New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-29

! Tommy Atkins called back. you re ~
readv started. and you'll know when
the new army comes, because you Will
| be going faster than you want TO-.
At this point one could distinctly
| hear the Germans talking, the COM
mands of their officers and the driving
! az stakes as they strengthened their
works. German rifles, helmets, caps
and diaries were plentiful in the Brit
ish breastworks. A souvenir hunter
| could have a helmet by going out IN
! front for it.
Dark Patches Along the Front.
In the moonlight dark patches with
points like bloodless human faces were
visible on the field between the two
| forces wherever you went along the
| front. Under the light of the German
| flares they took the form of masses OF
PROSTATE bodies, and by daylight one
| could see the attitude OF each as he
| fell. including that of German soldier
with an unexploded hand grenade lying
where it dropped from his fingers.
Across this field the Germans made
| their main charge to recover Neuve
! Chapelle. Not for want of courage
they failed. The German official bull
/ letin stated that the German losses
at Neuve Chapelle were 5000, but this
could hardly include the known killed
and 1000 prisoners taken, without
counting the wounded.
Though the Germans shout badnage
/ in their trenches, they have asked for
! TO armistce to bury their dead, and
on previous occasions, when the Brit
/ ish asked the privilege to bury the
4 British dead il was refused. There
I =
/ how grim is the actually, despite oc-
casional sallies of wit. A breastwork
! jester takes care not to show his head
when he makes his quip, lest bullet
make it his last.
1t is shrewd, calculating war every
moment from the parapet, and camp
/ fire comradeship under the protection
of the wall of sandbags which bullets
| cannot penetrate. There is plenty Of
/ admiration for the skill of the Ger
mans as soldiers heard from both OFF,
GERS and men, but there is confidence
also that the Germans have shot their
] bolt.
Coming TO an Irish regiment, an
! Irishman said: 81 have three brothers
| in the states and | am going myself
after the war. The Germans need a
/ licking, and when anybody needs a
/ licking that's the place for the lrish.'
| The Irishmen insisted that the cor
| respondent have cup OF tea, and
wouldn't he try a slice Of bacon which
/ was sizzling in the pan, while an occa-
sional bullet sizzled over the para
/ pet?
/ The wounded captain, my host, going
/ beyond his own bailiwick, chatted with
/ fellow officers about bresstwork max
/ ing and other business details They
referred to this and that friend who
/ had been killed since they last met
as if death were a familiar thing to
| all. Not one lauded war or found
/ any glory in it, but all had no thought
/ except TO continue until victory had
been won.
If | got few yards ahead of my
| guide, found how rare was the priv
/ ilege to a civilian to be alone in that
exclusive world. Some soldier instant
/ ~ demanded TO know who | was, and,
! if there had been no one TO identify
me should have been promptly APP
pretended and sent TO headquarters,
under suspicion of being spy.
II was after o'clock in the morning
when my host and myself lay down in
his dugout, but not TO sleep, for there
were many things to talk about. Twice,
when the desultory firing became heav-
Ter on both sides, he went out to see
! what was the cause.
I'VE have not settled down on this
front yet" he said. The Germans are
pretty grouchy yet over their beating.
Both sides begin firing on the slight
est alarm. They don't want to risk
any night attack getting started"
Safer to Sleep By Day.
At dawn, as said goodby, I ex-
pressed regret to my host for having
kept him awake all night.
"Oh, no." he replied. II stay awake
always at night. Ny time for sleep is
from 8 until l o'clock. By day we can
see the Germans if they try on any
tricks"
In leaving the lines by daylight care
must be taken against the open spaces
visible to the German sharpshooters
who NAV not make a miss the second
time if they do the first.
To see Neuve Chapelle by daylight
is to see the most fearful example of
the power of modern artillery fire vet
witnessed. No village is left, only
hashed bricks and mortar, with the
exception of half dozen houses which
were hit several times After knockine
the buildings to pieces the British
shells kneaded and pulyerized the re-
mains.
Yet two objects stood practically I'M
harmed amidst that low skyline OF
ruins effigies Of Christ on the Cross.
of the type familiar to travellers in
France. Eight-nch shells had exca-
waited enormous holes on either side OF
the base of one. While other trees in
the town had been cut in two and
splintered and gashed, four small ever
green shrubs around the other effigy
had been undisturbed. Many soldiers
remarked the curious phenomenon. In
deed. the soldiers talked much of il.
In going over the ground one readily
visualized how this battle, which has
stiffened English confidence, had been
fought. There were the remains of
the old frontal and reserve trenches
the Germans had occupied when the
battle began with burst of fire from
a multitude Of guns fired on signal.
One could realize how in the crash OF
explosions and the rending of earth
there could be only insane confusion
in the German trench which the Brit
lsh infantry rushed; how that terrific
blast OF gunnery was carried on TO the
next defence, and the infantry charged
again 10 get possession of another few
hundred yards OF ground; how in the
streets OF the village parties of Ger
mans surrendered and others in the
pandenonium tried desperately TO turn
and fire back
Germans Taken by Surprise.
The Germans were taken uttarI, h.,