DE MAUPASSANT’S
VIEW OF WAR
At the mere mention of the word war,
I am seized with a sense of bewilder
ment, as though I heard of witchcraft,
of the Inquisition, of some far distant
thing, ended long ago. abominable and
monstrous, against all natural law.
When we talk of cannibals, we proud
ly smile and proclaim our superiority
over these savages. Which are the sav
ages, the true savages? Those who fight
to eat the vanquished, or those who light
to kill, only to kill;
Today might Is called violence, and
Is beginning to be condemned; war Is ar
raigned. Civilization, at the demand of
nil humanity, directs an Inquiry and In
dicts the great criminal brief against
conquerors and generals. The nations
are beginning to understand that the
aggrandizement of a crime can In no
way lessen It; that If murder is a crime,
to murder a great many docs not create
any attenuating circumstances; that if
robbery is a dlsgrncc, Invasion cannot he
a glory.
Monsieur do Molkte replied one day to
some peace delegates in the following
extraordinary words:
"War Is holy and of divine institution:
It keeps alive in men all the great and
noblest sentiments, honor, disinterested
ness, virtue, courage, iu one word It pre
vents them from falling into the most
hideous materialism.
Therefore to collect a herd of some
four hundred thousand men, march day
and night without respite, to think of no
thing, study nothing, learn nothing, read
nothing, be of no earthly use to anyone,
rot with dirt, lie down in mire, live like
brutes In a continual besottnent; pillage
towns, burn villages, ruin nations; then
meeting another similar agglomeration of
human flesh, rush upon It, shed lake3
of blood, cover plains with pounded
flesh mingled with muddy and bloody
earth; pile up heaps of slain; have anus
and legs olown off, brains scattered with
out benefit while your old parents, your
wife and children are dying of hunger;
this Is what Is oalled not "falling Into the
most hideous materialism ."
Warriors are the scourges of the earth.
We struggle agalnBt nature and Ignor
ance, against obstacles of all kinds, in
order to lessen the hardshlpts of our mis
erable existence. Men. benefactors,
scholars wear out their lives, tolling,
seeking what may help, what may solace
their brethren. Eager In their useful |
work, they pile up discovery on disco* - ,
ery, enlarging the human mind, extent!
ing science, adding something each tl.iy I
to the stock of human knowledge, to the j
welfare, the comfort, the strength of
their country.
War Is declared. In six months the
generals have destroyed the efforts of
twenty years’ patience and genius. Ami
this is wliat is called not "falling into
the most hideous materialism.’’
Whosoever governs must consider it as
much ois duty to avoid war as it is that
of the captain of a ship to avoid ship- ,
wreck. When a captain has lost his ship. !
he is judged and condemned if found '
guilty of negligence or even of inenpa- ^
city.
Why should not governments l» judged
after the declaration of every war’
: ■■ _
HORRIBLE STRUGGLE
AT POUARHOHT
PARIS, May 288—"J’h 1:111 on which
stands the ruins of Douamont fort is so
closely carpeted with dead that it is Im
possible to mount the slopes on time
sides," ib how an ofllcer wounded in one
of yesterday's counter attacks describi s
the scene of this week's freightful strug
gle for the height.
"1 suw three German regimen is fail
to a man within half an hour under the
merciless sweep of our 75's" he added.
The French regiments which gnim i
short-lived possession of the fort have
seen more fighting on the banks of tin)
Meuse than any others .n the Fremiti
army, and the wounded with complete
unanmlty agree thut they never helot*
witnessed such awful carnage. The cease
less deluge of shells with which the Teu
tons pounded the hill led General Nivells
to refrain from attempting to reinforce
the regiments holding tnc fort and he
called upon these iron troops to hold off
the Germans as long as they could, fore- 1
ing them to make frequent counter at
tacks.
This policy entailed the final abandon
ment of the fort, but It was completely
successful In its motives of tearing fur
ther sanguinary gashes in the crown
• prince's reserves.
ELEVEN ATTEMPTS MADE
The German assaults on the hill began
on Tuesday night. I'nder the blinding
glare of electric searchlights they at
tacked with the fiercest determination.
Eleven times during the night and on the
following day they swept against tint
(French lines without appreciable gain ,
Their ranks were thinned every time
I by the French three-inch. I'our-inch and
six-inch shells.
