New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-29
Trenches Defending Hard
Won Post Most Cheer
full Under the Flag.
SOLDIERS REALIZE
1T MEANS ADVANCE
Confident the Germans, Though
Brave and Skilful, Have
Shot Their Bolt.

(Frederick Palmer, i0ho IS az me
front in France for the Associated
Press. sends the following dispdtch')
British Headquarters in France
March 27.-Next to having witnessed
tho hattie of Neuve Chapelle, the most
interesting thing to correspondent
is a night spent in the new BRUSH
line Of works which defend that sec
ton of the shell-torn earth that tho
British won and hold against all Ter
man efforts at recovery.
Such visit, made alone, withou.
automobile or other accessories, proven
70 he no pastoral idyl of peaceful Sc
curitv. When corps staff officer VINO
gave the correspondent PERMISSION "
90, required him to sign paper re-
leasing the army authorities from any
rcenonsibility. one could only reply
that he had used the crossing at liLn
Avenue and Forty-second street a. wv
rush hour without holding the May.
of New York accountable II run III.
The Germans were gwen sneI'.ie
along the avenues OF approach ~ Wv
British line at the edge oil the N'liSs
Stray bullets cracked against Ihe SnHs
tered village walls, and wheh INC Gol
respondent left their cove ne va
within ZOO or 400 yards OF the GERMAN
breastworkc. :et the most cneei -,
snot where the British flag mes Is
bpye II was worth enduring a sleep
less night and plunging IN muo 10 en-,
+or INTO the shirt of the soldiers, VINO
had suffered such hard knocks and had
at last seen the tide turn.
Victory Worth the Cost.
Though rumors come from London OF
comnlaint over the heavy cost OF the
victory. the officer or man at the 'front.'
Who takes that view is yet to be found.
Tbcv know the situation and are pre-
narcd TO pay the price which success
reouires. The point they make is that
tbev have been able to make a gam
without any heavier losses than the
Germans, who yielded. ,
"a lot of our fellows were killed,
said soldier, "but this time II was
in pushing the Germans, instead VI try
ing to hold them back. You can
realize. sir. unless you have been IN 1t
from Mons, how that bucks you up.
NV host in the breastwOrk was
captain. who the previous day had re-
ceived shot through the arm. and'
although officially reported wounded
remained in his mud-spattcred uniform
on duty. with no bed except rubber
sheet laid on the wet earth. HIS rela-
tives in England may worry about MN
but he does not worry about hlmsell'
although when the war Is over ne says
he is certainly going 10 have ore real
bath and one good meal in London no
matter what the cost.
When il was notice. that he had no
blankets in his dugout the captain eX-
plained that the mems blankets were
not up yet, and he wanted to 'nJoy no
luxury they lacked.
Faint aureoles Of light showing above
the line Of the German breastworks
rose from their campfres, which were
the counterpart of the British b.aziers.
made bv punching holes in any sort or
bucket TO be found. Around these the
men off duty gather to keep warm and
frv their bacon and make thei. tea.
Time sped rapidly as one moved from
group to group TO chat, every one keep
ing his head below the parapet 70 AVOID
German bullets.
Standing on Dead Germans.
eve are standing on dead Germans"
said one soldier. 1--WE turned their
trenches in to make graves good
trenches they were, too"
When a fusillade broke out in dis.
tant part of our lines at the sign OF
some movement the Germans in front
of US burst into yells Of derision. like
the outcries from baseball fans when q
misthrow to first lets in run. Later II
the night these same Germans saw the
same phantom in the darkness and be-
gan firing feverishly, when 1t became
| our turn TO .augh.
At point where the trenches are
/ only sixty yards apart an English speak
/ ing German asked when Kitchener's
army was coming.
81 want this war over" he declared
/ loudly, $50 | can go home"
| Don't get downhearted, my dear,