. A triple row extended all across the front of his log shack, giving light within and having rather a cathedral window effect without.

The bottles are of white glass, used for" bottling the white wine of Bordeaux. Lives Outside City. The headquarters of General Ni-velle, in command of the operations at Verdun, are quite a way outside the city, at a little crossroad hamlet, which cannot be named for military reasons. The general's offices are in the town courthouse, a two-story stone structure. It was in this same, building that General Petain, who preceded Nivelle, nn'd General de Castelnau quickly made the plans at the first on rush of the Germans, which held them until re-enforcements could be brought up.

General Nivelle goes to Verdun and along the trench front frequently. But most of his time is at headquarters, in telegraph and telephone communication with the whole circle of defenses, and in touch, too, with the other army corps and masses of supplies ready to be moved forward to All any gap the Germans may make. As we were at General Nivelle's headquarters a party of German prisoners came by. They marched two and two, their gray uniforms and round caps contrasting with the French blue and casque. Already they were being set to work, and instead of a gun each German carried a spade over his shoulder.

At Verdun there is no civilian life whatever, but around General Nivelle's headquarters there were peasant women and girls mingling with the poilus, indicating civilian life still existed thus near to the bombarded town. The roads back of Verdun present the most varied scenes of activity. On one side Is a vast aeroplane camp, with some twenty enormous hangars of basket steel construction covered with canvas. Across the road is a riding course running for miles, where officers can exercise their mounts and cavalry can push forward in emergency without blocking the highroad. Every now and then one sees big vehicle shoot by bearing the sign "American Am bulance Corps." Mules in Good Shape.

The thousands of horses and mules along the road are in good condition, Many of the horses came from Amer ica and were run down by, sea voyage, but after a month's feeding they proved very serviceable. On seeing the mules one of the officers said The demobilization of the Greek nrmy had one very important result for the allies it released 10,000 mules which the Greeks had been using, and now these mules are proving invalua ble to the allies." While the fields back of Verdun are rich with yellow gralu, yet there Is one melancholy evidence of the war in the burning of manure, usually the very life blood of the soil. "The gralu can bo gathered by the soldiers and the women who remain, but there is no time to distribute the manure over the land, and so it is burned. The last glimpse of Verdun came as the party, passed a detachment of French soldiers just out of the trenches and going to the rear for rest. They were tired and heavily laden, but hap- py and cheerful as they swung aloug in Irregular ranks, laughing and smok lng as though they came from some agreeable occupation.

They were all fine looking young fellows, and they typified that calm and Invincible spirit which the young French soldiers are icuttlna Into their -service. in is a ITALIAN FINDS LOCKJAW CURE Professor Ingianni Invents Port able Bath for Hot Immersions. GIVES SATISFACTORY RESULTS After Few Days Treatment the Wounc Begins to Heal, Suppuration Disappears, Swelling Subsides and Fever Ceases. Headquarters of the Italian Army the Field. Surgeo Major Professoi Ingianni of the Italian medical corps, charge of a field hospital, has up-plied, on a large scale a special treatment for lockjaw which is giving most satisfactory results.

The antitoxin treatment of lockjaw extensively used in the Italian army a.j a preventive and, thanks to it, th eases of tetanus have been greatlj diminished. Naturally in field hospitals local con diiions are such that it is impossibly to resort to prolonged antiseptic bath ing of the wounded or infected part and the most effective remedy consist ed in amputation. But eveu early amputation often proved of no avail when the germs in the wound already had set free a lethal dose of their toxin. Besides, even when amputation saved man's life it left him a cripple. Doctors Amputate Too Freely.

Often for fear of infection surgeons in the field resort freely to amputation knowing full well that it would be im possible for them to keep the wound clean until it is completely healed. rrotessor ingianni instead is con vinced that amputation should only be resorted to in extreme cases, as a doctor's first duty is to cure, not to cripple a man. Prolonged warm bath of the wound is an almost infallible remedy against lockjaw, and nothing prevents its being administered even in the field under ordinary conditions. The professor has invented a special portable bath which can be folded, as it is made of rubber and shaped in such a way that any limb can be immersed in it. The bath is then tied to the patient by means of bandages and placed in any position, either horizontal or vertical.

Antiseptic Solution Is Used. A warm antiseptic solution can be easily kept in it at the same tempera ture for five or six hours. As a rulu a 3 per cent solution of hypochlorite is used or else corrosive sublimate in the proportion of one-hulf per 1,000. But permanganate of potassium, iodine or lead water alp.o can be used to advan tage. It has been found better to al ternate the employment of these an tiseptics.

The results of this treatment are wonderfui. After a few days the wound beigns to heal, suppuration dis appears, swelling subsidos and tever ceases. Recovery follows as a matter of course even in cases where amputation wus considered the only rem edy. The danger of lockjaw is en tirely obviated. SHOULD HELP HER HUSBAND Court Decides Crime Is No Cause foi Divorce Defines Habitual Drunkard.

Des Moines, la. The Iowa suprema court, In session here, has handed dowr-several Solomonic decisions. In one ruling, the court held that confession of a crime on the part of a husband does not constitute grounds for divorce proceedings. "It ill becomes a wire," said the court, "to prefer- criminal charges against her husband. She took hlra for better or for worse, and she should try to redeem him." In the same decision th court de fined a habitual drunkard as "one who becomes even moderately lrtoxlf ated whenever' the opportunity pre sented." Single Again.

