East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-02-11
NEAR-K|PLING MEETS
DEATH AS SHRAPNEL
BURSTS OVER BRITISH
C.TTAIN MILES HAD WON DIS
TINCTIoN THROUGH LET
TIERS FROM FRONT.
His Descriptions OF Fighting We're
Remarkable and Gave Vivid pic
ture OF the life of the English sol
dlcr I'm the Trcnc'ics-Tclls OF Truce
nt Christmas.
BY p. NJ. sARL.

| bl = M SAikl4.
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent J
LONDON Jan. SO.-(By Mail tC
New York)-Englhnd lost n near.
XII ling when a German shrapne
burst over the British advanced line
OF trenches in the vicinity OF Ypre.
and numbered among It's Victims Cap.
tain Robert Patrick Miles of the
Shropshire Light Infantry. attached
to the Irish Rifles, or all the letter.
from the front printed in the English
newspapers none had breathed such
a spirit of optimism nor portrayed
with such humor and intimate detail
the life in the trenches as those OF
this officer. Hitherto they had APP
peared anonymously. The last he
vote was description of the amaz
Ing Christmas truce. arranged by the
soldiers themselves after the pope had
failed to induce the belllgerent gov
ernment officials TO enter into such
an agreement II d.d not reach Eng
land until two weeks after his death
We are having The most extraordi.
nary Christmas Day imaginable,
v cte Captain Mics. "A sort OF un-
arranged and quite unauthorized but
Terfectly understood and scrupulous.
ly observed truce exists between us
and our friends in front. A regular
soldiers peacel The thing started
las; night soon after dusk when the
Germans started shouting Merry
Christmas. Englishmen. 10 us. OF
course. our fellows shouted back and
presently large numbers OF both sides
had left their trenches unarmed and
met in the debatable. shot -rlddled, no.
mans land between the lines
Here the agreement-all on their
cv D-came to be made that we should
not fire at each other until after
m.Gnight tonight. There was a half
moon and the ground was covered
With hoar-frost. and one could see
elm shapes wandering about or stand
Ing round in groups. English and
Germans, where t would have been
ccath to have shown a whlsker an
hour or so before. The men were all
fFaternizing In the middle eve nat.
melly did not allow them too close
&c our line) and swopped cigarettes
and lies in the utmost goodfellow-
ship. Not shot was fired all night
To-day took the opportunity OF
gettinga close view OF their wire en-
tInglements and upon my word / am
sorry / did. / was not half so enthu-
siastic about charging them as / was.
There Is to start with about 20 feet
Of low wire TO stumble through then
(on reflection l had better not go in
T. details about this or the censor
will sit up and take notice). The de-
tells are revolving. Anyway there
are several rows of trenches, each OF
them swept from the flanks by ma
eli ne guns, and each with a horrid
looking sort OF exaggerated crino-
iiie of barbed wire in front of II.
Charging that little lot under heavy
f,ie will be very pleasant business.
Confound the fellow that invented
berbed wire. At the best. one will
tear ones only pair OF trousers and
at the worst one will get hung up in
l. while they shoot you in the more
tender portions OF your anatomy.
THE only real consolation I got
o,t OF my trip was that their trench
es seem to be muddier. II possible,
than ours. I was disappointed to see
such CHEEKY lot OF fellows, as l had
hoped to see a collection OF living
skeletons half covered with rags-an-
mated toast-racks in uniforms. The
funny thing is that while we are fra
ternizlng here, swopping bully beef
for bread, and 'fags' for the most exc
cradle cigars (perhaps the gift OF a
box OF these Is a symptom OF hate),
one can hear the dull booming Of
guns and a certaia amount OF rifle
fire going on in the same old sweet
way on our right and left. We neither
Of us know II our respective artillery
behind will respect our little ar
rangement and abstain from taking
advantage OF what must be very
tempting mark, but hope for the best
cJ we are all mixed up in the middle