The Washington times., 1916-12-26
British Tommies Wreck Ever
green Lifted Above Ger
man Trench.
CELEBRATE BEHIND LINES
Fighters Inspect Home Pack
ages Under Glare Of Star
Shells.

WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN
FRANCE, Dec. $3.50 far as lighting
Il concerned, Christmas. 1915. was
lust December 20 to Brltain's war
riors. Christmas eve In no wise diff
fered from the preceding night. The
lighting continued in precisely the
same way.
German efforts to frRternalize were
discouraged by grenades and trench
mortars. on one occasion the Sax
ons In an opposite trench lifted up
over their parnpet a Christmas tree
and as the Tommies facing 1t re-
marked--"wc hung. oranges. apples,
and bon-b ons OH It," or. In other
words. they deluged IL with grenadcs.
IL was observable that the experiment
was not repeated.
Open Home Packages.
Troops resting In biilets at the
rear began Christmas celebration
with lunches. dinners, and parties to-
day. There were amateur theatricals
and Christmas trees at the feld Y. NJ.
| c. A. huts-the Y. VI. e. \. furnishing
band music and all extras. In the
meanwhile those In the front trenches
awaited their relief that they too
might celebrate,
In the front trenches the fighters,
| between periods OF watching and
| fighting. opened their packages from
home. For the most part these were
trinkets made by mothers. sweet
hearts. or wives. But for the Tom
mics who had none OF these. there
were plenty OF trinkctz and Christ
mas gifts from volunteer friends
back In England. The procedure OF
this opening Of gifts was the same
all along the line-with the British
Tommier. the Amaze men. the Cam
adams
Christmas eve came with stars shin.
ing from n cloudiess sky. But that
great illumination In tho East was
not the star OF Bethlo hSm-but a star.
she'll OF war. s.pt Aloft by nervous
Germans above the horrible garb0gc
heap known a. No Mans Land. Its
light was sent to search out that de.
briu for any living thing.
Presently. As night d"epened, one
could see. far up and down the line.
brilliant nrebRllH. suspended high
over the trenches like drifting flares
at an American Fourth OF July ccle.
bration.
No Christmas Truce.
As n Christmas decoration these
pyrotechnics were boautiful-but hor.
rlbie. II was evident all through the
night that the Germans were expect
ing a christmas party" for under
the star shells every fantastic WAIVER,
inR shadow was sufficient TO start the
German machine guns purring, or 10
provoke the high.tensioned ping Of
n sniper's rife.
sunday dawned bright. with the
weather unusually mild, Lazy moving
clouds were In the blue sky and as the
day advanced sunshine and shadow
lalternated. The church bells tangled
forth a Christmas-and Sunday--re
hinder across the war'wrecked VII
lagos.
hut out along the scrambled. bar
ren front trenches there was unusual
activity throughout the day with
trench mortar and handgrenade
There wasn't any idea OF n Christmas
truce,
Back a little behind the lines 'ol
death the green slopes were reminis
cent OF the blue glass valleys OF Ken
lucky In early Epringtime. IL Wa
another green Christmas on the
front, and there was plenty OF Christ
mas mlstletoe relieving the otherwise
gaunt trees, their blossoms giving a
touch OF color against the brilliant
green heather.
| In the air swarms OF warplanes cir
cled, while the putter OF machine
guns was distinctly audible when al
occaslonai~ enemy plane ventured for
moment 20 dispute the allied su
premAcy OF cloudland,
IL was natural with this sort OF a
Christmas that the thoughts OF sol
oilers dwelt more on the latest turns
OF war and diplomacy than on Christ
mas dinners and parties-or even the
actual war operations themselves.
Interest In Peace Move.
| Everywhere interest was expressed
in President Wilson's move-and that
interest was always backed up with
the iteration and reiteration that such
move would not have been made
without an intimstion that IL was &C
ceptable TO the warning nations.
But why take such a step now
when England and her allies consider
their victorious peace only a question
OF timer" was the vast undercurrent