This little grim comedy is told by a correspondent of the London
_Evening News_:
“I heard of an incident which is said to have occurred when the British
boats were busy picking up German survivors of the fight in the Bight of
Heligoland. A German officer was seen swimming, a line was thrown to him
and he was helped on board, but his first action was to spit in the face
of the British officer in charge.
“A British sailor immediately flung the German overboard and another
drowning German among the many within the boat’s reach was helped into
the vacant place.”
“FRENCH ARE VERY KIND”
The American Embassy in Paris is in daily receipt of letters written by
dying German soldiers, forwarded to it by the French Government for
transmission to Germany. One is from a German aviator who had fallen
into the hands of the French. This man wrote:
“Good-by, dear father and mother; my leg has been crushed. The French
officers are very kind.”
A postscript to this letter added by a French officer read:
“At this point the brave fellow died; please forward this to his
parents.”
“I AM FIGHTING AGAINST MY SON!”
A story is told to-day of the bravery of French women and men which is
vouched for as true. Gen. de Castelnau and his three sons went to the
front at the outbreak of the war and Mme. de Castelnau retired to the
south. One of the sons was killed in the early fighting.
When the news of his son’s death was conveyed to Gen. de Castelnau, he
read the statement and then said quietly: “Gentlemen, let us continue.”
When the news reached the country house of the family in the south the
parish priest undertook the delicate task of conveying the news of the
death of her son to Mme. de Castelnau. The priest tried to break the
news to her but was so overcome with emotion that she guessed something
serious had happened. Mme. de Castelnau simply asked, “Which one?”
meaning whether it was her husband or one of her three sons who had been
killed.
When the 35th Regiment entered Muelhausen an aged Alsatian offered the
soldiers everything he possessed, pressing them to accept wine and food.
After they had finished their meal he bade them farewell, saying:
“I am now going to fight to kill my son, who is in the 40th Regiment of
German infantry.”