Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-22
AS THE SOLDIERS SEE 1T
Christmas at the Front-Friendly Interchanges
Among Enemies"

Among Enemies"
From the Kansas City Star.
THE soldier moles of the two armies in
i the trenches become more friendly with
each other as Christmas comes nearer. Dis
patches from the war front in the last few
days have told how, in the intervals between
killing times, the men in the trenches, only 80
yards apart, swap tobacco. shoot at marks.
sing for each other exchange newspapers,
and in other ways let the humanity in them
leak out
One story told how the British soldiers
shouted across to the Germans:
"Give us song" and the Germans sang:
ITS Long Way to Tipperary," and. after
finishing it, called on the British for song
and they, not to be outdone in courtesy,
sang Die Wacht am Rhein"
Another story was of we'll between the
trenches, the only water within reach of both
armies, and by mutual agreement, the British
first went and filled their canteens; then the
Germans filed theirs, and when all were
supplied they remembered their business and
resumed their shooting match.
Does any one suppose that those men, kill
ing each other all day, would not stop IL
quickly and go back to their families, or their
sweethearts, and their work IL they had their
way about 1t?
Imagine blue-eyed, blond Hans and a Ca
madam Tommy meeting each other between
the trenches After shaking hands a con-
versaton something like this takes place:
"Can you lend me pipe Of tobacco?" asks
Tommy.
Sure" Hans fumbles in his blouse, gets it,
hands it over and while Tommy fills his pipe
Hans asks:
Where are you from?"
western Canada"
"Oh! Where they grow so much wheat.
I've read of the big farms out there ten
times as big as my fathers farm, and we
think in our country that his is a large
farm"
where are you FROM
From near Danzlg.'
That's over near where the Russians are
fighting you folks"
Eyes. Say, why do you come away over
here, across the ocean to fight us?"
"Well. we are part of the British Empire.
you know, and you Germans are trying to
wipe us out of existence. Now why do you
want to do that?"
I'VE don't want TO do that"
Then why are you fighting us?"
Because your British Empire is trying to
push Germany off the earth"
"oh shueks Say. Hans. TO be honest with
YOU don't know why we're hghting'
Neither do l."
81 do know, though, that I'd like to be back
in Calgary for the Christmas holidays" He
fumhles in the inside of his khaki blouse
brings forth the picture Of a pretty, rosy
checked Canadian girl, hands 1t to Hans and
says;
That's her"
Hans looks at it in admiration and brings
out from within his blouse photograph or a
charming German girl, hands it to Tommy
with the remark:
'HThere's mine"
1--WE were 10 have been married this Christ
mas" says Tommy.
1--WE are to be married next May says
Hans.
providing you don't leave your bones IN
one OF these trehehes Maybe bullet from
my own gun Will Kill you"
eGretchen would never forgive you if she
knew t."
Il wouldn't want her to know Il I wouldn't
want my own girl away on IN Western Can
ada to know it,"
"Weli, there's the bugle call. So long,
Tommy. Remember me TO that girl In Cam
ada when you write nextn
sGood-bY Hans; thanks for the tobacco.
and give nay regards 70 Gretchen IN Your
next letter.