The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-22

Keeping Men Cheered Up Is the
Vital Point, as French
Officer Tells It.
SOME SOCIAL EVENINGS
Artillery Lieutenant Ventures to say
the Famous "75" 10 "of Little Use"
Fire 10 Too Direct-Surprtse
Ahead for the Germans.
BY GABRIEL pELAcARpE.

BY GABRIEL DELAcARDE.
Correspondent Chicago Daily News)
Amiens, France.-He Is q captain
who comes to Amiens from time to
time for a few days of rest. Here
he has comfortable quarters, where
his wife impatiently awaits him; in |
the small village near Albert all he |
has to go to is subterranean cabin.
the ceiling Of which is of earth.
This. his permanent residence. is
on a crest, 500 yards from the enemy.
The narrow space. with its wall OF
clay, measures perhaps four yards
in length by one in width. Entering
and seeing the owner OF the place, his
back to the wall. shapeless bundle
Of animals skins. one might imagine,
were it not for telephone in the
corner, that one had been carried back
to prehistoric times.
Sleeps, Eats, Works In Cave.
It is here the captain sleeps, eats,
writes and gives and receives his or
ders. 1t is here that, through the en-
brasure which overlooks the plain. he
constantly surveys the little wood to
the left, and, in the distance, those
narrow lines OF yellow earth, the
enemy's trenches. 1t is from this cave
that he regulates the firing Of the
French batteries so that their shells
will hit the real trenches filed with
men, not the counterfeit ones which
are masses of earth.
A narrow, zigzag passage connects
the small hut with the first line
trenches. Three or four times day
the captain splashes through 1t. In
spite OF the trunks of trees, with
which the bottom is covered, the wet
clay is slippery.
This is why my coat is so thread
bare" he says. Constant brushing Of
the mud wears away the cloth. And
what is more annoying even than fall
ing fiat In the clay is being splashed
on the head by wet earth hurled by
q she'll"
Thus slowly and cautiously one ar
rives at the advanced trenches.
Real Duty Of Leader.
do you know the most difficult part
of a chiefs duty?" the captain asked
me. 1T is not so much directing a
combat At times attacks are rare I;
We have not had single one for two
months. The real duty of the chief
is to sustain the morale of his men
watch over them; talk to them famili
arly of their families, their affairs. as
1t is that which interests them most
1t is to improve the quality of their
food, prepare what / hardly dare cal
a social evening, when they can drink
cup OF tea and eat few cakes or
dered from Amiens. In short, one
must be constantly watching them
talking to them, encouraging them.
For instance, recently, one of oul
,, sentiDels at the entrance to a small
wood was killed one night. Our patro
found him at the foot of a tree with
his throat cut. A second sentinel me
the same fate. A third likewise.
i, Captain Called to Calm Men.
AT once my men. became uneasy
What was to be done? No one hat
heard anything. Sentinels are sta
toned there at night only, to proven
n a surprise in the trenches. They ar
stationed near an isolated oak, whenc
o they survey the path which is tn
only outlet practicable through tn
O growth of shrubs in which the shell
. have followed out unapproachabl
: quagmires and so entangled tn
. branches that even in a high wind
= would be impossible to pass throug
; without making a noise loud enoug
to attract attention
, Il was sent for. To place severe
a sentinels there would be all right Blu
on the other hand, for these thre
deaths we were determined to exas
payment from the slayer, who pro-
ably would not dare attack two c
% three men at a time.
Refuse to Let Captain Go.
Il listened, then said l would go 8
~ sentinel Not one Of the men vo
g unteered. They looked at one Al
other searchingly. 1t was evidel
s. they did not wish me to risk my lif
a. Finally they must have cast lots.
IS Chance selected a sergeant. +
rs departed at night. l had a scare
K light set up, ready to operate, SO TIL
w he should have light and assistan,
ID at the slightest attack He surroun
to ed himself with wire netting, mour
,u ed on small stakes to which bel
[ were attached. Our lines were a |
Oh tie way back of it. This was how
discovered the 'boche,' who had pro
ably arrived by fox track. preps
. ing his way during the day. an
when all was ready. cutting d
threats of our sentinels.