Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-28
EVERY EFFORT POSSIBLE
TO MINIMIZE HARDsH|Ps
AS Time Goes on Commissariat Ser:
vtco In French Army Becomes
More Perfect.
SOLDIERS NEVER INPATIENT
GaiIy Undergo Terrible Fatigues Of
War Because They Feel Life Of Ma
ton Is at Stake-Scarcest Things
Are Tobacco and Newspapers.


Are Tobacco and Newspapers.
BY GUGLTELAfO FERItERO.
| Copyright, 1914. by New York Amer.
ican.)
| PARIS. December 1s.-At the begin.
ming OF the war the Italian press do
scribed tho French soldiers az badly
dressed and badly equipped. / do not
know whether the descriptions were
accurate then, but things certainly arc
different now. One OF the things which
struck me In most OF the trenches was
the good condition Of the soldiers.
/ Their clothes and uniforms, OF course,
are no longer bright and new. but they
are not dirty or worn out On seeing
them ono Immediately realizes that tho
soldier is well supplied By n farseeing.
attentive administration.
The variety os uniforms is another
striking fact. AS the war proceeds,
and the .tunics become shabby. they are
repiaced~by new ones OF different and
less visible color. Khaki trousers are
/: gradually replacing the legendary red
pants. thus making the soldiers less
! visible. Also. 1t is said, because the
! red cloth Is not available, since 1t has
become impossible to import dye from
Germany.
i a new eraybluc attire is also grad
uaily being adopted, with the result
that the appearance of the officers and
men liz exceedingly variegated, as some
have old uniforms. some new ones and
others nondcscript.
People who still have ideas OF 1s4s
may see In this diversity sign OF
disorder. The uniformity OF attire
OF the armies OF old was the symbol
and instrument OF discipline but to.
day discipline among the armies of
civilized people has deeper and more
ideal roots 1t Is not tho tunic, but
I 4,
hearts and makes individuals easily
amenable to the will OF officers.
! Because the salvation OF France ia
at stake, French soldiers, with their
unorthodox uniforms, are gaily under
going fatiEues of war which seem
to be difilcult far beyond my forecast
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE
TO RELIEVE DISCOMFORT
On the other hand. the general stan
is doing everything possible to mini
mize the hardships
\ 1t Is we'll known that, with the ex.
ception OF tho very first days, when
there existed some inevitable con.
fusion. all the commissariat service ma.
worked well with the French army
and as timo COOS on It Is becoming
more perfect. The soldiers meals, un-
less battle is on. arrive punctually
by villages. where the field kitchen.
are installed.
Food is plentiful. nouriahinE and ap.
petizing. One look at the soldiers Ia
enough to show they are we'll fed
Vino and coffee arc distributed TO them
daily.
Two things only arc scarce in the
observation-disclosures and newspapers.
The military administration sends to-
bacco as far as possible. but when the
front and all the roads behind are oc-
cupied by ammunition conveys. Red
Cross. etc. tobacco naturally must be
sacrificed.
Many soldiers. however, are privately
provided with smokables, and what
they most regret Is the lack of news.
papers. One has to go to tho trenches
to understand how the newspaper has
become necessity TO the modern man
The military authorities gather as
many papers as possible, even old ones
for distribution among the soldiers
but never enough.
PAPERS DISTRIBUTED
ALL ALONG RoAE
When I went to tho front a stan
officer who accompanied mo filled the
automobile with great bundles OF pa
pers, which no distributed all along
the road. They were days old, and
many several weeks old. but TINT die
not seem to matter as long az they
contained some news OF tho world the
soldiers had left behind. and tho loca,
papers with news of their friends and
relatives-with what JOY the soldier,
grabbed the printed sheets!
shall never forget the pride and
happiness with which a group OF pri.
Yates showed us a newspaper. It had
been taken there by an officer who had
just arrived from town miles away
That was luck which tho soldiers can.
not hope for every day, and they were
} delighted.
The life in the trenches is fatiguins
and painful, but, ns I have already
stated, the soldiers are changed &c.
cording to the eXigencies Of the SER
vice. Within the zone I visited q
change, believe, Is made every forty
, eight hours. but the rule is different
In different places.
} Behind the trenches all villages with
!. In an eiEht-mile radius are evacuated
} by the inhabitants and used by soldiers
! when not in action. Here they rest
} and sleep in houses and beds. recuper-
ate from tho fatigue suffered In the
trenches, while always ready to rush
forward should an attack require rein
, forcements In the trenches. When the
telephone bell rings the soldiers form
and run to help their comrades
J The war as fought to-day In France
needs patience besides courage, and the
French. who had the reputation OF be-
Ing the mort impatient people In Eu-
rope, suddenly have become the most
docile. Neither In the trenches nor in
|. the cities, among soldiers or civilians
have / noticed the slightest Sign OF i'm
| patience OF encouragement over the
length OF the war and the relative in
action observed by the whole army
} since the middle OF November, when
the battle in Flanders ended
PEOPLE OPTIMISTIC
AND SITRE OF Syrcctcso