El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-19
FINDS BRITISH
SOLDIERSGO0D
IN FIGHT CANE
Germans Had Imagined the
English Troops Best at
Running Away.
TRENCHES BUILT
TO DECEIVE ENEMY

~ ERLIN, Germany, Dec. 19.-Eng-
Iish soldiers are good fighters and
resourcefu1, an editor, of the lei
tung Am BIittag. who is Serving as a
first lieutenant in the German army,
writes his paper in an account Of the
engagements around Tpres.
Full Of fight and confident of an
easy victory" he says, our young regi-
ments started to march against the
enemy. We were quite certain that
Providence had endowed the English
with long legs to facilitate their run
ming away tie faster. THUS we ad-
vanced by long and short marches
through Flanders. the great cemetery.
We were delighted with the beautiful
Flemish landscape and. with the 1nhabl-
tants, whose language we soon man
aged to understand, even as they speed
lily came to understand ours.
I'VE thought of the English soldiers
as the comic papers are wont to portray
them. There were a Few VINO warned
US against possible underestimation OF
the enemy, but their mlsglVlngs We're
quieted by our pointing out that these
were mercenary troops hired at rev
pence a day, bare Of patriotism and IN
capable Of sacrifice
Finds the English Stubborn.
Sooner than we thought we were
upon the enemy. First we came upon
dead Englishman, then two wounded
English officers, then an English pris-
oner. The prisoner naturally was u
great interest to our soldiers. w on
der If the mercenary can shoot% we
asked ourselves. An hour later some
of his comrades gave US an answer TO
that question. They gave US clear
practical demOnstration-suCh a clear
demonstration that our battalion was
reduced to half its original size IN
few encounters. We suddenly realized
that the English mercenaries could not
be routed with mere hurrahs, and that
these smooth faced men used the long
legs not always for running away, but
sometimes for desperate and dangerous
charges.
English Do Heavy Damage.
The English infantry which OPP
posed US at Ypres must be considered
among their best troops. They defend
ed their positions with energy and
skill and when driven back tried again
and again to recover the lost ground.
In these endeavors they were support
ed efficiently by the fire OF their field
artillery. They had also transported
heavy naval guns to Ypres, and the
English shells and shrapned caused
enormous damage among our troops.
"As the surrounding of the English
forces by our troops made itself more
and more felt, the English infantry
tried again and again to break through
our lines, particularly in the vicinity
OF Becelaere, though without success.
In one of these attacks 500 English
soldiers and 20 officers fell into our
hands.
Trenches Admirably Built.
THE English trenches were mostly
so arranged as to be quite invisible to
the naked eye. When we had got into
the first trenches we were astOnished
at their systematic construction as re-
CARDS depth, side protection against
splintering Of shells, breastwOrk and
flooring. The trenches were nearly all
excellently arranged for long stand.
We were particularly astOnished at the
iron and steel work built into the
breastworks. The floors there were
designed with an eye to maximum com
fort Our men captured there a great
store of excellent preserves, corn beef
and ham, and many also secured one of
the shaving outfits which every Eng
lish soldier carries.
when we had taken position it fire.
Quently occurred that we found a dis
prOprotiOnate number of dead to the
very few living defenders. We soon
discovered that a large number of the
dead were shamming and these were
easily tickled into life with a bayonet-
Tn some cases the English had dug
trenches but had not occupied them,
and to deceive US had put large round
turnips and similar objects along the
breaStWOrkS."