WAR TROPHIES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2838, 1 August 1916, Page 7

WAR TROPHIES

t THE PRICES THEY FETCH (By W. L. M'Alpin, in the "Daily Mail.") "Can. you get me some war trophies in Paris?" ran a letter'l reoeived from a man in London some time ago. "Helmets, rifles, or. swords, taken from tho Germans or picked up on the battlefields?" I mado inquiries . and found that some traifio was being done in. "souvenirs" of tho kind mentioned. Ultimately my friend secured at what he considered a, reasonable price an excellent selection of spoils taken from the Hune. Since then I have seeii several collections of war trophies. One of the best is displayed in the reception rooms of the "Echo de Paris" at tho comer of the Place de l'Opora. Most of the articles havo been contributed by members of the staff with the Army, or by poilua desirous of' showing their gratitude for comforters and food hampers sent them by that journal. ■ ; ■ ' There is a fine lot .of officers' helmets, saw bayonets,' rifles, and shell baskets. Ono curious exhibit is a playing card, the five of clubs, picked up among tho cindßrs of an. enemy bivouac fire. Bavarian pioneer picks and 6pades (with the mud and war stains carefully removed), and all sorts of shell fragments, cartridges, and bullets make up a Very interesting show. When Mr. Asquith, Lord Kitchener, Mr. Lloyd George, and other British Ministers were staying at the Hotel de.Crillon during the International Conferenco in Paris, they admired the fine collection of German weapons and uniforms.on view in the hall. It is made up ontirely ot objects captured by the 125 employees of the hotel who joined the French forces in August, 1914. Among the exhibits are a. battered military bicycle, a pair of airman's fur-lined top-boots, and a couple of Uhlan lances, one of'which has evidently Been a considerable amount of service. Other picturesque items are wine bottles, partly melted in, the sack of Senlis, Arras, and Reims; and fragments of tho Zeppelins brought down at Badonviller in 1914 and at Revigriy early this year. I noticed that the'aluminium riveting of the- Zeppelin framework was very coarsely done, confirming what I had previously seen of tho .lack of finish in German Army work. The clou of the collection organised by M. Dequis, tho manager, who received it from the soldier who bayoneted tho Gorman owner, Lieutenant von X-—, at Verdun, is a little cylindrical sack of grey canvas, with buckles to attach it to tho officer's belt. ,The sack contains threo round tin boxes, ono of them provided _ with a German anti-gaa mask, with its ugly snout-liko mouthpiece. In the other two boxes are the air filters, which Borew on to the mouthpiece. Tho whole is well conceived, portable, and presumably effective. Some Fancy Prices. . Nono of tho articles in these collections is for sale, but those interested in prices may be pleased to have some sample figures, supplied by dealers in war trophies. I may mention, by the way, that it is forbidden to all except sol-diers-to collect weapons or other articles left on the field of battle. I had a couple of German bayonets I was bringing back to Paris : from the Marne taken from mo by a stern gendanno, who told me he had orders to shoot anyone caught pillaging on the battlefield. Ho took no notice of my statement that I had been given permission by a French officer to bring away tho bayonets. The French journalist who was with me remarked that the gendarme probably wanted tho souvenirs for himself. When, however, I had succeeded in making a collection of war relics, the Minister of. War, on my application, promptly sent me all tho papers authorising their transfer to England. The most costly item I have been offered is a silver and gold German 6taff general's helmet, ticketed at .£96. Other trophies on the list before me are catalogued at the following 'prices:— Helmet and breastplate of major in Kaiser's bodyguard .£3O 0 0 Hessian staff officer's helmet, with white plume .'. IB 0 fl Infantry bugle pierced by bullot 14 0 0 Pennant of Death's Head Hussars 12 0 0 Uhlan, officer's parade uniform 11 4 0 Helmet of.soldier in Imperial Guard :.. 10 0 0 Field officer's greatcoat, stained ■with blood i ■„■ •• 8 0 0 Pennant of the Imperial Guard, very rare ;.. 12 0 0 Staff officer's sword, damascened and engraved blade 16 0 0 Half-dozen different German war posters, (requisition orders, etc.) 20 0 0 Uhlan's lance, damaged by a shell • * 0 0 Mauser rifle 3 4 0 Ono 77mm. (oy 3in.) shell 2 8 0 Pair staff officer's epaulettes, in gold and silver 3 4 0 Shell basket 0 16 0 Shell fragments, from 4s. to 12s. each. Among more sinister war souvenirs 1 have' seen' part of the fuselage of the aeroplane in which poor Wameford was killed at Buc, and a Prussian infantryman's black leather belt, with brass clasp, inscribed "Gott in it una." Singed and discoloured by fire, it was found on tho body of a wounded German soldier taken into Reims Cathedral for treatment, and there burnt to death when bis own countrymen shelled the edifice.