Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-03-10
DESCRIBES LIFE OF
MEN In TRENCHES
Correspondent with English Head
quarters in France Pictures it
on Firing Line.
UNSEEN ENEMIES IN BATTLE
(By Frederick Palmer, Associated
Press Correspondent

1
Press Correspondent
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
! FRANCE (via London), March g.
There you are. and keep your head
down! II is fair target at that dis
lance" said the officer who had
come out OF the shelter to meet the
newspaper correspondents who were
/ being permitted TO visit the trenches.
The correspondents we're in the
defences at the edge Of a hardwood
grove called the Ploegsteert woods
The British had fought fiercely in
order TO get possession of this grove,
| for It meant cover for them. Occa-
sionally bullets whlstled overhead
and the swish of German shells,
which we're being fired at something
in the rear, passed up while a hid
den British battery was sending its
shells in the opposite direction.
Men Are waiting.
At intervals in the defences the men
were waiting with rifles TO plug any NOV
] Ing tninE lndl lOOkeu ike u btTbpN.
III a Gerboy helmet appears. can you
put a hole through it?" was asked one OF
the rflemsn.
1T looks so. They don't put them up
very often, sir" was the answer
Two hundred and fifty yards away was
a wall OF sandbags. The field between
the two lines was lifeless as desert.
and, for all one could sec. the German
breastwork was not occupied by single
human being. But there, as on the Brit
ish side, sharpshooters were waiting and
| officers were watching through the re-
fracting mirrors OF the perlscopes.
For. three months the trenches have re-
mained in the same position, and never
in all that time, here as elsewhere along
the line, but someone is on the lookout
and the reserves are ready for an attack
when Big Push Comes.
Here we will be until the big push
comes say the men. BY the big push"
they refer to the movement when the new
British army Is In the trenches
At night German patrols creep out TO
sec II the British are up TO anything new
and the British do likewise TO ascertain
" the Germans are. And sometimes
some OF the men are killed
Those who are not on watch arc loung-
ing on beds OF straw under the timber
roofs To the rear there are many more
shelters where officers and men are
CHARTERED. one old South African vet
eran was planting primroses on the earth
roof OF his house. 1T is getting prin1-
rose time at home I'm England" he said.
Except for the thresh Of shells and the
bang OF the guns. the scene is most
peaceful. When the Germans cut loose
with some thrills OF the rapid fire s1ins
or begin shelling the men take TO their
shelters until the storm Is over. They
are always In danger from snfpinr and
are likely to be called at any minute to
suffer heavy LOSSES In repelling an at
tack They are veterans who cease TO
think OF possibilities
The Soldiers PHILOSOPHY.
III you are killed. why YOU are klIed -
said Tommy Atkins, ''and what's the use
In worrying about It? The more YOU
worry the better 1t plehses the Germans"
From Mons to Ypres. the British regu-
lar gained familiarity with death. Very
proud are the men who have stuck Il
through from the time Of the British |
landing until now. when one OF them
X.
that's all Maybe III set it from a |
snlper when this winter Is over
AT night all the work in the neIRh-
borhood OF the trenches is done. Across |
the fire zone behind the trenches. food
ana timbers and everything needed in |
the trenches is carried up by hand in |
wallow OF mud. Yet one hears no |
growing or swearing when It would seem
that human Irritation must have an es-
cape valve.
Profanity comes too high" said a !
soldier The Gerboys may hear you |
and turn loose. And II may not only
cost you your life. but your pals. Any
one who has been much with the British
army on campaign mas heard the same |
remark many times and spoken In the
same language. Il had peculiar appeal.
Can Always Hear Them.
with darkness falling over the flat coun-
try and the buildings becoming shadowy.
the correspondents walked away from the
cover of a village with the commanding
officer Of that section OF the front. with
the rattle OF machine gun growing
louder toward the trench. Whenever
anyone goes near the front he Is bound
TO hear the machine guns even In this
quiet spot OF the British front
They can't be firing at any definite
object In the dark queried corre-
spondent.
Perhaps perhaps not the officer re-
piled. The gun is laid for the top of
their trench, We don't hold down the
fire too much as we want to let the Ger
mans know we are ON deck"
"Are We in bullet range yet?" was
asked
Rather. 500 yards That's why we don't
walk up in the day time. The flares you
see are going up from the German
trenches" replied the officer.
Throw Glare over EteIda.
These flares, like Fourth OF July
rockets, threw a glare over the sodden
fields and revealed the faces or the CORE
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