Omaha daily bee., 1915-03-30
HOW BRITISH HOLD
GROUND DEARLY WON
Correspondent Describes Life in the
Trenches. Where Ee "Put Up"
with Veterans.
JEERs FLY FROM LINE TO LINE

Frederick Palmer. who is at the front
m France for the Associated Press. sends
the following dispatch:
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, March 2s.--Wkile the world is
eager for news. day after day may pass
nt the front with no news except of
aesultory artillery and rifle fire, which
r. the normal existence. save when some
supreme effort is made.
Next to having witnessed the battle
Df Neuve Chapelle, the most Interesting
hing TO a correspondent is a night spent
Al the new British line of works. which
defend that section OF the shell-torn
earth that the British won and hold
against all German efforts at recovery.
"Such visits. made alone without au-
tomobile or other accessories, proved to
Ne no idyl Of peaceful security.
Close to Firing Line.
THE Germans were given a shelling
nlong the avenues of approach TO the
British line at the edge of the village;
stray bullets cracked against the shat
tered village walls. and when the CORE
spondent left their cover he was within
800 yards or 100 yards Of the German
breastworks.
yet the most cheerful spot where the
British flag flies is here. Though rum
ors came from London Of complaint over
Che heavy cost of the victory, the Of
ficer or man at the front who takes
that view is yet to be found. They know
the situation and are prepared to pay
the price, which success requires. The
point they make is that they have been
able. to make a gain without any heaV-
Ter losses than the Germans who yielded.
"A lot Of our fellows were killed said
q soldier. But this time 1t was in push
ing the Germans, instead Of trying TO
hold them back. You can't realize. sir.
unless you have been in 1t from Mons
how that bucks you up.
my host in the breastworks was a cap
tain who the previous day had received
n shot through the arm, and, although
officially reported wounded, remained in
his nnud-spattered uniform on duty, with
no he'd except a rubber sheet laid on the
wet earth. His relatives in England may
worry about him. but he does not worry
about himself, although when the war
is over he says he is certainly going to
have one real bath and one good meal in
London. no matter what the cost.
when it was noticed that he had no
blankets in his dugout, the captain ex-
plained that the mems blankets were not
I'M vet and he wanted to enjoy no luxury
they lacked,
Faint aureoles Of light showing above
the line of the German breastworks rose
from their campfires, which were the
counterpart of the British braziers. made
by punching holes in any sort of bucket
TO be found. Around these the men off
duty gather to keep warm and fry their
bacon and make their tea. Time sped
rapidly as one moved from group to grouT
TO chat, everyone keeping his head below
the paraphet to avoid German bullets.
1--we are standing on dead Germans.
said one soldier. We turned their
trenches into graves--good trenches they
were, too
when fusilade broke out in dis.
tant part of our lines at the sign of some
movement, the Germans in front of III
burst into yells of derision, like the out
cries from base ball fans when a mis-
throw to first lets in a run. Later in tho
night these same Germans saw the sans
phantom In the darkness and began fir.
ing feverishly, when It became our turn
to laugh.
Al a pOIAAI nhNAC viz
sixty yards apart, an English-speaklnt
German asked when Kitchener's armS
was coming I want this war over hi
declared loudly, so I can go home
Don't get downhearted, my dear,
Tommy Atkins called back. You're al
ready started. and you'n know when thu
new army comes. because you will b'
going faster than you want to-
"At this point one could distinctly heal
the Germans talking. the commands o
their officers and the driving of stake
as they strengthened their works. Ger
man rifles. helmets. caps and diaries wer'
plentiful in the British breastworks.
Bodies in the Dark.
I'm the moonlight dark patches will
points like blood!ess human faces wcr'
visible on the field between the tNv'
forces wherever you went along til
front. Under the light of the Germal
flares they took the form OF masses o
PROSTATE bodies, and by daylight on
could see the attitude of each as he fell
Including that of a German soldier witt
an unexploded hand grenade lying wher
4. IA drnpnad from his fingers -