The Harrison times., 1916-07-22
New Battalions Have Completely
Engulfed the Old Regu-
lar Force.
HOLD 100 MILES MILES or front
Never Have There Been So Many Ger
man and Allied Troops on the
Western Front-Doctors Help
the Civilians.
BY FREDERICK PALMER.

British Headquarters, France.-A
correspondent who has been absent
foC six months from the British front
is amazed upon his return at the in
crease in numbers of men, guns and
equipment. The numerous battalions
of the new army which have arrived
have engulfed the old regular army.
Not one officer in ten whom one meets
has had any military service before
the war.
Now one must ride a hundred miles
to pass the British front Khaki is
thick in the villages of the Somme
country as we'll as in those of north
ern Belgium. The British hold the ia
nous Labyrinth" as well as Ypres
and Loos.
In the course of the taking over OF
a long section of the French line,
which freed French troops for serv-
ice, hundreds of miles of wire had to
be laid, transport organized, head
quarters moved, new corps and diyi-
sions creased and commanders ap-
pointed.
In the last few months new men
have come into positions of responsi-
bility. Men who entered the army as
second lieutenants have become cap
tains without yet being old enough to
vote. Majors have become colonels
and generals.
1--WE do not know when the war will
be over, but we do know that spring
is here" say the soldiers. The sec
ond winter in the trenches is tin-
ished. Its chill, wet monotony is over.
Before another winter-well, what
will happen this summer? The growth
of the army and the sun drawing the
moisture out of the mud emphasized
the universal question.
Face Big German Army.
Never, so far as one can learn, have
there been so many Germans and so
many allied troops on the western
front as at this time. Next to the
Verdun region, the German concentra-
ton is heaviest in face Of the British
of any section from the North sea to
Switzerland. No German troops have
been drawn off from the British front
as e-enforcements for the attack on
Verdun.
One side or the other demolishes O
section of enemy trench by exploding
mines or by artillery concentration.
Then the infantry rushes the trench,
gathers in some prisoners, does what
damage it can and returns to its own
trench.
In the morasses Of the Ypres salient
and the Loos region nothing more
could be done, though winter attack
might be possible in high country like
that around Verdun.
Much ingenuity has been shown by
both sides in these trench raids. But
no sooner has one side worked out
new trick than the other learns
how to counter It,
Mud" was the reason given in a
word by an officer why the British
could not attack in winter to relieve
the pressure on Verdun.
1T was the season the Germans
would have chosen for us to attack
he added.
Doctors Help Civilians.
Recently bundle Of reports which
throw interesting light on the work
OF peace the British army Is doing in
France was collected at headquarters
They came from army medical officers
all the way from the fighting line back
to the hospitals at the bases far from
tho zone Of shell fire, and told of the
service which the army doctors have
been rendering to the civil population,
France itself has been depleted Of
doctors, The young ones who did not
20 to the front as medical officers or
to the army hospitals, wont TO fight
In many villages any British army
doctor who happened to be stationed
there took the place Of the local prac-
titioner.
These simple reports reveal the suf-
fering and the sacrifice OF the French
population who have received free
medical service from the allies.
Surgeons 90 from the operating tn
bio TO set the broken leg OF boy
who has fallen out Of a tree or to lance
q felon; from the clearing station,
where tho ,wbite-bandaged wounded
pass through, to look at the baby with