Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-29
No Complaint Heard Among Sol
diers About Losses at Neuye
Chnpellc.
TROOPS GREATLY HEARTENED
Men in Trenches joyful. Now That
They Have Tasted OF Victory-At
Points Lines Are Only Sixty Yards
Apart.
ny FREDERICK pAI,NEu

which Is tho normal cXistence--or ex-
ccpt when some supreme efforts nre
made
Next to having witnessed tho battle
, OF Neure Chapelle, the most interesting
thing is n night in the British line of
works which defend that section OF
the sh.n-torn earth which the British
troops have won and held against all
German efforts AZ recovery. Such
visit. made alone without any Cooks
tour correspondence or automobile &C
ccsSories. is no pastoral idyl of peace
full security.
When Il corps staff officer. who gave
me permission TO go. required me to
sign a paper releasing the army an
thorities from any responsibility, one
could only reply that IL was something
like crossing Fifth Avenue and Forty
second Street during the rush hour,
without holding the Mayor OF New York
accountable if run over.
STRAY BULLETS CRACK
on SHATTERED WALLS
The Germans are given to Smelling
the avenues of approach TO the Brit
'Sh line at the edge OF the village
stray bullets crack against the shat
tered village walls. and ono leaves their
four hundred yards of the German
hrenstworks.
Yet the most cheerful spot where
the British flag flies is here. II Is
worth enduring a sleepless night and
plunrinE In the mud In order to enter
into the spirit OF the soldiers who have
suffered such hard knocks, and havo
at last seen the time turn.
Though rumors come from London of
complaint voiced over the heavy cost
OF the victory. l must say that have
yet 10 talk with an officer or a man
At the front who takes that point of
view. They know tho situation. and
are prepared 10 pay the price which
success requires. The point they make
is that they were able to make the gain
without any heavier losses than those
OF the Germans. who were forced TO
yield
~ lot OF our fellows were killed"
said soldier. but this time Il was in
pushing the Germans, instead OF trying
TO hold them back. You can't realize,
sir; unless YOU have been in 1t from
Mons on how that bucks You up"
HE HAS NO COMFORTS
DENIED TO HIS SOLDIERS
My host IN the breastworks was a
captain. who, on the previous dny had
received Z shot through the arm, and
though officially reported wounded. had
remained In his ud-spattered uniform
on duty with no bed except rubber
sheet laid on the wet earth. His rela-
tons In England may worry about him.
but he does not worry about himself,
though when the war is over he GER
tainiy is going TO have one real bath and
one good meal in London no matter
what the cost. When I noticed thot
ne had no blankets In his dugout he
explained that those OF the men hod
not been brought up Yet, and he wanted
10 enjoy no luxury which they lacked
Like faint aureolcs OF light show
ing above the line OF the German
which are a counterpart of the British
braziers, made by punching holes In
any sort OF e bucket they can md.
Around these the men off duty gather
o'keep warm and to fry their bacon
and make tea.
Time sped rapidly rs one moved from
group 10 group TO chat. Keeping the
head we'll below the parapet to avoid
the German bullets.
We are standing on dead Germans"
trenches into ready-m made graves and
good trenches they were. too. for the
'Roches' are handy men with their
spades and smart soldiers"
When n tusiilade broke out in n dis.
tant part OF our lines at the sign OF
some movement. the Germans In front
OF US burst into yells Of derision
which were Ike those of bunch g,
Americans when bad throw to frat
lets In run. Later IN the night these
same Germans saw some phantom in
the darkness. and began firing fever
ishly. when II became our turn to
laugh
At point where the trenches are
only sixty yards apart. after the good
morning" calls had been exchanged on
ihe previous day, an English speaking
German asked:
When is kitchener's army cominx7
want this blankety- blank war over
| so ] can so home"
TOMMY ATKINS TELLS HIN
HE'S ALREADY STARTED
Don't get downhearted. my dear"
! Tommy atkins called back. "you o,a
already started. and youIl know when
the new army comes Because you'll
~ eS's 4oStcI IMAM you want to-
here We could hear distinctly tn.
Germans talking and tho commands OF
their of'cers and the driving of stake.
as they strengthened their works.
German rifles. helmets, caps and
diaries are plentiful in the British
preastworks. and the souvenir hunter
could have a helmet any time by going
IN 'front.' for it. In the moonlight dark
patches with points like bloodless hu-
man faces were visible on the field be-
tween the two forces wherever YOU
went along the front. Under the light
or the German flares they took the
FORM OF masses OF PROSTATE bodies. and
by daylight one could see the attitude
or each as they fell. including the one
win the unexplodcd hand grenade.
lying where II dropped from his hand.
Across this field the Garrnang made
tielf main chnrUe