Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-05-04
TELLS OF ARMY LIFE
"RELIABLE" DISPATCHES FROM
BARON MUNcHAUsEN.
According to His Reports Soldiers
Are Having an Enjoyable Time,
but of Course One Need Not
Believe Him.

The hardships of warfare in the
trenches have been so grossly exag-
gerated that Ii is time, | think. to
put forth the real facts of this fea-
ture of the war. Rockingham corre-
spondents, who spend their time far
from the scene of action, draw so
largely upon their imaginations that
very little, if, in fact, any truth per-
colates through to the ultimate
reader. 1 had read with interest.
though with skepticism, their reports
of the intense suffering of the troops
compelled to fight in the trenches, 50.
while / was with the German army In
Poland determined to investigate
the matter fully. Needless to say, I;
found the soldiers enjoying comforts
in their subterranean shelters that
rivaled those of the most luxurious
homes.
/ had the pleasure OF visiting the
German position in Poland as the per-
sonal friend ard guest of General Won
Hindenburg. The first thing that
trenches were about half filed with
water, in which the soldiers were
standing up to their waists. So ac-
customed had they become to it. how
ever, that they found it uncomfortable
to stand on dry ground. and when,
unhappily, as sometimes happened,
the water drained away, they made
special provisions for refilling the
bitches, drawing their supply from
nearby streams.
The water served double purpose.
that of keeping them warm and of af-
fording a hiding place when the Rus
slams advanced in too great numbers.
The soldiers would in such a case
merely duck completely under the
water, until the attacking force had
again retired. The Germans also
found the streams that constantly
flowed through the trenches of ines
Unable value in the transport of ra-
tons and ammunition from one point
to another, and by the skillful use of
specially constructed rowboats they
were enabled to rush re-enforcements
to threatened spots.
One difficulty they had COPIED with
unsuccessfully was the freezing of the
water in extremely cold weather. The
disadvantage of this was that it rem
dered the entire army immobile in
the event of attacks, and General Won
HindeL burg was often at loss when
he found troops needed at a particu-
lar poin. neld fast by the ice in their
positions, on fixed post, as 1t WERE
l suggested that If the soldiers were
ordered all to jump upward at the
same time they would bring the ice
with them, and would, moreover, pre-
sent a united front to the foe. This
scheme was tried on the next cold
night with unparalleled success. The
German lines, linked together by ice
walls, advanced literally by leaps and
bounds, and so startled the Russians
that they fled precipitately.
Two companies in returning had
laughable experience, for inadvertent-
ly each attempted to enter the trench
of the other. The irregular ice, of
course. did not fit in either case, and
the soldiers efforts to force their way
into the wrong shelters was so ludi-
crous that j was fairly convulsed with
laughter. After the difficulty had been
pointed out the two commands ex-
changed places, and without further
trouble got into their proper shelters.
Brooklyn Eagle.