Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-07-30

trenched, but were on the wstch all
night
THE next day their artillery opened
on US and their infantry started an
attack, but we stood firm and smeared
them" 81 u"
German Trenches Well Built.
In a letter dated June 10 he says:
1.-THE German trenches are built
much better than ours. Some OF the
huts in which the men lived were 20
feet underground. They used a great
humber of dirt sacks. There must be
shortage Of material in Germany as
these sacks were made from every
thing, mostly from cheap, light calico.
hardly strong enough to hold the
earth.
"They had an extensive system OF
mines and we made the attack MAY
81 just In time, as Pavelka and in
vestigated the saps with the aid OF
candle. They were all loaded and
wired ready to be set of. One had
been exploded; the Germans, in dig
ging, must have lost their bearings.
because the hole was actually nearer
their own line than ours. They used
a tremendous charge and the explosion
must have been terrific, for the result
reminded me uf the crater Of voloa-
no. 1t was easily thirty feet deep.
Stencil Was Horrible.
Our bombardment of May played
havoc with the German trenches:
great number of the roofs on the huts
had fallen during the cannonading,
burying alive all the occupants. Around
these places the stencil was horrible.
All through these trenches was evil
dence of heavy losses on the part Of
the Germans: at intervals arms and
legs protruded from the walls and
floors and all in all it was a gruesome
journey. AS result of May 9 our
line is advanced about two miles, but
the Germans hold dangerous position
on the side of large hill and 1t will
be hard work chasing them off.
I'VE have been out to dig trenches
and, believe me, you sure do work.
Imagine getting up and working on
the ground ahput $50 yards from the
German line, with them shooting all
the time Work.! You bet the men
work with a will, and it does not take
them very long to get good trench
dug.
Walk Nine Miles to Work.
I'VE walk about nine miles from this
town to the first line, dig a trench
and walk back. We leave at p. m.
and get back at 5 a. m. The idea Of
walking nine miles to work.
There is not much left of this regi-
ment since May 9; the Italians have
Just been liberated to return to their
own army. Our company at present
has IS men out Of q ful! company of
$50, but We expect to be filled up with
men from Ballbonne and Lyon.
well, this war is great game. The
next person who mentions the glories
of war to you jump on him with both
feet. Picture the charge with the band
playing and the men singing-what
tommyrot. In the first place the in.
struments never get near the actual
fighting, and in the second place, the
men don't care hang for song.
Want War to End.
I'VE have some fun with the boxing
gloves. and it is surprising to know
how many good boxers there are here.
The other day two zouaves turned up;
they weighed about $50 pounds each
and were very good. One had boxed
for the amateur championship of
Tunis. They would give many profess
sional fighters a run for the money.
I'VE are all in the best of health
and getting plenty to eat. We are
unanimous in wishing for the war to
end soon. Take it from me, those who
clamor for war the most in the States
are those who know nothing about it.
War Ia an asinine waste and ! take
my hat OF to Wilson and his level.
headedness."'