a red-haired, tousled young man who seemed to be
much at home in the brewery, came over and ad-
justed something on the huge wheel.
"What do you call all of these dofurmies?" our
young officer asked of him, pointing at the mysteri-
ous objects.
"Rotary spark gap and Leyden jars," was the
laconic reply. The officer nodded. Just then there
was a big commotion. The door flew open and a
French officer standing at attention shouted impres-
sively :
"Le President de la Ripublique!"
The President of France Arrives
INSTANTLY every man stood erect at attention,
hand at the cap. A few seconds later and Presi-
dent Poincarfe walked in slowly, at his side
General PtUain. It was then five minutes to 10.
President Poincare was introduced to the red-
haired, tousled young man whom he addressed as
Monsieur Sparks. Monsieur Sparks speaking a much
dilapidated French, managed, however, to explain to
his Excellence all of the important machinery,
thanks to a sleepless night with a French dictionary.
Monsieur Poincarf} was much impressed and
visibly moved, when a French officer had gone over
Sparks' ground, and re-explained the finer details.
The President now takes his stand on an elevated
platform near a huge switch which has an ebonite
handle about a foot long. He then addresses the
distinguished assembly with a short speech, all the
while watching a dapper young French officer stand-
ing near him, chronometer in hand.
Somewhere a clock begins striking the hour of
ten. The President still speaks but finishes a few
seconds later. The distinguished assemblage ap-
plauds and cheers vociferously, only to be stopped
by the dapper young officer who slowly raises his
right hand, his eyes glued to the chronometer. Im-
mediate silence prevails, only interrupted by the
soft purring of the huge generator. The dapper
young officer suddenly 3ings out:
"Monsieur le Pr6sident! A-ten-tion! ALLEZH"
The President of the glorious French Republic
then shouts dramatically: "Messieurs . . . le jour
de gloire est arrive . . . VIVE— LA— FRANCE!!"
— and throws in the huge switch with its long ebpn-
ite handle.
Instantly the ponderous rotary spark gap begins
to revolve with a dizzying speed, while blinding blue-
white sparks crash all along the inside circumfer-
ence with a noise like a hundred cannons set off all
at once. The large brewery hall intensifies the ear-
splitting racket so much that every one is compelled
to close his ears with his hands.
Quickly stepping outside the party arrives just in
time to see fifteen German airplanes volplaning
down and disappearing behind the German lines. A
French aerial officer who had observed the German
airplanes, drops his glass, steps over to the Presi-
dent, salutes smartly and says impressively:
"Le 'cirque' dit Baron d'Vnterrichter! lis sont
hors de combat!"
Hors de combat is correct. Von Unterrichter was
not to fly again for many a week.
We look around to tell the glad news to General
Pe'tain, but the latter has disappeared into a low
brick building where he now sits surrounded by his
staff, poring over military maps ornamented with
many vari-colored pencil marks, as well as little
brightly- colored pin-flags. Telephone and telegraph
instruments are all about the room.
The Enemy in Retreat
AGAIN the President shakes hands with Motf*
sieur Sparks, congratulating him on his
achievement. Luncheon is then served in
the former office of the brewery, g a y I y
bedecked with the Allied flags along the
walls. But even here, far from the titanic ro-
tary spark gap, its crashing sparks are audible.
Looking through the window we see a wonderful
sight. Although it is broad daylight, the entire
queer telegraph line is entirely enveloped in a huge
violet spray of electric sparks. It is as if "heat-
lightning" were playing continuously about the
whole line. No one may venture within fifty feet
of the line. It would mean instant death by this
man-made lightning.
Luncheon is soon over and more speeches are
made. Suddenly the door flings open and General
Petain steps in. One look at his remarkable fea-
tures, and all talk stops as if by magic. He crosses
the room towards the President, salutes and says in
a calm voice, though his eyes betray his deep emo-
tion:
"Monsieur le President, toute Varm&e Allemande
est en retraibel!"
And so it was. The greatest and final retreat of
the Kaiser's "invincible" hordes was in full swing
towards the Rhine-
More congratulations are to be offered to Spark3.
A medal, . . . Heavens, where is that young man?,
But Sparks has slipped over to his machines and is
standing in front of the noisy "thunder and light-
ning" wheel eyeing it enthusiastically.
"Why, oh WHY, do they call you eclateur!" he
says. "Spark Gap is good enough for me!" "Oh,
boy!! But you aren't doing a thing to those
Germins!"
Translation of German and French Terms Used ini
This Story.
Verdammie Yankee Schmcinckundn: Dammed Yankee Pig-Dogs!
Sic, Mtillrr: You. Mullcrl
Zi: n,:;-l:t, Hcrr Lcxhi-sxt
Vcrsammlans, safer: - '
m-.U-rs, Lieu
Gcsir.dei: This American rabble I
Srtbv! din /.v;:;;vi: z;:<,!™».".'r.; Sh-.n I'm r.^a-v.iHii::! l.o,;-1 1 i..m
Vorwiirls fir CoU „,:,! f^rrlnr.d: Ornv.ir.l, lor Cor[ ami l-':itilf
Dollar jager: Dollar Cliawrs.
!■!■: :.:■ :■• .'.': .y;«.;V:i;,?, . .;■.! :. ,_:-. ; v- : : . .:. ! ■; .:. :,
(■'.■: i.K;'f.: MOTISetlSe.
Flint": By" (aeroplane)
r/^UH.-i.'.-x-i.-.rrfcKiw;.-,-;:.--'.- A r^i-.iHr l„~.::rc: -'cuss" word. Ll(
rthunder." English equivalent is "A tho
that
.Ki
- ■;;.■ i.i
- -;
man slang, equivalent to our slang "1 At r imkmea: Talis it apart!
- t: Burnt-out.
■is: Such a lliing (of all things). ( r"! American V, Ti -,,,■:■. ;.;■. hi,:,-: DiiibMiir: machine. ,vi Kt»»n w.h. ■!,-:■■::■■:!: G'-ilc!:. 11 !■! ■:•:!■ ifu :-.:'.- r if r.:!ci:«:<.:l: I!y all tnuudersl w ip now? H. rollsach: Holy bag-iff -straw; (([:nv;i!i-i!l: J>: unmkotf
- Blockhead.
utrtion: The Radio Station. Gt 6: God be thanked. At >nr. Hcrr Le«-(»«nt: But, Lieutenant! an/ kaltc I : ■TCkfuuk, Hstrecke: Quenched Spark Gap. n-dlickt, i -,icht makr!: Northern liiiliis," h ii v.o: D, mimes Rindsviek: Stupid piece of civile. Ci asses Ko inmanda: General Head quarters. sted." ^Continued on page 384)
