Gilpin observer., 1915-08-26
WAR OF POSITIONS
Trench Warfare Graphically De-
scribed by Correspondent.
What II Means to Live for Weeks In
Ditch Seeking to XIII Persons In
Another Ditch Within Hail.
ing Distance.

London.-A British correspondent
At the front with the expeditionary
force in Flanders sends the following
graphic description OF life In the
trenches:
This war, particularly this trench
warfare-'the war of positions as the
Germans more correctly call it's so
utterly unprecedented that one often
searches the mind in vain for some
suitable parallel which will make peo-
pie realize what it means to have to
live for days. sometimes for weeks, on
end in a narrow ditch seeking to com
pass the violent death OF persons in
another ditch within hailing dis
lance with whom not a year ago one
might have been lunching or dining.
Il was in some trenches the other
day. We were having tea round
table in dugout. The trench ran
through a cornneld. as remember. and
as we drank our tea we had a fine
view of some ruined buildings against
the sky. The German trenches were
very close, and If you had u fancy to
finish with life all you had to do was
to take two steps from the tea table
and poke your head for an instant
above the sandbags OF the parapet.
"On the German side an officer had
tried to do this that morning Five
minutes afterwards three men with a
stretcher had taken the body away
Somebody remarked on the strange
ness OF our position. Here we are,
he said, in a ditch In cornfield.
Rather good spot for a picnic II
would have been. wouldn't 1t, with the
old farm back there to furnish hot wa.
ter for tea and this nice view in front
OF us? | dare say people used to come
here on summer evenings like this a
year ago. Yet here we are, a lot OF
men who probably never heard OF
Flanders in their lives before this
war. Living in an ad;ectival cornfield,
with only one idea in life, and that to
kill as many as possible of another
bunch OF fellows living in another
corner OF the same old cornfield.
Funny war amt II? Who'll come and
snipe?'
He and another man, having fin.
fshed their tea. went on down the
trench where the bullets were whin
neying and popping and snicking great
wads out OF the sandbags OF the pa
RADIOS with resounding smack that
fairly deafens you II your head hap.
pens to be alongside. I could see them
Tor bit creeping doubled up along a
stretch OF low trench marked down as
bad corner Later ! caught sight OF
them in ruined barn Thav wara
kneeling motionless with their rifles
At an opening. They were waiting.
knew whom they were waiting for. a
gentle German whom they had named
Peter Weber. sniper. whose perch
was In tree. They had waited for
him for three days. They didn't get
Peter Weber that day.
Men who live like this, almost en-
tete-a-tete with the Germans. positive
ly get to know their enemies by sight.
They give the snipers names and one
hears OF displays of frightfulness by
Karl and Fritz and OF Hermann's eve
ming hate.
THE other day was In position
which is less than thirty yards from
the German trenches. where the few
men holding the place squat doubled
up In a narrow trench With stack of
bombs at hand to repel an attack. The
trench runs through some ruined