The Cordova daily times., 1916-07-20
BIG PUSH WILL CAUSE GREAT LOSSES

| push" which the British and French
 at last attempted along the northern !, portion of the German line has been
 viewed by at least some of the off
 cers in the British trenches ss likely i to entail a sacrifice Of life that no
 general will be prepared to face" &C.,
 cording to q captain whose letter from
 the British front, written just before
 the big forward movement began, | gives some interesting light on the
 present psychology of the men in the
 trenches. Ralph l.. Shaniwald, a New
 York manufacturer. makes public the
 letter. without disclosing the identity
 of the captain who wrote 1t. | We talked of big push when II
 was in London" says the officer. "It
 may be attempted, and may be in 1t.
 but the sacrifice of life will be some.
 thing that in my humble opinion, no general will be prepared to face. Only
 those who have had some experience in trench warfare can appreciate the stupendous difficulties Of a great for. ward movement. with its attendant 1 wholesale slaughter of the very blood that England requires most No; in my opinion, yaluiess though 1t be, our policy must be one of attrition - Of wearing out the enemy a policy that I fully recognize, however. may mean the bankruptcy of the civilized world. Verdun is doubtless the last great effort of a desperate and won derfuily' organized military nation, but it's failure in that quarter will not render the task Of overthrowing it's well handled masses of troops very | much easier. under trench circum. stances"
 Tn other parts of his letter the Brit. ish captain frankly discloses what he thinks of war:
 Between you and me-" he says, "waS is the most damnable, stupid, nonsensical thing that was ever in- vented for settling disputes. and is carried on by brainless. weli,meaning | men, that you wouldn't give the office boys job to. Incompetence. ineffici- ency and pluck; effrontery, interfer- ence, red tape and ability, are all mixed up together out here, in a man. ner that would drive a business man like you crazy
 q have no intention of wearying you with tales os 'hurtiing shells. and the deafening roar of cannon, making your blood run cold with stories of the sights that disgust you. and yet ftu you with deep sympathy; of shocks and hsirbreadth escapes. of tales of vaior, and of trembling knees; of the brave British officer shaving under shell fire laithough have done that stunt many a morning, without cut ting myseif); or of shots that pierced the tunIc to be deflected finally by the small bible presented by the blue and brown eyed maiden of Bloomsbury Square; Of the bullying officer being saved by the fresh faced youngster fulfilling noble revenge
 Strangely enongs in my short ex- perience I have seen many of these things. including the winning of military cross at two in the morning by a blase young man somewhat tired Of life. who fortunately for me, re- fused my proSfered assistance, and who, when he returned to share my dugout with the sweat of suppressed excitement on his brow, drank two stiff nibbies of whiskey in quick sue cesslon that poured out for him, and then failed to fad sleep for his over tired nerves. [ nave seen the shells bursting around yftA no opportunity of running like ths devil, as we all felt inclined to do. I have escaped bits of horrible shrspnei by two and three feet, and snipers' bullets by inches, and I've eaten bully beef till ths cows came home the bravest deed of ali
 Tt is curious feeling the first time one stands surrounded by shell and machine gun fire. was interest cd by watching myself to see how took i. To my intense surprise wasn't frightened. but only curious and then sad Sad at the thought of what 1t all meant, and what had seen. But in spite of everything, have never for 6 moment been de- pressed or nervous. I have had to stand under machine gun fire for an