wo minutes.
Their practice was excellent, and with strong glasses I could see huge
masses of earth and stonework thrown high up into the air. The din, even
at the distance, was terrific, and when the largest ship, with the
biggest guns in the world, joined in the martial chorus, the air was
rent with ear-splitting noise.

"The Turkish batteries, however, were not to be drawn, and, seeing this,
the British Admiral sent one British ship and one French ship close
inshore toward the Sedd-el-Bahr forts.

"It was a pretty sight to see the two battleships swing rapidly away
toward the northern cape, spitting fire and smoke as they rode. They
obscured the pure atmosphere with clouds of smoke from their funnels and
guns; yet through it all I could see they were getting home with the
shots they fired.

"As they went in they sped right under the guns of the shore batteries,
which could no longer resist the temptation to see what they could do.
Puffs of white smoke dotted the landscape on the far shore, and dull
booms echoed over the placid water. Around the ships fountains of water
sprang up into the air. The enemy had been drawn, but his marksmanship
was obviously very bad. I think I am right in saying that not a single
shot directed against the ships came within a hundred yards of either."

The French Battlefront

Account of First Extended View of the Intrenchments Defending France

[By a Special Correspondent of THE NEW YORK TIMES.]

Paris, March 7.--I have just been permitted a sight of the French
Army--the first accorded to any correspondent in so comprehensive a
measure since the outbreak of the war. Under the escort of an officer of
General Joffre's staff, I was allowed along a great section of the
fighting line, into the trenches under fire, and also received
scientific detailed information regarding this least known of European
forces.

France has been so silent about her army and her Generals and so
indifferent to the use of journalism in the war it is scarcely realized
even in France that 450 of the 500 miles of fighting front are held by
the French and only the remaining fifty by the British and Belgians. At
the outbreak of the war no newspaper men were allowed with the army, and
those who managed to get to the front, including myself, all returned to
Paris under escort. Although we saw what a powerful machine it was and
knew it was getting stronger every day, we were permitted to say very
little abou