The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-20
BY FREDERICK PALMER.

| (Ouly America. war correspondent PERMITTED "a
| accompany he British army in the field
| British HEADQUARTERS. France. March
DISCRIMINATION out for that bunch
| Of wagons" 1t was voice of American
accent that called. and one knew that
he was near that part of the line held
| by Canadians. 1t was pitch dark and
the hour when supplies are sent up to
the trenches. There was not light on
any vehicle or habitation. hut after
stumbling along a door opened into the
darkcned hall of a farmers house and |
entered brightly Illuminated room with
thiCkly CUrtained windows. 1t was the
briGad. headquarters. where an officer.
talking over the telephone. had just had
word that man had been shot in the
back by snper concealed in the rear
Of the trenches.
The commander and his officers gath
cred around the correspondent from the
United States. whose request to go into
the trenches was granted gladly. Soon
was on my way down a dark road with
a sergeant from ottawa as my guide to
battalion headquarters. Passing through
the ruins of the village. the sergeant re-
marked:
The Germans are not satisfied vet;
they chuck few shells into the wreck
age every day. It made us kind of ner-
Nous at first. but We are used to it now"
sleep in DuEouts.
In a peasant cottage | found the bat
talon commander, who was from Quebec.
He sleeps in the cellar. and the other
officers of the battalion stan sleep in
ducouts. The officers remarked that
she'll had knocked a piece off the roof
Just the other day" but that it did no
harm except TO make some dust"
The colonel was going down to the
trenches for the night and took me
with him. Look out for that narrow
foot -bridge-and here YOU arc likely
to slip off into the ditch" he warned
me. as | kept close behind him in the
iuky night.
Right along here is a favorite place
for the Germans to loosen up with ma
chino guns, for they have a clear field
of fire" the colonel said. when he came
to an open space. The men say
there's nothing to 1t but to lie fat and
wait until they're done shooting"
The rays of a German searchlight.
swinging toward us. rested on the spot.
stand still-that's the rule-'till II
sweeps off: then they will not be able
to spot us the colonel said.
Coca sional shots were heard behind
the trenches.
"Sniper" In the Rear.
That a snipcr in our rear. Occa-
sionalIy ono gets through. though we
don't know how. He's always In khaki.
We're out after this fellow. and we'll
get him before morning. he said
We kept passing lone soldiers carry
ing food or ammunition to the
trenches, or returning empty-hsnded.
The colonel spoke of them as his
boys" a term which / never heard
from an English officer
As We entered the trenches there came
sudden command from some one.
showing an electric flash. Turn Off
The patrol is coming in" Several men
who had been out, crawling up In In
dian fashion. TO see II the Germans were
up to anything. now came hustling over
the top. of the trenches. Some bullets
swept overhead. The Germans had noted
the movement and had fired, but hit no
body.
I'VE got within seven feet of a bunch
in that old house and heard them whis-
perinE." said one of the patrol.
When the strapping, tall Canadians
took the positions over from the English
regiment they found the crest of the
trenches too low for their height and
had to raise il several inches. They have
shown characteristic American ingenuity
and initiative in arranging the trenches
to suit themselves, and besides have
made them wholly dry and comfortable.