Omaha daily bee., 1915-03-07
SCENES ALONG FIRING LINES
Frederick Palmer Writes of Visit to
Camp Of East Indian Troops
in France.
BRITONs FROM EVERYWHERE

bh1 AONo NUN EN En- W 1lL4NG
NEW YORK. March 5.-Frederick Pal
mer, who Is az the front in France Tor
the Associated Press, sends the following
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, March 5.-CVia London)-The
picturesqueness Of the Indian troops or
the British empire breaks the monotony
Of the grim. cnlorless business Of modern
war at the British front The little mule
cars Of these soldiers move about among
the powerful motor trucks from England.
It was first feared that the Indians
might not stand shell fire we'll but they
became used 20 it and now they are even
cuntemptuous of it. Accustomed to a hot
and dry climate the chill and rainy
weather and the miry mud Of Northern
France has been their worst enemy.
When the sun shines a smile spreads
over the whole Indian force. Thanks to
many layers of warm clothes and careful
attention, the sick report of the Indian
troops is normal
All the food of these men has to be
brought from India. Speaking no word
of English, these dusky strangers have
come from the other side Of the world
to fight i'm France for Great Britain
Billeted In barns with thick layers OF
straw for their beds, each race cooking
its food to its taste and according to its
caste customs they form a separate
world OF never ceasing wonder to the
French inhabitants This morning there
was seen 5000 cavalry riding by on
muddy road with a background of flat
and misty landscape with all the preci-
sion they would show at a royal review.
Occasionally among the dusky faces
under the turbans there were the white
countenances of the English officers. who
had trained these varied tribes and who
have stood with them in the trenches in
Icy water up to their waists against the
enemy.
Fights at Seventy-Two.
Sir Pertab Singh. y years old, rode
at the head Of his regiment
They told me was too old" he said.
but ] replied, II you will not let me
fight in France l will go to Afghanis-
tan and fight there don't mean to die
In my bed and 1 cannot live much longer
So they let me come"
Although all the cavalry is fighting as
infantry in the trenches, cavalry officers
keep up their cavalry drills and the
horses are in condition. This is because
there may be a chance for the cavalry
when the expected German break comes.
Everybody on the line speaks of the
Germans going back as IL this was as
certain as the coming OF spring.
One of the British officers with whom
the newspaper correspondents watched
the Indian troops ride past, made the re-
mark; THE Canadians in their trenches
are now doing we'll"
The driver of the motor car I'm which
the correspondents were conveyed to the
'front.' revealed his Americanism by the
use OF New York slang He had had
sixteen taxicabs running in New York.
put ne came over, as the English say.
ito do his bit"
BritOns from Everywhere
One meets here Englishmen, Irishmen
and Scotchmen from every part of the
world ready TO serve in any mental
capacity in order to help. Now. Won
take this message to all my Irish friends
In America for me-" said an elderly Irish
medical officer in charge of a hospital
train. Tell them 1 have been sleeping
on that car seat for six weeks with the
harp alongside of me and the union Jack
over my head. II was fine time we
had when they let me load my train with
wounded right where the shells were
falling, but they do not permit that any
more.
In the outskirts of village where Ger
man shells fall al intervals there were
seen infantry attachments practicing at
hand grenade attacks and in the defense
OF trenches. Nobody worried about the
danger from German shells while thew
rent the air With their own explosions OF
bomos thrown at close quarters,
Hospital for COnvalescents.
At another place the correspondents
entered building which seemed neither
wholly hospital nor wholly Young Mems
Christian association. The reason that
the location OF this and many other
places is not given is because no German
aeroplane bombs are wanted. In this
particular building men overexhausted
IRON their vigil in the trenches remove
their filthy clothes, get warm baths and
dlsintecting spray and have a warm
meal, including bread pudding with rails
ms or currants in IL. of which they are
extremely fond. There are also clean
cots where they turn in and a reading
rooih win games. Here no one Is kept
longer than fourteen days. II in that time
they have not sufficiently recovered from
the exhausting demands of the trenches
to return to the front they are sent hack
TO the base.
Doesn't some malingerer," I asked
ever hesitate to face the horror of the
trenches again?'
Occasionally there is one," was the
answer. That's human nature. We are
amazed at how few. When we'll enough
the average man goes. He says he will
play the game. You will know soon what
he is going to do"
Before leaving the convalescent home
the correspondents were given each an
identification metal disk with his name
on it, 1T is best to have one" was the
remark. You are going into the trenches
tomorrow"