There are also round cannon-ball-shaped
bombs, and special bombs for starting a conflagration when they strike.
Following the lead of the French, the Germans have also adopted the
"silent death," and half a dozen of the German aerial darts were given
me for souvenirs. They are of steel, about three inches long, with one
end pointed and the other flanged, so as to give a rotary motion as they
whizz through the air. They look more murderous than they really are,
for I was told by one of the aviator officers that they were not very
effective. The Germans, methodical in everything, wanted no doubt left
in any one's mind that the "silent death" was introduced by the French
and only copied by them in self-defense; so every one of the steel
darts--a touch of grim humor--bears on one side of the point, in French,
the legend "French invention" and on the other side "German
manufacture."
German Generals Talk of the War
IV.
GERMAN GREAT HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE, Dec. 9.--I have just eaten my way
along the German front in France, for a second visit to the German Great
Headquarters. This week's lunch and dinner "bag" included Gen. von
Heeringen, "the Victor of Saarburg"; Gen. von Emmich, "the Conqueror of
Liege"; Gen. von Zwehl, "the Hero of Maubeuge"; Gen. von Wild, the new
Quartermaster General, who before his appointment fought a twenty-round
draw with the English at Ypres, though he thinks he won on points, and
hosts of coming champions.
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