The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-29
Frederick Palmer Sends a Vivid Picture of Tommy Atkins Happy Over a
 Hard-earned Victory
AT SOME PLACES
 GIANT ARMIES LIE
 BUT 60 YARDS APART
Mud -Spattered Trenches a Most Cheerful Spot Despite the Heavy Cost of Victory
By FREDERIcK PALMER

"s IAl4MIIif
 British Headquarters In France. March 27.-(Via London, March 2S, 7:30 p. m.)-While the world is eager for news, day after day may pass at the front with no news except of desul- tory artillery and rifle fire, which is the normal existence save when some supreme effort is made.
 Next to having witnessed the battle of Neuve chapellc. the most interestine thing to correspondent is a night in the new British line of works, which defend that section of this shell-torn earth that she British won and hold against all Ger man efforts to recovery.
 Such a visit. made alone. without auto mobile or other accessories, proved to be mo idyl of peaceful security. When a corps staff offidNr who gave the core spondent permission to go. required him 10 sign paper releasing the army author ities from any responsibility. one could only reply that he had used the crossing ct Fifth avenue and Forty-second street at the rush hour without holding the mayor of New York accountable if run over.
 The Germans were given shelling along the avenues of approach to the British line at the edge of the village; stray bullets cracked against the shat tered village walls, and when the corre- spondent left their cover he was within ae0 or 4oe wards of the German breast works.
 Soldiers Cheerful Yet the most cheerful spot where the British flag flies is here. It was worth enduring a sleepless night and plunging in mud to enter into the spirit of the soldiers, who had suffered such hard turn.
 Though rumors come from London of complaint over the heavy cost of the vic tory, the officer or man at the front who takes that view is yet to be found. They s know the situation and are prepared to pay the price. The point they make Is that they have been able to make a gain without any heavier losses than the Ger mans. who yielded.
 "A lot of our fellows were killed" said a soldier, 'but this time it was in pushing the Germans instead of trying to hold them back. You can't realize. sir, unless you have been in it from Mons, how that bucks yoV up.''
 My host in the nreastworks was a cap tain, who the previous day had received shot through the arm, and although of ficially reported wounded, remained in his mud spattcred uniform on duty, with TO bed except a rubber sheet the wet earth. His relatives in England may worry about him, but he does not worry about himself although when the war is over he says he Is certainly going to have one real bath and one good meal in Lon don. no matter what the cost
 When it was noticed that he had no blankets in his dug-out the captain ex- plained that the mems blankets were not up yet. and he wanted to enjoy no lux nry they lacked.
 Faint aureoes of light showing above the line of the German breastworks rose from their campfires, which were the counterpart of the British braziers. made by punchins holes in any sort of bucket to be found Around these the men off duty gather to keep warm and fry their bacon and make their tea. Time sped rapidly as one moved from group to group to chat, every one keeping his head below the parapet to avoid German bullets.
 Standing On Germans
 I've are standing on dead Germans" said one soldiers. We turned their trenches into graves-good trenches they were, too.''
 When the fusillade bro Fe out in dis tant part of our lines at the sign of some movement the Germans in front of
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