Chicago. Adolph Knusal, musician, Is a single man again because his wlf was so anxious to hold his love that she put love powders In his food and even his shoes. Kausal told Judg Thomson the powders ruined his stoui ach. He was given the dlvorw 4 asked. adds, the men had better evacuate it and lay down in the open.

Most Interesting to the officers. In view of the fact that the British have consistently held grouud they have taken against counter-attacks, is what Gen. von Arnim says on the subject. "If the counter-attacks, which on account of the situation ought to be methodically prepared, are hurried, they cost much blood, because the troops lose their trust in the leaders they fail, which nearly always happens," says Gen. von Armin.

He then complains that the "exist ing telephone system has proved totally inadequate in consequence of the development of the fighting," and says the artillery signal system broke down. The commander asserts that he has discovered that British aeroplanes use sound signals to tell gun ners where their shells are falling, and says the Fourth corps already has started an experiment on the same kind of method as a complement to the wireless, which is frequently interrupted. Superiority of British Airmen. "The numerical superiority of the British airmen and the fact that their machines were better made disagreeably apparent to us," Gen. von Arnim says, and he speaks of the surprisingly bold procedure of British airmen, who were often "able to fire successfully on our troops with machine guns by descending to with in a few hundred feet of the ground." He adds that the German antiaircraft guns could not continue firing at that height "without exposing their own troops to the serious danger of shell fragments." Before the battle of the Somme airmen kept at anywhere from 6,000 to 12,000 feet over the, lines on account of antiaircraft gunfire.

Gen. von Arnim in the docu ment warns his Infantry to use their rifles against the daring British aviators. He says that the amraunl tion supply and the artillery are Inade quate, and that maps were insufficient in quantity and bad as regard details. Also the supply of horses has reached the utmost limit. Of the food supply Gen.

von Arnim says: "No special difficulties arose. The supply columns prove sufficient." APPENDIX REMOVED ON SHIP First Successful Operation of the Kind to Be Performed on Ocean. San Francisco. The first successful operation for appendicitis performed on the Pacific ocean was revealed here on the arrival of the Dnited States transport Sheridan from Manila via Honolulu. Mnj.

E. A. Dean of the United States medical corps performed the operation on Milton S. Piuch, a private soldier. When the Sheridan was three days out from this port.

Finch was suddenly stricken with appendicitis. Major Dean, an army surgeon re turning from the Philippines on the Sheridan, was called In and asked to operate on Finch, and while the Sheridan plowed through the waves he removed the appendix. Finch recovered rapidly from the operation and was removed to the army hospital at the Presidio when the Sheridan arrived here. DREAM RESTORES HIS SPEECH Welsh Soldier Recovers the Power In London Hospital Lost in Battle. London.

Many remarkable In stances of the recovery of soldiers of the power of speech, lost through shell shock or wounds, have been. told. The latest Is that of a Welshman, Private Morris, who had his voice restored in a dream. He was Injured during the battle of the Somme, and on recovering con sciousness found that he hnd lost the power of speech. While in a hospital in London he dreamed that he was back In the trenches and that a shell burst near him.

He shouted at the top of his voice, and on waking was spoken to about It. To his astonishment he found lie wus able to reply. Save $500 From Tips. Ann Arbor, Mich. John Summers, seventeen, hus snved $500 in a year from his tips as a bellboy.

Ho receives $10 a. month and his board. Ills tips run from $10 to $20 week. He bought a typewriter with his first sav ings and rents It to guests as a side line. of a of to STRYCHNINE WILL KILL CROW But Experts Are Asked to Explain Why Chicken and Quail Are Immune.

Hnrrlsbnrg, Pa. Experts In universities and colleges of the state have been asked to inform the state department agriculture why strychnine will bill crows and not affect chickens when eaten. The state live stock sanitary board stirred up the question by sending out notice urging that crows be extermi nated and giving instructions as to use the poison. Some people wanted to know' il chickens would be harmed by It The board officials replied that they would not, and told of the result of an experiment by one man who had written to the department that he had fed strychnine in corn to brown leghorn chickens and that they had not minded it a bit. When he threw It out for the crows- eat he had to send out burial parties.

On the other hand, quail did not seen to mind it a particle. AMBITION OF CHINESE GIRL Specializes in Modern Business Meth ods That She May Teach Her People. Boston, Mass. The first Chinese- girl in the country to specialize In- modern business methods with the Idea of returning to her country to. teach has enrolled in the college of business administration of Boston university.

The young woman, Miss Mabel Chen Fong, also has the distinction of being the first Chinese girl to attend Boston university. Miss Fong at present Is a salesgirl. She intends to obtain her degree Of B. B. A.

(bachelor of business administration) at the university, and then she will return to China, where she will teach the American business methods to her people. She Is a graduate of the girls high school and Is the daughter of Chen Fong of Boston. MUST CARE FOR MOTHER Clara Bishoff, twenty years old and pretty, Is looking for a husband who will provide for her mother. In desperate straits financially the girl says she will try to make the man who meets her requirements happy. Here are some of the qualifications: The man must be between the ages of twenty-three and thirty.

He must earn at least $50 a week. He must be gentle and kind. And above all he must provide for her mother. You might call all this a "husband advertisement" If you look nt It on wny, but Clara Blshoff's announcement means more than that. Twenty Is not so very old when It comes to making a fair living for two.

Here is a girl who tried to make a meager salary do the Impossible. Yesterday she frankly admitted sho had fulled. "For days I faced this," the girl explained. "Can't you see how hard It would be for any girl to come to a public announcement that she wanted a husband? It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. But for mother's sake 1 mean to se it throyjjh now.".