The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-01-30
NO HOLIDAY TRUCE,
SOLDIER DECLARES
FOES MET ON BATTLEFIELD. ex
CHANGED GREETINGS AND
PRESENTS.

sent from the trenches in Northern
France by correspondent who vol
unteered for service with the British
army at the beginning of the war:
Although there was no formal
truce declared during the holiday sea
son, the fighters here had several
days of quiet. by tacit consent. -
Germans and EngIisbmen men on
the plain between the lines, shook
hands, swappd tobacco. told stories.
and even planning an international
football game when the weather turn.
ed bad All day long there was much
searching for souvenirs to send home,
and hundreds of fragments of shell
o rbroken equipment were picked up
in sections of the field where ordinari
ly 1t would mean sure death for sol
der to show himself.
"All rife firing stopped at twilight
on Christmas Eve During the even
ing both sides placed candles and lit
tie bonfleres as Christmas lights
| along the top of the trenches. When
| 1t was seen that neither side intended
to take advantage of the temporary
peace, the soldiers began to climb out
Of their trenches and took up posi-
tions in the bright moonlight on the
fiat ground in front Back and forth
across that two hundred yard field
they greeted each other with wishes
TO ra Merry Christmas. There was
much cheering, speech-making, sing
ing carols and little dancing. The
Englishmen got out their hymn books
with which most Of the soldiers are
provided, and sang Lead 10 Kindly
Light Abide With Me- and While
Shepherds Watched TER Flocks by
Night The hymns were interspersed
with such favorites as 'Mandelay and
'Tipperary.'
Gradually a few of the groups from
the two sides drifted closer together.
Everybody was unarmed. One of the
foremost German groups waved bot
tie OF wine toward the nearest English
groups and invited them to join the
party. After moment or two the
Englishmen. started over. carrying a
Christmas cake and box OF eioo.
olates The men shook hands all
around and Immediately cheers and
clapping came from both sides of the
field, where English and Germans
alike had been anxiously watching the
meeting. The group had a smoke and
drink together, and very soon large
parties of the late enemies were seen
chatting together. All the time in the
distance could be heard the sound OF
trtillery fighting.
"The Englishmen snapped pipe to
bacco for German cigars, and British
candles for German chocolate. Later
in the evening the Germans sent over
to the British trenches small Christ
mas tree, with various cheerful mes
sages and little gifts tied on its
brances.
ION Christmas Day the British So,
diers brought a football out In front
Of the trenches and invited the Ger
mans to send team over for a game
during the afternoon. They promised
to do this, but the weather-or Their
officers-prevented 1t.
Soldiers unslung their cameras ant
took snapshots of little groups of mer
from both sides hob-nobbing together
During the morning, some of the gay
er spirits organized what they called {
fantastic parade led by a German
possession
youth who had somehow obta'nef
possession Of high hat and dress
suit. Among the paraders we're two
soldiers mounted on old bicycles with
out tires.
"The happy scene was rudely inter
rupted about o'clock In the after
noon by the arrival Of a big shell
fred from battery several miles "
the rear. which sent. everybody sour
Trying back to the thenches for |
time.
, Later In the afternoon British sol
iiers helped the enemy bury ten Ger
man soldiers whose bodies we're foun,
IN ditch in front Of the German
trench. They were killed a few day
ago In an attempt on the English out