The twelfth attack was irresistible,
however, and tin* French fell back down
the hill, picking their way over tin* d* d
and dying to their trenches 3ao yards
to the south.
Captured German officers admit that
the recapture of tit** fort by tin French
created alarm on the whole German front
comparable only to that of the first da vs
Ol the Champagne offensive. For forty
eight hours the telegraphs and tele
phones as well as motor messengers Were
busy summoning all available reserves
PRUSSIAN GUARD ATTACKS.
Six divisions, including the Prussian
guard, which is reserved only fur the
greatest emergencies, were rushed to tie*
scene. Two divisions, one of Saxons and
the other of Wurtemburgers, were sent
to the west hank of the Meuse and hurl
ed against Cumieres to cease the French
pressure on the other side of the river.
At the same time two Bavarian divisions
were ordered by the crown prince to re
capture the fort, while two divisions of
tin* Prussian guard wen* kept in hand
on the second line.
Altogether at least 75,000 German bay
onets were thrown into yesterday’s fight
ing. They won Cumieres and retook Fort
Donamont. but the price they paid is
estimated at 30.000 men.
Paris critics, pointing out that the Ger
mans always light with the advantage of
—m -II ■ ' i'm i —- I
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W. H. WEBB
Proprietor. Phone Main if*
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CHEAP JOHN'S
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superior artillery, predict that the Ver
dnn battle Is going to continue as des
P> lately ns ever, but all express complete
confidence In iho matchless valor <u the
French infantrymen.
They won't get by" Is mill tin watch
word of the Verdun defenders.
NEW WIRELESS STATIONS TO
BE ERECTED INTERIOR
After working on the matter for sev
eral years, Lieut. C, H Mason, officer In
charge of the teoond second of the mili
tary telegraph system, received orders to
proceed at once to requisition the ma
terial needed for the construction of
wireless stations at Fort Yukon and Holy
Cross. Ever since assuming his duties
as officer in charge In the Interior, Lieut,
Mason nas been trying to get these sta
tions authorised, During his first year
in Alaska he pointed out to the war de
partment the needs of the stations, and
ever since he has been hammering away
on the matter. These stations will he
patterned after the wireless plants used
by the field companies of the signal corps,
and will be made portable. i
SUBSCRIBE FOR THE NUGGET.
ASPHALT KNOWN* TO A.\‘<Ti:V! :~
The ancients were well acj u;t in t-V with
! asphalt Tacitus, In a description of the
Mare Mot'timtn, written some time in the
it. (Vs, gives the following account of
the methoos employed In collecting tile
material: "At a stated season of the year
the lake throws up bitumen. Experi
ence, the mother of all useful arts, has
tuught men the method ot gathering it.
It Is a liquid substance, naturally of a
black hue. and by sprinkling vinegar
upon It it floats on the surface in a
condensed mass, which those whose busi
ness it is lay hold of with the hand, and
draw in and load the vessel till you
out It off Nor oould you out It oft. Nor
oould you cut off It with brass or Iron
It shrinks from the touch of blood."
Presumably, says Engineering and Con
tracting, when the vesel was loaded, the
captain waved ft bloody shirt and the
surplus bitumen in terror leaped hack
Into the lake
WE CAN* DO IT.
For first class work and prompt deliv
ery phone Main 151 and the People's
Laundry will send and get your laundry
AV J. WILLIAMSON, Prop j
5.5.5 NAIUK
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21
■ K .1 O’CONNOR, ALASKA L. * C CO. I
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I'rnnt St. and Steadman Ave \i
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AUG. T-i SEPT
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Victoria loaving Noma July II and Aug 7
Will call at Seward, Valdez, Cordova; j
Steamer will also visit Columbia Glacier.
At Cordova 9teamer will remain long enough
to allow excursionists time to make a special
trip out over the railroad to Hiles Glacier, from
Cordova the Steamer will return direct by the
outside route to Seattle.
Alaska S. S. Co.
R. A. Carroll, Agent, Nome
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HENRY BURGH, PROP.
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PPPAWMVAWWvWvWv, .
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Chas. W. Reed I
Ii
Machinist 6 Blacksmith ;
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Oaaoiine bnginc.*. Uniats
Boilers. Pipe and Pipe
Pitting* I
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Proprietors <
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