Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-08-06
TELLS OF BIG DRIVE
Letter from Captain With
British Expeditionary Force
in France Made Public.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS

Worr'Spo ld"rC" Of The Assoc!4 ted Press)
New York, July 1.-The big push"
which the British and French have
at last attempted along the northern
portion of the German line has been
viewed by at least some of the officers
IN the British trenches as likely TO
entail sacrifice of life that no gen.
eral will be prepared 10 face, accord
ing to a 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 it.
We talked OF a big push when
was in London says the officer, at
may be attempted, and | may be in
it, but the sacrifice of life will be
something that in my humble opinion,
no general will be prepared to face.
Only those who have had some ex-
perlence in trench warfare can ap-
preciate the stupendous difficulties of
a great forward movement, with its
attendant slaughter of the very blood
that England requires most No; in
my opinion, valueless though it be,
our policy must be one OF attrition
of wearing out the enemy--a policy
that | fully recognize, however, may
mean the bankruptcy of the civilized
world. Nerdun is doubtless the last
great effort of desperate and Won
derfully organized military nation,
but its failure in that quarter will not
render the task of overthrowlng its
well-handled masses of troops very
much easier, under trench circum-
stances"
In other parts of his letter, the
British captain frankly discloses what
he thinks OF war:
Between you and me-" he says,
war is the most damnable, stupid,
nonsensical thing that was ever in
vented for settling disputes, and is
carried on by bralnless, well-meaning
men, that you wouldn't give the Of
flee boys job to- Incompetence. in
efficiency and pluck; effrontery, inter
ference, red tape and ability, all mixed
up together out here, in manner
that would drive business man like
you crazy.
What He Doesn't Tell.
Il have no intention of wearying
you with tales Of hurting shells and
the deafening roar of cannon, making
your blood run cold with stories OF
the sights that disgust you, and yet
fill you with deep sympathy; OF
shocks and hairbreadth escapes; OF
tales of valor, and OF trembling knees
OF the brave British officer shaving
under she'll fire (although have done
that stunt many morning, witho.
cutting myself; of shots that pierced
the tunic to be detected 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 enough, in my short ex-
perlence | have seen many OF these
| things, including the winning OF a
military cross at 2 in the morning by
a blase young man somewhat tired Of
life, who, fortunately for me, refused
my proffered assistance, and who.
when he returned to share my dugout
with the sweat of suppressed excite
ment on his brow, drank two stiff
tumblers of whisky in quick success
sion that | poured out for him, and
then failed to find sleep for his over
tired nerves. have seen the shells
bursting around with no opportunity
OF running like the devil, as we all
felt inclined to do. have escaped
bits OF horrible shrapnel by two
and three feet, and snipers' bullets by
inches, and I've eaten bully beef till