Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-06
WINTER TOLD AS
IN the TRENCHES
Vivid Description of Army Life Of the
Soldiers on Western War
Front Is Given.

Paris, Feb. 24.-(Correspondence Of
the Associated Pressl.-The second
winter campaign along the Franco-Bel-
gian front mas thus far differed little
from the first, excepting in the greater
efficiency that experience has given to
tactics between the trenches. The two
armies at close quarters are, as last
year, like two wrestlers gathering their
forces, each seeking a solid foothold
and on the lookout for the chance to
grip the other by the neck. Most Of the
activity between the artillery positions
is with flying machines overhead or
with the sappers and miners under
ground; in the trenches themselves it
is largely a matter Of vigilance, mud
and water, with frequent variation in
repairs Of defense works after a heavy
bombardment. The mud is more Sc
rious problem than at the same season
last year on account Of heavy rains.
Ditching has been done on a large
scale all along the front, excepting in
the dunes of Flanders where the
trenches are mostly above ground
composed of millions of sacks of sand;
the water there is too near the sur
face to make drainage possible. Else
where drainage has been effective in
dry weather but the rain toys with the
genius of the engineer and turns the
bitches into canals.
The men are well armed against cold
with sheepskin coats. mufhers, sweat
ers boots and are quite comfortable
in the Vosges where the water runs off
readily. In the plains OF Woevre,
though, where an entire brigade work.
ed four days to execute plan of drain
age admirably conceived and theoreti-
cally perfect that was found insufficient
during the first storm, there is no pro-
lection possible against mud and wa
ter.
The bottoms Of trenches are covered
with fagots, but in vain; they disappear
in the mud after storm. A week Of
rain causes as much damage as a vio-
lent bombardment, according TO an Of
fcer who has seen nearly every sector
of the front this winter.
In certain parts of the Woevre, Ar
tots and Flanders the ground all
around the lines, belabored by shells
of all calibres, covered with eXcaya-
tons that rain has transformed into
miniature lakes, resembles marsh Of
interminable length and a mile or so
wide; the communicating trenches
themselves, sometimes several miles
long, are like cess-pools. The men
obliged to tramp through them to get
to the front line are tired out when
they arrive One relief detachment
was a whole night making the four
miles from its quarters to the trenches;
during the passage a number OF them
left their shoes in the heavy, sticky
mud. Men often prefer to risk the enc
my's shells and make their way to
their post on the surface, but even this
route is scarcely better in many places
on account of the pitfalls dug by artil-
lery fire. 1t is over such ground that
the soldiers must plod with backs bent
under loads of materials required to
maintain the inviolability OF the first
line: no other means of transportation
is possible.
They reach their posts as rule
ready to drop from exhaustion an
officer tells the Associated Press, but
the smoking rata as the trench slang
has named the rations, and hot cup Of
coffee, restore them quickly; indiffeT-
ent to swollen and blistered feet they
set to work under the heavy rains.
throwing up earth that has caved in
from the parapets, repair the fagot
supports, raising the parapets, with
never a finch and never sign that
their courage may have suffered from
those trying tramps through the mud, "
There are parts of the front where
Il is possible for the men to carry 10
the frigid trench primitive foot
warmer in the shape Of stone to al
ford a real comfort, but. OF course, the
trench must be dry. For other COM
forts the men must wait for their turn
TO 20 10 the rear.
A head ventures above parapet and
Is greeted with a volley OF bullets, the