The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-12-11

BY special permission OF the German
crown price I am visiting his lines in
the Argonne. This afternoon ! reached the
foremost trench southwark Of Granpre.
which is as near as 1 may give the locs-
ton. About 16O feet ahead OF me is
the French trench.
Picture to yourself a canebrale-likc
woods OF fish poles ranging in size from
half-inch 10 saplings two and three
inches thick and so dense that you can
hardly see forty yards even now when
the leaves have fallen. Among these
is a scattering of big trees, the trunks
of which are veritablc mines OF bull
lets. Irregular lines OF deep yellow
clay trenches zig.zaE for miles. Other
trenches run back from these to what
looks like a huge Kansas Prairie DOG
Town''-human burrows where thou
sands of soldiers are literally living
underground.
Like 0ld-Time Fourth.
From the lines of trenches running
parallel 10 one another, comes a con-
slant splitting. suffering. popping Of
rifles, making the woods sound like "A
Chinese New Year in San Francisco or
an Old-time Fourth Of July, field guns
and hand grenades furuishins the
cracker effect.
Through the woods the high noted
'ZinE zinS" Of bullets sounds like a
swarm Of angry bees. while high over
head .shrapncl and she'll 20 shriekiu.y
on their way. Here and there You NAV
see Spades full OF earth being thrown
up, as II by invisible hands, markin,;
the onward work Of the German
SOpher-like pioneers in their subtcr-
rnncan warfare. That is the Argonne
forest
As tho trench am in was stnI in
tho hands Of the French three days ago
and a. the crown prince is advancing
steadily, The trenches are temporary
and contain little in the way OF com
forts. In deep inches cut in the side,
III" soldiers rest. play cards or even
sleep on damp lodges between fights.
Bury Dead In Trenches.
The trenches also serve AS a cemetery.
When the cncmy's fire is so hot that il
Is Impossible. to stick your head out
or to take the dead out to bury then.
the grave is made in niche or n ledge
cut into the side Of the trench.
Just In front of me there is such
grave uu a little ledge made by widen
nS the trench. y card fastened 10 the
tiny twig cross ut the head was written
on IT. with iudel:ble pcnc ]. "Musketeey
Christ The name suggests other
things than tho killing Of men.
Just above il. outside of the trench
and very close by, lies p dead French
man. Tho hriu@ from the "ncmv's
trenches AT this UOinr is 50 fierce that
the Germans have not vet been abb"
10 take the body away. That there are
others between the t,vo lines is midi
Gated by the odor. Around a sharp
angle ia tn" trench the hand and ARA
Of a French soldier sticks out of the
dirt. whore the Germans tunncIod
within ten feet Of tho French trench.
Fight With Hand Grenadcs.
There they planted Lightweight
pounds Of explosive. blew up the trench
and took il by storm a few moments
later. At that time the trenches were
within thirty-fiye feet Of each other
The Germans and French had fought
from these positions for one week
chiefly with and crenadcs. neither bein@
able 10 driv" out the other
when ] was presented to the crown
prince yesterday at his headgua rtcrs,
iIc said: Il would like very rnuch iu
have YOU see the operations in the
Argonne forest and the work of my
q rIny. I would lik" to have YOU con
vince yourself that J am not rrtrcatinc
as has been repeatedly reported / can
not guaranie" your safety. however. !
and the visit Will have to Ice made on |
your own responsibility
Later, the crown prince said his per
SOual physician would accompany me |
to render first aid. II necessary"
Yes. ] viii attempt to put tho press
together IL tho French hit it remark !
ed the surgeon general. Prof. --- ,olim- |
nation by ccnsorl.
Better first make your Will and leave !