The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1915-09-30
KIPL|NG SEES
STONE AGE IN
Line Of Trenches Erected by
Man Precisely as In Pre-.
historic Times.


last Of articles from the pen Of Rvd-
yard kipIirs under the general
title o. "France st War on the From
tier Of Civilization" describing the
impressions Of . visit TO the fight
ing line In France.
by RupVARp KiPLiNo.
copyright 1876. by tho Sun Printing and
Publishing Association.l
"TIIs II the end of the line" said
the stan officer. the kindess
and most patient OF chnperons
IL buttressed Itself on a for
trcss among the hills. Beyond that the
silence was moro awful than the mined
noise OF the business to the westward.
IN mileage on the map the line must
be between 400 and 800 miles. In nc
tual trench work It Is many times TINT
distance. IL II too much 10 see at full
length. The mind does not readily
break away from the obsession of It's
entirety nor grip Its detail. One Wis
ualizes the thing afterward rs white
bot cash wormlng all across France
between intolcrable sounds aud lights
under censeIcss blasts 81 whirlei dirt
Nor l. IL any relief g. lose oneself
among wildernesscs Of pilinS, ~toning.
timberlng. cOncrcting. wire work or In
calculable quantities 81 soil thrown 40
raw 20 the light aud clouked by the
changing seasons Ms the unburicd dead
are clonked.
Yet there are no words 10 give the
essential simplicity OF u. II Is ram
part put up by man against the beast.
precisely as In the stone nge. IL It
goes. all that keeps MS from the beast
goes with Il. one sees this at the front
as clearly as one sees the French VII
lagos behind the German lines. Some
times the people steal away from them
and bring word Of what they endure.
Where rife and bayonct serve. men
use those tools along the front; where
the knife gives better results. they 20
In behind the hand grenades with the
naked twelve inch knife.
New Methods In Use.
Each race Is supposed 10 nght IN Its
own way. but this war has passed DO
You'd all known ways. They say that
the Belgians In the north settle &c
counts with certain dry passion
which has varied very little since their
agony h.pan. some sections OF the
English line have produced soft
voiced. rather reserved type which does
N. IVORY with It's mouth shut. The
Fr.nch carry an edge 10 their fighting.
. pr,r,.,oo and dreadful knowicige
coupled with an insensibility TO shock
unlike ANYTHING one has imagined OF
mankind
~ SUI, o.. go .,nca an.
~ -, % h,n, ,na rsnr,.
-, -. ,,,s,,, ,n,,., ,o nina
- -.
=, en-. ,ro,, wa. Alan
nj sr.s.,,r, hack 10 his gun po~,-
49,. -, ~, noun,a,ns and I won.
d., VIVA, delIrh, OF what household
The lad must haye been in the odd
dav. Then We had 10 work our way,
aenar,ment NV department against
the t,dc. Of men behind the line.
sppoor,s and their supports. reserves
and reserves OF reserves as well AZ
mnEnlN IN trIltnlng-tltY uODItu tuNu.
and Villages. When we tried short cuts
We found them In every bylane.
Have you seen mounted men reading
their home letters with relns thrown on
their horses necks. moving In absorbed
silence through street which almost
said 'TIushr' TO its dogs. or met In a
forest a procession Of perfectly new big
guns. apparently tnking themselves
from the foundry 10 the frontf
pL v o,i.,
ffeneh h''P ~"
In spite OF their love OF drama there
Is not much window dressing In the
French character. The boche, who Is
the priest OF the higher counter jun
perry. would have had half the neutral
press out IN cars to advertise these vast
spectacles OF men and material But
the same Instinct as makes their rich
farmers Keen 10 their smocks makes
the French keep quiet.
This Is our aualr' tney argue argue
v' ~, 'n' -. -, s., ,he
"a pa A.. tn. wv nc Snac,,,orS
'a' ~" 10 a.
pue " s, oe VI "''""s'
"o.,u Ane"