New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-30
By FRED b. PITNEY
Try Cable 10 The Tribune


Paris, Oct. Ell have returned to-
day from a visit to the Somme 'front.'
made for the purpose OF studying and
realizing on the spot the progress
made by the French since my last VISIT
The progress was very real, but MADE
at the cost Of terrific destruction and
the absolute sweeping out Of existence
of all material objects in the pain OIL
the advancing troops.
The contending armies in their slow
march across the rolling hills OF
Picardy left behind them a veritapie
desert and as one stands on sllgnt
eminence and looks across miles OF TINS
desolated land one cannot help ones
gorge rising against the man and the
nation responsible for this CHASTITY
work.
The question naturally occurred 70
me which was worst among the many
little nations composing the German
Emnire and | said to a staff officer
standing beside me: "Who among the
Germans do you find most given to
destruction"
"Bavarians," he replied.
az should have thought" said, 1T
would have been the Prussians.'
Peasants the Worst
mo" he answered. "The Prussians
are proud, overbearing and intransl-
eeant. but for pure brutishness the
Bavarians exceed all, and the worst OF
them are the peasants. Men from the
cities are not so bad as the peasants.
Education seems to improve them
little, but the uneducated peasants are
merely brutes."
"And who" l asked, "are the best
men to oppose them? Who make the
host soldiers for such warfare as
this?"
educated men," he said; "men OF
families. To support such warfare as
this ciyilization-true civilizations
required, and q sense Of responsibility
"Men who are able to bear without
murmur the strain of this life. day
after day, month in, month out un-
der conditions such as these and 80
forward, day by day. in a methodicai
advance. are educated. cultivated men
men who are truly civilized.
"War like this is too terrible for
savage and half-civiized peoples. IL
breaks down their moral resistance
They need movement and change.
at is only trained intelligence which
has the moral force to stand the
monotony of this ordeal
Common Soldiers Confident
I suppose every one who goes to
the front wants TO find out what the
Germans think-what impression is
gathered from German prisoners
From our side of the battle line the
ever-present question is, What are
conditions in the German lines! Ana
| asked the officer what they gathered
from prisoners.
The answer surprised me. / would
have expected a weakening, perhaps
signs of generalization, among the
simple soldiers; firmness, resolution
and confidence among the officers; but
on the contrary. =,
"The simple soldiers are usually
slow and heavy" was the reply. They
frequently are sulky and sullen, but
seldom have any doubt of ultimate
victory. They have been told to be-
lieve in victory, and they obey orders.
"The officers, on the other hand, can
think for themselves, and we rarely
find an officer now who believes. Ger
many can win.
"The morale Of the men is better
than that Of the officers. 1t is sur
prising thing that among the prison
ers of the last two months it is the
officers who acknowledge defeat"
NY visit was to the south of the
Somme. and found the entire French